The All You Can Eat Buffet: My 600 Pound Life All Episode Discussion

[notyrmomma]

Bread might have been a quarter, but how much money did our parent's take home per week?  I think food as a total percentage of our budget greatly decrease in the last 50 or so years, otherwise, how else would we afford our cell phone, internet, and Directv bills??? LOL (or our $600/month car payment since every new car worth buying is upwards of $30k)

 

Anyway, I am fascinated by this discussion and I wish I had some great hypothesis to add.  The problem is that there is no one great cause to the obesity epidemic and if any of us had all the answers, we would either be a billionaire, or someone from the food or diet industry lobbies would have us, ahem, "removed." LOL

[ethalfrida]

Paula's daughter is headed in the direction her mother was just rescued from.  Paula has really learned nothing and it appears she is still serving large quantities of food. A whole skillet of bacon with a couple of eggs on top? Her daughter is larger than she is. And why do they only show them eating? Don't they other things? I realize today's lifestyle is a lot more sedentary but eventually we have to do other things like vacuum, laundry, etc. IDK, ...

[Armchair Critic]

I still think one of the greatest influences on becoming super obese is enabling.

 

I was the only heavy one in my family, I come from an upper class family and my parents are involved in a lot of social stuff and I know that I embarrassed them (especially my mother). It was not socially acceptable to be obese, let alone super obese like the people on this show.

 

I was always a little chubby but when I turned 13 I dieted and lost weight and I managed to stay at a somewhat normal weight until my early 20's because I was always dieting.

 

When I got married and slowed down and got comfortable I gained 100 pounds. I know it was because I felt like I finally had somebody who accepted me the way I am so I "let myself go".

 

But I have always held a job and been a somewhat active person because I know that if I became too obese there would be nobody to bathe me, wipe my butt, my family would not enable me that way. If I laid in bed like the people on this show, even at my age my mom would come over and drag my butt out of bed, it would be unacceptable. 

[ethalfrida]

There is a documentary called THAT SUGAR FILM and it is playing on Amazon Prime. It shows that we eat 40 teaspoons of sugar per day and that does not necessarily include junk food. That is 1 teaspoon away from 1 cup. Then, consider the junk drinks like those chemical laden malteds that have 34 teaspoons of sugar. But the big eye opening info was if all the foods that contained added sugar were removed from the sheilves it would take away nearly 75% of the food for sale. Combine this with traumatic events, lack of control and miseducation and this could possibly create the morbidly obese. People who are seriously struggling with weight have enemies in the producers and sellers. 

Edited April 8, 2016 by ethalfrida

[ClareWalks]

Yep, for sure. High fructose corn syrup really helped that along, too, because it became so cheap to produce and was so stable, so they put it in EVERYTHING. Now we see a backlash about it. Fact is, natural sugars exist in a lot of things, like milk, fruit, etc. Not all sugar is bad. But you're right that so many foods have added sugar to improve the taste, or make up for them being able to call it "low fat." It shows how important it is to read labels. That should be part of every health class in high school, if it isn't already.

[ethalfrida]

Now that I think about it I remember the campaign that ran to get to everyone on board to eating more sugar. That campaign is featured in this documentary. It also said, and had scientists backing it up, that false research was published to back up the claims. The research was false because it was never done.

 

It really is an entertaining and informative film. It's not just about flashing numbers on the screen. It was on the line of the guy who ate fast food for 30 days. This one had actually been on both sides of the subject. First, his diet consisted of sugar mostly. Rolls, buns, drinks. Then his girlfriend became pregnant so he changed his diet and became a vegetarian. Then, and I forget why, he decided to do this sugar challenge thing.

 

It was really sad at the beginining to see that he ate no junk food at all and there were still consequences. That's because it is as ClareWalks says... although not all sugar is bad so many foods have added, hidden sugar.

[RCharter]

The Canada Food Guide is killing you: ‘The obesity epidemic… really began with our dietary guidelines’

 

 

 

For the record, my 77-year old Eastern European mother spreads rendered fat drippings on bread (holdover from WWII lack of food), eats lots of dairy/cheeses, always cooks her meat well-done, eats smoked deli meats and bread, eats heavy Hungarian stews she cooks from scratch and is healthy as a horse. However, she eats like a bird (small portions).

