My 600 Pound Life - Am I the only one that gets motivated by it?

Yes, it motivates me as well. And I think the same thing you do...if they can do it, why the heck can’t I??

I do get some inspiration from the show but I can't watch it for very long because the tone of that show can be very negative. I prefer shows like extreme weight loss but they aren't making new episodes anymore

I like the show, but it does not motivate me to be healthy. These people are in a different boat and have serious emotional and behavioral challenges that I sympathize with but do not understand. I guess, for me, it would be like saying the show Intervention really motivates me to not smoke crack.

I don't really get motivated, but I do enjoy watching. It's my guilty pleasure. One common theme I've noticed is that these people usually have some emotional trauma. They try to ease it with food. That part of the show fascinates me. I also like Supersize Vs. Superskinny and Fit to Fat to Fit.

UncaToddly wrote: »

hud54014 wrote: »

it would be like saying the show Intervention really motivates me to not smoke crack.

Well, if you know deep down that you probably drink too much and should probably quit..... I would see it as "if these people can get clean and they are WAY more addicted to crack than I am to booze, I should be able to get this under control". That is just me though.

I think it is a matter of where you are too though. For me, when we first started watching it, I was 387 and on that line where it was easy to go either way. The show helped motivate me in the same manner I mentioned with the booze. I mean, if these people can't even get out of bed but end up making progress and start cutting out thousands of calories...... I can do this and stop trying to kill myself with food.

Food was always a really weird thing for me. I had willpower over most everything else in my life. When I was doing cocaine and heard myself say "I need to do some coke" instead of "I want to do some", I was done. I live in a state where cannabis is legal for recreational use and is always in the house but work still says no, and so I don't use it even though I REALLY want too. Food though, was always a problem. Probably in part due to the fact I HAVE to eat. Just not so much.

I understand what you're saying and I believe we all get inspiration from different places, and are motivated by different things. So, I can see how others can find these shows a source of motivation and inspiration, and if that's what works, then use it. It is tough, when food becomes an addition; my mom struggles with this. She had a weight loss surgery, and is one of the many people that did not permanently change her habits. She is still morbidly obese, and has been in a constant circle of starting and stopping various diets. You're right, food addiction, or whatever people want to call it has got to be one of the most difficult things to overcome, because you have to eat to stay alive.

For me personally though, her or anyone elses' story just doesn't motivate me to go one way or the other. I could care less what my neighbor is doing, whether they're considered inspirational or a cautionary tale. I've found that lasting motivation comes from within, and feeling different and being able to do things I wasn't able to a year ago. When I don't want to eat right or exercise (which is pretty much all the time), I think back to what I looked like and felt like when I started and ask what version of myself do I want to live with, and is it so terrible to do the right thing for my body. It's the only thing that's worked long-term, for me (not everyone else)... if you consider a year long-term

Mama J and Honey BB. I watched her go through all of that painful surgery on her arms, everywhere. I watched SB enable the new wife, J. I'm deliberately not using names. Pain is the precursor to change and I think about the pain. The pain of eating it all back and starting over and over and over again after all of the surgeries have been done. The pain of letting the enablers run and literally ruin your life. Not judging but thinking about how fast it can all come undone. The cautionary tale. I think about others who've shared that after falling off the grid for a few months or years here and eating it all back they wish they would've just kept maintaining with their data points.

I'm listening to them. Intuitive and mindful eating doesn't work if you've faced a large amount of weight to release. Due diligence.