I hate to bring this up, but TLC is having a 600lb life marathon and lo and behold the episode with Penny is on there. I feel so bad for this woman because she is clearly a food addict and not accepting her part in the failure of her surgery.

I can say that since my surgery 5 months ago I have fought many an inner battle when it comes to food. I try to convince myself that it wont be bad if I have a cookie or Pasta etc but in the end I know that I have been given such an incredible gift and no food is worth trading that.

What are your thoughts on this? Anyone else struggling with her episode?

I love the show too. The Penny episode drove me absolutely nuts too.

OMG I was just telling my mom how upset I was with this woman after watching her episode. I mean her and her husband were just delusional and made up excuse after excuse. The scale doesn't lie every month. If you are doing what you need to do you will lose eventually and if you are 600+ you will definitely lose weight if you stick to the program. I love that show but her episode made me want to find her and slap her. Lol I mean I don't think I'm the perfect wls patient but I do work my butt off to be better than the person I was yesterday.

Great show - we even get it here in Australia. I agree with everyone about how this episode made me feel angry that she was wasting such an opportunity. I wonder if they will follow up with Penny in the next season?

Edited January 5, 201511 yr by kombimel

I think one of the things that made me most angry was at the beginning of the show when she said her family, friends and community helped raise the money for her to get the surgery. Not only did she throw away the gift of this surgery but she threw away other people's money. Also, she's on full disability and her husband "can't" work because he cares for her 24/7. So it looks like they're accustomed to getting everything handed to them and pissing it down the drain.

Now that part makes me even more angry

And some people here wonder why WLS gets a bad rap?

This is why.

They have a follow up with her posted online, but it is just an interview. She seems to still be up to her old ways. I am three weeks post op today and it was physically hurting me to watch her eat that plate of wontons and pasta so quickly after surgery. He husband seems like a nice enough guy, but that low self-esteem is making him an enabler. If he would just change his buying habits, she would have to eat better.

Hate me if you want. But, sometimes a bad example can be a good thing. It reminds us of what not to do if we want to be successful.

Hate me if you want. But, sometimes a bad example can be a good thing. It reminds us of what not to do if we want to be successful.

Oh no, I totally agree. I told my husband, "This woman makes me want to work even harder to follow the guidelines!" That way I know I did everything I possibly could and when I reach my goal weight all those foods I turned down will be worth it.

I just think it's a shame that they knew she wasn't ready before surgery, and gave it to her anyway. Dangerous and irresponsible, honestly - you can do a lot of damage to yourself not following at least some of the basic rules.

That, and I have no idea how she was ABLE to sabotage herself that early out. I still love food as much as I always did, but one bite too many and it comes back out whether I want it to or not.

Edited January 5, 201511 yr by roundisashape

I find that show fascinating, but it does bring up all of my emotional eating issues, so I probably shouldn't watch it. It is really sad. I wish that they got more help for the emotional/food addiction part of it rather than just advice on the diet.

I really appreciate the journeys that these people share. Some are so inspiring, some frightening and some like Penny, infuriating. But she is a poster child for why WLS is not a magic pill or the easy way out. That is clearly the attitude she had. It is a great demonstration of the fact that surgery is a tool and will not work unless YOU put the work in.

Looking forward to the new season!

And I can't believe you all watch that shit.

It's a reality show!

That means it's mostly scripted, made up shit.

That's the way ALL reality shows are shot.

Even The Biggest Loser.

Google is your friend.

Watching My 600 Pound Life was a big step for me in accepting that I really was at the end of my rope and that there is hope to get my life back. I too wish the show went into more depth about the psychological aspects but have found it very educational as to the challenges and process. I am glad they have shown a variety of experiences -- both good and bad. I hate The Biggest Loser (the idea of turning someone's health and well being into a competition is so contrary to a sane approach to health that it should be illegal IMHO). My 600 Pound Life, though difficult to watch, seems more "real".

I totally agree @@Inner Surfer Girl. My 600 pound life is much superior to The Biggest Loser. For one TBL sets the dominoes all in line for an epic failure. No doubt the majority of us in theory could be bullied into losing a massive amount of weight with their standard boot camp tactics. But what happens when they're faced with real life again? While some of their contestants probably did go on to keep the weight off long term, I'd bet it's more of an exception than the rule.

My 600 is inspirational to me as well. If someone can turn their life around and lose that amount of weight I know I can do the same thing. It isn't about sensationalism or tabloid reporting. It's about real people facing real problems that could ultimately result in death. While not all of them reached 100 percent success, some did, and that's the real message - that it's never too late to change your life, no matter what type of physical or emotional prison you're locked into.

Penny's message was you have to want it, really want it, to the point where you're willing to do anything to make a difference. She didn't want it. Now her prison is that bed and she's the only one with the power to make a key. Sadly, I think that bed will ultimately be her tomb.

Edited January 6, 201511 yr by The Candidate