S09.E12: Irene's Journey

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Irene had to move back in with her son because her weight made it unbearable to live on her own.  When Dr. Now can't get through to her, the only thing that might help her break the cycle is a once-in-a-lifetime chain of events. 

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

Original air date 2021.03.10

[Concerned]

She was a bit of a character, but the episode was completely uneventful. She didn’t lose much weight until the last five minutes and received no surgery. 

[suev3333]

Ya, kinda boring.  Mostly asking Dr Now for " just one more chance",  x10.   

I was surprised they were in a gym and with no masks!  Im in upstate NY and our gyms were shut down til not too long ago.  Guess that's the difference between red and blue ( I'll shut up now😬)

Edited March 11, 2021 by suev3333

[Chatty Cake]

They may want to revamp the show and fast forward from month 1 to month 9 or further because the first several months seem a waste of time. 
I’m sure COVID played a part in this season being dull. Still, you’d think someone out there could’ve been successful. 

[SDVegas]

Watching Irene tear through that food at the start of the show

🤢 it made me physically ill to witness someone gorge on chicken, biscuits, burgers, fries, fries on burgers...🤮

And for the love of all that’s holy, why oh why didn’t she have any clothing on her lower half? Sitting on the couch with a bare crotch 🤮

Was she wearing any lower clothing at that visit to Dr Now’s??? Do they sterilize the chairs after someone sits in them?
 

Oh my. 

[nokat]

Did Dr. Now get new hair? They are showing old episodes. I got anxiety when she was coughing in his office.

[libgirl2]

This was no "journey", it was just another mess. 

[ShoePrincess]

I think Irene's journey consisted of waddling from the couch to the refrigerator to the couch to the refrigerator ...

[PrincessPurrsALot]

16 minutes ago, ShoePrincess said:

I think Irene's journey consisted of waddling from the couch to the refrigerator to the couch to the refrigerator ...

There was a trip to Dr. Now's and a trip to the gym.  Otherwise you've completely nailed a 1+ year journey (and 2 freakin' hour show!). 

[libgirl2]

18 minutes ago, ShoePrincess said:

I think Irene's journey consisted of waddling from the couch to the refrigerator to the couch to the refrigerator ...

And sadly, she took us along to watch. 

[ams1001]

2 minutes ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

There was a trip to Dr. Now's and a trip to the gym.  Otherwise you've completely nailed a 1+ year journey (and 2 freakin' hour show!). 

Don't forget the walk punctuated by leaning on a car and a lamppost and another car...

[libgirl2]

19 minutes ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

There was a trip to Dr. Now's and a trip to the gym.  Otherwise you've completely nailed a 1+ year journey (and 2 freakin' hour show!). 

Yea, that was pretty exciting! 

[nokat]

37 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Don't forget the walk punctuated by leaning on a car and a lamppost and another car...

I don't think that is on the Bingo card.

[magemaud]

4 hours ago, SDVegas said:

 

Watching Irene tear through that food at the start of the show

 

Maybe she had to binge eat in order to reach 600 pounds to qualify for getting a “Journey.” If that’s the case, she was only too happy to oblige and was probably relieved she tripped the scales at 603 and made the cutoff 

[ams1001]

4 minutes ago, nokat said:

I don't think that is on the Bingo card.

"Walk in the [car] park"?

[sempervivum]

I think she wins the prize for messiest eating scene. We've seen many other poundticipants shoveling and stuffing huge portions of food in their mouths, but I can't remember seeing anyone who ended up with enough food scraps lying on their chest to provide a meal for a hungry goat. 

 

[nokat]

1 hour ago, ShoePrincess said:

I think Irene's journey consisted of waddling from the couch to the refrigerator to the couch to the refrigerator ...

If she can get to the refrigerator without a huge hanging thing I consider her a success. I also liked a couple of her dresses. I'm not sure they'll be available in a size other than house.

[AZChristian]

1 minute ago, nokat said:

If she can get to the refrigerator without a huge hanging thing I consider her a success. I also liked a couple of her dresses. I'm not sure they'll be available in a size other than house.

The smaller sizes are in the tent department.

[nokat]

I saw the blurred cooch shots. I should not have re-watched. There is someone there with a video camera.

