Totally OT - I'm watching a show about severely obese people

[momof1princess]

I used to work as a waitress in a diner that had a buffet, and a lot of gastric bypass patients had the card from their doctor stating they'd had the surgery so my boss allowed us to give them the buffet at half price because most of them would only eat a small amount of food.

But then there were those who still ate normally, even though they had the surgery and had the card. We were to watch them carefully and if they ate more than one plateful we had to charge them full price. A few didn't say anything about it, but occasionally someone would complain and we'd just have to say they were still eating as much as anyone else. I hated doing that, but if I had surgery and was still eating like I had before I would not even think about asking for a discount on the food.

i have a card from my surgeon, and honestly, i would never use it. it's not a restaurant's problem i needed gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, and i would never expect to be given a discount for it. at 5.5 years postop, i can eat as much as a normal weight person, so unless i were to mention it, no one would ever know i'd had surgery.

 

[honugirl]

Its very easy to say that we wouldn't allow ourselves to get to that weight, but it is a totally different thing when you are the one dealing with that kind of addiction. I never thought I would allow myself to get to 225, but here I am. And I know that it would be just as easy to get to 325 or even 425. I am getting back on track now and trying to eat healthy and exercise but that doesn't mean I can say 100% that I wouldn't get to a heavier weight--no one can guarantee themselves that, especially if it is an eating disorder that they are dealing with.

It also very easy to say what we would do if we were the caretaker of one of these people. Totally different being there. The same as its easy to say we would cut off our drug addicted child--much easier said than done. Sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest thing in the world to do.

I know that I very easily could get up to a weight like that because of my disease, but it's up to me to work as hard as I can not to let that happen and fortunately, I've been able to halt my weight gain with a combination of medication, controlled eating, and exercise. People should be realizing by the time they're 300 pounds where they're headed if they don't make changes. Is it hard? Yup! Is it annoying? Yup! Sure is! Does it really suck when the skinny people around me are eating whatever they want? ABSO-FREAKING-LOUTELY!

Eating disorders can be combated. I've had a friends with them on both sides (not eating and eating too much). They have to work VERY, VERY hard to overcome it, but they are success stories.

Maybe cutting them off is hard, but it has to be done. It's still up to me what I eat, but I know my family is watching out for me, same as these families should do for the severely obese people. If the obese person can't get out of the house for education, then the family needs to go do it. It's not complicated with the internet now. You can download thousands of healthy recipes.

It's also up to me to guide my portion size. I can say no to the extra piece of pie even though I really, really want it. I can order a child's portion of fries instead of a regular size. The obese people have to find it within themselves to say no. It's OK to feel hungry. It's OK to eat less. It's OK to leave food on your plate or box it up for another meal. There are many days that I'm hungry all day long, no matter what I eat, because my cortisol levels are running rampant. But that's not a license to eat everything in sight. Will I be uncomfortable? Yes. Will it kill me? No.

I've also battled all the mental issues that these people complain about, they can overcome them too. It's all a matter of desire and heart.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I'm not a big fan of the card idea either. For one, is a buffet a really good place to go if you've had GB surgery?

For another thing, what about the adults who eat as much as kids but haven't had GB? I have elementary students that are taller than I am and eat more than I do. I eat less than many kids because of my size and do wish I could pay the child's amoutn, but I pay the adult price because I am an adult.

 

[minkydog]

Its very easy to say that we wouldn't allow ourselves to get to that weight, but it is a totally different thing when you are the one dealing with that kind of addiction. I never thought I would allow myself to get to 225, but here I am. And I know that it would be just as easy to get to 325 or even 425. I am getting back on track now and trying to eat healthy and exercise but that doesn't mean I can say 100% that I wouldn't get to a heavier weight--no one can guarantee themselves that, especially if it is an eating disorder that they are dealing with.

That's the thing, it *is* a type of addiction and until the person recognizes it they won't do anything about it.Most of us have to reach a rock bottom at some time. Eating disorders make a person not see themself as they really are. This goes for thin and heavy people. Everyone has their own "breaking point." Mine was 228. I refuse to go any higher. Of course, finding out I had type 2 diabetes has been an extreme motivator on it's own. But now that I've been low carbing and lost 42-lbs my sugars are better controlled.

