Career advancement as a result of new found confidence?

[Laughkc11 107]

I'm still in the pre-op stages, but I'm curious if anyone has experienced career growth or success that they believe is correlated to their weight loss? I am at a career plateau at the moment where I'm on the cusp of a breakout into management, but I often times feel like my weight either deters me from taking control of certain situations and opportunities; or other people do not see past my weight and respect me as a businesswoman. I often think about all the things I would do if I were not overweight, self-conscious, and in pain all of the time. One of them is definitely to be fearless and take control of my career. I'm just curious if anyone has realized this type of goal in their weight loss journey? I'd love to hear your stories.

[sharonintx 1,275]

Yes! I have been a bookkeeper/admin assistant forever. Year after year I went into work, stared at a computer screen filled with numbers all day, and sat at my desk eating Cheetos to combat the boredom. I got laid off several months back. So there I was looking for another job.

I got annoyed one afternoon at the thought of keeping the books straight at yet another company that needed someone to come in and correct mistakes in accounting. So I replied to an ad I saw for a company that teaches CPR etc. I had never even taken a CPR class. In the reply I sent them I said I knew nothing about CPR but I was going to resort to self mutilation if I had to stare at a computer screen anymore. Lol. Well...the owner called me and we talked for about 45 minutes.

i started working for them the next day. I spent a while taking training classes and got my instructor certification. Took a month or so of constant classwork and hands-on practice. To be honest I was mortified at the thought of getting up in front of a room full of people and trying to teach a class. The first few classes I was so nervous I thought I'd puke. But I did it. I've been at it a couple months now and I absolutely love it.

I'd have never been able to do this without my new found confidence. I get up there in front of those people and talk to them with ease and self assurance.

The sleeve has done many things for me. I have a new outward appearance, newly acquired inner peace, a level of confidence I never knew existed, and a whole new career that I love. All of this at age 50. I'd be willing to bet that you will achieve things you never dreamed of too!

[treblecutie23 318]

Absolutely it has made a difference.

I started a new position this past month. A dream position as a financial analyst that involves client meeting and presentations. I'd have never had the confidence to go after a position like this at 340lbs. If honestly have never gotten this position had I still looked the way I did, and without the confidence. Image in the business world is unfortunately a big part of it. I had the qualifications, MBA, skills when I was larger but not the confidence needed. Now I'm down almost 160lbs, confident and secure...I rock stilettos at work. I never thought I'd be that girl!

So I'm extremely thankful to my sleeve. I absolutely love my job and the way I look and more importantly FEEL now.

I cringe a little when they refer to me as young and pretty....but it's a compliment I'm trying to get use to. Eventually. One day. good luck!!!!!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[sharonintx 1,275]

@@treblecutie23 You keep rocking those stilettos girl!

[AvaFern 3,516]

I think this is very much possible. I feel like I spent my entire adult life either just trying to survive (from like 18-23 living on my own), or trying to lose weight while slowly moving away from a pure survival mentality. I never had time to think about moving ahead in life because all of the plans I made were to lose weight. I had to control my diet, I had to get to the gym everyday, I had to be thin- every minute was about food. I could worry about pursuing other dreams when I wasn't fat anymore and until then the only place I had the right to be was on a treadmill.

Now that I don't spend everyday planning how I am going to lose weight, I started doing other things with my life. I have a reasonable amount of education, but I avoided doing things in person because I was ashamed of how I look. This year I applied to law school. It was something I wanted to do since I was a kid, but I could never afford it before and after awhile it was something I just accepted I would never get to do. Not only did I get into law school, but I got scholarships at some of the really decent schools and a full scholarship to a somewhat decent school. Although I'm about 3 years older than the median age, I start law school in the fall. I am 100% sure that if my entire life still revolved around food and losing weight and not being good enough to deserve to try new things in life it never would have occurred to me that law school was an option.

So, yes, I think that at least for me the confidence has helped me move forward in life, but the biggest part is that I can take the time I spent obsessing about being fat and put it toward far more valuable pursuits.

[treblecutie23 318]

@@treblecutie23 You keep rocking those stilettos girl!

Oh for sure!!! Spent the weekend cleaning out the closets to make room for new ones. (forgive the mess and tacky carpet....staying with family while house shopping.) lol.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

No clue why it always posts double pics. :/ Sorry!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

It hasn't yet but I know it will.

I am currently on disability and working in returning to the workforce.

[Laughkc11 107]

Yes! I have been a bookkeeper/admin assistant forever. Year after year I went into work, stared at a computer screen filled with numbers all day, and sat at my desk eating Cheetos to combat the boredom. I got laid off several months back. So there I was looking for another job.

I got annoyed one afternoon at the thought of keeping the books straight at yet another company that needed someone to come in and correct mistakes in accounting. So I replied to an ad I saw for a company that teaches CPR etc. I had never even taken a CPR class. In the reply I sent them I said I knew nothing about CPR but I was going to resort to self mutilation if I had to stare at a computer screen anymore. Lol. Well...the owner called me and we talked for about 45 minutes.

i started working for them the next day. I spent a while taking training classes and got my instructor certification. Took a month or so of constant classwork and hands-on practice. To be honest I was mortified at the thought of getting up in front of a room full of people and trying to teach a class. The first few classes I was so nervous I thought I'd puke. But I did it. I've been at it a couple months now and I absolutely love it.

