S08.E11: Tommy's Story

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Tommy wants to lose weight so he can marry his fiancee and have the life he always dreamed of with her, but to break the cycle of pathological eating that left him nearly bed-bound, he will have to face a piece of his pst that he has always kept secret.

Yes, it's another pounditicipant with a fiancee.  Should we take bets on what she does for him?  Will Tupperware be involved?

This is the regular episode thread. It will unlock after the US East Coast showing.

Original air date 2020.03.11

[rlc]

I thought this was going to be another train wreck, but Tommy was a sweetheart. I hope we see an update- I want to see him succeed.

[nokat]

I was feeling bad, then I realized my peeps were here

 

[TVbitch]

Wow. I have never heard Dr. Now flat out tell someone that part of getting better was to accept that they could no longer rely on the crutch of disability to support them!  He totally called out the girlfriend too, telling her she was obese and an enabler. She ended up being an asset ...but I couldn't tell if she ever lost any weight.

Dr. Now was clearly charmed by Tommy and had smiles and encouragement for him. Which makes me all the more question what was going on last week when Ashley, who also had a sexual abuse history, got no smiles or positive encouragement or therapy, even when she had been doing well but then relapsed. Perhaps there is a lot we don't know.  

Dr. Baby Voice looked more like a professional in this epsiode! However, pushing a sexual abuse survivor to open up to his elderly mom ...on the first visit ...when he said he is not ready ...that is ridiculous. When she realized that was not going to happen, she changed it to, "at least open up to your girlfriend!" AKA: Just open up to someone cuz TLC needs that footage for this episode!

[Hellohappylife]

Tommy looks like Rasputin, I kept waiting for a haircut and a shave scene..

Dr.Now has really been pointing out the weight of the “enablers” in the room this season,and I love it. Some might see it as being a bully or just plain rude,but a lot of these people truly believe they are sooooo healthy compared to the 600 pounder,it’s time someone gave them a dose of reality. I love that Dr. Now isn’t jumping up and down and praising every small milestone that’s passed,it only makes those real moments genuine and sweet.

 

[ethalfrida]

The girlfriend became annoying right from  the start. Even before Dr. Now gave her a good talking to. Then she was too mean about the pizza. Scripted?

[Caoimhe]

4 hours ago, TVbitch said:

He totally called out the girlfriend too, telling her she was obese and an enabler. She ended up being an asset ...but I couldn't tell if she ever lost any weight.

I thought Amanda looked like she was gaining weight while Tommy kept losing.  Someone in live chat commented that she was probably eating everything she took away from him!  But she has "her own plan".

[libgirl2]

5 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Wow. I have never heard Dr. Now flat out tell someone that part of getting better was to accept that they could no longer rely on the crutch of disability to support them!  He totally called out the girlfriend too, telling her she was obese and an enabler. She ended up being an asset ...but I couldn't tell if she ever lost any weight.

 

I was surprised by that! I don't think I ever heard it either.

[Johnny Dollar]

Another snooze-fest of an episode. They’ve really been scraping the bottom of the Cracker Barrel lately. 

[calpurnia99]

Well they put a gif in the live chat thread of the mcdonalds Gremlin? Grimace? I think is the name- help me out here. It's like a dancing purple poo emoji... and gf really did look like this, especially with her purple top on!!! 

Her saying she was 320! If I was on National TV and had to say my weight, I'd certainly say 120 although I haven't weighed 120 since I was 12.  It just sounds good to say you weigh 120.

120, 320 sounds better than the actual 150, 390...

The thing that was different is that he was so very respectful of Dr. Now and what he was saying. We've had so many back talkers. He kept saying he didn;t want to go to therapy but he didn't want to blow it, and so if Dr. Now recommends this for his success, then he had to do it. He seemed to have a great deal of respect for authority of Dr. Now and his advice. He really seemed grateful for this opportunity. 

Contrast that to the dumb bitch we had this season who said she didn't need therapy and the surgery didn't work and told Dr. Now he didn't know what he was talking about. She is still sitting in her recliner eating 4 pizzas and 4 boxes of brownies for lunch.

[ClareWalks]

Amanda was really something else. She truly seemed to think she had no problem with her weight. She looked so confused and offended when Dr. Now told her she was obese too. And when she said 320 lb I yelled "which buttcheek are you talking about?!"

[WonTon]

I liked Tommy and really hope he succeeds in the long term. However, I didn't like his girlfriend at all (well, I liked her a bit more towards the end). But to me, a giant red flag throughout all seasons of this show, is when someone is taking a loved one to task for being obese when they clearly are as well. I just think it's like being an alcoholic around someone who drinks almost as much as you do, but doesn't think they have a problem.

