UGH!!!!!!!!!!

Ok...I hope Caroline Rhea gets a bunch of mean mail!! I didn't like her too much before but now I really have reason! SURGERY IS NOT A QUIK FIX!!! I just had to hop on here real quick and say that she is wrong! Now back to the show! Mandie

Im with ya Mandie!

Whats funny, is that Caroline Rhea needs to shed quite a few herself!

I don'****ch the show, what did she say? C Leigh

O.K. NOW I REALLY HAVE TOO WATCH THE SHOW ITS NOT 9:00 P.M. HERE IN CALIFORNIA 1 MORE HOUR.

What is this in reference to Mandie? I am missing somethign here....When? Where? Who is obviously Caroline Rhea.... Kathie 285/272/**222**/150ish???

Caroline Rhea is the hostess of the show. Right at the beginning she mentions how these contestants have done this the "old fashioned" way by diet and exercise. But before that she said that none of them have had surgery or..blah blah blah..."NO QUICK FIXES". I would like to know what a quick fix is...I have lost less weight in the time they have....AND...I have to watch what I eat...AND we are suppose to exercise...AND...I think they are put a rigoruous routine that MOST people would have a hard time keeping up with! I only hope that was not on the teleprompter for her and she blurted it out herself...RGHRGHRGHRGH!!!! If it hadn't had been for wanting to see how everyone was doing and who won....I would have turned it OFF because of her! AND... I wanted to pull off her hair extensions...they looked so bad. RGh I am LIVID!!!!!! I am emailing them!!!!!!!!!! Mandie

I just read your post and sent the e-mail below to NBC. You may want to do the same- I am deeply offended by Caroline Rhea's comments that weight loss surgery is a "QUICK FIX" in last night's show. Indeed, it demonstrates that lack of insensitivity and prejudice that NBC and this show has toward overweight people. Since 9th grade I have been battling my weight. I have been a size 4 and a size 22W. As an obese person, I was victim of the last 'socially acceptable' form of prejudice in the US. I have lost over 500 pounds in my life and have tried Weigh****chers, Overeaters Anonymous, Personal Trainers, Counseling, South Beach Diet; Sports to lose the weight and keep it off. I finally had weight loss surgery 3 YEARS after it was first suggested to me. I was convinced I could do this on my own. I did--and then gained the weight back and more. I finally chose surgery because I was scared I would die early. It was NOT an easy decision and speaking as someone who underwent this surgery less than 5 months ago, IT WAS NOT AN EASY FIX. Before being approved for surgery I began going to the gym, trying to move and walk, went through psychiatric and physical evaluations before finally being approved, and commited to a lifestyle change and taking supplements for the rest of my life. I have had cardiac bypass surgery and found my larposcopically performed weight loss surgery to be more painful. I spent three weeks in great pain and forced myself to walk each day in spite of the pain. I endured going to work and eating "mush" for weeks. I was faced with the fear that I would vomit in front of co-workers for 2 months. I gave up carbonated beverages, caffeine, sweets, and red meat because I couldn't tolerate these foods. I committed to working out regularly and got a personal trainer. I also committed to seeing a therapist weekly to break my 'emotional eating habits'. I am paying for a portion of my surgery, the gym membership, the counseling and the trainer, creating a financial strain. I struggled to get my 50 grams of protein in a day by drinking low sugar (LESS THAN 5 GRAMS) high protein drinks. I make sure I get enough liquid. I committed to never drinking while eating (I have to wait 30 minutes before and after meals). And I have done well with this surgery. I have not had serious complications. I had insurance to help cover the costs. Many of my peers who had surgery didn't have the advantage of surgery, and took out LOANS to pay for this . Everyone I have spoken to who has had this surgery has battled with their weight their whole life, and has worked very hard to achieve their goals. Finally, if you are obese, you go into this surgery understanding that you could die on the table do to complications stemming from your obesity. Does this still sound like the easy way out to you? I know people who opted for weight loss surgery who have watched your show regularly, purchased the videos and the book. Your hosts comments show how mis-informed and prejudiced your show really is. Rather than call surgery an easy fix, you should applaud anyone who takes steps to changes to healthier lifestyle, regardless of the route they choose. If not, then technically, isn't being chosen for a show, being provided free training, nutrition counseling and potentially receiving a big cash prize for losing weight the easy way out? Andrea

