S06.E12: Sarah's Story

[TwirlyGirly]

Okay, I was wrong. It's NOT a ketogenic diet. Here's a link to the diet Dr. Nowzardan's patients must follow after bariatric surgery:

Nutritional Guidance

But regardless, I still think meal delivery kits could be developed that comply with these dietary requirements.

[sidka]

37 minutes ago, TwirlyGirly said:

Okay, I was wrong. It's NOT a ketogenic diet. Here's a link to the diet Dr. Nowzardan's patients must follow after bariatric surgery:

Nutritional Guidance

But regardless, I still think meal delivery kits could be developed that comply with these dietary requirements.

That was an interesting read. To be honest, the diet on that page sounded like... the normal recommended healthy diet for anyone without special nutritional needs. Which surprised me. Dr. Now on the show speaks so anti-carb/zero carb, no fruit, bread, rice, pasta, etc, that I thought it was similar to a keto diet. This website makes the diet sound much more flexible as long as moderation/portion size is controlled. 

"Make sure its whole grain." I thought he frowned on any grain, any carb. Television vs reality is confusing.

[gardendiva]

I just realized who Sarah’s mom reminded me of: Berta, the housekeeper from the show Two and a Half Men

[Snarkastikate]

Missed the first 30 mins, I saw the big tat and for a moment thought we had another Juggalo.   Then saw the thug life tote bag......LOL.   Poor thing had a terrible body shape, really bad case of back boobs.  But she was mobile,  that's major.   

[Kenzie]

Watching Sarah crawl up the stairs made me wonder once again why so many of these people don't install a second handrail. Overweight or not a rail on each side is safer and they can be bought in different lengths at most Do It Yourself type outlets.

My brother, who had MS, used a two rail staircase and descended backwards for safety while gripping the rails.

34 minutes ago, Snarkastikate said:

Missed the first 30 mins, I saw the big tat and for a moment thought we had another Juggalo.   Then saw the thug life tote bag......LOL.   Poor thing had a terrible body shape, really bad case of back boobs.  But she was mobile,  that's major.   

Amazingly mobile for her size. Another ten years of that weight pounding on her knees and it would be a different story.

[auntjess]

1 minute ago, Kenzie said:

Watching Sarah crawl up the stairs made me wonder once again why so many of these people don't install a second handrail.

Would it make the stairs too narrow?  And unless it was attached to the beams/studs, it might give a false sense of security for someone heavy.

Was it Nikki the costume designer who scooted up and down the stairs?

[Tabbygirl521]

I learned something wonderful today; David Sedaris is a Pounder. (Source: buried in a recent New Yorker article about his mom’s alcoholism. )

[Miss Ruth]

1 hour ago, auntjess said:

Was it Nikki the costume designer who scooted up and down the stairs?

I don't remember Nikki doing it, but Amber Rachdi did.

[mrsjoe]

13 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I think she must have eaten the whole pan and more. I'm glad she got rid of temptation and only kept healthy foods on hand. 

I think in the voiceover she confessed that once she allowed herself the casserole she went on a multi-day eating binge, so I think the 14 lb weight gain was from days of eating, not just one night. I’m wondering though if the main reason she confessed is that five days before her surgery I would expect she was supposed to be on a liquid diet, and she decided to let Dr. Now know in case going off the liquid diet made her surgery more life threatening. But now that I think about it, not a single episode has mentioned the liquid diet that usually proceeds surgery. I can’t even imagine these people when they can’t eat anything for two whole weeks.

 

10 hours ago, kj4ever said:

I wanted to reach through the TV and smack her when she was complaining about her Mom's driving.  Really?  This woman is moving with you to another state because you can't seem to not eat like 10,000 calories a day and you are going to act like that?  I think most of the show she came across and entitled and ungrateful.  What an ugly mixture.

I got that sense too. And you sort of understand her “punishing” her mom, but my guess is she treated her sister like crap too and that’s why two days into traveling with her, Heather was already rethinking moving with her. I can’t even imagine Heather’s perspective. She grew up in the same crappy household, yet because she didn’t get huge, she is expected to give up her own life for a year to wait on her ungrateful sister. On top of which, when she rightfully calls her out on not sticking to her diet (clearly she wasn’t since she gained and didn’t lose), her mom sides against her with the sister.

The McDonald’s thing made me think this was just a snack for her and they had already eaten dinner. Does anyone really believe she would only eat one burger and two fries if she hadn’t eaten the whole day they were traveling? I know we all keep talking about the grilled chicken, subs and salad options when you have to eat out, but wouldn’t just eating one regular fast food meal, no extras translate to weight loss for these people who usually eat four meals at once? Eating out is just an excuse to continue eating a huge meal.

