My 600 Pound Life

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Replies

  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    watching the show, I was glad I didn't have an enabler or I would have probably weighed 600 rather than 200. I would never have had anyone bring me food and baby me like that, most of my family is real selfish. I had an ex-husband who was an alcoholic and I sure enabled him for years, I am sure he would have quit drinking sooner if I had said I don't want to live like this and wont unless you get help. Yep, those enablers can kill you!
  • bellabonbons
    bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
    brenn24179 wrote: »
    watching the show, I was glad I didn't have an enabler or I would have probably weighed 600 rather than 200. I would never have had anyone bring me food and baby me like that, most of my family is real selfish. I had an ex-husband who was an alcoholic and I sure enabled him for years, I am sure he would have quit drinking sooner if I had said I don't want to live like this and wont unless you get help. Yep, those enablers can kill you!

    I agree! And they do Very sad.
  • Lose2Cruise2016
    Lose2Cruise2016 Posts: 36 Member
    100df wrote: »
    Tough love is overrated. Kicking people when they are down rarely has a good effect.

    Exactly. Tough love is the antithesis of what actual love is. It's really a way for the person in control to punish the person in crisis. Yeah, you can miss me with that.
  • bellabonbons
    bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
    100df wrote: »
    Tough love is overrated. Kicking people when they are down rarely has a good effect.

    Exactly. Tough love is the antithesis of what actual love is. It's really a way for the person in control to punish the person in crisis. Yeah, you can miss me with that.

    Tough love is going beyond. Helping and doing for the person you love something they cannot do on their own. Not punishing. Not kicking someone when they are down. It is lovingly helping the one you love break out of denial and help them from hurting and damaging themselves further. It's incredible when it works and thank God for families and loved ones who love enough to step up to the plate to intervene and help the ones they love who are so engrained in their addictions and denial that it has become impossible for them to help themselves.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
    edited February 2016
    lcuconley wrote: »
    I watched part of an episode once...mentioned above, the costume designer. I was FLOORED that this woman had a 2-donut snack BEFORE BREAKFAST. The enabling, or whole-family sickness, was shocking and I am really not sure why we should be watching people do this to themselves. Oh, and the doctor...this woman lost something like 60 pounds in a few months and the response was "let's do surgery". What?!? Why not continue to eat like a normal person instead of subject a 550 pound person to surgery?!? I know reality TV is all the rage, but I just dont get it...

    I think gastric bypass patients have a better chance of not regaining the weight than the rest of us, due in large part to improvements in hunger hormone levels after the surgery.
    http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/578906_2
  • tara_means_star
    tara_means_star Posts: 957 Member
    lcuconley wrote: »
    I watched part of an episode once...mentioned above, the costume designer. I was FLOORED that this woman had a 2-donut snack BEFORE BREAKFAST. The enabling, or whole-family sickness, was shocking and I am really not sure why we should be watching people do this to themselves. Oh, and the doctor...this woman lost something like 60 pounds in a few months and the response was "let's do surgery". What?!? Why not continue to eat like a normal person instead of subject a 550 pound person to surgery?!? I know reality TV is all the rage, but I just dont get it...

    I'm definitely not an expert on medical issues but I do know a couple things because I have an uncle who is close to 500lbs right now.
    1. They will not consider you for surgery unless you show that you are committed to keeping the weight off and in order to show this they require you to lose weight first (at least, that's what the docs told my uncle)
    2. Once you lose the weight, some people's medical complications related to weight loss are so severe that doctors consider it more dangerous to you to let you lose the weight slowly and naturally (because you'll continue to be at such a large size which does damage for much longer) than to do a major operation like gastric bypass. I think for most people, they want you to lose the weight naturally and healthily but some people are in such bad health that it would take too long and your health just might not make it.

    These things might not be true for everyone but its what I learned from my uncle being as large as he is.
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
    senecarr wrote: »
    I wish there was a less religious phrase that was the equivalent of "there but for the grace of god go I".
    I agree with this...and that's why I watch the show (and the show "Extreme Weight Loss"), because if I don't watch myself, I can easily yo-yo back up to what I started here at (#275) or more. :#
    I'm at (under) my goal weight now & maintaining my loss but watch the shows (and "Skin Tight" as well) to keep me honest & eating mindfully because "there for the grace of G-d, go I"
    hjs3bhvbwvbd.png


  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
    So I watched a couple of shows tonight because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I'm split on this. Some folks are honest good folks who got in a bad place and are doing their best to get out. Huzzah for them. Others just seem to be jerks and I have trouble empathizing with jerks regardless of their issues.

