To tell or Not to tell???

I did not tell anyone.  Why should I?   My friends accept me fat or thin and don't play 20- questions with me.  People are smart enough to know exercise and calorie counting  is the way to lose weight.  Why they keep asking how is baffling.  Just because some people have to tell every one doesn't mean other people have to.  It is called respect.  Actually there are enough people out there who tell everyone so we that don't are covered.  Also  some morbidly obese people and societies like NAFTA accept who they are.  The only reason I had the band was for health.  I have always loved the way I looked fat or thin.  It is an interesting topic though.

I am very happy that you love yourself no matter what shape or size you are. I in fact knew I was hot stuff heavy and sure in the hell feel that I am just a smaller package of hotter stuff right now. LOL However I still stand firm on my orginal statement to tell someone you lost weight with diet and exercise ONLY is a lie if you have had WLS. Yes we all know tha****ching what you eat and exercising is the way to lose weight. We all also know that that's easier said than done. Hence the reason we were all over weight and needed to have WLS.  I don't think you have to tell anyone it's your business and right to do whatever you want.  But just face the fact to make that statement is a lie.

Hope I didn't offend with my previous post the other day. If someone asked me whether or not I'd had WLS (like in the case of Star Jones) I would not deny it. However, if a random person asked me how I lost weight, as you put it, I wouldn't shout it from the roof tops...same as I wouldn't announce that I only have 2 kids instead of 4 because I use birth control. The only point I was trying to make is that I will have to diet and exercise the rest of my life. In my opinion it isn't lying if that's what you are doing because that is what is resulting in the weight loss. You are exactly right that the band is a tool to assist you getting there. Just like a laptop or an ink pen is a tool to assist you with writing a research paper for college. You are doing all the work...the pen/laptop just aids you in making it easier so why would you give it ALL the credit for your hard work? And when someone asks how you wrote such a great paper, you would say reading and research (not "I got this really cool computer that I wouldn't have been able to do it without--even if that is the case. That's not lying, just not full disclosure). I feel that it's the same with the lapband. The fact that you used it to assist  with weight loss is nothing to be ashamed of and I agree with you, you should never lie especially when asked point blank (about anything...not just lapband) I think we are on the same page with that but I think we differ in our opinions on whether honesty requires full disclosure and that's okay. Everybody is allowed an opinion and that's the beauty of a forum such as this...we can say how we feel without being judged, even when we disagree. I hope you aren't offended by this or my other post last night.

No no I am not offened in the least bit LOL  I just LOVE a good debate and to see how others feel about matters!!!  I really didn't know so many people were so very passionate about this topic.  I have never been asked by a strange how I lost weight I dont' even understand why a total stranger would even ask me that LOL  I also have never been asked if I had WLS.  What I have been asked by people I know be it at work, friends and in my family is "How did you lose weight"? And I feel personally to say to them "I changed my diet and exercise 5 days a week"  and then smile and stop is lying to me.  Not matter why im doing it or my reason behind it.  It's a lie.  I don't feel I that everyone has to tell everyone there business or that they has WLS it's your right not to.  And I don't give total credit to my weight loss to my band heck my band has never went to the gym for or told me not to eat ice cream (which I love so very much).  I did those things and I am so very pround of the changes that I have made to get to where I am at.  However, my band is also a huge part of how I got here.  And without it im not sure if I would be here.  I agree that the lap band is a tool but it's a bit more than that.  It's a tool that everybody doesn't have and it gives us a bit of an advantage over those who have not had WLS.  

Best of wishes on your journey!!!!

When I first had my revision surgery, I told anybody about it that would listen! LOL  Now that I have been at goal for so long, it doesn't really come up with "new" people in my life because they didn;t know the "old" me.  I may tell them eventually as we gain trust and confidence or if it came up randomly somehow, at which time I would feel weird not saying that I was readily familiar  and well-versed on the topic.

Oh yeah, also if I end up eating with someone for the first time I ALWAYS feel compelled to explain why I do not order a drink, take pea-sized bites, chew 8 million times and only eat 1/2 cup of food.  To not address this would be even more strange, IMHO.  It just makes me feel more comfortable that they know the "why" behind it.  Unless of course it is a business lunch with strangers or something at which time I usually just say I'm "ordering light" since I had a late breakfast or whatever else comes to mind (or nothing at all because I could care less about what strangers think).  Usually in that type of cir****tance, we are too busy talking about business to acknowledge another's weird or unusual eating habits LOL.  It's different than a one-on-one dining experience.

I do the same thing LOL  I recently joined a social group some people knew me before and other I just met.  We go out for drinks and dinner a couple times a month and I teased all the time about my eating.  It's gotten to the point where they wont let me order because they say I just waste food and would rather that I just eat off thier plate.  That way I save money and they say calories LOL  But Iad no problem explaining to them why I eat the way I do.

 I just think some people or in my case, that this is a scary thing... no matter what type of surgery youre having whether it be WLS or anything else.. you don't want negative comments before going under the knife... I'm not saying people should lie when they HAVE been successful with their WLS... that's when you SHOULD tell everyone... but if I'm already scared... don't tell me I might die, I already know this... just be supportive if anything just say "I'll be praying for you" wether you mean it in a nice way or not, that's a whole lot better than your negative one sided comments...

So for me to decide NOT to tell is mostly out of fear... fear something will happen during surgery or fear that this may not work for me, so I'd rather keep it to myself especially around those who are negative... and if/when this does work out, I wouldn't have a problem explaining to people what I had to go through to "get er done!"....for now, I speak about it only to those who are just as excited as I am and those who have positive things to say...