I Want To Get Fat--But Can I Still Dance?

Dear Professor Fatology,

I need help deciding what to do! I am 15 weighing 120lbs with a little belly, I want to get fat but I do dance which i am good at and feel if I get fat I won't enable to dance, what do you think ??? :') xxxx

I think you have been taught by the media (movies/tv/Internet) that if you get fat you can't dance. And that means you've been taught incorrectly. If you frequent gainer sites you will find over and over that it is possible to be heavy and healthy. If you were to gain by eating a lot of “unhealthy” foods (“fast food” that has been highly processed for example) and not exercise at all, then that combination may indeed interfere with your dancing. The point is to do regular exercise and stretching as you gain in order to maintain flexibility and movement.

Let me introduce you to a Canadian, Matt Alaeddine, who bills himself as “the world's fattest contortionist.” While his weight varies (he says it depends on “the candy of the season”) he clearly demonstrates having a belly does not mean you automatically lose your mobility and flexibility.

And let's look at professional athletes—watch any football game and you will see a lot of very large men who have no trouble moving quickly—and their movements incorporate many of the same movements as dance.

And one of the favorite type of athletes who can serve as role models for gainers? Welcome to Japanese Sumo Wrestlers. These are athletes who start off even younger than you are, and intensely train to increase their flexibility and endurance—as well as adding a few hundred pounds to their bodies with a very healthy type of “one pot stew“ called chankonabe.

Here's more detail on Sumo diet and training:

After watching sumo wrestlers grapple, collide and throw each other around the straw ring at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Stadium, many wonder, what could have made them so big and so fast? The answer is two-fold: training, of course, but also diet.

Weight gain is a crucial part of sumo training since there are no weight divisions in the sport. According to Nihon Sumo Association, 40 out of 42 wrestlers in Makuuchi, the top division, weigh more than 140kg (as of January 2010). The heaviest wrestler, Baruto from Estonia, weighs in at a whopping 188kg. A sumo wrestler's daily caloric intake can reach 8,000 kilocalories, more than twice that of an average Japanese adult male...

Starting the day with an empty stomach is one of the secrets of a sumo wrestler's training, says Tetsuhiro Matsuda, manager of the Takasago Sumo stable.

"You can’t move quickly with full stomach. Sumo training is more intense than you ever imagine," Matsuda says...

A sumo wrestler's day begins around 5am with morning training. They peel themselves out of bed and go directly to the training room. Working out on an empty stomach has its advantages in the effort to gain weight, Matsuda says, as this helps slow down the body's metabolism and makes burning calories more difficult.

At around 11am, the wrestlers take their first feast of the day. The veteran wrestler cook, Chankocho, and the young trainees in charge of the kitchen prepare chanko -- the staple diet of sumo wrestlers. This blanket term for sumo diet chanko comes from chankonabe, a one-pot stew.

Practically anything can go into chankonabe. Many different meats, vegetables and fish are cooked in the boiling chicken broth soup base. Chankonabe is very rich in protein and usually served in large quantities with other side dishes.

"The practice of eating chankonabe dates back to the Meiji era. Chanko is easy to prepare and serve for a large number of sumo wrestlers at once and cost efficient. We eat more salads or side dishes along with chankonabe in Takasago stable, compared to other sumo stables," Matsuda said.

By fasting overnight and before morning training, sumo wrestlers switch their bodies to a fat storing mode when all the dishes are served on the table. Sitting in a circle, they are ready to dig in. Matsuda recalls some wrestlers who eat five kilograms of meat or ten bowls of rice in one meal.

For the skinny wrestlers, however, gaining weight can be an arduous process. They just keep gorging large meals until they throw up -- a famous part of the sumo wrestlers' harsh diet training. Thinking back on early days in his career, Matsuda said he used to try so hard to finish three to five bowls of rice at the minimum, per meal.

Right after eating the first meal, sumo wrestlers go back to their own bedrooms and take a long nap in the afternoon. It helps them to gain weight as all the food is being stored as fat. Then the giants come back again to the dining table around 6 or 7pm.

But doesn't eating massive quantities of food in order to get fat while working out to build muscle seem contradictory and unhealthy? "The answer is a lot of exercise," Matsuda says.

And one of the most delightful dancers was Chris Farley who did a classic Chippendale's spoof with Patrick Swayze on the American television series, Saturday Night Live. If you've never seen this, google search for “Chris Farley Chippendale” on Youtube, and never question whether or not a fat man can dance.

The bottom line—it is possible to be healthy and heavy. It is certainly possible to be large and move quickly and powerfully at the level of a professional athlete, just as members of the NFL and the Sumo world prove on a regular basis. In my experience, there are styles of dance that are more of a challenge for heavier dancers than others. Ballet, for example, often puts extreme stress on joints because of the many leaps and extensions that are part of the dance. It may be that if you want to combine being heavy with dancing, you should explore what style of dance you find the most appealing and enjoyable and what puts less strain and stress on your joints if you weigh more than other dancers in your field. 

 The American television series, Dancing With The Stars has also provided role models for competitors who are not slender by any stretch of the imagination, but repeatedly prove they can certainly dance. Chaz Bono has been one of the recent dancers with the highest body fat percentage.

 And finally, remember at the age of 15, you are by no means finished with your physical growth. Many men don't achieve their full adult size until their early 20's. That may mean that you can experience a “growth spurt” over the next few months/years, where your “little belly” disappears because your body is using the energy to make you taller and stronger.

One other thing--you don't indicate if you are interested in dance because of your personal enjoyment, or if you would like dance to be a career choice.  Frankly, there are many obstacles for heavier dancers in the professional world.  However there have been a number of choreographers who have deliberately worked with larger dancers.  In fact, there's a Cuban dance troupe headed by 300 pound Juan Miguel Mas, that specifically features dancers who are not "standard sized."  

Because of the size of the dancers in Mas's troupe, however, the work of Danza Voluminosa conveys something more earthy and human. Fat people move differently, he said, and the choreography must change.

"We are more mountainous," he said with a smile.

The dancers' movements are often slower than those of their slender colleagues. These dancers favor limbs swinging in pendulous arcs and wavelike motions that seem to ripple through their bodies. They seem to grip the floor rather than to abandon it, keeping a low center of gravity, often crouching or dancing while kneeling or lying on the ground.

