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

[newyawk]

One thing I forgot about, having not watched this show in a while was how weird some of the audio editing is. Like with Now's narrations, for example. When the B-roll is going as he's talking, it sounds like really choppy, bad audio editing, as if they took multiple sound bites and spliced them together..or the editor tried to remove the pauses and breaths in Now's speaking to save time. With terrible results. Who knows, maybe that's how he talks, but I doubt it. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by newyawk

[LeesburgLee]

Speaking of editing… 

I know the editors want to draw out the drama of the weigh-ins, but having the scale screen cycle over and over and over as the voiceover drones on about “my last chance” or “I don’t know what I’ll do” just bugs me, especially when it’s drawn out heading into the commercial break. The voiceovers are so repetitive already (c'mon, we know it’s written for the participants) and then the readout’s dashes bouncing around and around, it just wastes time. Surely the editors can cut all that down.

Or, Dr Now has the slowest-resetting scale on the market. 

[Mothra]

Is everyone on vacation?

I just watched the two-parter (WATN) about good old Angie, and I now understand the value of giving good blow jobs to get someplace to live.  Even if she had really had to live in the park, she should have been able to make enough money to afford some cheap motel room.  Actually, she probably did make enough for shelter but blew it (heh) on oxy.

I'm glad she finally seemed to get it and has lost a lot of weight, but I still find her loathesome.  I've been using (prescribed) medical marijuana to help me sleep, and I find it makes me very, very sympathetic with the poundticipants--it's been wonderful to *feel* so deeply about them--but even my altered state of mind resists the charms of Angie.

[newyawk]

I'm watching the Irene episode now, and it struck me that among other things. a lot of these people go home after the initial meeting and continue to cook sausage for breakfast, which I looked up and is NOT on Now's plan. He actually specifically forbids fatty meats. Rather than just thrust a book at them, Now should be going into some specifics, particularly with some of the patients who are obviously not as informed or as sharp as others and need more explicit instructions, "NO sauce, NO ketchup, NO soda, NO sausage, etc." 

[newyawk]

Have you noticed sometimes when really heavy people lose a lot of weight, their face still retains these huge round cheeks, like someone stuffed two rubber balls in their face? It's odd looking and I was wondering if there is a way to tweak that. 

[kassa]

On 7/13/2023 at 12:56 AM, newyawk said:

One thing I forgot about, having not watched this show in a while was how weird some of the audio editing is. Like with Now's narrations, for example. When the B-roll is going as he's talking, it sounds like really choppy, bad audio editing, as if they took multiple sound bites and spliced them together..or the editor tried to remove the pauses and breaths in Now's speaking to save time. With terrible results. Who knows, maybe that's how he talks, but I doubt it. 

I like when they splice in his explanation of the surgery with decades-old footage from the original documentary. I get it - why subject him to repeating himself? But they really should have switched over to it as voice over with diagrams or something, because it's glaring that it's very old footage.

The sound editing has always been messy for the show. They clearly splice together audio from different times and the pitch of the person's voice can switch all over the place in what is presented as a single discussion. Room tone, pitch -- those two sentences were not recorded at the same time, let alone as consecutive sentences. 

It's especially obvious that they rerecord some of the pleas to Dr. Now when they've missed their goal. A woman will be speaking in a perfectly normal tone and then there's a cut to Dr. Now and suddenly there's a high pitched: "Please give me another chance, I know I can do it!" There would be absolutely no reason to cut away from the patient's face pleading for a second chance if it was audio recorded live. Makes you wonder what they really said in the moment. 

[BAForever]

Loyal viewer, but as I catch repeats since it's flipping hot outside, I'm amazed at how much I missed during initial viewing. Guess I fall asleep a lot! This past season did seem to be a lot of poundticipants who either didn't qualify or ended up not wanting the surgery. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think the Covid era cases were a true reflection of Dr. Now's practice for the over 600 lbs patient group.    I think the producers had to use the film they had, on the few patients they could film before shut down, when elective surgeries were stopped.  