[seniorpatriot]

On 3/28/2018 at 11:38 PM, Bubblebuddy said:

I was too late for the live chat but I will say this- that shit she was passing off as tater tots casserole is NOT what I'm used to eating. That looked like a pan of baked cheese and maybe one tot. You need the tots, ground meat (I use ground turkey), some cheese, and vegetables (which Sarah would OBVIOUSLY never touch) to make it good, and even then it's the kind of thing that you just feel guilty about liking. Why wouldn't she eat a bunch of mac and cheese or cake or pizza if she wanted to binge?

...anyway, this episode was boring and infuriating. I think she's going to gain all the weight back pretty soon, and one session of therapy is SO not enough for her and her mom. No wonder we only saw the two other daughters for about five minutes each.

I couldn't stand that one skinny sister of hers that went to her first Dr Now appointment with her. She seem SOOO self righteous and judgmental! She didn't even give Dr. Now her name when she met him. Just said "I'm her sister.". RUDE.

[seniorpatriot]

17 hours ago, jcbrown said:

I think this is very well said. Week after week on this show, we see these morbidly obese people shoving crap high-fat high-calorie processed food in their faces. There are certainly socio-economic issues at play here and huge buckets of denial. I wish the show could do more to explore the factors that lead to someone getting to this size, not just on a case-by-case basis as it does now.

Don't you know?? It is always Mom or Dad's fault?

9 hours ago, auntjess said:

Would it make the stairs too narrow?  And unless it was attached to the beams/studs, it might give a false sense of security for someone heavy.

Was it Nikki the costume designer who scooted up and down the stairs?

Def Nikki. She was a pretty redhead and I liked her a lot. 

[gardendiva]

57 minutes ago, seniorpatriot said:

I couldn't stand that one skinny sister of hers that went to her first Dr Now appointment with her. She seem SOOO self righteous and judgmental! She didn't even give Dr. Now her name when she met him. Just said "I'm her sister.". RUDE.

And she refused to speak to the drive through person and made Sarah lean over and yell her order at him. That’s beyond passive aggressive, that’s out and out aggressive.

[BooBear]

I never watch this show but ended up tuning in and staying for this. I think it was because Sarah showed some signs that she would be able to succeed. She did do some chores after she went to therapy, she made the effort to get up and exercise, and was honest about her binges and put in the work to lose the weight. She also seemed to be quite likable (as opposed to many subjects).  I truly hope she makes it to goal weight and doesn't go back to her old ways. 

It is grating though to see the constant highlighting of the sob story because they just don't justify the problem.

Quote

Week after week on this show, we see these morbidly obese people shoving crap high-fat high-calorie processed food in their faces.

On the McDonalds thing, there was a study out this week that said that obese people lose taste buds. I have long thought this. They seem drawn to high calorie / super sweet or pungent tasting foods (which happens to have a lot of calories with it).  Fast food / processed food, has that kind of super taste. While most low calorie food is kind of bland.  Maybe there is a biological need for that kind of *super taste*.  I have some vegetarian friends and let me tell you.. they almost puke at the site of McDonalds... 

[JJ1]

I’ve always wondered why Dr. Now doesn’t require a food journal during the initial “lose 30 pounds a month” phase. So many of his patients come back and have either gained or lost very little. He then fusses that they aren’t following the diet and they swear that they only cheat a little. A food diary might wake them up to the fact that they are massively overeating earlier in the process. So many of these folks are just mindlessly eating - if they had to actually write it all down, it might help them realize what they are doing.  But I’ve never seen him recommend it. 

[Mothra]

16 hours ago, sidka said:

BINGO. I know my depression is linked to my hypothyroidism in ways I never initially considered. The brain can only function as well as what the body provides to it.

 

Something that isn't often pointed out is that insulin is a hormone, too.  Besides the pathological side of insulin in diabetes, insulin production in non-diabetic people is one of the things that make us feel hungry.  Insulin production is stimulated by sugar intake (which includes intake of simple carbs, which are quickly converted to sugar in our bodies), so that if we eat sweets, we are biologically programmed to want to eat more.  Ironically, satisfying a sweet tooth is virtually impossible--the more you eat, the more you want, and before you know it, the whole quart of rocky road is gone--and this might explain why so many of Dr. Now's patients seem to be addicted not just to sugar, but to fast food, much of which is composed of simple carbohydrates.

I am not a health professional, but a doctor friend explained this to me some time ago. 

