ZeldaZee

Many years ago I was driving with my father down a little highway in Florida, early summertime, behind a flatbed truck loaded with fresh watermelons. Let's just say...ever play Mario Kart?

I did like that. I particularly liked how Junior and Johnny were so pissed off– Hell, I would be, too! If someone was asking me to take on as much commitment as a long-haul uHaul drive (and I've done those), then not even have it together to have the recent pay stubs etc handy for the apartment (but somehow have the old ones), and then not even be able to scrounge up enough so I could crash at a Motel 6 after driving your shit over multiple states...I'd be Goddamn furious, and if I was Junior's Mom or Johnny's wife I'd be Goddamn livid.

I'm so glad it was cleared up early on that Allen legitimately has a brain/speech injury, because for the first few minutes I was thinking, "this is the most scripted voice-over ever and Allen is a terrible actor". Was anyone else confused about the math of when they met? According to the intro screen, Allen is 51, Vianey 35. He said he started online dating at 35 (so 16 years ago). It was implied they met shortly thereafter, so that would make Vianey 19 at the time. However, later in the episode she says she started online dating at 25, met him and they'd been together ~7 years, which would make her 32 at the time of filming. Am I just that bad at math (and I don't doubt that) or is this wonky?

As long as there are folks willing to trade drugs for tats, there is a market for at-home tattoo artists (I speak from experience...the joys of Craigslist housemates.)

Guys, I threw in the towel. I got as far as the Tennessee hotel room, and I'd skipped some of the Angie/Desereé confrontation...cue my best "AH'M DONE!!!" I literally cannot watch anymore of that dreadful, hateful, manipulative waste of space. I couldn't even last long enough to see Dr. Now– I don't want to experience this horrible woman any longer than I have to. I shut off the episode and fired up Jeanne's. Jeanne's. How horrible a person do you have to be that Jeanne is a palate cleanser?!

What was interesting to me was that her father actually did seem interested in her life, and I do believe he was sincere when he said that if he'd known she was being abused, he would have done something about it. Better than "Mom" did, anyway. It was a screwed-up dynamic regardless but he struck me as being a decent person at least in regards to Kelly. She may have been the "other child" but it seems he did make an effort to be present.

I've always loved Dr. Now but I've noticed that recent episodes are really showcasing his humanity more– it could be editing, it could be that the last season or so the subjects are in just so much worse shape than prior seasons. Seeing him actually help physically support Kelly in the taxi scene really shows his character– he's what, around 80 years old? And he's a tiny man, he stands on a box to perform surgery– but he's there pulling and hoisting and doing what he can for his patient and getting pissed when response isn't coming fast enough. I never thought my admiration for him could get higher but Hell, that man is a gem.

Good eye! Jeez, even just as a background blur Christian looks miserable. I'm so glad he was able to get out of that situation.

I only just started watching Kelly's episode (I have a delay)... Is there just so much of a thing of parents not believing their children who come to them saying they've been raped or abused? This seems so common in not only these specific episodes but in general. I suppose it's one thing if your child has been hurt but never told you and you only found out later– but your child telling you these things have happened and are happening and yet you don't do jack shit about it? You don't believe them? You don't even acknowledge that they've told you? "Just forget about it", in Kelly's words? My mother did not allow me to be around her father unless someone else was present, and it wasn't until a couple of years ago on her deathbed that she told my father (who'd been married to her for 50 years and had no clue) that my grandfather had tried to molest her when she was 12 and she only "escaped" because she peed the bed before he could get too far. None of us– my father, siblings and myself– knew about this but there had always this unspoken, "don't leave the kids alone with him" rule when I was growing up. But there was that rule– don't leave the kids alone with him. I knew him, visited the house etc but looking back, it was always under strict supervision. It just seems insane to me that anyone could disbelieve their children or dismiss them with these matters. It takes enough guts for a child to speak up in any circumstance, much less something as significant as abuse. To brush that courage under the rug, especially by the person they've screwed up enough courage to tell...no wonder they feel diminished in other parts of life. I can't speak for everyone or anyone. But, I do know that if I learned someone was raping my child, the reality show you'd be watching would be The First 48. ~ZZ

So I finally sat down and watched the whole episode and Aaron (God help me, I can no longer look at that name without hearing Keegan-Michael Key) did not exactly pull at my heartstrings. Parts of his story did (that horrific school incident– I mean, Jesus, that's some Lord of the Flies shit right there) but as a whole, I was less than impressed by him. I'm a couple of years older than Aaron (which shocked me, he looked about 50) and my own father will be 76 this year. Luckily my father is mentally sharp, working, healthy as a horse; I moved back in with him to save money for a move and we're great housemates. That being said, I know he's 75 years old and while he doesn't need it, I will do everything to make things easier for him. The whole grocery store sequence with Aaron's father struggling in and out of his wheelchair to buy groceries while his son sat in the car fucking disgusted me. It disgusted me more than the Poundticipants who are chauffeured to the store and sit in the passenger seat while the driver shops and checks off their list. Sure, Aaron drove (whoopie for him) there but what he made his father do was so much worse than the guilt-trip sobbing the rest of the Poundticipants usually pull when their favorite crullers aren't available. I'm sure Aaron's Dad WAS a hardass when he was little and I'm sure Aaron got the belt. But hot Goddamn, dragging an old disabled man around to do your shopping for you is just cruel. It was like Aaron was punishing his father for the past by turning him into his personal gofer. This wasn't as viscerally gross as Jeanne, but it was pretty disturbing. ~ZZ

