This is an interesting discussion. I think my answer to this is that my sexual orientation and sexuality in general is contected somewhat to my wanting a more healthy lifestyle.

When I was in my twenties I was more physically active then I am now. I'd hit the gym between an hour to two hours everyday. I use to get guys noticing me all the time. When I was about 32 years old I got laid off at work and got really depressed. I stopped working out and slowly gained weight. For some reason I never could get back to having an active and healthy lifestyle. Frankly, I wasn't performing as well in bed as I was in my twenties, but I chalked that up to age rather then my physical condition.

What kicked me in the rear to start getting to a more healthy weight was when I was determined to have high cholesterol level. I was at a high risk of heart disease if I didn't change my habits. I didn't want to be on medication my entire life and the cost of the medication was more then a gym membership. So, I thought I would invest my money into more preventative medicine and got a membership at the local gym.

I do notice myself performing better in bed now. The looks that I get from other guys and girls makes me feel attractive and desired. This has been great motiviations for me to keep doing what I'm doing, but it isn't what got me to start this path towards a healthy lifestyle.

Health is the number one motivator for me. It's hard to get as much done as I'd like when I'm constantly tired. I've been checked for diabetes and thyroid, and nothing there. So I'm covering my bases with diet and fitness.

From the genderqueer standpoint though, it wouldn't bother me at all if these lumps on my chest decided to shrink. I never wanted them in the first place. I used to wear baggy clothes in high school to hide behind. The face in the mirror didn't really look like me, so why bother? Spend an hour on hair and make up? No, thank you. Since I'm not completely FtM, it didn't occur to me until I was older what the problem was.

Now that I'm getting more comfortable in my identity, I think it wouldn't be so bad to look better too. I'm currently in two(!) stable relationships. Finding someone new is not on my list of priorities at all. I'm just doing this for me.

The first reaction I had to a recent poor health screening... significantly elevated weight (of course I knew that), but also high blood sugar levels including a high A1C was that something had to change. So, health reasons kicked the weight loss desire into full throttle.

I've thought, though... over the past few months/years as my weight steadily rose that I'd like to look more attractive to my partner of 8 years. If I'm not attracted to myself, why should I expect him to be? Of course we love each other, but I've felt the attraction fade on his part. I feel this is more of a human condition rather than just a gay one.

So, to sum this up, I want to be healthier for the sake of being healthier. Teetering on the edge of Type II Diabetes is scary as hell, and it just so happens I'm a gay man. It doesn't hurt the whole motivation/end goal that by the time I reach my goal (or thereabouts), I could possibly legally marry my sweet man, and look good doing it. On a scale from 1 to Gay, THAT is pretty gay.

Brad

I was warned that with my family history, that I was looking at being diabetic in 15 years if I didn't lose weight (and I wasn't even mega obese). At the age of 37 that was frightening: In just over two months I have gone from pre-diabetic state to normal, very high blood pressure to safely normal, and dropped 4 BMI points. Still a little more to go.

So my motivation was that I didn't want to be diabetic. That had nothing to do with my sexuality.

Would I like to turn from bear to otter? Well I guess that wouldn't be a bad thing in abstract - but happily married (with dog!), it's not about trying to look good for anyone else.

This is a great thread. The honesty is beautiful!

I've been with my partner for over 20 years. We have both had major health challenges (I had cancer, she has an immune disorder and we are both diabetic). So, yes, health is a huge part of why I want to lose weight, but also as Michigan moves closer to gaining Marriage Equality (come on 6th circuit court, make a good decision already!), my partner and I went shopping for wedding clothes that aren't fancy, things we can also wear to church later, or out on the town. We had to shop at fat girl shops, and most of the clothes there are frumpy or just plain ugly. I could have made our outfits, but we bought them on the day after it was legal to get married here (Saturday-the ruling didn't come down until Friday evening) and by the time Monday rolled around, we were barred from getting married again. I didn't make the outfits because we knew our time was probably very limited. We did finally find beautiful outfits, but it would have been easier if we could have walked into any shop to find clothes that fit.

She is an insulin dependent diabetic, and so far I'm just on glucophage, but my A1c has been creeping up and I hate needles. So, it was time.