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.

I read some of her blog last night. It may just be my interpretation but at the same time she was gaining a lot of weight it seemed like she was also doing a lot of drinking. Of course, I am basing this on what she wrote and my perspective. There also is mention of eating disorder behavior.

I agree with learning to love and accept yourself. I also see the value of learning to be honest with myself.

I wish her well and hope she learns to be her best self. I am just not sure that a reality tv show is a healthy way to get there.

okay I am officially addicted to my 600 lb life show. I watched the where are they show last night. both people have had remarkable losses. Chuck had gastric bypass I think, he has lost from 600 to 248 I think. His wife left him during the process and he was devastated but he regained his focus and actually met someone else. I was inspired by his story and there are others who lose massive amounts of weight and undergo huge skin removal surgeries. So, I am determined to lose my little 13 lbs in the next few months . I have been bummed because after 2 years I'm still not where I want to be and I think my apron tummy is ugly but after seeing how much these people have to go through and the determination it takes for them to even get mobile I am embarrassed to complain about my little problem. I think it shows that even the most obese people can be successful in changing their lives if they want it bad enough.

I am about to say something that will make some people mad......but keep reading.....just giving my point of view. Don't want to make anyone mad. This is just my experience.

I used to get soooo mad at people who said WLS is the easy way out...............

I have been on just about every single weight loss program known to man kind. About 37yrs worth of it. I have lost and I have regained. Most of us have traveled together on that same stinking road, I'm sure. WLS has been the easiest for me. Yep, I said it. My surgery was so easy. No pain. Recovery super fast and super easy. I was very blessed. The weight just fell off. I didn't struggle with emotional issues regarding food. I didn't cry. I didn't fight it at all. So to me this has been the "easy way" considering all the other avenues I ventured down.

WAIT......That being said......

I am only 5 1/2 mths out. I have hit a stall, a huge one.....about 6 weeks now. So....about 6 weeks ago #%^& got real!

I understand why people who don't have weight issues.....or those who do and refuse to face it......say that this is the easy way out. To them they see surgery 1 day and weeks or months later people are 1/2 their size! Easy peasy.

No one outside of this experience will ever understand how difficult this is. They just wont. I really doubt we will ever make anyone understand that WLS is just as difficult as any other weight loss program out there. We will never be able to show them the hard part.....the fight in our heads and the fight to avoid certain foods, maybe forever. They only see that the weight came off fast and that equals easy because dieting without surgery is a slower process.

Little do they know.....little did I know....the real work begins when that grace period ends. For me I had 4 glorious months of "easy". But, I realize the rest of my life this is going to be one difficult fight!

My 600lb life to me is inspiring and sad. I worry that the general public is just gawking at them. Makes me sad for them. They may be inspirational to those of us who struggle with weight.....but I feel they are just entertainment for those who don't.

I've never watched the other show about the young woman who is "happy" as a very obese person. But, there are issues there. In my opinion, no one who becomes obese...with or without medical issues....is "happy". They adjust to it, accept it, and make the best of it....but I guarantee that if there was a "miracle pill" that would turn her into a thin, healthy woman, she would take it.

Bobby you are correct in your statement. The misconception that surgery is the easy way out for obesity is worldwide. I noticed that even some in my family have discounted my success because they assume it has been easy. I too had been on every weight loss program and gimmick on the market. if I had all the money I have spent on those things I would be extremely wealthy. In reference to the Big Fat Happy girl , Whitney, she knows she is obese and has tried to accept it but is actually trying to lose weight. I give her credit for dancing and trying to keep moving. I am not sure what her diet is like they do not show her eating so I wouldn't judge her. I do believe there are medical issues that cause weight gain. I went through menopause and hormone therapy in my late 40's and put on about 50 lbs in the process. But I still believe that limiting your intake and choosing healthier foods will get you where you need to be. this is the first time since I started trying to lose weight that I have been able to maintain . I am happy that I made the right decision for me. My health has improved drastically and I am enjoying life much more. We would all like that "pill" but I know from experience with pills that they don't work long term and do damage to your health.

WLS isn't the easy way out but for me it is easier than starving every day. The relief from stomach hunger all the time as on previous diets is a miracle. Head hunger is different and hard work to change. I was insulted when my NSETBEx called my WLS the easy way out the night before my surgery. Spoken by another obese person who lost weight once and couldn't keep it off either.

WLS easy? At times, yes. At times, no. Effective? Oh yeah.

Guess what?? I saw a promo this morning for Entertainiment Tonight and they have a contestant from The Biggest Loser who talks about all the folks who wound up gaining it back. Now THAT is an interview I want to see. Believe me, I don't want to see these people fail, but it helps to reinforce my decision to have WLS if I can be one of the real success stories. And by that I mean now only losing, but keeping the weight off.

I want to see that too. I have a good friend who has lost and gained at least 100 lbs in the past few years. She did it with HCG.. Now her metabolism is so messed up she can't do anything but gain even if she looks at a cracker. I know I had lost about 50 lbs on HCG but I felt like hell. No energy, skin and hair looked terrible. yep the lapband was fairly easy as far as surgery goes and the recup time was quick but afterwards when you have to learn to eat all over again it becomes a challenge. I am still learning. This morning I made low fat corned beef hash with 1 egg on top. I could not finish it and I'm getting better at recognizing my signal. The people on the Biggest Loser work so hard at losing and they are badgered and beaten down in the process . I give them credit for making it through that torture. I would not do well in that atmosphere. I feel sorry for them if they re-gain. Some of them even had previous weight loss surgeries and still re-gained after their big loss. I think you have to be constantly on guard to avoid falling back into old habit. Been there and done that.

I'll be open, i used to be very much into fighting for the rights of obese people, whether the topic was airline seats ( having to buy 2 etc) or public transportation, or discrimination etc. But I became aware that the reason I was so indignant was due to my own size, not due to a profound need for equality. Trust me that is a big self-realization.

To the point I actually have rebounded to the other side of the pendulum. Now im stll obese but I'm working at it with the help of my sleeve and you al here and friends, family, coworkers etc.

But, I bounced back so far to the point that on facebook they had an article on this plus sized model getting a modeling contract, Tess something. ( i had never heard of her until that article) but i noticed a lot of obese people saying, way to go! or how wonderful etc. I chimed in ( as you all know I would;-) and said how unhealthy the lifestyle is. After I posted it I had to realize just how different of a mindset I have had to turn to, in order to get myself squared away, and how that mindset isnt just changing my eating lifestyle, it affects your entire being.

I understand now how some people who have gone through this journey I am on, have become, for lack of a better word, a-holes. Nagging people about weight loss, or telling someone else how to lose, or how healthy they aren't etc.

As a result watching these shows like my 600 pound life, really upsets me because it seems like for every person on the shows who cry about their weight, there is always a group of family etc that is just as big and in denial. ( i happened to turn to this show when they were doing a sleeve and at that exact moment when they were removing a woman stomach, and thought, "I wish i Hadn't seen that, lol)

Let me ask, do any of you think or behave, post surgery, the way I have described myself.

Do you think the physical changes coupled with the mental lifestyle changes truly change us not just in the ways of food, but in our overall perceptions and our personalities, in general?

As to what kind of TV show I would watch regarding weight. I would like to see a show where each week they profile people going through the pre-op and operation, and post op struggles of what WLS really is. not just the here's how much i eat before and here's how pretty I am after. I'd love to show the world what we give up on a daily basis, show them how much we get to eat, show them the liquid diet, the puree stage, the honeymoon weight loss, and the difficulties of the stalls. Show them regular people working out at the regular gym, no special trainers, no celebrity interventions, no chefs. Just average guy and gal fighting to live and be healthy.

That would get all my support and then some. What i don't want more than anything is another Dr Oz. telling everyone how 1001 different herbs supplements and newfound berry extract will solve what ails you. I know somewhere on the net was a guy who figured that if you took even half the supplements dr oz suggested you use on a daily basis, it would take you over three hours just to take them. lol.

@@Stevehud … WOW, for once you and I actually agree on something. I too saw the article about Tess Holliday who is 5'5 and a size 22, and just received a huge modeling contract. Although I think this woman has a very attractive face, I find absolutely nothing attractive with her photos, and I also feel it is beyond wrong to promote such an unhealthy lifestyle. Her heart has got to be under so much pressure, and I know there are co-morbidities that have her name written all over them, she is perfectly fine with it. How do women become convinced of this false sense of security? Has the greed for money gotten people to the point that they will promote to so many unsuspecting women and young girls that being this big is ok? They even call this woman "Chubby Lumpkins" @_@ WHO DOES THAT???

It sickens me that magazines already promote the unhealthy lifestyle of these stick figure models as being the perfect image of the American woman, but now to take it to the other extremely is unbelievably disgusting.

As for the overweight/obesity shows, I find some of them to be very good, and others to be complete sensationalism. My 600-lb life shows many positive examples of people who have had different types of surgeries, and the success they have had with them. This "My Big Fat Life", or whatever its called is simply and exploitation of this young girls misery, and I don't find it funny or entertaining.

Like Stevehud, I truly wish they would put on a show that follows bariatric patients through each and every stage of their journey, pre and post op. Finally for once give the world a bird's eye view of what we deal with every damn day!

We have so many wonderful people on this site. We should do a honest show on weight loss surgery. Show the before and afters and the successes and struggles. I would tune in every day. Some of the characters we have right here could be the stars. We have many long term band patients on my forum that could show the "real" side of band life. I think 600 lb life tries to do that and follows the patients for several years but they are drastic cases.

I feel like it's mainly source of objectification that I gluttonously take part of.

My Big Fat Fabulous Life I watch in almost disgust (I know it's horrible of me). I have PCOS and I have certainly struggled with my weight but I didn't gain over 100lbs in a year. How is there no sense of responsibility? Really a fried banana and mayo sandwich? PCOS isn't making you put that to your face. I didn't make the healthiest of decisions which led me to gaining weight that and ultimately surgery to help get back on track. But I also never said how wonderful my life was, because it wasn't. It's one thing to be comfortable in your skin, but how can you claim to be comfortable one minute and the next you're worried about fitting in a seat and struggling with social anxiety. Just boggles my mind.

My 600lb Life, I find much more inspiring, seeing the progress that these people are making, or lack there of in certain instances.

Big Women Big Love, I like this show! Minus Jessica, what a nasty rude girl. I feel like it's more relatable being that they're in their 20's and are dating. It's not about I'm so wonderful look at me I'm fat and it's not I need to be infinitely smaller. So I dig it.

I had forgotten that I watched big women big love..yes Jessica is a nasty piece of work. that other gal Kristi is heading down a bad road. She sleeps with the guy she just met . Maybe I'm old fashioned but with a little girl to raise she needs to be more careful who she drags into her house. I like Mar and Jenn (quirky) and the other girl Savanna? they are nice gals .

I love Whitney's positivity. I think it's possible to attain a degree of happiness and still be fat, especially when you're young. I didn't start having mobility or health issues myself until I turned 50. It's easy to kid yourself sometimes. Even so, I don't actually think it's so much that she's entirely happy the way she is now, but at this point in her life she's just trying to make the best of a bad situation. She hasn't reached that pivotal point yet where she's at her breaking point and is finally ready to do something about her weight. Plus she hasn't been fat all her life, so in some ways it's all relatively new for her.

I thought it was hilarious when she split her pants in the store and the way she shimmied out with her mother covering her rear. And I absolutely adore her parents. I think they're the right combination of supportive and concerned. I also think the show does a good job of balancing out her enthusiasm with a sobering dose of reality, such as her shared reactions to name calling (being shouted out as Shamu by a passing car) and venomous hate mail. I think the underlying message here, although it might not be translating too well, is that she knows she's fat, as we all do, and is aware of how socially and medically unacceptable that is viewed, but she has chosen not to let it break her. She's living her life out loud and I think it's great.

I wish I had the courage she has to have said "yes" more often, and not cared so much what others thought of me. I lost too many years doing that. Years I can never get back.

anyone watch the biggest loser finale last night? the man who won lost like 175 lbs I don't know in what time frame. anyhow, the Doctor who is on the staff made a statement that they all did it the right way and didn't take the easy way of weight loss surgery or dangerous way can't remember but it was a rude thing to say. I think the fact that 90% of them will regain their weight says that they don't have all the answers . He obviously is making big bucks on that show so he would deter anyone from having surgery . Just made me mad. Obesity is a huge health problem, it doesn't matter how you lose as long as you lose .

anyone watch the biggest loser finale last night? the man who won lost like 175 lbs I don't know in what time frame. anyhow, the Doctor who is on the staff made a statement that they all did it the right way and didn't take the easy way of weight loss surgery or dangerous way can't remember but it was a rude thing to say. I think the fact that 90% of them will regain their weight says that they don't have all the answers . He obviously is making big bucks on that show so he would deter anyone from having surgery . Just made me mad. Obesity is a huge health problem, it doesn't matter how you lose as long as you lose .

Ha! The complete and utter HYPOCRISY of that fucking show! They did it the RIGHT way?? I didn't realize exercising 8 hours a day and having 24 hour access to personal chefs and trainers was the RIGHT way?! Well no wonder I had to resort to weight loss surgery! I've been doing things wrong all along!

What a crock. It's the exact reason I don't watch that tripe. It's a fucking GAMESHOW. Nothing more, nothing less.