Anyone watching "My 600 Pound Life"?
 

It's a good show, on TLC. There's only 4 episodes, but do a search, they replay them frequently, at least in my midwestern USA market.

"TLC's My 600-lb Life documents the seven-year journey four individuals undertake to escape obesity and regain control of their lives. Watch My 600-lb Life Wednesdays ~ 10/9c"

So what's interesting about this show is it was 7 years in the making. You are not watching someone's few month's of struggle without ever learning what eventually happens to them, because the show gets cancelled. Each hour show is devoted to one individual, and in that hour, they show you their entire 7 year journey, with all the ups and downs.

Last night's show was Donald, (spoiler alert) who began at 675 pounds and decided to have weight loss surgery. They showed how his weight and life changed from year one, to year 2, to year 3...something from every year. He got really sick with Guillian Barre syndrome (not diet or surgery related, just coincidental bad luck) and lost mobility. At one point, he was down to an astounding 200 pounds, but began to reward himself with food and went back to his old eating ways while struggling with the disease, and by the end of the show, was back up to about 450 pounds. But he at that point, had finally had an epiphany and had started dieting and exercising on his own, and the scale was going back down again. He's determined to get out of the wheel chair and walk again. His head seemed in the right place to succeed on his own at the end.

The scene from this show that struck me the most though, for those of you who watched it, was his very obese caregiver mother, in his hospital room when he was down to about about 238 pounds, saying she came and stayed with him all day because otherwise he wouldn't eat, and he needed to eat, he was too skinny. She then force spoon fed him Fruit Loops!. And THEN!!!! his lunch tray arrived, and she commented on how he was supposed to be on a low carb diet, and it wasn't a low carb tray of food the hospital was providing. (And it was pretty shocking. There was a large danish of some type, AND a piece of poundcake. A very unappetizing plain hamburger on a bun and what looked like a mound of mashed potatoes. She pulled the bun off and asked her son if he wanted some of the meat patty, so I guess she does know what LC is... but it was so confusing. One moment she's talking to the camera, gesturing at the bakery items on the tray and saying "can you believe they'd bring him this", and the next, she's feeding him Fruit Loops? WTH?

The thing I found the most poignant about his story though, was that he never got to experience the wonders and delights of living in that 200 pound body. He was down to about 400 lbs when he got severe GB, and back up to about 400 pounds when he finally reached the point where the doctors were saying he was 'recovered' from the disease... all that while bed or motor-chair bound. He never had a chance to experience what a 'normal' life at a 'normal' size is like while he was there.

I watched one of the episodes the other night. It was about a woman (forget her name). What a remarkable journey for her. It put it into perspective that the 40 pounds I want to lose is very attainable.

I want to see the other 3 stories. Great show!

That was Melissa, the focus of the first show. She went from 650 to 170! And for anyone who watched Donald's show... in the scene where he goes to see his doctor who gives him a hard time about putting back on 200 pounds, and Donald leaves the hospital and runs up the road (in his motorized chair)... Melissa's the woman who runs after him telling him he's acting like a child. She works at that hospital now as a patient liason!

I've seen both shows...Donald's story broke my heart. What an unbelievable journey he had to go thru and I really hope he makes it...

I was furious at his mother!! It wasn't like she didn't know what she was doing and I found it very selfish of her to contribute to his dependance on her.
I mean, she seemed nice enough, but it appeared to me that she was afraid of "losing" him to his own independance and seemed to derive her self-worth from her title as a 'mother'.

It really hit me how emotionally immature Donald was when he was taking off from the hospital and Melissa yelled, "You're acting like a child!", and he replied, "I AM a child!".
Sigh.

I really believe it took Donald a lot to wrap his mind around the fact that he was a full-grown man in his 30's and needed to start taking control of his own life.

I hope he gets to where he wants to be.

I thot it was just about Melissa!! have set it to TVO.You are right after watching her and her rediculous husband I had it good!

This sounds like a great program. Maybe I can find it on line. Although I can't get video from programs on line here because of licensing restrictions. Thanks for the heads up!

Henry's story was last night. I loved Henry, what an inspiration he is! I cried watching him dance at his wedding.

I watched Henry. He must need skin removal on his legs. His calves and thighs make it really hard for him to walk right. So sad, but so happy he can dance now.... :)

I saw the show last night with Henry. I enjoyed that the show shows the struggle over a long period - ups and down. Henry just seems like such a great guy.

Yea, Henry has a good heart. It's tragic how so many people were set up for obesity by their loved ones. Henry is being tempted at church!!!!!!
One of my long standing complaints against most Black churches is that they preach salvation in the front while killing their members in the back. (fried food, high carbs, high sugar)