I am aware that I did not share the details of the interview with 20/20 this week in my previous post about the show. I wasn't purposely keeping anything from you, in fact I wished I had documented the process as it happened, but I only had a phone and it happened so. very. fast.
Continue reading "20/20 Interview Confessions" »
It would not be the first time. I kid, because I don't think I've ever flashed my Slimpressions on TV before.
I head to New York City tomorrow to meet with ABC's 20/20 for an interview regarding things somewhat unknown to me about All Things Weight Loss Surgery.
Hold me.
What does one do in situations like this? I mean, I got the itinerary yesterday. MM get in a car and go to the airport and meet your driver and OMG. WHAT DO I DO? First! RAISE $3900 for the OAC! THEN!
SHOP. I had about two minutes to find something to wear, and zero clue of how to dress for such an occasion.
If you ever want to get advice from everyone -- mention that you might be on national TV.
Add other people's idea of What Works On TV Because We Know these things to my own clothing quirks, and that rules out nearly everything you find in a store. I had one afternoon (about two hours with two very tired and children, one who cried the whole time...) to find an outfit, and little funds.
I stopped just short of crying in the middle of Macy's. I DID GOOD, I didn't lose my composure!
You see, my local mall has very few shopping options, and I have many clothing quirks.
This might turn out being part of the interview -- the trouble with EXCESS SKIN AND ALL THAT IS LEFT AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO LIVE IN YOUR SKIN, FOR-EVER. Let it be known, not everybody gets to have plastic surgery. Sometimes you have to keep your extra bits. This was only solidified in my afternoon shopping trip that left me with yet another black dress.
Forgive me, fashionable women of the internets, I can't handle colors, short sleeves, short dresses or anything that allows the non-use of Slimpressions because I. will. be. wearing. them. I will be wearing a black 3/4 length sleeved belted dress with a Slimpressions The-Have-Nots and Slimpressions bottoms with Spanx tights. Because I can. And, given the state of my post weight loss and post baby body at 8 years and 1 month post weight loss surgery, I need to.
And if the Slimpressions don't make me feel super, the shoes might help -
Posted at 08:38 PM in Body Image, Superficial., Support Groups, Surgical Weight Loss Methods., Television, Travel | Permalink
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Posted at 08:18 AM in Celebrity, Celebrity Weight Loss., Television | Permalink
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I promised I wouldn't say a word about Paula Deen, diabetes and weight loss.
So I won't say it. I'm not saying it.
Nope. Nope. Nope.
And, you aren't searching for it either.
Nope. But!
"I've dropped two pant sizes and I feel great!" Deen, 65, tells PEOPLE. Her new healthier regime includes walking 30 minutes every day â and now having portions half the size of those she used to eat.
Nope. Not saying it. But, I did make a bet.
Posted at 01:02 PM in Television | Permalink
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On last night's Intervention -- Julie.
A gorgeous 40 year old mother of two, who happens to to be about seven to eight years post gastric bypass postop. She also, happens to have a little big problem in her smaller body.
"Julie often turned to food and alcohol to find comfort in tough times. She had gastric bypass surgery when her weight ballooned, but now she spends her son's child support money."
On alcohol, a lot of alcohol. You see...
First thing you must note, Julie started drinking at six months post surgery.
This is extraordinarily dangerous. Your surgeon told you to be careful for a reason.
Alcohol + early gastric bypass = possible brain damage and Wernicke's encephalopathy. Wernicke's can occur even without the aid of drinking heavily, do not help it along.
Gastric bypass triggers impaired vitamin intake in the best of situations, and pairing this with alcohol abuse can increase the risks of things like thiamine or Vitamin B1 deficiency. Typical people have a hard enough time metabolizing, removing nutrient intake and adding alcohol is a very bad idea. Don't do it. Don't take advice from internet peoples, but don't do it.
Also note that alcohol really messes you UP post op -
If you aren't one of the gastric-ally enhanced like your super enhanced *sarcasm* blogger here, let me explain something to you:
Alcohol is a different beast with a short gut. Your mileage may and should and will vary, but for most of us, alcohol hits our systems FAST, HARD and feels like it leaves just as quick, even if it doesn't - - which can lead "us" to drink more.
It can be a sick cycle, and the longer I live with my own super enhanced system, the more I realize how much it's all quite interconnected. (Hello, carbohydrates, let's get shitfaced!) I'm not an expert in any way, I just live with it, watch others deal -- and read about it daily. (And, damn it if my opinions aren't changing.)
