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?

RIght? I mean why would that guy go from MI to Austin, TX for surgeons who clearly are not experts as this? And did you just see his stomach which he said is swelling? That looked very odd to me....

They don't make them wear compression garments. They aren't getting massages. They basically do none of the post of care people are supposed to have.

He went because it was free, but this show is like the embodiment of there is no free lunch.

The woman had better results than most on this show. But again sub par.

Another heartbreaking My 600 Pound Life.

I am still not watching the Skin Tight portion although the DVR forces me to tape them both as it lists them as one episode. I wonder if they do that to get ratings. It seems if someone wanted to watch Skin Tight they would have difficulty finding it.

Anyway, some random thoughts on Dottie's episode:

Another person who needs some serious counseling and therapy. She is very good at projecting a positive facade. But it was very, very thin.

I am shocked that she was able to safely deliver any children at her weight. When I saw the one year old I first thought that maybe he wasn't her biological child.

I don't know anything about Cerebal Palsey. Could her weight have been a contributing factor?

She was so focused on "being there for her children" and "taking care of her children'" and "being a good mother" that she couldn't see her addiction was giving her the exact opposite results. My heart broke when she talked about always being there for her children unlike her mother but couldn't see that she wasn't there for her children because she had built such a massive barrier.

She has obviously never learned anything: from nutrition, boundaries, or how to manage stress. Caring for a disabled child is one of those things (like WLS) in my opinion, where you HAVE to learn to ask for and be able to receive help.

Her husband seemed sweet but really clueless, too.

The first time when she left Dr. Now's office and she was worried about who would care for her son and then the next scene was in a children's hospital in Memphis, my first thought was that they were there so he could receive care while she was admitted to the hospital. I know it would have been hard to leave him there, but to me that would have been a perfect solution. At the very least she could have arranged with Dr. Now to be admitted to a hospital in Memphis for the supervised diet.

In some ways Dottie seemed relatively bright and capable and in other's she seemed really ignorant. Especially when it came to nutrition. I really hope she learns to accept help, especially from a therapist.

The interaction with her sister was heartbreaking. I have had the exact same conversations with my sisters. They don't understand. But, that doesn't mean they don't care.

From a post-WLS perspective, it was extremely difficult to watch her eat such large portions (large bites without chewing, etc.). Even her interpretation of the "lose 40-pounds in two month" diet was insane. I saw myself in her and also saw myself from a non-obese person's perspective. It was uncomfortable and sobering.

The fact that she thought it was ok to feed her kids junk was baffling. It seems that with her son's disability she would have received more training/education in childhood nutrition. Especially, when one relied on a feeding tube.

This episode was so full of issues and they only made it to one or two month's post-op. I really hope to see a big change when and if they do a follow-up.

Oh wow. Someone who lost weight from bariatric surgery on Skin Tight!

And she went to Dr. Now...not the others who would always make those remarks "right way". I'd like to think it's a coincidence.

Well the lady from tonight's skin tight actually looked good after hers was done. Probably the best I've seen on there so far.

I agree - her results looked very good. I just wish we could have seen how her thighs turned out (unclothed). They looked great in clothing!

I also want to add that it's the first time that I've seen any of them tell the patient to lose more weight before the skin surgery. And she DID it. That was awesome and I think went a long way towards the results she got.

Edited February 4, 201610 yr by amazon

@@reree6898 & @@Babbs - I was thinking the same thing about the results! Well at least on the girl. Not as much on the guy. Those surgeons definitely need to work on contouring / sculpting.

...and again...where do guys nipples go!

I'm watching it now. I have watched in the past and it frustrates me. 1) I just don't like Dr. Now. I think he is very cold and matter-of-fact without really understanding. And I HOPE that they actually see a NUT and a therapist, but they don't show that part. 2) Some of the people frustrate me to no end. So far (only small way through), I like Nikki. That episode with Penny made me want to throw things at the TV

Sometimes I feel guilty watching it. I just feel like it really exploits instead of uplifts.

I do want to see the Skin Tight show...

Having been a nurse for 23 yrs, I totally get Dr. Now. He tells it like it is...because these people need to hear it! They will lie to you to your face, just like Dottie did last night. "I don't know how I didn't lose. I haven't cheated...I didn't over eat, I ate everything I was supposed to!" ... as we watched her eat those chips with supper and wash it down with a coke. He's not a dummy. He hasn't done this many surgeries to listen to lies. He knows what a person's body goes through during these procedures and it's his way of making or breaking them. You either man up and do what you were told to do for the program or get out. Yes, it's blunt, but trust me....you see through the BS and after awhile, tell it like it is.

I'm watching it now. I have watched in the past and it frustrates me. 1) I just don't like Dr. Now. I think he is very cold and matter-of-fact without really understanding. And I HOPE that they actually see a NUT and a therapist, but they don't show that part. 2) Some of the people frustrate me to no end. So far (only small way through), I like Nikki. That episode with Penny made me want to throw things at the TV

Sometimes I feel guilty watching it. I just feel like it really exploits instead of uplifts.

I do want to see the Skin Tight show...

Having been a nurse for 23 yrs, I totally get Dr. Now. He tells it like it is...because these people need to hear it! They will lie to you to your face, just like Dottie did last night. "I don't know how I didn't lose. I haven't cheated...I didn't over eat, I ate everything I was supposed to!" ... as we watched her eat those chips with supper and wash it down with a coke. He's not a dummy. He hasn't done this many surgeries to listen to lies. He knows what a person's body goes through during these procedures and it's his way of making or breaking them. You either man up and do what you were told to do for the program or get out. Yes, it's blunt, but trust me....you see through the BS and after awhile, tell it like it is.

So...folks lie to the people who are there to help them and to themselves. Explain to me again, why food is not considered an addiction the way alcohol and drugs are. (she says, dripping sarcasm)

AMEN!!!!

Dottie from 600lb life ...

I honestly sat and watched her with my jaw hanging open ... Then with tears in my eyes ... I could totally see her keeping the wall around her built with food ...

I agree with @@Inner Surfer Girl 100% ... she kept saying she wanted to be there for her kids .... but honestly ... all she was doing was making sure she wasn't there for them ... she was slowly killing herself ...

Im not sure why this season they aren't showing more of the after surgery ... way too much of the before IMO ...

I want more updates!!!

I got home last night and watched both episodes. I really wish we could see a two year journey for some of them, I hate waiting for update shows. As far as skin tight, I think the woman looked great. The guy looked okay but again with the chest! The nipples just look out of place on each guy. Maybe it's because I don't look at men's nipples that I don't really know where they should be. lol

@@Inner Surfer Girl

I thought about Dottie being so adamant about being there for her kids. Yeah, we all know her lamenting about not being there every second with her kids is silly because she was killing herself with food anyway, but obviously she has some MAJOR abandonment issues after what her mother did to her. She was so worried about doing to her kids what her mom did to her, she couldn't even be rational.

I really feel for her and hope she gets the help she needs to deal with her issues. I really hope she continues to lose weight, too. Those poor kids need their momma.

I am just now watching the episode on Dottie. I am so surprised I haven't start to cry. It is only 8 minutes into the show and boy can I identify with her addiction, the hiding of food and the sneaking of girl scout Cookies. Laying down the back of the seat in the car. The way the people were staring at her on that cart. Her hips got stuck going out the grocery store door while on the scooter. sleeping in the chair. Oh my!! All that I did and happened to me when I was at my biggest 497. I don't know how she can take care of those 2 children. I hope the outcome is fantastic for her.

I'm finally watching this episode with Derek. That is one tree I would love to climb. His face is everything. I wouldn't mind the skin. Those nipples are like 4 inches apart though. Why?!?!?!?

Lindsey's body is a disaster. Why are their closing stitches always so terrible. I knew they would suck at dark skin too and I wasn't disappointed.

Another episode not a compression garment in sight.

Lindsey regained comfort eating while recovering. And they never show them after surgery in their underwear but they don't mind fat shaming people in their undies to start the show.

Her arms don't look better and that hour glass shape they promised doesn't exist. She is still covered in a lot of fat. She will have to wear shapewear or jiggle everywhere.

This show enrages me.

I don't date cops or security guards but Derek, I will make an exception.

Tonight's episode sounds interesting!

https://apple.news/ANCj61mYSTXSWs0ceVeOJyw

I saw this episode last night. Her using the children as the reason for her overeating was getting annoying. Didn't mean she didn't believe it, but it was annoying none the less. I liked that Dr. Now didn't let her squirm away from the truth. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. No one gets that size just because they like to eat. There is something else going on and the overeating is just the result of whatever folks can't deal with. It's not always a horror story like abuse...sometimes it's just a coping mechanism that unfortunately, everyone can tell we suffer from because of how it impacts our bodies.

I say this as one of the morbidly obese. I wasn't 600 lbs. but close to 300 lbs. in a small framed person. I had as difficult a time with my mobility as Dottie and so many others on this show have. Yet, I still needed surgery to help me with my addiction.