Absolute train wreck (My 600lb Life Show)

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
11,898
2,716
136
More like reasonable quantities of whole-grains are HEALTHY and ANY amount of processed grains are really bad for you.

High-fiber foods do not cause anything like the blood-sugar spike you get from a serving of processed flour even if they also contain carbs.

Don't take my word for it, ask a medical professional.
The problem is the body is not exactly reasonable or "Left-brained"), it's a slave to hormones. Humans in general are rather "semi-pliable".

It depends are what exactly is the whole grain in question and the matter of budget. I'd still aim to try eliminate them to as little as feasible and eat from other sources such as beans, vegetables, certain seafood, high quality eggs, nuts, and certain fruits to get a complete nutritional profile if possible. Something like quinoa or barley is better than "whole wheat" bread or spaghetti. The spike in blood sugar is not as high but the insulin spike will still occur with a whole wheat spaghetti meal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Muse

Dr. Detroit

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2004
8,257
713
126
Same with my ex-wife.... I just can't see the attraction. :confused:

I think it comes down to: Well I guess my life isnt that bad, well I guess I'm not as fat as them...

Easy to feel good about yourself when your comparison is the bottome 3% of society. Folks should strive for greatness rather than mediocrity - but hey, everyone gets a particpation trophy!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Captante

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,552
10,171
126
Haven't watched the shows, but if they are medicated for mental problems, is it the mental issue itself or the medicine side effects? I mean, we do have a 400 lb member here(Larry), and he downs energy drinks because they are the few things that make him feel a bit better from his meds' side effects.

It would be a lack of effort if they lapse after informing them of what to eat and what not to eat on a general level.
I really should look into meal-delivery (actual balanced meals, with veggies and evrything), rasther than pizza-delivery. I am largely unable to cook, both due to my small apt. stove being inaccessably, largely, as well as the fact that I can't be on my feet for too long. (Imagine a 5 min MMO-style "life bar" when I'm on my feet, and not supported by a metal chair or bed, before my legs buckle under, and I collapse in a heap on the floor.)
 

UsandThem

Elite Member
May 4, 2000
16,068
7,380
146
I really should look into meal-delivery (actual balanced meals, with veggies and evrything), rasther than pizza-delivery. I am largely unable to cook, both due to my small apt. stove being inaccessably, largely, as well as the fact that I can't be on my feet for too long. (Imagine a 5 min MMO-style "life bar" when I'm on my feet, and not supported by a metal chair or bed, before my legs buckle under, and I collapse in a heap on the floor.)
You just got to clear out your computer inventory, and get yourself a scooter.

Doug Heffernan proved that you can get a lot done while riding around on a rascal!

 
  • Like
Reactions: snoopy7548

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,316
10,814
136
The problem is the body is not exactly reasonable or "Left-brained"), it's a slave to hormones. Humans in general are rather "semi-pliable".

It depends are what exactly is the whole grain in question and the matter of budget. I'd still aim to try eliminate them to as little as feasible and eat from other sources such as beans, vegetables, certain seafood, high quality eggs, nuts, and certain fruits to get a complete nutritional profile if possible. Something like quinoa or barley is better than "whole wheat" bread or spaghetti. The spike in blood sugar is not as high but the insulin spike will still occur with a whole wheat spaghetti meal.


Spaghetti/pasta is a pretty highly processed food and a poor example.... the fancy expensive kinds are not much healthier then the cheap ones. (exception: legume-pasta)

Compare instead a pilaf consisting of whole-grain Bulgar wheat, olive oil and a little salt for example.... or a quality high-fiber brown rice as opposed to any "white" rice.

These DO NOT cause nearly the sugar-related issues as their low-fiber counterparts again because they are packed with NON-digestible fiber... they just pass on through.
 

Shmee

Memory & Storage, Graphics Cards Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 13, 2008
7,726
2,707
146
While I didn't watch the show (I don't watch much TV anyway.) It sounds like there are a lot of crazy health nuts in this thread. Sure, being 600 LBS is overweight, but obsessing over what to eat isn't good either.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,316
10,814
136
While I didn't watch the show (I don't watch much TV anyway.) It sounds like there are a lot of crazy health nuts in this thread. Sure, being 600 LBS is overweight, but obsessing over what to eat isn't good either.