I hope I'm wrong. Good luck Tommy!

[dahling]

Has there ever been a more righteously indignant family member than the fiancee?  How dare he ask about her weight -- she's the thin one! "I'm doing my own plan -- but it's not high protein low carbohydrate."  I'm guessing her own plan was eating whatever she wanted but ripping Tommy a new one over a small pizza. She was bigger at the end than at the beginning.  We all know how it works out when people do it their own way.

Edited March 12, 2020 by dahling

[essexjan]

This is the most creative interpretation of Dr Now's pre-surgery diet and exercise plan I've ever seen.

"I'll ignore the diet but ramp up the exercise so I can walk enough to open the door for the pizza delivery guy."

 

[AZChristian]

7 hours ago, ethalfrida said:

The girlfriend became annoying right from  the start. Even before Dr. Now gave her a good talking to. Then she was too mean about the pizza. Scripted?

If she were being mean about the pizza, she would have stood just outside his reach and scarfed it down herself.  I didn't blame her for being mad at him, and I cheered when she threw it in the trash and gave him a good talking to about it.

[AZChristian]

We just watched the end this morning, since we're old and don't stay up late.

Early in the Live Chat, someone mentioned that this story would probably end up at a karaoke bar.  Yep . . . they sure did.

But I figured they both must have been pretty bad, as they never allowed us to hear one note that either one of them sang.  Also - I've never been to a karaoke setting where there weren't a lot of people who had to wait their turn to sing.  These two just walked right up to the stage as though - SURPRISE - the whole thing was scripted.

[calpurnia99]

True- fake and scripted. But we did not have to suffer through the songs because you know how this show is: cheap. Too cheap to pay for the rights to the songs they were croaking, I mean singing. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

So Amanda fed her last fiance to 700 lbs, and death.   Then finds Tommy to feed to over 600 lbs.    I'm sensing a trend.     I thought it was hysterical that at the end Tommy and Amanda looked the same size, but she's a little shorter, and that's the only difference.    She didn't change anything, she just changed her critical Mommy of Tommy from feeding him, to enforcing his diet.     

The couple will never have a normal husband-wife relationship, but always be Mother-Son instead, because that's just how they live. 

On the Live Chat thread someone asked when Amanda will be finding her next victim?    My guess is she keeps a running list, and the second there's a vacancy in her life, she gets the replacement lined up.    

Edited March 12, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Johnny Dollar]

I thought the Biggie Smalls poster on the wall at the karaoke bar was a nice touch. 

[Tabbygirl521]

2 hours ago, WonTon said:

I liked Tommy and really hope he succeeds in the long term. However, I didn't like his girlfriend at all (well, I liked her a bit more towards the end). But to me, a giant red flag throughout all seasons of this show, is when someone is taking a loved one to task for being obese when they clearly are as well. I just think it's like being an alcoholic around someone who drinks almost as much as you do, but doesn't think they have a problem.

I hope I'm wrong. Good luck Tommy!

I felt the same way about her, especially because she helped him get there by serving him decks of fried sandwiches, etc. and didn’t seem at all reluctant to do it. Did she also help feed her previous BF, who began rotting before her eyes and she didn’t notice until he was at death’s door? MAJOR problems with her.

When they went on their first date ever, to the karaoke bar, it hit me that this meant all they’d done together for years (5 or so?) was sit and eat. They’ve never been able to even be intimate or even lie on a bed together to snuggle. Mindbogglingly sad.

i hope he sticks with therapy. He’s sweet but so pathetic in how he sees Amanda. He wants to give her the biggest wedding he can (via disability $$$$ ??) because she deserves it. And she’s been such a devoted caretaker that he wants to “spend the rest of my life making it up to her.” Noooooooo. 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Tabbygirl521

[sempervivum]

The place they were living in Louisiana looked like an abandoned commercial building- my first thought was a school. There was something weird going on with all the garbage bag-covered windows. The place was in the sticks, so why would they be protecting their privacy to such an extent? 

10 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Wow. I have never heard Dr. Now flat out tell someone that part of getting better was to accept that they could no longer rely on the crutch of disability to support them!

I laughed at that part, but in retrospect, that seems like a good way to discourage the guy. 

Amanda looked better with her hair down, but at first :

 

[mmecorday]

Quote

The place they were living in Louisiana looked like an abandoned commercial building- my first thought was a school. There was something weird going on with all the garbage bag-covered windows. The place was in the sticks, so why would they be protecting their privacy to such an extent? 

