I've been spending a lot of time in Rants & Raves since I joined LBT, partly because it's fun, but also because for the most part it's very GLBT friendly. Unless I haven't looked in the right place, I don't think there's a support thread for us, so I decided to start one!

A little about me. I'm Eddie & I'm a 42-year-old Gay man. I have a partner of just over nine years (henceforth referred to as DH), a 17-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter. DH and I are stupid. Don't believe me, just ask our kids. DH has hypothyroidism and had not been able to lose any weight after his thyroid "went nuts" several years ago. I've just been overweight all my life. He was banded on 2/21/07 and I'm getting mine next Wednesday (5/16). I can't wait!

Anyway, I would love to hear from all the GLBT folks out there. Hopefully this can be a place for us to freely discuss our unique issues and get support we may not be able to get elsewhere.

hey everyone i'm katie!

I am about to be banded and just found this site today! It's so awesome! I don't have a surgery date yet (it should in the next few weeks though). I am so excited and nervous I can hardly stand it!

I'm 228 right now, 253 was my highest and i'm going to shoot for the 160's once I get this thing going!

I hope you all are doing well and I already love hearing about how well you're all doing! Congrats to you big losers

I have called my DRs. office three times already and nobody has called me back regarding moving on to the next phase of eating. I am trying again tomorrow and I am going to be a b@#$ until they tell me what I want to know.

Hi Katie,

Welcome.

We're a nice group of people here.

Ackimaui, don't let up until you get a call back. You've got to be a pest to get what you want!

Hi! I am a 36 (well,, in Jan will be 37) yr old Lesbian mother of 3 from South GA.

I was banded on 11-27-07 and had my first fill on 12-27-07.

I lost weight before surgery and my start weight was 335 and I am now at 293.

My partner of 4 yrs is very supportive and has been a great help to me. She has never been fat and has barely weighed more than 150.

I am so glad that I found this GLBT thread.

A friend of mine had her band in Dec 2006 and she is also a lesbian and her partner is trying to get it done, but is fighting with her insurance company.

She has lost 72 pounds and she is my personal hero!!

I had my procedure done in Jacksonville, FL by Dr. Baptista. He is great! At the first visit her asked my wife if she was my partner and she said yes, and he said that he was very glad to see that she was there with me and that it would help me be very successful in my journey. So I would most definetely say that they are family friendly and that made me feel very comfortable!!

Anyone else in South GA? I am wanting to go to a support group meetings, but can't really go to the ones in Jacksonville every month. There is one in Valdosta, GA and I am going to try that one.

Happy New Year!!

Raynae'

Called the DR's office all day today and nobody was home!!! I guess I will stay on the liquid phase for the third week. I am eating a little mashed potatoes but not alot. I was going to visit my parents this weekend...I live on Nantucket where there are no fast food places. I am afraid to leave the island right now. I will wait until I can eat soft foods to visit the parents.

Hey Katie and Raynae'~ Welcome and like Juli said...we are a nice group of people over here.

Ackmaui~ Sorry your having trouble. I agree w/ Juli...be a pest. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Anyone have any fun NY eve plans? Everyone have a safe one no matter what your doing?

xoxoxoxo

hey! i've got a couple of things on my mind..

what did/do you say when people outside of your inner circle start asking why youre losing weight and how youre doing it? I've told my parents, close aunt, and 3 closest friends, but there really isn't anyone beyond that who I want to know. My best friend asked me what i'm going to say or what she should say if people start asking and I honestly have no idea. I guess I could go with "i've been on a strict diet and have been working out", but i'm sure people will pick up on some things (the liquids and small portions, only a couple drinks when I go out).

Was anyone else in the same boat? I am really uncomfortable letting outsiders in on such a big journey in my life, it's personal and a little humiliating. The only reason I told my 3 closest friends is because I knew I could tell them and have the opportunity to explain WHY I was having it. Sure, i'm overweight and I qualify, but this surgery is more than that to me. And the gay community in my college town is so nosy - they all know everyone else's business! i'm sure i'll be fresh meat once I get thinner but I want people to keep their claws off me. What's the best way of keep this personal without being too stand-offish?

I just don't know how i'll handle these questions once they come my way and i'm really interested in what you guys think.

