I, for some reason, feel like people are ashamed to tell more people about having WLS. It is not something to be ashamed of. Clearly people every day see us all overweight, struggling in our daily lives in one capacity or another. I, for one, am shouting it from the roof tops that I am making the biggest change of my life and getting on the road to a healthier me. I feel like people are either being phony or they are just too ashamed or afraid to open up and be honest about what is going on. Yes, some people are going to say negative things about you getting WLS, but SO WHAT. I have faced the same thing and just had to show them that I do not care what they think; I am going to do what is best for me and for my health. This surgery is going to be a life changer and it is going to bring back my vision.
I went to a support group a few weeks ago and people there were telling stories of how they would tell their friends and family that they had been working out more and changed their diets up when asked how they had lost so much weight. Why lie? Where is that going to get you? I would rather be honest and show them that I made a choice that I can stick with for life. Honesty has always been the best policy and I see no need to change that just to meet another human being's expectations of me.
My cousin, who was my babysitter growing up, just had WLS a little while ago. Our family treats her no differently than they do anyone else. At family gatherings they do not molly coddle her about what she eats or worry over whether or not they need to put certain foods away. Why would they? If you are willing to put your body through this surgery, you should be willing to have the will power to abstain from eating the foods or portions you know your body can't have. She is my surgery role model. I am so ecstatic that she is such and that we have such a supportive family behind us.
I'm sorry if this is offensive to anyone. I am tired of being "that girl" who let weight define her and keep her quiet for so long. All my life I have kept my opinions to myself because I wanted people to like me or be my friend, but now, I don't care anymore. I am shouting it out from the roof tops. Weight loss surgery is about to change my life forever!