Janelle Brown: Smarter Than Your Average Brown (Maybe)

[LilWharveyGal]

6 minutes ago, Phronsie said:

Lucky Janelle....She must be on the Kody Roster tonight.  

 

[Kbo]

1 hour ago, LilWharveyGal said:

 

I used that exact gif a few minutes ago while informing my husband that the cat puked on the carpet. Both are equally repulsive. 

[suomi]

2 hours ago, Phronsie said:

Lucky Janelle....She must be on the Kody Roster tonight.  

Phronsie - does your username come from The Five Little Peppers books?

[Phronsie]

8 minutes ago, suomi said:

Phronsie - does your username come from The Five Little Peppers books?

Yes it does Suomi!

Edited March 22, 2018 by Phronsie

[suomi]

7 minutes ago, Phronsie said:

Yes it does SUOMI!  

Oh, how cool! I loved those books when I read them during the '50s. IIRC, the little Peppers were Ben, Polly, Joel, Davy and Phronsie. Thanks for the memory smile.

[Phronsie]

10 minutes ago, suomi said:

Oh, how cool! I loved those books when I read them during the '50s. IIRC, the little Peppers were Ben, Polly, Joel, Davy and Phronsie. Thanks for the memory smile.

I didn’t think anyone would remember those books!  I read them in the early 60s....good memories indeed, Suomi!

[TurtlePower]

On 3/16/2018 at 2:24 PM, xwordfanatik said:

I remember co-op shops in the 70's.  Nowadays, it seems like farmer's markets are pretty common.  My small city has a couple of different ones from April thru October.  I live in orchard country, and local produce abounds.  

I agree that there are too many spuds in Janelle's haul, but it's an improvement over mock tapioca and tater tot casserole.  Or am I confusing Duggar vs Brown diets?

Here's a suggestion, Janelle.  Ditch the smoothies and juices.  Eat the whole orange, or carrots, or kale, or whatever it is.  More filling and more fiber, and more conducive to weight loss/management.

I disagree about the potatoes. They are a whole food and prepared properly, they can be healthy and not a detriment to weight loss/fitness for the average person. 

[DakotaJustice]

3 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

I disagree about the potatoes. They are a whole food and prepared properly, they can be healthy and not a detriment to weight loss/fitness for the average person. 

Nothing against potatoes, because at least in my opinion, Janelle's real issue is portion control. 

When she was working with Sean, he had her chat with a nutrition expert who gave her portion control advice which of course Janelle blew off. 

It doesn't matter how "healthy" or "organic" food is, if you eat too much of it, whether it be sprouted Ezeikel bread, skinless chicken breasts, or potatoes, don't expect your body fat to decrease.

[xwordfanatik]

3 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

I disagree about the potatoes. They are a whole food and prepared properly, they can be healthy and not a detriment to weight loss/fitness for the average person. 

True, but does Janelle forgo butter, sour cream, etc.?  My mom used to say that potatoes aren't fattening, but what one puts on them, is what ups the calories.  My SIL used to make yummy mashed taters with cream cheese, but only once a year on Thanksgiving.  

I give her points for the other stuff.

[DakotaJustice]

On 3/17/2018 at 10:45 AM, JocelynCavanaugh said:

I kind of feel bad for Janelle here because even when she bows to the orthorexic-by-proxy internet mob and buys fresh produce from a co-op, she still gets criticized. It's not fresh enough, it's not the right kind of produce, she'll probably do something stupid with it, etc. Why even try? She'll never live up to the standards of nutritional perfection set by people with wifi and a keyboard.

I don't think I was criticizing Janelle as much as the quality (appearance wise) of what she was given.  

There are quite a few farmers and farmer coops in my area that do the subscription box (CSA Box) thing. If the produce doesn't look appealing/appetizing from one supplier, then customers will go to a different supplier. 

[DakotaJustice]

On 3/17/2018 at 10:35 AM, Galloway Cave said:

Fixed it.

Haha! Thank you!! 

I really admire this particular farmer. If you look thru his IG his produce is so amazingly appealing, that pic I shared - that box makes me want to put on my apron and start cooking, love that he adds sunflowers as well ❤️?

[Sandy W]

6 minutes ago, DakotaJustice said:

I don't think I was criticizing Janelle as much as the quality (appearance wise) of what she was given.  

There are quite a few farmers and farmer coops in my area that do the subscription box (CSA Box) thing. If the produce doesn't look appealing/appetizing from one supplier, then customers will go to a different supplier. 