I'd have never been able to do this without my new found confidence. I get up there in front of those people and talk to them with ease and self assurance.

The sleeve has done many things for me. I have a new outward appearance, newly acquired inner peace, a level of confidence I never knew existed, and a whole new career that I love. All of this at age 50. I'd be willing to bet that you will achieve things you never dreamed of too!

This is so cool! Congrats on the career change! I want to become a Financial Peace coordinator as a hobby and a way to teach people how to become more financially stable. Obviously this requires being able to lead a group of strangers with confidence, etc. Can't wait to start doing things that the skinny me inside wants

[Laughkc11 107]

Absolutely it has made a difference.

I started a new position this past month. A dream position as a financial analyst that involves client meeting and presentations. I'd have never had the confidence to go after a position like this at 340lbs. If honestly have never gotten this position had I still looked the way I did, and without the confidence. Image in the business world is unfortunately a big part of it. I had the qualifications, MBA, skills when I was larger but not the confidence needed. Now I'm down almost 160lbs, confident and secure...I rock stilettos at work. I never thought I'd be that girl!

So I'm extremely thankful to my sleeve. I absolutely love my job and the way I look and more importantly FEEL now.

I cringe a little when they refer to me as young and pretty....but it's a compliment I'm trying to get use to. Eventually. One day. good luck!!!!!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I hope my legs look as good as yours when all is said and done!!!

[treblecutie23 318]

Left was September 2015 still preop.

Right was today.

It's insane to see the side by sides. I'm seriously so happy I made the decision to change my life and get healthy.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[WantToBe 77]

_{One of the reasons for pursuing WLS again (had band and only lost 1/2 the weight) was to be able to get a job. I have a job - same job for almost 18 years but I'm 18 years older now and most probably going to need to find a job within the next year. Reality is that "weight discrimination" is the only socially acceptable form of discrimination left. I figure it would be hard to find a job let alone be hired being MO.}

_{I'm not sure what my dream job would be but I sure do hope to be able to find it or at least try to find it once I have the confidence that has been surely lacking being MO. NOT that I don't think MO people can be great employees and very gifted - of course they can but I think that I've always shirked from being my best due to my weight. I will never be a "pretty" person but I do think the weight loss will be a marked improvement in my inner confidence.}

[UsernameTaken 283]

One of the things that encouraged me to push myself to do revision from and to bypass is my current job I have a position where I interact with outside executive customers and internally with my company executives so I always have to be professional. I feel being this big as much as I try I still don't look as "clean and sharp" and the confidence goes along with that. Plus buying all the plus size clothing is just way too much, traveling is a pain because seats are small, belts don't fit etc. I love this job, it's very stressful and demanding but it's a very good opportunity for me to move up eventually. I can see myself being so much better at once I lose the weight.

[Laughkc11 107]

ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1464782345.743594.jpg

Left was September 2015 still preop.

Right was today.

It's insane to see the side by sides. I'm seriously so happy I made the decision to change my life and get healthy.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

LOVE THAT OUTFIT YOU'RE ROCKING TODAY!

[treblecutie23 318]

ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1464782345.743594.jpg

Left was September 2015 still preop.

Right was today.

It's insane to see the side by sides. I'm seriously so happy I made the decision to change my life and get healthy.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

LOVE THAT OUTFIT YOU'RE ROCKING TODAY!

Size 10!!!!!!!!!! Couldn't believe I fit into it!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

I'm still in the pre-op stages, but I'm curious if anyone has experienced career growth or success that they believe is correlated to their weight loss? I am at a career plateau at the moment where I'm on the cusp of a breakout into management, but I often times feel like my weight either deters me from taking control of certain situations and opportunities; or other people do not see past my weight and respect me as a businesswoman. I often think about all the things I would do if I were not overweight, self-conscious, and in pain all of the time. One of them is definitely to be fearless and take control of my career. I'm just curious if anyone has realized this type of goal in their weight loss journey? I'd love to hear your stories.

I'm not sure if losing weight is going to help you. Just because if you haven't got "lean in" down already, losing weight isn't going to help you feel more confident if you don't already have that inward confidence.

Weight loss, and rapid weight loss can bring and entirely new set of insecurities and issues. And just because you lose weight it doesn't mean you will feel like you have lost weight.

Also depending on what field you are in, being attractive, and even beautiful as a woman does more harm than good.

A lot of people that post here see the world through a fat smeared lenses, but other people have the same problems. There wouldn't be all these books about trying to teach women to more aggressive in the work place if a lot of women didn't have this issue, not just over weight ones.

I have always been aggressive, "bossy" and "bitchy". I work in a male dominated field and I started as a manager fresh out of college. I feel like its a skill best learned in elementary school, I credit a military dad and the girl scouts.

Edited June 1, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside