Small Talk: About Big People

[Cinnamini11]

not sure if I'm doing this right, but I wasn't really talking about the episode so I put my comment here

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@Snarklepuss Oh I'm sure you're right about that, but I just don't believe that Whitney was ever bullied even if she believes she was.  She's not the type to be bullied.  With her big mouth and personality no one would ever DARE attempt it.  Bullies never go after people like that - Usually they target people they know are easy because they are shy or lack confidence and won't defend themselves.  Whitney as we all know is NOT that person.  I just get upset that she thinks she was bullied and is trying to capitalize on that and garner sympathy.  Hell NO to that ever being the case.  I'll bet my sheepskin in Psychology on that one.

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THANK YOU.  This is exactly what I am talking about.  I was a victim of bullying back in the '60s when we didn't even have a word for it, but you are exactly right about that - That's exactly how it was for me.  To have Whitney capitalize on that makes my blood boil because I am sure she has no clue what true bullying is like.  Even people calling you names in the street is not bullying.  But today everyone seems to have stretched the meaning to mean anyone saying anything negative even if only once.  Not the case.

@Alapaki

Exactly.  Whitney needs take her "bullied" sob stories and shove them right up her fucking ass.  

Not to go all "Get off my lawn!", but where I come from, being made of fun of for one's superficial characteristics is called being an adolescent!

Look, let Whitney try growing up as a pudgy kid with the first name "Albert" when one of the biggest cartoons at the time (when cartoons were a real thing) was Fat Albert. ( Yeah, fuck you too Bill Cosby).  How'd you like to be greeted with "hey hey HEY" every day?  

The way you deal with it is, as the "comedienne said", you fucking deal and you move on and you get perspective.  You don't make it the excuse and validation for every failed aspect of your miserable life.

But Whitney will never deal with it and she'll never move on, because at 32 she's still a fucking child.  And now she has a "reality" show salary, a kaffeeklatsch of social barnacles, and parents who are probably weary of having carried her financially this far already, all depending upon and urging her to remain emotionally, psychologically, and socially growth-retarded.

Ah I guess we're just coming from different mentalities, it's interesting. I'm pretty sure the just 'get over it' and/or well 'my situation was worse so' kind of thinking has just always been one of my personal pet peeve type of thing. Probably because I was one of those kids who was told more than once that I was being "too sensitive." Even though I couldn't articulate it at the time, I thought it was messed up then and I still think it's messed up now. 

I can certainly understand what y'all mean about 'bullying' being used to cover such a broad range of behaviors. But call me overly optimistic, I don't think that even being made fun of should be the standard accepted as "adolescence." At least it wasn't for mine, so why should it have to be that way for anyone else. I'm not saying we can eradicate bullying, but we should at least try to teach kids how not to be assholes. More often than not even severe bullying used to be met met with a 'eh, toughen up'. People also used to say (and unfortunately some still do) stuff like 'boys will be boys' and 'young ladies should be seen and not heard' and we're now seeing how damaging these ideas can end up being. And if someone is still struggling with stuff from their childhood they need help because it's obvious they can't just deal with it and move on, on their own.

...full disclosure I am going to be a mental health counselor when I'm finally done with this program so touchy-feely stuff is kind of what I'm all about haha

As for who gets picked on or has other kids be mean to them, at my middle/high school they were not shy about standing up for themselves. I mean I think you could tell they were used to it because they would always lash out right back. Very angry people. But I would probably be constantly pissed off too. And I also think sometimes when Whitney refers to bullying she's not only including personal bullying, but the kind of systemic bias/stereotyping bullying that's put forth by society/the media. 

Despite her current portrayed personality, I highly doubt depressed, alone in the dark eating pizza, self-loathing Whitney would have ever put herself out there on national television. So I do have to give her kudos for managing to come from that place to telling anyone who wants to comment on fat bodies to fuck off. Idk, if she's going to stuff her face with pizza, cake, whatever, might as well be smiling and laughing than suicidal and depressed, the calories are all the same.  

[M.F. Luder]

13 minutes ago, Cinnamini11 said:

Despite her current portrayed personality, I highly doubt depressed, alone in the dark eating pizza, self-loathing Whitney would have ever put herself out there on national television. So I do have to give her kudos for managing to come from that place to telling anyone who wants to comment on fat bodies to fuck off. Idk, if she's going to stuff her face with pizza, cake, whatever, might as well be smiling and laughing than suicidal and depressed, the calories are all the same.  

I don't know...I mean, she was a theater major, so she must have always been willing to put herself out there. I've mentioned before, but I notice a lot of instances of Whitney exaggerating. I think she might have spent one day alone in the dark eating pizza and is now categorizing that whole period of her life in that light. I can understand how she probably felt terrible about her body back then and didn't have the confidence in it that she does now, but I don't think Whitney has ever been reclusive. She is too much of an extrovert and has always described herself as being outgoing and bubbly with lots of friends.

[Cinnamini11]

1 hour ago, M.F. Luder said:

I don't know...I mean, she was a theater major, so she must have always been willing to put herself out there. I've mentioned before, but I notice a lot of instances of Whitney exaggerating. I think she might have spent one day alone in the dark eating pizza and is now categorizing that whole period of her life in that light. I can understand how she probably felt terrible about her body back then and didn't have the confidence in it that she does now, but I don't think Whitney has ever been reclusive. She is too much of an extrovert and has always described herself as being outgoing and bubbly with lots of friends.

Put herself out there to talk about how great she thinks her body is? Maybe she'd joke, but internally she'd probably feel ashamed and humiliated. 

I don't know if she mentioned it or if I implied it, but I wasn't trying to say she was an actual recluse. Just that she had stopped doing a number of things she loved because of how she felt about her body. People with anxiety, depression etc. can have a lot of friends, be extroverts etc.  

I think she was being genuine when she talked about being amazed she made it out alive after that point. But I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt for now. 

[Tosia]

I have had periods of depression or being down and I wonder if Whit ..being younger then. ..was generalizing, not realizing that emotions come and go.  Are we supposed to be happy all the time?  I figured it was a Friday night and all her friends had dates and she didn't.  No Facebook or internet then either.  So poor Whit had to spend time with herself, alone.  Depressing. 

Also, have we ever seen an instance of Whit being a good friend to someone else in her circle of friends?   

That dancing guy from England doesn't count cuz Whit got a trip to LA out of it.  

I get the feeling that it's "all Whitney, all the time" when she's with friends .

[PhereNicae1]

9 hours ago, Tosia said:

I have had periods of depression or being down and I wonder if Whit ..being younger then. ..was generalizing, not realizing that emotions come and go.  Are we supposed to be happy all the time?  I figured it was a Friday night and all her friends had dates and she didn't.  No Facebook or internet then either.  So poor Whit had to spend time with herself, alone.  Depressing.

you really are making statements about something you know nothing about, you are just guessing. I dont think you can downplay somebodys perception of their being depressed. I mean I know about people with pcos who considered ending their life..Its not just the infertility thing, and the fact you have to wax your face to resemble a woman, and the weight thing, but also purely physically-  the mood swings that come with the flux of hormones, just on its own are exhausting. Some women do feel terrible and exahusted and depressed even before the diagnosis, its physical. The hormone changes wreack havoc on your body, you are not just depressed by your thoughts, its physiological..Plus then when you find out wahts wrong with you, its demorlizing for some people..

I used to have just these dark places in my life where I ddint recognize myself and then I found out it had had lots to do with pcos..Ir ead her book and thoise bouts of depression seem very familiar and genuine to me.

[Barb23]

11 hours ago, Tosia said:

 

Also, have we ever seen an instance of Whit being a good friend to someone else in her circle of friends?   

That dancing guy from England doesn't count cuz Whit got a trip to LA out of it.  

I get the feeling that it's "all Whitney, all the time" when she's with friends .

Great point about Whit not being a friend to others.  It's all about Whit & what others should do for her. When she was discussing her stair issues, she said that if she was able to do stairs better, she would have gotten the better upstairs bedroom not Buddy.  Like it was a given she would get the better bedroom.  Also when she went to the bike shop to get them to advertise or come to the Dance-a-thon, the bike guy said "Tit for tat" & wanted her to join in their bike ride in return.  Just the shocked look on her face said it all --she was not expecting that response. Even tho she ended up doing ONE bike ride for TV, you could tell she wasn't happy about it.

What happened to her other girl friend? Not Heather but the other one (who went on bike ride) that was shown more on previous episodes?  I think someone commented that she had lost weight & maybe that's why they are not as close as they were. If that is the case, that's too bad.  They could have worked on their weight loss together & that would have made for more positive TV. But then again, it would have been about friend & Whit, not just Whit so no go.

I'm getting tired of the TH's where they all say they don't want to overstep boundaries & say something to Whit about her weight & medical issues. We don't need to be reminded each week. 

[Zung Li]

59 minutes ago, Barb23 said:

Great point about Whit not being a friend to others.  It's all about Whit & what others should do for her. When she was discussing her stair issues, she said that if she was able to do stairs better, she would have gotten the better upstairs bedroom not Buddy.  Like it was a given she would get the better bedroom.  Also when she went to the bike shop to get them to advertise or come to the Dance-a-thon, the bike guy said "Tit for tat" & wanted her to join in their bike ride in return.  Just the shocked look on her face said it all --she was not expecting that response. Even tho she ended up doing ONE bike ride for TV, you could tell she wasn't happy about it.

What happened to her other girl friend? Not Heather but the other one (who went on bike ride) that was shown more on previous episodes?  I think someone commented that she had lost weight & maybe that's why they are not as close as they were. If that is the case, that's too bad.  They could have worked on their weight loss together & that would have made for more positive TV. But then again, it would have been about friend & Whit, not just Whit so no go.

I'm getting tired of the TH's where they all say they don't want to overstep boundaries & say something to Whit about her weight & medical issues. We don't need to be reminded each week. 

I think the friend you're talking about was Ashley. She was at the party for Babs and Glenn. She looked the same to me as she always has.

[Minivanessa]

Here's some info on portion sizes that I found a few years go, at the National Institutes of Health website. On this page there's a two part slide show, "Portion Distortion," that compares US portion sizes of 20 years ago vs. today. Probably that "before" info is now more like 30 years ago, because I think they created this at least 5 years ago if not more.

IMO the slide show is overly simplistic as to "calories in, calories out" as it purports to tell us how many minutes of exercise it takes to "burn off" the huge calorie loads of today's big portions, but I just ignore that part, and I find the comparisons of sizes and calorie counts to be quite thought-provoking. 

Edited July 23, 2016 by Jeeves

[Scarlett45]

14 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

Here's some info on portion sizes that I found a few years go, at the National Institutes of Health website. On this page there's a two part slide show, "Portion Distortion," that compares US portion sizes of 20 years ago vs. today. Probably that "before" info is now more like 30 years ago, because I think they created this at least 5 years ago if not more.

IMO the slide show is overly simplistic as to "calories in, calories out" as it purports to tell us how many minutes of exercise it takes to "burn off" the huge calorie loads of today's big portions, but I just ignore that part, and I find the comparisons of sizes and calorie counts to be quite thought-provoking. 

It's not a coincidence that obesity became and epidemic right after certain factors were introduced into a population (like extreme portion sizes). Yes there were always a few heavy people for whatever reason, but a large TREND across an entire population isn't just about individual choices/will power/"moral failings" etc. 

[DoctorWhovian]

1 hour ago, Jeeves said:

Here's some info on portion sizes that I found a few years go, at the National Institutes of Health website. On this page there's a two part slide show, "Portion Distortion," that compares US portion sizes of 20 years ago vs. today. Probably that "before" info is now more like 30 years ago, because I think they created this at least 5 years ago if not more.

IMO the slide show is overly simplistic as to "calories in, calories out" as it purports to tell us how many minutes of exercise it takes to "burn off" the huge calorie loads of today's big portions, but I just ignore that part, and I find the comparisons of sizes and calorie counts to be quite thought-provoking. 

It's so shocking how much we eat and are used to eating, myself included. I think looking at the sizing of clothing is also alarming. We have drastically increased how big a size is (http://time.com/3532014/women-clothing-sizes-history/), what we now call an 8 is what used to be a 14 or 16. Yes, the 2/4/6/8/etc. type sizing also varies by store or style or designer, but that doesn't change the fact that the average idea of a size has increased. Here are some vintage plus size ads: https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/01/30/vintage-ad-for-chubby-fashions/ . And yet I see memes about how "back then" women in advertising were "real" and "curvy." While it's partially true, models had more hips and curves, they were still thin (http://themarilynmonroecollection.com/marilyn-monroe-true-size/). So we've let our portion sizes get bigger, but we have also distorted idea of what is fat/overweight and thin/normal weight. I am personally about 10-15 pounds overweight (and can fit into sizes 8-10, even have a stretchier Calvin Klein size 6 dress) and get all the "oh no you're not you look great" or "you carry it well" type of comments, which are nice but I'd like to default to the medical community regarding what weight range I should be in.

[Scarlett45]

My father was an obese child in the 1950s before childhood obesity became an epidemic. In his time you'd have 1-2 token fat kids in a class, or in an extended family. He was teased mercilessly and never wanted me to have the low self image he did due to his weight (and also thought things were harder on me being a girl). In 2016 he wouldn't have stuck out as much as he did in 1956. In that way I think the trends make science/the medical community sit up and take notice. Before a person who was obese from childhood may have been just thought to be lazy, gluttonous etc, but with so many people obese in a population it makes you look at underlying causes in conjunction with personal choices/issues (like emotional eating etc). 

When I was growing up, there were no plus-sized stores for young women, I had to be very creative to look fashionable. (And I love clothes) how I would've loved to have Torrid be so available when I was in HS (in the early 2000s). Now there are tons of options, because the "demand" is there. 

[lovetheduns]

8 hours ago, Jeeves said:

Here's some info on portion sizes that I found a few years go, at the National Institutes of Health website. On this page there's a two part slide show, "Portion Distortion," that compares US portion sizes of 20 years ago vs. today. Probably that "before" info is now more like 30 years ago, because I think they created this at least 5 years ago if not more.

IMO the slide show is overly simplistic as to "calories in, calories out" as it purports to tell us how many minutes of exercise it takes to "burn off" the huge calorie loads of today's big portions, but I just ignore that part, and I find the comparisons of sizes and calorie counts to be quite thought-provoking. 

This is why I use small bowls and small plates to eat my meals. I also use smaller spoons so I don't shovel food in my gullet like we saw with Whitney.

Next, measuring cups and measuring spoons are some of my best friends. Tonight I had some home made mac and cheese - I measured out 2/3 of a cup of the dish and then had 2/3 of a cup of soup. I ate slowly and I was super full. I do the same with the milk in my coffee, cheese, etc.

It is amazing how just changing your portion sizes works - my mom has a lot of mobility issues due to needing both a hip and knee replacement (this week she has not been able to do any of her workouts - using a seated desk sized elliptical machine since her knee break broke and we are waiting for a new one to come in) but she has still managed to lose 3 pounds in the past 2 weeks. 

[LocalGovt]

Big Clothes:

OK. Here's something I don't get.  What size clothes do you think Whitney wears?  4x, 5x maybe? I don't know.  I was watching reruns of My 600lb Life yesterday, and noticed that after the people on there had lost a significant amount of weight and were around the 300lb mark (smaller than Whitney), they were wearing a size 3x.

Are there different sizes of the "x's" in stores designed for larger people? Cause I gotta tell you, when I weighed 210 lbs, I was in a 2x when I bought my clothes at Kohl's.  Now I'm under 200lbs, and I'm in a size 16, or what is considered a "0x". 

I don't understand how at 210 lbs, I was wearing a 2x, but at 100lbs heavier, these people are wearing a 3x.  The only thing I can think of is that the labels are different for mainstream stores vs. a store  that caters to larger sizes.  Thoughts?

Edited July 29, 2016 by LocalGovt
misspelled

[ClareWalks]

I think clothing sizes in general are ridiculously inconsistent. I am fairly proportional but at any given store I might wear anything from a size 4 (YIKES) to a size 12 (I'm 5'11" 164 lb and athletic). I would bet Whitney is generally supposed to be a 5x but she likes to squeeze into 3x spandex.

[MegD]

As a bigger girl, I can tell you that sizing and labels do vary greatly depending on the store. In stores like Macy's, I end up in the 2 and 3 Xs (5'10" 260 lbs, working on it but it's slow) depending on the brand, mostly because I'm overly blessed in the chest area. These roughly correspond to a 20-24. But if i visit Lane Bryant, I can be anything from a 1x to a 3x depending on the cut. I know my cousin and aunt (who are each well over 400 lbs and about 5'3") get their clothing via catalog but are only in a 3X. But nothing that I own will fit them so there's got to be a difference between the 3Xs I buy and the ones they mail order.

[Madding crowd]

Part of the issue is that you have to lose a lot of weight to go between X sizes. Unlike number sizes, like 6,8,10,12, we have basically three sizes before you size out of most stores ( 1x-3x). I was in a 3x two years ago and after losing 60 pounds, I'm still in a 1x-2x. It's kind of depressing but regular size people can go down many sizes with a 60 pound weight loss, but plus sizes cannot. 

[Cherrio]

I have been interested in true crime books almost my whole life.    So, every time I think of Greensboro and surrounding area's along with no one ever saying no to Whitney I shudder.

There was another little girl who no one ever said no to named Susie Newsome.   Perhaps one of the most gruesome crimes took place in Greensboro.

Someone should of said no to her.   I am inserting a link here, but proceed with caution. Its a truly heinous story.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_Blood

[Cinnamini11]

@John M I think shame is a powerful thing and can be used for both good and bad. When an acquaintance says something offensive and everyone around that person calls them out on it, shame works to remind that person that such ideas may not be okay. Shame is a way to shape and redefine what's acceptable. But shame is also a kid crying after being teased for wearing hand me downs or being brutally rejected while everyone around you snickers.

But yes, it's probably mostly a language thing. I personally don't associate shame with mistakes for the most part (or all mistakes with feeling bad). Like for some of the things you mentioned I might feel guilty, but not really ashamed. 

[Tabbygirl521]

So I am watching Seattle's Seafair Torchlight Parade on the teevee. It's notable that there are several dance/drill teams, many of whose members are larger women. And they can MOVE. And they are selling it. These are the women who should be representing No BS.  

[auntjess]

I just watched The Women with the Largest Hips TLC of course.
Some of them were about Whit's size, but some we biggest in hips, but arms and waist were smaller.
One took dance, and was taking a pole dancing class.

[Tosia]

Hey again, natalie68!  Goods for you on weight watchers!  I did it for years and lost when I was working out an hour a day or more, but then started playing the system.  So I quit and am using their points I learned. I didn't buy the special food either. ..too expensive and film of chemicals. 

How did you get motivated to work out?   That's what I am struggling with now.  Thanks so much.  

[ClareWalks]

Great work gang! I love how inspirational Whitney is at helping us lose weight :) I started at 211, am down to 162 (ultimate goal is 155...I'm tall), and I'm signed up for my first marathon in four years. It's four months away so today I did 14 miles and got a big Panera salad for lunch. My new motto is "what would Whit do?" and then I do the exact opposite ;)

[Scarlett45]

There's a saying "if there was a magic pill Oprah would be on it". Of course in no way has Oprah ever been as obese as Whitney, she fits into the realm of "every man America heavy", but when you take into account how much effort Oprah has put into losing weight throughout the years, the VAST amount of resources she has for chefs, psychologists, personal trainers etc, you do think to yourself "the struggle with long term weight lost must be significantly psychological if someone in Oprah's position still struggles so much."

I say all this to say that, significant long term weight loss is partially mental. Most heavy people acknowledge that we struggle with food, it's not a "moral failure" but an issue. The thing with our "issue" is that we wear it externally, everyone can see it when they first look at us, unlike someone who struggles with alcoholism or gambling. 

@Nowhere I saw your post in the episode thread and thought we were on the same page. 

Edited August 6, 2016 by Scarlett45

[DoctorWhovian]

I think it's also so easy to go back to old habits. Diets aren't temporary, they have to be lifestyle changes. But know that once you get down to being within a healthy weight range, you can have a few cheat days, or a vacation, gain a few pounds, and then lose it again because 5 pounds is not a lot. It's when you go back to eating the way you did before you lost the weight. Even Oprah probably has foods she likes and its hard to say "I'll never eat that again," then you have holidays and events and on and on of "It's just for today" before you gained it all back.

[Cinnamini11]

Pulling this from various threads/posts I can't keep track anymore.

Sometimes it feels like the no body shame/body positivity movement comes with qualifiers. Like "it's good to love your body, but only if..." So while I'm certainly not against respect, I'll admit that's what it makes me think of at times. I just mean there are definitely people who would say I don't respect my body for soo many reasons. Which is okay I guess? I don't do my best to exercise or eat healthy. While that's great for people who do, I'm pretty sure I'm never going to be one of those people who treats food mostly as fuel. Not because I couldn't, I just wouldn't want to.

I certainly don't have toned arms or legs, and I'm not doing much to change that, but I still try not to let my insecurities (related to my body or otherwise) get the best of me. I hate (like it actually makes me viscerally angry) second guessing an outfit choice because someone might be disgusted at seeing my arm flab or chunky thighs. It's her prerogative, but I don't want to turn into my relative who doesn't wear anything sleeveless, because oh no she has fat on her arms. That makes me sad, which I'm guessing is why I feel so strongly about this message. I'd rather be like my other aunt who has a lot of loose excess skin hanging off her arms and still rocks her sleeveless dresses and spaghetti straps with confidence. 

Edited August 7, 2016 by Cinnamini11

[lovetheduns]

On July 29, 2016 at 10:56 AM, LocalGovt said:

Big Clothes:

OK. Here's something I don't get.  What size clothes do you think Whitney wears?  4x, 5x maybe? I don't know.  I was watching reruns of My 600lb Life yesterday, and noticed that after the people on there had lost a significant amount of weight and were around the 300lb mark (smaller than Whitney), they were wearing a size 3x.

Are there different sizes of the "x's" in stores designed for larger people? Cause I gotta tell you, when I weighed 210 lbs, I was in a 2x when I bought my clothes at Kohl's.  Now I'm under 200lbs, and I'm in a size 16, or what is considered a "0x". 

I don't understand how at 210 lbs, I was wearing a 2x, but at 100lbs heavier, these people are wearing a 3x.  The only thing I can think of is that the labels are different for mainstream stores vs. a store  that caters to larger sizes.  Thoughts?

Also, keep in mind what Whitney wears. She wears almost entirely spandex or stretchy athletic shirts. If she wears a dress it is not fitted and it is a flowy dress with tons of stretch. It reminds me of Tess Holliday who will wear quite a bit of shape wear and will often post pictures of her 3x sized clothing labels (I think because her "trolls" point out that she is NOT the size 22 she professes to be). If you don't mind wearing skin tight clothes and if you wear a lot of spandex/elastic you can fit in clothes much smaller than the reality. Now if Whit had to wear a button down shirt, I think we would see the real reality of what size she wears. I mean there is a reason why she is never wearing real pants or jeans.

[Barb23]

I agree about the sizing of her clothes, she may wear a 3x but then stretches it to the max.  Isn't it noted on her web site she is wearing a 3x in most items, which are stretchy? Maybe that's why she looks bigger in the skirt she is wearing on the reunion (besides gaining weight).  It doesn't stretch & there's no way that is a 3x, I'm betting on 5x.   I'm a larger gal & usually wear a 2x, but I like my clothes loose. Depending on the brand, I can wear an XL to a 3x.   I can't imagine wearing that tight of clothing all the time but maybe she is used to it. Her body must say "Ahhhh" when she takes her clothes off.  Sorry, didn't mean to be so graphic but you know what I mean. 

Another thought & I'm not making fun of her. Why did she announce to Buddy on the show about having bathroom/incontinent issues?  Buddy looked like he didn't know what to say, understandably.   But why would you announce such a personal problem on TV, giving people more ammunition to go against her?  She acted like it was just another normal occurrence in her life, which it shouldn't be. It should be added to her list of wake up calls.