Edit:  I was looking for more information about the role of insulin in weight control and found this paper on PubMed:  Insulin levels, hunger, and food intake: an example of feedback loops in body weight regulation (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3894001) from 1985.  Here is a quote from the abstract:

These show that high acute levels of insulin can be produced by simply seeing and thinking about food and that individuals showing this response show a greater tendency toward weight gain in a food-abundant environment. (emphasis mine)

So we're screwed even if we resist eating sugars and simple carbs--all we have to do is think about them, and our bodies demand them!

Edited March 30, 2018 by Mothra

[suzeecat]

18 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

One of the things I found fascinating about Biggest Loser, is that here were people who a few days prior to coming on the ranch, were finding any and all excuses to not do what they needed to do.  But once they got on the ranch, they basically did anything and everything so they could keep doing what they needed to do.  It's like they flipped a switch (whether motivated by the $$, or pride, or avoidance of shame, or experiencing success, or whatever), and it makes me wonder about the "why now?" for the My 600-lb Life people. 

Keep in mind that Biggest Loser is a competition, for $$ and FAME (i.e. product endorsements).  I've heard stories of contestants who would load up prior to starting the show and even drink a ton of water before their first weigh-in so they could start our with a higher weight and win for losing the most during the time of the competition. 

As for 600 Lb. Life, I do wonder about the process before they get to the point of being on the show.  I'm sure they have gone through years of thinking "I gotta do something about this", but do they make up their mind or does a loved one say enough is enough?   Most, though, do backslide and hit psychological roadblocks and resistance at some point during their journey.

[88Keys]

2 hours ago, BooBear said:

 

The more I think about this episode, the more I find positives about it.  a) Sarah dressed well, wore real shoes, and kept up her appearance.  b) There were no blurred shots of her crotch area, other than during the ubiquitous shower scene.  3) She only ate one value meal from McDonalds, instead of 3 or 4 (granted, she may have eaten more earlier)  4) she called the doctor and confessed her backsliding, instead of trying to hide or saying "I only cheated a little."  That shows that her mentality towards food was changing.

Quote

On the McDonalds thing, there was a study out this week that said that obese people lose taste buds. I have long thought this. They seem drawn to high calorie / super sweet or pungent tasting foods (which happens to have a lot of calories with it).  Fast food / processed food, has that kind of super taste. While most low calorie food is kind of bland.  Maybe there is a biological need for that kind of *super taste*.  I have some vegetarian friends and let me tell you.. they almost puke at the site of McDonalds... 

Definitely.  I think that's why so many of them are so miserable when they first make those changes.  I've noticed it in my own life, and I don't even have a weight problem.  When I stared eating healthier (fresh fruits and veggies, lean meat, avoiding processed food and fast food), I found that I didn't enjoy unhealthy food as much.  Stuff like that tater tot casserole would make me sick after a few bites, when in the past, I probably could have eaten and enjoyed it.  Even Sarah said that she felt awful after eating it.  Also, your stomach shrinks as you get used to eating less (or maybe you're just better at recognizing you're full?)

I really noticed it when I stopped drinking sodas.  I can barely drink a few sips of one now.

Edited March 30, 2018 by 88Keys

[gonecrackers]

Sarah seemed to take more of the abuse from her step-fathers, or at least that's the impression I got. Regardless, everyone deals with trauma/abuse in different ways; they process it differently. I noticed all the whining & complaining too, but wrote it off as addict-speak. She got better as she worked on herself emotionally.

Even though her sister, Heather, was thin, that doesn't mean she was emotionally healthy. She just may have had different demons to battle. 

I did think Heather was a rude person with a chip on her shoulder; it showed on her face.

I will give her credit, though, for not moving with Sarah, since she felt Sarah wasn't doing what she needed to do. Why uproot yourself for someone who isn't going to give it their all? At that point Heather would not have known how it was going to go so there probably seemed no good reason to uproot herself.

It was also better the mom moved with her anyway, since those two had major issues & that dynamic was being worked on therapeutically, which also helped Sarah be more successful.

Loved, loved Grandma. Yeah Sarah didn't want someone on her back but that was early in the process. Grandma was supportive, cooking healthy, watching out for her, & even exercising with her. She seemed in great shape. Only problem long term might have been helping too much, as Sarah needed to take responsibility for it all herself.

I have to wonder about something, though. Dr. Now makes a very big deal out of these people having a support system, & has even declined surgery for some until that was in place. I hope he takes that case by case, because no doubt there will be some patients who will not have supportive people around them, but can do enough for themselves that, with some therapy, can fly solo on their 'journey'. That's what they're going to have to do eventually anyway, no matter what the circumstances in their lives or who is around them.

