A gay man has seen a tweet he posted go viral this week. Greg Bloomer, a real estate agent in Chicago, has spent the past 90 days on a health drive.
While some of us have let our gym routines slide during the COVID-19 pandemic, some have thrown themselves into home workouts and taking extra time to prepare nutritious meals.
Besides demonstrating some impressive weight loss (approximately 50 lbs in 90 days), Bloomer’s tweet revealed he has a complicated relationship with his looks – something that struck a chord with many other gay men.
Related: Calum Scott’s latest body transformation has everyone feeling parched
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“I hesitated posting this because I’m still not totally comfortable in my own skin,” he said on the tweet. “I know my body is far from what we are taught we should look like, especially in the gay community, BUT today marks 90 days since I decided to start getting healthy and I’m proud, so idgaf.”
I hesitated posting this because I’m still not totally comfortable in my own skin. I know my body is far from what we are taught we should look like, especially in the gay community, BUT today marks 90 days since I decided to start getting healthy and I’m proud, so idgaf 🥳🥺🥰 pic.twitter.com/z928KB6Bzn
— Gregory✨ (@This_Isnt_Greg) July 20, 2020
At the time of writing, the tweet has had over 22k likes and over a thousand comments.
Many wanted to applaud him on his dedication and tell him he looked hot – in both the before and after photos.
Some men shared their own transformation images.
I felt the same way as well. I actually posted mines and deleted because I felt so uncomfortable letting ppl see how big I got, but it actually made me feel supported when I shared my journey. It’s been 2 months since I changed my lifestyle and I’ve lost 40lbs pic.twitter.com/ENkK4Tzlk2
— ✨KJ✨ (@kyngofvirgos) July 20, 2020
Others agreed that there was a pressure to live up to certain ideals in the eyes of other gay men.
“It’s so sad yet so true that we’re constantly reminded, specially in the gay community, of what the body standards are,” said @exzelarturo. “It saddens me to see how many of us are constantly bombarded by negative message towards or body and making us feel insecure of our own skin.”
It’s so sad yet so true that we’re constantly reminded, specially in the gay community, of what the body standards are. It saddens me to see how many of us are constantly bombarded by negative message towards or body and making us feel insecure of our own skin.
— Exzel (@exzelarturo) July 20, 2020
I think you look hawt in the first photo, too. Gay culture has taught us that the ideal body is thin, ripped, and white, but I’m glad you have recognized that there’s more than one ideal. I hope you know that your body is beautiful in whatever form it takes.
— peach fuzz 🍑 (@peach__fuzz) July 21, 2020
Well done! Enjoy it and be proud but also remember we don’t have to all look the same. Doing it for yourself and health reasons is great 💖
— JBG (@HouseOf_JBG) July 20, 2020
Others said that there’s a place for all body types on the gay scene, but if Bloomer’s changes had made him happier, they were worth it.
Bloomer, 29, told Queerty he was, “definitely surprised at the overwhelming amount of likes and support on my tweet. I posted it because I felt proud of myself for finally seeing progress and doing something that is very difficult. Dieting and working out consistently is no easy feat.
“If me posting those pictures and that tweet resonated with anybody else who is struggling, or inspired anybody else to make a change in their life, or started a conversation about beauty standards in the community, it was well worth it,” he continued. “And I’m not going to lie, the attention and validation has been very flattering and enjoyable. Who doesn’t like some positive attention?”
Related: Man’s transformation from jock to bear has Gay Twitter’s attention
Bloomer says his real estate work “was pretty shut down” at the start of quarantine, leaving him alone and doing very little in the way of healthy activities.
“I had gained about 10 pounds in the first 6 weeks of lockdown and knew that if I didn’t change something I was going to come out of this way heavier, unhealthier, and unhappier than ever.
“Combined with the fact that weight was the second biggest factor in terms of how bad COVID affected you, it scared me into wanting to make a change.”
As he’s not a nutritionist or doctor, Bloomer is wary of telling others what to do if they wish to lose weight or tone up. However, he says, “I guess my advice would be that you should only worry about what makes you happy. Don’t change yourself for somebody else.
“I was unhappy with the way I looked, and knew that I wanted to make a change. I made a radical change to my lifestyle. I have been doing a keto [low-carb] diet and doing 45+ minutes of cardio 5+ days a week for 3 months now. Seeing the results is very motivating for me, and that is what keeps me going.”
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KiwiJello
If he feels good about himself, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Confidence is sexier than a six-pack.
Neoprene
No. It’s not.
michel_banen
I agree. Confidence is indeed sexier than a sixpack (to me).
bivector
Also agreed. Neoprene, you’ve got the attitude that keeps gay men single and unhappy, awkwardly trying to stay twinks until they’re 50.
dhmonarch89
the problem is- you see the 6 pack immediately, it takes time for real confidence to show…gay men don’t spend long enough to see it- or how do you truly see it on an app?
Denny98
I agree here. Confidence, attitude, and sense of humor is a winning combination.
winemaker
What a handsome guy and hot., woof. This guy’s gorgeous and to those who have a problem with beefy or stocky (not fat or obese) guys, you just don’t know what you’re missing. many of us can be great friends and wonderful lovers if you’d give us a chance. .
WillParkinson
Neo,
Spoken like a true superficial and shallow person.
arie570
Truth!