[CrazyInAlabama]

In the stagger through the parking lot scene, I kept waiting for one of the trucks or cars she kept leaning on to have the alarm go off.       I wonder how many people had dented hoods and fenders from her swooning, and laying on their vehicles?       I found it incredible that her coughing jag at Dr. Now's, and in the parking lot, were deemed by the cardiologist as nothing to do with her heart, or other systems.    That makes me believe that her fainting spells were more like soccer match flopping.     I think away from the cameras, that she doesn't have coughing jags.   I think if she had a heart or lung problem, that the specialist Dr. Now sent her to would either have diagnosed it, or sent her to another specialist. 

There is no way that she will ever get the other four kids back, and they're better off where they are.    I really hope they're with good people who are kind to them.    

I felt so sorry for the camera crew.   No matter what they pay the camera crew, and the other people that had to film her, it's not enough to have to spend a lot of time with a woman who has to have her crotch blurred out constantly.   

I absolutely agree that Cameo wasn't just a friend, and probably got sick of Irene whining, and dumped her. 

I have zero doubt that she continued with the diet, and program long enough to get surgery.   I think she's another one who thinks the surgery is the magic bullet, and the second she gets surgery she can stop trying.     When they shut down non-essential surgery, then that was a real issue for Dr. Now's program.    I wonder if the instruments could get through her abdomen to do the surgery, even though Dr. Now has special ones to reach further?  

Edited March 11, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[cynicat]

3 hours ago, sempervivum said:

I think she wins the prize for messiest eating scene. We've seen many other poundticipants shoveling and stuffing huge portions of food in their mouths, but I can't remember seeing anyone who ended up with enough food scraps lying on their chest to provide a meal for a hungry goat. 

I was both fascinated and repulsed by how she chewed her food.  Her whole face moved and I couldn't look away.

[sempervivum]

29 minutes ago, cynicat said:

Her whole face moved and I couldn't look away.

speaking of goats eating:

[nokat]

30 minutes ago, sempervivum said:

speaking of goats eating:

I should probably watch more goats eating instead of this show. 

[magemaud]

The goat’s chewing is neater than Irene's 

[juliemama]

Ohhhhh, the snot-snorking and nose rubbing she was doing between coughs in Dr. Now's office! And she tasted her every snot snork like it was yet another snack!  *retch*🤮

[Twopper]

5 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

 I found it incredible that her coughing jag at Dr. Now's, and in the parking lot, were deemed by the cardiologist as nothing to do with her heart, or other systems.    That makes me believe that her fainting spells were more like soccer match flopping. 

I was confused by the coughing.  She only seemed to cough and do the 'allergic salute" after she had been talking to Dr. Now for at least a few minutes.   I was wondering if she had had the flu or a bad cold a few weeks earlier and had that lingering cough that sometimes hangs on for a couple of weeks, but I would have thought she would have mentioned it. 

Her fainting spells are what is known as "cough syncope" and  it occurs sometimes in patients with asthma and/or COPD.  I am sure that is why she was told it would improve if she loses weight;  I am surprised Dr Now didn't mention it.  I don't want to go down the disability rabbit hole since it didn't come up on the show, but it it is frequent enough it can qualify someone for disability.  I only mention this because I think she mentioned Cameo as a caretaker at one point.  

TLC need to buy these patients those obesity scales so they can have a general idea of what direction they are headed.  It would help them have a more realistic idea of how all that "hard work" is paying off.

She was rather "meh" after the super delusional woman from last week. I wanted to slap everyone on that show with the exception of Dr Now. 

[Pondlass1]

What happened to the cough?  After hacking and snorting and carrying on in the office she never once coughed again despite a trip to the  gym and humping every car in car park while “exercising”. Not that I wanted to witness more hacking and coughing, but I think it was a play for sympathy. That cough probably comes in handy.

It’s so odd to see them sitting on a sofa waiting for someone to come through the door with bags of fast food. It’s such a production set up. I wonder if TLC pays for the food?

[Mothra]

14 hours ago, Twopper said:

TLC need to buy these patients those obesity scales so they can have a general idea of what direction they are headed.  It would help them have a more realistic idea of how all that "hard work" is paying off.

Absolutely.  But then there would be no drama--or what's left of drama on this show.  It makes me a little sad to think that something like their own scale, which could help poundicipants track their progress--and which TLC could totally afford-- is not being provided.  While I have every belief in Dr. Now's sincerity in wanting to help these patients, it's clear that their failures are a big part of the draw of the show, and that it's really not in TLC's best interest to have patients actually succeed. Having them fail time after time is what makes up 99% of the damn show.  I think it's wrong on all kinds of levels, starting with ethically and ending with morally, for TLC to interfere with what might be success for these patients..

