S01.E01: We Big But We Pretty

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Meghan hopes to get weight loss surgery along with her overweight best friend, Vannessa. Vannessa is afraid of trying to lose weight only to fail, and she also struggles to maintain a healthy diet because all her groceries come from a local food pantry.

Previously aired streaming on Discovery+ 2021.06/02

US air date TLC 2021.11.10

[Ladybugnine]

 

oooh, it's Dr. Procter!

[DropTheSoap]

This looks like a sh!tshow. 

[MsVixen]

Just watched My 600 Pound Life and am tuckered out.

[umgoblue]

Dr. FineAss Procter!

Meghan face is pretty. It will be interesting to see what she looks like when she loses weight.

Edited November 11, 2021 by umgoblue

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm really worried about the way Meghan's left ankle area looks, and the leg growths look very red and inflamed also. 496 is scary, but after others on the other show doesn't seem that bad.    I'm hoping she does really well, and Vanessa too. 

Meghan's friend Vanessa needs to drive to Kennesaw and see Molly at the bra shop  (90 day fiance, she really has one), she could harness those puppies. 

Vanessa has so many growths on her legs, it looks painful and dangerous.   The roll on her lap is so scary.    Vanessa has had a rough life. 

Was Dr. Proctor's "massive" a pun?  

Edited November 11, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Suzywriter]

Hey, y'all!

 

whoa, dad and gamer boyfriend look alike. 

2 minutes ago, umgoblue said:

Dr. FineAss Procter!

 

Yeah, Buddy!

[ams1001]

6 minutes ago, DropTheSoap said:

This looks like a sh!tshow. 

Well, apparently it's a pee-show, at least.

6 minutes ago, MsVixen said:

Just watched My 600 Pound Life and am tuckered out.

Well, hello there!

Vanessa's kind of intense...and apparently needs reading glasses...

Edited November 11, 2021 by ams1001

[Suzywriter]

Bagina rolls.

[umgoblue]

Beyonce is talking to her lawyer now, drawing up paperwork to sue Vanessa for slander.

[ams1001]

Just now, Suzywriter said:

Bagina rolls.

Really not an image I needed in my brain...

[DropTheSoap]

5 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Well, apparently it's a pee-show, at least.

Almost made that edit. 

Could need reading glasses. But also could be changes from blood sugar. Vanessa said she was just diagnosed as diabetic, but it’s unlikely that high blood sugar is new. 

[umgoblue]

I was trying to roll (pun intended) with Vanessa and her body positivity and how great she looks until I saw her rotten tooth...I can take a lot (okay, I maybe I can't), but when it comes to teeth, full stop.  My issue, I know.

[Suzywriter]

Vannessa's children are really cute. 

Oh, wow, widowed! Husband was only 36.

[ams1001]

Some of these conversations are giving me shades of the Slaton sisters and that is not a good thing.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I so happy for Meghan, almost 40 lbs off is amazing.   Approved for surgery, I hope she does so well after surgery. 

How sad for Vanessa to find out what she weighs by the scales at the scrap yard.  However, that didn't stop her from spending every penny she earned on lots of fast food.  (Thanks to Pepper Mostly the weight at the scrap yard was 440). 

Edited November 11, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[crazycatlady58]

1 minute ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I so happy for Meghan, almost 40 lbs off is amazing. 

How sad for Vanessa to find out she's 700 lbs. by weighing at the scrap yard. 

And the young man was so sweet about it. 

[SDVegas]

8 hours ago, Ladybugnine said:

 

oooh, it's Dr. Procter!

That’s why I tuned in 🤩 

[AZChristian]

No shame in getting food from a food pantry.  I've volunteered at them, and we often had fresh fruits and vegetables available for clients.

And if it's all canned, here's an idea.  Just eat ONE can of ravioli (or whatever) instead of three (or more) at one time?  The calories are clearly marked, and broken down per serving.  Lots of people would be surprised to read that a can contains two servings (at least), so the per serving calorie counts need to be multiplied.