I am guessing that the windows were covered because either Tommy or Amanda suffers from insomnia. Elvis covered his windows because he could only sleep during the day.

[calpurnia99]

I'M REALLY SCARED RIGHT NOW!!

This guy was okay but he said the My 600 Pound Life CatchPhrase around 600 times!

[JJ1]

4 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

Amanda was really something else. She truly seemed to think she had no problem with her weight. She looked so confused and offended when Dr. Now told her she was obese too. And when she said 320 lb I yelled "which buttcheek are you talking about?!"

LOL, I was so disappointed that Dr. Now didn’t say “let’s go to the scale and find out for sure”. Just really wanted to see her face when it showed the true weight! 

[calpurnia99]

1 hour ago, JJ1 said:

LOL, I was so disappointed that Dr. Now didn’t say “let’s go to the scale and find out for sure”. Just really wanted to see her face when it showed the true weight! 

True but it was kinda funny when they came back and he looks at her and says "you don't look like you lost any weight" ha ha ha ha ha HER FACE! 

I love the expression "a fair bit" I think it's more Southern than Northern. Dr. Now kept asking him how much exercise and he couldnt say "5 minutes 3 x a day" he just kept saying I exercise "a fair bit"....

[Kenzie]

4 hours ago, essexjan said:

This is the most creative interpretation of Dr Now's pre-surgery diet and exercise plan I've ever seen.

I laughed out loud as he said in all seriousness, "I need one cheat meal a day so I can handle dieting the rest of the day."

[ClareWalks]

34 minutes ago, Kenzie said:

I laughed out loud as he said in all seriousness, "I need one cheat meal a day so I can handle dieting the rest of the day."

My cheat snacks tide me over until my cheat dinner 😛 

[Bea A.]

OMG... I’ve been a sideline cheerleader for many participants of this show, but I don’t recall ever tearing up and praying to god for great blessings for any of the folks on this show until Tommy and Amanda showed up. I can clearly see he has such a kind and loving soul. And that Amanda, she clearly loves him very deeply. She may be the first loved one to stand her ground so early into the weight loss journey.... bravo Amanda, and she did it without berating him. 
I truly do wish them both great success and wonderful blessings in life. 

[FormeryHeavyJ]

Tommy needs to go to the Barber of Seville.  

3 hours ago, sempervivum said:

The place they were living in Louisiana looked like an abandoned commercial building- my first thought was a school. There was something weird going on with all the garbage bag-covered windows. The place was in the sticks, so why would they be protecting their privacy to such an extent? 

I laughed at that part, but in retrospect, that seems like a good way to discourage the guy. 

Amanda looked better with her hair down, but at first :

 

"You know, I'm a rather brilliant surgeon. Perhaps I can help you with that hump."

"What hump?"

[essexjan]

2 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

My cheat snacks tide me over until my cheat dinner 😛 

 

[Lemons]

I’ve noticed that pretty much every contestant now claims to be molested as a child and that caused them to eat.  But pictures show they were fat pretty much from the beginning and they were genetically linked to other fat people.   I’m not really believing most of their stories.  

[CringeWatcher]

14 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

Amanda was really something else. She truly seemed to think she had no problem with her weight. She looked so confused and offended when Dr. Now told her she was obese too. And when she said 320 lb I yelled "which buttcheek are you talking about?!"

I’m rewatching because I can’t keep up with live chat and actually watch the episode, and live chat is the best part of this show (especially in the last couple years) but I want to smack Amanda with her “sincere” protestations of how much she loves tommy, and it would kill her to lose him and blah, blah blah, blah blah blah, then cut to her bringing him a three pound plate of tetrazzini étouffée (like what, in the actual fuck), and telling him how good it is, then cut to her saying he’s killing himself with every mouthful and how she’s ready to take a whip to him if he doesn’t get in line. FU, Amanda, thou sanctimonious sow 🖕🏻

Edited March 13, 2020 by CringeWatcher

[nokat]

8 hours ago, CringeWatcher said:

thou sanctimonious sow

Is stealing that, and wants to hug your cute little piggy avatar.
 

[cynicat]

9 hours ago, Lemons said:

I’ve noticed that pretty much every contestant now claims to be molested as a child and that caused them to eat.  But pictures show they were fat pretty much from the beginning and they were genetically linked to other fat people.   I’m not really believing most of their stories.  

I do believe that they were sexually assaulted.  Likely the thing(s) missing in their lives that drives them to overeat makes them susceptible to being preyed upon by these monsters.  However, I do agree that the molestation isn't necessarily what drove them to be morbidly obese.  As a couch psychologist I think they have deeper complex issues but it's easier to pinpoint a specific event as the culprit.