[auntjess]

4 hours ago, seniorpatriot said:

She didn't even give Dr. Now her name when she met him. Just said "I'm her sister.". RUDE.

That meeting is often awkward.  A lot of the family members say little or nothing.

[ClareWalks]

This might be an unpopular opinion so just know that I am not married to it and don't take offense that folks disagree ;) but I will give the sister a bit of a pass for being bitchy. I'm not sure what the history is and how much shit she's had to put up with from Sarah over the years. I'm guessing she was similarly neglected by Mom as a child and now Sarah is trying to hog all the attention and maybe it's like "UGH." And although the sister is thin, I don't think she is anorexic by any means. She looks quite healthy, especially if you look at her a bit separate from her mom and Sarah. Compared to them, yeah, she looks dangerously thin, but I think she looks pretty good, JMO of course!

[Pretty5Vacant]

Also, her hair. A flat iron would help big time, if  she put some effort into it. She looked so much nicer with straight hair

[MillieSparklepants]

Someone upthread mentioned the "why now" moment. I've often wondered that too. An additional ten pounds when I hit my mid-30s jolted me enough to join a gym and make better food choices.

How do these people get hundreds of pounds overweight before they finally decide enough is enough? Is that the nature of the addiction? Do the pounds pile on that fast?

I certainly justify bad behaviors of my own, so I don't mean to sound judgmental. I don't understand how someone can literally be too big to wipe their own behind or fit through a doorway and that's still not a wakeup call.

32 minutes ago, Pretty5Vacant said:

Also, her hair. A flat iron would help big time, if  she put some effort into it. She looked so much nicer with straight hair

As someone with stick straight hair, I envied her curls!

[auntjess]

1 hour ago, MillieSparklepants said:

How do these people get hundreds of pounds overweight before they finally decide enough is enough? Is that the nature of the addiction? Do the pounds pile on that fast?

That's the question, isn't it?  
They all say they're in pain when they wake up, but that, and not fitting in the car, had to be noticeable before it reached crisis stage.
 

[BooBear]

9 minutes ago, auntjess said:

That's the question, isn't it?  
 

My theories are two fold.. a reverse body dysmorphic disorder where you don't see yourself as that bad.. and I suspect there could be a physical component that makes weight gain take major jumps.  Like when she had the tater tot casserole. 14 lbs? I know she said she binged on other things but 14 lbs is a lot to put on.  I think she said she gained 100 lbs in a year.  You also have to admit that once you get over a certain lbs it is likely useless to try and diet on your own so they might just keep going not really knowing what to do.

[MillieSparklepants]

10 minutes ago, BooBear said:

My theories are two fold.. a reverse body dysmorphic disorder where you don't see yourself as that bad.. and I suspect there could be a physical component that makes weight gain take major jumps.  Like when she had the tater tot casserole. 14 lbs? I know she said she binged on other things but 14 lbs is a lot to put on.  I think she said she gained 100 lbs in a year.  You also have to admit that once you get over a certain lbs it is likely useless to try and diet on your own so they might just keep going not really knowing what to do.

Good points Boobear.

I also don't get why many say surgery is their only hope, even after they've lost dozens or even hundreds of pounds by following the diet pre-surgery. How can it not be life changing to drop enough weight that you can walk again? Or you can breathe better? How is that not enough of a motivator in itself? I'm so baffled by it.

[Caoimhe]

1 hour ago, MillieSparklepants said:

Good points Boobear.

I also don't get why many say surgery is their only hope, even after they've lost dozens or even hundreds of pounds by following the diet pre-surgery. How can it not be life changing to drop enough weight that you can walk again? Or you can breathe better? How is that not enough of a motivator in itself? I'm so baffled by it.

Because the surgery will magically make everything better and they will be able to eat their favourite foods again.  Because of the surgery they will no longer be able to eat the entire pan of tater tot casserole and will be “satisfied” with a smaller portion.  (Add sarcastic tone of voice.)

[Pretty5Vacant]

4 hours ago, MillieSparklepants said:

As someone with stick straight hair, I envied her curls!

And I have a wave to mine with some frizz, your hair is what I always wanted! The Babybliss pro straight iron is my friend

[Scarlett45]

5 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

This might be an unpopular opinion so just know that I am not married to it and don't take offense that folks disagree ;) but I will give the sister a bit of a pass for being bitchy. I'm not sure what the history is and how much shit she's had to put up with from Sarah over the years. I'm guessing she was similarly neglected by Mom as a child and now Sarah is trying to hog all the attention and maybe it's like "UGH." And although the sister is thin, I don't think she is anorexic by any means. She looks quite healthy, especially if you look at her a bit separate from her mom and Sarah. Compared to them, yeah, she looks dangerously thin, but I think she looks pretty good, JMO of course!

