S01.E04: Where Are They Now? Chuck and Paula

[Armchair Critic]

Looks like Chuck is dipping into the Grecian formula. I am leery that his new girlfriend is a substitute for Nissa, she even looks like her.

 

I noticed that both Chuck and Paula actually have jobs. Good for them for losing the weight.

 

 

Edited January 29, 2015 by Armchair Critic

[Miss Chevious]

I didn't see the episodes that initially featured Chuck and Paula, but since watching their follow up show, all I can say is good for them. They are doing all the right things to stay on track and they both look great! So glad that Chuck found someone nice to share his life with and Paula was able to buy a house. I hope they do a follow up on Paula again, so we can see her after the skin surgery she was approved for at the end of tonight's program. Chuck has to stay vigilant. Often after people get married, they fall into a sense of contentment and start to gain weight. Especially men, who leave the cooking to their new wives who sometimes give them too much good home cooking, which in Chuck's case could be very detrimental. 

 

What a refreshing change from Penny, that negative Nancy from last week. She will never get better.

[PityFree]

Ugh. Chuck never figured out that Nissa didn't leave him because he was fat: she left him because he was a lazy, selfish, a-hole. Good luck, New Mrs. Chuck.

Edited January 29, 2015 by PityFree

[mrsjoe]

Ugh. Chuck never figured out that Nissa didn't leave him because he was fat: she left him because he was a lazy, selfish, a-hole. Good luck, New Mrs. Chuck.

Yeah, there were a couple times he almost seemed to be taking responsibility for their marriage ending, but I'm thinking like you. He sees it as his fault in the sense that he was fat and took too long to lose weight. It seems like he got married pretty fast. Curious how this one goes.

Interesting that he specifically said he lost Nathan. I'm wondering how the adoption worked now. Nissa must have been the only one on the papers? Otherwise, how would Chuck never see him again ever? I guess Chuck could be being dramatic and Nissa just moved to another state or something, but it was so odd he didn't appear to have any sort of visitation rights, and he implied that was permanent.

It was interesting how both the two featured seemed to be able to lose weight easily when they tried, while at the same time gaining so easily when they stopped trying. Seems like both could go either way long term.

[islandgal140]

Not even a year after his divorce and Chuck is already married? Damn. Chuck seems like the type that can't be alone. He just has to be in a relationship. I don't think that bodes well but YMMV.  Kind of surprised me that he hit goal weight because on his wedding day in that suit I thought that it looked like he had gained a few.  However, it appears that he stayed on track. Good for him! I was glad to see that he hit his goal weight. Chuck looked pretty good. Did he have skin removal surgery on his arms? Because they looked pretty good.

 

I was really happy for Paula. You really saw the weight loss in her face. I really want to see what she looks like after skin surgery. I don''t want to be that person but I think now that Paula has learned to make better food choices for herself she should be doing the same for her youngest daughter who seems to be on the same course Paula was on. The younger you start them out, the easier it will be. 

 

I was nice to see both subjects suffer a setback gain but than immediately take corrective action and get back on course and reach their goal. 

 

 

Can I just say, lawd that preview of upcoming episodes.... just wow! What the what?!?! There seemed to be a woman who had ... I don't even know how to describe it, but fat wings on her hips. I have to admit that was one of the most shocking things. I also see that the show has continued with the requirement that the subjects must appear in a state of undress so we can get a good view of the many folds of flesh and bonus points if they have lymphedema, cellulitis, skin abscesses, etc. 

[Oldernowiser]

I was watching a documentary on obesity a while back and one of the recent discoveries is that even when the obese get back to something approaching normal weight, they still have to stick to eating at a level of 20-30% fewer calories than someone who has always been close to that weight, otherwise the weight comes right back because their metabolisms have been permanently changed.

That's a drastic adjustment for anyone, let alone someone accustomed to eating thousands of extra calories every day. You start to understand just how hard it is for the super obese to remain a success story even after surgery.

[gunderda]

I thought chuck got married way too fast too. I don't pay much attention to the months they flash up but it seemed like he proposed only after a few months?  Which really when you're that age is not THAT unusual but it made me worried for him.  And I also thought he had gained weight during his wedding footage so I'm glad he didn't.