[Snarklepuss]

On 7/22/2016 at 11:46 AM, Madding crowd said:

Snarklepuss, thanks for your encouraging comments. My problem is that the 2 pounds a week will change to 1 pound, then 1/2 a pound then nothing. My doctor is one of those people who think the slightest effort should lead to at least 5 pounds a week and that has never been the case with me. I also don't have a good plan for things like going on vacation, to a outdoor festival or to a party at someone's house. If I just drink water and don't eat, I feel self conscious because everyone makes comments and I don't have a good time anyway. If I have a small plate of food and one or two drinks (which I usually do), I immediately gain one or two pounds. If I don't go out and just watch TV all weekend I feel sad that I am missing out on things. I'm a work in progress even at my old age :)

I hear you.  :)  I get angry hearing about doctors like that.  So often they seem clueless especially to women's issues like this. 

I believe I have metabolic syndrome.  I have looked over my blood tests carefully, googled around on medical sites and realize that this is probably my issue.   How did this happen?  I have never been into large portions and have spent many years on diets, which at one time controlled my weight.  The problem is that the diet community was pushing low fat and low calorie, not low sugar for many years and all that time I probably should have been paying more attention to the sugar content in foods.  We can't be blamed for what we didn't know.  All I knew is that my sugar was normal.  It went into the yellow zone almost overnight after menopause.  Metabolic changes did this, IMHO.  Little by little even the smallest portions would make me gain weight.  So now that I have this, it's impossible to lose weight doing what "normal" people do   My nutritionist agrees that I am doing my best and is happy with my diet choices and exercise efforts, which I report every day.  It's counter-intuitive that all I'm doing is not yielding any weight loss, but there it is.   I am currently looking for a good endocrinologist.  I have been unsuccessful so far due to a shortage of them in my area.  None of them are taking new patients.  Obviously I am far from alone here.  I am going to enlist the help of my health insurance company to find one.

The media pushes dysfunctional people like Whitney and 600 pound pathological eaters who clearly are fat because they aren't doing what they need to do to help themselves, but there are many of us out there who got this way due to medical issues and are not able to find a way out despite following all the conventional and even progressive diet and exercise wisdom.   I am sick and tired of channels like TLC perpetuating the myth that all people are heavy because they are gluttons and eat a lot of unhealthy foods.  Whether Whitney knows it or not, she is actually helping to perpetuate the fat shaming, not help eradicate it.

[Maggienolia]

8 hours ago, Barb23 said:

I agree about the sizing of her clothes, she may wear a 3x but then stretches it to the max.  Isn't it noted on her web site she is wearing a 3x in most items, which are stretchy? Maybe that's why she looks bigger in the skirt she is wearing on the reunion (besides gaining weight).  It doesn't stretch & there's no way that is a 3x, I'm betting on 5x.  

I find it VERY hard - almost impossible - to believe she wears a 3x, even given the stretch of what she does wear. I'd say 4x or 5x. 

[Aw my lahgs]

12 minutes ago, Maggienolia said:

I find it VERY hard - almost impossible - to believe she wears a 3x, even given the stretch of what she does wear. I'd say 4x or 5x. 

There is NO WAY she wears 3X (unless it's the special catalogue my 600 lbs life people order from with its own sizing). 

When I weighed 280 lbs, I was a 3X. No way she at 400+ and 5"1 is a regular 3x.

[auntjess]

I don't know if any of yoi remember comedienne Totie Fields, who was going to design a plus size clothing line with low numbers for sizes.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19680125&id=PZ1RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b2wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2578,3741872&hl=en

[Maggienolia]

16 minutes ago, Nutella said:

There is NO WAY she wears 3X (unless it's the special catalogue my 600 lbs life people order from with its own sizing). 

When I weighed 280 lbs, I was a 3X. No way she at 400+ and 5"1 is a regular 3x.

Okay - according the No BS website, she wears Faded Glory 4x leggins from Walmart and Fruit of the Loom brand (no size given) sports bras from Walmart. 

[ClareWalks]

Vanity sizing is such a disgrace. If only because, thanks to vanity sizing, teeny and slim women now have a need for size 0, then 00, then 000. Where will it end? Will 0 be the new 8? Will there be negative sizes soon? "I'm a size -12."

[Barb23]

ClareWalks, I'm with you.  I watch QVC a lot  & can't believe when they announce a model is wearing an Extra, Extra Small when it looks like to me she is a Small. The one model that wears the XXS is busty & curvy. To me, XXS would be worn by a gal who looks like Twiggy.  Drives me nuts - it's always Extra, Extra Small, not even Extra Small or Small. Didn't know there was such a size until I started watching.  It's not even a certain brand, they all seem to carry this size. 

[Aw my lahgs]

39 minutes ago, Maggienolia said:

Okay - according the No BS website, she wears Faded Glory 4x leggins from Walmart and Fruit of the Loom brand (no size given) sports bras from Walmart. 

Walmart's plus size is extremely generous, and leggings can be stretched very far!

