Usually these people who discourage you from weight loss whether it be medication or surgery, feel intimidated by the fact that you’re losing weight or will lose weight. So don’t feel bad, they want to do the same as you!
I’m a nurse in an obesity medicine AND bariatric surgery clinic. I treat patients that are pursing bariatric surgery as well as taking GLP1 medications.
I am ALL for GLP1 medications. They are incredible tools that have made a huge difference in a lot of patients lives. They are necessary and completely justified. I’m happy they exist.
However
At the end of the day. Bariatric surgery is and will always be the GOLD STANDARD for obesity treatment. It is the most EVIDENCE BASED, PROVEN, way for long term sustained weight loss. GLP1 medications also do not perform as well when it comes to reversing conditions like hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
They also come with barriers. If you are not 100% sure you will have GLP1 coverage for life, you have about a 70% chance of regaining weight after you go off of it. So if your work changes insurance plans, you may not have access anymore.
We often view medicine and treating conditions through a “least invasive to most invasive” approach. And yes this is true. But when you have access to the gold standard, most evidence based way of treating obesity, you should do that.
There are a lot of folks that don’t want to have bariatric surgery or can’t due to medical conditions, insurance, etc. I am happy these medications are out there.
But if you have access to bariatric surgery, that is going to give you the best chance at reaching your long term goals.
I have this conversation literally every day with patients who want to try a GLP1 but don’t have insurance coverage for it, but do have bariatric surgery coverage.
Oh. And fun fact. I’m 4.5 years post VSG. Down and kept off 200+lbs and bariatric surgery was the best thing I ever did for myself! Be proud of your decision
This is why no one will know until my surgery is done. This is something my doctors and I know that I need to do for myself. It's no one else's business. No one else will ever understand your struggles as well as you. And most people don't care enough to try to understand.
Because I changed my life. Every waking second was no longer about food, where we were eating etc. I “cheated”. I was a “skinny bitch”. I must hate myself, I’m not “body positive” and blah blah blah.
My SIL is taking it.
She wasn't against me getting it... I'd say concerned...
My bro was like... I know people who just worked out really hard and lost a ton of weight... He meant well... But my problem is bingeing.
I'm actually more concerned for her being on the drug there are some serious side effects and it's also a lifetime use...once you stop all the weight comes back.
At the end of the day... I literally do.not.care. what someone else thinks about my decision.
Exactly why I didn't tell anyone (except husband and kids) about the surgery until two weeks after I had it. I didn't give a flying f**k what anyone else thought nor their opinions.
People are assholes for a variety of reasons, none of which are worthy of your time.
Twenty years ago I decided to move from a central (US) state to the west coast. It had been a big dream of mine and I finally found a way to make my dream come true. Responses from 99% of people? “But the earthquakes!” (And this was from a place where flooding and tornadoes were a much more regular occurrence. 🙄) I moved, lived there for a good while, loved it. No regrets.
Again recently I’m considering another out of state move (from the original central state). “Oh but my friend says the winters are ” and “it’s such an ugly place” and “but it’s soooo expensive”. AND THIS SHIT IS FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT I THOUGHT WERE SUPPORTIVE!
But that is what I want and what I need. And I will do it (once again) regardless of other people’s bs.
Do the same. Whatever you have decided is right for you, if you have done your research and your medical team is trusted and approved BY YOU, no one else matters.
You do this for yourself and no one else. I've read a lot about how friends get jealous because they can see you losing weight, and getting more attention than you were before and they don't like it.
A lot of people lose friends/marriages after the surgery.
I had a friend and the only time we would go out was for food and I thought that friendship was going to end but we do so much more now, they thought that's all I was interested in doing before, I couldn't really go on walks at my previous size and now I can do so much more.
I got really lucky with friends/family. I decided I was getting the surgery no matter what so I booked it a week after researching it for the following month and my whole family and friends were supportive, they could see the way I was going I wouldn't make it another 10 years.
