My 600 Pound Life?
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SteveMFP123 wrote: »I usually find these shows fairly annoying, I saw one where a 600lb woman said she didn't overate at all, like she magically maintained 600lbs while eating 1200 calories a day.
It's definitely denial, but also uneducation. Lots of people think they don't overeat because they eat small amounts of food, but they don't know it's calorie-dense. Or if they drink a lot of soda, that's a lot of extra cals that they don't acknowledge.0 -
About Penny: she didn't change because she didn't have to change. She can stay in bed and eat all the food she wants as long as her husband brings it to her. HE pisses me off.0
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jennifershoo wrote: »SteveMFP123 wrote: »I usually find these shows fairly annoying, I saw one where a 600lb woman said she didn't overate at all, like she magically maintained 600lbs while eating 1200 calories a day.
It's definitely denial, but also uneducation. Lots of people think they don't overeat because they eat small amounts of food, but they don't know it's calorie-dense. Or if they drink a lot of soda, that's a lot of extra cals that they don't acknowledge.
Exactly! I have a friend that has gained about 50lbs over the last two years after quitting smoking. She has recently expressed wanting to lose it, when I told her she should be eating about 1800cals to start, she said she could never eat that many calories a day, that was way too much....as she was eating four pizza pockets.....she is not in denial (although a lot of people on that show are), she is just not educated on nutrition.....I had her make an appt with a dietitian
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Sometimes I think this show is bad because people will use the heavy person as a reference. "See! I'm not THAT fat, I don't have a problem like that person," when they themselves are 80 to 100 pounds overweight. I know I did this. What about a show that showed people with a typical goal, say 75 pounds, trying to lose weight each day and how difficult it is? Show people how to order well in a restaurant, shop well, exercise well. How to make better choices each day. I wonder if anyone would watch it.0
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SnuggleSmacks wrote: »Nope. To me, shows like this smack of schadenfreude porn. I can't get entertainment out of the misfortunes of others. Plus, reality TV is the worst thing that has ever happened in the history of television.
I completely agree with this.
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tracyannk28 wrote: »Crossfitkeke wrote: »I find it can be motivating to watch, until I watched the one last night where the girl was only 23. That pissed me off. To be 650lbs at 23 means her parents allowed her to essentially do and eat what she wanted. That puts the blame on them.
You do have a point, but when I was 11 and about 125, my mom schlepped me to the GP who put me on a 1000 calorie diet (with cottage cheese on the menu, yuck) and then she made me ride the exercise bicycle for 3 miles every day. Great intentions, no doubt. Don't know what effect it had on my body at the time, but it set me up for a lifetime of yo-yo dieting, unhealthy habits and a lot of self-loathing. My own kids went through "chubby" stages at puberty, and while lean and healthy now, they blame me for that time because I didn't do anything about it. Bottom line: being a parent is a no-win situation because we never seem to get it right no matter what we do!!
ditto! I think we had the same childhood...I had to eat cottage cheese and something called melba toast
yuk!!
This is so true. My child cries that I won't help her lose weight. No-win.0 -
These shows make me quite emotional especially when you can see the pain in their eyes because they know they are slowly but surely killing themselves. Its so easy to put on weight, eating a little here and a little there and before you know it its a chore to get out of your seat, let alone exercise. To live, we all have to eat, you cant give it up so for them its lose-lose! When I went up to 22 stone I didn't have the drive to do anything, had a desk job so from work to home and back. In one year I went from 19 stone to 22 without even noticing! Lost 5 stone since then (has taken 3 years) and it has been really, REALLY hard so I feel for them!0
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What I don't get....why don't they stage an intervention with these people? Have their friends and family sit around in a room and everyone write a nice letter about how much they are loved, how worried everyone is, and how they are going to support them, etc. They just conduct the surgery and send them off on their merry way...0
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Sometimes I think this show is bad because people will use the heavy person as a reference. "See! I'm not THAT fat, I don't have a problem like that person," when they themselves are 80 to 100 pounds overweight. I know I did this. What about a show that showed people with a typical goal, say 75 pounds, trying to lose weight each day and how difficult it is? Show people how to order well in a restaurant, shop well, exercise well. How to make better choices each day. I wonder if anyone would watch it.