Big difference between obsessing and knowing what's healthy to eat vs what isn't. (Trust me I enjoy plenty of unhealthy/delicious stuff myself!)

Bad news is that the older you get the more your body makes you pay if you mess up!

:p


(and yeah.... 600lbs isn't "overweight" .... it's morbidly obese)
 
Last edited:

PowerEngineer

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2001
3,566
736
136
FWIW it seems to me that these people who slide into extreme obesity have something in common with those who get addicted to tobacco, become alcoholics, or dependent on drugs. There is something in their makeup that predisposes them to having serious control problems with a particular thing, and the results are sad (and perhaps incomprehensible to the rest of us) if their weakness gets exposed through events in their lives. I thank my lucky stars that something like this hasn't happened to me (yet). Oh, I could add conspiracy theorists to my list. 🙄
 
  • Like
Reactions: Captante

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,552
10,171
126
FWIW it seems to me that these people who slide into extreme obesity have something in common with those who get addicted to tobacco, become alcoholics, or dependent on drugs. There is something in their makeup that predisposes them to having serious control problems with a particular thing, and the results are sad (and perhaps incomprehensible to the rest of us) if their weakness gets exposed through events in their lives. I thank my lucky stars that something like this hasn't happened to me (yet). Oh, I could add conspiracy theorists to my list. 🙄
Trying to determine, when I went from a semi-"healthy" (if "huge", and "morbidly obese") 340lbs, to my now-current 420-430lbs. Part of it was a change in my meds, part of it was getting older, part of it was a controlling abusive adult parent, that strives to remove any sense of agency that I have over my life. Such as launching into a swearing tirade, when I told them that I was going to the grocery store, when they had gotten me food from the food pantry. And on other occassions, fed me an entire cheesecake, telling me that is "was healthy", "because it contained milk and calcium". No concern shown for sugar or calorie content, and I wasn't thin then. Largely, then, I was brainwashed and controlled. And still am.

At some point, you stop "reaching out" to grow, if every time, they break your (metaphorical) hand, and tell you "bad son! let me take care of you!". Eventually, you psychologically and emotionally shut down. (Like that Stephen King movie.)
 
Last edited:

Shmee

Memory & Storage, Graphics Cards Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 13, 2008
7,726
2,707
146
Hmm, you say 420 LBS...I wonder if that is code for something that might help? :p I don't smoke, but there are alternatives to that. Question is, would CBD or THC or whatever help lower your weight? I don't know, I am not an expert on that.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Captante

Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
11,898
2,716
136
I really should look into meal-delivery (actual balanced meals, with veggies and evrything), rasther than pizza-delivery. I am largely unable to cook, both due to my small apt. stove being inaccessably, largely, as well as the fact that I can't be on my feet for too long. (Imagine a 5 min MMO-style "life bar" when I'm on my feet, and not supported by a metal chair or bed, before my legs buckle under, and I collapse in a heap on the floor.)
I recall you having some EBT funds, you should redirect some of the spending onto more wholesome foods.
I would add some fatty fish into the diet. Sardines, Salmon, or Herring, just to name a few; they contain a good micronutrient profile, including being a natural source of D3. D3 should be complemented with sources for K2, such as grass-fed butter or pasture-raised eggs.

Very low sugar dark chocolate can also be considered, as it has recently been shown scientifically that stearic acid triggers mitochondria to metabolize fats better; the taste may not be pleasing though. Dark chocolate's fat component has a high percentage of stearic acid compared to many other food. It also doesn't taste that good, so it's hard to overeat it.

Avocados are also a good food to eat.

Nuts can also be added as a substitute for sugary treats and provide vitamin E. Peanuts, almonds, etc. Certain fruits as well. I generally prefer berries over more sugary fruits. Fruits are a good source of vitamin C but some can be more harmful towards health goals than others.
 

Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
11,898
2,716
136
While I didn't watch the show (I don't watch much TV anyway.) It sounds like there are a lot of crazy health nuts in this thread. Sure, being 600 LBS is overweight, but obsessing over what to eat isn't good either.
There's a difference between obsessive nuttery and developing a pragmatic response to a problem out of necessity. The former has misperceptions and fear that something could go wrong, which ironically causes self-harm. Whereas the latter is more likely to have already dealt with an issue and wants to avoid a reoccurrence. Folks who have to cook to avoid peanut allergies, have to keep sharp eye on ingredients to avoid harming whomever they are caring for, for example.
 

UsandThem

Elite Member
May 4, 2000
16,068
7,380
146
Hmm, you say 420 LBS...I wonder if that is code for something that might help? :p I don't smoke, but there are alternatives to that. Question is, would CBD or THC or whatever help lower your weight? I don't know, I am not an expert on that.
I imagine if Larry started smoking and being at home all day, he'd end up putting on 100+ lbs from having the munchies. ;)

What Larry needs is to get hooked on some cocaine or meth. Both of those would kick up his metabolism a "notch".

(But don't do that Larry because):

giphy.gif
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: Shmee and Captante

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
Pizza has a substantial flour component.
Lady two has fried chicken and bread, again starches.

I myself am a starch addict, and thus bare minimum I have to eat at least a little low sugar fruit like blackberries so I don't feel miserable. The body's response to glucose makes people feel good, so I'm not surprised if someone with issues turns to foods containing glucose's complex precursors to get their fix.
Wait, your a "starch addict" but you weigh 126lbs?.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UsandThem

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,316
10,814
136
That scene scared me more than anything else horror-related, no wonder she won the Oscar..


That might be my favorite movie adaptation of a King novel.... Larry's post just brought Annie to mind.... super-fans like her you are better off without!

:oops:
 

Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
11,898
2,716
136
Wait, your a "starch addict" but you weigh 126lbs?.
They psychological effect is still there. Feels great when something starchy goes down the chute, be it French toast, pancakes, etc. Black Friday, there was 3/4 of a Mrs. Smith pumpkin pie. Intellectually, I did not even want my mom to buy a box. I take one bite, and eventually, the whole pie was eaten by me, crust and all.

The ones who can somewhat get away with eating carbs are those who work physically a lot or have genetics that lead to an efficient metabolism and avoid maladjusted eating.

I happen to have a really good metabolism to get away weight-wise with eating rice, bread, spaghetti back in the day. But the foods I eat generally always had some sort of starch, regardless of the ethnic source, whether it's the Chinese cuisine my mom cooked or more "American" foods. If it was Chinese food, rice was going to be a part of the meal some way. Even the stir-fry utilizes starch via cornstarch coating the meat; it serves as "insulation" to keep the meat tender during the frying process. If there was a soup, often potatoes and/or rice would be a component to give some "feel good life" to the meal.

Now, there are preferences I had regarding the carbs. I did not like cake for the most part. The cheaper icing-based cakes are overwhelmingly sweet and in a nasty way. Didn't like milk and cereal for the most part, unless it was some Cinnamon cereal+sugar flavor. Sodas were not regularly drank because they simply got tiresome after a 2-liter bottle. Both me and my mom actually like ramen like Maruchan.
'Lacey's Journey' - Aired on Dec 2.

1. I've never been to Washington, but based on what I saw on this episode, in Kennewick drugs are prevalent and salad/vegetables must not be available (every person in the episode was big and looked like they've had very rough lives).

2. If I had to be in a car with Sharon for longer than 10 minutes, I'd seriously buy and bite down on a cyanide pill to end my suffering of being near her. That is one very opinionated, loud, and angry person. o_O

3. What an absolute shit-show of humanity by all parties involved (but mostly by Sharon the loud, opinionated, angry devil woman). Some people apparently don't care how badly they present themselves on TV...... basically a real life version of the Jerry Springer Show.

