Fat People programs

[gowalking 10,790]

TLC is doing alot of stories on larger folk today and tonight. I watched the story about the guy who lost 400 lbs. 'the natural way' by dieting and exercising. He was training with the biggest loser guy..Chris something or other. Anyway, definitely a put down of those who have bariatric surgery so once I realized this was an old program, I Googled the guy, and what do you know?? He gained back 300 of the 400 lbs. he lost.

Now I take no pleasure in his weight gain but it shows once again that losing it is the easy part. It's the maintenance that's hard. The 600 lb. people next week has the woman who in the promo says that she could easily be back at 600 lbs. again but that she chooses not to.

That's the reality of our lives. Even with bariatric surgery, we can gain it back. I know...I see folks on this forum all the time struggling with regaining.

I just wish, as many of you also do, that the general public stops seeing WLS as the easy way out...or even as cheating.

Oh..and one more thing as long as I'm posting stuff about these types of shows. What's with the woman on My Big Fat Life? Is she supposed to make us think she's fat and happy? If so, she's not. She reminds me of myself...very self-depricating in order to shield herself from just how unhappy she truly is. Or she's just delusional. She's a very large woman and no one that big can be happy at that size. Not in this society anyway. Smaller is beautiful and anyone who says otherwise is rationalizing. Did you see the guy she met who was a chubby chaser? He didn't care about her...only about her body. That's probably what extraordinary beautiful women experience as well, but it's just an assumption on my part.

Anyway, just some random thoughts while I sit here and watch our mayor again tell us that the city will shut down tonight while the blizzard is upon us.

[Sharpie 3,306]

I was wondering the same thing about the girl on the fat girl show. She makes it look as if she is just happy as a clam being fat but I know it's an act. Plus it is not healthy. I watched that show today on the guy who was trained by Chris.. Chris is the guy who gets people in shape in a year and then does a big reveal . yes losing it can be done but maintaining it is another story. I watch the weight loss surgery shows and am so inspired by some who are so overweight that they are home bound. I always Thank God that I got help before that happened to me. I was thinking about all of you up North. Stay safe and warm and be careful. Hope it gets better soon.

[Folly 308]

@@gowalking

This is an excellent topic!

I don't like people knowing I had WLS because of the perception that I did it the "easy" way. The perception this is some magic cure is a disservice and most will never have to know the tragic upsets that happen internally that bring a person to needing WLS in the first place or the hard work it continues to be to regain your life and health after the fact.

I used to be, between marriages, one of those women who dated men with fetishes for ssbbw. It was all based on appearance. All form and no substance - I could have been a blow up doll. I didn't even know that I was being objectified and definitely not at all cared about until someone came along and was different (yes, I married him. I'm not a fool :-) )

These people living that life are often making the best of the only life they know or the only life they think they deserve. Pity them but shame on the sleazy profiteers who aggrandize and normalize dysfunction and self-abuse.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I used to avoid shows like this like the plague but once I started watching I have found a mixed bag.

My 600 Pound Life is sobering but mostly educational and optimistic (even the Penny episodes have acted as a cautionary lesson). It has given me lots to think about and I have seen something of myself in all of the people featured on the show.

The new My Big Fat Fabulous Life has its own moments. I personally find the young lady annoying (she so obviously craves attention and has a lot of pain). I know it's not the focus of the show, but I would so like to see her address the underlying issues that we glimpse just below the surface. Yes, she has PCOS, but it appears that much of her obesity stems from lack of nutrition, and emotional eating (like me).

It's not very clear what she wants out of life other than to live with her parents and dance a little. I think it's great that she wants to teach a dance class but it's not clear if she is a certified fitness instructor or not -- her class could go downhill real fast if she or one of her students has a medical issue. I would love to see her work with a professional to help her reach her dream of dancing.

The shows where people are encouraged to binge on exercise and crash diet (The Biggest Loser) I can do without.

Let's come up with our own TLC show pitch. What would Bariatric Pal folks want to see?

I want how-tos, practical advice, healthy examples, and inspiration.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

You've said a lot of things I absolutely agree with and a few things I think are rather unfair.

Yes, 1000000% YES. Dieting is easy. Losing weight is pretty easy. Losing weight when you have a personal trainer, a chef, a nutritionist that does everything for you should be a breeze. Keeping it off after is where the challenge begins, at least for me.

She's a very large woman and no one that big can be happy at that size. Not in this society anyway. Smaller is beautiful and anyone who says otherwise is rationalizing. Did you see the guy she met who was a chubby chaser? He didn't care about her...only about her body.

The above is so unfair to me. I know I personally was unhappy fat, but I do think some people really are. How in the world can anyone assume to know how everyone else truly feels? I think many/most people of all sizes have self doubts about their body from time to time but I can't say for sure whether or not they are truly happy.

As far as chubby chasers? Of course they are attracted to a bigger body, isn't initial attraction how most of us first find our mates? The initial spark is often based on physical attraction, whether it be a nice smile, beautiful eyes, a great body, a cute butt... That doesn't make us all shallow or objectifiers. That physical attraction can only take a relationship so far. Eventually we wade through enough cute smiles, nice butts, beautiful eyes to find someone we love on the inside, too. At least the lucky ones do.

[gowalking 10,790]

You've said a lot of things I absolutely agree with and a few things I think are rather unfair.

Yes, 1000000% YES. Dieting is easy. Losing weight is pretty easy. Losing weight when you have a personal trainer, a chef, a nutritionist that does everything for you should be a breeze. Keeping it off after is where the challenge begins, at least for me.

