S10.E03: Bianca's Journey

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Bianca is all in for a move to Houston with her boyfriend and two young kids to get Dr. Now's help with a second weight-loss surgery. But just when the coast is clear, her boyfriend's change of mind could undermine her progress.

Original air date 2021.11.17

[EtheltoTillie]

Bianca is one of the nicest poundticipants. She’s really stepping up since the start of the episode.  I hope she does well ultimately. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Aww look at her little girl in the pool. So cute. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I love how Bianca didn't let the boyfriend dumping her affect her plans, her moving to Houston was so brave, and succeeding with her 'journey'.   She may have faltered a little, but she came through in the end.   I hope she continues to do well, and we get a successful update on her, and her cute kids.      I love that she went back to work, is doing the water aerobics, and still losing weight.     

[suev3333]

I was pleasantly surprised by this one.   When I first saw her practically dance a jig when she had 2 huuuuge plates of spaghetti in front of her, I was worried.   And her shoveling it all in was scary.

But she really stuck to it, seems like a great loving mom, decent clean kids, and clean house.  And no dogs or tatts(unless I missed any)!!  I really liked her drive and determination.  And I didn't hear complaining as usual.   In the beginning I though she was going to be a whiner, but she wasn't bad.   And she puts her children first, and it shows.

Kudos to her for being ok with her boyfriend checking out.  She didn't miss a beat, (not sure if I could have done that).   She lost no determination.   And I liked him too!   He was very upbeat and supportive (except when feeding her).  I was really surprised when they split!    

Sorry to sound so positive.  No snark from me tonight 😁

Edited November 18, 2021 by suev3333

[Hellohappylife]

Her son breaking down in tears when Dr. Now approved her surgery broke my heart, that little boy has been silently worrying about his mamma way more than the average 8yr old. 

I hope the ex is making efforts to be in those babies lives, especially the 2yr old who was constantly clinging to him. 

This is the only episode I’ve seen where the poundticipant has actually started working after surgery, even if it’s just bagging groceries. She’s trying & contributing to society. Such a wholesome episode!

Edited November 18, 2021 by Hellohappylife

[Chatty Cake]

I was pleasantly surprised by Bianca. This is two weeks in a row where the poundticipant held themselves accountable. Last season was so depressing it’s good to see some pleasant people for a change. 
It’s too bad Romonte didn’t stick by her. I wonder what his deal was? 

[winsomeone]

I felt almost sick when Bianca was shoveling that spaghetti into her mouth, and wanted to dislike her. But as the show went on, I liked her more and more, and that darling little boy of hers. Hope she continues to do well.

[cynicat]

It felt great to finally watch someone follow the rules, be accountable for missteps, and ultimately succeed in getting the surgery.  This show has me expecting train wrecks, which I don't love. I totally prefer watching these "boring" episodes with nice people and positive outcomes.  Bianca was lovely and while I don't particularly like children, hers were just adorable.  I wanted to run in and hug her son--so sweet!

Go Dr. Paradise!

[Emkat]

Where my suruppp at baby?! 

[libgirl2]

3 hours ago, winsomeone said:

I felt almost sick when Bianca was shoveling that spaghetti into her mouth, and wanted to dislike her. But as the show went on, I liked her more and more, and that darling little boy of hers. Hope she continues to do well.

I only caught the last hour so I missed the "spaghetti" scene. From what I saw, she is a lovely person who was trying hard and not perfect, admitting her mistakes. I liked that she knew how much she needed therapy for her issues and without it wouldn't succeed. And her children are dolls! 

Edited November 18, 2021 by libgirl2

[nokat]

10 hours ago, GussieK said:

Bianca is one of the nicest poundticipants. She’s really stepping up since the start of the episode.  I hope she does well ultimately. 

I'm liking her and wanting her to succeed. I am three hours behind live chat but I read through. Romonte doesn't seem to be an enabler but was still making pancakes.

On a shallow note, Bianca is very pretty.

[nokat]

Neethie has a weight problem too. Those adorable kids, I hope they don't have weight problems in their future.

She does find pretty clothes.

[EtheltoTillie]

Also, Bianca's job of bagging groceries is actually an active job.  Good for her, as she had previously only had a sedentary job. 

[DeeReynolds]

Since both Bianca and Romonte had previously had weight loss surgery, it seemed to me like Romonte was cooking for her at the beginning how he wished he could still eat. Living vicariously through Bianca if you will. 

[ams1001]

7EasyPayments said in the live chat:

Quote

Uh oh lots of pasta, garlic bread, and ranch dressing in the preview - recipe for disaster.