I'm not really blogging about Julie here, you see. I feel like I/we can't judge. Because, you know what, she is any one of us. It would not take much to jump on that slip and slide of transfer addictionfor any of us, and who are we to judge that? (As I sat with my heavily buttered toast and ATE FOOD during this episode, right?)
Transfer addiction can hit ANY OF US if we aren't dealing with our triggers...
...To over eat, drink, compulsively shop, gamble, ludicrous hobbies that suck up ALL time and money, taking off to do stupid shit, (Yes, I Am Talking About You, CUT IT OUT, what you're doing is totally destructive though you don't see it, and you probably won't see this anyway...) overusing the internet *coughIknow,* obsessions, sex addictions, etc...so forth, so on and yadda yadda yadda, this list, really has NO END... And, we all know someone who has a problem. And, yeah.
My Name Is Beth And I Am Addicted To Caffeine, Simple Carbohydrates And Online Gratification Via Instant Results Via ADHD Brain With A Side Order of Seizure Disorder.
Also: who's to say what addictions and compulsions are truly destructive vs. not? I mean? Sure, I use the net too much, but... what if I was knitting so much that my house was full of yarn? <g> There are things to consider here. Also: addicts will rationalize everything to make their addictions seem okay for THEM. *beam* Am I NOT right?Any of us who ever used food to deal with emotional reasons or anxiety is at risk to transfer to something else, or continually cycle back to heavily buttered carbs. We substitute WHAT-EVER we can to get the same effect in our BRAINS. It's just a cycle of fail until we can fix what's broken to begin with! If you have ever said, "As soon as I lose the weight, things will be better -" that's a sign that they won't. Start working on it yesterday.
Also - I must mention it. I notice the chatter - "OMG HOW MUCH WEIGHTED DID SHE GAINED?!"
The woman was on Intervention because she's drinking herself to death. Her weight regain is of zero importance. Priorities: #1 - Live. #2 - Stay Alive.
At the close of Intervention last night, we were told that Julie is attending AA and was sober as of September. I wish her the very, very best.
Are you out there, Julie?
PS. The realization that the individuals on these shows WATCH themselves on TV and how does THAT feel? *thud*
I realized why I dig this show, just as it came to an end last night. It figures. You have to understand, I don't "do" weight loss shows. Typical weight loss makeover programs make me want to throw things while I count the product placements and analyze the commercials. I can't deal, here have some Extra gum with me?
On My 600 LB Life, the weight loss surgery patients followed a similar time line as I did. I had the same surgery, in the same year. It's likely we had similar education and similar support options, aside from the whole "you're on a documentary" part.
The patients featured on the program start with much more difficult situations than I could ever imagine, but I am left wondering about them. I apparently GET IT at some level and I'm wondering way too much about their current situations...
The show glazes over and skips integral parts of the post-op process. Any of us know that we're missing about 99% of the story here. However, the bits and pieces we do see give us a glimpse of "whys..." It would be much more responsible to show more of each patient's realistic post op experience. There's so much we don't know, don't see, and there's seven years of a few minutes of footage here.
The show feels a lot like a post op check up. Quick and not thorough enough. That said, it's already over.
I'm sure that people like me, peers, are looking way too closely at it because we have lived it. We are waiting to see details about the "whys" -- and the general viewership probably doesn't care -- according to the comments on Twitter this morning -- they just want to be jerks.
I just want to find Ashley, you know?
HuffPo's Review of Ashley's Episode -
Her mother, who is overweight herself, was inexplicably cruel and teasing to Ashley, even as she appeared to be on hand to support her daughter. It was a dynamic and a relationship that was very difficult to understand, but it was very clear that her mother's cruelty hurt Ashley. It may well have helped lead her to the dark place that saw her put on so much weight in the first place.
The episode chronicled her seven-year journey toward a healthier life and body, including multiple skin removal surgeries along the way. But even at 500+ pounds, Ashley started dreaming of getting back to one of her childhood passions. As a girl, she'd played softball, until it became too physically exhausting for her to do so.
Once she'd managed to shed most of those excess pounds, she signed up to coach softball to be close to the sport that had brought her so much joy. She shared her story with the kids on her team, serving as inspiration that anything is possible and it's never too late to take the reigns of one's life. Her ultimate dream is to own a childcare facility where she can maybe reach out to those struggling kids like she was and provide a helping hand before they find themselves living their own 600 pound lives.
