The All You Can Eat Buffet: My 600 Pound Life All Episode Discussion

[libgirl2]

37 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I hope the update is only Justin.     And the same article claims Karina is filming an update (she's local in Texas).    

I wouldn't mind seeing how Justin is doing. 

[nokat]

Is watching an air fryer commercial in anticipation of Lashanta. Fried mozzarella sticks. 
 

I think I gained five pounds just watching this.
 

Edited April 17, 2019 by nokat

[88Keys]

On 4/16/2019 at 8:22 AM, Twopper said:

Is there a date for this mess?  I am not sure I can watch.

Totally unrelated to the Assanti bros-------I went to the doctor yesterday and was told to lose "ten pound in the next 6 munts."

You should easily be able to lose ten pound in next 6 munt if you follow da eating plan and exercise.  🙂

On 4/16/2019 at 11:09 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I hope the update is only Justin.     And the same article claims Karina is filming an update (she's local in Texas).    The Starcasm article (not a great source I know) says that Karina's personal trainer and friend is Gilbert (of Lupe and Gilbert fame), however I think he was moving back to L.A. too.      

Meh.  I found Karina to be one of the most unpleasant people ever on the show.  I'm not looking forward to her update.  Oh, and Justin Assanti posts sometimes on Reddit, and he says there is a follow-up episode about him, but not Steven.  

I was also skimming Reddit earlier, and a few people have already watched tonight's episode.  They said we are in for a treat.  I do not know if that means treat as in "success" or treat as in "trainwreck," but either way, I will be there!

[thebigboot]

Angela says she succeeded on her own!

I don’t really see a difference...

[CrazyInAlabama]

 I guess it's common to do a selfie with tons of makeup, and your head tilted up like a giraffe, so your face looks slimmer.   However, not showing the body too is a dead giveaway to that.  

[Twopper]

1 hour ago, 88Keys said:

You should easily be able to lose ten pound in next 6 munt if you follow da eating plan and exercise.  🙂

I hope I will make good progress on this journey😂

1 hour ago, 88Keys said:

Meh.  I found Karina to be one of the most unpleasant people ever on the show.  I'm not looking forward to her update.  Oh, and Justin Assanti posts sometimes on Reddit, and he says there is a follow-up episode about him, but not Steven.  

I was also skimming Reddit earlier, and a few people have already watched tonight's episode.  They said we are in for a treat.  I do not know if that means treat as in "success" or treat as in "trainwreck," but either way, I will be there!

Is Karina the one who was always crying  Cried in the shower?  All these people run together in my mind unless there is something very distinctive in their episodes like breaking a toilet or dying.

So glad I saw this post.  I forgot it was Wednesday, and I am excited because we don't have rehearsal tonight so I can try the live chat again.  I never can keep up.  I will have to rush Mr Twopper in his eating habit tonight to be through in time. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Kirsten is the one on the previews that's screaming in the shower, and had the two children she dumped on her parents years ago, and now her son resents her.   

Karina is the one who lived in her parents' living room, had big issues with her sister, and didn't walk since she hurt her leg when it went through the deck, and ordered that huge pizza meal, and ate all of it.   She also had a gastric balloon she had put in by going to Mexico, and it had been in her stomach for way too long.     Dr. Now said 6 months is the limit the gastric balloon is ever supposed to be in the stomach.   

I get them mixed up too, and have to run down the topics to see who is who.  

Edited April 18, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[nokat]

Who is ready for a train wreck or a success? 
 

[sagittarius sue]

18 minutes ago, nokat said:

Who is ready for a train wreck or a success? 
 

After watching the last 30 minutes of Angela, it's snark time.!

[Colleenna]

OK, I have a practical, but delicate question. Please forgive me if it's been asked/answered previously.

Some of these women are young enough that they are probably still menstruating. How the hell do they manage the logistics of that? There's no way in Hell their caregiver can navigate through all those folds of blubber to insert a tampon or menstrual cup. And they don't wear underwear, so there's nothing to affix a pad to. What the Hell do they do? 