In my bitter moments, I do think how nobody is going to give me a personal trainer and 3 months at a spa and $100k to lose 40 lbs...
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Sometimes I think this show is bad because people will use the heavy person as a reference. "See! I'm not THAT fat, I don't have a problem like that person," when they themselves are 80 to 100 pounds overweight. I know I did this. What about a show that showed people with a typical goal, say 75 pounds, trying to lose weight each day and how difficult it is? Show people how to order well in a restaurant, shop well, exercise well. How to make better choices each day. I wonder if anyone would watch it.
In my bitter moments, I do think how nobody is going to give me a personal trainer and 3 months at a spa and $100k to lose 40 lbs...
You mean like the "Biggest Loser?" Yeah, I know. How many times I thought "Gosh, if I could just go on the Biggest Loser I could lose all this weight." Ha Ha. Not realistic at all.
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I've only watched once, and maybe it was a different show, honestly, but it followed 2 or 3 women who were candidates for bariatric surgery before and after the surgery.
I was uncomfortable watching the show and I had to think about what it was that really bothered me. I figured out that the women on that episode had a difficult time walking so they were not obtaining, or really even cooking, their own food. Someone else was.
This is what turned me off. I cannot imagine being so selfish to expect someone to feed me the amount of food it would take for me to remain so obese; I also cannot imagine doing that for anyone else.
I think there must be some kind of mutual satisfaction that happens in these cases. Otherwise, an enormous person who could not walk would starve, wouldn't they? If they lived alone, would a delivery person bring the food to them in the home? Go beyond the front door they cannot answer?
It is a little bit like the battered woman syndrome where she convinces herself she cannot leave, I think. IDK of course.
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i have seen the commercials on youtube, but I dont have cable. I think it is sad that they are so heavy, and that their lives are so complicated by their weight. The commercial I saw featured a women named "penny" who seemed very self-centered. I felt worse for her kid than I did for her.0
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I don't understand what I am seeing. Is this a birth defect or does this person have so much fat (I mean adipose tissue:) that this happened? Very sad.I watched a few last night. I can sit and watch all that stuff and it inspires and motivates me. Then they showed one girl who's calves enveloped her feet as she walked. I was speechless and saddened.
Here is a pic, I did not want to embed the pic so you can choose to see it or not.
Not for the faint of heart.
Amber
Oh my God ... that is so terribly sad. How horrible these people must feel. It must hurt just to move a little. I really like the doctor who counsels these people - he's supportive, but does not buy into the BS, like the woman who weighed like 450-500 pounds (I think this is Penny) and she stayed in the hospital for weeks (not losing weight). Finally he told her she had to go home. She went home, stayed in bed and ate. She had promised her little son that she would attend his activities, but it never happened. Stopped going to appointments and the one that she went on months later she had even gained weight! The others, that really work and lose the weight, have my utmost admiration and awe.0 -
People who are chronically obese need a psychiatrist, first and foremost. I know this because I speak from experience and know it's not just a matter of not having any self-control (which I do.. I quit smoking cold turkey after 25 years and never went back... if that isn't self-control, I don't know what is, and yet I can't get my eating under control).
The disconnect isn't between the plate and our mouth, it's between the plate and our brain. All these people would most likely say they are extremely miserable and would choose NOT to eat to excess if they could control themselves, but they probably don't even know why they do it or how to stop it. Putting a band around your stomach isn't going to take away the craving or desire to overeat. And I think many of them feel that they are long past the point of no return, that facing the prospect of losing 200+ pounds just seems insurmountable.
To quote a book I'm now reading, "...we believe that satisfying that food fantasy is going to make us feel better. But it is just the opposite; the fact is, we feel ashamed after the indulgence. The addiction is to the cycle of shame. And unlike with other drugs, the physical effects of food addiction are evident to everyone around us – we can’t hide being fat."
Suriel, Dilia (2013-12-05). The Thin Woman's Brain: Re-wiring the Brain for Permanent Weight Loss (p. 75). Applied Insight, Inc. Kindle Edition.
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tekkiechikk wrote: »People who are chronically obese need a psychiatrist, first and foremost. I know this because I speak from experience and know it's not just a matter of not having any self-control (which I do.. I quit smoking cold turkey after 25 years and never went back... if that isn't self-control, I don't know what is, and yet I can't get my eating under control).
The disconnect isn't between the plate and our mouth, it's between the plate and our brain. All these people would most likely say they are extremely miserable and would choose NOT to eat to excess if they could control themselves, but they probably don't even know why they do it or how to stop it.
I think this is spot on. When I was with my ex husband, I ate out of pure misery. He's verbally abusive, physically also when drinking (alcoholic), and cheated on me numerous times. I hated my life, but I always enjoyed cooking. So I would cook and eat, and went from 160 lbs (slightly overweight) to 210 in a year. After a particularly disturbing drunken episode with him (that resulted in having my house look like a party with the ambulance, fire dept, and 4 cop cars) I divorced him. That was only a bit over a year ago and I'm down 30 lbs without really trying.
I got a bit off topic, but relating back to the show, these toxic relationships certainly have a lot to do with weight gain. Especially the one where her husband left because she became independent again. Actually, I believe there were two different women that experienced that. Living with someone who enables and encourages that behavior is no better than living with an alcoholic.
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I watch my 600lb life, I find it very motivating!0
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I've watched a little bit of My 600-pound life and other shows like that, but I can't watch too much of that because like another commenter said, it seems like schadenfreude and that's not my bag.
I have watched My Big Fat Fabulous Life, and I don't mind Whitney. I don't think that we should necessarily judge her for being 30 and living at home, or her being messy, as being a byproduct of her weight. As someone in my early 30s, I know a number of people who are thin and are around my age and living with their parents, or are messy people, and there are larger people (like my mom for example) who are very neat and clean. Also, her job history may have more to do with her and her personal circumstances than being a big person. I've been on my own since 18 and I have a steady work history, and all that time I have been obese. My larger friends have jobs too. So IMO the fat = lazy comments are more rooted in preconceived notions of fatness and what Whitney might do (or what is shown on-camera) to confirm or dispel them than it actually being true.
PCOS - if you don't know why you are gaining and what plan(s) will actually work to lose weight, then PCOS-related weight gain can be really hard to rein in and reverse. I did not gain 150 in a year with PCOS but some do. While I was overweight as a child, I did gain huge chunks of weight in a short period of time once I turned 18 - 50 here, 20 there, 30 there. I tried Atkins and Weight Watchers - WW twice, for several months mind you - with food scales and measuring cups and lots of exercise - and no plan allowed me to lose anything more than 9-10 pounds max. Even after I was diagnosed with PCOS, it took until going onto MFP 8 years later and figuring out what my calorie intake needed to be to find what would actually allow me to lose more than 10 pounds. So I get it, and I can't judge her for not being as far down the path as I am, because I was her.0 -
Psychiatrists cost money, and from what I understand, mental health doesn't fare any better than anything else as far as success rates in treating obesity goes.tekkiechikk wrote: »People who are chronically obese need a psychiatrist, first and foremost. I know this because I speak from experience and know it's not just a matter of not having any self-control (which I do.. I quit smoking cold turkey after 25 years and never went back... if that isn't self-control, I don't know what is, and yet I can't get my eating under control).
The disconnect isn't between the plate and our mouth, it's between the plate and our brain. All these people would most likely say they are extremely miserable and would choose NOT to eat to excess if they could control themselves, but they probably don't even know why they do it or how to stop it. Putting a band around your stomach isn't going to take away the craving or desire to overeat. And I think many of them feel that they are long past the point of no return, that facing the prospect of losing 200+ pounds just seems insurmountable.
