I didn't tell anyone I had the surgery.
When I lost weight no one really asked how. They know I work out. I'd post things on Facebook about my workouts occasionally.
"This fat girl just ran a mile" everyone has a tool for weightloss, something that helps them through it. For me nobody needed to know surgery was my tool

Everyone has to deal with the nosy questions in whatever way makes them comfortable. I am very private also, and I generally don't offer up information on my own, but if someone asks me how I lost weight, I tell them the truth - I lost 70lbs on my own and I had surgery to help me with the rest of my weight loss. For me personally it's part of the process of owning all the steps of my journey. I am not worried about anyone judging me, that's on them, and I know I made the best choice for me. I also feel like being open about it helps lessen the stigma that some people attach to weight loss surgery, and I don't mind giving people a little insight to the process.

I don't bring it up but if asked I am honest. I had health issues that could no longer wait to be addressed so I prayed for guidance and made the difficult decision to have WLS. I then usually change the topic. I don't worry about judgment from others, that is their problem. Everyone who loves me has supported me.

I have not told a lot of people, I guess it is the judging and the explanation of the "easy way out" though as we all know, counting calories and exercising is the "easy way out". I just tell them I had health issues and had to take drastic measures; cut way back on carbs, high protein, cut calories and proportions and exercise about 6 times a week. The one question that bothers me also is "How much weight have you lost?" I really do not want everyone to know how much I use to weigh, again being judged. But everyone handles their situation differently, find what you feel most comfortable with, remember it is your journey.

It's really a personal decision, to tell or not. I have always been very open about my surgery. I weighed 386 when I started this and knew that the drastic weight loss the first year would make everyone think WLS, so why try and be coy about it? They would talk and speculate just like we all do when we see someone lose a lot of weight fast. Furthermore, I use my journey with WLS as a teaching opportunity. If people ask how I tell them. If I can help one person walk away from obesity, it's worth any negative comment I may get.

This.

I was the first among my group of coworkers (nurses at a large hospital) to have the sleeve surgery. I was open from the beginning, and actually provided education to many of the docs that I work with who saw my progress. Since I had the sleeve in September of 2011, 4 of my coworkers have also had the sleeve and successfully lost weight, and quite a few of their friends have had it as a result of their experiences.

Even now, people see how hard I work out, and how I continue to track my calories and work to manage my weight. I don't think that anyone who has witnessed my weight loss with the sleeve would dare call it "cheating" or "the easy way out." When weight and obesity is concerned, there is no easy way out.

The stigma attached to weight loss surgery will not go away until those who have it stop being secretive and ashamed about it. Here are some easy, polite answers to the common arguments.

Do some people have complications? Yes, but many people also have severe complications from diabetes and hypertension.

Do some people regain their weight? Yes, but 95% of all people who lose significant amounts of weight regain their weight.

Why can't you just diet and exercise? Most of us have had to prove multiple failed attempts at dieting and exercising prior to being approved for surgery. I lost over 250 pounds in my lifetime with yo-yo dieting before having the sleeve -- regained every pound plus some.

WLS is "cheating." Fine. I'll cheat my way to being thin and healthy. Hey, I know! Let's see who can deadlift more in the gym -- do you even lift? LOL

I have felt it much easier to just be upfront and matter of fact. "I had a surgical procedure to help me get healthy, and I am now in the gym working out 4 days per week". While many people prefer to keep things private it's impossible to hide 85lbs of weight loss in 3.5 months. For most that's enough, some have honest questions and others say "oh" and that's it. I am very happy with my decision and proud of the results. The best way, IMHO, to minimize the negative people is to model the positive.

I told my immediate team before surgery. They have been very supportive. Now that I've lost almost 60 lbs, others in the office are beginning to ask questions. I tell them the truth. I've adopted a new life style after having surgery to reduce the size of my stomach. Is it weird, absolutely, but I tell for 2 reasons. One, if they or someone they know is struggling I want to be honest about the fact that my quick success is due in large part to a tool they don't have. It's not fair to them to let them compare their success to mine without all of the information. Two, if they or someone they know are struggling, I want to be an ambassador for this procedure because it has changed my life for the better permanently.