[Pepper Mostly]

14 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I so happy for Meghan, almost 40 lbs off is amazing.   Approved for surgery, I hope she does so well after surgery. 

How sad for Vanessa to find out what she weighs by the scales at the scrap yard.  However, that didn't stop her from spending every penny she earned on lots of fast food.   (Did the young man at the scrap yard say 700?) 

440 according to the scrapyard scale. 

And Vannessa weeps. She had no idea she was that big? 

Then she goes and spends the money she got for scavenging scrap metal at a fast food place! $57 could have bought a lot of boneless chicken and salad greens. Sheesh. 

But she loves herself and she thinks she's beautiful. I'm getting whiplash. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Did anyone think that the scrap metal place weighed Vanessa incorrectly? She looked heavier than Meghan to me. Certainly not 50 pounds less…..hmmmm…Dr. Proctor should have confirmed that weight and not taken her word for it, imo.  It’s important to know fr certain where they are starting.  
 

One thing that bothers me the most is when those with severe eating disorders harm their children by demonstrating the behavior as normal.  Who wants their kid eating that way?  It’s unhealthy and creates a life of pain and disability for the children as they mature. But these parents don’t seem to care at all.  They just sit and share their dysfunction like a tasty treat.  It bothers me a lot, as I see it as child abuse.  
 

 

 

[ams1001]

Just now, SunnyBeBe said:

One thing that bothers me the most is when those with severe eating disorders harm their children by demonstrating the behavior as normal.  Who wants their kid eating that way?  It’s unhealthy and creates a life of pain and disability for the children as they mature. But these parents don’t seem to care at all.  They just sit and share their dysfunction like a tasty treat.  It bothers me a lot, as I see it as child abuse.  

Yeah, I felt bad for her son. He's not on a good path, from the looks of him. Hopefully if she sticks with the program he'll learn to eat better, too.

[SunnyBeBe]

3 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Yeah, I felt bad for her son. He's not on a good path, from the looks of him. Hopefully if she sticks with the program he'll learn to eat better, too.

I hope so. But, when the person gets bariatric surgery they are severely restricted in what they can eat and how much.  And, I’m not sure the patient, even though they lose weight, actually develops a healthy relationship with food.  That’s based on what I have observed on tv and in real life.  So, the child may observe a smaller parent, but not necessarily normal eating habits, normal portions, healthy choices, etc.   

[1011101010001]

There is a thing called portion control.  You don’t have to eat seeds and nuts.  Try one sandwich instead of five and five wings instead of 60.

[SunnyBeBe]

That’s something that I think these weight loss shows like Too Large should include….nutrition and counseling for food addiction.  Do they get it off screen? Certainly, these patients need it.  What we normally see is a 5 min segment on childhood trauma or a quick visit from a nutritionist to examine their fridge.  When you need a total overhaul of your relationship with food, that’s not sufficient.  We would find it appalling if a drug addict was given a brochure and told to go home and reduce their drug use by 80%.  
 

For people who have a long history of eating highly caloric food in very large quantifies, portion control is just not in their frame of reference.   I don’t know where you start to change that.  Some of it isn’t even about hunger, but emotions.  

[auntjess]

21 hours ago, umgoblue said:

Meghan face is pretty. It will be interesting to see what she looks like when she loses weight.

She looked so different without makeup, when she was going for surgery.

21 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm really worried about the way Meghan's left ankle area looks, and the leg growths look very red and inflamed also. 496 is scary, but after others on the other show doesn't seem that bad.    I'm hoping she does really well, and Vanessa too.

Didn't she say she had ankle surgery?  And from the knees down, her legs are slim.
Vanessa especially, weighed less than I'd have guessed, judging from Dr. Now patients.  I'd have thought she was well over 500.
 

[auntjess]

4 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Did anyone think that the scrap metal place weighed Vanessa incorrectly? She looked heavier than Meghan to me. Certainly not 50 pounds less…..hmmmm…Dr. Proctor should have confirmed that weight and not taken her word for it, imo.  It’s important to know fr certain where they are starting.  

