S03.E01: I Wanna Be Fat

[notyrmomma]

Whitney is ecstatic for her first dance-a-thon, but her mood turns dismal when she begins to realize her 370-pound body is not as healthy as she thought it was; Whitney has mixed emotions about the reveal of Buddy's new girlfriend.

[Brooklynista]

I was out after watching Whitney spin those damn eggs around. How does she not know how to make scrambled eggs?  She's even more spoiled than I thought or this was a ridiculous story fodder. Either way it was stupid.

 

And how many people was she planning on feeding? It looked like she used the entire carton of eggs.

[greekmom]

Let the snark begin!!

 

Buddy’s attention is on his new girlfriend and not on Whit. Oh boy look at Whit being jealous that the attention isn’t on her.

Babs was a gorgeous gal back in the day. She looked like a skinny mini version of Whit. Which makes me sad cause of what Whit could look like.

She’s sharpened her focus on her health? Who is she freaking kidding?? And no you cannot be that obese and be fit. Sorry.  Yes, she likes being fat, because Whit is an attention seeking ho.

Buddy hit the nail on the head. Her identity is to be fat. She does not want to lose the weight.

Doesn’t the fact that she fainted and she can’t do this stupid dance-a-thon mean that she is not only unfit but very sick?  I’m surprised the paramedics were able to move her.

Whit is a lost cause. Pass her the tub of ice cream and the cookies.  She’ll be knocking on Dr. Now’s door one day.

 

 

[Barb23]

Really Whit - you had to share your peeing accident with us????  Definitely TMI.  I felt sorry for Buddy, it looked like he was caught off guard & didn't know what to say.  

Can't wait to see what the ER docs tell her.  I'm sure it will be the usual she was dehydrated, she overworked her body, etc.  Hope they emphasize her weight is the cause for most, if not all, her problems.  I wonder how many paramedics it took to move her.  I know this is mean but I was expecting her  to bounce right back up like a ball when she fell. 

Finally Whitney, please keep with solid dark colored leggings. Patterns aren't for you. 

[fountain]

For some reason and I am not sure why I like Whitney.

I am concerned that she always has to do these crazy workout things like the dance-a-thon instead of just working out a regular amount everyday. 

It is nice to see buddy and the family discussing that being healthy and fat cannot be true at all weights and I do agree.  Healthy maybe at 250 (probably closer to 200) but for sure not at 350.

I have an overweight friend not as big as Whit and she is always saying her health numbers are fine and she wished the doctor told her that she needed to lose weight as that would be motivation.  I just don't say anything as in my friend's case also I think she likes part of being overweight as her boyfriend likes large girls.  

[absolutelyido]

43 minutes ago, greekmom said:

She’s sharpened her focus on her health? Who is she freaking kidding?? And no you cannot be that obese and be fit. Sorry.  Yes, she likes being fat, because Whit is an attention seeking ho.

Whitney said she was proud of herself because she has avoided developing diabetes (so far). But she's overlooking how her weight is destroying the rest of her body. The fact that she thought she could do a 4 hour dance-a-thon, but after an hour and a half she was throwing up and passing out shows how far off her perception of her health is from the reality of it. You would think that would be a wake up call to her, but from her talking heads it didn't appear so. When Whitney was describing how she felt at the dance-a-thon she was talking like it was such a mystery why she got so exhausted so quickly. I'd be willing to be that she attributes her collapse to getting dehydrated, or she had been doing too much to get ready for the event; some reason completely unrelated to her weight.

I don't know her name, but the one female friend of Whitney who does the talking heads said that Whitney complains of back pain as well as knee and leg pain. Of course, Whitney never admits that when she talks about how fit she seems to think she is. If she is having these pain issues at 32, how does she think she's going to feel at 52?

Is it just my inaccurate memory, or does it look like Buddy has lost a bit of weight since last season?