I haven't had surgery yet, I've actually been contemplating it for a couple of years and finally started the process. I know a couple of people who I'm 99% sure they had WLS but neither chose to share their journey (can't blame them, to each their own). I wish they would have felt comfortable enough to share, I think it would have been helpful for me to talk to someone who had the procedure. I would have done mine a lot sooner had I know what I know now.

I know it's not their responsibility, but sharing would have made a difference for me personally. After my surgery I hope to be honest about my journey and if it helps at least one person then I'll deal with the judgement from others.

I only told my best friend, my in-laws and my parents. My best friend had a gastric bypass almost 4 years ago. She lost 90 pounds and has gained back about 40. My in-laws were totally thrilled and supportive. My mom was the only one who said anything negative about the surgery. My dad told her to knock it off - "She's going to do it anyhow, so you might as well get used to it." Go Dad!

Well, I can see her point though. My dad's sister (my aunt) had a bypass about 20 years ago and has had nothing but problems. She had to go to the Mayo Clinic to have part of her intestines removed. Then she had a tumor in the stapled off stomach that burst (or something like that), so they had to go in for more surgery. Most recently she had to get a colostomy. I don't think it's a coincidence that she's had all of these issues. (Plus she had gained back all of her weight before these issues came up.)

I did tell my teammates at work about the surgery, but not until the Friday before my surgery. I just did NOT want to hear anything negative. It is a big decision to make and hearing people talk dirt about it wouldn't help. I was already re-thinking the surgery that week before. Was I doing the right thing? You know, all that stuff.

Nobody else at work really noticed my weight loss until I was about 70 pounds down. Although some of that probably had to do with the fact that I was wearing the SAME clothes, only in smaller sizes. Tricky, eh? When it WAS noticed, thankfully people came up to me individually and asked what I was doing to lose the weight. I told them. I was mostly the gals who were also overweight. They were REALLY interested in the surgery. What's funny is that no one even realized that I had been gone for the two weeks that I took for surgery and after. I was our integrated testing coordinator for the software we used at a healthcare system and when I came back from my two weeks, I just jumped into my scheduled meetings to lead.

I just started a new job about 1-1/2 months ago and I just told one gal yesterday while we were killing time in an airport on our way back home. She was the first to mention to me that she'd had gastric bypass five years ago and was working on losing the 30 she'd regained. So I mentioned that I'd had the surgery 1-1/2 years ago and had lost 150 lbs so far. She was so surprised! Actually, most people are because my body is very proportionate. (I don't have the hips that some folks get after surgery.) My hubs often comments on my hourglass shape.

When I go out to eat with a group, I still order what *I* can eat. Like a hamburger without the bun, substitute either fruit or raw veggies for the fries, etc. (Or I ask for TWO fries.) If someone in the group mentions my order, I just tell them that bread really fills me up - which isn't a lie.

when I first decided to have my surgery I did not want to tell anyone. I have been struggling with weight loss and no matter how hard I tried nothing seamed to work. after a couple months I decided that I should be proud. I had made a big decision to get healthy. if you don't agree with me that's fine but you have no ideal how hard I worked to loose nothing. I am proud that I am on my journey to be healthy. and in the end I will be happy that I feel good again and no one can take that from me!!!! many people think that you just want to be skinny and I will tell them that is the least of my concerns.

What I hate the most is the fake concern for my well-being. You don't care if Im ok. You just want the tea. LOL I'm not here for it. I had my first coworker come up to me and ask my what did I have surgery on since I was out for two weeks.

First of all, that is HIGHLY inappropriate to ask and secondly, I must be honest, I didnt tell the whole truth. Then she walks away and walks back and says "Hey you look like youve lost some weight, keep that up"..... I side-eyed her for the rest of the day. LOL. We aren't close. She doesnt even know my name. It wasnt her business to know.

Love, love, love those responses!

I also didn't tell many people. Just the closest people to me. It am under no obligation to tell anyone, and it is my choice to keep it to myself and small circle of supporters.

I have had people start to notice and some ask what "my secret" is. I say that I am eating smaller meals more times a day, eating a high protein/lower carb diet, and exercising. I admit, I do feel a little deceptive by not disclosing that I've had surgery, BUT it really is my choice to tell or not to tell. One wouldn't be obligated to tell people they had any other medical procedure whether it's an elective procedure or not, would they? Exactly!

ditto! good answer