    On the other hand I know that this is a show, and I know shows can be exploitive with how they choose to portray a person. Choosing to only film the bad days and not the good can make everyone look like a jerk.

    So I guess my final answer is it try and keep an open mind, I can easily see myself having been gotten to that point, and I can easily see a person meing manipulated by a tv crew for ratings.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    newmeadow wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Eh, I think some people are being too hard on the OP.

    I think you missed the thread where the OP told a 360 lb., 55 year old, demoralized newcomer that 1) She could not imagine gaining 100 lbs. let alone the 200 lbs. this poor woman gained 2) made a point to mention how she could "gorge" herself on food but has the discipline and self love not to 3) described overeating behaviors that resulted in this woman's 200 lb. weight gain as "reckless" and "out of control" 4) and also quoted scripture (But that was removed by the moderators.)

    Wow!
  • haviegirl
    haviegirl Posts: 230 Member
    I am a nurse, and many years ago I used to care for a woman who weighed around 700 pounds (this was before gastric bypass surgery existed). She was admitted frequently on my unit, and over the years, I grew to know her pretty well. One evening, as we were chatting, I asked her how her obesity "happened". Her answer was, "One bite at a time, Lisa. One bite at a time." We both chuckled after she said that.

    It's the little things that we do, day by day, that make the difference in our lives.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,889 Member
    newmeadow wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Eh, I think some people are being too hard on the OP.

    I think you missed the thread where the OP told a 360 lb., 55 year old, demoralized newcomer that 1) She could not imagine gaining 100 lbs. let alone the 200 lbs. this poor woman gained 2) made a point to mention how she could "gorge" herself on food but has the discipline and self love not to 3) described overeating behaviors that resulted in this woman's 200 lb. weight gain as "reckless" and "out of control" 4) and also quoted scripture (But that was removed by the moderators.)

    This post? Was not edited by anyone, so no scripture was removed by the mods. It was that thread's OP who mentioned Jesus, not this thread's OP. I have a totally different take on her post in that thread than you do.

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,889 Member
    lcuconley wrote: »
    I watched part of an episode once...mentioned above, the costume designer. I was FLOORED that this woman had a 2-donut snack BEFORE BREAKFAST. The enabling, or whole-family sickness, was shocking and I am really not sure why we should be watching people do this to themselves. Oh, and the doctor...this woman lost something like 60 pounds in a few months and the response was "let's do surgery". What?!? Why not continue to eat like a normal person instead of subject a 550 pound person to surgery?!? I know reality TV is all the rage, but I just dont get it...

    I remember when I was a kid going to coffee hour after church and being shocked that people ate donuts before breakfast. To me then and now, donuts are too desserty to be eaten any time other than after dinner. (I don't eat a lot of donuts, lol.) But I realize many people do not share this view.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    lcuconley wrote: »
    I watched part of an episode once...mentioned above, the costume designer. I was FLOORED that this woman had a 2-donut snack BEFORE BREAKFAST. The enabling, or whole-family sickness, was shocking and I am really not sure why we should be watching people do this to themselves. Oh, and the doctor...this woman lost something like 60 pounds in a few months and the response was "let's do surgery". What?!? Why not continue to eat like a normal person instead of subject a 550 pound person to surgery?!? I know reality TV is all the rage, but I just dont get it...

    I think gastric bypass patients have a better chance of not regaining the weight than the rest of us, due in large part to improvements in hunger hormone levels after the surgery.
    http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/578906_2


    My aunts had gastric bypass. One regained the weight, the other one regained it and lost some.

    Also the reason those patients lose weight is because they know they can get the surgery. They know it's a means to an end, so they lose weight on their own for a short period of time.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    I like the show, mainly because it shows the reality of weight loss surgery. The doctor doesn't sugar coat or sprinkle fairy dust or any nonsense like that. He straight up tells people, the surgery can help, but it won't fix you, and you will fail if you don't take responsibility and put in the work. Then when they come back to him in denial about why they're not losing, he tells them again. You're overeating. Stop. The best tool is useless in the hands of someone who won't use it.

    As far as not being able to believe anyone could do that to themselves: I believe it. My mother and aunt have both been over 300 lbs (we're a short bunch of gals, too), I was on my way there, and if I hadn't learned, by accident, that nothing was wrong with me and how simple calorie tracking is, I'd have gotten there and beyond. Who knows when it would have stopped.
  • makeydoo
    makeydoo Posts: 5 Member
    jatdh1753 wrote: »
    gfjay wrote: »
    I can see how it happens to someone. I started 2015 at 490 pounds. By the start of Dec 2015 I was 530. I am 100% positive that I would have cracked 600 by the end of 2016. Fortunately I'm getting help from my doctor and medical staff, and am back down to 490 over the last 8 weeks. I may (although won't be disappointed if I miss it a bit) hit 400 by the end of the year.