[ClareWalks]

She was stirring at least 10 eggs there (BREAK THE YOLKS, dingbat!) and she said they were "my eggs." If she is eating ten eggs for breakfast, yeah, she would probably avoid prediabetes, but she wouldn't lose one ounce of weight. It seems to me that she has zero clue about nutrition. If she wants to figure out how to be healthy without focusing on weight loss, her first step should be to visit a nutritionist and get a plan for eating to fuel her body. I've had training clients who were overweight but didn't want to focus on weight loss, this is pretty common in recovering anorexics because if they try to lose weight, they take it too far. Any professional trainer or nutritionist will understand this and help Whitney formulate a plan. As it stands, we have seen Whitney eat tubs of ice cream, 10 eggs at once, and banana-mayo sandwiches, so...yeah.

Not done watching the ep yet but I did love Babs's sext. I paused it and it was basically a bunch of talk about how Glenn should pick up a LONG loaf of bread on the way home. Loved that Glenn thought it was literally a grocery list, LOL

[RCharter]

38 minutes ago, fountain said:

For some reason and I am not sure why I like Whitney.

I am concerned that she always has to do these crazy workout things like the dance-a-thon instead of just working out a regular amount everyday. 

It is nice to see buddy and the family discussing that being healthy and fat cannot be true at all weights and I do agree.  Healthy maybe at 250 (probably closer to 200) but for sure not at 350.

I have an overweight friend not as big as Whit and she is always saying her health numbers are fine and she wished the doctor told her that she needed to lose weight as that would be motivation.  I just don't say anything as in my friend's case also I think she likes part of being overweight as her boyfriend likes large girls.  

wait, so your friends doctor doesn't tell her to lose weight?  Thats amazing, I've always heard from overweight/obese people (on these boards and other places) that doctors are always telling them to lose weight.  I thought it was one of the reason some overweight/obese people avoid going to the doctor at all.  They don't want to be guilted by the doctor giving them a long list of health hazards that come with the additional weight.

However, I think motivation has to come from within.  If you really wish to lose weight than I think you'll take those steps (whether you're successful or not is another matter).  But I think people are ready when they are ready.

[VioletNevermind]

Much to the frustration of my family, I enjoy watching shows that I hate only to snark on them mercilessly (hence the reason I love this site), but I think ol' Whit just may have turned me off enough to stop watching this one.  First, let me just say that I have struggled with weight issues and depression for several years now, so I'm no stranger to the constant barrage of excuses that one can come up with to eat what one wants.  I was dismayed to hear Whitney say that she enjoyed being fat (girl, no you don’t) and felt that her role in life was to be fat and spread a healthy body image message to the world.  I've come up with some pretty fanciful excuses to stray from my diet over the years, but that one takes the cake (totally unintentional pun).  So, in the space of a few months, Whitney goes from hardcore weight loss enthusiast/exerciser/dieter to basically giving up and resigning herself to being overweight for the betterment of society?  I would love to be wrong, because as annoying as this girl is, there is something about her that I can't help but like, but that's sure what it sounded like to me.  I hate to say this, but Whitney fainting (crumbling slowly to the floor, actually) felt awfully staged and if it wasn’t, I find it very curious that no one thought to give her water before she was an hour into the event.  It’s ridiculous for her to think that she was ready to compete in a four-hour, non-stop danceathon in her condition.  Also, I could have done without listening to her vomit in the bathroom.

I’m still waiting for one of her friends to be down-and-dirty honest with her and tell her that she is not going to lose weight until she makes the conscious decision to get serious and make the tough choices/changes.  It truly won’t happen until then.  She’s surrounded by sycophants and enablers.  I’m sure they really love her, but they aren’t treating her in a very loving way by continuing to delude and indulge her.

Oh, and teaching Babs to sext?  Goddamn you, TLC, I try and I try to quit you, but I just can’t seem to do it.