Phil H
He looks great in both pictures. If he feels better about himself after some weight loss then even better.
Matthewnow
I support you and your journey. BUT when you stated idgaf, I fell in love with you. You give me the incentive to start my own plan. Blessings.
charlietex
Weight loss or not, he’s an incredibly sexy and handsome guy. I know it’s tough to be confident but you can be confident that plenty of guys out there find you hot.
charlietex
A quick spin through his Facebook shows a Seth Rogen look maybe mixed a little with my ex-boyfriend. If he’s got a personality to match his big smiles, he’s a winner in my book.
arie570
thats truth!
Clancy Alexander
My mother had Anorexia and when she was losing weight (she was not obese) everyone praised her. The “fitness” industry has too much invested in people (particularly women and gay men) hating ourselves if we dont look like models or porn stars. His “before” is classic for the commercials, head down, frumpy suit, unhappy expression. His “after” pic is a happy, Speedo, “Come f*** me” pose. Everone starts the comments with “all bodies are beautiful” and “everyone should be comfortable with themselves” before praising him, but I bet if he gains some of the weight back, none of those people will be saying that then.
dcg420
Most gay men I meet are obsessed with wanting to find a guy with a defined muscular body. Being a nice, kind, generous, and caring person doesn’t seem to count for much these days.
AxelDC
Anorexia is a problem, but most Americans suffer from obesity. It’s more than a sexualization of body type, it’s a health hazard for your heart and other organs.
dcg420
The obsession with guys with defined muscular bodies is even apparent to me in my Queerty emails. On the top left of each email is a series of photos and stories generally focusing on well known guys with such bodies. I would enjoy seeing stories about LGBTQ folk who are exemplars in their careers: activists, scientists, legislators, artists, musicians, etc., without regard to whether or not they have model quality bodies.
radiooutmike
I got to tell you it was a culture shock after I came out.
Right before I came out, I gave women one last shot on sites like PoF and Match. As a overweight guy with a nice face I had no issue finding women around my age who were into me. They were all batshit crazy. I never worried about my looks or weight, because just being available, divorced and gainfully employed made me attractive enough for them.
So, I come out and it’s hey you’re a bear. And types and attractiveness a lot more when you’re trying to hookup. I am glad some people find me attractive and they make me feel good about myself. But I also know I spent the last ten years of my marriage eating my sexual desires down with my wife.
This pandemic is keeping my weight up too. Shit, I’m just a mess.
xanadude
There’s only “pressure” if you are shallow and/or are in to shallow men.
C_Alan
@Clancy Alexander: He’s wearing a jockstrap, not a speedo.
Am I the only one that thinks it might not be a great idea to post a recognizable picture of yourself in a jockstrap and a cheesy pose?
@dcg420: Is it possible that guys want both an attractive and a nice guy?
Creamsicle
They could also be bikini style underwear. I don’t know if there even is a safe amount of content to share on the Internet any more. At least his photos are being shared intentionally and capture a moment where he looks good and feels proud of achieving a goal.
sillyme
That man is very hot weather before and after no matter what and I follow him on Twitter and he’s been hot and doing good, I’d be happy to meet him and just talk, like 2 people no sex involved at all. He’s a hot man that has done him some good and is very happy possibly for the first time in his life, Support him all the way, and if @Neo shows up and tells him he’s not I’d biatch slap that jerk back to childhood.
@dusyk
I like some meat, on them bones, he looks great!
Vince
He’s still in his twenties. It will never be as easy as it is now to take off the weight.
Spidey137
I just “discovered” him this weekend. Besides being hot as hell at whatever size, the guy is so, so witty. Check out his Twitter for the thirst traps and stick around for the laughs.
Of the top of my head, here is one that stuck and this is not a direct quote, “The Starbucks guy is singing our orders, and if he doesn’t stop, I’m going to be in jail.”
One bon mot after another. Hilarious and hot.
Clancy Alexander
I stand corrected on the clothing. You CAN want someone both nice and attractive, the tging is he is attractive in the first picture. I know people have “preferences” but if he was lightening his skin to look more attractive your comment would be taken differently. Before you snatch my wig, I’m not trying to say you’re racist, but we are judged by physical standards. I am not obese but I am about 20 pounds overweight and my husband thinks I’m attractive.
ElPillo
Nice eyes
ShiningSex
He’s sexy either way. Those that say his bigger size is gross are just tired queens who are annoying
chicagogay
Lol he takes pictures of people during sex without their consent
Yooper
He is a handsome young man. Good for him and his long term health.
trsxyz
Good for him! (I’ve got to start shedding my “Quarantine 15” …)
Georgeiv2
I thought that he was as hot as hell as he was great to snuggle up with ( and other things ) but its his choice if thats the way he wants to look good for him !
Walker
Regardless of whether you think he looks better or not, someone needs to tell him he’s in for a load of hurt when he gains it all back and then some. Losing a pound and a half a day is simply not sustainable and it has nothing to do with teaching yourself healthy habits for life. This is the definition of the beginning of a yoyo cycle.
gaypalmsprings
I’d prefer some dark chocolate myself.
fresnoman4man
Different strokes for different folks. Whatever trips your trigger. I appreciate people who are not self-loathing. What a long strange journey it’s been. Life is a series of experiential cliches. Ultimately, we are diverse individuals and not a collective herd marked with a brand name.
Tombear
WOOF!