I don’t think the sister was anorexic either. I did think she was being rude to Sarah regarding the drive through issue BUT I contend we only see a small segment of their lives and know nothing about their years of sibling interaction that lead up to that point. 

Just because Sarah’s sister was thin doesn’t mean she didn’t have to deal with the same issues Sarah did, they perhaps just manifested in different ways. The thing about being fat (for better or worse) is that the world can see your “struggle”, there’s no hiding it. 

 

I think that Sarah’s sister did want her to succeed and cared about her but wasn’t the best person to be her primary support (for a variety of reasons.)

[auntjess]

48 minutes ago, ThereButFor said:

Because the surgery will magically make everything better and they will be able to eat their favourite foods again.  Because of the surgery they will no longer be able to eat the entire pan of tater tot casserole and will be “satisfied” with a smaller portion.  (Add sarcastic tone of voice.)

This may be it, because they certainly expect magic.  But some of them have a farewell feast, and it's like you're sending all your loved ones off, to a place from which they'll never return.

.

[Armchair Critic]

On 3/28/2018 at 11:38 PM, Bubblebuddy said:

that shit she was passing off as tater tots casserole is NOT what I'm used to eating

Don't judge me, I made Jim Bob Duggar's favorite recipe for Tater Tot Casserole (LOL got it off Pinterest, it probably isn't actually his recipe but anyway....) it was good and had layers to it, it didn't look like slop like hers.

[Miss Ruth]

4 hours ago, BooBear said:

 You also have to admit that once you get over a certain lbs it is likely useless to try and diet on your own so they might just keep going not really knowing what to do.

I don't have to admit that at all.  A person has to be in the right state of mind, and want to do it, but it can be done.

[raiderred1]

2 hours ago, Pretty5Vacant said:

And I have a wave to mine with some frizz, your hair is what I always wanted! The Babybliss pro straight iron is my friend

Same! And the Babyliss pro is the bomb. I bought two in case one breaks. ?

[Armchair Critic]

One thing different about her was no kids and no boyfriend. I do think most of her being helpless was so she would get attention from her mother.

[BooBear]

11 hours ago, MillieSparklepants said:

I also don't get why many say surgery is their only hope, even after they've lost dozens or even hundreds of pounds by following the diet pre-surgery. How can it not be life changing to drop enough weight that you can walk again? Or you can breathe better? How is that not enough of a motivator in itself? I'm so baffled by it.

I don't get it either. Last night I watched Diana's story and she lost almost 100 lbs before the surgery. I think in two months. Her niece basically (in a nice way) held her hostage in her house and only gave her food that would cause her to lose.  Well, if that is working why do anything different?  But I think the theory is that the surgery will prevent them from eating too much in the future when they are alone. But we all know that isn't necessarily true. 

Quote

and want to do it, but it can be done.

Ok I take it back. You are right.   I wish TLC would do a 600 lbs life without the surgery and just diet. 

[Miss Ruth]

I think the main reason why some lose a lot of weight before the surgery is that the surgery is the coveted pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and they know Dr. Now won't do it unless they follow orders.  It's like they can hold out for the short haul, but would eventually break if not for the intervention of surgery.  Also, many of them seem to think that the surgery is a cure-all, and they can slack off after it.

I know each patient has to be treated on a case-by-case basis, but Dr. Now is very inconsistent in the way he treats them.  He admits some to the hospital right away to jump-start their weight loss while others are sent home to fend for themselves.  It doesn't seem like immediate health concerns are always taken into consideration, either.  Some of them have to lose 40 pounds in two months, while others are told to lose sixty. 

[cynicat]

In the super-sized version they mentioned that the tater tot casserole had about 350 calories per serving.  That pan had to have at the least 15 servings, probably more, which makes it a minimum of 5250 calories in one shot.  Mind boggling.

[MillieSparklepants]

2 hours ago, Miss Ruth said:

I think the main reason why some lose a lot of weight before the surgery is that the surgery is the coveted pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and they know Dr. Now won't do it unless they follow orders.  It's like they can hold out for the short haul, but would eventually break if not for the intervention of surgery.  Also, many of them seem to think that the surgery is a cure-all, and they can slack off after it.

I know each patient has to be treated on a case-by-case basis, but Dr. Now is very inconsistent in the way he treats them.  He admits some to the hospital right away to jump-start their weight loss while others are sent home to fend for themselves.  It doesn't seem like immediate health concerns are always taken into consideration, either.  Some of them have to lose 40 pounds in two months, while others are told to lose sixty. 