And when their dance becomes frenetic, the sheer weight of the dancers thudding across the stage conveys an excitement akin to a stampede, something out of control and wild, yet made of human flesh and blood. It can be a riveting sight.

Mas says he has borrowed from the work of Martha Graham and José Limón but also incorporates moves from African dance, jazz dance and the folkloric dance of the Caribbean, often with West African roots. "I use whatever I can," he said.

There are also other professional dance groups, like www.axisdance.org, which are dedicated to using dancers of all sorts of bodies and abilities, where being "plus size" will not be something would keep you from dancing.  

Best of luck and keep dancing!

How Do I Become The Man I Want To Be Without Losing My Parents?

Dear Professor Fatology,

I am 22 and in a very difficult situation in life right now. I'm a gainer, although I haven't been extremely successful with my gains, but I am determined to be bigger, but there are things holding me back. My family are very health-conscious and seeing my slight weight gains have already sparked a number of comments from them. As much as I want to be bigger I'm worried that the more I gain it might push them away. I'm very close with my parents but I have a feeling that eventually I'm going to have two options in my life and that's 1. Keep the family happy and stay slim, or 2. Gain weight, get fat and say goodbye to any contact with my family. I'm also bisexual, even though I've never really been with either sex before, and have not come out to my parents about this yet, and I have a pretty good feeling that will also push them away and I'm sure if they heard I was a bi fat-loving guy they would pretty much write me out of their lives. I'm really stuck with what to do, and it's been a struggle for me for many years now, but seeing as I am now 22 I know it's about time I start acting on it and getting to the stage where I need to nip this thing in the butt already!

Do you have any advice or input that would help me?

A couple of things immediately come to mind for me. One is how, in my experience, a lot of men (sexual orientation isn't the point at the moment) hit their 30's and at that point, go ahead and act on whatever it is they've been wanting to do since their childhood. This might be around gaining weight, or buying a motorcycle, or doing something “kinky” on a sexual level. Part of this is what we call in psychology, “developmental.” There are different “stages of development” humans go through, and not everyone goes through the stages/steps at the same time, although people have a tendency to experience them at a predictable range of age.

For example, there is one we call “adolescent separation.” Pre-teens and young children (in healthy families) tend to be very close to their parents and often reflect the values and activities of their family members. This is a no brainer—if you're close to your dad and he's really into football, you'll probably spend a lot of your “down time” sitting next to him on the sofa watching football games, or if you have an older brother who's on his school's football team, the family will pile into the car and cheer for him. When young people start to experience puberty, they will often start to distance themselves from their parents—they will spend more time with their peers and begin to explore things that either don't interest their parents, or that their parents know nothing about. This might include video games, music, and experimentation with drugs or alcohol.

This is considered not only normal, but to a certain extent, necessary for an individual to mature into a functional adult. In dysfunctional (and dysfunctional means “functioning in pain,” it doesn't mean “non-functional”) families, where there is often abuse (emotional/sexual/physical), this “adolescent separation” can be extreme, and can include wild hair styles, body piercing, and jail time. In healthy families, it can involve experiences the parents will never even notice, or a one time experiment with, say, being blonde, or if you actually are blonde, having your hair dyed brunette. It may mean a youth attending a different church, or visiting another religious group. As psychologists, we feel it's part of the growing up process for someone to discover what does (and just as importantly—what DOESN'T) work for him or her. Perhaps in this journey of discovery, he'll return home with something that can benefit the entire family.

This is not a new idea. There's a biblical story of the Prodigal Son, who leaves his home after asking his father for money, and basically plays around and gets into a lot of trouble. He loses all of his money and ends up having to work as a swineherd, eventually envying the pigs, who seem to enjoy life more than he does. Let me also point out, for a Jewish young man, having to herd pigs is not as an ideal job under any circumstances. He decides to return home, to tell his father he has sinned, and ask if his father will hire him to be a servant, since he feels he is unworthy to rejoin the family. His father sees him coming and before the son can give his rehearsed speech, the father pulls him close, kisses him, and has him dressed in a fine robe and a ring, and has a celebration feast for him.

The older brother is pissed off over this, pointing out he's the better son, who has never done anything wrong, and has always done exactly what his father asked him to do. And he bitterly reminds the father there's never been a celebration for him—and yet here comes the sinner who is the son who has wasted his wealth and look at how well he's treated.

The father explains it's as if the son has been dead, and he has now returned to life, and this calls for celebration.

One assumes the son stayed away being miserable because he was afraid of the rejection of his family. He suffered a great deal, and finally decided being punished at home was better than being so unhappy with the pigs.

I'm mentioning this parable because I find a lot of young people worry about what their family may think about them doing “X”-and the “X” might be coming out as gay or bi, getting a belly, getting a tattoo, or a piercing. They are afraid they will be rejected.

Going back to stages of development, by the time a man is in his 30s, he is usually financially stable, so he isn't dependent upon his family for food or shelter. He is usually more self-secure and self-confident, having faced challenges and overcome them. Part of this self-confidence is accepting the fact no matter how good you try to be, there will always be some people who have no interest in you, or will criticize you for your behavior, appearance, or choices. And you discover—as one of my mentors, Virginia Satir, used to say—you don't drop dead. You get criticized and you don't drop dead. You can no longer button your jeans and you don't drop dead. You burn the dinner you are fixing for people you care about and----wait for it---you don't drop dead. This is why, in my experience, a lot of men who have always wanted to gain, finally start to do so in their 30s—and part of this is feeling “safe” enough in their relationships and work to believe having a 29 inch waist for the rest of their lives is not making them happy, and maybe—just maybe---the people they care about will still love them when there is more of them to love.

At 22, I can't help but wonder how far you've explored the whole “adolescent separation” thing. You haven't mentioned if you are still living at home, and if you are completely financially dependent upon your parents. You haven't mentioned if you're attending college and may be doing so in a different town. What I do read in your note is that it is obvious you love and respect your parents, but you have an underlying fear your parents may not be capable of loving you enough to accept the “true” you. The “true” you includes your actual sexual orientation and a desire to be bigger. I am unclear why you have internalized a message that your sexual orientation and a desire to be bigger are potential “deal-breakers” in terms of you remaining an active member of this family. In therapy sessions, I frequently discover this sort of fear is based on something the person may have overheard when he was 8 or 9 years old, and didn't necessarily understand what was meant. For example, the parents might have been upset talking about someone in the extended family who was bisexual, and was having an affair with another man—the anger the parents might have expressed was not about bisexuality, but about infidelity to the relative's wife. The anger had nothing to do with the gender of the person—it was about cheating.

As I've written in a couple of other posts, loved ones who are critical about a relative or partner gaining weight, are often really focused on their concern gaining weight automatically causes health problems. This is understandable, given a lot of media attention that sensationalizes weight gain in a negative way, and equates obesity with death. And just as an aside—assuming that since you're 22, your parents are in their early 40's, and may be very “health focused” in terms of trying to appear as young as possible themselves. That's not really about health—it's about vanity and internalizing a media message that only younger people really matter, and the older you are, the more you lose power and respect. In doing family therapy, one technique is to draw three boxes on a piece of paper. You then tell the family members, “This first box is about You. This second box is about your (Parents/Spouse/Partner) and the third box is about what impacts all of you.” In this case, there are issues that really belong in your parents' box that don't belong to you, just as there are things that really only belong to you and should not be spilling over into your parents' box. Their issues about aging is not part of your box, but if they try to keep you a “boy,” in order to feel younger, then that belongs in the “shared box” and needs to be addressed collectively.

As I suggested, a lot of this simply takes care of itself over time, as you mature and move on in your own life, and you're not being supervised all the time by your parents, or have to depend upon them for money and shelter. If you move out for your work, then again, these “boxes” are clearer (we also call them boundaries) where—your body—your rules.

And this is what I'm not getting from your note. Have you dated? Have you had a girlfriend your parents knew about, or a boyfriend they never knew about? You mentioned you haven't acted out on your sexuality, and being a virgin at 22 isn't at all unusual. But if you haven't explored having a serious relationship with a male or female, then that will delay your stages of development, and will tend to keep you in the adolescent stage of development which will keep you feeling powerless and overly dependent on the approval and acceptance of your parents. Part of growing up and becoming an adult is learning to interact with your parents on more of an equal basis. The great therapist Carl Rogers once stated one of the hardest things you'll ever to do is to learn to accept your parents as people, as opposed to being your parents. This means being able to understand their shortcomings and faults—everyone is human and has shortcomings and faults—no matter how wonderful they may also be in other areas of their lives. The parable of the Prodigal Son teaches that a parent's love can be unconditional...even if the son has misbehaved. The parable also teaches if you are the older son of the story—no matter how hard you've tried to please your parent and behave exactly the way you think he wants you to behave—you don't automatically get praised and celebrated for being the (yawn) perfect son. In fact, like the older son, you can often get taken for granted.

So—here's my advice. Sit down privately and make a list of things you would like to explore as part of becoming an adult. I would certainly add to the list dating both men and women. If you are paranoid, google how to erase your Internet history, so snoopy parents or visiting relatives don't pull up the fact you've visited gaining sites or bisexual sites while you've been exploring what's out there. Always erase your Internet history before you log off. Add to the list gaining 10 pounds, or 50. Throw in some other items, like a new hair style or an article of clothing that is more “edgy” than you're used to, but are not the sort of thing that will push your parents over the edge.

Once you've created a list like this, start following through on some of them. Start small. Maybe start with the hairstyle, and see how your parents react. Gain 5 pounds, instead of 10, where you are finally doing something you are choosing to do for yourself, but a 5 pound gain is not going to be noticeable to them. Or, as I have suggested to others in a similar situation, join a gym, tell your parents you want to be stronger and build up some muscles. Emphasize the health aspect of this. Talk about how your fitness instructor has told you that you need to drink a couple of protein shakes a day in order to build those muscles you want. Orient your parents to associate being bigger with being stronger and more healthy. Show off your bigger arms by sometimes wearing tanktops in front of your parents. This is also about training your parents to stop always seeing you as a “boy” and seeing you as the man you're becoming.

Think of first doing “baby steps” where you are choosing to do things you value and that either won't really upset your parents, or that if they do, (like a hairstyle with a lot of product) you can laugh about it and easily wash your hair and “go back to normal.” This will start you on your journey to NOT be the older son of the Prodigal Son parable, where you frankly, never “get a life.” I can't tell you how often I've had to explain to patients and students—sometimes it's as important to discover what you DON'T want in life as it is to discover what you DO.

Looking over your post—I can't help feeling as if you only see yourself having two choices—hanging on as the “perfect” son who never does anything to displease his family (like the Older Son) or you show them the “real” you and you get kicked to the curb and disowned (like the Prodigal Son—DID TO HIMSELF. The Prodigal Son was not disowned. The Prodigal Son explored a different type of life, felt he would be punished by his family for having done so, and cut himself off from all contact with his family—his family did not cut themselves off from him).

And here's one of the other “big deals” a lot of people don't get told directly—if you keep secrets from your loved ones because you don't trust them to accept these “secrets” are a part of who you are---when the secrets come out—sometimes your loved ones are terribly hurt—not by the “secrets” but because of the reality you didn't respect your loved ones enough to trust them to love you for who you are. The more time and energy you invest in “pretending” to be something you're not—and in your case, this includes not being straight, and not wanting to always have a 29 inch waist—the harder it will be to live your life in an authentic manner. And the longer it will take for your family to be given the message that you trust and respect them. Growing up is hard. And trust me, for some parents, growing older is hard. If you're not dating, then it's easier for your parents to still think of you as a “boy” and not work to prepare themselves for you becoming a man who will have a life that is separate from theirs, which may include a partner and even children (so they can move on to another important developmental stage for them—becoming grandparents). My Significant Other's mother is very clear on the fact he's not going to have children...but she's adapted by always referring to our dog as her “furry grandchild.” And since you identify as being bisexual, there is certainly a chance you'll end up in a relationship with a woman, and there will be the possibility of your parents becoming grandparents. By the way, one of the advantages of dating is going out often revolves around food, so you can get a “bonus” experience of adding on a few pounds.

Start on your “baby steps”--but definitely always choose to take those steps in the direction you want to go. I only wish the best for you.  And let me leave you with this--here are two silhouettes--which one makes you think of a boy, and which one makes you think of a man? As long as you stay thin--which non-verbal message are you sending to your parents (and the world) in terms of how they see you--and how they treat you?

Will My Chubby Hubby Still Love A Fat Me?