In fact, the production company got in trouble for filming by dropping off equipment for the poundticipants to use, and monitoring remotely.  Remember the woman in the midwest that was being filmed and ignored her partner/roommate collapsing?   Then, the ambulance showed up without her calling?   That was the production crew calling it in.    I wonder if we'll have WATNs about some of them, like Paul from Florida, who were doing well, but stopped by Covid restrictions? 

[Scarlett45]

4 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I think the Covid era cases were a true reflection of Dr. Now's practice for the over 600 lbs patient group.    I think the producers had to use the film they had, on the few patients they could film before shut down, when elective surgeries were stopped.  

In fact, the production company got in trouble for filming by dropping off equipment for the poundticipants to use, and monitoring remotely.  Remember the woman in the midwest that was being filmed and ignored her partner/roommate collapsing?   Then, the ambulance showed up without her calling?   That was the production crew calling it in.    I wonder if we'll have WATNs about some of them, like Paul from Florida, who were doing well, but stopped by Covid restrictions? 

I agree with you. I would like to see some WATNs, wishing everyone the best of course but I wonder how many people are successful at keeping off large amounts of weight if they didn’t get the surgery initially.

[newyawk]

I am watching Ashley B's episode now, and one of the first scenes they show after she returns from Now's office is her friend bringing her a "healthy meal," which is sushi. With corn on the cob. It struck me that Dr. Now has to do more than just shove a book and a program at people and send them on their way. A lot of these people aren't that bright, are very willful, resentful, and won't bother to read what he gives them. And a lot of them, like Ashley, are pretty uneducated as far as what healthy food is. He really needs to throw specifics at them while they are in the office so they know in no uncertain terms what they shouldn't be eating beyond the obvious chips, fast food, baked goods and candy.

He should be telling them something like, "You cannot have rice, you cannot have pasta or corn. All those are starches that turn to sugar, which you also can't have. You cannot use sauces and dips. Zero calorie products, like the spray butter, have a lot more fat and tons more calories than you think if you don't follow their exact serving size (which is usually pretty small). It will stop your weight loss and make you gain. You should be making all your meals at home from only the food I recommend in this book." A lot of these people really need it spelled out, very slowly, letter by letter, to their faces.

[Elizzikra]

4 hours ago, newyawk said:

I am watching Ashley B's episode now, and one of the first scenes they show after she returns from Now's office is her friend bringing her a "healthy meal," which is sushi. With corn on the cob. It struck me that Dr. Now has to do more than just shove a book and a program at people and send them on their way. A lot of these people aren't that bright, are very willful, resentful, and won't bother to read what he gives them. And a lot of them, like Ashley, are pretty uneducated as far as what healthy food is. He really needs to throw specifics at them while they are in the office so they know in no uncertain terms what they shouldn't be eating beyond the obvious chips, fast food, baked goods and candy.

He should be telling them something like, "You cannot have rice, you cannot have pasta or corn. All those are starches that turn to sugar, which you also can't have. You cannot use sauces and dips. Zero calorie products, like the spray butter, have a lot more fat and tons more calories than you think if you don't follow their exact serving size (which is usually pretty small). It will stop your weight loss and make you gain. You should be making all your meals at home from only the food I recommend in this book." A lot of these people really need it spelled out, very slowly, letter by letter, to their faces.

I don't disagree with the guidance but that's really the role of a registered dietician. I don't understand why he doesn't have one that works with all of his patients. We have only seen them in a very few episodes.

[newyawk]

I thought about the dietician today, but then I thought, a lot of these people need to hear a few basics straight from the horse's mouth..Now himself. Before he sends them home for the first time, there should be a "And this means no this, no that, none of this.." The dietician can go more indepth later. Some people need to hear it flat out.

But that is a good point. He should have a dietician speak to them from the get-go, as part of their initial visit at least, to go into all the weeds of things.

Edited August 4, 2023 by newyawk

[Scarlett45]

12 hours ago, newyawk said:

I am watching Ashley B's episode now, and one of the first scenes they show after she returns from Now's office is her friend bringing her a "healthy meal," which is sushi. With corn on the cob. It struck me that Dr. Now has to do more than just shove a book and a program at people and send them on their way. A lot of these people aren't that bright, are very willful, resentful, and won't bother to read what he gives them. And a lot of them, like Ashley, are pretty uneducated as far as what healthy food is. He really needs to throw specifics at them while they are in the office so they know in no uncertain terms what they shouldn't be eating beyond the obvious chips, fast food, baked goods and candy.