Posted at 08:09 AM in Surgical Weight Loss Methods., Television, Weight Loss Peers., WLS Success Stories., WLS Support | Permalink
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NSFW or Kids
I warned you, as I am laughing my ass off. By the way, I think I found my future, brainstorming ideas for episodes like this, as I totally called it before it happened. And with who.
I share with you -- the South Park Food Porn episode. BAHAHAHAHAHA. (Yes, I am immature, but.. watch it and tell me YOU haven't... uh...)
Posted at 12:32 PM in Television | Permalink
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While I don't normally watch "weight loss" shows, I tuned in to My 600 Pound Life on TLC last night. In fact, I recorded it. *See this post for her "after.."
Why this program, and not others? For one - My 600 Pound Life features super morbidly obese persons whom lose weight via surgery. And? I was also a super morbidly obese woman, who lost weight with the aid of a surgical procedure. Regardless of size difference, there IS a level of complete understanding of the process.
"TLC's My 600-lb Life follows four individuals--Melissa, Donald, Henry, and Ashley--over the course of seven years as they struggle to go from weighing over 600 lbs. to being at their ideal weight. Their journeys begin with gastric bypass surgery, which allows them to start losing weight."
Melissa, the 31-year-old woman featured last night, had much more weight to lose than I can even fathom carrying on my body. I said to my husband -
"That's like me -- at my highest weight -- carrying you at your highest weight -- on my back."
I cannot even begin to describe what it might feel like to be 600 lbs or better. Dealing with 600 lbs of body is beyond my understanding -- but somehow -- I still get it. Also, she had the same surgery as I did, the gastric bypass. She also had surgery around the same time my husband and I both did more than seven years ago.
Prior to her surgery, the video clips were heartbreaking. I am sure she was a full on spectacle just going to the grocery store with a cameraman. I know it was a TV show, and it was supposed to be dramatic, but being 600 pounds brings the drama.
Itâs true -- people ARE cruel, people DO stare, people DO say things. I can remember back in the early 2000âs when I had two small toddlers at home, my next-door neighbor would casually walk by and call me a cow, and âmooâ at ME. And, I was âonlyâ 320 pounds. âOnlyâ 320 pounds and taking care of my personal business â which when you are morbidly obese â apparently becomes everybody ELSES business. My husband was taunted at work about his size, he was âonlyâ 375 lbs, and he was pushed so far that we ended up in a weight loss surgery seminar. (Thatâs how all of this began!)
Why does a random onlooker give a single gram of fuck about you taking care of your home, your children, or your grocery shopping at the store? Morbidly obese people immediately become a sideshow at times. You might recall what it feels like to be stared at in the aisles of the grocery store â or to have your cart analyzed by other shoppers. Have you ever been to the store while shopping with your overweight spouse â or GASP! â What if you have overweight children? Your grocery cart choices are somehow â PUBLIC DOMAIN. âCan you believe that fatty is buying frozen dinners? Doesnât she care about her kids?â I would gather that many of us have been there. You want to fall into a hole in the floor, just like Melissa on My 600 Pound Life described.
Maybe thatâs why I can empathize â I have been there too?
Later, as sheâs losing weight dramatically and dealing with some of her food demons, I had the urge to climb through the screen and had to realize that it was filmed many years ago.
Watching the plastic surgery for her massive skin excesses is something I have not dealt with firsthand, but I watched as my mother in law had numerous skin-removal procedures and plastic reconstructive surgeries and failed to heal properly like Melissa. I also played nurse for my husband who had a panniculectomy and thighplasty with smooth sailing and quick healing. Admittedly, my mother in lawâs plastics horror story has scared me away from having my own procedures done. Watching Melissa on the show just brought back the drama of broken plastics. But, itâs real, it can happen.
And then, Melissa hits her low weight post-surgery.
You can FEEL her BOUNCING OFF THE SCREEN in the true post-massive weight loss honeymoon stage. She is in a word that I LOATHE: âUh-MAAAAAAZING.â Sheâs got on colors and form-fitting clothes, and sheâs working for the bariatric surgeon! Life is wonderful and we love our newness!