That's true, the surgery is the carrot Dr. Now dangles to jump start their weight loss. I've watched almost every episode of this show it still amazes me how many patients honestly think it'll be a magic solution and they can eventually go back to their old eating habits without consequences. Even the super motivated ones like David who are rigid about the diet and lose an enormous amount of weight pre-surgery can't seem to understand that it might be possible to keep it off without literally cutting out a body part.

The people who have to be hospitalized simply to keep them on a  controlled diet are a whole other puzzle I don't understand. That is a whole new level of mental illness, IMO. I feel sorry for them, but I also have a hard time watching those episodes because they seem so delusional.

10 hours ago, raiderred1 said:

Same! And the Babyliss pro is the bomb. I bought two in case one breaks. ?

I'd trade you in a minute! How would it be to have hair with actual body?? I'll never know. :) 

[IvySpice]

Yes, these people lack access to butter-poached lobster, but there are hundreds of other items they could binge on in those supermarkets (or even a gas station mini mart). Stouffer's frozen spinach soufflé or French bread pizzas, Sara Lee cheesecake, Pepperidge Farm layer cakes, Milano and Bordeaux cookies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, white cheddar popcorn, honey roasted peanuts, fried shrimp...if I were looking to put on 14 pounds cheaply and without actually cooking, I could make it freaking delicious.

I enjoy 1950s casserole/hotdish type foods, like sloppy Joes made with Campbell's tomato soup or turkey Tetrazzini with cream of mushroom soup, but that casserole looked gross. I'd rather have Tater Tots and dip them in ketchup or barbecue sauce.

Quote

don't get why many say surgery is their only hope, even after they've lost dozens or even hundreds of pounds by following the diet pre-surgery.

Losing weight and keeping it off are two different things. Surgery drastically changes the odds of staying at a healthier weight for 5+ years. They know that at some point they'll be tempted to go to McDonald's just once because they're grieving a loved one, and maybe a cake because it's their birthday, and then they realize they've put weight back on and feel like it's ruined anyway so they may as well have some nachos, and before you know it, they've got the deep fryer next to the bed again.

You can stretch the stomach back out after surgery, but you have to put effort into it. Without it, it's so easy to slide back into your old eating habit, almost everyone fails in the long term.

[aliya]

On 3/30/2018 at 8:13 AM, JJ1 said:

I’ve always wondered why Dr. Now doesn’t require a food journal ... A food diary might wake them up to the fact that they are massively overeating earlier in the process. So many of these folks are just mindlessly eating - if they had to actually write it all down, it might help them realize what they are doing.  

On 3/30/2018 at 8:01 AM, BooBear said:

On the McDonalds thing, there was a study out this week that said that obese people lose taste buds. I have long thought this. They seem drawn to high calorie / super sweet or pungent tasting foods (which happens to have a lot of calories with it).  Fast food / processed food, has that kind of super taste. While most low calorie food is kind of bland.  Maybe there is a biological need for that kind of *super taste*.  I have some vegetarian friends and let me tell you.. they almost puke at the site of McDonalds... 

 

Good point. I am using MyFitnessPal since I started doing vegetarian keto for my diabetes. For me, it's not the food choice per se, but tracking the carbs. I find it easy to put in my food choices the evening before. This lets me see if I need to spread out 2 higher carb items during the day or get rid of one altogether if I want to stay on track. I think WW also has an online food journaling system. Even when you think you are making the right choices, seeing them in black and white can help make sure that you are. 

Re the taste of McDonalds - even back when I ate that stuff, I never considered it as having a strong taste. It was mindless soft food that went down quickly and wasn't satiating at all. Canned food is pretty much tasteless. Yeah, you can jazz it up, but it's made for the masses and can't afford to be too spicy. I do think that a lot of fast/processed food is salty or sweet - tastes that people like. 

[auntjess]

12 hours ago, BooBear said:

Ok I take it back. You are right.   I wish TLC would do a 600 lbs life without the surgery and just diet. 

You should watch Tracey, when it's on again.  She carried most of her weight in the lymphedema in her legs, so he sent her to specialist for her legs, then did skin surgery on them, and after that, with the weight she lost, she didn't need the gastric surgery.

10 hours ago, Miss Ruth said:

I know each patient has to be treated on a case-by-case basis, but Dr. Now is very inconsistent in the way he treats them.  He admits some to the hospital right away to jump-start their weight loss while others are sent home to fend for themselves.  It doesn't seem like immediate health concerns are always taken into consideration, either.  Some of them have to lose 40 pounds in two months, while others are told to lose sixty. 