The only trainer I've had was at a high-end NYC gym and he ended up being my weed dealer, lol. I told him he had a great circular business model, get your clients to have the munchies and show them how to burn it off. ~ZZ

I wasn't a "skinny kid" but I wasn't overweight until I hit about 9 years old, and I piled it on FAST– I was 160lb by age 11. No trauma– I just always liked food, preferred reading to sports and puberty hit me like a ton of bricks. Looking back at photos from then it astonishes me that I got that bad that young, and no one ever said anything. My parents were not uneducated– they had advanced degrees, had lived around the world, and raised their kids on NPR and PBS. In short, late-80s Bay Area "let's send the kids to Montessori and join a men's choir" insufferable. But, diet and nutrition was just not something on my family's radar. Food didn't play a huge role in our family (Mom hated to cook and Dad would happily live on steak, potatoes and chardonnay for the rest of his life), but all our portions were enormous and it was important we all sat down at dinner and cleared our plates because that's just what you did. I knew I was a fat kid early on (I remember there being two other kids in my new 4th grade class larger than me and thinking, "oh, thank God"), and I'm sure my mother knew I was gaining weight since when she dieted, which she often did, everyone dieted. However, nothing was said or done, directly to me, ever. And, I kind of wish it had been addressed as I was being teased about my incredible dumpiness in Jr. High and I KNEW something was wrong, I knew I was out of breath and everything chafed and I couldn't remotely keep up with my classmates in gym. I just had no idea how to fix it and again, it just wasn't something my family addressed other than Mom following Susan Powter for two weeks. So in answer to your question: I don't know how it happens, other than it does. And Lord, it sucked. It still sucks even at 33, because I still have those habits I developed at a young age and they feel like instinct I have to fight at times. I feel sympathy for these "fat kids" because that was me. What I don't feel sympathy for is still using that as your reasoning to continue this well into adulthood. At some point you have to take control. I'm still trying. I just wish I'd started sooner. ~ZZ

Can I say how much I adore this? It's been a thing that if I'm dating a new guy, I take him to a RiffTrax Live. If he doesn't laugh, he's not worth another date. ~ZZ

I've only just started watching Jeanne's episode (Amazon delays and my own lackadaisical attitude over the last few episodes). As of writing I'm only up to the initial Dr. Now consultation and forgive me if the next 45 minutes change my mind (or if I reiterate points already said by other posters)... MAN I do not like this chick. I'm sorry her grandmother thought "Mommie Dearest" was a childcare manual, and I'm sorry she was molested. No child should ever go through any of that. At the same time, so many of these stories have abuse/rape/molestation as the "trigger" for overeating that, well, it's kind of the baseline. I actually am pleasantly surprised when a subject WASN'T molested. Still. Many of these subjects have gone through horrible things and, if not taken control of their lives, at least don't bitch and whine so.Goddamn.much. I hope the crew in the ride to Houston got hazard pay. That whole "throw us in with the lepers" exchange really steamed my goat. Bitch, at some point you CHOSE to disable yourself. Those "lepers" didn't have a say in the matter and frankly their stories are far more inspiring than yours. She is the unhealthiest subject I've seen, at least physically. The constant redness and wheezing, dear God. And that is SELF-INFLICTED. Considering how bad she looks and sounds I'm genuinely amazed she's made it to 39. Again, as I write, I'm only 25 minutes in. Maybe I'll have a change of heart by the end but at this point I think I understand why Jeanne has no talking heads outside of her parents. ~ZZ (PS: They had the sad flashback piano music but not a dedicated "chunk" of flashback photos/VO this episode– is this new? Like I said, I skimmed/skipped the last couple episodes.)

The biggest (no pun intended) thing that ever helped me has been 1) a food scale and 2) a food diary. I'm not always honest with my diary but I've been 80% honest over the last few years and even that dropped me from 220lb to 175. My goal for February is to log literally everything I eat and drink. Even if I can't weigh it I can guessimate and if it's something I don't know, I'll log the highest calorie count available so I don't go over my daily limit. The only "contestant" I remember seeing using a food scale/tracking app was Amber in S3. It's such a small investment, my scale cost $30 seven years ago and it probably saved my life. No wonder she's been so successful.