That said, I want Cameo to be my best friend, and I want Irene to give me that butterfly shirt.

[Hellohappylife]

The worst part of irene,is she kept getting pregnant & created 5 innocent children.

It’s not my place to say how many children another woman should have, but a woman that doesn’t even have a High school diploma,and has no desire to work any job that you can get. Shouldn't be having 5 children. Even People with really good jobs can struggle trying to support that. So Irene’s situation is 100% worse. 

I grew up in the 90s (28 yrs old),My parents raised 4 kids, there was never a time when they were jobless. My father never finished high school ,he doesn’t read well, he can only do basic math, He can’t name the year of Pearl Harbor, he can’t name all of the planets in the solar system but despite all of that he’s always had a job, and when I was really young there were times he had 2. What’s Irene’s excuse?

Edited March 12, 2021 by Hellohappylife

[stacyasp]

22 hours ago, magemaud said:

Maybe she had to binge eat in order to reach 600 pounds to qualify for getting a “Journey.” If that’s the case, she was only too happy to oblige and was probably relieved she tripped the scales at 603 and made the cutoff 

💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯

[Twopper]

51 minutes ago, Mothra said:

Absolutely.  But then there would be no drama--or what's left of drama on this show.  It makes me a little sad to think that something like their own scale, which could help poundicipants track their progress--and which TLC could totally afford-- is not being provided.  While I have every belief in Dr. Now's sincerity in wanting to help these patients, it's clear that their failures are a big part of the draw of the show, and that it's really not in TLC's best interest to have patients actually succeed. Having them fail time after time is what makes up 99% of the damn show.  I think it's wrong on all kinds of levels, starting with ethically and ending with morally, for TLC to interfere with what might be success for these patients..

I agree, and I suspect there is some clause in the contract forbidding the patients having scales.  I notice that Amy and Tammy have them, but I wonder if they are only allowed to have them only  when they are filming.  The crew could bring the scale midway between visits and it would give the poundticipant an idea of which direction they were headed, and they could then take the scale away.   I don't mind the ups and downs of their 'journeys" but I prefer to see at least half of them make it to surgery and a few of them to the chop  shop for skin surgery.   I definitely want a follow up on JT to get that thing off his leg. 

I wonder if Dr Now is getting frustrated that none of his tv patients seem to be getting to surgery.  He seemed to relax the rules to get her qualified and instead of giving her a goal to reach before the surgery, he was more like 'just keep losing."  Then he indicated he hoped maybe she would lose 10 pounds per month.   I can't see her maintaining that rate for more than a month or two.  I wonder when he was able to resume doing surgeries.   I think  his first shows with Melissa and one of the Ashleys did not require any weight loss before surgery.  

[gaPeach]

I agree with everyone that has posted about her eating scenes.  It was hard to watch but just as hard not to.  She looked at her chicken like she want to make love to it.  Right before she shoved more into her mouth.  And whatever she was eating out of the cup, it was like she could not eat it fast enough.  But both times someone brought her food they just sat there and watched her eat.  Then proceeded to tell her she shouldn't eat so much and she needed to lose weight.  Huh?  Maybe, I don't know, stop bringing her food!?  And enough food to feed a family of 4?

And the crotch shots.......um yeah.  Poor, poor film crew.

[essexjan]

I must confess, I ran back into the living room from the kitchen to see her first weigh-in, and I fist-pumped and said "Yessss!" when I saw she'd only lost 5lbs. Then I went back to making my sausage, mushroom and olive pizza which I ate all by myself.

Disclaimer - ready-made 12" crust with thin smear of sauce already on it - 400 calories, 50g vegan smoked cheese - 120 calories, 1 vegan Italian sausage - 100 calories, 3 mushrooms - 45 calories, 3 kalamata olives - 50 calories, 1 tbs olive oil, 120 calories - total  835 calories, but that is my one meal of the day, other than fruit and yoghurt. There will not be a follow-up of six double quarter-pounders and a bucket of fries.

 

[nokat]

7 minutes ago, essexjan said:

I must confess, I ran back into the living room from the kitchen to see her first weigh-in, and I fist-pumped and said "Yessss!" when I saw she'd only lost 5lbs. Then I went back to making my sausage, mushroom and olive pizza which I ate all by myself.