Edited June 9, 2016 by SuzyLee

[RCharter]

37 minutes ago, absolutelyido said:

Whitney said she was proud of herself because she has avoided developing diabetes (so far). But she's overlooking how her weight is destroying the rest of her body. The fact that she thought she could do a 4 hour dance-a-thon, but after an hour and a half she was throwing up and passing out shows how far off her perception of her health is from the reality of it. You would think that would be a wake up call to her, but from her talking heads it didn't appear so. When Whitney was describing how she felt at the dance-a-thon she was talking like it was such a mystery why she got so exhausted so quickly. I'd be willing to be that she attributes her collapse to getting dehydrated, or she had been doing too much to get ready for the event; some reason completely unrelated to her weight.

I don't know her name, but the one female friend of Whitney who does the talking heads said that Whitney complains of back pain as well as knee and leg pain. Of course, Whitney never admits that when she talks about how fit she seems to think she is. If she is having these pain issues at 32, how does she think she's going to feel at 52?

Is it just my inaccurate memory, or does it look like Buddy has lost a bit of weight since last season?

Real talk...I cannot imagine the pain Whitney must be in.  I'm nowhere near her size, and I gained about 20 pounds studying for the bar exam.  I started getting knee/leg/hip pain when I was running because I was carrying the additional weight and it made it hard to work out.  I was reading up on it, and I think when you run you put like 2x your weight on your knees or something along those lines.  Even walking must be painful for her...and like you said, its not going to get any better.

[RCharter]

2 minutes ago, SuzyLee said:

Much to the frustration of my family, I enjoy watching shows that I hate only to snark on them mercilessly (hence the reason I love this site), but I think ol' Whit just may have turned me off enough to stop watching this one.  First, let me just say that I have struggled with weight issues and depression for several years now, so I'm no stranger to the constant barrage of excuses that one can come up with to eat what one wants.  I was dismayed to hear Whitney say that she enjoyed being fat (girl, no you don’t) and felt that her role in life was to be fat and spread a healthy body image message to the world.  I've come up with some pretty fanciful excuses to stray from my diet over the years, but that one takes the cake (totally unintentional pun).  So, in the space of a few months, Whitney goes from hardcore weight loss enthusiast/exerciser/dieter to basically giving up and resigning herself to being overweight for the betterment of society?  I would love to be wrong, because as annoying as this girl is, there something about her that I can't help but like, but that's sure what it sounded like to me.  I hate to say this, but Whitney fainting (crumbling slowly to the floor, actually) felt awfully staged and if it wasn’t, I find it very curious that no one thought to give her water before she was an hour into the event.  It’s ridiculous for her to think that she was ready to compete in a four-hour, non-stop danceathon in her condition.  Also, I could have done without listening to her vomit in the bathroom.

I’m still waiting for one of her friends to be down-and-dirty honest with her and tell her that she is not going to lose weight until she makes the conscious decision to get serious and make the tough choices/changes.  It truly won’t happen until then.  She’s surrounded by sycophants and enablers.  I’m sure they really love her, but they aren’t treating her in a very loving way by continuing to delude and indulge her.

Oh, and teaching Babs to sext?  Goddamn you, TLC, I try and I try to quit you, but I just can’t seem to do it.

Whitney enjoys attention.  Whitney does not enjoy being fat, and if you gave her a magic wand and told her she could be 200 pounds tomorrow, she would do it.  As you say, its a fanciful excuse.  She would just find another way to be the center of attention no matter what.  If she really loved being fat, I don't think she would have spent so much time talking about the reasons why she is fat, she would just revel in the true happiness she gets from being nearly 400 pounds.

[VioletNevermind]

48 minutes ago, RCharter said:

Whitney enjoys attention.  Whitney does not enjoy being fat, and if you gave her a magic wand and told her she could be 200 pounds tomorrow, she would do it.  As you say, its a fanciful excuse.  She would just find another way to be the center of attention no matter what.

You said it.  I don't think there's anything Whitney wouldn't display on this show for attention.  You can tell that she's used to "performing" for her family and friends, but now she has a national stage.  I can see this ending up like Ruby Gettinger.  Anyone remember her?  She had a reality weight-loss show on the Style Network a few years ago and lost it when she returned to her old habits in secret, made excuse after excuse, and basically gave up.  People are willing to tune in to a weight-loss show if the subject is at least trying to lose weight, but for Whitney to attempt to convince the world that she actually enjoys being fat?  This will wear thin quickly.