Yes, I'd have guessed 600 lb range, and she was taller than Megan too.

[1011101010001]

13 minutes ago, auntjess said:

Yes, I'd have guessed 600 lb range, and she was taller than Megan too.

Yeah and Proctor asked her to lose more than he asked Meghan to.

[CrazyInAlabama]

My understanding from other episodes with the hunky Dr. P, and Dr. Now, the patients all have to get a psychologist clearance, nutrition counseling, and a lot of other information that we don't see on camera.    

They also have support groups after surgery too.   

I really think Meghan will probably do much better than Vanessa.   However, did they show the weight for Vanessa at Dr. Proctor's?   She seemed much bigger than Meghan, and taller too.    I don't think Vanessa truly believes she could die from not losing weight, I think she's in serious denial.    When Vanessa was weighed at the scrap yard, and then went to the drive thru and spent every penny on fast food, it was sad. 

Edited November 12, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Maisiesmom]

I have hope for Meghan. She seems clean, put together, has a man who cares about her,and who seems to have her back. I was surprised that she weighed more than Vannessa , maybe because she is shorter and carries the weight differently. Vannessa, on the other hand needs a bra for pete's sake, and some dental work. My hope is not too high for her, since she's been big since she was a kid and sees food as the answer to every problem or happiness. Her son is a bit chunky too. I mean, 6  sandwiches and 60 wings? Plus the mac and cheese and all that? If she put a little effort into fixing up her house that would burn off some calories, right? I felt sorry for their kitty-poor thing was as skinny as a rail. I like Dr. Proctor's approach- he seems to be a very nice man (cute too)!

[auntjess]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

My understanding from other episodes with the hunky Dr. P, and Dr. Now, the patients all have to get a psychologist clearance, nutrition counseling, and a lot of other information that we don't see on camera.    

Remember the Dr. Now patient who managed to lose the diet information every time he gave it to her?
If they don't want to follow it, they toss it, I guess.

[SunnyBeBe]

The cost for the quantity of food these super, morbidly obese people eat must be incredible.  I don’t know how they afford it.  Not likely a lot of extra funds for dental work.  I think there’s also a fear they have of being judged and fitting into a dental chair.  
 

Meghan kept saying that she had stopped the fast food.  Do you realize that fast food places have the calories of each dish displayed on the drive-thru menus?  I don’t do much fast food and it surprised me when I went through one recently.  I think I saw it on a McDonalds menu a couple of years ago.  It still surprised me when I saw the calories on another fast food place recently.  It really upset me and I can’t believe people see it and continue to order the food. I immediately curtailed my order to one item…no side dish and I felt bad about it.  I won’t be returning there. It’s not worth it, imo.  

[readheaded]

On 11/11/2021 at 9:55 PM, auntjess said:

Remember the Dr. Now patient who managed to lose the diet information every time he gave it to her?
If they don't want to follow it, they toss it, I guess.

I also think that some of them are so disorganized mentally and in their lives in general that they can’t truly can’t manage much. Some of them also seem to be truly ignorant and unable to find and use resources and/or mentally slow. 
 

In short, I think for some of them their lives are in disarray because they’re so obese, but I think others are obese in part because their overall lives are in such disarray. No matter how or why the obesity starts, most of them seem to get into a vicious circle of extreme dysfunction. 

Edited November 15, 2021 by readheaded

[Mothra]

On 11/11/2021 at 2:56 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

I’m not sure the patient, even though they lose weight, actually develops a healthy relationship with food.

That's a big problem imho.  I understand that there are people with severe health problems who will die if they don't lose weight as quickly as possible by any means at all, and that bariatric surgery is a way to do that.  But the fact that such a small percentage of wls patients are able to maintain at least a somewhat healthier weight is telling.  WLS does not normalize anyone's relationship to food.  It continues, in a way, the infantilization of the patient--just like a baby eats what she wants when she wants, the super morbidly obese have an extremely immature relationship with food.  Being on a restricted diet, whether it's from WW or wls, only creates a "parent" who dictates what the child can have to eat.