[Hellga]

Many of them, especially those bedbound and really unable to take care of themselves, probably don't menstruate.  Being that heavy messes up hormones enough (fat cells actually make a weak estrogen, which is why most women get more fat on them after menopause) that it affects the cycle.  

[nokat]

11 hours ago, Colleenna said:

Some of these women are young enough that they are probably still menstruating. How the hell do they manage the logistics of that?

I hope Hellga is correct, or otherwise this just traumatized me. Can you imagine tampon service along with butt wiping?
 

[fonfereksglen]

1 minute ago, nokat said:

I hope Hellga is correct, or otherwise this just traumatized me. Can you imagine tampon service along with butt wiping?
 

Then don't watch the crazy Linda episode from Intervention.

[FormeryHeavyJ]

My guilty pleasure is watching the train wreck episodes but I certainly wish there were a few more success stories mixed in.  Must be that train wrecks drive the ratings, and ratings equal advertising revenue.

[AZChristian]

There was a scene with one of the poundicipants (Lupe?) who thought she was seriously ill because she started bleeding "down there."  Turns out she just got her period for the first time in a long time.

[Natalie68]

On 4/17/2019 at 2:21 PM, thebigboot said:

Angela says she succeeded on her own!

I don’t really see a difference...

Zero difference except for makeup and carefully crafted selfie

[Otter]

I think I posted my observation about tattoos a while ago and rewatched Lee and Rena this afternoon and he's covered.  A man whose "really active being able to walk 3 feet with mah canes".  He can't go pee in a toilet but has what looks to be fresh tattoos.  Doubt tattoo artists make house calls.  

I'm sorry, the number of these folks wanting help for their weight with tattoos annoys me.  Guess I'm showing my age, but damn if I can't get to the bathroom, I'd probably not gonna get my azz up to go get a tattoo.  Priorities.  

[Hellga]

On ‎4‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 5:21 PM, thebigboot said:

Angela says she succeeded on her own!

I don’t really see a difference...

She took the oxygen tubes out for the second photo.  That's it.  Doubt she lost any weight between the two.

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, Otter said:

I think I posted my observation about tattoos a while ago and rewatched Lee and Rena this afternoon and he's covered.  A man whose "really active being able to walk 3 feet with mah canes".  He can't go pee in a toilet but has what looks to be fresh tattoos.  Doubt tattoo artists make house calls.  

I'm sorry, the number of these folks wanting help for their weight with tattoos annoys me.  Guess I'm showing my age, but damn if I can't get to the bathroom, I'd probably not gonna get my azz up to go get a tattoo.  Priorities.  

Google "tattoo artists who make house calls."  There's even a Tupperware party-style.  Have a few friends over, and you can all get tattoos in your own home!

[ProTourist]

2 hours ago, Otter said:

I think I posted my observation about tattoos a while ago and rewatched Lee and Rena this afternoon and he's covered.  A man whose "really active being able to walk 3 feet with mah canes".  He can't go pee in a toilet but has what looks to be fresh tattoos.  Doubt tattoo artists make house calls.  

I'm sorry, the number of these folks wanting help for their weight with tattoos annoys me.  Guess I'm showing my age, but damn if I can't get to the bathroom, I'd probably not gonna get my azz up to go get a tattoo.  Priorities.  

I've always figured the poundticipants' tattoos were several years old, obtained during earlier times of better mobility.

[nokat]

I got a tattoo in an unfortunate place when I was skinny. Let's just say it's stretched a bit. By a bit, I don't mean whale sized.
 

[Twopper]

13 hours ago, Hellga said:

She took the oxygen tubes out for the second photo.  That's it.  Doubt she lost any weight between the two.

I think I recall she drove Lacey to the ice cream store, and she wasn't wearing the oxygen then.  She was also moving a little better.   Either she lost some weight (maybe 50 pounds) and is moving better or she didn't lose weight but could have moved better earlier in the show but chose not to.

