If you are planning to keep your WLS a secret...

I will start by saying that I am very open about my RNY and will tell anyone who asks.  

I will be 6 months out next week and have lost almost 70% of my excess weight.  I am at the point now where EVERYONE that I haven't seen for more than 3 months asks me about my weight loss. The few people that don't ask, ask my receptionist if I am okay - to make sure I don't have cancer.  I have been keeping track and at least 75% of those people ask me directly, how I did it.  I am getting so tired of talking about myself :-)  

I guess I never really thought about having to explain myself over and over and over (and I know I don't HAVE to - because it is no one else's business)... but I get asked a lot.  I think people just want to know what the secret to success is - in case they can get in on it too.  I work with patients that I see on a semi-annual basis and all of mine from Jan/Feb are now wanting to know what I have been doing, etc. This is typically followed by a story about someone they know who has had the surgery.  I started wearing one of my old lab coats to try and hide my weight loss hoping to not have to talk about it all the time.  This no longer works.

Just something to consider... you will lose weight and people WILL ask!!  

It gets better.  I received many questions initially too.  Once the weight loss stops and you settle in and these same people see you again and again it'll not be such a topic for discussion/concern/etc.

I'm a pretty private person with acquaintances or people I work with.  People I'm close with (5 people including my hubs to be exact) know.  The rest, well it's none of their business.  I just tell them I'm eating more protein, cut out carbs and amped up my exercise.  Which is all true.  It's all what you're comfortable with.  Since I don't share any other details about my private life with "them" I wont be sharing this either.  

Actually, people might not ask. I have told only a very small handful of close friends and family. I've lost about 90 pounds and have not had a single person ask me how I am doing it. I get lots of comments about how good I look, I say thank you and that I feel good, and then we move on to other topics.

You have to do what works for you and what you feel comfortable doing and sharing.

I was not suggesting that people have to tell. Just merely saying that it surprised me how many people I see do ask.  I have a career where I work with a lot of people - so I come in contact with different people daily - so maybe it is just my situation that it comes up all the time.

I kept mine a secret until after i had it done.  I went through the process of having it done a few years back but i let people talk me out of it before the actual procedure. If people mention the weight i've lost or ask what i've been doing, i have no problem telling them now.  I just didn't want to go through what i did before.

I told my coworkers, family, and friends. I do not tell acquaintances. It's silly, but I wouldn't discuss other medical conditions with them either.  I am fairly private with that. I can't seem to get over it, but I also feel bad getting all the congratulations too. I know I have aided my weight loss by making good choices in food, but I would have lost most of it anyway with the surgery. Feels dishonest in some ways. 

I'm not sure what I will say.  I will be having my surgery in a few weeks.  I'm sure they are going to ask me "how did you do it".

I really don't want to get into all of it with them.  Yet, I don't want to appear deceptive if they find out.  It is really none of their business but when people loose a great deal of weight people want to know how you did it!

I don't go around announcing it to the world. But I will tell people if they ask . My close family and friends are aware I had it done.