 

No one can win, eh?

This may sound silly, but I think when you eat super processed food it is designed to make you want to eat more and more of it and to never truly be filling.  I honestly feel like it is designed that way.  The only way the makers of Oreos make money is if you eat as much as possible.  So everything from the packaging, to the actual food, to the serving size is designed to make you eat the entire package.  Which, from a business perspective, makes perfect sense.

 

It sounds like your grandma cooks her meals (probably from scratch) and therefore eats a smaller amount.  Good on her.....I'm not sure what rendered fat drippings are, but it sounds pretty tasty on bread.

[greekmom]

What I have noticed with everyone who does lose alot of the weight is that they all are eventually pear shaped. Their bottoms are still somewhat heavy.

Is it just me?

[Rancide]

What I have noticed with everyone who does lose alot of the weight is that they all are eventually pear shaped. Their bottoms are still somewhat heavy.

Is it just me?

 

Excess skin + gravity.  

[IvySpice]

 

It sounds like your grandma cooks her meals (probably from scratch) and therefore eats a smaller amount.

My going theory is that reasonable portions of real food don't make you fat, even if they are rich. I just got back from France where white bread, cured meats, cheese, butter, rich desserts, etc. are common everywhere, yet people are way less fat than in the U.S. If you eat high-quality, real foods, you feel satisfied and don't eat sacks of Oreos or whatnot. It's eating garbage that hurts us, not moderately sized eclairs made of real eggs and butter.

 

I was really stunned that I didn't gain any weight after a week+ of eating more or less whatever I wanted in France. (Hey, I was on vacation.) No Doritos, no fat.

[HalcyonDays]

Fascinating article about a study done over 6 years, on some former Biggest Loser contestants. Excellent at showing why the "just eat less and don't be so lazy" mentality isn't going to work at all. It's all about the science. It's a long article so read it when you have time.

The ‘frightening and amazing’ science of why so many ‘Biggest Loser’ contestants gain the weight back

Highlights:

Quote

The project was the first to measure what happened to people over as long as six years after they had lost large amounts of weight with intensive dieting and exercise.
The results, the researchers said, were stunning. They showed just how hard the body fights back against weight loss.
<snip>
It has to do with resting metabolism, which determines how many calories a person burns when at rest. When the show began, the contestants, though hugely overweight, had normal metabolisms for their size, meaning they were burning a normal number of calories for people of their weight. When it ended, their metabolisms had slowed radically and their bodies were not burning enough calories to maintain their thinner sizes.
<snip>
(Danny) Cahill was one of the worst off. As he regained more than 100 pounds, his metabolism slowed so much that, just to maintain his current weight of 295 pounds, he now has to eat 800 calories a day less than a typical man his size. Anything more turns to fat.
<snip>
Slower metabolisms were not the only reason the contestants regained weight, though. They constantly battled hunger, cravings and binges. The investigators found at least one reason: plummeting levels of leptin. The contestants started out with normal levels of leptin. By the season’s finale, they had almost no leptin at all, which would have made them ravenous all the time. As their weight returned, their leptin levels drifted up again, but only to about half of what they had been when the season began, the researchers found, thus helping to explain their urges to eat.

I just wish the article would have mentioned how to BOOST one own's metabolism.

[Guest dutronc]

I read that article and found it fascinating. One thing that I thought was skirted around was that it seemed unclear (to me, as a non-scientist) whether it was the process of losing weight at all, or the extreme and unsustainable methods employed on the show.

[notyrmomma]

5 hours ago, HalcyonDays said:

Fascinating article about a study done over 6 years, on some former Biggest Loser contestants. Excellent at showing why the "just eat less and don't be so lazy" mentality isn't going to work at all. It's all about the science. It's a long article so read it when you have time.

The ‘frightening and amazing’ science of why so many ‘Biggest Loser’ contestants gain the weight back

Highlights:

I just wish the article would have mentioned how to BOOST one own's metabolism.