Dear Professor Fatology,
I'm in a similar boat - my partner of 12 years (husband since 2011) is a big guy (350lbs +) from a big family of bigger people. He's NOT a gainer himself and although he talks about losing weight, we both know he isn't ever going to be "model thin" (I think his skeleton alone would weigh more than most people's entire bodies - he's from burly rugged peasant stock).

Although he's mostly doing okay, he does have some health issues related to his weight (high blood pressure).

A long, long time ago, when we first got together, he expressed his dismay at his size...and I told him I was a "chubby chaser" and that it absolutely didn't matter how big he was as long as he was healthy and happy. I'd also dropped hints at the time that I'd be more than okay with getting bigger myself. I recall he was appalled at the idea, NOT because he didn't want to be with "a fatty" but because he was very concerned about the possibility of me having weight related health issues myself. I think he translated his own learned (not from me) negative feelings about himself being fat to not wanting me to be unhappy because *I* got fat too. I don't think he really understands the concept that some of us actually *want* to get fat.

I've experimented with gaining since, like forever, but with more success over the last decade or so and while I'm having issues with cholesterol, I appear to have them the same at 165 lbs as I do at 200 lbs (I suspect it's not the weight that's causing it but other factors such as alcohol consumption - which by the way, I've drastically tapered off since my last blood test).

Anyway, my point, (and I DO have one) is that since then I've never really had the courage to really come out and have this discussion with him. At various times I've been pretty damned close to being honest-to-goodness "fat" myself (all time high of 202 lbs (BMI 32.6) last winter)...to the point where relative strangers like the landlord were starting to make comments about my burgeoning belly (which was getting pretty prominent by then). ...and he's never called me on it. I'm feeling a little bit like a chump, or that somehow I'm being dishonest. When I was at my heaviest last year, I do recall him paying some (positive) attention to my belly (coming up behind me while I'm doing the dishes and rubbing it, etc) But we never really talked about it, and then life took over, got chaotic and busy, and I dropped back down to about 180 lbs.

I really want to gain back up to where I was last year, and in fact have decided that I'd really like to be quite a bit heavier (235)...I just figure (and maybe I'm being passive aggressive here) I'll keep gaining until either he figures it out..and we have "the talk", or he figures it out and decides he likes how I look...and we go from there. It's hard to keep up the gain, though, because I'm actually feeling quite guilty about this.

The thing is, if we have "The Conversation" and it goes badly (either because he acquiesces because he thinks this is something I want and even though he disagrees, he'll verbally agree to it but then there'll be other issues arise that will stem back to this) or else he'll lose his mind and we'll be in for a rough time. I don't want to get divorced over something like this.

Or am I just being a coward? Is this thing like a Band-Aid? Should I just rip it off? Or is it better to keep testing the waters with seemingly unintended incremental gains until he notices and we have a slightly different kind of conversation about it (and I can better gauge his true feelings because he won't realize I have such a strong emotional investment in this)? Sometimes I wonder if I'm grossly underestimating him - maybe he's already figured it out but is waiting for me to broach the subject. He's a super smart guy.
Bleah. I'm making this sound like we never communicate. We do-about every other single thing (as far as I know of - although who knows - maybe he's got a secret life as a hula dancer downtown). This one's just been giving me trouble since Day One.

Professor Fatology,  I did read your previous posts with regard to this (and they're extremely helpful btw). Do you have any other input that might help me figure this one out?
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Well, let's go back to your comment about “this has been a problem since Day One.” But you've been with this gentleman for 12 years and you're actually married to him. It is my understanding you initially came out to him as a “chubby chaser” and directly informed him you would enjoy being larger yourself. During the 12 years of your relationship, your own weight has gone up and down and last winter you hit your own personal best of 202 pounds, and you've set a personal goal of being 235 by a specific date.


All the other stuff (Will he get upset if/when we have “the conversation” that I want to be fat myself? And what happens if he agrees but then gets all passive-aggressive on me?”)--See my first paragraph attempts to state reality. The “other stuff” that you're using to drive yourself crazy is not about stating reality. It's about what we as therapists call “living in your head” where you can stress out by coming up with all sorts of problems that are not only NOT existing in the real world, but frequently (and I mean this in general) are teased out to a very unrealistic level. As a result, you stress yourself out for reasons with little validity.

On one level—you had “The Conversation” years ago at the start of your relationship, when you identified yourself as a chubby chaser. When you were at your heaviest he may not have said anything about it verbally, but non-verbally he played with your pudge and seemed to enjoy it. And as a Family Therapist specializing in couples, I'm not going out on a limb when I say I think it's quite unlikely a 350plus man is going to dump a partner (and now husband) of 12 years because you go from a 32 inch waist to size 38 jeans. I suspect that while going from around 180 to 200 is a massive gain from your perspective, and you can see every inch when you look in the mirror, given the fact your chubby hubby is over 350 pounds and you report he comes from an even bigger family, a twenty pound gain (or loss) on you may be something he barely notices. Does that make sense? A relative stranger, such as your landlord might notice you're filling out your t-shirt more when you drop off the rent check today than you did a couple of months ago, but I suspect your landlord doesn't weigh more than 350 pounds and your landlord did not grow up in a family where other family members were even bigger. This is a “percentage” thing, where for a more “standard sized person” your 20 pound or so weight gain may attract attention, but for a lot of men who are really big guys—they'll just consider 20 pounds to be a good start.


To put it another way, you're not only trying to “mind read” your husband, as I explained to the original poster, but you're then also scripting out “scenes” for events that haven't happened. My suspicion, based on your comments—is that while you feel you're communicating well, it would appear from my perspective a lot goes unspoken in your relationship. That's not necessarily a bad thing, by the way. If you've been together 12 years and gotten married, it's obvious you're doing something right. 