18 minutes ago, Barb23 said:

ClareWalks, I'm with you.  I watch QVC a lot  & can't believe when they announce a model is wearing an Extra, Extra Small when it looks like to me she is a Small. The one model that wears the XXS is busty & curvy. To me, XXS would be worn by a gal who looks like Twiggy.  Drives me nuts - it's always Extra, Extra Small, not even Extra Small or Small. Didn't know there was such a size until I started watching.  It's not even a certain brand, they all seem to carry this size. 

I agree, it's getting out of hand. We are all getting bigger (not just the United States but the western world as a whole). Sizes don't really mean much anymore.

No idea what they'll come up with in the future.

000, 0000? Or maybe we need to admit we aren't really a a size 10 but really a 20.

[notyrmomma]

She wears a 5X - remember the baseball team job when she was required to wear the uniform of Khaki pants and the black team shirt?  She couldn't wear the shorts because of "chub rub" so she got khaki spandex instead...only she forgot to remove the tag and her boss had to peel it off.  Those pants were a 5X, and she is no smaller now.

[ClareWalks]

3 minutes ago, notyrmomma said:

She wears a 5X - remember the baseball team job when she was required to wear the uniform of Khaki pants and the black team shirt?  She couldn't wear the shorts because of "chub rub" so she got khaki spandex instead...only she forgot to remove the tag and her boss had to peel it off.  Those pants were a 5X, and she is no smaller now.

OMG, the khaki spandex. A look so universally unflattering and bizarre that Gisele Bundchen herself would go from being a 10 to a 3 just by putting them on.

[Aw my lahgs]

10 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

OMG, the khaki spandex. A look so universally unflattering and bizarre that Gisele Bundchen herself would go from being a 10 to a 3 just by putting them on.

God the khaki spandex! They are a crime against humanity. 

[Maggienolia]

17 minutes ago, notyrmomma said:

She wears a 5X - remember the baseball team job when she was required to wear the uniform of Khaki pants and the black team shirt?  She couldn't wear the shorts because of "chub rub" so she got khaki spandex instead...only she forgot to remove the tag and her boss had to peel it off.  Those pants were a 5X, and she is no smaller now.

Wait - which episode is that?? Where are past seasons/episodes available streaming?? 

[Snarklepuss]

2 hours ago, auntjess said:

I don't know if any of yoi remember comedienne Totie Fields, who was going to design a plus size clothing line with low numbers for sizes.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19680125&id=PZ1RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b2wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2578,3741872&hl=en

OMG, I remember her from when I was a kid - I never knew she was from Hartford, CT - I live in that area now.

1 hour ago, Nutella said:

Walmart's plus size is extremely generous, and leggings can be stretched very far!

I know, I get them in a misses large and I should actually be wearing a size 18.

[Nowhere]

13 hours ago, Barb23 said:

I agree about the sizing of her clothes, she may wear a 3x but then stretches it to the max.  Isn't it noted on her web site she is wearing a 3x in most items, which are stretchy? Maybe that's why she looks bigger in the skirt she is wearing on the reunion (besides gaining weight).  It doesn't stretch & there's no way that is a 3x, I'm betting on 5x.   I'm a larger gal & usually wear a 2x, but I like my clothes loose. Depending on the brand, I can wear an XL to a 3x.   I can't imagine wearing that tight of clothing all the time but maybe she is used to it. Her body must say "Ahhhh" when she takes her clothes off.  Sorry, didn't mean to be so graphic but you know what I mean. 

Another thought & I'm not making fun of her. Why did she announce to Buddy on the show about having bathroom/incontinent issues?  Buddy looked like he didn't know what to say, understandably.   But why would you announce such a personal problem on TV, giving people more ammunition to go against her?  She acted like it was just another normal occurrence in her life, which it shouldn't be. It should be added to her list of wake up calls.

Are you talking about at the start of this season when she was telling Buddy that she completely pissed herself, like really hardcore pissing for no particular reason? I wasn't under the impression that she meant a little tinkle when she guffawed, but a full blown pissing session. I don't remember if it happened while she was asleep or not. I was surprised that we didn't all discuss that and I always wondered if maybe it's something that happens because of her weight. I thought it was very weird that she was talking to Buddy about it and laughing. I was thinking, so you're obviously still in love with Boo Bear so you tell him you peed the bed? That's sexy. 

[notyrmomma]

8 hours ago, Maggienolia said:

Wait - which episode is that?? Where are past seasons/episodes available streaming?? 

It was this episode: Season 2, Episode 9 First Day on the Job

I tried to find a clip of this exact scene (I just saw it the other day, coincidently), but of course, i couldn't find it again.

[ClareWalks]

9 hours ago, Maggienolia said:

Wait - which episode is that?? Where are past seasons/episodes available streaming?? 

Hulu! Related note: Hulu also has My 600-LB Life. :)

[Cherrio]

10 hours ago, Nutella said:

God the khaki spandex! They are a crime against humanity. 

LOL !        I guess you could call her a career criminal?