Edited to add: Speaking of attention, I suspect that Whitney absolutely LOVED fainting (staged or not) during an event in front of all of those people.  I don't think everyone fell for it, though; I saw more than a few side eyes in that room.

Edited June 9, 2016 by SuzyLee

[momofsquid]

I start watching these TLC shows with the best of intentions, I really do. I wanted to like Whitney and root for her, but she makes it so darn difficult. I think I drifted away at some point last season and I doubt I'll make it through this one. I imagine that if this show retains an audience, aside from hate-watchers, it will be people like Whitney herself, those who have found weight loss too difficult and want someone to tell them it's okay to be morbidly obese. And that's not acceptable, Whit. You're doing those people a disservice and possibly contributing to serious health problems and early death for some of them by telling them 370 pounds is a healthy weight.

As for this episode...ugh, so much to snark on but much of it has already been covered. I'll just add that I thought the vomit scene was staged because it seemed awfully convenient that on this particular occasion the camera crew decided to follow her to the bathroom. 

[crazycatlady58]

Babs needs her own show.

[RCharter]

TLC = Trainwrecks Love Cameras Network

At this point, if you get a show on TLC, you have to know that they are not going to work to make you look good or inspirational.  That isn't a TLC thing anymore.  You will be snark fodder.  Whitney is now on TV and I suspect surrounded by sycophants who are just going to tell her what she wants to hear.  She is getting attention so it must be good!

[stillhere1900]

I'm confused about this *4 hour dance-a-thon. 

Are people really expected to 'keep moving' non stop for 4 hours straight ?  I don't see how that is humanly possible. Even if you try this, it's a human condition to just stop for, even for a min..... just because.

[RCharter]

Just now, stillhere1900 said:

I'm confused about this *4 hour dance-a-thon. 

Are people really expected to 'keep moving' non stop for 4 hours straight ?  I don't see how that is humanly possible. Even if you try this, it's a human condition to just stop for, even for a min..... just because.

In the Golden Girls episode I watched about a dance-a-thon they had to dance for hours on end, without a break.  I therefore assume it is true, because TV sitcoms are generally factually accurate :)

[stillhere1900]

I wonder if a 'judge' walks around the room making sure that no one has stopped moving ?

[ClareWalks]

8 minutes ago, stillhere1900 said:

I'm confused about this *4 hour dance-a-thon. 

Are people really expected to 'keep moving' non stop for 4 hours straight ?  I don't see how that is humanly possible. Even if you try this, it's a human condition to just stop for, even for a min..... just because.

People run marathons all the time where they'd only stop to go to the bathroom, so it's definitely humanly possible. It happens all the time :) I assume people are allowed to stop and eat and drink and pee and all that, but of course Whitney had to be all dramatic about it, "I cannot stop!!!"

[greekmom]

The initial idea of the BS campaign is a good one. Just wrong person organizing it and being the spokes person.  I know people who are overweight, just the right weight, underweight, think they are too pale, not pale enough, too much hair, etc etc etc and are either ashamed to enjoy activities such as swimming or dress for warmer weather (wearing shorts) due to their insecurities of their body.
Having ol Whit as spokesperson for that is a slap in the face.  Having her say she loves being fat is such a lie (as one poster above pointed out. Give her the magic wand and make her thin and she would do it).

I know when I was over 200 pounds and a size 18, I was in pain sometimes, sleeping in certain places was difficult and I was getting pain in my heels.  Whit is a liar liar pants on fire who is ignoring the cause of the problem - her weight.  

I also agree with the above poster that the fainting may have been faked as TLC is a whore and showing that the paramedics are having issues moving Whit on the streacher would have been good tv shot.   I can't see her parents or Buddy or any of her friends convincing her to lose it.  She needs to figure that out for herself.  And catering to her BS campaign and her notions that it's ok to be fat is just babying her.  