Well that sucks!  It like it almost better to have not lost the weight at all, because not only are you going to gain it back, but your metabolism is forever ruined.  Bummer!  I would say the same thing happens for bariatric surgery patients, but the only thing a bariatric patient has going for them is the permanently reduced appetite.  

[HalcyonDays]

On 2016-05-02 at 6:25 PM, dutronc said:

I read that article and found it fascinating. One thing that I thought was skirted around was that it seemed unclear (to me, as a non-scientist) whether it was the process of losing weight at all, or the extreme and unsustainable methods employed on the show.

I was wondering about that too. Like, for example, let's just say the weight a person normally settles at - if they are decently active and eat decently, but don't go overboard - is something like 155lbs, and they lose 25 pounds by going to the gym, does that mean that your body keeps trying to get back to that 155lbs? I'd like to know at what point is the cutoff? I mean, I was a lot thinner (and yet as lazy) at 19 years old, then now, but my weight is much more. What's the age cutoff, where the body settles into the weight it wants to be, so if you then lose weight, your metabolism screws up?

 

21 hours ago, notyrmomma said:

Well that sucks!  It like it almost better to have not lost the weight at all, because not only are you going to gain it back, but your metabolism is forever ruined.  Bummer!  I would say the same thing happens for bariatric surgery patients, but the only thing a bariatric patient has going for them is the permanently reduced appetite.  

Yeah, it does suck, but explains a lot. I always believed it's biology/hormones/chemistry. There has to be a reason why some people are just naturally strings beans, others more curvy and others that tend to carry a bit more weight, all other things equal.

I was looking up on how to boost ones metabolism, and it's things like build more muscle, eat omega 3's, DON'T diet, etc, etc.

Also think about people who have under/over active thyroids. The thyroid secretes hormones called T3 and T4. If you don't secrete enough of these two, you have an underactive thyroid and a very slow metabolism. These people gain weight no matter what they do, and it's virtually impossible for them to lose it (unless they start taking hormones). Overactive is too much T3/T4, and these people tend to be really undeweight, because of a hyperactive metabolism. They can't gain weight no matter what they do. You cannot win...

[Minivanessa]

Bringing this over from the "Where are they now - Angel and Charity" discussion.

Angel got a job. Yay, Angel!!

I can remember only two other patients on the show who went to work after their surgeries. One was the former truck driver guy who moved his family from (I think) Maryland to Houston. After he realized he couldn't drive big trucks even after losing some weight, he found a job at a rental car lot. The other was the sweet Henry from maybe the first season (he later died, so sad), who was a shuttle bus driver. Yay, them!!

Not being the most faithful viewer of this show, I may have overlooked a few. I think Olivia used to be a chef or wants to work as a chef; I have the idea that before her weight gain she was also employed. These people are so refreshing to me, compared to the super-dependent patients who seem so content to wallow around being taken care of, hand and foot - and mouth - by their families. Sean for instance. Sad case, and not an episode I'll ever watch again - yecch.

Yes, this sounds judge-y. I'm sure that many of the patients have issues that would keep them from ever holding jobs at any weight/size. 

I'm just saying that it's good to see at least a few patients who are able to work and earn money once their weight/health issues are dealt with. 

[Guest dutronc]

I think it's a mix--Melissa definitely worked, James and Chuck had their own businesses, Ashley wanted to work and started school but seemed to be dealing with other things.Nikki was employed. Zsalynn worked but it was never discussed on the show, apparently. But a lot of people seemed to have not worked much, either because they were really young (Betti Jo, Amber, Donald [maybe], Randy, Sean). There was also kind of a homemaker/caretaker subcategory of people among the low/no-employment group, as well as people who might have never worked. 

I have better things to do than think about this, but there's a part of me that's really itching to make a spreadsheet. 

[Minivanessa]

Thanks for mentioning the other patients who worked. As I said, I'm not a faithful viewer of the series and it's nice of you to share that info.

Resist the itch to make that spreadsheet, lol! There have to be better things you can do with that time!