These co-op subscription boxes are new to me, I remember eons ago there were "freezer plans", where one would subscribe specifying meat ratios, ie. 50% beef/20%pork/30%chicken and the same specifics for vegetables.  I have never subscribed to one as I actually enjoy hauling myself to the supermarket and basing my choices on the freshest, most appealing, best priced selection on any given day.  I can see the advantage for persons that may have difficulty in the form of physical restrictions availing themselves of this type of service, but Janelle would no doubt benefit from getting up from the sofa, getting in her car and trudging the supermarket aisles.

[Gothish520]

46 minutes ago, xwordfanatik said:

True, but does Janelle forgo butter, sour cream, etc.?  My mom used to say that potatoes aren't fattening, but what one puts on them, is what ups the calories.  My SIL used to make yummy mashed taters with cream cheese, but only once a year on Thanksgiving.  

I give her points for the other stuff.

True about the toppings. One time back in the day when I was watching my weight and used to make baked potatoes a lot, I would top them with cottage cheese or salsa - delicious!

[xwordfanatik]

3 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

True about the toppings. One time back in the day when I was watching my weight and used to make baked potatoes a lot, I would top them with cottage cheese or salsa - delicious!

Salsa is wonderful in many of my household's favorite recipes.  So much taste, and very few calories.

Since Janelle seems to enjoy tomatoes, maybe she even makes her own salsa (I do when I can find mild chili peppers.)  Very easy and good.

[DakotaJustice]

4 hours ago, Sandy W said:

These co-op subscription boxes are new to me, I remember eons ago there were "freezer plans", where one would subscribe specifying meat ratios, ie. 50% beef/20%pork/30%chicken and the same specifics for vegetables.  I have never subscribed to one as I actually enjoy hauling myself to the supermarket and basing my choices on the freshest, most appealing, best priced selection on any given day.  I can see the advantage for persons that may have difficulty in the form of physical restrictions availing themselves of this type of service, but Janelle would no doubt benefit from getting up from the sofa, getting in her car and trudging the supermarket aisles.

I enjoy shopping myself but a lot of people these days just don't have time for that and also want to support local agriculture.

[Higgins]

On ‎3‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 2:10 PM, JocelynCavanaugh said:

That goes without saying for everyone on every thread. But this post seems like exactly the kind of thing everyone's been saying she should do: fresh vegetables and fruit! I could not have imagined the criticisms it inspired, and I bet she couldn't either. The hyper-specific and intense scrutiny around how people eat (not just here, but all over the internet) is so bizarre to me. It's like religious extremism. People nitpick food choices and often devolve into oddly personal fantasies about what they would feed those children or how they would plan that person's meals, and throw in anecdotes about their own perfect choices. And for some reason they all use the term "veggies" instead of vegetables. It's a tell, like how you can pick out a Scientologist if you know the vocabulary to listen for.

I agree, Janelle, really shouldn't bother, because this is how it's always going to go. I just feel bad for her because she probably didn't expect this post to be chalked up as another food fail.

There is a superiority about it for sure. Get off your high horse.

On ‎3‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 10:46 AM, xwordfanatik said:

True, but does Janelle forgo butter, sour cream, etc.?  My mom used to say that potatoes aren't fattening, but what one puts on them, is what ups the calories.  My SIL used to make yummy mashed taters with cream cheese, but only once a year on Thanksgiving.  

I give her points for the other stuff.

Well, she was wrong. It is the potato not the dietary fat.

[TurtlePower]

6 minutes ago, Higgins said:

There is a superiority about it for sure. Get off your high horse.

Well, she was wrong. It is the potato not the dietary fat.

How so? In calorie restriction, it does not matter. I ate plain baked potatoes when I was anorexic and at 9% body fat. I can assure people that, plain and in calorie deficit, they are not fattening. I was living (but dying from kidney failure) proof. I also sometimes had plain rice, another thing people say is terrible (meanwhile, millions of people in Asian countries eat it every day and aren't fat). 

Sorry, back to Janelle. I'm fairly certain she will ruin them with cream or butter. 

[Kohola3]

25 minutes ago, Higgins said:

It is the potato not the dietary fat.

Incorrect.

Potatoes contain a large number of essential vitamins and dietary fiber.  Any food can cause weight gain if not eaten along with a balanced diet. But most people tend to pile on toppings when the potato is baked which increases the calorie count. In addition, these toppings are almost always high in fat.