I missed chat because it was my dad's birthday (82!!) and I didn't get home until almost 10, but we went to Olive Garden for dinner. No ranch (I sincerely don't understand the concept of ranch with Italian food, and that's aside from the fact that I don't like ranch) but there was definitely lots of pasta and garlic bread. (I had the 6oz. sirloin with fettucine alfredo on the side, which is (according to the menu) approximately 650 calories less than the chicken alfredo (which is more like pasta with chicken on the side). I usually get chicken parm, which is 1500ish calories but I make two meals out of it, but fettucine sounded yummy in the moment. The steak was okay but I've certainly had much better.) Tonight's eating habit will be much lighter (especially since lunch was Thanksgiving Dinner, which my workplace always does the week before Thanksgiving; though the cafeteria is still closed and we didn't have it last year so this was a nice surprise).

I read the chat thread during downtime at work (over the course of the morning); will probably watch on demand tonight or tomorrow. Sorry I missed it but it seems there's room for some hope on this one? 

It was kinda fun reading the real time reactions without having seen the episode. Not planning to make it a habit, though.

[knuckles491]

I thought she was great, and she somehow pulled off wearing those big print dresses.  I hope she continues to succeed.

[cpcathy]

I thought for sure they had sped up the video when she was eating! That was some fast eating!

[suzeecat]

5 minutes ago, cpcathy said:

I thought for sure they had sped up the video when she was eating! That was some fast eating!

That was downright scary to see!  I pity the fool who tries to get between her and her food.  Boyfriend fooled me every time he walked up to the table with two heaping plates - I thought, one for her, one for him - but NO, they were BOTH FOR HER!  You know it's time to do something when one plate won't hold all your food, c'mon, woman!  That sweet boy was utterly devoted to his mama. 

[ams1001]

9 minutes ago, cpcathy said:

I thought for sure they had sped up the video when she was eating! That was some fast eating!

lol…I'm used to watching videos at 1.5x. Some of the youtubers I watch seem sooooo slooooow when I start a video at normal speed. I kinda can't wait to watch this dinner scene, now. (I will be watching OnDemand so it will be at normal speed.)

[nokat]

2 hours ago, knuckles491 said:

I thought she was great, and she somehow pulled off wearing those big print dresses.  I hope she continues to succeed.

She didn't seem to have the massive butt wings or a hanging boulder between her legs. Her big print dresses were pretty next to the saggy shorts and t-shirts (that look like they need to be washed) we've seen previously.

[PA SweetPea]

Wow, my emotions and opinions went for a real rollercoaster ride this episode. My initial reaction to her was "What a ray of sunshine", the way she spoke and facial expressions. And I've watched a lot of morbidly obese people eat a lot of food over the years and I honestly don't think I've ever been quite as disgusted. I've never seen one literally inhale food before! But once she had her initial weight loss, which shocked me, she brightened up like the sun. And holy crap, she had every excuse not to go to Houston but surprise again, she did it. A weight loss stumble for sure, but no gain at least. And her reaction to getting approved, the happiness and that smile! And of course, her adorable son hugging her after her weigh in. Taking her gorgeous little girl to water aerobics, nothing was going to stop her. I know this is long, but she just made such an impression on me. I really hope she sticks with it this time, and stays away from men for a while and focus on herself and her beautiful children.

[Gemma Violet]

8 hours ago, knuckles491 said:

I thought she was great, and she somehow pulled off wearing those big print dresses.  I hope she continues to succeed.

Me too. 

I noticed she had a different dress for each office visit and they were clean, wrinkle-free, and new-looking.  I admire her for caring about her appearance even though she's morbidly obese.

[junemeatcleaver]

She was definitely more connected to reality than most of them.

People should take note how Dr. Now didn't get on Bianca for her lack of progress after her breakup.  Everyone is going to have some slip ups and bad months, but that shouldn't be used as an excuse to stop trying like a lot of them do (which is why the doctor wants them to go to therapy, but that's a different discussion).

[PA SweetPea]

On 11/18/2021 at 6:13 AM, winsomeone said:

I felt almost sick when Bianca was shoveling that spaghetti into her mouth, and wanted to dislike her. But as the show went on, I liked her more and more, and that darling little boy of hers. Hope she continues to do well.

I did actively dislike her right away and thought she was disingenuous at her first appointment, and just playing My 600lb Life buzzword bingo, but I was very wrong. I was happy how wrong I was, she really turned out to be great! I did have to snicker when she told Dr Now how she really just grazed all day lol. Grazing is picking at small amounts of food throughout the day, and that wasn't it! Also, the Italian in me is crying over that spaghetti with jarred sauce, shredded (looked like cheddar) cheese and ranch dressing. I can get over the jarred sauce but the rest has killed a little piece of my soul.

[PA SweetPea]

23 hours ago, GussieK said:

Also, Bianca's job of bagging groceries is actually an active job.  Good for her, as she had previously only had a sedentary job. 