I was touched by Vanessa and Megan's friendship, but I think that no matter how fond they are of each other, there is an element of competition or at least comparison developing for Vanessa which is likely to make her give up.  I hope that doesn't happen.

Add me to the folks who question her ability to obtain healthier foods.  She needs to stop buying fast food, period.  And Megan needs to stop telling her to eat rice.  I think Vanessa's trouble with buying healthier, admittedly more expensive in a lost of cases, food has more to do with what she's used to buying than with honestly trying to buy them.

And Dr. Procter brings on vapors.  Fortunately I have my fainting couch right in front of the tv.

[Maisiesmom]

Well, finally got caught up here-congrats to Meghan-still losing weight and engaged to boot! You go, girl! Now Vannessa, you quit eating the damn fast food, there are things you can make at home that will fill you up and be healthy. When she was cooking out at the grill I had to laugh-she tells the kids the seasoning is salt-free and shows the label that says 300 sodium? What does she think salt is? Until she changes her mind-set, she will never lose weight. My eyes really didn't need to see the work-out in the yard but at least they were doing something physical. Dr. Proctor was so kind to Vannessa when she was sitting there blubbering-Dr. Now would have been angry with her. I hope she gets it together and does the hard work. I like to see people succeed, not kill themselves.

[SunnyBeBe]

Vanessa and Meghan seem very different to me.  They have some things in common, but I think they are not that similar.  They do seem to have fun together though.  That’s nice, but if one doesn’t  get to a health weight…….I could see it being a problem.

Edited November 20, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[meowmommy]

You could have told me Vannessa was Meghan's mom instead of her school buddy and I would have believed you.  She looks rode hard and put up wet. 

I kinda liked that the BF didn't know what Meghan looked like before he got to know her.  That way it was clear he's not a chubby chaser.  And he loves her for who she is.

I also liked that they made it clear you have to show a commitment to making dietary changes before they'll operate on you.  The gastric bypass diet is extreme even for someone who doesn't already have issues with massive overeating.  They needed to focus a little bit on the psychological evaluation required to qualify for the procedure.  A patient who admits to getting in a rage because she can't have the food she wants is not going to handle being fed a thimbleful of healthy food for the rest of her life.  I loved that the doctor told her to quit blaming everyone else for her failings and take ownership of the choices she makes.  Meghan was committed to the process all along and Vannessa had to be dragged along kicking and screaming. 

I don't watch the other morbidly obese shows, so I don't know what they present, but I used to be a case manager on a bariatric unit and I saw the cases that went well and a lot of cases that went south.  Bad outcomes like infections and losing too much weight and death.  One death directly related to not following the gastric bypass diet.  It's serious, serious business.

On 11/20/2021 at 5:31 AM, Mothra said:

And Megan needs to stop telling her to eat rice.

Meghan told her to stop eating a lot of rice and to fill up on the green vegetables.

[LuvMyShows]

 

On 11/11/2021 at 7:27 PM, auntjess said:

She looked so different without makeup, when she was going for surgery.

That's exactly what I was coming here to say!  She looked very pretty and natural and much younger.

On 11/11/2021 at 9:43 PM, Maisiesmom said:

 My hope is not too high for her, since she's been big since she was a kid and sees food as the answer to every problem or happiness. 

I was surprised that Vanessa described how her mom worried that she was too skinny as a kid, cause the few pictures they showed, definitely did not show a too-skinny kid...not a fat kid, but by no means skinny.  And surprised that the doctor at the time didn't say 'no, this child is not too skinny'.

On 11/13/2021 at 5:34 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

Do you realize that fast food places have the calories of each dish displayed on the drive-thru menus?  I don’t do much fast food and it surprised me when I went through one recently.  I think I saw it on a McDonalds menu a couple of years ago.  It still surprised me when I saw the calories on another fast food place recently.  It really upset me and I can’t believe people see it and continue to order the food. 