[toodles]

I watched part 3 of the loathsome Assanti brothers using on demand.  Or as I call them, the disgusting smelly giant man babies, just for the Dr.Now smackdowns.  I wish someone would post a YouTube of smackdowns. The smackdown at the beginning where Steven has an ambulance bring him to Dr. Now at hospital for a drug prescription after firing him from the program is just epic.  

[nokat]

6 hours ago, toodles said:

I watched part 3 of the loathsome Assanti brothers using on demand.  Or as I call them, the disgusting smelly giant man babies, just for the Dr.Now smackdowns.  I wish someone would post a YouTube of smackdowns. The smackdown at the beginning where Steven has an ambulance bring him to Dr. Now at hospital for a drug prescription after firing him from the program is just epic. 

The Assanti brothers are kind of legend. I don't want to see it, but I must.
 

[Jeeves]

So I saw that this week's episode features someone named Cilla. I've never heard that as a name, or nickname, for a male, but it seems that our Cilla this week is male. 

I swear, this guy better get his *ss in gear and get the damn surgery no later than one hour into the episode. I am OVER these delusional losers and users like Angela and whatshername (the Wig and Grille woman). If they're too far out of control to benefit from Dr. Now's treatment plan, to hell with them. At least as far as being on this show.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

I swear, this guy better get his *ss in gear and get the damn surgery no later than one hour into the episode. I am OVER these delusional losers and users like Angela and whatshername (the Wig and Grille woman). If they're too far out of control to benefit from Dr. Now's treatment plan, to hell with them. At least as far as being on this show.

Spoiler

I think you might get what you hope for with this one. TLC basically spoiled the outcome of this episode in the preview. I think they called it an "amazing transformation." 

[ProTourist]

2 hours ago, Jeeves said:

So I saw that this week's episode features someone named Cilla. I've never heard that as a name, or nickname, for a male, but it seems that our Cilla this week is male.

I too have only known Cilla as a woman's name, but thought this one might be Cillas as an alternate spelling of the man's name Silas. 😕 ✌️

Edit to add:

According to the schedule currently posted on TLC's site for this coming Wednesday April 24, the episode is indeed "Cillas' Story" :

https://www.tlc.com/schedule

Edited April 21, 2019 by ProTourist
Add info

[Swiss]

I'm home sick today. Turned on TLC and it's Penny!!  I'm compelled to watch her episode again.  I must have a fever..I might be delirious..lol!!

Edited April 22, 2019 by Swiss

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Swiss said:

I might be delicious

Don't say that out loud in front of Penny. 

[Swiss]

Hi Giant Misfit.  You caught my mistake before I did..lol.  I went back and fixed it but maybe I should leave it as it originally was!

[nokat]

6 hours ago, Swiss said:

Hi Giant Misfit.  You caught my mistake before I did..lol.  I went back and fixed it but maybe I should leave it as it originally was!

I was grabbing the pepperoni. 
 

[FormeryHeavyJ]

One of these days I am going to take a vacation day (one of the many I have accumulated and not used) on a Thursday so I can finish watching the entire show while playing along on the live chat.  Now you could say "don't go to the gym Thursday mornings" but Thursday is chest day and where else would you rather be at 430am than on the bench press?

Most normal people would say "in bed".

[PrincessPurrsALot]

I should be working. Instead I fell down the rabbit hole of the My 600 Lb Life wiki page.  It lists starting and ending weights.  While there were some really minor weight losses during the first year (Schenee, Penny), our least losing poundticipant was James K with a net gain.  That takes commitment! 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_600-lb_Life 

[88Keys]

You guys...I found out one of my friends watches this show, but I think she only started last season.  I've been catching her up on the greatest trainwrecks.  She watched Schenee, the Assantis, and James K. in two days!  Poor thing!  For her sake, I hope tonight is a success story.  