He should be telling them something like, "You cannot have rice, you cannot have pasta or corn. All those are starches that turn to sugar, which you also can't have. You cannot use sauces and dips. Zero calorie products, like the spray butter, have a lot more fat and tons more calories than you think if you don't follow their exact serving size (which is usually pretty small). It will stop your weight loss and make you gain. You should be making all your meals at home from only the food I recommend in this book." A lot of these people really need it spelled out, very slowly, letter by letter, to their faces.

 

7 hours ago, Elizzikra said:

I don't disagree with the guidance but that's really the role of a registered dietician. I don't understand why he doesn't have one that works with all of his patients. We have only seen them in a very few episodes.

 

9 minutes ago, newyawk said:

I thought about the dietician today, but then I thought, a lot of these people need to hear a few basics straight from the horse's mouth..Now himself. Before he sends them home for the first time, there should be a "And this means no this, no that, none of this.." The dietician can go more indepth later. Some people need to hear it flat out.

But that is a good point. He should have a dietician speak to them from the get-go, as part of their initial visit at least, to go into all the weeds of things.

I’ve seen Dr Now do this though, his standard is “1200 calorie diet, no carbs, no snacking between meals”

Many people ask if they can have fruit, and he tells them “no fruit, you may have green vegetables”. 

[cynicat]

19 hours ago, newyawk said:

It struck me that Dr. Now has to do more than just shove a book and a program at people and send them on their way

FWIW, we see a heavily edited show, so we really don't know what happens behind the scenes.  There may be more guidance but it's probably boring to watch.

[CrazyInAlabama]

There is a lot more than is shown about the process the patients go through.   After the first appointment with the diet book and the explanation of the process, there is a psychological evaluation to make sure the patient is mentally stable enough to consent, dietician and nutrition consultations, lots of medical tests.    There are also support groups the patients can attend after surgery, and this is common in the WLS practices I've heard about.    The patients don't just meet Dr. Now, get a diet book, and walk out the door, they have to stay for evaluations lasting for days.    

Edited August 7, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[newyawk]

I'm kind of surprised that in all the episodes I've shown, I haven't seen one shout out or recommendation to My Fitness Pal or other food logging/tracking app. It is a key part of how I have lost weight. 

[Elizzikra]

3 hours ago, newyawk said:

I'm kind of surprised that in all the episodes I've shown, I haven't seen one shout out or recommendation to My Fitness Pal or other food logging/tracking app. It is a key part of how I have lost weight. 

That's a good point. I'm assuming his book has some sort of food tracking table but the apps definitely are easier for most people. I also have been surprised that more people don't weigh and measure their food. Even the ones who seem to get it as far as what they should be eating seem to take a long time to understand portion size.

[mmecorday]

Quote

Many people ask if they can have fruit, and he tells them “no fruit, you may have green vegetables”. 

And then there was that one poundparticipant (I can't remember her name) who claimed she was a picky eater and didn't like vegetables. Dr. Now shot back, "You didn't get to over 600 pounds by being a picky eater." I love it when Dr. Now comes to slay. 

[newyawk]

Randomly, why is it when they show someone on the show making scrambled eggs, the eggs are completely disgusting looking, wet and gloppy? It's so gross.

[Elizzikra]

13 hours ago, newyawk said:

Randomly, why is it when they show someone on the show making scrambled eggs, the eggs are completely disgusting looking, wet and gloppy? It's so gross.

Cooked in bacon grease with a ton of cheese?

[newyawk]

7 hours ago, Elizzikra said:

Cooked in bacon grease with a ton of cheese?

Very possibly. The near liquidity/squishiness/shinyness of it is totally nauseating.

[sagittarius sue]

8 hours ago, Elizzikra said:

Cooked in bacon grease with a ton of cheese?

I'll never forget one poundticipant who fried her bacon with butter!

