One of the things that helped me to be honest with myself about my weight and obesity was watching My 600 Pound Life on TLC.

The new season started last night and I just finished watching the new episode that I recorded last night.

It was preceded by a compilation episode that I did see last night. Since that one included a segment on Penny I needed to take a break before seeing the new episode.

Some random thoughts:

I thought it was sobering and heart wrenching as usual.

I HATE the obligatory shower scenes. We get the idea. They could spend a lot less time on them or eliminate them entirely and spend time on other aspects of obesity, the surgery process, or the post-surgery segment.

Nikki (I think that was her name) is a beautiful girl with a lot of style. I noticed the drawings on her walls before they revealed she is a costume designer. It was great to see her get her MOJO back.

With a disabled brother and two older sisters, it was obvious to me she was starved for affection and attention.

Dr. Now mentioned when doing the sleeve instead of the bypass something that the sleeve can be just as effective even though the bypass is more aggressive.

Watching this post-sleeve, watching her eat the volumes and types of foods (donuts) she was eating pre-op looked really gross and unappealing. (Thank, God!)

I started at a lower weight than she did and I would never dream of trying to sit on one of those balance balls or on the ground. What a difference being 20 years younger than me makes!

It is heartbreaking how young so many of these patients are who are on this show. Nikki isn't the youngest by far, but she was still really young to have reached over 650 pounds. That is an awful lot of donuts.

It was interesting to see the rate of her weight loss pick up again after she started seeing a therapist and addressing her emotional issues.

I liked the analogy that the therapist used of not being able to look at and address issues until you physically put them down/let them go.

I wanted to slap her sister until they had their talk. I know we only get one side of the story, but to not allow NIKKI to be around her nieces and nephews is outright cruel.

I think her mom has a lot of food issues and is also probably dealing with a lot of stress due to both her son and daughter.

Her dad was sweet if clueless.

I am looking forward to seeing a follow-up on her in a year. I really liked her.

I know it's January and every other advertisement and commercial on TV is about diet or exercise, but still find it jarring to see those commercials on during this show. It just seems so transparent.

Did anyone else watch it? What did you think?

That is what I was going to say @@Inner Surfer Girl - we aren't talking about cosmetic procedures (just look at the stitches he does - nothing cosmetic or pretty about that!). Looks like Dr. Now agrees to do some on people with very serious skin (as you say in the form of masses) so that they can be more active. It's not like a tummy tuck or arm lift - at least not the early stages he is talking about.

I think the main reasons why he refused to do the surgery on Marla was because she refused to walk and was not losing the weight as fast as she thought. I think its so important be as mobile as possible before doing any type of surgery because blood clots are no joke. Hypothetically speaking, if Dr. Now had completed the surgery on Marla when she continously refused to walk into his office (when instead she always had a team of paramedics escort her there and she couldn't even stand long enough to get weighed) as soon as she was post op she would have still refused to walk making her even more suseceptible to blood clots that will instantly kill her. In my mind it makes so much sense why Dr. Now tries to wait as long as possible to do the skin surgery and I commend him for not just being a cash cow and feeding the patients dangerous pipe dreams (just my 2 cent )

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I wonder if there's someplace to watch the show online for free. We don't have cable. Or even a TV. But I've always really wanted to watch it.

There is a TLC app, they may have the episodes there.

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Did you guys notice that Dr Now had said to Marla at one point when he was scolding her "I preformed a very aggressive bypass on you, so you're going to lose weight no matter what. But if you don't start walking, you'll gain it all back"

I was curious what "A very aggressive bypass" was? Did he make the pouch smaller? Or actually perform a DS?

@@Babbs - I did notice that and wondered exactly what he meant.

What I'm missing is that no one seems to have to have their skin surgery approved by their insurance companies.

Cosmetic or medically necessary, an insurance company still has to approve of it, don't they??

We have folks posting here that have lost hundreds of pounds and have documented skin problems and still can't get approved for skin surgery.

What am I missing?

I am not convinced that the people on the show go through insurance. I assume that the production pays for their surgeries as an inducement to let cameras follow them around and film them in the bathroom, etc.

Thank you. That has to be the answer.

Insurance approval is a "thorn" in most WLS folk's path who need skin surgery. I wish the program would go into the pre-approval hoops and jumps that are regularly required, but I guess the program can only cover just so much.

I watch the program --even though I get so exasperated by the "spoiled brat" attitudes that come across. But, I guess that makes good TV. Fatness is not an excuse for some of the behaviors exhibited on the show.

Did you guys notice that Dr Now had said to Marla at one point when he was scolding her "I preformed a very aggressive bypass on you, so you're going to lose weight no matter what. But if you don't start walking, you'll gain it all back"

I was curious what "A very aggressive bypass" was? Did he make the pouch smaller? Or actually perform a DS?

I think he meant "agressive bypass" for someone Marla's size and health (the woman had refused to walk for almost two years). The constant immobility alone would make any wls done her agressive.

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I don't think those patients go through insurance for the WLS and barely any insurance covers skin removal so there would be no need to go through insurance if they don't cover it. (Most folks on this board do plastics as self-pay.) And yes, I think the production (or someone) pays for this. One of them said on one I was watching today that "Dr. Now put us up in an apartment". Unlikely that it was Dr. Now himself but it appears to be the same apartment that many of these patients go to. I don't think I have seen one yet that actually lived in Houston, TX where the show was filmed (before coming to Dr. Now that is). I could be wrong, but it appears many of these folks (if they have insurance) are on medicare,, medicade and/or on disability.

I'm thinking they get paid something for being on the show. Maybe some of that cash puts a dent in the plastics bill. Something has to motivate them to have what they go through filmed, much of the shows them at their worst.

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I second the thought that there is some money involved for exposing their personal life on TV. The move, the apartment, and fairly new vehicles makes me think the production company makes some offer to the participants.

The surgery alone is a big cost, and I do not hear insurance woes or details.

I was glad to see protein and diet come up, as well as mobility . Those seem to be very important to WLS imho .

I watch and there is always something I can relate to!

I never watched this show before my surgery. But now I watch the reruns as I am rowing on my rower. It really motivates me to go a few minutes more. Granted, their starting weight is much more than mine was, but I sometimes hear myself make an excuse I have heard on the show where I may have tsk tske'd them when they said it. It makes me try all the harder to exercise and eat right. It has to be harder on them than me and the participants who follow the plan succeed and those that don't, well, don't.

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I never watched this show before my surgery. But now I watch the reruns as I am rowing on my rower. It really motivates me to go a few minutes more. Granted, their starting weight is much more than mine was, but I sometimes hear myself make an excuse I have heard on the show where I may have tsk tske'd them when they said it. It makes me try all the harder to exercise and eat right. It has to be harder on them than me and the participants who follow the plan succeed and those that don't, well, don't.

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True. Very true. It does provide amazing motivation.

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@goplay94123 - Completely agree re excuses! I have so caught them saying something I said and just shook my head. It was a true reality check that I was lying to myself! I also find myself rooting for these folks (most of them anyway) and realize that must be what it is like for my friends and family each time they see me with time in between and are so shocked but so rooting for me too!

I am particularly interested in this Wednesday's episode as it will document Chay (who now identifies as a woman) and of course Pauline (I am so curious as to what she looks like now).

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