Sharons Victory's Journal, 28 May 19

Everyone watches this show? Guess I have to check it out now. 

Liv - I can't not stress enough how much I LOVE this show!!! People are literally on the verge of death and they get weight loss surgery so they wont die (these people DO need the surgery...they are going to die if they don't lose it asap so it's a last resort type situation) and then you watch them fight their inner demons because they still have to work at it and this doctor tells it like it is let me tell you! I love him haha...you can tell he's all jaded from hearing excuses so often he just calls them out on it lol. And every once n awhile there's a patient that REALLY tries and does so well and it makes me cry! And then there's others that don't change their ways and lose a little and stall because they're sneaking food 

I absolutely loathe horror movies, so much so that I've been known to walk out of movie theaters in the first bloody minutes. I try not to stare at motor vehicle accidents. I don't join my husband in watching some of those weirdly violent British and European crime dramas ooffered via Amazon Prime. However, when it comes to "My 600-Pound Life," I simply cannot look away. I am so addicted that I purchased the seasons I missed via Netflix! 

@Sharons Victory, I don't believe that Dr. Nowzaradan ("Doctor Now") is "jaded." Rather, he is a master of "tough love" for these super-obese men and women. He requires that his patients demonstrate their willingness to comply with treatment by dramatically change their eating habits. Only after losing a significant amount of weight (50 or 100 pounds in one or two months!) on his "1200-calorie a day high-protein-low-carb diet" do they qualify for weight loss surgery. He requires his patients to relocate to Houston, *with a supportive family member or friend*, for surgery and follow-up, and to continue to comply with dietary recommendations and show significant weight loss thereafter.  

[CONTINUED] Unfortunately, each of these patients is so convinced that they cannot lose weight without WLS that they insist on surgery even *after* losing the "qualifying" 50 or 100 pounds. I never hear Dr. Now propose that they continue the dietary intervention instead of getting WLS. Of course, the doctor makes his money on the surgery and, to be fair, maybe he *does* encourage non-surgical solutions, but *those* patients don't fit the show's premise.  

There has been a few cases where the patient loses so much weight on their own, that he no longer recommends weight loss surgery. But the reason they still get the surgery is because sustainability of 1200 calories or less is difficult and unlikely with that few calories and a larger stomach. It's much more sustainable with a smaller stomach and little calories. 

@ChelsieD, I understand that dynamic from my own experience! 

@miraculum - I think most of them don't believe in themselves. They are so beat down mentally that for most of them I actually don't think they could do it without this "magic pill" making them believe they can...for situations like theirs I think it can save their life...if there's any self esteem and belief in ones self then no, don't get the surgery...but these people could drop dead any day and don't believe they can 

there's like literally no time for them to take the time necessary to heal their mind and mindset, ya know? Look how long it's taking me!!!! YEARS