View attachment 53750

On the first road trip down to Houston with her boyfriend (Steven) and Sharon (devil woman), Lacey decides to shit herself in the car. :eek:

On the 2nd road trip down with the same people, Sharon goes absolutely insane on her, and it ends with Lacey calling the police and being left in Texas at a gas station, breaking up with her boyfriend (and thanking him for wiping her ass), and all of her possessions in the U-Haul trailer being "donated" by Sharon and Steven in College Station, TX after they left.
I think the riddle that was weaved together for people to figure out was that Lacey was the actual duplicitous piece of shit. The silver-tongued speaker who says all the right things but fails to deliver. She enjoys being a professional victim. The doc of the show was very clear he didn't believe she was actually committed to doing the work to cure her condition.

Sharon's reasons are not entirely without merit. Her brother is making enormous sacrifices to better Lacey but it seems that Lacey is not holding up her end of the "exchange".

Probably the most egregious example of Lacey's disgusting duplicity was that she tried to get a hospital stay overnight even though nothing was wrong with her.

Ricky comes off a just a guy who believes he can change and heal the other in the relationship. Oftentimes, it's women stereotyped as ones who believe they can convert a bad guy into a good one. Apparently, in-between the edits of the road trip, he figured out that he was going to be conned into a life of reverse slavery and a one-way exchange of labor and resources which includes wiping his then to-be wife's ass for the rest of his life.

Houston is not a place to build a new life it is two lower class people moving from small town Washington to there. It's a cheap ass city with certain violent, dangerous pockets. These guys look like they might even qualify for Medicaid in Washington but Texas hasn't expanded their Medicaid program. Washington state has extensive dental coverage while Texas only covers in emergencies. For a carb freak like her, she's going to need that dental help.

It's a good thing Lacey is not a hot, attractive woman and an overweight fatty because she has everything to be that evil and charismatic hot chick who fucks over people with her beauty if she actually had beauty.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
38,409
8,703
136
That's the last thing I'd want to see. I see fat people around here, they aren't uncommon. People stuffed into their oversized clothes looking like they were just inflated under pressure.

Used to be you didn't much see super fat people on TV. Seems like those days are gone.
it gets worse with the Fat Acceptance Movement.

Watch some of those videos and you will start getting angry at the denial and the stupidity on display.
Yeah, I'm fully aware that that's the reason (a BIG reason, ugh) they're showing fat and really fat people on TV these days.

I'm not going to "watch some of those videos" because I'd just be revolted.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Captante

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
38,409
8,703
136
I would not put lack of effort as one of the higher reasons people stay fat.

Dietary guidelines are in contradiction to proper eating and weight maintenance. The sheer encouragement of grains and other starchy foods leads to a hormone cycle that encourages weight gain. The seasoning of most foods with sugar does the same. Insulin is great for gaining mass, be it muscle or fat, by signaling cells to take in glucose and fat. The "crash" of insulin in the bloodstream also leads to the feeling of hunger. Fatty foods and protein-rich foods, in the absence of easily digestible carbohydrates, trigger satiation much sooner. Add rice, sugar, etc, and the the starch/sugar increases the threshold in the amount a person can eat.

There is also the matter of budget. Grains are super cheap, sometimes even free. If someone is getting food from a food bank or church program, there's plenty of cereal, pasta, bread. I know because my mom has nabbed that kind of food for over 14 years and still does.

I've gained weight from 54.1kg(119lb) in mid-October to 57.5kg(126lb) yesterday by reintroducing breads, pancakes(rice and regular), pizza, etc into my diet. I fucking felt cold and didn't like it, and knew what to do.
A lot of good info here and not widely known or understood. There's a few super great documentaries about it.

There's Super Size Me, that made waves and I think I saw it once.

Here's one I've seen a few times, Fed Up (2014 documentary), because it helps drive the point home. Fact is, a lot of these super fat people around really do try to lose weight, to get their obesity under control or actually behind them but they fail. The fact is that they get in cycles in which it's very difficult to control their appetites. If you have certain eating proclivities you can have compulsions, actual physical need to eat even if you have already eaten a lot more than you're burning off in physical activity and just baseline calorie needs. I think a great many of these people, probably the majority grew up in households where bad eating habits prevailed from day one.