    I'm not lazy. I know that binge eating causes weight gain. I'm not stupid. But it's always easier to start something tomorrow than it is today. You get to be 400, 500, 600 pounds by eating way more than necessary every day, and every day saying you're going to start tomorrow.

    Severely morbidly obese people aren't asking for pity. Or excuses. However, those explicitly saying they don't have any empathy, or "just can't imagine", are speaking volumes about their own character and nothing about the obese people they reference. I'd rather be my compassionate, caring, empathetic 500 pound self forever than be a thin someone who doesn't have the ability to step in someone else's shoes or show compassion and understanding that everyone is struggling with something. Next time consider a kind word instead of judgement.

    Yes. All of this - love this, and your attitude.

    On the topic of what can't be imagined, I "just can't imagine" having zero compassion or empathy for other people. Speaks volumes about the OP.

    Well said...wishing you all the best on your journey gfjay
  • bellabonbons
    bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
    Whether it's 600 pounds or 50 it's still a battle. Wouldn't it be nice to eat all you want whenever you want and never gain? The ideal diet for me would be Creme brûlée for breakfast, a huge bowl of sweet cream ice cream with chocolate shavings for lunch, French Bavarian cream puffs for dinner and a huge slice of tiramisu for dinner and a huge slice of peach pie for an evening snack. Oh and an afternoon snack of a chocolate malt. The amazing and incredible about MFP is we can still enjoy the foods we love by factoring the calories in. And coming from a southern family background where evening dessert is the norm doesn't make it easier. Every meal must end with dessert. :). But there is just something about keeping our appetites reined that makes my confidence soar. When I accept that a part of me WILL ALWAYS love dessert and that it's normal. Just don't eat the entire cake :)
  • bellabonbons
    bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
    I like the show, mainly because it shows the reality of weight loss surgery. The doctor doesn't sugar coat or sprinkle fairy dust or any nonsense like that. He straight up tells people, the surgery can help, but it won't fix you, and you will fail if you don't take responsibility and put in the work. Then when they come back to him in denial about why they're not losing, he tells them again. You're overeating. Stop. The best tool is useless in the hands of someone who won't use it.

    As far as not being able to believe anyone could do that to themselves: I believe it. My mother and aunt have both been over 300 lbs (we're a short bunch of gals, too), I was on my way there, and if I hadn't learned, by accident, that nothing was wrong with me and how simple calorie tracking is, I'd have gotten there and beyond. Who knows when it would have stopped.

  • bellabonbons
    bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
    You are a very smart woman. Thanks for the before and after picture. You look amazing. I tried to respond with a friend request. Still learning MFP and adjusting to s new iPhone. I will keep trying.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    Whether it's 600 pounds or 50 it's still a battle. Wouldn't it be nice to eat all you want whenever you want and never gain? The ideal diet for me would be Creme brûlée for breakfast, a huge bowl of sweet cream ice cream with chocolate shavings for lunch, French Bavarian cream puffs for dinner and a huge slice of tiramisu for dinner and a huge slice of peach pie for an evening snack. Oh and an afternoon snack of a chocolate malt. The amazing and incredible about MFP is we can still enjoy the foods we love by factoring the calories in. And coming from a southern family background where evening dessert is the norm doesn't make it easier. Every meal must end with dessert. :). But there is just something about keeping our appetites reined that makes my confidence soar. When I accept that a part of me WILL ALWAYS love dessert and that it's normal. Just don't eat the entire cake :)

    Well if you have Cystic Fibrosis, you could eat and not gain, but then you'd also have a mucked up pancreas which results in CF related diabetes, and maybe live until you're 40....
  • Kimmotion5783
    Kimmotion5783 Posts: 417 Member
    airangel59 wrote: »
    senecarr wrote: »
    I wish there was a less religious phrase that was the equivalent of "there but for the grace of god go I".
    I agree with this...and that's why I watch the show (and the show "Extreme Weight Loss"), because if I don't watch myself, I can easily yo-yo back up to what I started here at (#275) or more. :#
    I'm at (under) my goal weight now & maintaining my loss but watch the shows (and "Skin Tight" as well) to keep me honest & eating mindfully because "there for the grace of G-d, go I"
    hjs3bhvbwvbd.png


    Congratulations on your success! Awesome job!