We are not privy to Janelle's recipes although we have seen some of the, um, interesting dishes served in the past.  Hopefully she is eating them plain but we really don't know.

[ginger90]

If you go to the Strive with Janelle Facebook page and read her post dated March 23, it is a perfect example of what makes me cringe at the thought of her being a coach.  I can’t copy it from the page.

[DakotaJustice]

3 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

How so? In calorie restriction, it does not matter. I ate plain baked potatoes when I was anorexic and at 9% body fat. I can assure people that, plain and in calorie deficit, they are not fattening. I was living (but dying from kidney failure) proof. I also sometimes had plain rice, another thing people say is terrible (meanwhile, millions of people in Asian countries eat it every day and aren't fat). 

Sorry, back to Janelle. I'm fairly certain she will ruin them with cream or butter. 

For most people, eating too many calories of ANYTHING, be it chocolate or plain potatoes or skinless chicken or eggwhites or cake, will lead to weight gain. 

Portion control is at the root of Janelle's weight gain. Or lack thereof. 

Been there done that. 

[lookeyloo]

I wonder if Janelle keeps an accurate food diary, with scale and ruler. I did this in the way back and it makes one realize what a portion really is.  But you need the scale and ruler, no eyeballing.  Okay, I will answer my own question.  No, Janelle doesn't do this.

[lettsjetts]

Janelle needs to find another trainer like Sean.  A few seasons ago she was losing weight, trying new things and gaining confidence thanks to him.   Janelle needs a professional to push and hold her accountable.      

[Gothish520]

6 hours ago, DakotaJustice said:

For most people, eating too many calories of ANYTHING, be it chocolate or plain potatoes or skinless chicken or eggwhites or cake, will lead to weight gain. 

Portion control is at the root of Janelle's weight gain. Or lack thereof. 

Been there done that. 

Exactly. One of the times when I lost a decent amount of weight (20+ pounds), I ate a McDonald's filet of fish and a small fry nearly every day for lunch. That was instead of my usual filet of fish, large fry, apple pie, and milkshake! 

There's nothing wrong with having a baked potato with a little butter or sour cream, or even better, the cottage cheese or salsa that I mentioned before. It's everything else that is eaten with it (and throughout the day) that can become the problem.

[Celia Rubenstein]

Was Janelle one of the wives that was shown drinking on the show that time? Because I've sometimes wondered if that is maybe part of the reason she can't seem to lose weight. 

Those three or four hundred calories in a couple of glasses of wine can wreck a diet that would otherwise result in weight loss.

[Pickleinthemiddle]

6 minutes ago, Celia Rubenstein said:

Was Janelle one of the wives that was shown drinking on the show that time? Because I've sometimes wondered if that is maybe part of the reason she can't seem to lose weight. 

Those three or four hundred calories in a couple of glasses of wine can wreck a diet that would otherwise result in weight loss.

I'm in the process of going through menopause and it has been almost impossible for me to lose the weight I put on.    Possibly she and Meri are both going through it and the reason why there has not been much weight loss.  

[Yeah No]

On 3/26/2018 at 5:31 PM, Pickleinthemiddle said:

I'm in the process of going through menopause and it has been almost impossible for me to lose the weight I put on.    Possibly she and Meri are both going through it and the reason why there has not been much weight loss.  

I had the same experience and I've wondered that about Janelle as well.  I've also wondered if she doesn't have some kind of undiagnosed medical condition.  I recently found out I have an enlarged thyroid with a nodule, not that this in and of itself is a cause of weight gain, but my mother had Hashimoto's disease, and that is.  I have a follow up scheduled with the doctor who will look into this further.  My weight issue, which didn't begin until perimenopause.  Before that I was thin with no weight issues whatsoever.  So many women over "a certain age" are just about as overweight as I am with tires around their middles that I can't believe the problem is that we're all suddenly not eating or exercising right.  Many women have a lot of difficulty losing weight after a certain age so maintaining a healthy weight becomes like the holy grail.  Now several years post menopause I can lose weight but it's excruciatingly difficult to accomplish it in that I have to go under 1000 calories a day to do it with exercise, and then maintaining the loss is all the harder.   Diets of any kind don't work anymore.  The only thing that works is near starvation!