I emailed them this morning. I started with what I had posted and went from there...Here is what I wrote to them To whom it may concern: Last night on the live finale of THE BIGGEST LOSER, Caroline Rhea made the comment that these contestants have done this the "old fashioned" way by diet and exercise. But before that she said that none of them have had surgery or...blah blah blah..."NO QUICK FIXES". I would like to know what a quick fix is...I have lost less weight in the time they have...AND...I have to watch what I eat...AND we are suppose to exercise...AND...I think they are put on a rigorous routine that MOST people would have a hard time keeping up with! I only hope that was not on the teleprompter for her and she blurted it out herself. If it hadn't been for wanting to see how everyone was doing and who won. I would have turned it OFF because of her! On another note...Just so SOME of you at NBC can get at least a FEW facts straight, those of us who have had gastric bypass surgery follow a very strict diet of no more than 2 grams of sugar per serving, and keep our fat intake pretty much less than 9 grams per serving. We are to eat 6 small meals a day and yes, we are still required to exercise, like everyone should! The only real difference here is that we have a TOOL that helps us control our portions. This is the best decision I have ever made. I may not be the BIGGEST LOSER yet, bu****ch out when I am done...there may be a story coming out of me that you won't want to hear! Although I know I will only receive a message back that says my mail has been forwarded to the correct department -- thank you for your time anyway. Sincerely, Amanda Roberts ----------------------------------------------------------------------- I also emailed them about an NBC Dateline segment that aired on October 18, 2005 concerning the "new facts" they had about our surgery. Here is what I wrote back then (I save all this type of mail in my "Mandie" folder on my computer). When I emailed them about the dateline segment all I got back was the automatic response from NBC saying they would forward it...that's why I put that at the end this time. Well, anyway here goes the other one. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- To whom it may concern, I watched Dateline last night (10-18-05) and was very disappointed with the lack of research done on a topic. I had Gastric Bypass Surgery on July 27, 2005. This is the best decision I have ever made. I have lost 53 pounds since then, but most of all I have gained my life back, and I am just getting started. I am able to go for long walks without getting winded, my back pain is subsiding, legs don't cramp, and my cholesterol, which has always been dangerously high...is now at 168. I am also gaining confidence in myself for the first time in a LONG time. I have researched this and been aware of the pros and cons of it since 2001. My surgeon was very forthcoming in what could be expected and all of the complications that could happen because of the fact that this is MAJOR abdominal surgery. Isn't open heart surgery also very risky and dangerous? In your 2 minute segment of this topic you mention that there is a bigger chance of death after this surgery by something like 4. % in long term, what are the facts based on? What did the patients die from? How long did this study last? Why is it that people with medicaid were the ones at risk? Did they follow up with their surgeons like they are suppose to? All your report told me was that I have a very good surgeon who lets his pateints know exactly what to expect! This surgery is a tool for you to work WITH your new lifestyle, to help control what you are able to eat, and how you chose your foods. Beleive it or not it is hard work, I am tired of people thinking that this is an easy way out...it is not. I am constantly thinking about protein, sugars, fat, and I am always reading lables, much more faithfully than all my other attempts at weight loss. Thank you for your time Mandie in Michigan

AMEN ... I think people think its a walk in the park or "a quick fix" cuz some of us loose weight really fast. They dont realize with what restrictions and limitations this surgery comes with ... "quick fix" my butt, this is a forced lifestyle change and definitly not easy!!!!! Marlize