Did anyone catch tonight's episode of "My 600 pound life"? It was completely eye opening about how important it is to be mentally prepared for this surgery. Penny had the VSG and 1 year after surgery she had gained 5 pounds. She never dipped below her pre surgery weight of 490 pounds...she had an excuse for everything. She refused to walk or stand and remained bed ridden. She lied to the doctor that she was doing EVERYTHING right when she was indulging in fried foods and carbs. Addiction can makes complete fools out of us, although after watching this episode I would say Penny wasnt just a victim. It was a powerful thing to see pre-op and I recommend you guys watch it!

All I could do after watching that show (and to keep from throwing a brick at my TV) was to thank Hashem for blessing me with parents that love me and would never enable me like her husband. If I tried lying to my doctor like that, they'd call my butt out!

This is why psych exams are so important. The husband should stop bringing food to her (other than her 1200 calories a day) and make her get her butt up.

I just wrote a comment on Penny's FB...

What did you say? I went to the page but there are so many comments and topics!

I asked her why she got the surgery and did she think it was going to be easy...I am hoping that coming from someone who has had the surgery may hit home rather than any comments from people that haven't...who knows? This lady needs more help than I can give her.

I asked her why she got the surgery and did she think it was going to be easy...I am hoping that coming from someone who has had the surgery may hit home rather than any comments from people that haven't...who knows? This lady needs more help than I can give her.

I agree. She needs MAJOR help and hearing it from someone who has had surgery is very different. A lot of people who haven't struggled with obesity and food addiction just assume she's lazy. While that may be partially true, as a fellow sufferer we understand she needs some intense therapy. I saw some comments saying she's a waste of a person. That's terrible because she is dealing with true addiction. If she reaches out for the help she needs she could turn it all around. But having people call her names and harass her isn't going to help much. Especially if she's unwilling to face her demons.

She really needed the whole bypass....although I don't think she would have gotten different results. ... and her husband! Wow. How does she go to the bathroom and wash herself? Her poor son.

She now has a FB page...she blames the crew, the editing, nutritionist,the doctor....everyone but herself..and she is getting slammed.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Penny-Saeger-My-Life/547231915372526?ref=ts&fref=ts

I didn't see the show (don't watch much TV) but I did go to her Facebook page and I'm glad to see that people are calling her out on why she hasn't succeeded with the surgery.

She really needed the whole bypass....although I don't think she would have gotten different results. ... and her husband! Wow. How does she go to the bathroom and wash herself? Her poor son.

She goes on a bed pan and her husband cleans her!

It's on again next week...I think Tuesday or Wednesday on TLC... I am going to tape it and watch it whenever I need motivation...that is NOT going to be me!!!

I am saddened by the tone this thread has taken. How many of us have heard "Why didn't you just eat less?" I don't think there is one person here who has ever weighed 600 lbs. It takes a very severe food addiction to reach that point.

IMO, Penny needed support she did not receive. Perhaps a longer hospital stay so her food choices could have been more restricted. For sure, more counseling. I understand people who contributed financially are disappointed, but there are no guarantees in life.

Of course, we've all seen that ability to make choices and the lack of intervention to stop them due to legal and financial restraints. I have friends and family members who abuse food, alcohol, and other drugs and I can't stop them. It hurts, but I have learned that heaping guilt and scorn on them does not help them or me.

I haven't seen the show, but I do know that most reality shows are scripted and any story can be twisted a bit based on the bias in which it is shot and edited. Not that there is any denying that she made bad food choices, was enabled by those around her, and didn't want to face the face that she has responsibility too.

This is just my opinion, but before you comment, please remember the hurtful things others have said to you. How many people are secretly wondering why you didn't get thin sooner for your childen's sake? How many are wondering why you just didn't get it under control with diet and exercise?

Lynda

If she has a severe food addiction, then she shouldn't have qualified for the surgery. She should have needed intensive psychotherapy prior to even being a candidate.

Needed more support? She had all the support of her doctor and the hospital staff. She refused to change and had her husband smuggle her food. She was not serious about doing this process correctly.

Most people were extremely agitated because not only is she 600lbs and squandering a great opportunity to get some semblance of a life back, but she's also on disability and government assistance. So we're the ones paying for those fried freaking wontons and cupcakes she gorges on.