[Guest dutronc]

You're welcome! I've missed about half of this season, but I have a semi-encyclopedic knowledge on the other seasons, and I know I'm not alone. I'm sure others will fill in the gaps. : )

Edited May 5, 2016 by dutronc

[notyrmomma]

9 hours ago, dutronc said:

I think it's a mix--Melissa definitely worked, James and Chuck had their own businesses, Ashley wanted to work and started school but seemed to be dealing with other things.Nikki was employed. Zsalynn worked but it was never discussed on the show, apparently. But a lot of people seemed to have not worked much, either because they were really young (Betti Jo, Amber, Donald [maybe], Randy, Sean). There was also kind of a homemaker/caretaker subcategory of people among the low/no-employment group, as well as people who might have never worked. 

I have better things to do than think about this, but there's a part of me that's really itching to make a spreadsheet. 

OMG!  I totally started making a spreadsheet with the intent to track everyone's weight loss by % of total body weight lost.  I started with Nikki, then my husband needed his computer back and never picked it back up--if I find it, I will upload it just for fun.  Spreadsheets are like crack to me and I can't make decisions without one, but I'm an accountant so...

[Muffyn]

There were a few people who had worked and stopped working within a few years of their surgery.  As mentioned above, Chuck had his own business.  He reached a point at  which he was no longer really running it.  After he lost weight and after Nissa told  him to get his act together, he went back to work.  A few of the women did porn but did not mention it on the show.  There were several people who had working spouses but the show would make it appear as if the spouse was not working.  For example, they implied that Edgar was only working as a caretaker for Penny.  He worked in an auto parts store.   

The woman with the blue hair worked from home doing scheduling/dispatching. 

There are so many gaps in the way people are presented on the show, it can be hard to tell who is working and who is not.  The show likes to present people as having become too large to work much like they like to have Dr. Now announce the person will be dead within a few years if they don't get surgery.  Some of it is reality show shenanigans. 

[auntjess]

So what was with the Joe episode being show again with a new date?
I just thought U-verse had the guide wrong, because the TLC schedule had some another man, but no, it was Joe and the same episode.

[ChristmasJones]

On 5/3/2016 at 4:32 PM, HalcyonDays said:

I was wondering about that too. Like, for example, let's just say the weight a person normally settles at - if they are decently active and eat decently, but don't go overboard - is something like 155lbs, and they lose 25 pounds by going to the gym, does that mean that your body keeps trying to get back to that 155lbs? I'd like to know at what point is the cutoff? I mean, I was a lot thinner (and yet as lazy) at 19 years old, then now, but my weight is much more. What's the age cutoff, where the body settles into the weight it wants to be, so if you then lose weight, your metabolism screws up?

This article is a bit dull, but you might find it interesting in relation to your quote above -  http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee --

You can scroll down to where it says "TDEE Continued: Mary and the Diet Roller Coaster"  - it gives you an example of the type of scenario you mentioned in your comment.

[IvySpice]

Well, they sure saved the best for last this season!

[HalcyonDays]

Quote

This article is a bit dull, but you might find it interesting in relation to your quote above -  http://calorieline.com/tools/tdee --

You can scroll down to where it says "TDEE Continued: Mary and the Diet Roller Coaster"  - it gives you an example of the type of scenario you mentioned in your comment.

That is a very fascinating tool and article/explanation, @ChristmasJones. Thanks for sharing. Lots of good information in there!!! Thanks!

[Mom2twoNonna2-3]

RE: The article about Biggest Loser. I'm in the process of losing 130 pounds. I've lost 64 so far. I just went to my doctor for my physical and he discussed the article/study with me. He recommended I not lose any more weight for 3 months to give my body a chance to adjust to the changes. Too much weight loss at one time depletes the leptin and reduces your metabolism.  I'm having a hard time not losing weight because the diet he put me on averages about 2 pounds a week. If I follow it, I generally lose a little more than that. When I started I lost 38 in 3 months and the cheated and held my weight for 6 months. In November, I decided to lose not gain over the holidays and lost another 30 by the end of February. So perhaps he has  point. Allowing my body to rest for 5 months gave my body a chance to rest and reset and losing the next batch of weight was pretty easy. I want to be at goal weight by next June so it's hard for me let my body plateau.

 

That could also be why some of these participants can lose weight better after they cheat When they recommit, their metabolism is running again. 