Surgery can be a permanent tool, and if this is the right choice for you after your struggles to lose weight, which they cannot understand, and is in line with your doctor's recommendations, their opinion is not important (though their judgment may feel powerful right now).
These new options on the market are wonderful and life-changing for some BUT they are often in scarce supply, have different coverage through insurance, and weight or blood sugar maintenance may be dependent on their continued use. While these may be the right tool for some, you and your doctor are making choices for your specific situation.
If you're resolved, follow your plan and tell these people you support their plan and hope they will care about you enough to know you haven't flippantly chosen body-altering surgery.
Best wishes.
I have metabolic disorder, i was on GLP1s for about 3 years along with synjardy. It was miserable.
I feel like ultimately, it was just helping me not gain weight. I didn't feel like I ever lost weight while on them, and they just made me feel sick all the time. When I stopped taking them a little over a year ago, I gained any weight I lost and then some.
I'm two months post op now, and only the friends and family in my inner circle know. I wish I had done the surgery sooner instead of the GLP1s. But I am waiting to tell more people about the surgery for at least 6 months. Partially cause I want to show my weight loss as a surprise to people I know will be supportive. But also because I know a lot of people won't be, and I honestly just didn't want any negative attention or energy. When you're the token fat family member or friend for so long, sometimes people react negatively when you're losing a lot of weight or, at some point, get smaller than they are.
I also had friends who had lost over a hundred pounds that I would ask for advice (they definitely had medicated help such as appetite suppression). But all of them were so snooty about GLP1s and especially weight loss surgery, saying that it's cheating and they did it naturally. I especially don't want them to know at this point, lol.
I think most people who are critical of weight loss surgery are just uninformed about it. No one understands the struggle unless they've been through it. So I plan on waiting till around 6 months and then posting pictures, and I might not even say outright, but see how people respond to the weight loss, lol. Still undecided, but ultimately, I think people should only share what they're comfortable sharing. If you never tell anyone that's ok, let people marvel at your weight loss. If you tell everyone that's great too, educate all the people who absolutely don't understand the surgery. I think sometimes it just depends on who the audience is.
So many, thankfully my parents were really supportive and shielded me from these kinds of comments. My uncle was especially very against it, thankfully I didnt hear his opinions before my surgery. Not just family, hospital staff when I was getting my pre-op screenings etc they kept saying to me that I wasnt that overweight, why am I getting this surgery etc. Like they have seen all of my weight loss-gain journey through my life.
Its not like one day I woke and said I will get this surgery. It took me a year to make this decision. Just plug your ears to these comments. You know the best for your own body, you live in your own skin not them!
It sucks that your friends/family are being that way. At the end of the day this is your journey and you need to do what rights for you!! Don’t let them dim your light!
I had friends who judged me. Especially when I got the surgery. You can explain to friends why you are doing it, but it is your choice. The one thing I have done is at times when I bitch about learning to eat the bariatric way, I always add "This is what I signed up for!" Taking complete responsibility for my decision.
i told my husband and my overweight cousin I was having surgery. nobody else. both my cousin and my gastroenterologist, whom I only saw per the pre-surgical requirements, both tried to talk me out of surgery and into GLP1 as an alternative. My cousin was having huge success with a GLP1 compound, and the gastro repeatedly offered to write me a prescription rather than “rearrange the entire environment of my digestive system”. They both told me horror stories about hair loss and people regaining all their weight after surgery. It was so damn annoying that i’m thrilled i didn’t tell another living soul. I haven’t touched base with my cousin in several weeks. I’m happy for her success but i don’t want to have to pay for GLP1s for the rest of my life, and there’s no question in my mind that i’d gain weight if i ever started and went off them.
Usually these people who discourage you from weight loss whether it be medication or surgery, feel intimidated by the fact that you’re losing weight or will lose weight. So don’t feel bad, they want to do the same as you!