I think some women gain weight after having children.  They say they never lose the "baby weight", and someone like Janelle who has had a lot of children may have never recovered from that completely.  I've read that it could have caused low thyroid function.  I often wonder what my body would have looked like if I'd have had children.  My suspicion is that I would have started to have a weight issue much earlier, like Janelle did, and a thyroid issue much earlier too.

[Soup333]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I had the same experience and I've wondered that about Janelle as well.  I've also wondered if she doesn't have some kind of undiagnosed medical condition.  I recently found out I have an enlarged thyroid with a nodule, not that this in and of itself is a cause of weight gain, but my mother had Hashimoto's disease, and that is.  I have a follow up scheduled with the doctor who will look into this further.  My weight issue, which didn't begin until perimenopause.  Before that I was thin with no weight issues whatsoever.  So many women over "a certain age" are just about as overweight as I am with tires around their middles that I can't believe the problem is that we're all suddenly not eating or exercising right.  Many women have a lot of difficulty losing weight after a certain age so maintaining a healthy weight becomes like the holy grail.  Now several years post menopause I can lose weight but it's excruciatingly difficult to accomplish it in that I have to go under 1000 calories a day to do it with exercise, and then maintaining the loss is all the harder.   Diets of any kind don't work anymore.  The only thing that works is near starvation!

I think some women gain weight after having children.  They say they never lose the "baby weight", and someone like Janelle who has had a lot of children may have never recovered from that completely.  I've read that it could have caused low thyroid function.  I often wonder what my body would have looked like if I'd have had children.  My suspicion is that I would have started to have a weight issue much earlier, like Janelle did, and a thyroid issue much earlier too.

Add to that the stress of the marriage, dealing with Meri and whatever she did to cope with the PPD back in the day. She may have always been an emotional eater and relied on calories to supply what she wasn’t/isn’t getting out of this marriage to Kody and to deal with family tension. 

[Pickleinthemiddle]

On 3/28/2018 at 2:45 AM, Yeah No said:

I have to go under 1000 calories a day to do it with exercise, and then maintaining the loss is all the harder.   Diets of any kind don't work anymore.  The only thing that works is near starvation!

I am the same.  Can't go much over 1,200 calories and I walk at least 45-55 miles a week.  The weight starts coming off, but I am constantly hungry.

[ginger90]

Coach? I don’t feel motivated, but she’s presumably getting paid......

 

[Natalie68]

On 3/26/2018 at 4:47 AM, Kohola3 said:

Incorrect.

Potatoes contain a large number of essential vitamins and dietary fiber.  Any food can cause weight gain if not eaten along with a balanced diet. But most people tend to pile on toppings when the potato is baked which increases the calorie count. In addition, these toppings are almost always high in fat.

We are not privy to Janelle's recipes although we have seen some of the, um, interesting dishes served in the past.  Hopefully she is eating them plain but we really don't know.

I think eating anything in moderation that is in its natural form (potatoes, fruit, etc) is fine.  It is what the person preparing does to it that can change that.  I applaud her for eating something that grows out of the ground.  

On 3/26/2018 at 2:10 PM, lettsjetts said:

Janelle needs to find another trainer like Sean.  A few seasons ago she was losing weight, trying new things and gaining confidence thanks to him.   Janelle needs a professional to push and hold her accountable.      

I was just thinking she needs someone a bit more strict.  Maybe not Jillian strict but a bit less into the spotlight and who pushes he a bit harder.

[Gothish520]

4 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Coach? I don’t feel motivated, but she’s presumably getting paid......

 

She's doing more than I am at this point in time, so I'm not going to criticize, lol!

[Natalie68]

On 3/26/2018 at 2:20 PM, Gothish520 said:

Exactly. One of the times when I lost a decent amount of weight (20+ pounds), I ate a McDonald's filet of fish and a small fry nearly every day for lunch. That was instead of my usual filet of fish, large fry, apple pie, and milkshake! 

There's nothing wrong with having a baked potato with a little butter or sour cream, or even better, the cottage cheese or salsa that I mentioned before. It's everything else that is eaten with it (and throughout the day) that can become the problem.

When I did WW and lost a ton of weight I measured everything because I wanted to be able to eat everything.  Counting out chips, measuring ice cream, etc.  And I ate a ton of fresh stuff.  I figured if I was eating this way forever, I was getting fun food occasionally.  I had dessert every night and lost about 80lbs.  I had to be accountable and not make excuses (and I rewarded myself with books and music rather than a sinful snack when I reached goals).  I have a feeling she has quite a difficult time doing that.  Until she is committed she will always be large.  Maybe if she were told be as committed to your lifestyle change as you are towards say Kody it might work.  