[newyawk]

Check this out, LOL

 

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I've watched a few reruns on DIscovery Life this afternoon, and it always strikes me how two-faced the enablers are.  They claim that the poundticipant should lose weight immediately, but yet they make platters of greasy, sugary food for them.  Go shopping to get them more greasy, sugary empty calories, and then repeat this several times a day. 

Holly's mother is one of them, along with her boyfriend Ray bringing her bags of fast food several times a day.   The other enablers are just as bad. 

Edited August 27, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[newyawk]

Well, they tell Dr. Now flat out, that they know they shouldn't be feeding their incapacitated, hugely obese loved ones such crap, but if they don't, the patient becomes such a raging bitch pain in the ass, that to them getting them the junk food is simply the easiest way to ensure peace.

What strikes me is how many of these patients have been not just raped, but gangraped in their past.

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The number of poundticipants who have been raped is horrific.    Sadly, it's very common to have long term effects on the victim, and very common in patients with addiction issues.     I think the victim blaming, and shaming is really common too.   The number of parents who knew and ignored it, or blamed a little kid for their own assaults is so common.   I remember on here someone said that in their 12 step program in a womens only meeting, all but one had been sexually abused.    

My guess is that the last couple of shortened seasons with many never getting surgery is more typical of Dr. Now's 600 lb patients, and in previous seasons we were seeing people who at least claimed to be trying.    With pandemic rules, filming was halted for a long time, and the producers showed anyone they could film, so no surgeries.    

Edited September 4, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[mmecorday]

Quote

The number of poundticipants who have been raped is horrific.    Sadly, it's very common to have long term effects on the victim, and very common in patients with addiction issues. 

And I can see why going to food seems the solution for a coping with the trauma of rape. Eating triggers a calming effect. Eating more and more packs on the pounds. By becoming obese they're literally building a wall around them for protection.

[newyawk]

I've been going to earlier and earlier seasons to find episodes to watch that I haven't seen or don't remember, (when does the new season start?) and it is interesting how this show has evolved. A lot of patients in the earlier season weren't put through the "lose weight!" wringer as much before getting approved for surgery. Now approved Donald Shelton for WLS when Donald was still well over 650 pounds (I think he was in the 670's?) and there were a few others where they also got approval pretty quickly without the show depicting a whole segment of attempts to lose the preliminary weight. The show also used to be maybe an hour long, and it is much longer now, so I am wondering what adjustments were made in Now's clinic, if any, to account for the need for more material. Although, maybe the quicker approvals were based on personalities that weren't as unstable? Who knows. 

[ams1001]

Interesting video on denial, featuring our favorite very knowledged Schenee (of "Do you believe in God?" and "intelligement" fame). There's a brief update on her at the end...apparently she is down in the 400s, and has a new man and a baby...

 

[Scarlett45]

8 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Interesting video on denial, featuring our favorite very knowledged Schenee (of "Do you believe in God?" and "intelligement" fame). There's a brief update on her at the end...apparently she is down in the 400s, and has a new man and a baby...

 

I came to share this. May Freddie get some help for himself. I hope he’s happy. Who’s going to help her raise this baby?

[newyawk]

Oh Lawdie. No-account Schenee is going to try to raise a person. Womp-bomp-a-loo-bomp-a-womp-bam-NOPE.

[newyawk]

I wonder what will happen when Dr. Now decides he wants to retire. Could they bring in another doctor to take over his practice and the show? I am kind of hooked on this program.

[SunnyBeBe]

On 9/22/2023 at 12:00 AM, newyawk said:

I wonder what will happen when Dr. Now decides he wants to retire. Could they bring in another doctor to take over his practice and the show? I am kind of hooked on this program.

Isn’t Dr. Now’s son in practice with him?

Edited October 3, 2023 by SunnyBeBe

[CrazyInAlabama]

Dr. Now's son Jonathan is the executive producer and does a lot of shows for Discovery and TLC.   I think a daughter works in Dr. Now's practice, but isn't a doctor.  Then, Dr. Now's brother was on some episodes too, working in the office. 

Edited October 3, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[auntjess]

I thought I'd seen a new one listed, but don't find one.
It had a good run, but I'm over this show.