[crazycatlady58]

3 hours ago, 88Keys said:

You guys...I found out one of my friends watches this show, but I think she only started last season.  I've been catching her up on the greatest trainwrecks.  She watched Schenee, the Assantis, and James K. in two days!  Poor thing!  For her sake, I hope tonight is a success story.  

That depends on your idea of success, everyone on the live chat had a good time.

[Guest]

I hate to deliver this news, but the Assanti Brothers' follow-up show airs in two weeks (according to my frequently wrong TLC onscreen guide listing). 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I looked on Titan TV, and that's the listing for 24 May is called the Assanti Brothers, and if it's more than 30 seconds on that fool Steven, I'm going to be nauseous for a week after this.  

[Twopper]

On 4/18/2019 at 8:58 PM, Colleenna said:

Some of these women are young enough that they are probably still menstruating. How the hell do they manage the logistics of that? There's no way in Hell their caregiver can navigate through all those folds of blubber to insert a tampon or menstrual cup. And they don't wear underwear, so there's nothing to affix a pad to. What the Hell do they do? 

well, according to what Mercedes said in her episode, she does nothing.   She could at least use rags and dispose of them.   There's a reason Mr Monthly Visitor is referred to as "being on the rag."   Or have I just dated myself with that expression.   I think some of them like Lupe quit having periods; she was shocked when it returned after she lost weight.  

[Colleenna]

OK, an observation in the form of a question: why do so many of these poundtestants have no teeth? They seem to have plenty of money for tattoos, but none for a dentist. And we're talking younger people, not some 90 year old.....  

[fonfereksglen]

3 hours ago, Twopper said:

well, according to what Mercedes said in her episode, she does nothing.   She could at least use rags and dispose of them.   There's a reason Mr Monthly Visitor is referred to as "being on the rag."   Or have I just dated myself with that expression.   I think some of them like Lupe quit having periods; she was shocked when it returned after she lost weight.  

Checking the medical supply catalog we receive, there are still menstrual belts like we used in the 60s and appropriate pads.  These products are for disabled individuals unable to self care.  Weight would not prohibit the use of these items and the cost is surprisingly low when bought in bulk.  Where there is a will there is a way! 

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess that many of the poundticipants have had a history of dental neglect.  Plus, I'm sure that they have had an entire life of poor dental hygiene, going to bed without brushing teeth, and never going to the dentist.  

 Remember the Benji and David episode?   Where the older brother wasn't cute anymore, so he was left at home while the mother took his younger brother to pageants?    He's the older brother who went to a reconstructive dentist, who put in temporary dentures that cover damage.     Karina had horrible teeth, and many others apparently never had braces, or regular dental care.    

[CatherineM]

When I was over 600 lbs. I didn’t fit in the dentist chair. I was afraid of breaking it. Even at 400, the chair wouldn’t move. I’d have to stand up until he got it into position and then climb on. Hard to buy food and dental bills. Plus, if you eat enough food for five people, your teeth just get used more. 

[nokat]

My bikini body, I look fab.
 

[ProTourist]

I've been thinking recently about Janine, one of the patients from early last season, whose follow-up episode should be aired soon. She was not successful at losing weight on her own, and since surgery was still not a safe option toward the end of the year, Dr. Now placed a gastric balloon in her stomach, which forced her to eat less.

This was supposed to be a temporary measure, maximum of six months, which should have allowed her to lose enough weight to have the surgery. She said it was uncomfortable, that it felt like having bad indigestion all the the time, but we'll find out how it worked for her in the coming weeks.

I've been wondering why this is the only time in the whole series that Dr. Now has offered the gastric balloon to one of the patients who had already moved to Houston, or who lived nearby, but were unable to lose enough weight on their own. This season alone, the gastric balloon might have helped Jeanne, Maja, Mercedes, and even Angela J. I think Mercedes could have been an especially good candidate since she was running out of time and there is no hospitalization involved.

Any thoughts on this?