[DiTrying]

On 5/6/2016 at 5:13 PM, notyrmomma said:

OMG!  I totally started making a spreadsheet with the intent to track everyone's weight loss by % of total body weight lost.  I started with Nikki, then my husband needed his computer back and never picked it back up--if I find it, I will upload it just for fun.  Spreadsheets are like crack to me and I can't make decisions without one, but I'm an accountant so...

Spreadsheets are like crack to me too!!! I would love to see the charted weight loss.

[greekmom]

Last night I was watching on Netflix the story of Ricky Naputi who lived in Guam and "ate himself to death".   Made me think of Sean from earlier this year and was wondering if they will do an update on him.   Their stories were pretty similar as both Ricky and Sean had a caretaker/enabler (in Ricky's case his wife) who wouldn't put their foot down in regards to what they ate.  

Hopefully Sean was able to lose the weight.

[CarolMK]

Which participant was the one who was pregnant and had to go on bedrest? I can't remember her name but I think she was only 22 weeks along. Does anyone know what happened to her?

[silverspoons]

On ‎6‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 2:42 PM, CarolMK said:

Which participant was the one who was pregnant and had to go on bedrest? I can't remember her name but I think she was only 22 weeks along. Does anyone know what happened to her?

I think the show timeframe was off as to how far along she was. BettieJo is due in August and it looks like she is doing okay. She had a mass on her spine and refused to have it operated on till after the baby was born so many were worried for her. She had 3 miscarriages before this pregnancy, one was over 20 weeks along so it seems like she is finally in the clear being at about 32 weeks and just had a modest baby shower. I liked her because she seemed so happy and grateful even for small things.

She is having a boy and they have picked the name Preston.

[LocalGovt]

Hello, Friends :)

Can anyone tell me when the new season starts? I thought I saw a promo on tv that it was going to be soon, but maybe I was just dreaming, because I can't find any info on it.  Like, I thought it was this weekend. Anyone else know?

Thanks!

[Albino]

2 hours ago, LocalGovt said:

Hello, Friends :)

Can anyone tell me when the new season starts? I thought I saw a promo on tv that it was going to be soon, but maybe I was just dreaming, because I can't find any info on it.  Like, I thought it was this weekend. Anyone else know?

Thanks!

I'd like to know too.  Right now allmost every episode on my xFinity onscreen guide says "New".  Um, no. None of them are new, unless they count adding in  2 minutes of never-before-seen footage somewhere.   

[Armchair Critic]

The latest season recently ended, unfortunately I think it will be awhile before the new season starts.

[Miracle Maxie]

I think the reason for the promos is that they're just starting to show it on Discovery Life (or whatever their health channel is named) so it's new to that channel.  I know I saw the "new" promo on that channel the other day - but it was the same old promo that we saw on TLC for the last season.

[ethalfrida]

I looked at the people they featured in the promos and toward the end there was a new face. I think.

[notyrmomma]

They usually start the new seasons in January for this show--the month when many of us are trying to lose weight.

[notyrmomma]

On June 11, 2016 at 4:42 PM, CarolMK said:

Which participant was the one who was pregnant and had to go on bedrest? I can't remember her name but I think she was only 22 weeks along. Does anyone know what happened to her?

As of a Facebook post yesterday, she has not had the baby yet (BettieJo).

[silverspoons]

BettieJo had her baby boy Preston 2 weeks ago.  She seems to be doing very well and is positive about the future. I hope now that she had the baby she can focus on her own health and meets her goals.

[Gemma Violet]

This week I watched what I think is a new episode.  Could it be the first episode of the new season?  The person was named Brittani and she started at a little over 600 pounds and made real progress and was much happier at the end of the show.  What struck me is this is the first episode where they didn't have a shower or clean-up scene.  Maybe they're finally giving these folks some dignity.

[auntjess]

I think these are all "new to Discovery channel," not "new" new.
I hate when they do that.

ETA:  Here's the link to her thread.  http://forums.previously.tv/topic/36732-s04e02-brittanis-story/?do=getLastComment

Edited September 10, 2016 by auntjess

[Gemma Violet]

Thanks.  It was on TLC, but I had never seen it before and I thought it was new.