[sagittarius sue]

19 hours ago, auntjess said:

I thought I'd seen a new one listed, but don't find one.
It had a good run, but I'm over this show.

It was posted as a new topic, but it fit under Paul's episode so it was combined with that.

Edited October 10, 2023 by sagittarius sue

[Pi237]

New episode Lindsey story part two it was on at 7 o’clock. Weird. I missed it. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

They've been splitting two hour episodes into two one-hour episodes, called Part 1 and Part 2, but it's still just a sneaky way of changing a rerun into a 'new' episode.     

[Pi237]

Very sneaky. Thanks for the heads up!

[babyhouseman]

Show will be back March 6. 

[ChristmasJones]

I saw JT's episode tonight - was it a new one or a rerun? I don't remember him - he was almost 900 lbs.

[cynicat]

7 hours ago, ChristmasJones said:

I saw JT's episode tonight - was it a new one or a rerun? I don't remember him - he was almost 900 lbs.

 

[SunnyBeBe]

Is Bianca’s story new or old?  

[CrazyInAlabama]

It's another rerun.   We aren't supposed to get new episodes until March. 

She's memorable for the huge meals Ramonte, the boyfriend, cooked for her.    She had previous weight loss surgery, and regressed.    Ramonte also had surgery, but he's her enabler, but is so critical of her when he's fixing those awful meals.    

Ramonte is being so mean to Bianca, with his snotty statements to her.         

She seemed very determined to succeed this time.  

Edited December 14, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[ProTourist]

Following-up on babyhouseman's post of December 5, this article from Variety of that same date notes the return of both "My 600-lb Life" and "Where Are They Now" in the new year:

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/tlc-2024-slate-90-day-fiance-600-lb-life-little-people-say-yes-to-the-dress-1235820881/

Quote

“My 600-lb Life” is back Wednesday, March 6, at 8 p.m. ET. The logline: “The series follows the journeys of morbidly obese people who turn to Dr. Younan Nowzaradan to perform high-risk gastric bypass surgery as a last-chance measure to save their lives. This season explores the emotional and physical battles of all-new patients including a paralyzed man desperate to find a way to stand, a bride-to-be fighting to finally walk down the aisle and a recovering drug addict whose life is now dominated by a new addiction: compulsive eating.”

Quote

“My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?” is back on Wednesday, April 24 at 8 p.m. ET. “Catch up with Dr. Nowzaradan’s patients from the past seasons to see how their weight-loss journeys are progressing months and even years later after their bariatric surgery. They share insights into how their life has changed and what their daily life looks like now.”

 

[Hellga]

Thanks for posting!  I will be back in March.  Looking forward to spending my Wednesday nights with my favorite crew! 

I will make sure to plan my Spring classes & volunteering around the show! :) 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wonder if they're running WATN the same nights as 600 lb.?  I'm betting not and the season will be very short again. 

If the original 600 lb only runs from 6 March and ends before WATN taking over on 24 April, that's another very short season. 

Both shows are scheduled for Wednesdays, at the same time, so I guess original is a short season.  

Edited December 29, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[BAForever]

Snoozed through the repeat of Janine. Need to check up on any updates. She was a mess.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The 2-hour episode on Erica from California will be on tonight on TLC from 7 to 9 pm central, I'm guessing it's the first episode about her.   This is the one where she demands her brother and family move to Houston to support her for at least a year, and he says no, because his family depends on his income from his boat business.   

This is the episode where  she reunites with Jimmy, her old high school classmate, on the WATN.   I think she was on three episodes. 

 

Note about the current season, the first two episodes are at the usual time on Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. Central, the Supersize of the episode is on the day after Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m.   They used to have the Supersize a week later, but now they're on consecutive days in the same week. 

Edited March 7 by CrazyInAlabama

[kassa]

It will be interesting to see how the GLP-1 drugs will affect these shows (and these doctors' practices).  In fact, a lot of these patients will have qualified for them based on diabetes alone. And given that they are now first line therapy for patients who start to regain after sleeve and bypass surgery, there should be fewer failures post surgery.

The big sticking point is insurance, which many/most participants seem to lack - the cost per month for Zepbound is ~1200/month so the population studied on these shows may be stuck with surgery.