Topic : 01/29 Extreme Weight with the Doctors

First of all.....I, too, am considered obese (5'1"/250 lbs) and have been told by at least 2 doctors that I should look into gastric bypass (both told me the "lapband" procedure was more popular in Europe and NOT as effective as gastric bypass!!).  I have looked into it, gone to a seminar and talked with a surgeon. I'm still NOT convinced.  I don't feel I have an addiction to food (I don't eat but 1-2X a day and no where near the amount of food Kevin eats!).......but I do know what I like to eat and it's mostly the food that TASTES good, not that usual "healthy" stuff they promote!  I'm not stupid....I know the GOOD stuff is fattening. I don't eat it all day long, but neither do I eat very healthful the rest of the time. I have diabetes; I still eat sweets which I know is a "no-no".....altho to be honest, you can have some, just not a diet-ful!!

 

I'm smart enough to know that I have a lot of "attitudes" about food, etc. to overcome before attempting this kind of surgery. It's not like quitting smoking.....you don't HAVE to have a cigarette to live. FOOD you HAVE to have to live. And it seems like just about every type of gathering (birthday, celebrations, Xmas, etc.) revolves around food (at least at my house!)  I lost about 35 lbs last year (health reasons) and have hanging skin from that.............I KNOW losing 100 more lbs. would create a WHOLE other problem with lots more hanging skin.....and I don't think you can just "tuck" it away in your clothes and still look good!!! Plus the added weight you're carrying around that's just hanging off of you.......don't think that would help my self-esteem much!!!! 

 

I'm on Medicaid (because of disability), which I think WILL cover the surgery, however, it WILL NOT cover the plastic surgery of "skin removal" later on.  Obviously, I DO NOT have the means to "save up" for it or pay "out of pocket".  I have several personal & health reasons WHY I need to get this done.....but, again.   I have fibromyalgia along with arthritis which causes me a lot of pain....it's not going to go away.....and many forms of exercise just make the pain worse. Yes, the arthritis can be better with weight loss, but the fibro is a different kind of pain and the kind of exercise needed to help reduce the skin sagging, etc. is intensive, too intensive....so that is another reason I have held off.

 

I do agree, however, that in Kevin's case, his family has NOT BEEN helpful with his condition. If the wrong food isn't in the house, she can't serve it to him, can she???  I don't know whether or not she works, whether they are on welfare (which really doesn't pay much) or how they get their money.....they have to support the son too, don't they??

 

Lastly........I would think everyone knows by now that Dr. Phil is a great guy and all most people have to do is contact him about their problem(s) and he'll try and help....it's what he does......but sometimes I think people just take advantage of that. I hope Kevin doesn't.....I hope he (and his wife) can use the help and work towards helping him regain some sort of life........if he is disabled, I hope he can find something to do so that he doesn't fall back into the "old lifestyle".   I'M DONE!!!!

How come when a person starves themselves to death it's an illness but when a person eats themselves to death it's a "life style" choice?  Suicide is suicide isn't it?  Why does the girl who is wasting away get compassion while the overeater gets berated?

 

I don't mean to rant but I don't understand this.  I am person doing battle with my weight  --fighting for my life I am!!  --with limited sucess and more oft then not the disappointment and dread of being overtaken by my weight once again. I once had a body to die for, was athletic; rode a bicycle 10 miles to work and back home again.  I was on my feet all day and people were always telling me to slow down.  Oh, how things have changed.  About 12 years ago I got a desk job, and started to put on weight.  The girls in my office at the time were all doing the cabbage soup diet , and I joined in to take off the extra 20 pounds I had newly aquired.  Of course I took off the weight and immediately gained it back and an extra 10 pounds.  It never occurred to me then that that diet would be the beginning of an incredible journey into the hell that is obesity.  I mean --Kevin is eating 5000 calories a day --don't you think he's sitting there wondering "why am I doing this?" or "I know this is killing me so why can't i stop?"  I know when I binge eat I certainly have these thoughts and more.  It's slow suicide, and I feel it happening with every mouthful.  Now what kind of sane person would choose that?

 

The last 12 years I have spent trying to figure out if I was eating too much carbs, or should I do low carbs or high protein, eat 6 times a day or 3, on and on until I just wanted to scream with fustration, and became so dietetically confused that I no longer believed what ANYONE said about diet -- I guess I finally figured out that diet wasn't gonna get it.  I decided to limit my calories to 1200 this past summer.  Unfortunately since making this decision my weight has skyrocketed  to the tune of 65 lbs.  So limiting calories isn't enough.  I realized recently that I need to EXERCISE, and about two weeks ago I started to walk.  I do 2 miles in the morning with Leslie Sansone and 1.5 miles at night with my schitzu.  It causes me great pain to do this exercise and on weekends I rest but maintain my caloric limits.  But for the last two weekends I have gained 10 lbs each weekend.  I don't understand.  I am trying so hard.  I am desparate and I want my life back!!  This is no lifestyle choice.  This is no lifestyle choice.  So have some compassion for the fat guy.  There but for the grace of God... 