[Minivanessa]

10 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

OMG, the khaki spandex. A look so universally unflattering and bizarre that Gisele Bundchen herself would go from being a 10 to a 3 just by putting them on.

Khaki pants in general are IMO a hazard-in-waiting to the female form. At my "normal" weight I am curvy and khakis that don't fit precisely make me look like a bottom heavy sack of potatoes. In my present overweight state? Aargh. Even worse. "Khaki spandex" may be the scariest phrase I have heard in a long time.

[ClareWalks]

I've been thinking about Whitney's "I don't know how to feed myself" assertion. It seems like this is becoming increasingly common in our society, perhaps because of the prevalence of fast food and the huge portion sizes nowadays in restaurants. Whitney reminds me a lot of my husband's sister, who is awful. She is a grown woman in her 30s who totally blames her (normal weight) mother for her own current weight problem. "You let me eat too many snacks as a kid!" It's just so juvenile. Even if your parents taught you jack shit about nutrition, as an adult you buy your own groceries and can choose to make proper nutrition a priority. It gets even crazier when you look at people like Whitney and my sister-in-law, who both have normal sized parents and siblings, yet persist in blaming their family for their problems with weight. It must be some sort of stunted adolescence that makes these women act this way.

[Tosia]

Not to mention the myriad of cook books, apps, shows, and they even have taught  basic nutrition in schools for years.  

Something tells me (something weighing 380 lbs.) that Whit  doesn't want to hear what she doesn't want to hear.  

Seriously there's no avoiding nutrition info on media today.  

Edited August 8, 2016 by Tosia

[Ketzel]

2 hours ago, Tosia said:

Not to mention the myriad of cook books, apps, shows, and they even have taught  basic nutrition in schools for years.  

Something tells me (something weighing 380 lbs.) that Whit  doesn't want to hear what she doesn't want to hear.  

Seriously there's no avoiding nutrition info on media today.  

I don't know - the capacity of some people to ignore what they don't want to know is amazing. I volunteer for an organization that provides meals to homebound elders, and they recently assigned me to teach classes in healthy eating at a couple of senior centers.  So far, I've had one gentleman tell me he doesn't know why his blood pressure stays so high - he takes his meds and eats mostly white chicken and vegetables. It took a few minutes of gentle but firm cross-examination to learn he was eating all his lunches and dinners at his favorite Chinese restaurants. He was probably getting more sodium in one cup of hot and sour soup than he was supposed to have for the week! (His wife proudly told me she only ate brown rice. More questioning - oh, she means she only eats fried rice. Yes, it's brown in color. No, it's not what I meant when I suggested substituting brown rice for white rice.)  Label reading is a mystery to my students, other than the number of calories, which they all assume refers to the whole package, not some industry-determined "portion."   And the demonstration of actual portion sizes floors them all.  These are, for the most part, educated people in their late seventies.

But the most relevant thing to the Whitney situation is the number of students who drop the class after the first or second session.  I lose about half the students at that point, and every single one of them has taken me aside to say, in effect, "I like you. I think you're a good teacher, but I really don't want to know this stuff."   So far coaxing, bribing, threatening, begging, teasing has not changed the drop out rate. All I can do is watch them go, knowing that before long they'll be back taking the class in Managing Your Diabetes, or Healthy Eating for Cardiac Patients.  But unlike Whitney, these people are aware of what they are doing and are making a choice to do it anyway.  They don't deny the risks they're running or the fact that they'd be better off if they could improve their nutrition. They don't throw tantrums or turn me into an enemy because I make the risks clear. They don't make fun of the people who stick to the class. They don't think they're role models and champions for older adults who want to maintain good health for as long as they can.  They just want to eat their terrible diets in peace.

[ClareWalks]

@Ketzel it's so true, and it sometimes makes it harder for those of us who do NOT want to remain ignorant. There was so much uproar about putting calorie counts on menu boards. "I don't wanna know! LOLOLZ!" Be serious, folks. You SERIOUSLY don't want to know. But how is that my problem? I want to know. In fact, I want to know the full nutrition facts of what I choose to eat, because I have to eat high fiber to keep everything functioning properly (sorry that's TMI but my point is that food serves a purpose to fuel us with what we need, not just to taste yummy yums). Making it harder to get that info because some folks would rather not face facts is ridiculous. <End rant> ;)

[Tabbygirl521]

On August 7, 2016 at 10:15 PM, Nowhere said:

Are you talking about at the start of this season when she was telling Buddy that she completely pissed herself, like really hardcore pissing for no particular reason? I wasn't under the impression that she meant a little tinkle when she guffawed, but a full blown pissing session. I don't remember if it happened while she was asleep or not. I was surprised that we didn't all discuss that and I always wondered if maybe it's something that happens because of her weight. I thought it was very weird that she was talking to Buddy about it and laughing. I was thinking, so you're obviously still in love with Boo Bear so you tell him you peed the bed? That's sexy. 

OMG...I am laughing so hard I may have one myself!