Here's one of the challenges human beings have—we have a strong tendency (and this is even more extreme when you're working cross-culturally) to observe a behavior of someone else and then do an internal dialog of “If I did that behavior, it would mean X.” And indeed, if you did that behavior, it would definitely mean “X” for you. But for the other person, the behavior might mean Y or Z. Here's an example from a novel. The main character is very frustrated with a First Nations man who is a police detective because she finds him to be aloof and she feels he often ignores her. At one point she wonders if he acts this way towards her because of some sort of First Nations “thing.” Then later on in the novel, the reader (and the main character) discovers the reality is the man is hearing impaired from a gun accident that occurred in the line of duty. Just so—he wasn't ignoring her—he often didn't hear her when she asked a question if he wasn't facing her. Last night I had dinner with Ben Cohen, who is a delightful man. He recently retired from professional Rugby in the U.K. He has started up a foundation against bullying, with a major focus on supporting the LGBT community (he's straight). The company where I've recently been promoted from Associate Editor to Editor, has partnered with him. I initially did an interview over the phone with him for our magazine, and was surprised to discover in my background research on him, that not only is he a licensed helicopter pilot, but he's also clinically deaf. He joked that on the playing field his nickname is “Huh?” This is due to the fact he often doesn't hear what another player is saying to him and has to ask the person to repeat what was said. He said when he was younger, a lot of people thought he was arrogant because they thought he was ignoring them. But he hadn't heard them.

I mentioned earlier, it's not unusual for a loving partner not to be upset because a spouse has gained weight in the sense of “yuck—you've porked out and now that you're no longer twink size, I'm going to dump your fat ass on the curb.” The concern of a loving spouse who doesn't “get” the whole gaining kink is much more likely to be “I'm worried about your health because I love you, and I'm scared the new weight you've gained might cause you some problems.” And since your husband has high blood pressure (and I assume he's on medication for that) that's a legitimate concern from his reality.


What is not clear to me is how specifically you have directly communicated to him your enjoyment of being bigger. Let's try the “mind-reading”/”This is what this behavior would mean if I did it” and switch it around. I'm your chubby hubby. You start off our relationship with telling me you're a chubby chaser. I probably don't “get that” and if I have my own self-image issues for being a big guy, then maybe I think you're just saying you like fat guys to make me feel better—but you don't really mean it—you put up with my being fat because you love me on other levels, and I love you back, so we've been together now for 12 years and we're even married. During most of our relationship, you've been relatively slim (compared to me and my family). Last winter you gained some weight and then YOU LOST IT. If my comments (which you reported) have often reflected the fact I'd enjoy losing some weight myself, and then I see you gain and then lose—well, my reality is re-enforced. People don't want to get fat—they don't like being fat. But with my good peasant stock, I'm always gonna be a big boy, like the rest of my family. But my partner/husband obviously prefers being a little guy.”

See how motivation and explanations can get screwed up?


Go back to some of the suggestions in my earlier response. You don't have to have “The Conversation” with your husband, because again, this is an erotic kink of yours that belongs to you. Again—in consensual kinks, like S/M both parties need to be extremely clear about what's going on between them. You gaining weight because it's an erotic experience for you is not necessarily a useful thing to share with him since he doesn't share that kink. But he does need to hear and “overhear” from you saying precisely how much you enjoy being bigger. Given the fact you're 5'6” I would play the I've always wanted to be bigger card. This is a statement that reflects the shared reality of a lot of western society. I'm 5'9” which for my own tribal community means I'm a tall person. I have a self-image of being tall. But I certainly enjoy putting on my high heeled cowboy boots where I end up being 6 feet tall. There's a societal meme that shorter men would prefer to be taller. Joke about it. Say to mutual friends where your husband can hear you say it something like, “Since I can't grow up, I've decided to grow out!” And laugh and pat your belly. Joke that one day your husband will be the small guy in your marriage. Make comments that when you were starting to “fill out”/”grow” (I would suggest not always using the word “gain” since it apparently has a negative connotation for your husband) last winter, it made you feel more masculine. It made you feel like a big guy who could throw his weight around. Joke that for the first time you weren't worried about being blown over in the wind. Use words that keep hammering in the idea you enjoy being bigger—not necessarily being fatter, since in his head being fatter is associated with having high blood pressure and health problems. Being “bigger” may not trigger that negative response.

As a therapist, I frequently see that if one member of a couple significantly changes his or her behavior without giving it a context, the other partner automatically starts to fantasize about why the behavior has changed. And frankly, if they're having to see me as a therapist, then the fantasy the spouse has come up with to explain the change in behavior is probably wrong.


For example, let's go back to reality. You have always been relatively small (compared to your husband and his family)--then gained weight and you lost it. Has he ever heard you explain why that happened (you go into some detail on your personal blog) and how much it upset you? That it was not something you did deliberately, and that you really miss being bigger?


If I'm your loving husband and I hear you say that you never personally felt better about yourself than last winter when you were bigger, then it's going to make a lot more sense to me to watch you systematically consume a lot more food. Have you ever told him what a turn on it was when he came up behind you and rubbed your middle (and I suspect while you'd like to say “belly,” for him, if he has his own self-image body issues, the word “belly” may be too close to “fat” which is too close to “unhealthy” so use a playful term like “when you rub my tummy,” or just call it your middle or something. I don't know what you do physically with him, but if you give him massages, then tell him how much you love to touch his body because it feels so good to you. As you start to “show” and if massages are a regular part of your displays of affection, then go shirtless, or come out of the shower with just a towel on, and massage your own belly and say you're starting to feel more like it does when you touch him, and how much you love touching a real man. 

Perhaps it would be useful if you do something very detailed about the sort of things you want him to hear clearly from you over the coming weeks. Create a list of all the various conversation topics you plan to bring up around mutual friends and your families. How the emphasis is going to be on all the advantages of being bigger—but also on your sheer joy of feeling more manly when you're bigger. If you hang out with his family, don't wait for them to mention the fact you're bigger—based on your husband's reported behavior, I bet there are a lot of issues that aren't “talked about.” Instead, bring it up yourself. Tell your in-laws that you've been trying to “fit into the family better” now that you are officially married—that you think you've been way too small to be a good member of the family, and now you're making up for it.


When I was around 11 or 12, my sister-in-law's 19 year old nephew came to our home (in other words, he was not biologically related to me) and he was very excited. He had always been extremely thin. But his father was a large man, both in height as well as waist size. He proudly declared he was finally getting bigger, and to demonstrate, sat at the dining table, unbuttoned his shirt and showed us his new little pudge was touching the table's edge. 

This is the kind of enthusiasm and playfulness I would like to see from you around your friends, your family, and your husband. I want everyone to clearly and directly hear from you (and especially your husband) that you're so very happy about being bigger. It makes you feel better about yourself. Your friends and family (and work colleagues) don't need to be told, “And I not only feel better about myself, but I also get a real erotic charge from this!” That's what we call “TMI” or “Too Much Information.” People just need to know you're happy about being bigger. Don't look for cues from those around you. Guys like your landlord may notice and comment on it, but a lot of other people will never say anything—and again—they will go with the “Well, if I gained that much weight and I used to be slim, I'd be really upset about it, and so naturally, he's upset and is probably ashamed of letting his weight get so out of control. I won't mention it, because it would just make him feel bad about himself.”