Disclaimer - ready-made 12" crust with thin smear of sauce already on it - 400 calories, 50g vegan smoked cheese - 120 calories, 1 vegan Italian sausage - 100 calories, 3 mushrooms - 45 calories, 3 kalamata olives - 50 calories, 1 tbs olive oil, 120 calories - total  835 calories, but that is my one meal of the day, other than fruit and yoghurt. There will not be a follow-up of six double quarter-pounders and a bucket of fries.

 

That sounds delicious and also reminds us that good ingredients make for good food.

Edited March 12, 2021 by nokat

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, essexjan said:

I must confess, I ran back into the living room from the kitchen to see her first weigh-in, and I fist-pumped and said "Yessss!" when I saw she'd only lost 5lbs. Then I went back to making my sausage, mushroom and olive pizza which I ate all by myself.

Disclaimer - ready-made 12" crust with thin smear of sauce already on it - 400 calories, 50g vegan smoked cheese - 120 calories, 1 vegan Italian sausage - 100 calories, 3 mushrooms - 45 calories, 3 kalamata olives - 50 calories, 1 tbs olive oil, 120 calories - total  835 calories, but that is my one meal of the day, other than fruit and yoghurt. There will not be a follow-up of six double quarter-pounders and a bucket of fries.

 

the place that I order fresh to go healthy meals to go just started making take and bake pizzas. Cauliflower or brown rice crust, and all the veggies you want with sauce and cheese (not a ton). I have seen pictures and I can't wait to give them a try. I'm not sure on the calorie count but they are personal size. 

Edited March 12, 2021 by libgirl2

[nokat]

2 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

the place that I order fresh to go healthy meals to go just started making take and bake pizzas. Cauliflower or brown rice crust, and all the veggies you want with sauce and cheese (not a ton). I have seen pictures and I can't wait to give them a try. 

I've had the cauliflower crust and I like a thin crispy crust with a lot of vegetables so I can recommend it. I haven't tried the brown rice crust.

[Tango64]

She kept begging Dr. Now to give her another chance so she could "get back on track." Bitch, you were never on track. Never been within sight of that track. That track don't know you.

[LuvMyShows]

1 hour ago, Tango64 said:

She kept begging Dr. Now to give her another chance so she could "get back on track." Bitch, you were never on track. Never been within sight of that track. That track don't know you.

And what, exactly, did 'everything with covid' entail for her, that was so challenging as to derail her for 8 months?   

6 hours ago, Twopper said:

Then he indicated he hoped maybe she would lose 10 pounds per month.   I can't see her maintaining that rate for more than a month or two.

It looked already like she had started to gain her weight back...

[Mothra]

7 hours ago, gaPeach said:

I agree with everyone that has posted about her eating scenes.  It was hard to watch but just as hard not to.  She looked at her chicken like she want to make love to it.  Right before she shoved more into her mouth.  And whatever she was eating out of the cup, it was like she could not eat it fast enough.  But both times someone brought her food they just sat there and watched her eat.  Then proceeded to tell her she shouldn't eat so much and she needed to lose weight.  Huh?  Maybe, I don't know, stop bringing her food!?  And enough food to feed a family of 4?

And the crotch shots.......um yeah.  Poor, poor film crew.

I think there's something significant in how the poundicipants wolf down their food.  They're not savoring it--except, as you say, before they eat it (and look like they want to make love to it!)--and I wonder if that speed to get the substance into the body holds true for other addictive substances.  I've never (thank you god) witnessed anyone shooting up, but I have seen alcoholics drink, and they at least seem to savor the taste of the alcohol.  And cigarette smokers totally get into the sensation of inhaling the smoke.  That's why I'm not sure that it's right to call what we see on this show a "food addiction."  I've tried thinking of it as an eating addiction, but that's not right, either.

There's no question in my mind that at least some of the poundicipants are in trouble because they have an addiction, but to what, exactly?  The food they want, the food they gorge on, has to be of a specific (unhealthy) type; you couldn't make them happy with a five-pound bag of carrots.  I think that's like other addictions--the craving is specific.  And the fact that they want it immediately, that they're desperate to ingest it is like other addictions, too--people get desperate for a cigarette, a drink, even a cup of coffee.  But when other addicts get what they need, it seems to me that they *savor* it in ways the poundicipants can't do.