Edited May 12, 2019 by ProTourist

[CrazyInAlabama]

After Katrina (the woman who went to Mexico, and had the gastric balloon for over a year) demonstrated you can out eat the balloon too, maybe it's not a solution for someone like Angie, or Mercedes that Dr. Now has reasons to believe are very delusional.   

[ProTourist]

Thanks for the response, CrazyInAlabama. With Katrina, maybe because she had had it in for so long, it became less effective due to deflation or an adaptation the stomach might have made to it over that longer period of time. As I recall, Dr. Now found Janine to be delusional too, but maybe because she had moved to Houston already and so he could monitor her more closely, he may have thought it was worth a try.

That's why I thought it might have been worth a try for Mercedes too, since she had already moved to Houston, wasn't losing enough weight on her own, couldn't take the time to be hospitalized for a few months (due to child care issues) and was running out of time to save her life. Well, I guess we'll find out soon how well it worked for Janine.

Edited May 12, 2019 by ProTourist
correct typo

[CrazyInAlabama]

It might be that since Dr. Now wanted to hospitalize Mercedes for a few months, that he was that concerned about her beginning congestive heart failure.    This might have made any procedures, such as the balloon too risky.     Maybe Janine wasn't that bad off yet?   

My understanding of why people apply for the show is because that way they are jumped to the top of the list for Dr. Now's program.   I've read that getting into his office for an appointment for a regular patient is very long.    I think that's why sometimes you see an empty waiting room, or the patients leave in the evening, because they're working them in after hours.    

Edited May 12, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[newyawk]

Wow, out of boredom, i went back to the first season to watch an episode. The show was so different then than what it's evolved into. Six minutes into the episode, Dr. Now is performing weight loss surgery on 675-lb Donald. No pre-surgery counseling was shown, no "Why do you think you're so fat?" no "I want you to lose 100 lbs in two months".. just got straight into it. Then he dropped all this weight, was going out clubbing, and they didn't even show Dr. Now again until Donald went into the hospital.

Edited May 14, 2019 by newyawk

[Jeeves]

On 5/12/2019 at 4:00 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

It might be that since Dr. Now wanted to hospitalize Mercedes for a few months, that he was that concerned about her beginning congestive heart failure.   

Yes. This is a little bit of a left turn from the sleeve discussion but this is something I've seen in passing in some of the discussions. People ask - and IMO it's a reasonable question - why Dr. Now just doesn't admit a noncompliant patient into the hospital or a nursing home for the purpose of losing weight.

It's my understanding that Dr. Now can't admit a patient into the hospital - or a rehab facility - solely for the purpose of controlling their food intake. The patient has to have a specific medical condition requiring inpatient treatment. The conditions I can remember seeing on the show, when patients were admitted other than for surgery, were infections and heart or respiratory conditions. And, maybe somebody had gallstones?

The impact of hospitalization is usually that these patients lose weight. But "needs to lose weight" isn't a reason for admission. And anyway, hospital and rehab (nursing home) patients can control their own food and have enablers bring in food to them, so weight loss isn't a given.

Kelly, for instance, lost a lot of weight in hospital and rehab - but she was there because of her congestive heart failure. And at first she didn't lose weight in rehab (her pre-op stay) because rehab patients can choose what they eat and she was making bad choices. Bless her memory and may she RIP, Kelly did turn that around and started making better choices. 

I can't remember her name, but I remember one woman a season or two ago, who bitched and whined about being "stuck in the hospital" and wanting to go home where *she* could be in control. FFS, Dr. Now admitted her to the hospital for treatment of a life-threatening infection. Life. Threatening. Infection. And the ungrateful twit whined like a banshee. Urgh. Because, yeah, she'd done such a magnificent job being in control of her body and food intake that she ended up as a stah of this show. And it was such an imposition that she had to be stuck in that hospital to have her life saved. SMH.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think Jeanne said something like that.       But it's a pretty common complaint from the hospitalized patients, that the food at the hospital isn't any good.    They're usually the ones who also go home, and gain a lot of weigh back too.