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My 600lb life



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Does anyone watch this show on the TLC channel? It's on Tuesdays and it shows people who are close or even over 600lbs who undergo wls to save their lives. This last one on the 21st was the story of a 45 year old named Penny who weighed 530lbs. I was so frustrated watching the episode! She was in the hospital for a month and lost 40lbs so the dr agreed to do wls on her and chose the sleeve. He wanted to do the switch eventually. She never lost any weight!! They followed her for a year and she GAINED weight! She had an excuse for everything they asked her to do. She was bed ridden and refused to try to get up and walk!! She never walked the whole year, it ended her weighing 495lbs and still not walking. I just don't understand why you would uproot your life, undergo surgery and then not follow drs orders. I honestly didn't know it was even possible that you could even have that surgery and NOT lose weight! The dr suspected her husband was sneaking her food! She was griping at the nurse that no one told her she was going to be on a diet and expected to lose weight while she was in the hospital! Are you kidding me?? She was in the hospital 4 months after and never lost a pound so the dr gave up. I just don't get it. I guess some people really think wls is a quick fix and you don't have to do anything but wait for the weight to fall off. It was just very frustrating to watch. Anyway, that's the first one I've seen that had a bad outcome. Most of them have been really neat to see how they get the weight off and go on to living life again.

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I saw that one also and was equally frustrated!! It was so sad to just watch her with excuse after excuse!! I'd like to know what her outcome is now, since the show aired and everything.

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I was SO BEYOND done with this one!! I watch it every week but I was FURIOUS watching her cry wolf for make excuses as to why she couldn't do anything. It's RIDICULOUS!!

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SPenny was a cautionary tale as I watcher it. I am 20 lbs above my lowest weight since surgery. I wonder if penny is me. I feel like I could never go back to my heaviest or more. But there it is, 20 lbs.

she did have an excuse for every challenge to her current thinking. I have pledged to use my tool to its best. I know it is not magic, as I guess penny thought it was.

It is work, a recommitment whenever needed, asking for help when I am in over my head or close to it.

I am so grateful for the tool and the things I have learned to this date. I don't want to die, to put it mildly.

Thank you for the show. Not so I can judge, but that I can learn and recheck my own commitment.I hope your wls path leads you to greater peace!

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Her story made us look bad! Frustration watching.. Yes. Compassion for her .. No and feel guilty but this works only if you are willing to do the work! She clearly was not! Poor son and husband?

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I was lost for words!!! She had her husband deep frying dumplings after the sleeve....WTF!!! And said something like, "I can't live without dumplings"....it seems like soon she won't be living at all. The poor nutritionist came to try and help and she almost bit her head off. Doesn't she feel sorry for her son who will grow up without a mother? They were showing what she was eating right after the sleeve and it seemed like way too much food. Is it possible the surgeon did make her sleeve small enough??

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VPAPNYC- I was thinking the SAME thing....HOW IS SHE EATING ALL OF THAT FOOD! I could BARELY take a couple of spoon fulls of anything and she's eating WONTONS>>>WTF?? This surgery is not for the faint of heart! And like Birthsjourney said YOU have to be willing to put the work in for success. Her husband enabled her by cooking tht mess for her!! My husand ask me CAN YOU HAVE THAT?? (thanks babe for caring enough to ask)!!

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I agree! I mean I'm a year out of sleeve surgery and even a little fried food tears my stomach up so I avoid it! She was eating a ton of those things after only being sleeved a few months! And don't get me started on the husband....he's no dr but he thinks fried wontons are better than takeout?!!? Omg!! And asking her in the hospital if she wanted ice cream, I almost fainted! She's very selfish in my opinion and she took the whole thing like a joke. Saying the dietician was stupid and she wouldn't even try anything during physical therapy except give excuses! Geez....

It's not easy. God knows I'm not perfect but I try. It takes work and with her it's like she has given up and doesn't want to try. Yes I would also be interested to see how she's doing today.

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You said it girls!! The husband was a total enabler. And by the end I felt really bad for the surgeon....it seemed he acted about her future more than they did....ugh!

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I haven't had the surgery yet so I don't know from experience but I do have eyes and ears and she is one of those people who really believes that wls is the easy way out. She thought he was God & she was receiving some miraculous/magical stomach that would allow her to eat all that she wanted& not gain a pound. Well, it did do that but she also hasn't lost another pound either. Sadly, she thinks her son won't eventually resent her for being to overweight to truly be there for him.

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i watch it.....as a reminder of how close i was to becoming just like that...

that first step is truly the hardest.........and the second and the third ones.........

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Ok I have watched at least about 5 of these shows...do anyone work? how does the people afford to stay at home and their family///the momma the dad...

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You said it girls!! The husband was a total enabler. And by the end I felt really bad for the surgeon....it seemed he acted about her future more than they did....ugh!

I find most of the "caregivers"/"spouses"/"parents" on this show are ENABLERS!!!!!!

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I, too, saw that episode & felt a mix of emotions as I watched it. I found myself feeling disdain for her pompous attitude, and then reminded myself that this is a journey, not for a short stint, but an entire lifetime, and she simply was not ready yet for the commitment it will take to really change. I wasn't ready at first either, and it took me a long time to recognize that this is NOT an easy choice, regardless of what the uninformed public may think. It takes hard work EVERY DAY. Maybe one day, she'll be ready to embrace the opportunity given her...hopefully, she will. Each of us has our own unique path to truth, and maybe she has a few more lessons to learn before she gets there...until then, I hope she & her family can hold their own...

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Ok I have watched at least about 5 of these shows...do anyone work? how does the people afford to stay at home and their family///the momma the dad...

No, it doesn't seem like anyone works. Even in tonight's episode no one worked. I don't understand how they lived off of fast food if no one works.

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    • Doughgurl

      2 days until I fly out to San Diego to have my Bypass Surg. in Tiajuana Mexico. Not gonna lie, the nerves are starting to surface. I don't fear the surgery itself, or the fact that I'm traveling alone, but its the aftermath that I'm stressing about the most, after this 8 week wait. I'm excited to finally be here, but I am really dreading the post surgical chapter. I know its going to be tough, real tough and I think I'm just in my head to much now that the day i here. Wish me luck, Hopefully I'm one of the lucky ones, and everything goes smoothly. Cant wait to give an exciting update,. If there is anyone else have a June bypass or even a recent one, Id love to have someone to compare war stories with. Also, anyone near San Antonio Tx? See ya soon with the future me. 💜
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
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    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

      2. Doughgurl

        Thank you so much for your well wishes. I am hoping that everything goes easy for me as well. We don't eat out much as it is, so it wont be too bad in that department. Thankfully. Also, I hear you regarding your back and feet!! I'd like to add knees to the list. Killing me as we speak! I'm only 5' so the weight has to go. Too short to carry all this weight. Menopause really did a doosey on me. (😶lol) My daughter also lives in Houston. with her Husband and my 5 grand-littles. I grew up in Beaumont, so I know Houston well, I will be sure to keep in touch and update you on my journey. I may need some advice in the future, or just motivation. Thank You so much for reaching out, I was hoping to connect with someone in the community. I really appreciate it. 💜

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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