But I admit, I can't help not watching the trainwrek to snark at her stupidity. (And the sexting with Babs and the addition of the pig... lmao)

[RCharter]

7 minutes ago, stillhere1900 said:

I wonder if a 'judge' walks around the room making sure that no one has stopped moving ?

this is exactly what happened on Golden Girls.

[ClareWalks]

Yeah, I am posting as I'm watching and Whitney is a total idiot. She thought she could do this whole danceathon without water? Gatorade? If she were any kind of organizer she would have set up a station with water, Gatorade, and snacks like pretzels for people to take breaks. It's dangerous to do aerobic activity for hours with no refuel plan, especially for someone as big and out of shape as Whitney. Again, she knows NOTHING about nutrition.

ETA: "Todd's choreography is pretty simple, but my brain is not working properly!" Yeah, that's because you need electrolytes and carbohydrates for proper brain function. It's like she has no clue that food can do anything besides taste good. I don't usually fault people for not knowing things like this, but she keeps claiming that she is fat and healthy, so I expect supposedly healthy people to know these basic things.

Edited June 9, 2016 by ClareWalks

[Brooklynista]

1 hour ago, SuzyLee said:

You said it.  I don't think there's anything Whitney wouldn't display on this show for attention.  You can tell that she's used to "performing" for her family and friends, but now she has a national stage.  I can see this ending up like Ruby Gettinger.  Anyone remember her?  She had a reality weight-loss show on the Style Network a few years ago and lost it when she returned to her old habits in secret, made excuse after excuse, and basically gave up.  People are willing to tune in to a weight-loss show if the subject is at least trying to lose weight, but for Whitney to attempt to convince the world that she actually enjoys being fat?  This will wear thin quickly.

Ah yes. Ruby.  Sigh, the biggest letdown.  How about a guest appearance from ole Rube to let Whitney know that sooner than you think, the viewing audience gets tired of the excuses and reasons why.  People will start to look for results or at least a full on dance routine.  

[flappa1016]

I counted 8 eggs in the bowl.  That would be 2 per person, which is not outrageous.  They were clearly making breakfast for 4 people there, based on the amount of eggs and the gigantic pot of grits (which I noticed no one snarked about, and grits are one of the worst foods a pre-diabetic person with PCOS should be eating - bacon and eggs are fine, but grits will raise insulin levels and excacerbate insulin resistance, both of which are the basic health issues that drive pre-diabetes and PCOS).  For all we know, she could have been making a frittata - all of the frittata recipes I have call for a 10-12 eggs.

I used to be pre-diabetic, and my husband and father-in-law (who lives with us) are Type 2.  We go through so many eggs a week that I buy them from our farmer 10 dozen at a time.  My father-in-law has lost 60 lbs. in the 2 years he's lived with us and he eats 2-3 eggs per day, and he is attaining non-diabetic blood glucose levels with no diabetes medications.  We just avoid the bread, pasta, rice, grains, etc.  He eats an apple (they don't call it nature's candy for nothing), and his blood glucose spikes to 243.  Eggs keep his blood glucose levels in the high 80s to low 90s range.

[ClareWalks]

3 minutes ago, flappa1016 said:

I counted 8 eggs in the bowl.  That would be 2 per person, which is not outrageous.  They were clearly making breakfast for 4 people there, based on the amount of eggs and the gigantic pot of grits 

That is possible, although she was telling Buddy that he shouldn't care how she's making the eggs because they're hers. So that led me to believe she was making herself breakfast, not making them for the house. I could be wrong, though.

[flappa1016]

2 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

That is possible, although she was telling Buddy that he shouldn't care how she's making the eggs because they're hers. So that led me to believe she was making herself breakfast, not making them for the house. I could be wrong, though.

I took that to mean that the eggs were her responsibility.  Heather was cooking the grits, Buddy was cooking the meat, and Whitney was responsible for the eggs.