Look—you posted both on here and on your blog your conflicting feeling about discovering a fitness site has posted a belly picture of you as “a bad example.” As someone who has made an actual commitment to gain, being worried about how strangers on the internet on a site you'd never voluntarily visit anyway are judging you without having any context of who you are, and that you're proud of your belly—doesn't make much sense to me. But if you don't make it clear to the people who DO have meaning in your life (unlike the strangers on the fitness site) that being bigger brings you joy, then a number of the people around you are going to have some of the same fat-phobic responses from the fitness site. Go back to the idea of creating a list of things you want to practice saying around friends and family, and especially your husband. Brag about the fact when you were a skinny twink you could barely finish a slice of pizza and now you can eat a large one all by yourself. Talk about how incredible the new bakery is you've discovered and how you can't resist their pastries. For example, when we would go into a certain bakery, my Significant Other would proudly tell the salesperson, “I've gained 20 pounds since we started coming here for your bread.” Make it clear you identify your increased appetite as an accomplishment—that you're proud of the fact you had an extra helping at dinner—keep pushing the idea that you feel you're really “growing into adulthood/manhood.” 


And again, if anyone makes a negative comment, just laugh at them and say “Oh, you think this is big now, you just wait until January 1st!” If they know your husband, laugh and tell them you've decided to make him the little guy in the marriage. All this comes back to you giving an extremely clear message to your husband that being bigger makes you happy. And the best part of doing so? You're telling him the truth. And you're not frightened and waiting for him to bring the topic up. Good luck on your achieving your bellybuilding goals.


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Wow...and wow!


You've hit the nail squarely on the head (including possibly explaining some of conflict I've been having with some of the "other-cultured" people at work. Hm. Saying it that way makes it sound like I think they're somehow impaired - which I don't. I just don't understand them. I'm working with some of the friendlier members of that culture...to see if I can educate myself enough to understand just what the heck is going on and address the core issues that are causing conflict- but that's a tale for a whole other thread).


I read your post earlier and gave it a lot thought before I answered - I can totally see how my own behaviour would be feeding my parter's (erroneous) assumptions of what's been happening with me and my own reactions based on his own context. I *haven't* been honest with him. I was embarrassed at the attention, not because I was truly embarrassed at having gotten so fat but because I assumed he'd think I was crazy for being happy at being fat (esp. since he's not entirely happy with his own plus size). Also I reflexively show shame when someone mentions any weight gain because it's just so damned ingrained into me to do it...and also because I'm worried people will think I'm crazy. I sincerely like how you've reframed it into a positive scenario. 


I realize now that I have be to have the courage to be honest, to state my truth, and affirm to the people around me that a) I'm okay with the fact that I'm getting fat and that I'm happily getting even bigger and b)if they've got an issue with how big I choose body to be, that's their problem, not mine.

My only concern is about the unlikely event that my partner really, truly doesn't find the "bigger, fatter me" to be attractive. And yes, this is...right now...simply a creation in my own brain of my own insecurity and so far has absolutely no basis in reality. But if it does in fact prove to be reality, I'm going to have a hard choice. But I'll cross that bridge if/when I ever come to it (and odds are very good I never will). I think my concern is less about his rejection of me (which - don't get me wrong - would wound me to the core because I actually deeply care what he thinks) but the fact that he would feel stuck being in a marriage to a person to whom he is no longer attracted to. I wouldn't want to wish that kind of hell on anyone. Although, that being said, if he did somehow manage to drop 200 pounds and became some svelte kind of guy, I WOULDN'T stop loving him. I think I'd just find other things to focus on and be attracted to. Although I find his size very attractive, I wouldn't love him any less if that wasn't part of the equation and IF it was just his size that drew me to him in the first place, I don't think we'd still be together. I mean, I know lots of fat guys I can't stand but still find physically attractive. Anyway my point is: I guess I should be giving him some credit for not being a superficial, shallow twink who is only obsessed with looks. 


And scarily, you're right about the landlord - he's a 140 lb Chinese senior. I took it as a compliment when he noticed, especially because he followed it up with the comment "you are looking very prosperous!".


With respect to that article in which I was used as a "fail", after getting over my initial reaction (which I think had more to do with the realization of just how public blogging really is. I sometimes forget that it's not just my friends and supporters reading my words once I put them out into cyberspace), I realized my discomfort lies more in the fact that there will always be people out there who will not understand what it is I'm doing. People who will judge me harshly. And this is total truth: I don't care one bit what total strangers think of me unless it has some ability to negatively impact me (example: someone at work harrassing me and trying to drive me crazy and get me to quit because I'm gay and they're a homophobe and can't stand the thought of working alongside a "faggot". I guess they're afraid of catching "gay cooties". But again, a topic for a different thread). 

I am truly only afraid on certain people's ability to ACT on their bias against me in ways that negatively impact me. Which is why (as I said in the blog) I'm glad I never include face shots or include any personally identifying information. I'm NOT ashamed of myself or what I'm doing, but I have, from horrifying past experience, a healthy respect for the extreme levels of assery that a self-justifying fanatic will attain if they decide they have an axe to grind with me.


Anyway, gauge that one as you will: it's a combination of past actual experience mixed with a heavy dose of what you call "living in my head". I am by nature very cautious...and daresay with a tiny bit of paranoia mixed int...and I think, at least when it comes to my relationship with my husband, may not have served me as well as I thought it was.


I am going to follow your advice and just keep up with the gaining and when he (and others) start to notice, simply declare: "yes, and I'm happy being this way". 


And just keep saying it until I've (finally!) gained enough weight to have the body shape/size I've always wanted.


Thank you for taking so much of your valuable time today to address my concerns. I AM feeling MUCH better about how things are going (and about my future as a gainer!)