Did anyone get the web site that Dr. Phil gave to check on your doctor.  He said it really fast and I didn't get it.  I checked his web site also and can't find it.

Thank you,

Vicki

HELL MY NAME IS SUSAN I JUST FINISHED WATCHING DR PHILS SHOW ON KEVIN AND THOUGH I DONT AGREE WITH THE WAY HIS WIFE WAS MAKING EXCUESS OF WHY SHE WAS GIVING HIM ALL THE 5000 CALS A DAY  THEY BOTH NEED TO FIX THE PROBLEM TOGETHER..... I KNOW WHAT HE IS GOING THROUGH AUGUST 25 2005 4:00 AM I WEIGHED 357# NOW TODAY I WEIGH #165 I AM 5' 7  I HAD GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY AFTER 2 YEARS OF RESEARCH AND MY MOM SAYING SHE DIDNT SUPPORT IT I FINALLY GAVE HER ALL THE DOCUMENTS ON THE DR I WAS GOING TO  HAVE DO MY SURGERY AND TOLD HER WITH OR WITHOUT HER I WAS HAVING IT DONE BECAUSE I WAS AT A POINT IN MY LIFE I COULD HARDLY WALK OR STAND FOR ANY LENGHT OF TIME I COULDNT ENJOY MY KIDS OR MY GRANDKIDS I WAS ALWAYS  TO TIRED. NOW ALMOST 3 YRS LATER  I AM ENJOYING LIFE AGAIN DID THE SURGERY CHANGE MY LIFE  YES IN ALOT OF WAS   I CAN NOW WALK 2 MILES IN 30MINS JUMP ON A TRAMPOLINE PLAY SOCCER WITH MY SON  RUN WITH MY GRANDKIDS AND ENJOY THEM THAT IS ONLY PART OF THE GOOD THINGS..... THERE OF COURSE ARE THE BAD ONES MY HUSBAND LEFT ME OF 14YRS , I HAVE NO BOOBS ANYMORE AND MY ARMS FLAP WHEN I JUMP ON THE TRAMPOLINE HAS IT KILLED ME NO I AM A SURVIOUR, MY WEIGHT WOULD HAVE KILLED ME.. SO KEVIN DR PHIL IS GIVING YOU AND YOUR WIFE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE GRAB HOLD AND CHANGE YOUR EATING HABITS  AND HANG IN THERE   LIFE IS WORTH LIVING FOR.....

 

 

So I get to be paralyzed from the waist down since age 12 from some relatively unknown viral illness (Transverse Myelitis) .. which I didn't ask for or anything and there's nothing to fix it.  Still nothing to reverse paralysis since the second World War.  Suffering complications - have a tube sticking out of my chest right now.  Will more than likely die from infection from a pressure sore.

 

Kevin eats himself to death's door and everyone on the show is supportive and trying to help him.  Poor, poor Kevin.  Awwww.

 

I'd say some priorities are mixed up in North America.  How good for Kevin that he has a way out.

GOOD FOR YOU I HAVE LOST 200+ #S FROM GASTRIC BYPASS FOR ME IT WAS THE ONLY OPTION BECAUSE I KNEW ME AND I COULD SABATOUDGE THE BAND

Wow. How tragic for you and your dear friend.
Thank you for sharing that with us.

If anything is going to make me stop eating compulsively it's your post.

At the end of the show today it said In Memory Of?
Who was this in memory of?
Kevin is ok isn't he?

If the poster truly had tapeworms then she wouldn't have been fat. Tapeworms makes the host lose weight. In fact, in years gone by, there used to be miracle capsules that helped people to lose weight. What the capsules were was the head of a tapeworm in a gelatin capsule. Yep, the person who took the capsule lost weight, but they eventually became quite sick. Tapeworms can kill. I have major doubts about the Chinese cleanseing. Most likely the weight loss was the change of diest to fruits and veggies.

Shouldn't people who can be helped, be helped? If there was help out there for you and your problem, I would certainly hope that Dr. Phil or someone like him would help you. Don't be bitter and angry towards Kevin because he is lucky enough to be getting help. Be happy for him that he is going to get a chance to live...Hopefully you will make the best of the lot in life that you were dealt and live to the fullest that you can....