 

And I'm glad Paula finally got her butt in gear and lost the weight.  I know guys lose weight faster easier and I'm sure Chuck had more to lose, but at the beginning of the episode he was at something like a 450 lb weight loss in one year and Paula had only lost 150.  I was sad to see that her kids were all really overweight as well so I'm not sure her new eating habits are trickling down to them but I imagine they have to fight against genetics since their dad was a larger guy also. 

 

I'm bummed we didn't get to see either of them after their skin surgery!

[KarmaG]

I would have sworn Chuck gained when he was in that suit too. Glad it was just the way it looked and that he didn't really gain the weight. Good for him and Paula for getting on track. I agree that Paula's kids need to be put on a healthier track as well. Her youngest is way too large for her age.

 

The upcoming shows look good too. The girl next week is only 23.

[poeticlicensed]

Paula has a beautiful face. I could really see her weight loss after the last 50 pounds.Hate the crazy hair.  I really hope she is able to model  her children new ways to eat, as they all looked heavy, particularly her oldest daughter. 

 

I thought Chuck looked good, but that sure was a quick marriage. I find him a little annoying, Maybe it's just his voice. Reminds me of Eyeore. 

[CarolMK]

I re-watched Chuck's original show last night, and one thing they didn't address is how/why his first wife was murdered. No follow up, if they found out who did it, why? He just

said after she died he went from 300 to 700 lbs...apparently shed was murdered in Nov 2006. Not sure how long after that when he married Nissa, but the show stated she

had filed for divorce halfway through the year after 3 years. She came back towards the end, said she was proud of him, but yet a month later she left him again and

was finalizing the divorce? I wonder what happened there. Maybe Chuck lost all custody because he was either deemed to be an unfit parent, or she had filed charges

of abuse against him (I know we only saw him yelling at her, but I wonder if it was possible at some point that he got angry and hit her). Also, he wasn't working in his

business intitially so maybe he withdrew his parental rights in order to remove his obligation to pay child support. Too much after Chuck was left unsaid,

 

I thought Paula looked great at the end. She didn't appear to address her issues with her mother, at least on camera, so I'm glad they did seem to have a nice visit. I'm

rooting for her to continue to do well. 

[AdorkableWitch]

It looks like Chuck's wife Barbara was murdered by her daughter . They also lost their home to Hurricane Rita not long before the murder as well. I doubt that she was Chuck's daughter as well, since she was 35 in 2006. (So she and Chuck were close to the same age, and his wife was 53 when she passed away.)

[charmed1]

I fell asleep during Chuck's update. Was there any new information on Nissa's weight loss? I know she got the surgery not long after Chuck did and I'm curious about her progress. I also wonder if that had any influence on her decision to finally leave Chuck for good. He was such a jerk to her after her surgery.

[Galloway Cave]

So in the span of 10 years, Chuck has had three marriages, a wife murdered, one divorce, adopted a son and weight loss surgery documented over two years by a reality show? Damn, I'd be curled up in the fetal position and sucking my thumb after all that. No wonder he has his shrill, whiny moments. Either he has the worst luck ever or he is a drama-magnet. Hopefully this last quicky marriage won't go sour on him and he can keep the weight off.

 

Paula's daughters look huge for their ages. Her oldest looks bigger than Paula at this point. I really hope they can follow her diet and exercise routines. I heard Paula tell the youngest she could only have a certain portion of food during dinner, so it looks like Paula is trying to monitor her intake.

 

The new patients scare the crap out of me too. It's like you can't even tell what are arms and legs and torso anymore. It's all fat blobs with hands and feet and a head sticking out. I wonder if next week's young girl is another one of those online fat models. She seemed to be all glamoured up for a lot of her clips.

[JennB]

I fell asleep during Chuck's update. Was there any new information on Nissa's weight loss? I know she got the surgery not long after Chuck did and I'm curious about her progress. I also wonder if that had any influence on her decision to finally leave Chuck for good. He was such a jerk to her after her surgery.

 

There was barely anything about Nissa, except when Chuck would say that he missed her and wished they'd worked things out. She wasn't even in the episode.