I think some are really close to dying, and need jump-starting to survive.
Some of the heavier ones can lose more, and some may also have more water weight.

5 hours ago, IvySpice said:

and before you know it, they've got the deep fryer next to the bed again.

If this was Facebook, I'd give you pink heart "love" for this comment.  I can always use a laugh.

[Pretty5Vacant]

20 hours ago, raiderred1 said:

Same! And the Babyliss pro is the bomb. I bought two in case one breaks. ?

That's right!

[lovetheduns]

On 3/30/2018 at 7:31 PM, BooBear said:

My theories are two fold.. a reverse body dysmorphic disorder where you don't see yourself as that bad.. and I suspect there could be a physical component that makes weight gain take major jumps.  Like when she had the tater tot casserole. 14 lbs? I know she said she binged on other things but 14 lbs is a lot to put on.  I think she said she gained 100 lbs in a year.  You also have to admit that once you get over a certain lbs it is likely useless to try and diet on your own so they might just keep going not really knowing what to do.

I think it doesn't help that there is a push now to normalize obesity. You can be fierce gurl... even if 250+ lbs. I am in awe (and I say that as someone who is obese) that people think they get to obesity on their own and they are NOT eating an excess of calories.

 

The amount of "fatlogic" that occurs daily makes it clear to me that sometimes when these people get to a certain point it is way beyond their control. I have an acquaintance who had to retire early from her job because being a SSBBW is not sustainable. She doesn't *get* that her addiction is just as horrible as another vice she overcame many years ago. While her mobility was suffering (and continues) she was considering surgery but she snapped out of those thoughts and doesn't think she has a real problem. Meanwhile she struggles to do many basic household things - she is always asking for some help from folks who may need some extra money to help her with decluttering, cleaning, etc. 

 

When in reality I would love to be like.. no honey, humans don't get to over 450-500lbs by having slow metabolisms, PCOS, thyroid issues and the human body is not meant to hold that weight. 

God forbid if you say anything to people then you are fat shaming, etc. What I find interesting i the HAES world is that as they begin to age... they disappear because lets be real nothing says "healthy" when you are full of arthritis and becoming increasingly more immobile.

[lightninggirl]

On 3/29/2018 at 7:30 PM, TwirlyGirly said:

Okay, I was wrong. It's NOT a ketogenic diet. Here's a link to the diet Dr. Nowzardan's patients must follow after bariatric surgery:

Nutritional Guidance

But regardless, I still think meal delivery kits could be developed that comply with these dietary requirements.

Yes - I've been keto for 11 months, and the protein is too high. Also, you don't count calories on keto. Recently, an unscientific study of ~10 people ate 5K+ calories while on a ketogenic diet for 30 days, and I want to say that 3 people lost weight while the other 7 did not gain anything. My friend got gastric bypass last October, and he was required to do a ketogenic diet for 30 days prior to the surgery. His wife did it with him, which helped.

[Maggienolia]

On 3/29/2018 at 4:26 AM, Hellohappylife said:

It continues to baffle me every week how these people let something like Tater Tots ruin their quality of life.  

Well. Tater Tots are pretty yummy. I miss them. So. Much. Sigh.... 

In seriousness though, that Tater Tot casserole she made was over the top. No. Just no. 

[Anonysaurus]

I think that Heather takes after grandma. Seems no nonsense. She shouldnt have to change her life for her sister for her sister's choices. She also seems physically built like grandma. Plus, Sarah's issues were with mom and as Dr Now asked, why wasn't she at the meeting. But at the same time . . . more codependence.

[aliya]

On 3/29/2018 at 11:24 PM, mrsjoe said:

I’m wondering though if the main reason she confessed is that five days before her surgery I would expect she was supposed to be on a liquid diet, and she decided to let Dr. Now know in case going off the liquid diet made her surgery more life threatening. But now that I think about it, not a single episode has mentioned the liquid diet that usually proceeds surgery

I know you said "usually," I just wanted to put my 2 cents in re the liquid diet. I looked into having the sleeve. At my university hospital clinic, they wanted you on real food. I didn't have a ton (haha) to lose - I was doing it more in hope of getting rid of my diabetes - so I don't know what they'd recommend for someone who was morbidly obese. I was in the nutrition class with people of varying sizes, tho no one was 600 lbs or anywhere near it. We were all supposed to eat real food. You didn't get the surgery just because you asked for it, there was a good 2-3 months between signing up for the first consultation and the surgery. I guess that gives the surgeon enough time to see some weight loss or gain or the inability to follow instruction, which would be really important after the surgery. 

btw - I found out that the longer you're diabetic, the less likely you are to get rid of it via the surgery. Great. I didn't want to rearrange the plumbing and still have to take insulin. For that and other reasons, I bowed out. I ended up being able to massively reduce my meds by going vegetarian keto and being way more strict about carbs. Maybe in another month or so, I will be completely off. 