[nokat]

4 hours ago, cynicat said:

I do believe that they were sexually assaulted.

I never disbelieve someone who says that. Knows someone who was abused, and they didn't use food, but it affected their life in so many ways.

 

Edited March 13, 2020 by nokat

[IvySpice]

Quote

I’m not really believing most of their stories.  

I believe them too. I'm sure they would be fat anyway, but being fat and being 600+ pounds are two different things. For the person to go off the addiction deep end like this, it's likely that there were layers upon layers of problems going wrong in their lives: genetics AND poverty AND instability AND abuse. We usually see the poundticipants' parents and/or siblings, and they are usually fat, but not disabled by their food addiction. 

[Twopper]

On 3/12/2020 at 12:17 AM, TVbitch said:

Wow. I have never heard Dr. Now flat out tell someone that part of getting better was to accept that they could no longer rely on the crutch of disability to support them!  He totally called out the girlfriend too, telling her she was obese and an enabler. She ended up being an asset ...but I couldn't tell if she ever lost any weight.

Dr. Now was clearly charmed by Tommy and had smiles and encouragement for him. Which makes me all the more question what was going on last week when Ashley, who also had a sexual abuse history, got no smiles or positive encouragement or therapy, even when she had been doing well but then relapsed. Perhaps there is a lot we don't know.  

Wow!! I was really impressed he said that because every time a patient has mentioned being on disability I figure they will probably lose it when they reach a more normal weight unless there are other issues we don't know about.   Mentioning it should make a normal person realize they need to be planning a next step like perhaps taking some classes.  We have seen this with some of them.  One went to a welding class.  And Tommy is working to get his DL back, and he is talking about working.

I think Dr Now knows a lot more about them than they show on tv.  He did not mention the dead fiance that Amanda had, but I am sure he knew, and that may be why he was so interested in her getting some therapy with Tommy and getting on the weight loss program.   I really couldn't tell about any weight loss she had.  She had something going on with her brow that made me think if she gained a few hundred more pounds she will have the same weird lump that one of the 1000 pound sisters have.  

I liked Tommy, but not Amanda.  I guess Tommy was desperate for a "fiancee" but knowing that her late boyfriend ate himself to death while in her care would be a huge red flag.  She and her mother both looked like they should also be considering bariatric surgery.  If she weighed 320, then I am under 100.  I couldn't tell her height, but I would guess she was closer to 400 than 200.  Maybe 402?   I hate that she didn't get weighed.

On 3/12/2020 at 11:13 AM, sempervivum said:

The place they were living in Louisiana looked like an abandoned commercial building- my first thought was a school. There was something weird going on with all the garbage bag-covered windows. The place was in the sticks, so why would they be protecting their privacy to such an extent? 

It looked to me like a housing project in a smaller southern town where someone I knew lived.   They were all one storied, and fairly spread out.   I missed the garbage bag window coverings, but perhaps they were too cheap to get regular curtains.  And if she sometimes works nights ( I have no idea what hours she works) it would make it easier to sleep in the day if more light is blocked.   Actually, having written that, I have no clue.   Just rambling.  

[AZChristian]

54 minutes ago, Twopper said:

I guess Tommy was desperate for a "fiancee" but knowing that her late boyfriend ate himself to death while in her care would be a huge red flag.

With the mindset of too many of these 600+ pounders, it might be more of a magnet than a red flag.

[nytonc]

I missed Live Chat this week but enjoyed reading it all. When I participate, I miss a ton of snarky good posts. 
 

where to start with Tommy...throw in a drug addiction and I’d say this episode has every pitiful situation possible BINGO!

I’m pretty sure the charming Amanda was, and still is, sabotaging Tommy off camera. She probably just wants to kill another man. She needs incompetent Dr Lola more than Tommy. 

Edited March 15, 2020 by nytonc

[Otter]

I just started to watch his episode and have yet to meeting Amanda.  I'm on the west coast so don't do the live chat but know about the bingo game and I propose making the center circle, the one given, "tattoos".  

Huh, that's quite a breakfast and such a gourmand ... bologna and cheese sammies! 

Dullest episode ever  On Demand filters out commercials so only wasted 90 minutes of what I have left of my life. 

Lawdy, this show has jumped the shark.  

 

 

Edited March 15, 2020 by Otter

[Anduril]

On 3/12/2020 at 8:55 PM, Lemons said:

I’ve noticed that pretty much every contestant now claims to be molested as a child and that caused them to eat.  But pictures show they were fat pretty much from the beginning and they were genetically linked to other fat people.   I’m not really believing most of their stories.  