Hope you all are planning on having a great new year, and i'm so thankful i've found you guys - it's already been such a great support :-)

Ackmayi, sometimes you need LOTS of grease! Did they give you an emergercy number to call? They should have someone to cover the Dr. who could okay a change, It may not sound like an emergency but I'd like to see them follow the liquid diet ! We don't have fast food places over here on the Vineyard either, but I still got into a lot of trouble. How long have you been there? I'm told it's grown a lot since I visited (before you were born :rolleyes )

still no word from Eddie????? hope he is OK !?

HI Raynae, welcome, sounds like you are doing great!

Just a side note, I was down on myself that I went so long without any progress, when this morning I finally figured out that even though I'm only down 40 "now" I am actually down 83 from my all time high , so I guess I need to let up on myself. It's been a process for a lot longer that this! what's cool is that I've been bumping into people that haven't seen me since the 83 lbs. It's a good boost.

Katie, I know exactly where you are coming from, same here. I didn't even tell my kids!!! they all are noticing but I joined Curves and they all know I am trying real hard. It also helps that I'm not losing fast! there is a plus to everything. I just tell them it's the "small plate diet!" I just use a small bread plate and sm. bowl and only eat what fits and no seconds. and I throw in that I "try to make better choices" and I'm exercising my ass off. Drinks? tell them too many calories, rather chew what I can have. no drink with the meal? I get that one a lot, I just tell them that I find I eat less in the long run if I don't fill up on drinks, that they make me hungry later. All true! no need to lie, just no need to tell them more than necessary. so far it's worked great for me. not to worry, you'll get to be a pro. you can also expand the time line a little also if you need to and just say you started a while ago ....thanks for noticing! you know people never notice the first 20 lbs anyway.

I tell everyone that I'm working out more, eating more protein, and less of everything else. All of those things are true. I'm very private and no one else needs to know my business. Talking about my weight loss with others is in the same boat as talking about sex or talking about money -- I'm willing to have a conversation about those things on a very vague level, but the details are no one's business (unless I choose to tell them!).

Oh yeah, and it helps that I, too, am losing pretty slowly. Dammit!

I agree with Lucy, tell people what you want to tell them, fewer calories in and whole lot more out.

As for drinks, I find it easier to just put a glass of water in front of me, though I never touch it. And really most folks are not paying that much attention to what you are eating and drinking. They just don't.

I'm pretty open about my experiences, but to date I've only had one person ask me if I had surgery, actually she asked if I had done "something drastic" to lose the weight. I said, I had weight loss surgery. She's a big woman so I felt okay with that...dunno why, I guess if a skinny woman said, did you have WLS I'd be less okay with it....anyway, the woman said she too had surgery so I felt it important to say I had lap-band. She had bypass, lost 150 and stopped losing. I'd say she's still 100 overweight. Which isn't a judgement call, just interesting.

Anyway, don't tell anyone anything you don't want to tell them. You can redirect conversations away from yourself if you ask people about themselves.

Hey, we fell off the first page, what is up with that? Any way Hope everyone had a nice New Years celebration, I could barley keep my eyes open but I did make it.

I am back at work, just working 1/2 days, not much going on, no kids, + no staff = no problems.

Welcome to the new folks, Like others have said you will like us here, we don't fight with each other here.

Well everyone, Keep it safe, and Happy New Year.

Happy New Year Gang!

Kisses to everyone!

Hey everyone,

For New Years Eve we went out w/ another couple. We made reservations for 8:30. It is at the Uptown Grill, a VERY swanky gay place (we usually go in the summer when they have 2 for 1 entrees). Anyway, we had some champagne here and get the resturaunt and are seated. Table is georgous and we even get horns, and party crowns! We notice they have special menus on the chargers. Inside, it says "Dinners between 8-11pm is $80/person!" ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME???? I had already given my credit card for the reservation and was told if we didn't show that the card would be charged. So...we figured might as well enjoy it. It turned out to be a 6 COURSE DINNER! I am a bandster...and the food kept coming. Needless to say, there was prime rib in the fridge until I fed it to the dog today (freaking $80 dog food):faint:. Oh well...2008 is a new year!

We then went to a gay bar and danced for 1.5 hours straight. Just kept sipping my vodka/cran and literally did not get off the dance floor (actually it was so packed, it was easier to stay on and keep dancing than it would have been to try to get off). We counted down to the New Year! Danced 1 more song and we were home by 12:15 popping another bottle of champagne. All in all we had a great night!

Just wanted to give you all the update! Susanne came home again today and we have a busy weekend planned...then back to work on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone!

xoxoxooxox

bumpity bump bump

:kiss2: