My 600lb life- TV show

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 29, 2021 19:34:06 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Oct 29, 2021 19:24:06 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Was she in the hospital specifically to lose weight or was she there for other health reasons? 

There are lots of medications (some of them in the steroid family) that will pack on water weight gain.   Also - if she was eating 1K calories but what was in the IV drips she was getting - IF she was being treated for something? 


Do we all need a reality check??   To be honest... if she was "dieting" for 8 weeks and losing the general rule of thumb 2 pounds per week - she'd would have only lost 16 to maybe 20 pounds over that time. 

Yet, she lost 50 pounds.    That's 6 pounds per week.    I know the women's magazines at the checkout often tout "Loose 20 pounds in one week! without being hungry!!"  So, it's tempting to think someone that is that heavy should probably loose - what?  2 or 3 pounds per day if they dont' eat   <-- total snark there.   I need sleep.   

I know "heavy people" loose bigger amounts per week than less heavy people when they start their weight loss journey - but really... loosing weight very quickly isn't healthy or good for you either. 

If she was on a 1000 calorie diet, they were trying to get her to lose weight. She was not likely getting enough IV fluid to make a difference.
If she was getting 1000 calories, she was hopefully in negative caloric balance of 1000 calories a day=7000/week. At 3500 calories/ pound, she should lose 2 lbs a week at minimum. She was likely being given medications to help her lose weight as well, so her weight lose was likely greater.

We see all kinds of crazy things in the hospital. They bring in McDonalds, pizza, donuts, for people with diabetes, heart failure, and renal failure. No one gets that big without “help”

You are assuming a normal BMR.

Back in my early research years, I volunteered for a lot of metabolic studies.  It was a good way of earning $$ to supplement my salary.  It also told me a lot about myself.

At the time (I was 25), I was 5’9” and was around 160 lbs.  I had a gym membership and used it.  My calculated BMR was around 1400/day, only about 1/2-2/3 of what it should be, considering my ago and how active I was.  The researcher actually did the study on me 3x because my numbers were so screwy and he got the same results each time (I didn’t mind, each study got me $75).  The study was done measuring labeled expired CO2 where the carbon in the glucose I was given was tagged.  The science behind the study was pretty interesting, the studies were done by Eleuterio Ferrannini, a visiting metabolic scientist from Pisa.  Neat guy.  

Anyway, he told me that I was behind an 8 ball with these results, in that I could expect it to drop as I aged, so to watch it.  It dropped further, I compensated by working out longer which contributed to the demise of my already compromised hips.  I’m kind of kicking myself that I didn’t ask more questions at the time.

[pulmonarymd]

Oct 30, 2021 10:14:25 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Oct 29, 2021 19:34:06 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

If she was on a 1000 calorie diet, they were trying to get her to lose weight. She was not likely getting enough IV fluid to make a difference.
If she was getting 1000 calories, she was hopefully in negative caloric balance of 1000 calories a day=7000/week. At 3500 calories/ pound, she should lose 2 lbs a week at minimum. She was likely being given medications to help her lose weight as well, so her weight lose was likely greater.

We see all kinds of crazy things in the hospital. They bring in McDonalds, pizza, donuts, for people with diabetes, heart failure, and renal failure. No one gets that big without “help”

You are assuming a normal BMR.

Back in my early research years, I volunteered for a lot of metabolic studies.  It was a good way of earning $$ to supplement my salary.  It also told me a lot about myself.

At the time (I was 25), I was 5’9” and was around 160 lbs.  I had a gym membership and used it.  My calculated BMR was around 1400/day, only about 1/2-2/3 of what it should be, considering my ago and how active I was.  The researcher actually did the study on me 3x because my numbers were so screwy and he got the same results each time (I didn’t mind, each study got me $75).  The study was done measuring labeled expired CO2 where the carbon in the glucose I was given was tagged.  The science behind the study was pretty interesting, the studies were done by Eleuterio Ferrannini, a visiting metabolic scientist from Pisa.  Neat guy.  

Anyway, he told me that I was behind an 8 ball with these results, in that I could expect it to drop as I aged, so to watch it.  It dropped further, I compensated by working out longer which contributed to the demise of my already compromised hips.  I’m kind of kicking myself that I didn’t ask more questions at the time.

True, but she was likely getting medications to aid the weight loss too. She was likely getting metformin, phentermine, and possibly other medications to increase BMR, improve insulin sensitivity, and other possible metabolic effects

[nidena]

Oct 30, 2021 10:12:33 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

In hospital hoping she isn’t just lying in bed. Physical therapy should have her up and walking at least 2x day. Even that probably uses a minor number of calories

According to the American Council on Exercise, a 180-pound person burns 9.7 calories each walking minute...extrapolated, she'd be burning ~36 calories for every minute of walking. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 30, 2021 10:35:54 GMT -5 nidena said:

Oct 30, 2021 10:12:33 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

In hospital hoping she isn’t just lying in bed. Physical therapy should have her up and walking at least 2x day. Even that probably uses a minor number of calories

According to the American Council on Exercise, a 180-pound person burns 9.7 calories each walking minute...extrapolated, she'd be burning ~36 calories for every minute of walking. 

Unfortunately, you can’t extrapolate metabolism like this.  It would be nice if you could.  You are assuming a normal metabolism, and this is not normal. 

[nidena]

Oct 30, 2021 10:40:30 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Oct 30, 2021 10:35:54 GMT -5 nidena said:

According to the American Council on Exercise, a 180-pound person burns 9.7 calories each walking minute...extrapolated, she'd be burning ~36 calories for every minute of walking. 

Unfortunately, you can’t extrapolate metabolism like this.  It would be nice if you could.  You are assuming a normal metabolism, and this is not normal. 

Agreed.

[nidena]

Oct 29, 2021 19:34:11 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I know "heavy people" loose bigger amounts per week than less heavy people when they start their weight loss journey - but really... loosing weight very quickly isn't healthy or good for you either. 

And almost never permanent. I think 97% of people who lose weight "quickly" gain back every pound in 5 years - or something like that.

If the "Where Are They Now?" stories for The Biggest Loser are anything to go off of, they do.  Unless they are supremely diligent about their food intake and work out to the extent they did in the controlled environment.

[pulmonarymd]

90% of people regain the weight they lost. Long term success is rare. One of the reasons bariatric surgery rates have soared. Long term success is much more common after surgery. Reversal of diabetes, improved blood pressure control, improvement in sleep apnea are all proven benefits of surgery. The goal for these who are so overweight would be a 10-20% weight loss initially, then bariatric surgery for more permanent weight loss.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Oct 30, 2021 17:49:42 GMT -5 nidena said:

Oct 29, 2021 19:34:11 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

And almost never permanent. I think 97% of people who lose weight "quickly" gain back every pound in 5 years - or something like that.

If the "Where Are They Now?" stories for The Biggest Loser are anything to go off of, they do.  Unless they are supremely diligent about their food intake and work out to the extent they did in the controlled environment.

I imagine TLC does not pay for the gym memberships and counseling and all the other things needed to prevent relapse.

And you got to think about their support network. If the enablers aren't taught not to enable and the patients don't have another support network relapse is pretty much a given.

I imagine food addiction is really hard because we need food to live.

[jelloshots4all]

Oct 29, 2021 19:24:06 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Oct 29, 2021 9:32:36 GMT -5 Opti said:

Her body probably went into starvation mode and resisted losing body weight. 

Was she in the hospital specifically to lose weight or was she there for other health reasons? 

There are lots of medications (some of them in the steroid family) that will pack on water weight gain.   Also - if she was eating 1K calories but what was in the IV drips she was getting - IF she was being treated for something? 


Do we all need a reality check??   To be honest... if she was "dieting" for 8 weeks and losing the general rule of thumb 2 pounds per week - she'd would have only lost 16 to maybe 20 pounds over that time. 

Yet, she lost 50 pounds.    That's 6 pounds per week.    I know the women's magazines at the checkout often tout "Loose 20 pounds in one week! without being hungry!!"  So, it's tempting to think someone that is that heavy should probably loose - what?  2 or 3 pounds per day if they dont' eat   <-- total snark there.   I need sleep.   

I know "heavy people" loose bigger amounts per week than less heavy people when they start their weight loss journey - but really... loosing weight very quickly isn't healthy or good for you either. 

In a hospital.  And I disagree.

When you weigh 778lbs That's not normal and you should lose more weight than the average person.  10lbs a week at LEAST!

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

One of my childhood bffs was huge like this. She was 220lbs and 5’3” when we were in fifth grade (we went to camp together and both got physicals for we knew the numbers). Our senior year of high school she was 460 lbs (I think she is about 5’11” as an adult).

She was a sweet girl but had a huge victim mentality and that bled into everything in her life. Her mom always said nothing was ever her fault and gave her food when she was upset so she just got bigger and bigger. She was lazy and would skip school because she didn’t want to get out of bed. Then, it was the schools fault she didn’t graduate from eighth grade or high school (according to her mom, the school should have found a way to get her out of bed and into school, even when mom was calling in and excusing her absences).

We ended up not being friends anymore because she was breaking my things at that weight ( when she was 460, she damaged furniture and my car. I still wanted to be friends but couldn’t afford to cart her around in my car. Once I wasn’t willing to be her taxi anymore, she called me a lot of nasty names and that was it).

Sadly, it hasn’t gotten better. She is now in her 40s and has had a gastric bypass at least once. She’s never worked and lives off of SSI. She was mad when they reduced her ssi because she got married. She feels entitled to free money just because. She has asthma because she smokes but blames all her breathing issues on the asthma (she never had asthma until she started smoking in high school). Between the smoking and the weight, her lungs are doing a lot of work.

The worst part was that it could have all been avoided. When she was in like 1st grade, she was seeing a doctor because she was bigger. He told her mom that the problem was mom and how she gives her food when she was upset and is teaching her to be a victim that eats her feelings. Mom called him a quack and said he was incompetent;this was her mom’s version of the story). Well, 35 years later, here we are.

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

I think my ex BFF got to 650 in her 20s. That was what mutual friends said... I never asked her directly

[nidena]

Even if you don't have mental health issues, it's very easy to gain weight, that's for sure.  My last PT test for the military was in Dec 2015.  I had surgery in Jan 2016 and then went on a 2.5 month road trip across the country from April to June 2016.  Lots of sitting and eating gas station food.  Then, I started school.  More sitting.  Even when school was done in 2019 and I worked a ton of hours at my retail job all that did was plateau everything.  Fall of 2019 added increased my level of sedentary when I moved to a place that was miles from anything to do so there was no walking around and then moved to my current location six weeks before the world shut down.

In six years, I've added 40lbs to my frame and it wasn't due to any changes in eating.  It was because I went from working out often enough to pass a PT test to much, much, MUCH less activity once I retired.  I'm sure if I ate as much as I actually wanted to or if I ate grains, the weight gain would have been much more.  

I mean, how many people's eating is made up of cereal, bagels, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, cookies, cakes, crackers, deep-fried and breaded whatever, and on and on.  Add in a life so sedentary that the only movement is to/from the bathroom, to/from the kitchen, and to/from the bedroom and there's an extra few hundred pounds in a very short time.

[countrygirl2]

I am worried once I lose the weight what will happen. On my own, I would be fine, but cooking for 2 other people, its hard.

Hubs is forever wanting cakes, I bought fresh pineapple and he said it would be better under a pineapple upside down cake. Well sure it would, I told him, eat the pineapple with no sugar, it was sweet and forget the cake. It's harder for DD as she loves that stuff too. As I said before she is down 60 and has some to go, I'm only down 19 as of today, but only been a couple of months. Kept telling myself I was only 20 to 30 pounds overweight, well no, more like 45!! I want to get to 150. I was 5'9 1/4", but now think I'm 5'7 1/2" because of my fallen feet and spine so that's a middle range. My BMI chart says 122 to 164 and that will be hard to maintain I think. But I'm sure going to give it the old college try. Hubs is 5'11" and weighs 235? He stepped on the scales today holding some heavy tools being silly, it said 241, but not so. Still he needs to lose too and quite a lot.

He says you need to cook different, I said what can I cook for you that you will eat? DD and I can do steamed veggies of all kinds, baked chicken, fish, and be fine. He wants steak, cheeseburgers, fried potatoes, mac and potato salads, cakes, cookies and on and on.

I said you don't like fish, chicken, broccoli, or any stuff that isn't fattening, well I know. HE IS the one THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE HIS EATING habits. Everything he likes is starch and carbs. So I'm not sure what to cook for him. He works hard so is hungry. He will eat almost all that pizza tonight. He does drink tons of water, DD and I now have ice water with dinner.

It is very difficult to change cooking habits you grew up with, and very hard to just eat less. He said all you guys are doing is eating less, I said well it works and we still eat what we are used to. He could do the same. He lost 100 pounds working in Africa where what he could eat was limited.

[Opti]

This thread has been bad for me. I've watched a bunch of episodes online. It still amazes me that regular sized people  enable someone to eat that much. Some of the meals they give them really bother me. 

[Deleted]

Oct 31, 2021 8:35:19 GMT -5 nidena said:

I mean, how many people's eating is made up of cereal, bagels, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, cookies, cakes, crackers, deep-fried and breaded whatever, and on and on.  Add in a life so sedentary that the only movement is to/from the bathroom, to/from the kitchen, and to/from the bedroom and there's an extra few hundred pounds in a very short time.

Yep. BF is teddy-bear shaped (but nowhere near 600 lbs.) and he likes biscuits and gravy, rice and beans, all kinds of processed foods.  On a road trip we stopped at a grocery store for snacks for the trip home and he bought a bag of Pecan Sandies.  I cheerfully ordered him not to offer me any.  By the time we got home (6 hours later?) he'd eaten most of the bag.

And the recipes my friends post on FB!  Sour cream, cream cheese, bacon, Cool Whip, crushed candy bars, butter, sausage... I think every recipe posted on FB must contain at least 3 of those ingredients.

And that feeds into the inactivity.  Excess weight means it's harder to move, your knees and back and shoulders hurt, so you stay on the couch.

I do watch this show when I'm in a hotel with cable programming and it's on that night.  It's pretty horrifying and I do feel bad for the people whose brains are wired to eat for comfort, to relieve stress, because there's nothing else in their lives that makes them happy.  Dieting and surgery aren't enough.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Oct 31, 2021 8:35:19 GMT -5 nidena said:

I mean, how many people's eating is made up of cereal, bagels, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, cookies, cakes, crackers, deep-fried and breaded whatever, and on and on.  Add in a life so sedentary that the only movement is to/from the bathroom, to/from the kitchen, and to/from the bedroom and there's an extra few hundred pounds in a very short time.

You forgot ice cream <MPL points out while downing a big bowl>

I have serious bad eating habits which is why I'm hoping this intermittent fasting helps.  At least I'll only be eating crap a few hours a day!   

[nidena]

Nov 2, 2021 19:37:07 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Oct 31, 2021 8:35:19 GMT -5 nidena said:

I mean, how many people's eating is made up of cereal, bagels, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, cookies, cakes, crackers, deep-fried and breaded whatever, and on and on.  Add in a life so sedentary that the only movement is to/from the bathroom, to/from the kitchen, and to/from the bedroom and there's an extra few hundred pounds in a very short time.

You forgot ice cream <MPL points out while downing a big bowl>

I have serious bad eating habits which is why I'm hoping this intermittent fasting helps.  At least I'll only be eating crap a few hours a day!   

Actually, I didn't.  Everything I listed is a grain or is covered in a grain product like flour.

[movingforward]

Nov 2, 2021 19:37:07 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Oct 31, 2021 8:35:19 GMT -5 nidena said:

I mean, how many people's eating is made up of cereal, bagels, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, cookies, cakes, crackers, deep-fried and breaded whatever, and on and on.  Add in a life so sedentary that the only movement is to/from the bathroom, to/from the kitchen, and to/from the bedroom and there's an extra few hundred pounds in a very short time.

You forgot ice cream <MPL points out while downing a big bowl>

I have serious bad eating habits which is why I'm hoping this intermittent fasting helps.  At least I'll only be eating crap a few hours a day!   

My eating habits aren't great either. I started intermittent fasting a couple of months ago. It seems to work pretty well for me. I only eat between 9am-5pm. I started gaining a few pounds once I hit my mid 40's. Not a ton (about 7-8 pounds), but absolutely could not take it off. I enjoy exercising so in my younger years I could pretty much eat anything and burn off the calories. Now, not so much...my body has slowed down. I walk instead of run, kickboxing has turned into low impact Zumba, etc. My metabolism isn't what it used to be.

Anyway, when I went in for a physical a few months ago the doctor said it is actually healthy to gain a small amount of weight in middle age. One just needs to make sure it actually is only a few pounds and doesn't start to border on obesity. So since I don't fall into the obesity category, I decided I am okay with maintaining my current weight. The intermittent fasting seems to accomplish that and I don't feel deprived. I tried low carb and it just doesn't work for me. This is something I can stick with.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Nov 3, 2021 17:17:47 GMT -5 movingforward said:

Nov 2, 2021 19:37:07 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

You forgot ice cream <MPL points out while downing a big bowl>

I have serious bad eating habits which is why I'm hoping this intermittent fasting helps.  At least I'll only be eating crap a few hours a day!   

My eating habits aren't great either. I started intermittent fasting a couple of months ago. It seems to work pretty well for me. I only eat between 9am-5pm. I started gaining a few pounds once I hit my mid 40's. Not a ton (about 7-8 pounds), but absolutely could not take it off. I enjoy exercising so in my younger years I could pretty much eat anything and burn off the calories. Now, not so much...my body has slowed down. I walk instead of run, kickboxing has turned into low impact Zumba, etc. My metabolism isn't what it used to be.

Anyway, when I went in for a physical a few months ago the doctor said it is actually healthy to gain a small amount of weight in middle age. One just needs to make sure it actually is only a few pounds and doesn't start to border on obesity. So since I don't fall into the obesity category, I decided I am okay with maintaining my current weight. The intermittent fasting seems to accomplish that and I don't feel deprived. I tried low carb and it just doesn't work for me. This is something I can stick with.

I put on like 40 pounds in the past 6 or 7 years.      Also, fasting glucose levels have been creeping up at my last couple exams.  So basically, I'm technically obese and borderline pre-diabetic.  Yay me.  Tomorrow marks 4 weeks of IF for me and I'm down 6 pounds.  Pretty happy with that number as it hasn't been that difficult at all...meaning I can keep it up.  

[saveinla]

For people who are eating only from 9-5, dont you drink coffee when you get up or does that not count?

[minnesotapaintlady]

Nov 3, 2021 21:21:49 GMT -5 saveinla said:

For people who are eating only from 9-5, dont you drink coffee when you get up or does that not count?

You can drink black coffee, water or tea (not sweet tea).  

I personally hate coffee, and just drank Diet Pepsi before, so that's been the worst part.  I'm trying to get used to water, but so far not drinking much of it. 

[nidena]

Nov 3, 2021 21:30:08 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Nov 3, 2021 21:21:49 GMT -5 saveinla said:

For people who are eating only from 9-5, dont you drink coffee when you get up or does that not count?

You can drink black coffee, water or tea (not sweet tea).  

I personally hate coffee, and just drank Diet Pepsi before, so that's been the worst part.  I'm trying to get used to water, but so far not drinking much of it. 

I drink more water now that I'm taking so many vitamins but I can't drink it plain.  I add lemon juice to it.  Maybe 1/2 an ounce with a 16-20 oz of water in the morning and in the evening when I take my 10+ vitamins.  I also track it with my fitness tracker and seeing the # go up to 7+ cups each day is motivation.

[weltschmerz]

Nov 2, 2021 8:09:57 GMT -5 Opti said:

This thread has been bad for me. I've watched a bunch of episodes online. It still amazes me that regular sized people  enable someone to eat that much. Some of the meals they give them really bother me. 

There is often 'secondary gain' with the enablers. A husband may not want his wife to look too attractive, so he keeps feeding her.
A mother doesn't want her child fleeing the nest, so she keeps feeding her.
Then there's guilt. 'I didn't know you were being abused, so I did nothing to stop it. Now I'll feed you to make you happy.'

I'm surprised family therapy isn't prescribed more often.

[happyhoix]

Oct 30, 2021 18:10:09 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Oct 30, 2021 17:49:42 GMT -5 nidena said:

If the "Where Are They Now?" stories for The Biggest Loser are anything to go off of, they do.  Unless they are supremely diligent about their food intake and work out to the extent they did in the controlled environment.

I imagine TLC does not pay for the gym memberships and counseling and all the other things needed to prevent relapse.

And you got to think about their support network. If the enablers aren't taught not to enable and the patients don't have another support network relapse is pretty much a given.

I imagine food addiction is really hard because we need food to live.

I read somewhere that those quick weight loss programs really mess with your metabolism- after they lose all that weight, they need to eat no more than 800 to 1000 calories a day and keep up with the intense work outs. That’s going to be very tough to stick with for the rest of your life. You’d feel starved all the time.

[Deleted]

I just watched an episode where Dr. Now cut a patient off the program because in 6-7 months she hasn't lost weight, she has gained weight.  Her boyfriend is her enabler because she cuts off sex if he doesn't bring her pizza and junk.  Dr. Now said he will sign off on her getting continued psychotherapy and physical therapy, and he'll accept her back into the program if she loses at least 50 lbs.  I seriously doubt that will happen as she was completely dishonest with the therapist they sent to see her, and she kept telling Dr. Now that no one understands her stress and anxiety levels.