 

Interesting that Chuck kept saying that Erica was his "second chance." Wasn't Nissa his second chance, making Erica his third chance? I'd gone into the episode thinking that Chuck was the one whose first wife was murdered, so every time he said "second chance," I wondered if I was confused about who he was.

[Cherrio]

Chuck is a big baby and creepy too.  I don't give his marriage lasting long.  

Neither of them have shifted into a life style change, so their food addictions must be very bad, no different from drugs.    

         Paula seems to be a little healthier mentally, but she needs to really deal with whatever happened to her and how her mother was involved. 

         I feel sorry for her children, as they are all overweight.   She needs to learn more about healthier ways to eat. Cream corn and whatever that buttery thing she whipped up are not good choices.

[CarolMK]

Wow. His first wife murdered by her daughter? I have no words. Was she Chuck's daughter as well and is she currently in jail? I read the link but I'm still confused about the ages..his first wife was 53 back in 2006, and the daughter was 34. Chuck was 45 in his original episode, making him 46-47 now? So he was originally married to a woman

approximately 15 years older than himself? 

In regards to Nissa, she wasn't in the episode and I was surprised to see that she had filed for divorce almost immediately following the one year anniversary of his

weight loss surgery. In Chuck's original episode, I believe Nissa had her weight loss surgery about 4-6 months after he did and she had lost 90 lbs. putting her

at around 218 at the end of the episode. 

I hope Chuck's third marriage goes well, but I have a feeling Erica is taking on a lot with him. I hope she can handle him

[AdorkableWitch]

I do wonder if Chuck has replaced his food addiction with religion. 

[Ocean Chick]

Chuck made me hate him almost as much as Penny did.  He was a crybaby who blamed everyone but himself for his situation, and expected everyone else to bend over backwards to make his life easier.  Poor Nissa had to work a full time job and come home and do all the housework and taking care of the baby besides.  And I can't forget his whiney rant when she asked him to go get her pain meds right after surgery - to listen to him you'd think he had to walk 30 miles to the store, in a blizzard, up hill.  Both ways.  But when it came to HIS pain meds?  He expected them to be waiting for him on demand.  Even though Nissa had to still work and take care of the house and the baby.

 

Nissa lost probably close to 300 pounds by divorcing this piece of work.  Good for her!

[mrsjoe]

It looks like Chuck's wife Barbara was murdered by her daughter . They also lost their home to Hurricane Rita not long before the murder as well. I doubt that she was Chuck's daughter as well, since she was 35 in 2006. (So she and Chuck were close to the same age, and his wife was 53 when she passed away.)

When Chuck's episode originally aired, someone researched and posted on a previous television discussion board with the crazy details she found. Something super weird was going on with his first marriage. His wife was way older and based on the articles and timelines that she found, Chuck and his first wife were not together when her daughter murdered. Chuck was not even mentioned in the obituaries or newso articles. I don't know if we ever got confirmation if that was because her family hated Chuck or if they were officially divorced, but either way it seems strange and like he wasn't living with her. It seems like the first wife may be classic Chuck "I need to make everything about me." when really they were not even close anymore.

It was sad that Nissa wasn't even shown. I didn't think of it while watching, but you may be right and it could totally be Nissa got a protective order or something, and TLC didn't even want to go there... Or I could also see him giving up all rights to save money.

[Quof]

I still don't believe that Chuck and Nissa legally adopted Nathan, no way would any judge sign off on that adoption order. I expect it was some kind of unofficial placement involving a relative, probably Nissa's relative, so she took the child and Chuck had no legal right to custody or access.

[Cherrio]

I do wonder if Chuck has replaced his food addiction with religion. 

Could be, anyone else notice the creepy sign at the church?   Heaven or Hell, you decide?   I detest those kind of places and the people who believe it.    

[lazylump]

Paula was quite amazing at the very end of the episode. She had a totally "skinny lady" face.  I was astounded at the difference.  she looked great.

 

Chuck, I"m a little worried about.  When he was telling the story about how he met his wife, and they were sitting somewhere with matching t-shirts.  He had a 591 ml regular coke sitting in front of him.  Didn't someone on here say carbonation is to be avoided and Coke is probably the worst thing you can drink.