Molestation is common among people like that.

[AZChristian]

32 minutes ago, Anduril said:

Molestation is common among people like that.

Molestation is common among all societal levels, religions, etc.  According to Wikipedia and many other sources, "Child sexual abuse occurs frequently in Western society, although the rate of prevalence can be difficult to determine. Research in North America has concluded that approximately 15% to 25% of women and 5% to 15% of men were sexually abused when they were children."

I personally still suffer from PTSD and anxiety, and battled depression because of the abuse I endured during childhood.  Others deal with it by substance abuse, addictions (including food), and/or an inability to form appropriate and meaningful relationships.

I don't think every 600-pounder we see was - in fact - abused sexually, although there are many other types of abuse that can cause a person to seek comfort in things like food.  Also, not every sexually abused person will eat themselves to 600 pounds.

[Granny58]

Tommy seems so sweet, I hope he succeeds long term.  I don't understand why Amanda's MOTHER had to go into the doctor's office with them at the first appointment.  

[Lemons]

1 hour ago, Anduril said:

Molestation is common among people like that.

I believe most have been but I think some are making up stories after watching the show so many times. 

[Anduril]

5 minutes ago, Granny58 said:

Tommy seems so sweet, I hope he succeeds long term.  I don't understand why Amanda's MOTHER had to go into the doctor's office with them at the first appointment.  

It's refreshing to see someone that I actually hopes makes it.  Most of these people are such pathetic sacks of shit that I don't hope anything good for them.

[swankie]

To tell you the truth, the girlfriend looks bigger than or at least as big as him.  And she said her late ex was 700 lbs when he died.  Judging by that pasta dish she fed Tommy, I see why! 

Edited March 18, 2020 by swankie

[swankie]

On 3/12/2020 at 12:42 PM, JJ1 said:

LOL, I was so disappointed that Dr. Now didn’t say “let’s go to the scale and find out for sure”. Just really wanted to see her face when it showed the true weight! 

Really, the only difference between him and her that I could see is that she doesn't have lymphedemas in her legs.  If I was her I would have said, "Let me on your program and get the surgery for free also since you're addressing my weight too".  She missed a huge opportunity there.  

[swankie]

On 3/12/2020 at 1:17 AM, TVbitch said:

Dr. Baby Voice looked more like a professional in this epsiode! However, pushing a sexual abuse survivor to open up to his elderly mom ...on the first visit ...when he said he is not ready ...that is ridiculous.

OMG!  Doctor Baby Voice!  🤣  She actually looks like she's put on a little weight since the first time she appeared on the show.  Her and her wigs.  She tickles me.

[mmecorday]

I noticed something while watching this episode again yesterday. There were double doors behind Tommy's bed and the windows in them were covered by black garbage bags. The doors looked like the kind you would see in a business, not in a home setting. So I'm wondering if he was living in a building that had been converted to a residence.

[Scarlett45]

On 3/12/2020 at 7:55 PM, Lemons said:

I’ve noticed that pretty much every contestant now claims to be molested as a child and that caused them to eat.  But pictures show they were fat pretty much from the beginning and they were genetically linked to other fat people.   I’m not really believing most of their stories.  

I have mentioned this in other threads but their childhood pictures often look very similar to my own. I was a fat child and am a fat adult, however most fat people I know (who were fat as kids) do STOP gaining after puberty when we hit our adult height. I hit my adult height at 14 and am now 34, I stay between 210-230lbs generally, I’m 5’7 and a 16/18w pants.  I don’t know how much I weighed at 11, but I knew I was finally tall enough to fit into plus sizes stores like Lane Bryant/Avenue and my mom stopped having my clothes made. I have similarity situated friends who were fat kids and none of them have hit 300lbs (one did get the gastric sleeve at 270lbs, now lives around 200lbs). 
 

I say all this to say- I was not abused growing up. (Or as an adult)I had a very loving family. My father was a fat kid in the 1950s when it was really rare and he always yo-yoed as an adult (gaining and losing between 50-75lbs every couple of years). 

I think with these participants, yes I believe they were abused (far too common and tragic), but if you take someone who in a society was likely always going to be heavier if given access to the calories, add in poverty, substance abuse, sexual/physical abuse in childhood and depression=you get a 600lbs person going to see Dr Now, where as if you take someone with a “stable” upbringing they are just a “normal fat person” in our society who watches their weight all the time. 
 

I liked Tommy quite a bit. I want him to succeed too.