To quote a book I'm now reading, "...we believe that satisfying that food fantasy is going to make us feel better. But it is just the opposite; the fact is, we feel ashamed after the indulgence. The addiction is to the cycle of shame. And unlike with other drugs, the physical effects of food addiction are evident to everyone around us – we can’t hide being fat."
Suriel, Dilia (2013-12-05). The Thin Woman's Brain: Re-wiring the Brain for Permanent Weight Loss (p. 75). Applied Insight, Inc. Kindle Edition.
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I watch it. It is a roller coaster at times though. I sit and just hope they make a difference. Penny made me angry though. Watching her little boy and how unconditional his love for her was, and her not seeming to fight hard enough for him.
They used to have previous episodes on Netflix. Those episodes followed the patients for seven years after their surgery.
I think it is a very inspirational show when they make the change. It does not really feel staged or over done. It at least is presented as a legit documentary.0 -
I love the show. I make sure I watch it whenever I start to get off track.0
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I agree. I can only make it thru about 10 mintues of "My 600 lb Life" before I say I just can't live that way. Yeah I have my addiction to potato chips but at some point I had to try some self control or I might end up like that soon.
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I've seen every episode, but the latest one ( Amber ) was so sad. I've never seen legs like that. She's so young. I wish her the best. There's a similar show in the UK called Fat Doctor. I discovered that show on YouTube ans watched all the episodes within a few weeks. Seeing my " possible " future is one if the things that caused me to get serious about losing weight. My mom looked at me and said, " you know, they were all your weight at one time." Whoah. That made me put down the Cheetos0
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melimomTARDIS wrote: »i have seen the commercials on youtube, but I dont have cable. I think it is sad that they are so heavy, and that their lives are so complicated by their weight. The commercial I saw featured a women named "penny" who seemed very self-centered. I felt worse for her kid than I did for her.
I don't have cable either. I bought two seasons on Amazon some time back. Damn Amazon prime!! I've spent more money on this "free" service than on paid Netflix and Hulu. Well maybe not total
Anyway I actually watched the show thinking I was exercising empathy. Like, how does this happen? What is the family thinking? How does this keep getting worse? In at least one case, the family member had previously taken care of maybe a terminal parent and felt like they had a "calling" to be a caretaker. Almost like that was their purpose in life and they felt security fulfilling that function. If that's really the case it almost makes sense that they would work hard to maintain the status quo.
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tracyannk28 wrote: »Crossfitkeke wrote: »I find it can be motivating to watch, until I watched the one last night where the girl was only 23. That pissed me off. To be 650lbs at 23 means her parents allowed her to essentially do and eat what she wanted. That puts the blame on them.
You do have a point, but when I was 11 and about 125, my mom schlepped me to the GP who put me on a 1000 calorie diet (with cottage cheese on the menu, yuck) and then she made me ride the exercise bicycle for 3 miles every day. Great intentions, no doubt. Don't know what effect it had on my body at the time, but it set me up for a lifetime of yo-yo dieting, unhealthy habits and a lot of self-loathing. My own kids went through "chubby" stages at puberty, and while lean and healthy now, they blame me for that time because I didn't do anything about it. Bottom line: being a parent is a no-win situation because we never seem to get it right no matter what we do!!
ditto! I think we had the same childhood...I had to eat cottage cheese and something called melba toast yuk!!
This is so true. My child cries that I won't help her lose weight. No-win.
