I ate 33,000 calories a day...

Did you see this documentary? I watched it last night. It was painful, but the first film I've seen that really did a bang up job of finding people who could speak from the heart about what compulsive overeating really, truly, feels like. Both the highs (and we all know there are many) and the very low lows. At the end I was left with this feeling of complete devastation, fear bordering on hopelessness, and lots of compassion. Both for those in the film, and finally, finally for myself. Just a bit. I wouldn't want to overdo it and get obsessive or anything. I mean, change is a process and I am finally willing to allow myself to have that. Time to change. I am going to tape this documentary, so I can watch it when I get discouraged on my journey after surgery. I need to remind myself where I was, what going back will be like. And most importantly, that all my pain will still be here for me if I'm thinner, but I won't have the rest of the anguish that being so big has brought also brought me. -Julie  

Dear Julie, I watched the show and I felt so sorrowful for the people but they were so like me.  I too loved my fried foods, ate way too much, and had pretty much reached the point of going to bed and not getting up.  That is what made me decide to do the gastric bypass.  I hope others will see this and realize the complexity of the problem--that is isn't just about how much they ate but that our bodies contribute to our wanting to eat that much.  Why is it that some people never get full until they get sick?  I do believe there is a lot going on that we just don't understand yet. And believe me, I threw out all the snacks in the house during that show! Sally

Sally, thanks for understanding. You ask a good question. I remember when I learned about Prada Willi Syndrome. I saw myself in those folks to a large degree and it felt so scary, but also validating. I remember hearing my peers talk about them with such amazement and I had to draw the parallel to substance abuse. But I am beginning to learn about the hormones in the brain and stomach that control feelings of hunger and fullness, although something (those same hormones maybe?) tells me not to pursue this. I just don't know, but hope someday society will understand it all. - Julie

Missed it...  will have to try to catch it next time around, if it's not past my bedtime (9:30).

I DID NOT SEE THAT DOCUMENTARY.  COULD YOU GIVE ME SOME MORE INFO ON THAT PLEASE. CHANNEL ETC..... THANKS NANETTE

I've seen this documentary before -- I have nothing but mad hate for Larry's family, who kept cooking boatloads of terrible food for him.  Their reasoning was that he would find a way to get it, anyway, so they might as well give it to him.  GRR. Did you see the "Brookhaven" program, too?  One of the guys on there, Michael Hebranko, used to be one of Richard Simmons' poster boys for Deal-a-Meal.  He has gained and lost his weight several times -- where is Richard now? I also watched the program about the world's fattest man, the fellow in Mexico who weighed 1200 lb.  I was seriously annoyed that the Zone diet folks moved in on him and basically discouraged him from having WLS.  I was also suprised that even though he had lost 400 lbs, he had to be wheeled outside in his platform bed.  There are wheelchairs available for SSMO folks -- why didn't the Zone diet folks get one for him?  I appreciated his not giving up in spite of his adversities. At my fattest, I was around 600 lbs.  I couldn't walk, and could barely do for myself.  If I hadn't keeled over one day (undiagnosed sleep apnea), I'd be dead now.  Seriously.  I think of that every time I wish I could have a cookie or a candy bar, and remind myself I don't want to end up like that again. Kix

Hi Kix, I understand what you mean about Larry's family. Once I gave up my opposition that there was such a thing as food addiction (I was one of those "you have to be addicted to food or you'd die" types) I looked at those family members like the enablers they were. Then I began to realize that just as there is nowhere for us to go where we are fully understood and can get apropriate addiction treatment, there is also no "al-anon" for our family members. We all know going to AA won't help most of us. Thank god(ess) we have an option like WLS. Society is very slowly changing. - Julie

What I didn't understand was why weren't those people running to get WLS.  How much less dangerous is WLS then being over 700 lbs.   I'm sorry, it sounds harsh, but someone should sit  them down and say "look dieting did not work for you, it might for some, but it didn't for you.   It's time to get surgical intervention>"  I really hate the brookhaven program, did you see the other show on TLC just about that program...i want to beat the crap out of the program director.  Scott

Hi Scott, I haven't seen the Brookhaven show, but I have no faith in residential programs for eating disorders. I worked in a psych hospital with one and they knew nothing about compulsive overeating. One of the guys in the documentary was actually losing weight to get surgery, but they focused on his attempt to change his diet, rather than the surgery. I think this was actually better, because it kept the focus on the addictive part of the problem, rather than on the solution. There is already a lot of stuff about solutions, but until people understand the problem I think they will continue to look at it WLS as a quick fix. - Julie