[abbey]

I have been overweight most of my life, but never to the extent that Whitney is.  Have finally found a weight loss group that works for me and am almost to my goal weight.  However before I found that group and started losing the weight I had to have knee replacement surgery.  Worst surgery I have ever had (and I had open heart surgery as a kid and I thought nothing was worse than that).  Carrying around all that extra weight has already damaged her knees and she is facing joint replacement surgery in the future.  She is fooling herself if she thinks she is fit and fabulous. 

[PityFree]

2 hours ago, Barb23 said:

Really Whit - you had to share your peeing accident with us????  Definitely TMI.  I felt sorry for Buddy, it looked like he was caught off guard & didn't know what to say.  

And she said to Buddy something like "you know how when you laugh or sneeze or talk or breathe or walk... and you pee a little? well, ..." That tells me that Whitney pees herself often - which is NOT normal for a 30-something woman who has not given birth to children. 

39 minutes ago, stillhere1900 said:

I'm confused about this *4 hour dance-a-thon. 

Are people really expected to 'keep moving' non stop for 4 hours straight ?  I don't see how that is humanly possible. Even if you try this, it's a human condition to just stop for, even for a min..... just because.

The way the dance marathon was organized annoyed me. Why make vendors sit there for the whole four hours if there are no breaks for people to visit their booths? It didn't appear that the dancers had time to visit them before the non-stop dancing started. 

Also, Whitney is in no shape to even stand on her feet for 4 hours much less dance. I think she fools herself into thinking she exercises when she teaches dance, but what I have seen is her standing still while slowly moving her arms a bit or standing watching the Big Girls dance.  There was no way she would have been able to dance for 4 hours.

Finally, HER HAIR! My gawd! She dyed it darker, chopped it short and then curled it and it gave her a frumpy housewife look.

[Marco Solo]

On some level she knows she's in trouble, it's why she didn't want to go on that 10 mile bike ride with the bike shop guys. I just don't know why she's wiling to humiliate herself at a dance a thon and not at a bike ride, what difference does it make really. I remember an episode last season where her dad actually ran a 5k (or 10k?) without much difficulty and she was struggling, even though he's probably twice her age and was dressed in some ridiculous outfit. She has to know.

The problem is it's gotten harder to be sympathetic to her because while no body shame and healthy at any size makes sense on a certain level, at this point it just looks like I'm watching someone with psychiatric delusions. I thought it was all her disease but we're beyond that point now. There are many medications or diseases that cause weight gain, but to gain what looks to be over 150-200 pounds in just about a year and a half is not normal. It's depressing. There is just no way you can say you're healthy at that size, none. At 250? Sure, and some people her age are somewhat healthy at that weight, but at 370?!

Even poor Buddy admitted he has high blood pressure, he's probably 150lbs less than she is.

I'm not a skinny guy myself but even at 5'11-220 I feel fairly disgusting and know that the more time I stay overweight the more time I am taking off my life expectancy. It is not a good feeling, pretending otherwise is sending a horrible message to the people out there who take her message seriously.

[flappa1016]

25 minutes ago, PityFree said:

And she said to Buddy something like "you know how when you laugh or sneeze or talk or breathe or walk... and you pee a little? well, ..." That tells me that Whitney pees herself often - which is NOT normal for a 30-something woman who has not given birth to children. 

I have two older relatives who have recently been dealing with incontinence issues so I was researching it for them.  It's very common in young people who have not had children, who engage in athletic activities.  Gymnanstics, running  and tennis are 3 examples that were given.  Apparently activities that are hard on the joints also weaken pelvic floor muscles which lead to incontinence.  If Whitney's pounding her joints by dancing, it's quite possible her pelvic muscles are weakened.

She needs to get one of those tampon-like devices that are now being promoted for urinary incontinence.  They're essentially a disposable pessary device.

[flappa1016]

1 hour ago, PityFree said:

Finally, HER HAIR! My gawd! She dyed it darker, chopped it short and then curled it and it gave her a frumpy housewife look.

