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Gary: The original Belden Lineman


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On 8/25/2017 at 5:31 PM, SPLAIN said:

Thinking back to the first season, Amber was a pretty filthy person in terms of how she kept her home. I think it was the 16 & Pregnant episode or the first season of TM where she had clothes strewn all over the place, the cat litter box was overflowing, and didn't Gary complain at one time about Leah eating cat shit?

Yea, their place was always a disaster. It was nasty. Considering Amber's current place is also gross, and Gary's appears pretty well kept together - I'm going to blame that on Amber.

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I really like Gary. I wish he would lose weight only because I hope he's around for his girls and Kristina for a long, long time. Nobody expects him to be extremely thin but he is dangerously obese. That's not even me being snarky, it truly makes me sad and worried.

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On 8/28/2017 at 8:30 PM, Lm2162 said:

I really like Gary. I wish he would lose weight only because I hope he's around for his girls and Kristina for a long, long time. Nobody expects him to be extremely thin but he is dangerously obese. That's not even me being snarky, it truly makes me sad and worried.

I agree.  Perhaps with the farm work he'll lose weight. He tried for the biggest loser years ago.

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Gary is such a great father. Leah herself shows us. You know damn well she doesn't get the five star treatment on her visits to Ambers. And as much as she cancels I wonder how they handle that at their house. Team Gary and Kristina for the win.  

Edited by FairyDusted
Half of a word counts
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Even though he's still fat (like many of us), I think these VMA pics show him slimming down some. Good work, Gary! Good to see one of Leah's parents looking happy and mentally healthy. 

Edited by neenyah
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On 8/26/2017 at 11:16 AM, Brooklynista said:

Leah is a beautiful little girl.  I was worreid for a second about her being too chunky but she's blissoming very nicely. Well done Gary.

I agree with you, but if their eating habits don't improve, and Leah's genetics being what they are, she could end up on the heavier side. I'm not saying to stick the girl on a diet, but everyone at Gary's house needs to be much more aware of what they're putting into their mouths. With all of that land, it would be great if they could all take a walk each night, weather permitting, shoot some hoops or do something active as a family to encourage exercise without it "seeming like exercise." Wasn't Leah in karate last season? As long as she's active and continues to be, while eating healthy, she won't struggle with her weight. The midwest does have a reputation for having heavier people there, so I do worry about that with the Shirley family. 

I also think Gary should take advantage of being his own boss and go to the gym when the girls are at school. It's a lifestyle change, not a transformation, that has to happen if he's serious about dropping some pounds. Weight Watchers freakin' works! He can even participate online, as well as track his progress and get 24/7 help, if he doesn't want to attend meetings. Men drop pounds faster than women, so he'd see the effects of the WW plan quickly - and that plan allows participants to eat anything they want. It's just about portion control and being aware of what exactly one is putting into their bodies.

Even if he ever did get onto The Biggest Loser, how many of those folks gain back their weight once they leave their 1:1 trainers and personal chefs? 

Edited by Bridget
Because WW works!
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I don't have any problem with someone being "on the heavier side" and yes, Leah very well might be in the future. As long as she's healthy and happy with herself, I think that's fine. Gary's obesity is a serious issue, but people will only lose weight if they truly want to.

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5 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

I don't have any problem with someone being "on the heavier side" and yes, Leah very well might be in the future. As long as she's healthy and happy with herself, I think that's fine. Gary's obesity is a serious issue, but people will only lose weight if they truly want to.

I agree with you about people only losing weight if they want to.

That said, there is a major problem with people who are overweight (for many reasons) in America. Americans are not as healthy as they were even ten years ago and that stems from dietary choices and the advancement of technology. Kids don't go outside and play anymore as many of them are connected to a TV/video game/tablet. Sedentary lifestyles have become the new way of life for way too many people and it's something that doesn't have to happen.

I'm not calling Leah obese. I'm not saying she's glued to a tablet all day. Her father IS obese. Genetics are a real thing. Eating/activity habits are also learned behaviors, and children are products of their environment as well. I don't live with the Shirleys. I don't know what they keep in their kitchen. I do know that I've seen Leah consume tons of fast food when she's with her mother, as it's probably easier for Amber, but the bottom line is that parents have a duty to keep their kids healthy. 

My sincere concern for Leah stems from the "additional side effects" of being on the heavier side at such a young age, especially teasing from kids that will have lifelong effects on some level. I'm not suggesting anyone sticks her on a diet, but I hope that Gary or Kristina find a way to monitor Leah's weight (without Leah being aware of it because if she ever did, that's possibly an eating disorder waiting to happen) and make adjustments as needed. 

Numerous studies have shown (I have first hand knowledge of this as a teacher) that students who are "chubby" or "heavy" struggle to pay attention/do well in school. While researchers are still trying to connect the exact link between the being overweight & academic struggle connection, heavier kids are predictably sluggish after lunch, when the temps rise and first thing in the morning. Between after lunch and the AM, that's almost 1/2 of the school day.

