01/07 The Ultimate WLC: Dr. Phil's Family

Charity begins at home
Posted by: kgailes
Posted on: 2004-01-07 09:54:15

So glad to see you including your family in your advice and services. Often, we focus on helping everyone else and miss the people right under our noses. And sometime we cannot 'reach' the people who are close to us. So I commend you for reaching out to your family. And I commend them for being receptive to it.
To inspire...
Posted by: moochbuzz
Posted on: 2004-01-07 10:35:04

I think it would inspire the rest of us if we knew more about Dr. Phil's family. Just seeing the show about his sisters and nephew today made me feel like Dr. Phil is "real". Maybe they can let us in on some more of the family trials and tribulations!
Goforit
Posted by: winnster
Posted on: 2004-01-09 12:51:46

I am pulling for Dr. Phil's nephew & sister. I admire them for going public. I hope we can get updates as to how they are doing.
Dr. Phil & Family
Posted by: loisko
Posted on: 2004-01-15 02:29:43

Yes, indeed! Dr. Phil and his Family seem like such wonderful everyday people! They are not afraid to show that they also have tribulations as the rest of us. I'm convinced with Dr. Phil's help, the rest of the Family will make it and then some!!
Thank you Deanna
Posted by: wendyg1954
Posted on: 2004-01-07 10:39:13

I related to Deanna more than any other weight loss guest on the Dr. Phil show. Her thoughts and fears reflect my own. I've been doing a lot of thinking since I watched the show this morning. If anything I've seen on the Dr. Phil pushes me over the edge to join the Weight Loss Challenge, it is Deanna.
Tonight I'm going to begin reading Dr. Phil's book, which I got for Christmas!
You're a good brother, Dr. Phil.
Thank you Deanna.
You are my hero!
Posted by: fiddlydee2
Posted on: 2004-01-07 13:09:12

I am not sure what game I have been playing with myself but you are my inspiration and my hero! I, too, am the eldest child, a adn-(firmly rooted in the critical arena!), and I must be the Queen of Denial!!! I am a smoker and am a fifteen-year survivor of adenocarcinoma of the breast. For whatever reasons, I can give -above and beyond -the best care for others....but cannot seem to reach/care/love me. I am going to try to follow your journey and try to find my way through since I watched you this morning. Thank you for being so open and honest!
Deanna is my Clone
Posted by: patmc2u
Posted on: 2004-01-07 15:34:23

Hi Deanna,
I cannot believe that our lives, feelings, ideas, denial and everything about you are running parellel with me. Everything you stated on todays show was your mouth moving and my voice talking. We are even the same age. My fridge looks like yours did. Get togethers were all the wrong foods. High fat and hi calorie. I now shop only in stores that have electric carts as I can no longer use the cart as a walker. The only difference I can see is that you are diabetic and I am not, but I take tons of pills daily to keep me alive. All your ailments are also mine. I hope you come on the show frequently so I can see your progress and compare it to mine. I have the WLC book and have been reading it, but nothing hit home the way you did today. Oh Thanks for Being on the show and inspiring me. Please keep me updated on your progress and I hope you have a site to take comments. I will be your greatest supporters and I will also be cheering for myself. Pat in Pittsburgh, PA
me too
Posted by: ubeeee
Posted on: 2004-01-07 16:57:22

I also completely relate to Deana. Im afraid to find out all that is wrong with me. I smoke and cant seem to quit. If I had the means I would go get a physical, but following Deanas progress will inspire me to lo ose weight. Be glad you have all the help. Kathy in Texas
Newly Inspired!
Posted by: helynch
Posted on: 2004-01-08 12:24:27

I have known for a long time that I needed to lose weight and I was already losing weight when Dr. Phil's book came out, but I read it and it reinforced my diet of low-calorie, small portion, high-yield low cost foods. I choose my snacks and meals very carefully and write down everything I eat. So, Dr. Phil's diet just re-inforced everything I was doing and I jumped right on the bandwagon. I have lost about 30 lbs. since July. But, I need to lose about 30 more. On the other hand, I do NOT exercise and have told myself that I can't since I am disabled. I, too, have to shop in a wheelchair. I have peripheral neurophathy in my feet and have difficulty walking and have used that as an excuse not to exercise. I do yoga once a week in a class for disabled but it is not enough. That has pacified me into thinking I am exercising. But, I know I could do more with somebody that knew what they were doing if I got out there and looked! My husband has always fussed at me about exercising and something about when your brother was talking to you made me realize that I was in denial about not exercising. That I could do it! I take about 40 pills a day and my days revolve around Dr. visits. My husband uses his leave time to take me to the DRs.. I am 50 yrs. old and have 3 daughters and no grandchildren and would like to be here to see them. Thank you for waking me up. Hannah
Re: Thank you Deanna
Posted by: aurora52
Posted on: 2004-01-07 17:43:56

As you did, I related to Deana very much. However, unless I missed it, Dr. Phil didn't address her smoking as an obvious health risk and I wonder about that. Having quit smoking myself some three and a half years ago and now battling the substantial weight gain since quitting, I was hoping he might address that issue.
Thank you, Dr. Phil, for helping us see beyond ourselves...to our families.
Me Too
Posted by: lynfreedom
Posted on: 2004-01-09 02:39:17

Deanna is me! I saw her on tv as she was having to walk and listened to what she had to say and thought that is me. I went to the store the other day to get the food to start the booty camp and it hurt just getting through the store. My back, my knees...so much pain that it wiped me out for the day. My physical problems are worse because of the weight. I need to lose at least 100 lbs. Basically, my whole life has gone down the tubes and it all has to do with health.