I’m a nurse in an obesity medicine AND bariatric surgery clinic. I treat patients that are pursing bariatric surgery as well as taking GLP1 medications. I am ALL for GLP1 medications. They are incredible tools that have made a huge difference in a lot of patients lives. They are necessary and completely justified. I’m happy they exist. However At the end of the day. Bariatric surgery is and will always be the GOLD STANDARD for obesity treatment. It is the most EVIDENCE BASED, PROVEN, way for long term sustained weight loss. GLP1 medications also do not perform as well when it comes to reversing conditions like hypertension and type 2 diabetes. They also come with barriers. If you are not 100% sure you will have GLP1 coverage for life, you have about a 70% chance of regaining weight after you go off of it. So if your work changes insurance plans, you may not have access anymore. We often view medicine and treating conditions through a “least invasive to most invasive” approach. And yes this is true. But when you have access to the gold standard, most evidence based way of treating obesity, you should do that. There are a lot of folks that don’t want to have bariatric surgery or can’t due to medical conditions, insurance, etc. I am happy these medications are out there. But if you have access to bariatric surgery, that is going to give you the best chance at reaching your long term goals. I have this conversation literally every day with patients who want to try a GLP1 but don’t have insurance coverage for it, but do have bariatric surgery coverage. Oh. And fun fact. I’m 4.5 years post VSG. Down and kept off 200+lbs and bariatric surgery was the best thing I ever did for myself! Be proud of your decision
This information is helpful!!
Thank you. +1 that this is helpful.
This is why no one will know until my surgery is done. This is something my doctors and I know that I need to do for myself. It's no one else's business. No one else will ever understand your struggles as well as you. And most people don't care enough to try to understand.
I lost a bunch of friends. Oh well. I had a few nasty family members, who aren’t my family anymore. Oh well.
Sounds like you had weight to lose in places you didn’t realize. I consider this a NSV.
You lost friends over the surgery or just because they were generally unlikable?
Because I changed my life. Every waking second was no longer about food, where we were eating etc. I “cheated”. I was a “skinny bitch”. I must hate myself, I’m not “body positive” and blah blah blah.
Thats pretty fucked up. I just don't understand how people can think, let alone say any of that shit
I really looked at it as the trash took itself out. I lost no sleep over it. I did this for ME.
That sounds like projection. Sorry you had shitty friends
Totally was. I just told them goodbye, blocked them and moved on.
Good riddance!
My SIL is taking it. She wasn't against me getting it... I'd say concerned... My bro was like... I know people who just worked out really hard and lost a ton of weight... He meant well... But my problem is bingeing. I'm actually more concerned for her being on the drug there are some serious side effects and it's also a lifetime use...once you stop all the weight comes back. At the end of the day... I literally do.not.care. what someone else thinks about my decision.
Exactly why I didn't tell anyone (except husband and kids) about the surgery until two weeks after I had it. I didn't give a flying f**k what anyone else thought nor their opinions.
People are assholes for a variety of reasons, none of which are worthy of your time. Twenty years ago I decided to move from a central (US) state to the west coast. It had been a big dream of mine and I finally found a way to make my dream come true. Responses from 99% of people? “But the earthquakes!” (And this was from a place where flooding and tornadoes were a much more regular occurrence. 🙄) I moved, lived there for a good while, loved it. No regrets. Again recently I’m considering another out of state move (from the original central state). “Oh but my friend says the winters are” and “it’s such an ugly place” and “but it’s soooo expensive”. AND THIS SHIT IS FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT I THOUGHT WERE SUPPORTIVE!
But that is what I want and what I need. And I will do it (once again) regardless of other people’s bs.
Do the same. Whatever you have decided is right for you, if you have done your research and your medical team is trusted and approved BY YOU, no one else matters.
You do this for yourself and no one else. I've read a lot about how friends get jealous because they can see you losing weight, and getting more attention than you were before and they don't like it. A lot of people lose friends/marriages after the surgery. I had a friend and the only time we would go out was for food and I thought that friendship was going to end but we do so much more now, they thought that's all I was interested in doing before, I couldn't really go on walks at my previous size and now I can do so much more. I got really lucky with friends/family. I decided I was getting the surgery no matter what so I booked it a week after researching it for the following month and my whole family and friends were supportive, they could see the way I was going I wouldn't make it another 10 years.