The above is so unfair to me. I know I personally was unhappy fat, but I do think some people really are. How in the world can anyone assume to know how everyone else truly feels? I think many/most people of all sizes have self doubts about their body from time to time but I can't say for sure whether or not they are truly happy.

As far as chubby chasers? Of course they are attracted to a bigger body, isn't initial attraction how most of us first find our mates? The initial spark is often based on physical attraction, whether it be a nice smile, beautiful eyes, a great body, a cute butt... That doesn't make us all shallow or objectifiers. That physical attraction can only take a relationship so far. Eventually we wade through enough cute smiles, nice butts, beautiful eyes to find someone we love on the inside, too. At least the lucky ones do.

You have a point LipstickLady. I'm likely projecting in regards to happiness/size. Like I said in my OP, she reminds me of myself. I was the happy laughing fat lady. I used to say that I was fine with being fat...it was the mobility and co-morbidities that made me take the steps towards weight loss.

Well...I was full of crap. I hated myself and how out of control I was. I still cringe when I look at old pictures. The only reason I post before and after shots is to let people know that even if one is morbidly obese, WLS can work. As far as my own issues, heck, it's why I'm in therapy. I need to explore the root causes of my obesity so I can avoid gaining it back.

So..let me clarify and say that what I've written is just my opinion and in no way do I want to assume or presume how anyone feels....though I do agree with Surfer Girl in that I think she really does crave the attention.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

You have a point LipstickLady. I'm likely projecting in regards to happiness/size. Like I said in my OP, she reminds me of myself. I was the happy laughing fat lady. I used to say that I was fine with being fat...it was the mobility and co-morbidities that made me take the steps towards weight loss.

Well...I was full of crap. I hated myself and how out of control I was. I still cringe when I look at old pictures. The only reason I post before and after shots is to let people know that even if one is morbidly obese, WLS can work. As far as my own issues, heck, it's why I'm in therapy. I need to explore the root causes of my obesity so I can avoid gaining it back.

So..let me clarify and say that what I've written is just my opinion and in no way do I want to assume or presume how anyone feels....though I do agree with Surfer Girl in that I think she really does crave the attention.

I just watched the first episode since reading your post. I don't think this girl is happy. I think she is searching for her father's approval and using her PCOS as a crutch. She is attention hungry and starved for love and acceptance. It will be interesting to see how this series unfolds.

I do think there are happy people out there of all sizes. She, in my opinion, is not one of them.

[woo woo 872]

I'm watching this show for the first time as well. I don't understand why she doesn't have a job at her age? I believe she said she is 30.

I think she is trying to be happy. Sort of like fake it till you make it.

Edited January 27, 2015 by woo woo

[Pepper123 320]

I avoided these shows...but after surgery i started watching...The guy who got u in shape in a year had an episode which made me cry...A young lady had soo much confidence or seems to.. Had no support from her mum and grand-mum...even the first meet they all sit around having fast food while the trainer was there...But she hid it all with a beautiful smile i just thought the pain she's hiding...I know i hid behind my beautiful face and the fact that oh am intelligent !!!.but the pain run deep..

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I'm appalled by all these schadenfreude fatty shows. To me, they're just emotional porn and digital carnival sideshows.

But then I don't care for any reality shows. They don't entertain me. I also know how "real" they are not.

[TEXASLADY52 264]

Bob off of Biggest Loser was on one of the Morning Talk shows.....he was asked point blank how many gained their weight back? He told them at least 90% did!!! If I had a dollar for every pound that I lost and then gained back.....I could go ahead and retire!!!!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Bob off of Biggest Loser was on one of the Morning Talk shows.....he was asked point blank how many gained their weight back? He told them at least 90% did!!! If I had a dollar for every pound that I lost and then gained back.....I could go ahead and retire!!!!

Yup.

At last 90%.

Actual research says 95% or more who lose through diet and exercise alone regain all or more of their weight loss.

[WL WARRIOR 692]

I watched episode three of "My Big Fat Fabulous Life" last week and found it disturbing. Well, maybe the real problem I had with the show is that I couldn't connect with Whitney. I know that there are morbidly obese people that are happy with their size, but sometimes I wonder if it is all an act.

During show 3, she splits the back of her pants bending over in the grocery store. This happened to me as well at my heaviest. It was truly a horrific experience. I had to walk to another store with the back of my pants split so that I could purchase a pair of stretch pants. Afterwards, I had to change in my small car, which was no easy feat for a big lady.

Whitney cracked up and kept laughing hysterically when her pants split and undressed in the parking lot where all could see. She's always got spare pants in her glove compartment because a fat girl always has to be prepared (according to her). The way she undressed in the parking lot like she had no care in the world is completely dumbfounding. She's either laughing on the outside, but crying on the inside OR her personality is just much different than mine. I'm not sure.

In the end, it's just a show and I try not to over think it. I did get more of her story during an online news interview. She confessed that she would only consider WLS if her doctor said it was necessary. Doctors have differing opinions about the necessity of WLS. My doctor would have never suggested it for me. Also in the interview, she says she had lost 100 pounds in the past on an extremely restrictive diet. She gained it back quickly in 6 months and now wants to take an easier approach to losing weight. Good luck with that, Whitney!

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I just watched the three episodes on ON Demand (snow day today!). That young lady is NOT happy with herself at all. That's evident.

[WL WARRIOR 692]

I just watched one show, but I got the impression that it was a fat acceptance program. Do you think fat acceptance programs should come with a health warning? I think the show is helpful in the fact that it doesn't hide her bad habits. She definitely needs to stop "playing the victim" if she ever wants to get better.