If your child just has the normal pudginess that comes with puberty, encourage healthy habits and reassure her that her body will lean out and become healthy and strong in time. Getting as much processed food out of the house, keeping regular mealtimes and allowing eating in the kitchen or occasionally in front of the TV as a treat is important too. My kids snacked out of the boxes/bags, and I always tried to encourage them to put a portion in a bowl, to curb mindless overeating. You sound like an active individual, that is the best way to ensure your kids will be too!0 -
ilovemypeekapug wrote: »I've seen every episode, but the latest one ( Amber ) was so sad. I've never seen legs like that. She's so young. I wish her the best. There's a similar show in the UK called Fat Doctor. I discovered that show on YouTube ans watched all the episodes within a few weeks. Seeing my " possible " future is one if the things that caused me to get serious about losing weight. My mom looked at me and said, " you know, they were all your weight at one time." Whoah. That made me put down the Cheetos
Oh, wow. I read that and it made me stop in my tracks-what a way to bring it home. They were all our weight at one time! That is so scary to me.0 -
I don't normally watch, but I caught the marathon the other day on TLC. What sticks out for me is how many think happiness is contingent on their weight. Yeah, being mobile would probably increase happiness, but ??? I'm thinking specifically of the guy, James (was that his name?). He was engaged to Summer but they broke up because he got mean and stressed out when he couldn't have the skin removal surgery yet. He wanted to go to his high school reunion with the skin removed, but he had lost so much weight and he still wasn't proud of himself!!! I don't know. Happiness is a choice not a circumstance. I didn't say that well, but I hope you understand what I mean.0
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MaggieLoo79 wrote: »I don't normally watch, but I caught the marathon the other day on TLC. What sticks out for me is how many think happiness is contingent on their weight. Yeah, being mobile would probably increase happiness, but ??? I'm thinking specifically of the guy, James (was that his name?). He was engaged to Summer but they broke up because he got mean and stressed out when he couldn't have the skin removal surgery yet. He wanted to go to his high school reunion with the skin removed, but he had lost so much weight and he still wasn't proud of himself!!! I don't know. Happiness is a choice not a circumstance. I didn't say that well, but I hope you understand what I mean.
I understood it. I think the issues and attitudes that contribute to such tremendous weight gain in their cases do not do so in isolation, and often spill over to other aspects of their life. In other words it's possible this guy was just being a petulant douche bag
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tracyannk28 wrote: »softblondechick wrote: »I force myself to watch each show, there for the Grace of God. ...they could easily be me. Except for the fact that no one supports me. Work or be homeless! Something to be thankful for, I guess. I can see how severe clinical depression, treated with psychopharmacology that makes people ravenous hungry, I think they should re name Paxil to "Pack It On". But, some doctors don't know enough about psychopharmacology and randomly prescribe meds without proper monitoring. It happened to me. I was depressed, a doctor prescribed me a med, that made me hungry.
Anyway, side issue. This is important that these people are getting treatment. And Penny, bless her heart...where did she find a man who puts up with her!?
Ugh...I haven't had a boyfriend in years and Penny is awful and found a man who puts up with her. SO not fair!
There was this other guy who's wife was murdered and he later remarried and they had an adopted son. I'm trying to figure out what kind of adoption agency was OK with giving a child to a man who couldn't take care of himself?????
You wouldn't wanf a boyfriend like him anyway.
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Losingthedamnweight wrote: »tracyannk28 wrote: »softblondechick wrote: »I force myself to watch each show, there for the Grace of God. ...they could easily be me. Except for the fact that no one supports me. Work or be homeless! Something to be thankful for, I guess. I can see how severe clinical depression, treated with psychopharmacology that makes people ravenous hungry, I think they should re name Paxil to "Pack It On". But, some doctors don't know enough about psychopharmacology and randomly prescribe meds without proper monitoring. It happened to me. I was depressed, a doctor prescribed me a med, that made me hungry.
Anyway, side issue. This is important that these people are getting treatment. And Penny, bless her heart...where did she find a man who puts up with her!?
Ugh...I haven't had a boyfriend in years and Penny is awful and found a man who puts up with her. SO not fair!
There was this other guy who's wife was murdered and he later remarried and they had an adopted son. I'm trying to figure out what kind of adoption agency was OK with giving a child to a man who couldn't take care of himself?????
You wouldn't wanf a boyfriend like him anyway.
Agreed. Without a doubt this is not down to editing on the show; you can tell he is an enabler. No way a bedridden woman at 600+ lbs could get to that position without someone feeding her. But I have no doubt that she is a manipulator, and knows how to get what she wants. It just seems like a very unhealthy relationship dynamic.
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