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One my favorite parts was the message your landlord gave you--"You're looking prosperous." That's the core message you want to get across to people. The other thing I've found with guys who have finally given into what for some is a near lifelong desire to gain--there's a lot of self-empowerment that comes along with the pounds because you are freely choosing your own path. With delighting in your growing body and that self-empowerment there is almost always a strong sense of self-confidence that comes along for the ride. And here's something that shouldn't be a secret--people who are self confident and comfortable in their own bodies are extremely attractive people, regardless of their waist size--or their age. The other night when I was at the awards dinner for our company, the athlete of the year we named is David Rae who has raised a great deal of money for HIV causes through his annual "life cycle event," where he gets many people to cycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles. He's very fit but I found him very attractive because he was a happy guy and that really made him shine. I spent a lot of time with him and his partner of two years.

And again--re-read what my last post and your last post both touch on--I'm urging you to give the direct message you're happy with your becoming more "prosperous." You're happy feeling bigger and stronger and more manly. That's different than gaining 20 pounds in the next couple of months and waiting for your husband to bring up the business of your gain--because again, he's not likely to mention it. Since he has his own negative self-image about being fat, it's only natural for him to assume you're not happy getting bigger since he's both seen you gain and lose weight, but you mentioned you often have an immediate response of shame when someone points out your success at bellybuilding and that non-verbal response is something he may pay more attention to, since it matches his own worldview. You don't have to tell him you feel better about getting bigger every day--but since you're so new at this, make a point to do it at least once a week.

_________________

What If My Spouse Doesn't Like My Gaining?

So after reading a bunch of posts and participating in a gender preference survey somewhere on a belly site, it seems like straight guys are in the minority here.

I'm one of them -- also married -- and I wonder how other guys' wives took the gaining thing and how they're dealing with that. I'd also be interested in hearing from gay men whose partners are pushing back against the gain...my hunch is that every guy has to deal with more or less the same set of issues regardless of their partner's gender (although I'm thinking women might be less tolerant than men would be -- that's a complete and possibly incorrect guess, though).

I was in good shape when we got married, and I was in even better shape until I started packing on the pounds very recently (and VERY quickly). So there have no been no major conflicts yet...just wondering how you guys dealt with the uncooperative partner thing since I expect to start getting some grief about the increased food consumption and weight gain very soon. I have no interest in disguising or hiding it, but I also question the wisdom of coming right out and telling her what's going on...not a great idea, imo.

Thoughts/suggestions?

I'm a little confused--and I'm a Family Therapist specializing in couples, lol. Are you asking specifically what to do if your wife expresses she doesn't find your (relatively recent) weight gain meets her approval, and if you continue to balloon, it will upset her more?

If so--here's my response based on working with couples over the years, but recall I would normally see couples because they are unhappy enough about some aspect of their lives to seek change.

A) Many couples try "mind-reading" and almost all of them are bad at it. For example, you state you are concerned she might be unhappy, but you also say she hasn't brought up the topic. Since I can't read her mind at a distance, and I've never met her--I have (and frankly you have) no way of knowing how she feels about having more of you to love. Look at her extended family. If there are various fatties in her extended family, your gaining weight may simply seem normal to her.

B) You also don't mention your ages and how long you've been married. Again, at least in the U.S. and a growing (pun intended) number of other countries, obesity is becoming a norm. Look around at the friends you and your wife socialize with--have any of them gained weight since you've known them? If so, again--gaining weight may just be normal from her perspective.

C) There are some cultural groups where a husband gaining weight communicates to the community he's happily married (and stereotypical) she's a good cook, so an increased waist line is a compliment to her and to you as a (stereotypical) provider. If she does most of the cooking, praise her and tell her how great she is and ask for another helping.

D) In my experience, when a partner gains weight in some long term relationships, the concern expressed by the non-gaining partner is usually less around "you're getting fat and that disgusts me" and is rather addressed to "I love you and I'm worried you might damage your health by getting this chubby." Those are two HUGELY (pun intended) different issues. If it's around health, then if you've been a long term member of gaining sites, you can find it's quite possible to be both fat and healthy, particularly if you keep up some form of cardio. Join a gym and make a big deal out of it to her about how you want to stay healthy--hell, invite her to join you. Just do it with the idea that this is not intended for you to lose fat, if you want to get bigger, but to give her the message you are aware of your health and want to stick around as long as possible with her as your loving marriage endures.

And finally--don't just make this a "you" focused issue--teach her how to have fun with food--even if she has no interest in gaining herself. One couples exercise I think I've shared on this site before to increase intimacy is "sensual feeding." Tell your wife you heard a psychologist talk about increased intimacy in couples who do sensual feedings. The basics--assemble various food items with different textures and tastes--potato chips, chocolate pudding, a slice of apple--and also objects with different textures--a silk scarf, a feather duster, a strip of fur---Have her lie down on your bed nude and blindfolded. Very lovingly and gently give her a taste of one of the food items and ask her to use all of her heightened senses (since she's blindfolded) to both identify what she's tasting and really focus on it. As she's doing this, use the various textured items to trace across her body (parts). If you do this correctly it's extremely sensual and can lead to hot sex. Then (assuming this goes really well) ask her to do the same to you (at another time, so she can gather her own items to treat you). This starts to link feeding with sex, which can be a very powerful bond, and it also allows her permission to really get to know your increasingly sensuality that has resulted from your gain. See--if she's trying to "mind read" you and wonders if you're ashamed of your gain, then she might hesitate to touch/jiggle/enjoy your expanding flesh. This exercise lets her explore you in a new way. By all means, give her lots of verbal feedback of how much you're enjoying what she's doing and how good it feels. One of my favorite comments from a married straight gainer--is when he told her "My belly is an erogenous zone--and it's only going to get bigger." Another hint--a very high quality chocolate truffle melts at normal body temperature. That means if you bite into one you can then take the other half and smear it on a body part and then lick/suck it off. On a personal disclosure level, when I've done this I will also take the other half of the truffle in my mouth and use my tongue to push it into my partner's mouth.

And finally, finally, I don't know if it's really useful to tell her directly "Gaining is a kind of kink for me that I really enjoy, which is why I've been getting fat recently, and I've enjoyed it so much I'm gonna get a lot fatter." There are consensual "kinks"--say being tied up--where both partners need to be clear about what's going on. But this is about your body and your choice--she doesn't need to know there may be an erotic charge to what you're doing (some partners feel threatened by that--again a mind read of "if you need this kink it means you find me inferior and unable to meet your needs." Also--joke about gaining weight (and make sure you do it when you're around your friends and she can hear) and how much you're enjoying it, so she gets the clear message you're not upset about your chubby self, but that you're enjoying yourself.