I still crave carbs, though not as badly as I once did thanks to my diabetes meds and low carb diet. I have to make myself exercise 3 times a week. But I'm having success--2 months ago I wasn't getting any exercise at all and I was cavalier about my diet.

I know that I will always fight my weight. I *like* to eat. So I make myself write down every morsel that goes into my mouth. Everything, especially when I splurge. I know that i will have to pay attention to my diet every day for hte rest of my life, which sounds like a drag. BUt I don't think of it that way. I plan to live a long life, reverse my obesity-induced health problems and hopefully ward off diabetic complications.

 

[luvsJack]

I know that I very easily could get up to a weight like that because of my disease, but it's up to me to work as hard as I can not to let that happen and fortunately, I've been able to halt my weight gain with a combination of medication, controlled eating, and exercise. People should be realizing by the time they're 300 pounds where they're headed if they don't make changes. Is it hard? Yup! Is it annoying? Yup! Sure is! Does it really suck when the skinny people around me are eating whatever they want? ABSO-FREAKING-LOUTELY!

Eating disorders can be combated. I've had a friends with them on both sides (not eating and eating too much). They have to work VERY, VERY hard to overcome it, but they are success stories.

Maybe cutting them off is hard, but it has to be done. It's still up to me what I eat, but I know my family is watching out for me, same as these families should do for the severely obese people. If the obese person can't get out of the house for education, then the family needs to go do it. It's not complicated with the internet now. You can download thousands of healthy recipes.

It's also up to me to guide my portion size. I can say no to the extra piece of pie even though I really, really want it. I can order a child's portion of fries instead of a regular size. The obese people have to find it within themselves to say no. It's OK to feel hungry. It's OK to eat less. It's OK to leave food on your plate or box it up for another meal. There are many days that I'm hungry all day long, no matter what I eat, because my cortisol levels are running rampant. But that's not a license to eat everything in sight. Will I be uncomfortable? Yes. Will it kill me? No.

I've also battled all the mental issues that these people complain about, they can overcome them too. It's all a matter of desire and heart.

Sounds like you are working very hard to get your weight and health problems under control. Good for you. And you are right, it is a matter of desire and heart; to an extent. Just as there are success stories with drug addicts, there are success stories with eating disorders but the other side is true too.

I don't want to sound like I am saying that being that obese is ok for anyone; nor is it ok for anyone to enable them; neither is ok. But I can understand how they got to that point and I can see how hard it is too turn themselves around and to stop their behavior.

The problem with food as an addiction is that its not something you can just stop using. You have to eat to live so you have to learn to eat in moderation. That means going to your addiction every day and only getting " " this much of it--that's a very hard thing to do.

I smoked for 20 years and quit 2 years ago, quitting smoking was a piece of cake compared to losing weight. The addiction I had to nicotine was something I was able to get past by staying away from it, I can't do that with food.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I had no idea about the card thing. I don't think that is right at all. There are plenty of people who don't eat a lot and still have to pay full price.
I know a few people who have had surgery. One person died at the hospital from some sort of infection. Another lost weight but still eats a steady diet of junk. Small portions of M&Ms, licks chips for the salt eats fried foods etc. I have yet to see her eat anything remotely healthy. I think she needed/needs therapy to get her head in the game so to speak.
I know someone who had the lap band surgery and while she lost a lot of weight she also eats horribly. When going to say a party with a sit down meal that offers chicken, beef, or fish, she will order fried chicken fingers and a pitcher of ice tea for herself. Aside from being rude she makes the excuse that she can't eat the other food. Yeah, I guess because it might actually be healthy her body would reject it. I have seen her do this and it is ridiculous. So while her weight might be under control her diabetes isn't because she eats junk.
I wish they would stop all the surgery and treat these people so they can actually learn to control their urges. Very many people still fail even with the surgery. It is a shame.
Oh- and if I was a caretaker to a severly obese person that could not get out of bed to even use the bathroom I sure as heck would not be bringing them buckets of KFC.