Good luck Deanna! You are an inspiration. I hope I do as well as you are.
Linda
Thank you
Posted by: maclively
Posted on: 2004-01-07 11:08:23

Thank you Dr, Phil and your family for talking about and dealing with their health issues. I am the oldest of 10 and we all have health issues due to obesity. I have been on your weight loss program for some time and wish the rest of my family would follow because it works. I hope the rest of my family watched this show. Thanks again for sharing your family- Sincerely Lois
Keep up the great job
Posted by: emmert6
Posted on: 2004-01-07 11:29:51

I wanted to let Deana,tony and Brenda know that I am proud of all of them. Keep up the good job. you are an inspiration to alot of people.I hope to see more updates on Deana and Tony soon.thank you,Heather

Posted by: DrPhilBoard3
Posted on: 2004-01-07 11:59:33

Nice to see your family and see that they are doing the challenge too!
helping
Posted by: bevmik
Posted on: 2004-01-07 12:11:00

its hard to help other that don't want the help or advice but I see that you must contue to be there for when they need you.
I also love the chairs that replaced the high ones . you should keep them on the show from now on.
Thanks for this show
Posted by: capri03
Posted on: 2004-01-07 13:42:08

Thank you Dr. Phil and to all the members of your family.

Thank you for sharing, being vulnerable and coming forward.......you all are helping many.

Your plans are terrific and success is yours for the taking.

To borrow from Colin Powell's words about success from "The Black Collegian." He wrote,

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."

Best wishes on your journey.

Capri.
Great Family!
Posted by: fluffyfat
Posted on: 2004-01-07 15:24:02

The senior McGraw's must have sure done something right because, Deanna, Phil, Donna and all the others seem like such fine, good humored people. I loved meeting them today.
Hey!
Posted by: ramair
Posted on: 2004-01-07 15:47:23

Dr Phil, it was good to meet some of the inspiration behind your campaign against obesity, your dear family. It's good to see these wonderful people move from being in denial to facing up to the dangers of obesity and adopting a healthy new lifestyle of eating right and exercizing.

I can relate to Deana, even though my top weight the most overweight I've ever been was 38lbs. As soon as the scales hit 163lbs, about a month ago, I began following your UWS and WLC advice. I'm now down about 10 lbs with 28 to go. Just like Deanna, I felt really lousy until I began eating right. That first evening, I was already feeling 100 % better.

My husband doesn't have any of Deana's health issues. He always gets good results from his physicals and is 40 lbs overweight, a nonsmoker, and doesn't have diabetes. But, he's a fried food lover, seems tired most of the time and "feels in his body" that he isn't going to live much longer. I'll bet a few weeks of eating right and exercizing would make that "feeling" go away. It did for Deana.
Happy for the lucky ones...
Posted by: hrothwell
Posted on: 2004-01-07 16:27:50

Let me start by saying that this message is indeed less than complimentary and I admit that upfront. Let me also say that I know pretty much exactly what "Dr Phil-isms" would be in response to it. That isn't going to stop me from saying my piece, though. ;)

I think it is great that Dr Phil is able to help his family, and the few participants in the challenge that we see in the show. Its awesome for them that they are getting so much help from him. Personal trainers, free equipment, someone watching over their shoulder... those are the things, along with their motivation of course, that are going to make the difference for them.

This is, however, the same problem that I have with so many of Dr. Phil's shows. What he says on his shows (and in his books) over simplifies the solutions to problems that the majority of his viewers have with weight loss. It isn't that easy, in other words, for those of us faced with trying to succeed at loosing weight in the real world. A world without free gym memberships. A world with children to take care of while mom (and dad) run off to the gym. A world that is filled with fast food, temptation and no one tapping them on the shoulder.

Sure, I could walk out to my kitchen right now and throw away every fat laden, carb filled snack, cookie, piece of bread, you name it, that is out there. (And yes, its a lot.) The problem with doing that is that I'm throwing money away when I do so. Its a LOT more expensive to go to the grocer
Lucky ones part two
Posted by: hrothwell
Posted on: 2004-01-07 16:30:26

Its a LOT more expensive to go to the grocery store and buy a cart full of fruits, vegetables, meats and healthy carbs, than it is to buy the foods that fill you up fast, are easy to prepare, and keep my kids satisfied between meals. Most of us live on a limited, usually tight, budget. One that doesn't have room for gym membership fees, hundreds of dollars more in grocery bills, extra money for baby sitters while we work out, etc., etc.
Sure, at some point, the cost of increased medical bills outweighs the cost of all that. I will admit that. But again, that's an extreme case. For your average overweight American, someone like me who weighs 275 lbs yet doesn't have any real medical issues due to weight, the issues that would have to be over come in order to loose the weight are much more than "just get up and do it".

(message posted in 2 parts because I'm long winded, apparently)