I signed up for online dating

[freshstart]

I was in 2 long term relationships, my marriage of ten yrs, then 7 yrs with a man I met on Match. Due to being sick and having gained a lot of wt the past 2 yrs, I have had zero interest in dating. Then my GF started dating someone she met online and she hasn't had a BF in 30 years! Worried 30 yrs could easily slip by, I decided to try "fat match", a site for plus sized people. Not one of those sites where men fetishize large women, I don't intend to stay large and that's just not my thing.

So far, so good. Got a few emails, but some of the people are very far away so that seems pointless. I emailed one man who loves dachshunds since I do too. Who knows, this may be an effort in futility. I don't know any men personally who are attracted to overweight people, so nothing may happen. Just happy to put myself back out there.

any advice?

[Teacher Terry]

I think that is awesome! I had an overweight friend that met her husband on such a site. Many people want to connect and it is harder as we age.

[freshstart]

thanks, Teacher Terry

[ApatheticNoMore]

Good for you and that you feel physically healthy enough to do this. I wouldn't rule out a not specifically plus sized dating site if there are more people on it, I mean if you have a few recent pics up it's going to be obvious you aren't skinny kwim :) (but then maybe neither is he ...)

[freshstart]

OMG, I'm inundated with people from all over the world, I can't keep up. Some got offended and said I was a snob because I didn't call them right away. Yikes, who needs that? Plus, I want someone in my state at least, not from Norway. this is not going to be easy.

[Selah]

I met my husband through online dating, and I'm fairly confident I would have never met him otherwise. However, I kissed a LOT of frogs before then. My advice is to look at it as more of a fun hobby than a mission. Take a break when you need to...most sites will allow you to hide your profile or make yourself unavailable. I found that the craziest looney-birds were on Match, though--just sayin'! I don't regret any time I spent on those sites or meeting those people, though...I learned a lot about different types of men and a lot about myself. I learned to be more confident and assertive, and that's served me well. Have fun, weed out the time-wasters quickly, and don't let yourself be conned or manipulated! :)

[freshstart]

how did you deal with the long distance thing? There aren't enough people to pick from on the site that live near me.

I had fun the last time I did online dating, I think you can't take it too seriously at least at first.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Doing (online or other type of blind) dating as a fun hobby is about like saying: approach job interviewing as a fun hobby, don't take it so seriously, try to look at job interviewing as the fun of learning a bit about all kinds of companies and not as a mission of finding a new job. Well it sure would be nice if that type of pure Zen were easily achieved - but generally it's not.

I did meet my bf through online dating. I have tried long distance relationships before, they did not work (and by long I don't mean an hour commute or something - that is totally doable - I mean cross country). That's why I kind of said if there aren't enough people on that site, try more sites. But I don't know if you live in a small town it's just hard. Lots of people within that state but not up-state :)

[Ultralight]

I am feeling like online dating makes me bitter.

[beckyliz]

Can you put parameters on your profile, for example, only within x miles radius?