Interestingly, when I first saw the calories, I was pleasantly surprised at how low they were for the two things I occasionally get -- small fries (220) and 4-piece McNuggets (193).  It made me think that it would definitely be, at least theoretically, possible for these folks to get an occasional fast food fix (heck, even once a week) and still keep their calories in check as well as their health...but that would depend on the ability for them to really adhere to portion control.  And, well, I know this may sound crazy, but a Big Mac is 563 calories.  Most people's dinners on a maintenance diet can easily sustain one dinner a week of 563 calories...and removing one of the buns would make it even less.  But I'm guessing the issue would be not having fries and a drink with the Big Mac, and only doing it once a week.

Edited December 6, 2021 by LuvMyShows

[SunnyBeBe]

On 12/3/2021 at 10:46 PM, LuvMyShows said:

 

That's exactly what I was coming here to say!  She looked very pretty and natural and much younger.

I was surprised that Vanessa described how her mom worried that she was too skinny as a kid, cause the few pictures they showed, definitely did not show a too-skinny kid...not a fat kid, but by no means skinny.  And surprised that the doctor at the time didn't say 'no, this child is not too skinny'.

Interestingly, when I first saw the calories, I was pleasantly surprised at how low they were for the two things I occasionally get -- small fries (220) and 4-piece McNuggets (193).  It made me think that it would definitely be, at least theoretically, possible for these folks to get an occasional fast food fix (heck, even once a week) and still keep their calories in check as well as their health...but that would depend on the ability for them to really adhere to portion control.  And, well, I know this may sound crazy, but a Big Mac is 563 calories.  Most people's dinners on a maintenance diet can easily sustain one dinner a week of 563 calories...and removing one of the buns would make it even less.  But I'm guessing the issue would be not having fries and a drink with the Big Mac, and only doing it once a week.

I didn’t notice any low calorie items, though, I don’t normally order fries or nuggets.  My cousin kept her weight down in college on her special diet, though I don’t condone it.  It consisted of nothing all day and then for dinner one quarter pounder with cheese.  Lol. It worked for about one year.  

[Hellga]

Pee pad on the floor?  It's 'My 600 Pound Life' bad.  Most people on this show have been pretty normal, just large. 

Who, if anyone, would wipe her urine-stained legs after she goes???  DOesn't look like she even squats in the process.

Edited January 20, 2022 by Hellga

[sainte-chapelle]

Pee pad Penny the second

[Hellga]

Vanessa's boob situation... surely they make bras for her size?  

I thought Vanessa is in her late 50s, not early 40s...

[dreadfulLeigh]

If my titties ever start migrating under my underarms, just take me out.

1 minute ago, Hellga said:

Vanessa's boob situation... surely they make bras for her size?  

I thought Vanessa is in her late 50s, not early 40s...

I watched the middle of this when it first aired. Missed the pee pad. And totally thought Vanessa was about 15 years older.

[sainte-chapelle]

So she is talking about being just like other women and she isn’t dirty….now she talks about peeing her pants 15 times a day

[Hellga]

Wow.  Vanessa is delusional.  She built all these defenses around herself instead of taking care of the problem.  No wonder in the follow-up she didn't want to do anything.   Meghan, you tried, but you can't make a horse drink, no matter how much you think she should and how much you put a water bucket under her nose. 

[sainte-chapelle]

Oh no her son looks big too and her floor and room look filthy. It is sad her husband died…so young! She should not be smoking either.

[Hellga]

I am sorry your husband died, and you have had a rough life, but even in junior high you were heavy.  So your only excuse is that you love eating and you don't want to give it up.  I don't find Vanessa any more sympathetic here than I did in the follow-up episode last week.

[sainte-chapelle]

Meghan’s boyfriend seems nice. A lot of the women I see on 600 lb life are in toxic relationships. He seems to really love her and wants her to do well. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I can't believe that Vanessa and Meghan are getting a spin off show.   I have zero interest in Vanessa.    

[Hellga]

I fell asleep in the middle of the show, I will try to finish it tonight.  Probably won't bother with the spin-off... what can they show, Meghan trying to convince Vanessa to get on board with the program and fail?  An extended version of the follow-up scene?  Nah.