[jerseyflower]

On 3/30/2018 at 4:50 PM, ClareWalks said:

This might be an unpopular opinion so just know that I am not married to it and don't take offense that folks disagree ;) but I will give the sister a bit of a pass for being bitchy. I'm not sure what the history is and how much shit she's had to put up with from Sarah over the years. I'm guessing she was similarly neglected by Mom as a child and now Sarah is trying to hog all the attention and maybe it's like "UGH." And although the sister is thin, I don't think she is anorexic by any means. She looks quite healthy, especially if you look at her a bit separate from her mom and Sarah. Compared to them, yeah, she looks dangerously thin, but I think she looks pretty good, JMO of course!

I tend to agree.  It was telling how Sarah was complaining that her sister wouldn't support her and her family was mad at her (sis) and now Sarah was staying away from the drama.  Umm, drama you created.  Gaslighting at it's best.

[seniorpatriot]

On 3/30/2018 at 7:14 PM, auntjess said:

That's the question, isn't it?  
They all say they're in pain when they wake up, but that, and not fitting in the car, had to be noticeable before it reached crisis stage.
 

I have always been thin until my early 40's. I remember stepping on a scale and seeing 175 lbs, at around age 38, after I had a hysterectomy.  I was horrified, but where I was in my life at the time, the weight seemed to be some sort of "later" issue. Especially since I had never had to deal with it before. I was about to divorce my husband of 20 years, my nest was getting very close to being empty. A lot of stuff. But as I gained more and more, here is what I did. I started comparing myself to people fatter than me. Saying things like "At least I am not THAT big."

For medical reasons I then started piling on the pounds. I couldn't stop it it seemed. Until finally I reached 296!. THAT is actually when I got very serious about and that was about 20 years later, after the 175. . I have lost 60 pounds and am trying my best to keep the weight loss going.

I have tried everything, and it is just such a struggle, especially as a senior on a lot of meds for medical reasons. But I still haven't given up. I even had the lapband at one point and had to have it removed due to complications with it.

This summer I am finally going for gastric bypass. Point is, it is so frickin HARD to lose weight, and it is so EASY to get discouraged and give up. time and time again. But I would NEVER let myself get to where I was bedbound. At nearly 300 pounds that time, I was already having a lot of difficulty with things like putting on my shoes, and yes wiping my butt. (Had to use an "extender" because my arms would no longer get past the fat to reach back there. (sorry if its gross.) 

[TVWatcher12]

On 3/29/2018 at 1:22 PM, kj4ever said:

Sarah said she was the only overweight sibling, so I'm assuming it was just Sarah that had an issue with food.  The mom looked bigger in the early pictures, but not as big as she is now.  Kicking the heroin habit probably did that.

My siblings are both super obese and I'm a healthy weight, but I have to work at it because I do not want to be a super obese person.  The eat fast food ALL THE TIME.  If I eat fast food it's like I'm eating poison I get so sick.  I've never been a big fast food person, but once I started really getting into cooking I get deathly ill from that and some processed foods.  Makes you wonder what it is doing to people's bodies that live off that crap and are used to it.

I have empathy for Sarah for having a sucky childhood, but there comes a time when you have to take responsibility for your own actions.  I wanted to reach through the TV and smack her when she was complaining about her Mom's driving.  Really?  This woman is moving with you to another state because you can't seem to not eat like 10,000 calories a day and you are going to act like that?  I think most of the show she came across and entitled and ungrateful.  What an ugly mixture.

I completely agree. Woe is me I had a horrible childhood...she just expects people to move to Houston for a year and continue to wait on her hand and foot? Talk about ungrateful! A few of my observations:

 

1. WTF is a tater tot casserole?! If I blow my diet it won’t be on that wretched pile of crap.

2. Enough with the nature scenes and corny life quotes at the beginning of each episode. It reminds me of the old “Saturday Night Live” sketch called Deep Thoughts with Jack Handy.

3. I wish Dr. Now would stop saying these people need “support” (ie move to Houston). The suppprt they have received is what has gotten them into this mess. They need tough love! They should be doing this alone to fully realize what it takes. Just my two cents 

[leFay]

That flowered shirt she's wearing while making the Tater Crap Casserole?
I have that shirt! 
I don't think I'll ever be able to wear the shirt again!
*runs out back to the river to drown it*