That Sugar Film
Australian documentary. I haven't seen this one yet, evidently. It's free with Prime Video, I believe, also probably Netflix, is a $4 rental at Youtube.

I highly recommend seeing Fed Up (2014 documentary), which was narrated by Katie Couric, IIRC, who in my mind is about the coolest network news anchor ever, at least in recent times. I've seen it 3 times. The points made need to be persistently driven home because anything like sensible public perception about food, eating, etc. is under constant attack by commercial interests, at least in the USA. I'll be seeing it again, probably more than once!
 
Last edited:

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
A lot of good info here and not widely known or understood. There's a few super great documentaries about it.

There's Super Size Me, that made waves and I think I saw it once.

Here's one I've seen a few times, Fed Up (2014 documentary), because it helps drive the point home. Fact is, a lot of these super fat people around really do try to lose weight, to get their obesity under control or actually behind them but they fail. The fact is that they get in cycles in which it's very difficult to control their appetites. If you have certain eating proclivities you can have compulsions, actual physical need to eat even if you have already eaten a lot more than you're burning off in physical activity and just baseline calorie needs. I think a great many of these people, probably the majority grew up in households where bad eating habits prevailed from day one.

That Sugar Film

I highly recommend seeing Fed Up, which was narrated by Katie Couric, IIRC, who in my mind is about the coolest network news anchor ever, at least in recent times.
What interesting is if you starve a human body and all the fat cells are empty it will 1st start to consume cells of major organs and not the empty fat cells, the logic is if/when food becomes available again the empty fat cells can be quickly filled as storage.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Muse

Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
11,898
2,716
136
A lot of good info here and not widely known or understood. There's a few super great documentaries about it.

There's Super Size Me, that made waves and I think I saw it once.

Here's one I've seen a few times, Fed Up (2014 documentary), because it helps drive the point home. Fact is, a lot of these super fat people around really do try to lose weight, to get their obesity under control or actually behind them but they fail. The fact is that they get in cycles in which it's very difficult to control their appetites. If you have certain eating proclivities you can have compulsions, actual physical need to eat even if you have already eaten a lot more than you're burning off in physical activity and just baseline calorie needs. I think a great many of these people, probably the majority grew up in households where bad eating habits prevailed from day one.

That Sugar Film

I highly recommend seeing Fed Up, which was narrated by Katie Couric, IIRC, who in my mind is about the coolest network news anchor ever, at least in recent times.
Youtuber and doctor Jason Fung is very good at explaining a lot the nitty gritty.

Some highly credentialed people have tried push back against the stale and incorrect cookie cutter advice and paradigm that has be present since Keyes. The likes of Tim Noakes, for one. He had to go through a lot and sacrifice a good deal of effort to continue battling for his beliefs and the actual science backing it on nutrition.
This one hour video discusses some of the nitty gritty in how the head of a study sometimes can try to hide the data and correctly interpreting the data objectively to most people.

Another fairly convincing person is Ford Brewer. He also had personal experience regarding insulin resistance and worsening health as he aged. He also went low carb, although his diet is still predominantly plant based but includes salmon.

I suspect one of the collateral damage of insisting on low fat is vitamin deficiencies of fat soluble vitamins for an enormous swath of the populace. D3 is not the easiest to find naturally occurring in foods; a couple of foods it can be obtained from is from fatty fish or egg yolks. People afraid of heart disease, getting fat, often eat only the egg whites. The cheapest eggs are likely to be less nutritious as well, so one has to eat more of them to get as much micros as eggs raised in a better manner. Or instead of eating fish, people wind up eating fortified foods like milk(probably 2% or skim), orange juice, cereal, oatmeal, etc. Since there is an insulin response to these foods, they will happen to leave the person hungry in the future hours after a meal.

Fortification is a shortcut for government to avoid a crisis while leaving the populace unwittingly uneducated and not in an innovative state. They can wind wind up consuming a poorer "fortified" food than the actual natural sources; cereals are often sugary/starchy.