My Gastric Bypass Journey- A personal weight loss story –Friendships

People are funny. Not funny ha-ha but funny in the way they will interact with you, before and after your weight loss. During your life, as you yo-yo dieted like I did you would hear “you look good” when you lost weight and nothing as you gained it. Well that was the way it was for me.

I think the best response to my “drastic” weight loss was stated yesterday by a woman at work who stated “honestly, I am trying not to hate you right now, I know how hard you’ve worked and that you have had the surgery to change your life but damn girl you look fantastic! And I am jealous. “

Honesty. You won’t get that often. You will be lucky if you actually can keep your friends. You will notice a definite change in the relationship when you are no longer the “fat friend.”

How do you balance? I will tell you how I do. I haven’t actually lost any friends, but have noticed a change in their demeanor.

• Remember, even though you are changing your eating habits they are not required to. I notice what they eat and it was in a way that I was eating, which is why I was fat, but it is not my job to change them. When asked “what can you eat” I simply state “what I want that is on my plan” Period. No further discussion.
• It is not all about you. After the initial “what have you lost you look great” comments I move on to “how are you? What’s going on with you?”
• Tell your story to your journal not your best friend, especially if they have weight issues. Did you know that your thin friend has body issues? They do.
• Don’t change your Facebook picture every time you get a new picture that shows your weight loss.
• Don’t post meals everyday unless you did it before. Once in awhile is fine but if all of a sudden you start something new on social media it appears to be showing off and self important. And yes isn’t that how the Kardashian got famous? You are not a Kardashian.
• Don’t feel bad when the compliments stop. It doesn’t mean you look bad that day or that they didn’t notice.
• Be an example.

Be gracious. Be kind. Be a good friend.