I got a HUGE Promotion Today

Guys, besides getting married, having a child, and having the surgery, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me.  A month ago I applied for a new position at my company that would have been a major step up from where I was.  Today the director of my department personally walked the offer down to me and waited for me to read it.  My jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw that it was a 45% salary increase from what I am making now!  Needless to say, I accepted on the spot!  I like to think that the decision to give me the position was based solely on my merit, but my wife thinks that the recent 150 lb weight loss has a lot to do with it.  I've been thinking about it, and I think she might be on to something.  I never really noticed the discrimination against obese people when I was obese, but it is amazing how much differently people treat me now that I'm "normal."  In fact, I'd even been passed over for promotion before, and for them to come to me now with a 45% raise was totally unexpected.  I thought 15-20% maybe. Anyways, that turned out to be an excellent Christmas present for me and my family!

Congratz  Looks like X mas came a bit early

Free drinks and fajitas!!  Put it on Drgonzo's account...

 I think your wife ha**** it right on the head, Dr. G. (u're a physician, btw, I presume?)  ...   I really think people tend to "reward" us (perhaps even subconsciously) for our massive weight loss, in additon to not "penalizing" us for being biggies back when we were in that club   ..   A recent personal example:

  I settled a case at mediation last week for the most I ever have at mediation in 15+  years  - about 2x what I thought we would be able to squeeze out of the def. ins. co.    I remember the atty and adjuster coming into the room just to meet me and my client and shake our hands before getting down to biz  --  and then a few hours later the proverbial ship came in for us when they accepted our (what I thought was high) demand   .. !   It crossed my mind after we got news of the acceptance of our fat demand  the thought that, if they had seen the old "461 lb. diabetic bag of fluid" me instead, they would have NOT been impressed with me (for sure) and I have a hunch they would have taken a harder stance when it came to settlement as a result, thinking I would make a bad physical impression to a jury if the case went to trial   ..  Now that I have the (relatively) "lean and mean" look, I think it actualy intimidates the other side a bit ..  woohoo!    It will be interesting to see how my income compares nowdays versus what it was as a pre-op a year ago, too ..

funny you mention that paul. oh, not to steal the post, congrats and i bet it did have something to do with the weight! but we are taken differently after we lose the weight. no doubt in my mind. my bro is a prosecutor and he lost weight by dieting (some can do it....lol) and he has to wear a suit all day long. when he was in private practice he could get away with copr casual. he really fretted about sweating in his suit. he's in a hot climate. now i sweat too. and you know how it is, when that starts you think the whole world is watching you melt and it just compounds from there. we make it much worse than it is.

anyway, my point is that we are a people of first impression. i challange anyone not to know one thing amoungst men, we know the line between us and will not cross it. by that i mean i know if someone can kick my ass! i will may come up to the line but only cross it if i have no choice. now that you look mean and lean, you are sized up differently. heavy people look weak and unhealthy in other people's minds no matter how much we know it isn't true.

a little story. there's an area we go walk the dogs and it's patroled by guards. they really don't want dogs and people there. we've started a petition to go there anyway but the point is the guards hassle the **** out of everyone going there. now i go down with the dogs for running, usually dressed the way i look in the avatar. it's warm here....lol. i don't get hasseled. i can only attribute that to the fact i don't look like a weeny. i know i look tough....lol. it's not something i strive for, i'm way past trying to impress people anymore but the fact is, i'm not heavy and i look like the weight lifter i once was. i know these guards are thinking twice before trying to intimidate me like do other guys going down there. they throw f bombs at my friends and such but me, they wave. i wave back, dogs off leash. now they got a female guard and she hates everyone.....lol. so my free ride is over. just making the point again that appearance, no matter how sad, seems to be almost everything in our society. so if you look mean and lean, you're a cut above. it's very hard for us former heavyweights to wrap our heads around that kind of prejudging but that's the way it is. sadly...carbonblob

Sounds like the list of "best things that ever happened" just keeps growing and growing! CB

I think obese people are the most discriminated group of all.

I agree with Doug.  I have noticed a huge difference in the way people acknowledge me.  Women in public look me in the eye now and smile and say hi now.  They used to look away like I was a virus, and walk a long circle to avoid me.  People at work treat me with respect. You've probably all seen the promos for the new reality game show where the emcee asks the contestant "Do fat people repulse you?"  I think by and large, thats  a big yes for most people.  Not for me.  Only MEAN people repulse me. The Kevinator

Kevin .. reminds me of the joke I used to tell (sadly) when I was a biggie ..  "I still turn the ladies' heads these days  ..  only now it's the other way!"  &:-/)

Congrats!!!!  I'm sure the wifes christmas wish list just got added to.  Next thing you know you will be running the company!

It was kind of like a 401K for every 3 pounds you lost they gave you a 1% increase in pay.  If it was me I would keep losing and go ask for a raise