Like many of the TM OG kids, we don't know what their lives will be like for a few more years until they are older and/or are around others who might tease them/pick on them about something their parents did that has been captured on video forever. I feel like the TM OG babies are all going to have an uphill battle at some point in the near future based exclusively on what their parents did. Giving these kids more struggles to deal with that are preventable would be the smart choice at this point in the game. 

I am not calling Leah obese, but here's a tidbit from CNN:

"Even more insidiously, excess weight or physical inactivity might sap a child's brainpower at the cellular level, by causing inflammation and other harmful biological processes, says Robert Siegel, M.D., director of the Center for Better Health and Nutrition, a pediatric obesity clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

"Obesity affects virtually every organ system in the body, including the brain," Siegel says. "It's an inflammatory state, and that may have effects on the developing mind."

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6 hours ago, FairyDusted said:

I see Leah getting less and less from Amber now that she had a new man and a predictable pregnancy that keeps her in bed for 11 months. GOOD.

Or 10 years (and counting).

And we still don’t get a Being Gary???

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Gary isn’t exactly the king of comedy or the sharpest knife in David’s hand. 

He took Leah to Florida for her birthday (with Kristina and other daughter, of course), so I’m assuming they’re filming it while another crew is filming Amber crying and sulking in bed. In other words - just another day. 

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I generally like Gary, but I didn't care for how he was when Leah hurt herself - insisting she quit crying and likening it to a baby. I know he means well, but I hate the notion that crying is a weakness. Sure, it can get excessive, but keeping your emotions bottled up TOO much is a bad thing as well, IMO. When my kids get hurt, I just hug them and care for them and let them know I'm sorry they got hurt. 

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2 hours ago, ghoulina said:

I generally like Gary, but I didn't care for how he was when Leah hurt herself - insisting she quit crying and likening it to a baby. I know he means well, but I hate the notion that crying is a weakness. Sure, it can get excessive, but keeping your emotions bottled up TOO much is a bad thing as well, IMO. When my kids get hurt, I just hug them and care for them and let them know I'm sorry they got hurt. 

I totally agree.  Leah was quite theatric though.

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1 hour ago, Brooklynista said:

I totally agree.  Leah was quite theatric though.

I agree, I think she's got some of her drama-mama in her.  But she was a little queen in her sunnies, driving the boat.

I feel badly for her when I see the admiration she has for Amber;  that she's this  "glamorous rich lady" who shows up once in awhile....for some reason it reminds me of Eloise's mom from Eloise at the Plaza (weird I know!  LOL)

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2 hours ago, Brooklynista said:

I totally agree.  Leah was quite theatric though.

OMG yes she was. She was acting like that thing named Amber. Drama mama to the core. 

But yes, Gary didn't need to tell her she was acting like a baby. I have a feeling though the more attention he gave her, the more theatrics she was going to showcase. It was annoying. 

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Weird. I didn't think she was being overly dramatic at all. I am a bit of a drama queen myself, and two of my kids tend to be very emotional, sensitive, and dramatic. I don't think those are necessarily bad traits. It depends on what other traits balance you out and what you're being dramatic about. But not being Leah, I wouldn't want to judge how badly she was hurt. We all have different pain thresholds. I've never really thought Amber was necessarily dramatic, more just tempermental and ragey. 

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Not pointing it out as a bad trait, I don't think Leah is a drama queen, but I do feel her mother is. I only compared how Leah reminded me of her mother. Amber puts on the theatrics for the cameras. 

Leah probably does go overboard with things of that nature because she is seeking more attention. Nothing wrong with her wanting more attention since she is not getting much from her bio mother and with other children in the family, she may feel slighted. I remember once when I was young, my little brother had kicked me in my face when I was lying on the ground. He was only three years old. When I saw the reaction of the adults who saw what happened and the gasps they emitted, I decided to turn up the theatrics. lol It was at a time when I was feeling as if I was not getting enough attention. All the focus was on my little brother.  Here they were bringing ice packs, hugging me, and trying to soothe me with some ice cream afterwards...lol If that is what Leah was trying to achieve, it surely isn't a big issue in the grand scheme of things. Describing her behavior though ,in my opinion, she decided to turn it up a few notches. It might be something Gary has witnessed many times over and he is over it. Still, the comments weren't what I would have said. 

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That's a good point. No matter how hard Gary and Kristina try to make sure Leah never feels left out, it's only natural that she will at times. Overall, I think Gary is a great dad. His comments put me off, but none of us are perfect. I'm sure if someone listened in at my house they'd hear a bunch of stuff I'd be ashamed of! 

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5 hours ago, ghoulina said:

That's a good point. No matter how hard Gary and Kristina try to make sure Leah never feels left out, it's only natural that she will at times. Overall, I think Gary is a great dad. His comments put me off, but none of us are perfect. I'm sure if someone listened in at my house they'd hear a bunch of stuff I'd be ashamed of! 

I tend to think many times, if I was being filmed right now...lol

I know I would be snarked to death by everyone. Ha!

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