How do I tell my friends?

This is a dilemma for me. I am a very open person with many good friends. I want them to know, and, hopefully, the weight loss will be obvious anyway. But I don't know how to tell people--who to tell, the order to tell people, when, etc.. I also don't want the accolades of my friends to be the main influence of me doing this operation. It seems that it has to come totally from my desire to be thinner. So, I'm still deciding how to tell people. Perhaps this blog will help. And maybe when the surgery is closer.