I've got all the sympathy in the world for the members of this forum, but that woman should be named and shamed.

I am saddened by the tone this thread has taken. How many of us have heard "Why didn't you just eat less?" I don't think there is one person here who has ever weighed 600 lbs. It takes a very severe food addiction to reach that point.

IMO, Penny needed support she did not receive. Perhaps a longer hospital stay so her food choices could have been more restricted. For sure, more counseling. I understand people who contributed financially are disappointed, but there are no guarantees in life.

Of course, we've all seen that ability to make choices and the lack of intervention to stop them due to legal and financial restraints. I have friends and family members who abuse food, alcohol, and other drugs and I can't stop them. It hurts, but I have learned that heaping guilt and scorn on them does not help them or me.

I haven't seen the show, but I do know that most reality shows are scripted and any story can be twisted a bit based on the bias in which it is shot and edited. Not that there is any denying that she made bad food choices, was enabled by those around her, and didn't want to face the face that she has responsibility too.

This is just my opinion, but before you comment, please remember the hurtful things others have said to you. How many people are secretly wondering why you didn't get thin sooner for your childen's sake? How many are wondering why you just didn't get it under control with diet and exercise?

Lynda

She was in the hospital for three months on bariatric diet and did not lose one pound! Her husband obviously brought her food. Not only was she on government assistance her family and friends donated money to them to help them move to Texas for the surgery!

"Fried feaking wontons"! Hahaha

The reason I posted about this episode was because I found her excuses highly motivating. Although my weight has never been near her level..ive made excuses for my addiction before. Seeing how awful it looks on someone else helps me realize that I was only cheating myself. Getting this surgery is something ive wrestled with, forcing myself to accept that its not a magic fix and it will be hard work. Penny is the example of a woman who saw the surgery as the easy way out, someone else on the thread said "that is NOT going to be me" and thats exactly how I feel and am glad I saw pennys story.

On top of all that though. .shes pretty insufferable. While being carted away to the hospital to be weighed shes telling the paramedic "ive probably lost about 350 pounds so far" when she had really just gained 5 pounds....its all those fried freaking wontons!!!!!

"Fried feaking wontons"! Hahaha The reason I posted about this episode was because I found her excuses highly motivating. Although my weight has never been near her level..ive made excuses for my addiction before. Seeing how awful it looks on someone else helps me realize that I was only cheating myself. Getting this surgery is something ive wrestled with, forcing myself to accept that its not a magic fix and it will be hard work. Penny is the example of a woman who saw the surgery as the easy way out, someone else on the thread said "that is NOT going to be me" and thats exactly how I feel and am glad I saw pennys story. On top of all that though. .shes pretty insufferable. While being carted away to the hospital to be weighed shes telling the paramedic "ive probably lost about 350 pounds so far" when she had really just gained 5 pounds....its all those fried freaking wontons!!!!!

I finally caught her story last night on Tlc! I was shocked at her excuses. Like u... I've never been to her weight, but have used excuses and now see how awful they looked and really are! Ugh can't believe I did that to myself! My Hw is 220 and can't imagine allowing myself to get to 600. But I guess if u don't get a handle on addiction, this is very possible.

Like u said, She has proven this is not a miracle fix, it's a lifestyle change. Fried freakin wantons will certainly not help! Lmao... We all have to want it and be in the right frame of mind for sure!

She was in the hospital for three months on bariatric diet and did not lose one pound! Her husband obviously brought her food. Not only was she on government assistance her family and friends donated money to them to help them move to Texas for the surgery!

The husband is part of the problem! He was the one contributing to her obesity. If he was the supportive "man" he should been he would not have helped her cheat. He would have supported the drs orders. The reason this frustrates me so, is if this is life and jeopardy as it is for so many of us, and clearly hers, you would think a supportive mate would have tried to save her life! Not keep assisting her in her own death! Ugh frustrating!

I agree with the majority that's been said about Penny's story but her husband probably didn't go through therapy. IMHO I think when you are obese to this extreme that your spouse should have to go through the same psych eval and maybe more so than the patient. She is very good at being the victim and that may be the dynamic of their relationship and how it works for them. Either way its sad.