[operalover]

MY DVR is taping it as NEW and the date is new but its old. Christine's mother was the worst enabler we have ever had and that is saying a lot. The first month at the new home in Houston where they all move,  while trying to lose 30 pounds she gained 17 pounds. So Dr Now put her in the hospital on a 1000 calorie a day diet, which she called "nasty" and refused to eat. Her mother did not want her "to starve to death" so snuck fast food into the hospital! After 6 weeks she only lost 4 pounds! This is the kind of thing that makes my jaw drop to the floor. 

Terrible case of co-dependency. The mother was also quite large but looked thin next to Christina so maybe that was one reason for it, she could feel better about her own eating habit.  She couldn't bear to see her child hungry was her other excuse. 

As for the discussion above, I believe it is a myriad of reasons all converging in our present day culture. Our culture in the 2000's is a lot different from our culture in 1960 and 1970 in so many ways. Even if junk food was cheap and available then, it was not part of the culture to eat it every day. I remember in the 1970's McDonalds was running the ad "you deserve a break today" to convince the stay at home moms, which most were, who cooked dinner EVERY NIGHT for their families, to go eat McDonalds and have a break. My family was typical 60s and 70s  of 4 kids mom-at-home and dad at work- we did go to Mcdonalds but it was this HUGE treat once every 6 months. I remember one night my dad pulling up in the driveway - Id somehow convinced my mom to ask him to take us to McDonalds for dinner, and we greeted my dad singing "you deserve a break today" begging him to let us have mcdonalds for dinner. Nowadays the mom just picks it up on her way home. It's so much more mainstream and normal to eat fast food every day. And then as kids in the 60s and 70s  we were outside for hours every single day playing far from our homes, walking and on bikes. Today's kids are home in front of the gadgets. All of this in combination, the culture has changed and has led to the obesity epidemic. 

Edited December 3, 2016 by operalover

[Miss Chevious]

Agree with the above post. Also as kids, physical education was mandatory in schools. We had either recess in grade school and PE classes in high school all the way through 12th grade. So we got our exercise during school as well as after.

[Ocean Chick]

Again agreeing with all the above.  Plus the fact that our family of 7 only had 1 car, which my dad used to drive to work.  So if we needed/wanted to go anywhere, is was by foot or by bike.  My high school was a mile away, and we walked it, rain or shine.  Thankfully it didn't snow where I grew up.  LOL  I still remember when the first McDonald's was built in our area.  It was a special enough treat that we sometimes asked for that to be our birthday dinners.  But that was rare, as my mom was a fabulous cook.  Her pot roast was the stuff of dreams.

[Minivanessa]

Agree with the above, plus it's astounding how the average portion size of food in the US has ballooned over the years. This was an eye-opener for me: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/eat-right/portion-distortion.htm

Those rare-ish trips to McDonald's long ago were for smaller burgers and orders of fries than we're used to these days.

EDITED to add: the "portion distortion" info is cluttered up with a lot of "calories in, calories out" stuff but it's worth wading through it to see how we're now routinely consuming so much more food than we used to!

Edited December 11, 2016 by Jeeves

[notyrmomma]

Has anyone heard anything about S5?  They usually start in January, but I haven't heard anything (couldn't find any info when I googled it).  I vaguely recall a message on Facebook looking for people who want to be on the show, but I don't remember if that was this year or last year.

[bengaltoo]

I was wondering about season 5 also...anyone have any info?

[non sequitur]

Season 5 returns January 4.  There is a preview clip on the TLC website.  Just watching the preview is tough.

[bengaltoo]

Thanks for the update!  This clip looked familiar, but the stories are all so similar.

I agree, it's hard to watch.  Is it bad that I'm happy it's coming back for another season?  I've lost over 100 pounds myself and this show is part of my maintenance plan, to remind me where NOT to go.  I didn't do it through surgery though.

I really don't think these patients are prepared for how everything can change after such a huge weight loss.  I do wish they would talk more about the psychiatric/emotional aspects of this process they go through.

Thanks again for posting!

[Guest]

OMG, that preview was brutal. 

[auntjess]

On Facebook, it says identical twins for the new season.