[readheaded]

On 3/11/2021 at 10:55 AM, libgirl2 said:

Yea, that was pretty exciting! 

Unless you're the car or the lamppost.  😁

[Ucross]

Are Dr. Now's steths blinged out?

[nokat]

56 minutes ago, Ucross said:

Are Dr. Now's steths blinged out?

Yes, it got mentioned in live chat a while back I think. He has bling on his stethoscope.

[Starlight925]

On 3/12/2021 at 5:04 PM, Mothra said:

There's no question in my mind that at least some of the poundicipants are in trouble because they have an addiction, but to what, exactly?  The food they want, the food they gorge on, has to be of a specific (unhealthy) type; you couldn't make them happy with a five-pound bag of carrots.  I think that's like other addictions--the craving is specific.  And the fact that they want it immediately, that they're desperate to ingest it is like other addictions, too--people get desperate for a cigarette, a drink, even a cup of coffee.  But when other addicts get what they need, it seems to me that they *savor* it in ways the poundicipants can't do.

I can't remember if it was a very early 600 lb. life show or not, but there was an Obesity show where a man maintained his 600+ lb. weight by eating one thing, daily, that he considered healthy:  oranges.  Except he'd eat 50-100 oranges a day.  At 100 calories each, he was consuming 5000-10,000 calories in oranges, daily.

Specific, to say the least.

Irene was "addicted" to food that would otherwise be considered healthy:  chicken, beef, lots of protein.  Basically, she was eating what Dr. Now would suggest, except she was eating 20 times the amount.  It was interesting that we didn't see her shove entire pizzas+Liters of Coke+entire pans of brownies, like we've seen others.  If she would eat 1-2 pieces of chicken and some veggie sides, it would have actually qualified for a Dr. Now approved meal.  But the amount, plus the massive amounts of carbs, well it was a thing to behold.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Starlight925

[Brooklynista]

On 3/13/2021 at 10:32 PM, Starlight925 said:

I can't remember if it was a very early 600 lb. life show or not, but there was an Obesity show where a man maintained his 600+ lb. weight by eating one thing, daily, that he considered healthy:  oranges.  Except he'd eat 50-100 oranges a day.  At 100 calories each, he was consuming 5000-10,000 calories in oranges, daily.

Specific, to say the least.

Irene was "addicted" to food that would otherwise be considered healthy:  chicken, beef, lots of protein.  Basically, she was eating what Dr. Now would suggest, except she was eating 20 times the amount.  It was interesting that we didn't see her shove entire pizzas+Liters of Coke+entire pans of brownies, like we've seen others.  If she would eat 1-2 pieces of chicken and some veggie sides, it would have actually qualified for a Dr. Now approved meal.  But the amount, plus the massive amounts of carbs, well it was a thing to behold.

Ah yes the oranges🤣🤣. I'm pretty sure that was a patient at Brookhaven.

[OoogleEyes]

On 3/12/2021 at 6:04 PM, Mothra said:

The food they want, the food they gorge on, has to be of a specific (unhealthy) type; you couldn't make them happy with a five-pound bag of carrots.  

*hiding my 5 lb bag of carrots and my vat of hummus*

Have you been peeking in my window?

[Burning Rubber]

[Burning Rubber]

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm watching the Supersized episode, and love that friend Trina brings the Popeye's meal, and Irene doesn't offer her anything.   I just wonder how many people live in that apartment?    There is Irene's bed, and another one in the bedroom, another bed next to the couch in the living room.   

Irene was always huge, even as an infant.   She's blaming her parent's divorce when she was five, but she was already really big long before that. 

[swankie]

I laughed out loud in the beginning when she got out of bed and threw her wig on.  I was like, "She has a wig with bed head!" 🤣

I must say though, she had some really cute clothes.  And another plus, she wore different outfits throughout the show.  So many of them seem to wear the same torn and worn out clothes throughout the show.

[Scratches19]

Hi friends. my eating habit tonight is leftover teriyaki mahi mahi and rice. And a snack of tortilla strips. And a glass of really damn good Cabernet. Thank God for the wine. 

We are so far behind on our recordings at this point that we just nite are watching Irene’s “journey”. 

Lordie lordie, the eating scenes with the blurry hoo-hoo region and the too short dresses. We pretty much know this was a non starter episode.