[KarmaG]

  Didn't someone on here say carbonation is to be avoided and Coke is probably the worst thing you can drink.

 

Yes. It's a huge no no according to Dr Now. I was wondering about that too when it was sitting right there, cap off and he was drinking it. Shows his habits really haven't improved as much as they could. Yes he's lost weight but as Dr Now said, it wouldn't take much for it to come back and sugary drinks are a great way to get on the wrong path.

[purpleflowers]

I'm wondering if Chuck looked larger at his wedding because it possibly took place after the visit with Dr. Now that was shown last. Maybe the two instances were shown out of order compared to how they actually occurred. I could be wrong, I'm not sure if the timeline stated the wedding was before. 

 

I never knew all of these things about Chuck's background; it does make me question his genuineness in all of this. I am happy he has a life partner and has his health on the right track but I do hope he's learned how to treat a spouse and be supportive after the mistakes he made with Nissa. 

[cynicat]

I re-watched Chuck's original show last night, and one thing they didn't address is how/why his first wife was murdered. No follow up, if they found out who did it, why? He just said after she died he went from 300 to 700 lbs

 

Maybe he ate her.

 

I'll show myself out now.

[Oldernowiser]

Maybe he ate her.

 

I'll show myself out now.

You just won the internet.

Awesome.

[ethalfrida]

Neither of them have shifted into a life style change, so their food addictions must be very bad, no different from drugs.    

         Paula seems to be a little healthier mentally, but she needs to really deal with whatever happened to her and how her mother was involved. 

         I feel sorry for her children, as they are all overweight.   She needs to learn more about healthier ways to eat. Cream corn and whatever that buttery thing she whipped up are not good choices.

Thank you for this comment. And all their activities are centered around the kitchen. Can't she see that her daughter is is overweight?

 

I also saw Paula using margarine. Look, it may be a whole lot of work to research healthy options but eventually you become knowledgeable enough to not have to look it all up. You just come to know that certain brands are better for you than others. You know that corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup is horrible for everyone but even worse with people with diabetes. And just because you eat healthier doesn't mean you will be hungry. Like popcorn then pop it the old fashioned way and get rid of the microwave stuff. It's full of chemicals and salt. 

[ethalfrida]

Poorer quality foods do sustain appetites. It is true that margarine is basically just chemicals that do not offer the body any nutrition. An egg cooked in coconut oil or butter is 190 calories but an egg sustains the body a lot longer than that plate of pineapple she was eating. Poorer quality foods should never be an option for anyone.

 

900 calories a day is also a Double Chicken Salad from El Pollo Loco and even that is around 375 calories if the dressing is eliminated. She could have two of those and keep within her limit. Those salads are extremely filling.

 

I wish... if they are going to televise these peoples' struggles that they would have professional nutritionists to guide them and offer support for them.

[Oldernowiser]

I just finished watching the original Penny episode and they did send a nutritionist to their house. The poor woman got a crapload of snottiness and excuses from Penny bitching in the other room and Edgar was trying to be nice.

No progress was made. Shocking, no?

[ethalfrida]

I just finished watching the original Penny episode and they did send a nutritionist to their house. The poor woman got a crapload of snottiness and excuses from Penny bitching in the other room and Edgar was trying to be nice.

No progress was made. Shocking, no?

You are so right but I tend to forget Penny and I used every ounce of brain bleach I had in order to do so... 

[CousinOliver]

Yes. It's a huge no no according to Dr Now. I was wondering about that too when it was sitting right there, cap off and he was drinking it. Shows his habits really haven't improved as much as they could. Yes he's lost weight but as Dr Now said, it wouldn't take much for it to come back and sugary drinks are a great way to get on the wrong path.

Based on TV documentaries, I would assume coke is a big no-no too.  However, a friend of mine is about a year out from gastric bypass surgery (traditional Roux en Y) and he poured himself a huge cup of regular coke.  He's met his goal weight (under it now), so the surgery has certainly done that part.  I flat out asked him if his doctor ever said anything about not having carbonation because of stretching the stomach.  He said no, his wife agreed that she never heard the doctor or nutritionist say anything about that. 