Good luck!

Wow! Thanks a million for the thorough and thoughtful reply, Professor Fatology-

Excellent points. All of them. Without getting too "in the weeds", I was 23 when we got married 20+ years ago. There are weight issues on her side of the family...in fact, she's a little overweight herself. The thing is that she always had some extra weight, and I married her that way. On the flip side, she married me as a fairly fit guy....so there's an element of concern there about a dramatic or sudden change in appearance.

But you're 100% right...I'm not only trying to read her mind, I'm also trying to predict the future. It's quite possible that she'll welcome the change since it "levels the playing field" a little in terms of fitness levels. In any event, there's a very good chance that I'm creating a problem where there isn't and will never be one...just trying to think through responses as I doubt the gain can continue much longer before the comments (positive or negative) begin.

That said, I like the sensual feeding suggestion. A lot. Also pretty impressed with the belly-as-an-erongenous-zone comment from your married gainer friend. I could see that kind of approach working here. Joking about it publicly and making her aware that I'm genuinely enjoying it is also a brilliant idea that I'll definitely use when the opportunity presents itself. Great stuff....

Thanks again for the excellent insight and advice...very much appreciated!

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Happy to help--and frankly, after 20 or so years, if you hadn't gained, I would worry about you being a little too obsessed about your own body. After responding, I've been thinking about other issues--

I mentioned to you in discussing your gain in front of friends and making sure she overhears. One of the things I hear a lot in the straight community is a sort of "monkey see, monkey do" primate response--After a couple of drinks, one guy pulls up his shirt and shows how much his belly has grown and then the other guys do the same and laugh and compare guts. If this is a situation that's an option, I find it also very helpful if in the process you tell your friends, "Yeah, look how much I've put on because my wife is such a good cook." In other words, in front of her and your mutual friends, you give her a compliment. Not long ago, the SigO invited over (unexpectedly I might add) a number of work friends (all straight and a mix of men and women/couples). Fortunately I had baked a nice pumpkin chocolate chip and pecan loaf I sliced up on a plate, and he said, "You see why I'm so fat? It's because he's such a good cook."

For a lot of guys--straight or otherwise, there's often this sense of "I was just calmly watching TV and my honey made me fat." As a psychologist, I understand this to be a self-defense mechanism of "I have no blame about pudging out--it's all my partner's fault." If this helps the partner accept his expanding waistline and keeps expanding--hey--I'm not going to object.

The other thing I was thinking about was the idea of starting a separate thread on clever/funny things a guy can bring up when he's talking to other guys regarding weight gain. I mentioned it would be helpful for you to joke about your belly in front of your mutual friends while she can overhear the comments.

For example, a number of years ago I was in Michigan working with an Indian reservation and a guy I hadn't seen in a couple of years had gotten married and developed an impressive ballgut. If you're not American Indian, this won't work for you, but I found it really funny--he said--while patting his gut, "Well, you know when the White men arrived here, they always told us, build something to protect what you value, so I now have something to protect the family jewels." One of my older brothers used to pat his sizable belly and say, "It took a lot of money to get it this big."

I'd love to hear what funny comments gainers have when they joke about their expansion.

As a therapist, one of my mentors was a woman named Virginia Satir. As an exercise, she would have someone push against her hand. As long as they both pushed, they stayed in the same place. When she made that point, she would then stop pushing and the other person would almost fall over. The idea was--when you stop resisting, you change the dynamic. One of the best examples of this was the "classic" Roseanne tv show,where she had a common comic theme, when if another character would "push" against her, rather than "fighting" (pushing back) she would not resist at all and instead, for comic effect, not only agree with what the other person was saying, but exaggerate the comment. If her TV daughter said, "You don't love me," rather than give examples of how much love she had for the daughter, she would say, "Yeah, you're right--I've called the gypsies to stop by and pick you up tonight and take you away."

In your case, if at Thanksgivings (assuming you're in the U.S., since Canada has already done theirs) you gather with your family and folks go, "Wow--you've really packed on the pounds," rather than getting defensive, you smile, pat your belly and go, "thanks for noticing--I've been working on this for months! By Christmas I figure I can play Santa Claus without any padding!" Or, "Yep--I'm trying to get big enough where I can belly bump anyone in the family and win." The whole point is--publicly acknowledge the gain in a positive and humorous way and if there's any sort of negative comment, don't get defensive, but laugh at the person making the comment and switch the conversation to how much you're enjoying being "large and in charge," and at all times, compliment your wife and how she now has more to love and she's such a great cook how could anyone stay skinny married to her? You can also comment on how being bigger makes you feel a lot more manly and self confident. You can say out loud (again, so she can overhear) you spent years trying to have the waistline of a magazine model and now that you're older and wiser, you've discovered a second slice of pie is a hell of a lot more enjoyable than a 32 inch waist.

Another thing I thought about after originally responding...and again, remember I'm speaking as a member of a clinic where we were seeing folks seeking therapy---if a member of a couple was trying to lose weight when there was no medical push to do so--it almost always meant he or she was planning on having an affair. In other words, another comment you can make where she can overhear it--"I love my wife and she loves me...I finally realized I don't have to have the body of a 20 year old anymore because God knows, I'm not trying to pick up some chick in a bar. I'm happily married and I just want to kick back, and enjoy my life and my wife, and if that means I have to buy a larger pair of jeans, then hand me another slice of pizza and a few more beers."

When 9/11 happened, I advised gainers worried about the response of others to say, "You know, 9/11 was a real eye opener to me in terms of the fact none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow--it taught me to really value and treasure every day as it comes. I wasted a lot of time trying to look like a model in a magazine and spent years denying myself things I enjoy. I'm tired of doing that. I want to suck the juice out of life while I can. And if that means I get a belly, I'd rather have a belly and really enjoy my life, even if I don't look like a magazine model. And you know what? I'm not a magazine model, and I was never meant to be one. I'd rather be fat and happy."

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Professor Fatology, man, you're a genius! Perfectly framed out response and ideas.

For what it's worth, I think the concept of a thread on weight gain comments and replies is a great, great idea. Strikes me as a HUGE motivator for guys who are reticent about gaining based on feedback from family, friends, coworkers, etc. (and it can be pretty hot, too ). Sadly, I can only fantasize about how those types of exchanges might play out in real life, but happy to pitch in as those situations surface...

Thanks again for your help. Excellent advice!