[xwordfanatik]

2 hours ago, Natalie68 said:

When I did WW and lost a ton of weight I measured everything because I wanted to be able to eat everything.  Counting out chips, measuring ice cream, etc.  And I ate a ton of fresh stuff.  I figured if I was eating this way forever, I was getting fun food occasionally.  I had dessert every night and lost about 80lbs.  I had to be accountable and not make excuses (and I rewarded myself with books and music rather than a sinful snack when I reached goals).  I have a feeling she has quite a difficult time doing that.  Until she is committed she will always be large.  Maybe if she were told be as committed to your lifestyle change as you are towards say Kody it might work.  

I lost a lot 5 years ago with WW, too.  It took me almost 60 years to commit to a real lifestyle change, but I'm very happy that I did.

Dear Janelle:  I know you don't like to hear a therapist tell you that polygamy is your problem, but think about it!  If I had to put up with the likes of sister wives and a douchebag for a husband, I would never have been able to lose 80+ pounds.  Hint:  it gets no easier, the older one gets.

[Aethera]

Guys, please take discussion of your own weight loss successes or failures to the Small Talk thread. This thread is to meant for discussion of Janelle. 

Also, stop demanding receipts from each other. This is not a debate competition.

[ginger90]

This looks more appealing than her smoothies

 

 

[Sandy W]

15 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

This looks more appealing than her smoothies

 

 

That really looks good and healthy.  I wonder if Janelle is cooking for herself individually, I think Maddie and Caleb have their own place now, but she still has Savanah, Gabe and I think her mother at home.  That doesn't look like enough to feed 4 people, maybe she supplements the veggie dish for the others with some protein.

[Absolom]

This one finally looks like she put some effort into presentation.  Go Janelle!

[ginger90]

[lookeyloo]

She is intimidated by almost everything!

[xwordfanatik]

26 minutes ago, lookeyloo said:

She is intimidated by almost everything!

But most of all, her dear (!) sister-wife Meri.

[Sandy W]

19 minutes ago, xwordfanatik said:

But most of all, her dear (!) sister-wife Meri.

I think Janelle spent many years brow beaten and intimidated by Meri but it seem the last few episodes of the season, Janelle found her voice.  It seems now that Meri has been openly rejected by Kody, Janelle and Christine finally are standing up for themselves.

[ginger90]

Hopefully the trash bill has been paid.....

 

[TurtlePower]

On 4/18/2018 at 5:03 PM, ginger90 said:

Today's lesson on Strive with Janelle: How not to be intimidated by alfalfa sprouts. Because, you know, the little buggers could be building a militia in there. 

[the-grey-lady]

On 4/21/2018 at 3:17 PM, ginger90 said:

Hopefully the trash bill has been paid.....

 

Am I missing something here? 2700 people "like" a picture of two trash bags? Maybe I should start schilling pictures of the clumps of hair in my shower drain and see if I can match Janelle's popularity.

[ginger90]

32 minutes ago, the-grey-lady said:

Am I missing something here? 2700 people "like" a picture of two trash bags? Maybe I should start schilling pictures of the clumps of hair in my shower drain and see if I can match Janelle's popularity.

Makes me wonder who these “people” are.

[toodles]

3 hours ago, the-grey-lady said:

Am I missing something here? 2700 people "like" a picture of two trash bags? Maybe I should start schilling pictures of the clumps of hair in my shower drain and see if I can match Janelle's popularity.

Janelle seems to be making progress.  Her trash bags did not intimidate her.  Maybe she had to wrestle them to the ground, but she was not intimidated.

[Sandy W]

8 minutes ago, toodles said:

Janelle seems to be making progress.  Her trash bags did not intimidate her.  Maybe she had to wrestle them to the ground, but she was not intimidated.

Now all she has to do is Strive to get them to the curb on collection day.

[toodles]

36 minutes ago, Sandy W said:

Now all she has to do is Strive to get them to the curb on collection day.

That's the intimidating part.  You never know what trash bags will do.

[riverblue22]

Maybe she will get to cleaning off her bathroom counters~

[toodles]

10 hours ago, riverblue22 said:

Maybe she will get to cleaning off her bathroom counters~

Whoa!!!  One step at a time.