Hey y'all!

My name is George.
I am over five years post-op.  I'm not new to this site, but it feels like I am, since I rarely log in. 
I am still trying to figure out the ins and outs of this site.  It seems to be a similar format to myspace-type sites, so it shouldn't be too hard...  heheh!

Anyway, enough of that.  I really want to meet other gay people who have gone thru bariatric surgery.  It seems to me that the pressure to fit into society's standards of height/weight proportion is greater amongst the GLBT community (in my experience, at least...) and would like to compare/contrast with other folks out there.  At times it feels like I'm either the only one who feels this way, or I am in the wrong (and I HATE being in the wrong!  LOL!) and should probably lighten up my views and go easier on the general population. 

I've been maintaining a healthy weight of 170, down from 340, for five years now.  I have my binge-moments from time to time, and the threat of gaining any weight cripples me with fear!  It really shouldn't, since time has shown me that I am capable of maintaining a consistent weight...  but it's still a fear of mine to go to bed at 170 and wake up at 340 overnight.  I don't know many other people with whom I can share my day to day concerns post-surgery, so meeting more of you (especially people of similar backgrounds, i.e. gay people) is as much beneficial as it is exciting to me. 

Feel free to send me a friend request...  one can never have too many friends!  

Thank you all!

Welcome to the forum! This is the best one on OH, we have a lot of fun and there is a lot of support. Congratulations on your weight loss and keeping it off for five years that is great.

Jeff

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your success and maintaining it!

Hi and welcome! Great job on maintaining. I too fear I will wake up one day and have all my weight back and that this is just a dream. I think there is pressure all over to fit into the height/weight proportionate catagory. I had a hard time dating cause I was so big (350ish) and finally met a great guy who loved me for me. Society's standards doesn't discriminate. I think it gets to everyone.

Edit: I just checked out your profile. What kind of dog do you have. He looks cute. Also, you are more proof that gay guys are hotter.

My dog's half Italian Greyhound, a quarter Chihuahua, and a quarter Daschund.  Funny story how that happened...  I lived in a house where two of the other roommates had dogs.  The mother was a full-bred Italian Greyhound, and the dad was half Chi, half Dasch.  One day, the mom went into labor...  unbeknownst to anyone that she was even pregnant...  we just assumed the parents weren't old enough to breed!  They were both under a year old.  Of a litter of 4, only two survived.  One went to another home, and I kept the smallest.  He's a character!

And, I thank you for the compliment...  but trust me:  I'm not 'hot.'  I just know how to work a camera!  :)  I'm just little ol' me, really.  Is it odd that I considered myself hotter at my heaviest?  Hmm...  I have my issues, but I am working on them. 

Great story about the dog.

I always joke with my friend here I am a hag so I can be surrounded but hot guys. LOL We all have issues that we work on. I still swear I wear the old sizes. I still want to look for a 5X when I am so not that size anymore.

Good Morning George,

Welcome and congratulations on your continues maintenance of weight loss, it's truly inspirational to hear/meet someone 5 years out that is still doing great.

I think as a society, people will always look at images and make biased decisions about people, but I also believe we are just as capable of making those same sad images about ourselves, that we in turn become our worst enemy at times.  Just as you mentioned your fears, I at times have a fear and sometimes worry about gaining the weight back, but I also know that worrying about such things can also prevent us/me from truly enjoying the moment that we are in.   I recently had my RNY this past December and so far have lost a little more than 50lbs and there are days that I wake up and think, what if...and I have to catch myself and change my way of thinking.  I remind myself why I had the surgery and to praise myself for the amount I've lost.

Remember to continually praise yourself for making the choice to be healthy, you are doing great and are an inspiration to all for continuing to do so well.

Looking forward to getting to know you better.

Kristina

Welcome back to OH, George! This is a great forum and there are so many supportive LGBT folks and supporters in here. I find their posts very helpful. I've been on other boards where all people do is complain. Here, we do some b*tching but mostly a lot of conversation and support. I hope you spend some time with us. That is a great weight loss and a long time to maintain it so well. Job well done. -- Tom

Hi George. Keep workin at figuring out the site - course now days about all I do is come to this forum. Occasionally check out my surgery type forum.

In general I think the GL community can be very much interested in how fit you are and there is pressure to keep up high standards or the appearance of high standards of fitness. But I was reading some literature put out by a GLBT possitive medical group and apparently, because there are so many supportive subset groups (bears, BBW) etc. it is hard for lots of folks to loose weight because they don't fit anymore in their comfortable nich and have to find new friends.

I don't know that this is really different than straight folk. Maybe they just haven't done as many studies on them. Changing your weight by over 100# means changing your whole life and lifestyle no matter what your sexual orientation. Congratulations on your achievement of loosing and maintaining.

You know, I agree.  I just think (and in my experience, anyway) that gay men tend to be more vocal about their particular disgusts and concerns...  or is it just the gay men I know?!  LOL!
I was dating a bear for a while, and our relationship failed.  Personal reasons.
(HOW I HATED being the "cute one" in the relationship...  Waist size does not make you cute by default...  heh)
So I moved on and met another man who has no idea nor concept nor interest in dealing with obesity-related issues.  And the way he treats me is bizarre...  definitely not what I am accustomed to.  But he says it's because he knows that "I know" I'm cute and, looking the way I do, I should be 'entitled' to be lavished upon, catered to, and spoiled...  all foreign concepts to me.  I'm educating him, though. 

I look forward to meeting more of you and participating moreso as I learn this site.
Thank you all for the warm welcome!