 

So, leaving the sugar part out of it, it's possible that this no-carbonation rule is not universal (although Chuck would have been breaking Dr Now's rules, as we know his stance.) 

 

I also found it bothersome that he ate that huge salad (I know there were leftovers) and seemingly nothing else.  From the people I know IRL, after gastric bypass, it's all about protein for the rest of your life.  No one I know would ever have an all vegetable meal on purpose (occasionally they'll eat too much salad before dinner and it'll turn out that way, but it's never the intention.)

[Brooklynista]

I think Paula and the girls would definitely benefit from a few sessions with a nutritionist. After re watching her original episode its jarring how much bigger her girls have gotten in the 2 years after she had her surgery. There's something that isn't passing down to those girls and they are not learning healthy eating habits. The youngest one has gained a lot of fat around her neck and the older one is almost as big as Paula.

I'm alarmed the weight loss hasn't trickled down to the kids. They're going to be headed down the same oath if it's not checked soon.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Brooklynista

[auntjess]

OK, folks, I still have this unwatched on my DVR, and now I see there's a Chuck & Paula Where are they now, with extended scenes.
It's the same lenght of time, but I think I'll wait for it now.

If there's any must see scenes in this version, please tell me, and I'll mention anything memorable in the newer one.

[MrsClaus]

Rewatching this episode and I'm struck by a few things.

 

Neither Paula or Chuck were following the after surgery diet as I understand it to be so I'm not surprised they gained weight before seeing the doctor.

 

I didn't pay much attention the first time around but everything that was said about Paula's children was spot on.  She definitely needs to be modeling a healthy lifestyle for all of them.

 

And now I'm really confused.  Chuck and Erica got married but she isn't living in Texas with him?  And was it just me or did Erica look like she had gained weight at the wedding?

Edited February 3, 2015 by MrsClaus

[swankie]

I think Paula and the girls would definitely benefit from a few sessions with a nutritionist. After re watching her original episode its jarring how much bigger her girls have gotten in the 2 years after she had her surgery. There's something that isn't passing down to those girls and they are not learning healthy eating habits. The youngest one has gained a lot of fat around her neck and the older one is almost as big as Paula.

I'm alarmed the weight loss hasn't trickled down to the kids. They're going to be headed down the same oath if it's not checked soon.

OMG!  I couldn't get over how much weight Paula's oldest daughter has gained.  She was skinny, and I'm not just kidding, skinny when Paula's first show aired.  Paula's first show ended with her taking her girls to the gym with her.  I'm guessing that was probably the only time they went with her.  I was hoping they would be motivated by Paula's progress to maintain their own weights, but sadly it looks like that isn't so.

[mamey2422]

Yes. It's a huge no no according to Dr Now. I was wondering about that too when it was sitting right there, cap off and he was drinking it. Shows his habits really haven't improved as much as they could. Yes he's lost weight but as Dr Now said, it wouldn't take much for it to come back and sugary drinks are a great way to get on the wrong path.

Did anyone notice the factoid that popped up that Chuck drank three POTS of coffee a day? I can't imagine that being healthy. I wonder if that is an existing or post-surgery habit? Can coffee act like an appetite suppressant? I was shocked to read that. 

[mmecorday]

 

Did anyone notice the factoid that popped up that Chuck drank three POTS of coffee a day? I can't imagine that being healthy. I wonder if that is an existing or post-surgery habit? Can coffee act like an appetite suppressant? I was shocked to read that.

I saw that! And my stomach automatically began to ache. I worked as a hotel night auditor for three years and basically lived on coffee. After a while it did a real number on the lining of my stomach, not to mention my nerves.

 

Also, did Paula say she works 80 hours a week? How does she even find time to go to the gym?

[mrsjoe]

I saw that! And my stomach automatically began to ache. I worked as a hotel night auditor for three years and basically lived on coffee. After a while it did a real number on the lining of my stomach, not to mention my nerves.

 

Also, did Paula say she works 80 hours a week? How does she even find time to go to the gym?