I know she said she became a registered nurse after high school and I believe she said she worked as a caregiver, so I think she may have actually been a Certified Nursing Assistant (before her job at the call center). I wonder if she and others would benefit from staying in Texas long term. Drug and alcohol addicts often thrive when moving to new locations, free from bad influences and reminders of their addiction and a chance to truly start over. 

[PA SweetPea]

20 hours ago, knuckles491 said:

I thought she was great, and she somehow pulled off wearing those big print dresses.  I hope she continues to succeed.

Her weight seemed to be pretty evenly distributed, so that definitely worked in her favor. I'm fat and I've got no boobs and no butt, just all gut lol. I'm 54 and look 9 months pregnant. I loved her dresses, I wish they'd look good on me!

[lilysmom]

12 hours ago, junemeatcleaver said:

She was definitely more connected to reality than most of them.

People should take note how Dr. Now didn't get on Bianca for her lack of progress after her breakup.  Everyone is going to have some slip ups and bad months, but that shouldn't be used as an excuse to stop trying like a lot of them do (which is why the doctor wants them to go to therapy, but that's a different discussion).

I did take notice of his attitude. It seemed very different from the reactions he has had in the past. Other patients have had some pretty nasty things occur to them between visits, and I don't recall Dr. Now being so understanding. Hopefully, he is gaining (no pun intended) some insight into how, sometimes, things do get in the way that cause a person to veer off the path. Maybe his acceptance and encouragement helped her head back in the right direction. I wish her success!

[ams1001]

Finally watching...here's my personal live chat...(my eating habit tonight is...undetermined Cheerios. But I refrained from buying the Christmas Cap'n Crunch that was tempting me from the display near the registers at Target so yay me.)

• Were those pancakes even fully cooked? They look burnt on one edge almost raw on the other.
• I think she is wider than the refrigerator.
• They just keep a roll of paper towels right there on the table instead of napkins.
• Her poor cousin sitting over there on the couch by herself. (Does she talk?)
• At least she does the dishes.
• Damn, her growing up story is heartbreaking.
• The picture of her son in the bow-tie-and-suspenders tshirt and the little hat is adorable!
• "She gave me a baby." Gave you?
• Okay, apparently the cousin talks (she's obviously talking to Simeon) but I guess she doesn't have a microphone cuz show don't care what she has to say.
• OMG the spaghetti. 
• Now I kinda want spaghetti. Except it will be whole wheat thin spaghetti with Rao's marinara and real Paremesan. (Edit: this did not happen tonight. Maybe over the weekend.)
• People in the chat were saying how upbeat and cheerful Ramonte was; I'm just finding him annoying.
• I love her first-appointment dress with the big red flowers with the black background.
• "You're not an enabler, are you." "Uh-uh." ....um...Did you see those plates of spaghetti you fixed for her?
• The little one sleeping on her at the end of the first appointment is so cute. I love how little kids can sleep in the most uncomfortable-looking positions.
• Is it scary? I think it's scary.
• Just watching her walk from the rental office to the van you can see how much better she's moving. And she's driving it, too!
• Aw, her son upon hearing that mommy's getting her surgery. He's a sweet kid. It was cute watching them play around after Dr. Now left the room. I like it when we get to see that they actually have a personality.
• And Dr. Now's smile when she said "you made my day."
• I love the water aerobics instructor's bathing suit. 
• Good for Bianca. I like her. 
• (I get why Ramonte disappeared from the show but I hope he didn't just up and disappear from his daughter's life...)

[LuvMyShows]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

• "You're not an enabler, are you." "Uh-uh." ....um...Did you see those plates of spaghetti you fixed for her?

I was very surprised that Dr. Now didn't go further with that.  Clearly Ramonte was an enabler, and usually Dr. Now calls people on that, sometimes pretty harshly.

[cynicat]

13 hours ago, lilysmom said:

I did take notice of his attitude. It seemed very different from the reactions he has had in the past. Other patients have had some pretty nasty things occur to them between visits, and I don't recall Dr. Now being so understanding. 

I chalked that up to the fact that she didn't gain any weight, and that she was mostly accountable instead of getting mad and pushing back

[AZChristian]

12 hours ago, ams1001 said:

• I love the water aerobics instructor's bathing suit. 

Google long-sleeve bathing suits.  Lots of them out there, and no more expensive than regular suits.  I'm thinking about getting one.

[HelloOutThere]

I liked Monte’s vibrant personality and was sad to hear they broke up. I LOL’d when Bianca was getting up in the opening scene and Monte yelled from the kitchen “Sounding ROUGH this morning! Sounding ROUGH!!!”

Also loved Monte reading out the title of Dr. Now’s book to Bianca. “The Scale Doesn’t Lie — People Do!” is such a refreshing title for a book, and perfect for Dr. Now. 

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

Google long-sleeve bathing suits.  Lots of them out there, and no more expensive than regular suits.  I'm thinking about getting one.