The Consumer Guide To Bariatric Surgery says, âAfter years of fighting the battle of the bulge unsuccessfully, this dramatic weight loss may also be quite energizing and empowering. It is often called the âhoneymoon phase.â You may feel that the battle has been won forever. This can set you up for depression down the road if you do regain weight. What further complicates this is that those who experience weight regain after bariatric surgery often feel shame and humiliation, preventing them from seeking professional help for their depression.â
For someone like Melissa who had not just 100 excess pounds to lose but, more than 450? Her honeymoon period was likely exaggerated â perhaps sheâs got what many of us HAD â but times three. You can feel her happiness â and absolutely expect a crash later on.
And, crash she did. A few times. I can relate to a lot of it.
It happens, bodies get tired, overworked and sometimes malnourished, and brains often get overwhelmed. Weight loss cannot fix what's in our heads.
PubMed -
"The anatomic and physiological changes resulting from bariatric surgery can affect both nutrition and psychological attitudes. Modifications of the gastrointestinal tract lead to a diminished ability to absorb nutrients, electrolytes, and bile salts, as well as deficiencies in iron, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals. Dehydration, lactose intolerance, and protein calorie malnutrition are other common sequelae. Alterations in bone metabolism increase long-term risk for osteopenia and osteoporosis. Noncompliance with postsurgical nutritional regimens has been estimated to occur in from one third to almost two thirds of cases and can exacerbate these complications. Psychological issues are often present in patients with morbid obesity and can affect surgical outcomes. These issues include mood and personality disorders, destructive eating behaviors, and poor body image. Nearly one third of patients undergoing bariatric surgery also have a history of substance abuse disorder. The literature suggests that although the mental health of patients improves as a result of bariatric surgery, the benefits may be transient, and problems such as negative personality profiles, detrimental eating patterns, and negative body image persist to some extent. Identification of presurgical psychiatric problems can help identify those patients more likely to achieve lasting weight loss when surgery is combined with long-term follow-up to minimize medical and psychological complications."
Like many of us â life happened. This is where we reiterate that Weight Loss Cannot Fix You.
Weight loss cannot fix your brain, your spouse, your family or anything other than making it physically easier to deal with those things. I think you need to watch the episode to really GET this, if you havenât already.
I appreciate that the TLC Channel actually showed a realistic view of long-term life after weight loss surgery â complete with itâs painful, dramatic and yucky parts.
We get it. If you don't get it now, you will.
Posted at 09:09 AM in Surgical Weight Loss Methods., Television, WLS Success Stories., WLS Support | Permalink
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Womanâs Journey to a Stunning 500 Pound Weight Loss via ABC
Posted at 07:45 AM in Surgical Weight Loss Methods., Television, WLS Success Stories. | Permalink
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Dr. Oz tells us today on his show that there's a Gastric Surgery We Should Be Getting.
*sideways eyeball* Really, Dr. Oz? I *know* that I am a few pounds from qualifying for a Lap-Band, but, uh... don't rub it in.
Update - I was totally wrong. Oz suggests the Gastric Bypass. He makes a huge sales pitch for the procedure, pulls out a brilliantly happy one-week post op whose diabetes has gone into remission and closes the sale on a "meh" unhappy 10 YEAR post op who had some regain.
This was a mini-infomercial.
There was NOT NEARLY enough information regarding all the options for bariatric surgery, if any, and ZERO information regarding ANY OF THE POSSIBLE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF THE GASTRIC BYPASS.
Shame on you, Oz.
PS. Now I know also how to "sleep my way thin." Seriously?
Original post --
The clip suggests there is an underused method of preventing and curing lots of the co-morbid conditions of obesity, and that the surgery can be done on lower weight individuals. The clip shows images of three options: Gastric Banding, Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass and the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Not shown: the duodenal switch, which I assume would be the most underused at least here in the United States. The clip makes it sound like the option could be banding -- because of the suggestion of using this surgery on lower BMI patients. Hopefully, Dr. Oz gives all procedures a mention, and explains the realistic risks and benefits of all.
Check out Dr. Oz today -- it's on at various times -- check your local TV schedule.
Posted at 08:47 AM in Surgical Weight Loss Methods., Television | Permalink
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This, this I'd WATCH.
HELLS TO THE YES. BAHAHAHAHA.
Posted at 09:43 AM in Television | Permalink
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____ you.
"Melissa has it all, youth, wealth, beauty and a thin physique. Would things be different if she was 400 lbs instead of 115?"
You have to ASK? Why do women spend $30,000 on weight loss surgery? $100,000 on plastic surgery?
You are kidding, right?