 

Well, an 80 hour work week probably has a lot to do with her kids gaining weight. I bet they are left to fend for themselves all the time.  Teenagers left to prepare their own meals are not going to be making veggies and grilled chicken. Not to mention that a mother who feels guilty leaving them alone all the time will likely leave "easy" foods like spaghettios and frozen pizza for them.

[CarolMK]

Didn't one or both of Paula's older daughters go away to college? I thought I saw her mention that at least one of them lived near her mother. That could also contribute to their

weight gain. I don't know why we never saw her son in the second episode.

[KarmaG]

Did anyone notice the factoid that popped up that Chuck drank three POTS of coffee a day? I can't imagine that being healthy. I wonder if that is an existing or post-surgery habit? Can coffee act like an appetite suppressant? I was shocked to read that. 

 

Was that in the super sized repeat episode? I certainly didn't see it in the first airing of his update episode.

Didn't one or both of Paula's older daughters go away to college? I thought I saw her mention that at least one of them lived near her mother. That could also contribute to their

weight gain. I don't know why we never saw her son in the second episode.

 

Her oldest went to college and it's near Paula's mom. That was shown in the first airing of her update. Her daughter picked her up from the hotel to go see her mom and do the confrontation that we didn't get to see.

[JLG]

I was pleasantly surprised by this update.  From the way their original episodes went, I didn't really expect Paula or Chuck to be this successful.  It seems like they both really buckled down, so good for them! 

 

I was also struck by how healthy they both looked.  A lot of people I've seen, both on television and in person, who've had these bariatric surgeries seem to have a certain "look" about them.  Like thin, limp hair, sallow skin tone and an almost deflated face.  Aged, even.  I thought James and his girlfriend Summer, plus the really young girl from the last season  looked 20 years older after their weight loss.  Paula and Chuck both had great hair, good coloring and their face shapes hadn't really changed.  I don't know?

 

Will say that Mrs. Chuck 3.0 must not own a television.

[Brooklynista]

I really disliked Chuck in the original viewing so it was hard for me to embrace his success. He still smelled like a big crybaby jerk to me. What I can give him is his walk seems way more normal than a lot of the other who have had masses removed. Most of the other patients have bowed legs and a somewhat stilted gait. Chuck seemed like he had a pretty good stride.

[Guest]

I rewatched Chuck's original episode last night and totally forget what a loser he was. This statement could not be truer:

Will say that Mrs. Chuck 3.0 must not own a television.

Chuck is a terrible person. I'm glad he lost the weight but he's going to continue to be a terrible person whether big or small.

[gunderda]

I don't think Paula works outside the home though.  We saw her working the one night - she gets calls from her phone to schedule shipments and pickups.  A lot of times those are done from your own home, you just have to be able to answer your phone ALL the time. 

 

Or I could be wrong because she did say she was "on call" that night. 

[KarmaG]

I don't think Paula works outside the home though.  We saw her working the one night - she gets calls from her phone to schedule shipments and pickups.  A lot of times those are done from your own home, you just have to be able to answer your phone ALL the time. 

 

Or I could be wrong because she did say she was "on call" that night. 

 

I think you're mistaken. As you said, she was on call. I totally think she works outside the house at the shipping company.

[Taylorh2]

Paula's oldest daughter is huge. At the rate she is going, she will be the next one featured on the show.

[stephinmn]

I think Nissa went on to adopt Nathan as a single parent. I questioned their "adoption" in the original episode, because there is no way any legit agency (or even state agency) would allow a man who can barely move to adopt an infant. I am guessing it was an informal placement, and Nissa moved ahead without him later.

I didn't like Chuck, I don't like his church, and I don't like that he remarried so quickly. I suspect he will be back up to 700 pounds and yelling at Erica in a few years.

[DangerousMinds]

What do we know about his church?

[stephinmn]

What do we know about his church?

 

They showed the church sign that said, "Heaven Or Hell Your Choice" so I am guessing it is a hellfire and damnation style church. I am not super experienced with Christianity, but I am guessing that this church is not super accepting of gay people or others who do not believe exactly as they do.

[Tielsmomma]

Chuck was such an a-hole. I would have raised holy hell if my husband whined about going to the pharmacy to get my pain meds after surgery. She dumped a whole Lotta dead weight by dumping his dumb a$$.