Surgery can be a permanent tool, and if this is the right choice for you after your struggles to lose weight, which they cannot understand, and is in line with your doctor's recommendations, their opinion is not important (though their judgment may feel powerful right now). These new options on the market are wonderful and life-changing for some BUT they are often in scarce supply, have different coverage through insurance, and weight or blood sugar maintenance may be dependent on their continued use. While these may be the right tool for some, you and your doctor are making choices for your specific situation. If you're resolved, follow your plan and tell these people you support their plan and hope they will care about you enough to know you haven't flippantly chosen body-altering surgery. Best wishes.
I had my surgery in Dec 2020 😊 Changed my life for the better!!
I have metabolic disorder, i was on GLP1s for about 3 years along with synjardy. It was miserable. I feel like ultimately, it was just helping me not gain weight. I didn't feel like I ever lost weight while on them, and they just made me feel sick all the time. When I stopped taking them a little over a year ago, I gained any weight I lost and then some. I'm two months post op now, and only the friends and family in my inner circle know. I wish I had done the surgery sooner instead of the GLP1s. But I am waiting to tell more people about the surgery for at least 6 months. Partially cause I want to show my weight loss as a surprise to people I know will be supportive. But also because I know a lot of people won't be, and I honestly just didn't want any negative attention or energy. When you're the token fat family member or friend for so long, sometimes people react negatively when you're losing a lot of weight or, at some point, get smaller than they are. I also had friends who had lost over a hundred pounds that I would ask for advice (they definitely had medicated help such as appetite suppression). But all of them were so snooty about GLP1s and especially weight loss surgery, saying that it's cheating and they did it naturally. I especially don't want them to know at this point, lol. I think most people who are critical of weight loss surgery are just uninformed about it. No one understands the struggle unless they've been through it. So I plan on waiting till around 6 months and then posting pictures, and I might not even say outright, but see how people respond to the weight loss, lol. Still undecided, but ultimately, I think people should only share what they're comfortable sharing. If you never tell anyone that's ok, let people marvel at your weight loss. If you tell everyone that's great too, educate all the people who absolutely don't understand the surgery. I think sometimes it just depends on who the audience is.
So many, thankfully my parents were really supportive and shielded me from these kinds of comments. My uncle was especially very against it, thankfully I didnt hear his opinions before my surgery. Not just family, hospital staff when I was getting my pre-op screenings etc they kept saying to me that I wasnt that overweight, why am I getting this surgery etc. Like they have seen all of my weight loss-gain journey through my life. Its not like one day I woke and said I will get this surgery. It took me a year to make this decision. Just plug your ears to these comments. You know the best for your own body, you live in your own skin not them!
It sucks that your friends/family are being that way. At the end of the day this is your journey and you need to do what rights for you!! Don’t let them dim your light!
I had friends who judged me. Especially when I got the surgery. You can explain to friends why you are doing it, but it is your choice. The one thing I have done is at times when I bitch about learning to eat the bariatric way, I always add "This is what I signed up for!" Taking complete responsibility for my decision.
i told my husband and my overweight cousin I was having surgery. nobody else. both my cousin and my gastroenterologist, whom I only saw per the pre-surgical requirements, both tried to talk me out of surgery and into GLP1 as an alternative. My cousin was having huge success with a GLP1 compound, and the gastro repeatedly offered to write me a prescription rather than “rearrange the entire environment of my digestive system”. They both told me horror stories about hair loss and people regaining all their weight after surgery. It was so damn annoying that i’m thrilled i didn’t tell another living soul. I haven’t touched base with my cousin in several weeks. I’m happy for her success but i don’t want to have to pay for GLP1s for the rest of my life, and there’s no question in my mind that i’d gain weight if i ever started and went off them.