This is not how we make it okay. This is NOT how we create feelings of empathy for the obese.
-Getty Images
Continue reading "Real Housewife Melissa Gorgaâs STUPID Obesity Fat Suit Stunt" »
Posted at 02:02 PM in Advocacy, Current Affairs, Obesity., Television, WLS Support | Permalink
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Posted at 05:29 PM in Addiction, Transfer Addiction, etc., Television | Permalink
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Dr. Oz is taking over Oprah's time slot on TV and kicking into motivation mode. And he's going to be pro-gastric bypass -- or at least devote some time to discussion to weight loss surgery on his show. In the LEAST -- this will open up some positive communication methods in mainstream media about OBESITY. This will be a welcome change from shows about the "easy way out," you know?
Dr. Oz plans to focus on motivation when he kicks off his third season of The Dr. Oz Show, which will take over 83 of Oprah's old time slots in the fall.
He's also the cover boy of the October issue ofPrevention magazine, hitting newsstands tomorrow, and says that he wants people to be more focused on "weight loss and better sex" along with "physical activity and sleep" for overall health.
And he has no qualms about saying he's an advocate for gastric bypass surgery, which he hopes will grow in the near future as a tool for in helping to fight obesity: "Iâ¦think gastric bypass surgery will play a big role. We probably do only 1% of the gastric bypass surgeries we should do."
He explains, "Yes. Listen, if you're one hundred pounds overweight at age fifty, you have the same mortality rate as if you have a solid cancer. Would you operate for cancer? Yeah. So if you cannot lose that weight, get one of these procedures. You have to do it with counseling and full awareness of what you're doing, of course. But if you get people to start losing 5% of their excess body weight, you're really taking a big whack out of the two-thirds of Americans."
Posted at 07:00 AM in Surgical Weight Loss Methods., Television | Permalink
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Posted at 03:16 PM in Television, WLS Horror Stories. | Permalink
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NO PAIN, NO WEIGHT LOSS: A woman who weighs nearly 400 pounds embarks on a one-year challenge in the premiere of the new series....
- Watch the Full episode - âExtreme Makeover: Weight Loss Editionâ on ABC.
I know better than to watch weight loss, diet or exercise programming, because I get angsty and bloggy.
However, I live this "I used to be 320 lb life" and seeing other obese people change dramatically DOES impact me more than your typical not ever obese person.
I am impressed, and I DO find myself doing a little cheer when someone does something SO GOOD for themselves. The before and afters are always super motivational. "LOOK AT WHAT SHE DID! OMG!"
I caught most of ABC's Extreme Makeover last night, since I forced myself into bed at a decent hour and it happened to be on.
My first impression: Perhaps this show also picks contestants based upon future looks. They know who is going to make an UH-MAAAZING before and after slideshow. The girl featured on last night's episode, whittled from 379 lbs to just over 200 lbs, and facially, she's a pageant winner. You can't tell me that producers do not "see" that prior to casting. (Yes, of course they do, it sells, the trainers are often Quite Pleasing too.)
Honestly, if you watch, read her face PRIOR, DURING and AFTER. Her whole face changes, her smile turns ON.
My out loud thoughts during the show:
I will watch again. I was motivated by the before and after and the fact that this girl (she's just 22!) was able to lose so much weight, so young, and has the opportunity to start over. Given the failure rates for typical diet and exercise, I would love to see an update in a couple years to see if this huge life change sticks with her and the other contestants to come.
What did you think of the show?
Posted at 04:16 PM in Excess Skin, Obesity., Television | Permalink
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Another one.
Very pretty trainer(s)and beautiful obese people, getting skinny.
Thoughts? I haven't formulated any, cause I just saw this. *going to dig for more information now*
Posted at 01:43 PM in Obesity., Television | Permalink
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This pleases me.
Posted at 10:03 AM in Television | Permalink
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Posted at 08:45 PM in Surgical Weight Loss Methods., Television | Permalink
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I've never heard of this show before -- you know I don't watch much/any TV -- fiction is not my thing. Give me PBS, give me 20/20!
But, this is on topic!
On this episode of Royal Pains, WLS gets a shout. OR -- I should say -- complications get a shout out. Go deficiencies! "Memory loss?" HI THERE! HAVE YOU MET MM?
I have to say it's awfully goofy listening to stuff like this that I know all about when it's not coming Dr. House fashion. O-o
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Posted at 01:01 PM in Television, WLS Complications. | Permalink
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