I've been wondering– and I say this as someone who's watched this show since Melissa– has anyone calculated just who ate the most of any of the subjects? Or even just tallied what they ate? I watch a lot of BBC programing and "Supersize vs Superskinny" and "Secret Eaters" (basically anything with Anna Richardson, lol) did a great job just showing in sheer volume how much people eat, and how many calories it totaled. THAT got me to thinking how much I personally consume, and I cut down my portions enough to lose 50lb (still have 30 to go, but I'll get there). I'd love to see a calorie tally on just how much these takeouts/gravy/etc ARE. Figuring out what a true single portion size IS, with the help of a food scale, is the single most important thing that's helped me to lose weight.

I always wonder about the Blurred Relations in shows like this, "Intervention" etc. In so many of these shows the most tenuous family connection will have a talking-head commentary, and while I understand why someone wouldn't want to appear on a reality show (I'm a 90s-2000s reality show refugee, I remember Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne's eldest, Aimee, declined to ever be on The Osbournes) it lends a bit of, "so what don't we know?" to the whole affair. It's always made me wonder what their take on the family history is and whether they aren't distancing themselves from the "contestant/subject" for a reason.

I only just got the episode on Prime...I'm halfway through (Holly and Ray just moved down to Houston and got, surprise, Chinese). I may be coming off the Justin high of last week, but...I dunno, I'd like to like Holly, I don't think she's hopeless or evil or anything, but I just cannot warm to her at all. I know it sounds crazy but she had this little simpering smile at the first Dr. Now meeting that came across so self-satisfied (Meryl Streep has the same thing and I cannot stand that woman– hey, like I said, I know it sounds crazy). Also, you guys just moved into an apartment with a BEAUTIFUL kitchen full of new appliances, you have a car and thus access to a grocery store, you have phones/computers to look up recipes (or at least order takeout), and you're "not really set up to cook"? Just how set up do you need to be?! I just moved and while 90% of my stuff is in a storage unit and will be for most of the year, I kept my wok, rice cooker/veg steamer and cast-iron frying pan in the few boxes I moved in to my new place. These are just my thoughts based on what I've seen so far (I don't have TV so I never see these episodes live). Maybe I'll change my mind in the next 40 minutes. Again, Holly doesn't seem like a bad person and having being bullied for my weight as a child (I was 160lb at ~11) I do feel empathy for that...but while I don't actively dislike Holly, for some reason I have a really hard time fully rooting for her. There's just something about her that rubs me the wrong way and I can't place why.

All of these factoids just reiterate, "Dude, did you sign up for the wrong show?" Seriously, Justin better have some literal bodies in the crawlspace because it seems unfathomable that TLC would cast someone that knows what an arboretum is without there being SOME angle. Unless the angle is just how left-field this episode was to all of us. Good one, TLC, good one...

I know, right?! I'm a pale redhead but not a "ginger" (yes, there's a difference!) and when my friends would tease me with that term I always thought, "man, I wish."

It was interesting to me that there WERE step/half siblings and a stepmother, the entire family he grew up with and didn't fit in with, there's not a single "talking head" segment with at least one of those family members. Or ANYONE outside of Justin and his parents (hey, with this show, the 3rd-cousin-twice-removed gets a soundbite). Justin seems to be that person who decides to grow up decently despite his circumstances. He has his whole life ahead of him and it seems he's grasping the bull by the horns. Rock on, dude. Ohhh, Hell yes. She was completely out of it, and you could tell that he knew she was as well. ETA: Man, Justin is completely used to his mother making promises and letting him down. Hell, it takes a lot for a family court to award full custody to a father, especially 20 years ago. That woman is toxic.

I don't have actual television (I get the show from Amazon) so while I love the idea of participating in a live chat I don't think I can participate, alas! I've struggled with weight for most of my life (no trauma, I just always liked food) and good or bad, I actually do watch this show as a reminder of what COULD happen if I just let my love of food dictate my whole life. I've never been nearly as bad as these folks but, "for the grace of God go I" etc. Justin seems like a sensible guy who has issues but who knows what needs to be done and does it. He is a strong person whether he realizes it or not. There have been many subjects on the show with drug-addicted parents and he's the most "normal" of that unfortunate group. He knows his mother is going to let him down and he's pre-planned for that as I'm sure he has his entire life with her. That's heartbreaking but admirable at the same time. And, Hell, I have a huge soft-spot for gingers so I'll automatically be in his corner for that.

I literally found this forum tonight after watching Justin's episode on Amazon and just searched it to see if anyone else was as impressed as I was. I've watched M600L since it started and like others I just was really drawn to Justin and his story. I can't quite pin down why, but aside from his obvious weight issue, he really had his sh!t together. He knew he had a problem, and he was taking big steps (therapy, Hell, even ordering takeout salads) even before going down to Houston. And, he wore regular clothing, had a tidy house, and spoke with proper grammar. As many have said, "did he sign with the wrong show?" Honestly, that was probably one of the most inspirational episodes I've ever seen, and I usually avoid the inspiration in favor of the trainwreck... If he were my patient I'd be proud of him as well. He needs to realize Mom isn't ever going to be there for him, which is a heartbreaking thing to accept, but if she hasn't proven herself over 20+ years, the chances of swooping in to be your guardian angel are pretty much nil.