Anyone else treated differently by friends after being approved for WLS?

So I finally get my surgery approval and date on Tuesday and I am so excited I can barely contain myself!  I had told a few close friends and co-workers a few months ago that I was planning to have the surgery and everyone seemed very supportive and have checked in on me along the way to see where I am in the process and if I had gotten approved yet.  Since receiving the approval however I am starting to notice a shift in some of my friends around me.  I should say these are friends that I usually go out to lunch often with and do a lot of "celebrating with food".  While I can barely contain my excitement I have been very careful not to drone on about WLS or my goals and such because I am mindful that I don't want to alienate anyone around me talking about it too much. When I need to talk about it or even fantasize about it, I talk to other WLSers who can relate. Yet, I notice subtle changes when I do mention something about being excited to finally shop in stores I currently am unable to shop in, or other NSVs that I am looking forward to achieving. 

Have any of you gone through this?  How did you handle it?  I am getting the feeling that this is only going to become more of a struggle post op!

I told a few people and haven't had any issues yet....which doesn't mean after the surgery I won't come across this.  However, I've read several people's stories who did.  This is what I think.,,,
 
#1.....Are these friends overweight, themselves?  If so, there may be some envy that you will become what they might want for themselves, but are unable to do. 

#2....Whether they are bigger or not, if your activities with them are centered around food, then they may be freaked out about how this will change their relationship with you.  Whether this statement is true or not, I would start trying to move the friendships centerpiece more around other things like shopping, antiquing, bowling, anything that isn't food centered and then they will see that you are still the same person.

#3....I read some good advice on this a few days ago.  The wls person was wanting to confront her friend for unincluding her in activities since the surgery.  Another member suggested instead of confronting her about it, instead say she's been missing her friend with all the business and try to make plans to do something non-food.  

I think your friends are just afraid of what/how/if their relationship with you could change. 

Thank you so much for your reply!  Yes I was thinking the same as you.  That maybe they are feeling I will be different after surgery and our relationship will change.  I am already trying to do non food related activities so that my focus shifts away from celebrating with food all the time.  I guess we will see how this all plays out! 

Thats just what I needed as well.

I think that this happens to almost all of us to some extent. I didnt make my surgery a secret so everyone I was close to knew about it and my best friend was my food/cheating buddy for almost 20 years...she just wasnt able to handle me changing that part of our relationship. It was hard to deal with for a while but I figure in life our focuses change and others will come along that fit us and our interests. I still see her...usually go to lunch LOL, but I figure that is our connection that she feels comfortable with and I see no harm in going out to lunch once in a while as long as its someplace that has something on the menu I can have. We are not close anymore though, I was mad and had hurt feelings for a long time over it but now just accept that its just one of those things. I think sometimes it can be jealousy seeing you get smaller than them if we are the big one in the group but more so I think its just changing the long standing dynamics of the relationships we had.

Everyone was really great preop.  I only told people who I thought would be totally supportive.  They did not disappoint.  They were right there all the way up to surgery and were concerned afterwards. After I was healed and back to work...things started changing.  I posted yesterday on this (pity party...I've held this in long enough.)  My friends are starting to be weird.  I'm going to follow the advice I got yesterday and find friends that have more similar interests and if my other friends finally come around then that is great.  If they never do, it will hurt, but if I have to drink alcohol and eat to be part of their life, then this is toxic anyway. 

I really didn't experience that.  People treat me pretty much the same way they always did.

Same here, but I haven't told many people. My two best friends know i had the surgery 2 months ago but outside my family i only told the people i babysit for. I wouldn't have told them  except i needed time off from babysitting to heal. They treat me the same as before, the only change is they ask me questions about it. lol

Um yeah, and differently once I had the surgery, and when I got to goal, and got more active, and now even more since I scheduled plastics.....

They are supportive, but they just don't get it.  And I can't blame them-I changed, they didn't.  So I just take it in stride and still see them, but it is very different.

 Thank you Kim. And congratulations on making your goal. I hope to achieve mine one day. ;)