Not that I have much occasion to wear a bathing suit but I like them. Also probably provide more sun protection, and being a very pale person I say you can't have too much of that.

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, HelloOutThere said:

I liked Monte’s vibrant personality and was sad to hear they broke up. I LOL’d when Bianca was getting up in the opening scene and Monte yelled from the kitchen “Sounding ROUGH this morning! Sounding ROUGH!!!”

Also loved Monte reading out the title of Dr. Now’s book to Bianca. “The Scale Doesn’t Lie — People Do!” is such a refreshing title for a book, and perfect for Dr. Now. 

I, on the other hand, would have murdered him before the first commercial break.  What he was doing by serving her those huge portions was nothing less than slow murder, so if she had killed him first, it would have been self defense.  

[nokat]

18 hours ago, ams1001 said:

(my eating habit tonight is...undetermined Cheerios. But I refrained from buying the Christmas Cap'n Crunch that was tempting me from the display near the registers at Target so yay me.)

I ate Grape Nuts, that look and taste like shredded cardboard. Cap'n Crunch is a fave from years back.

[ams1001]

50 minutes ago, nokat said:

I ate Grape Nuts, that look and taste like shredded cardboard. Cap'n Crunch is a fave from years back.

I have a jar of Grape Nuts on the counter. I like them with banana and honey. But I don't have any bananas.

I love Cap'n Crunch despite the fact that it tears up the roof of my mouth. The Christmas edition has red and green Christmas shapes instead of Crunch Berries.

[nokat]

3 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I have a jar of Grape Nuts on the counter. I like them with banana and honey. But I don't have any bananas.

I love Cap'n Crunch despite the fact that it tears up the roof of my mouth. The Christmas edition has red and green Christmas shapes instead of Crunch Berries.

You're not the only one who has a teared up roof of the mouth.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Bianca's Journey, Supersized edition, is running 7 to 9 pm Central, the 25th.     So, watch it, and don't feel so stuffed when you see what Bianca, and her boyfriend Romonte eat in the first few minutes.     A truly heatwarming episode though.    

I was watching other things, and turned the Supersized episode on just in time to see Bianca kick Romante to the curb, and get her own U-Haul truck to move to Houston.     Bianca really took charge of her life, and her weight loss.  

I hope she's a success. 

I love how Dr. Paradise told her that she can take care of her kids by taking care of herself.    

When she went to Houston the first time, she was talking about how crowded the car was, it was a Honda HR-V, which is the mini-version of the CR-V, so it was a smaller car.    I think if Romante hadn't left, he would have sabotaged her, because he definitely loved holding it over her head that he maintained his weight loss, and she was still gaining.   He had diet saboteur written all over him. 

Edited November 28, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Hellga]

She would a very pretty lady if not for her weight.   Her skin is a very nice rich chocolate color...  And she was even at the very beginning making an effort with her clothes and hair and makeup. 

Why was pregnancy an excuse to start drinking sodas and eating chips again?  Wasn't that a wanted child with a man she loved?  So what about it made her want to eat herself to death again?  Also, why take such huge bites?   If she tried eating more slowly in smaller bites, it would probably make a difference even if she didn't change her diet.

At least she tries to be productive even at her worst.  And her kids look like they are normal weight.  Hope they can break the cycle...  though odds are against them, given that they have addiction running in their genes on both sides. They are also cute, and very well behaved, at least while on camera.  I certainly hope for the best for them. 

Did she really say moving from Tennessee to Texas was 'halfway around the world'?  I have moved pretty much halfway around the world, from the middle of Russia to the middle of the US, so pardon me while I laugh at that!  Pity her boyfriend ended up not going with her, but good that her cousin was able to step in.  Good for Bianca that she was able to move after all, with two kids in tow.  It could be a blessing in disguise for her, not having him there to pick up her slack...   I am glad she continued to do really well in Houston, both before and after her surgery.  Hope this time she will be able to maintain it long-term.  

[essexjan]

I was gearing myself up to dislike Bianca, based on the first half of the show. She ticked all the boxes for failure - and when she said she'd had failed surgery just a few years ago, I was certain she'd never get to the point where Dr Now would approve her for another procedure. And the food!, OMG, I know the poundticipants eat huge amounts of food but she took it to a whole new height (or depth). I remember a couple of seasons ago there was a married couple who both got surgery and they ate enormous quantities that shocked me, but I think Bianca eclipsed even them. The spaghetti!! That would feed a family of four!

But she got her shit together, and didn't let her personal setbacks deflect her from making progress. As others have said upthread, she wore nice clothes and presented herself well. I'm glad she got the surgery, and made a new life for herself without that clown dragging her down.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Supersized edition is on Thursday night, 7-9 Central.     I love that I could root for her, and she really tried.