Her hairstyle in the TH segments reminds me of Courteney Cox, circa Season 1 or 2 of Friends.

I DVR the show and fast forward through most of it.  I pretty much watch the show just to see Babs.

[Pdxblonde]

I thought her hair looked cute...... Did anyone else notice how much she had to kiss Lennie and be sure to show him tons of affection while Buddy and his GF were there at breakfast? She is sooo clearly jealous of Buddy and his GF and is just hoping Buddy will be jealous of her, too.

[fountain]

Quote

wait, so your friends doctor doesn't tell her to lose weight?  Thats amazing, I've always heard from overweight/obese people (on these boards and other places) that doctors are always telling them to lose weight.  I thought it was one of the reason some overweight/obese people avoid going to the doctor at all.  They don't want to be guilted by the doctor giving them a long list of health hazards that come with the additional weight.

I think because my friend suffers from depression so her doctor doesn't want to pile on anything else.  IDK though as I don't go to the appointments with my friend.  She says her doctor never requested she exercise for her depression either (as exercise does help).  I might be being fed a line of BS though so that is why I try not to discuss it at all now with her.

On to the show - Whit's hair looks better as it has thinned due to the PCOS so the long hair needed so much management (hairpieces, etc.) to make it look decent.  The shorter hair looks fuller and healthier.  I am interested in seeing what will happen next week as it does seem she will actually go to the hospital.

[PityFree]

4 hours ago, flappa1016 said:

I have two older relatives who have recently been dealing with incontinence issues so I was researching it for them.  It's very common in young people who have not had children, who engage in athletic activities.  Gymnanstics, running  and tennis are 3 examples that were given.  Apparently activities that are hard on the joints also weaken pelvic floor muscles which lead to incontinence.  If Whitney's pounding her joints by dancing, it's quite possible her pelvic muscles are weakened.

I didn't know that! Thank you for correcting me. I learned something new today.

[mamapajama]

She was playing at scrambling the eggs,so Buddy, who was listening to his girlfriend's story about her son, would interrupt the girlfriend to comment on the eggs. And, sure enough, he did. 

She was so tired duringthe first hour of the dance-a-thon?  When she is so used to dancing all the time?  Maybe because this was dancing, not just her usual routine, which is basically jiggling her fat.  There's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on, but not much exercise.

[Morgalisa]

I'm think the dark hair in her interview was a wig. Whitney's hair is very thin and limp and she has some almost bald spots. Her hairline realy shows the hair loss a lot.  She probably had to take the weave out because weaves cause hair loss. 

[Alapaki]

9 hours ago, stillhere1900 said:

I'm confused about this *4 hour dance-a-thon. 

Are people really expected to 'keep moving' non stop for 4 hours straight ?  I don't see how that is humanly possible. Even if you try this, it's a human condition to just stop for, even for a min..... just because.

Dance Marathons are a thing.  They were a bigger thing back in the "old days".  But Penn State still has a very famous dance marathon for charity every year. I'm sure if you Google it you'll find it.

And the thing is, a real Dance Marathon is a lot longer than 4 hours.  

Plus, Dance Marathons don't include breather-breaks like these folks had while they changed coaches.  

The whole thing was a big fraud.  

Whitney passed out most likely because when she sat down the blood drained into her feet and then she stood up quickly.

[princelina]

I recently had knee surgery and was shocked when no one ever mentioned to me at the doctor's that losing weight would be good for me.  (I am about 50 lbs overweight and otherwise reasonably "fit" - no other health problems, and the nurse in the pre-op room couldn't believe I wasn't on any medication at all at my age!  Maybe she meant my weight but didn't want to say it :)  But a coworker who has recently lost a lot of weight wondered why I would think that, and when I asked her if she didn't think her joints would hurt if we put a Biggest Loser-style vest with her 60 lost pounds on, she suddenly had an epiphany that she is now able to walk around the mall without hurting!  So some people are just ignorant of what seems like common sense to others.  According to what I have read, it is that for every pound you are overweight, it feels like 3 on your hips, knees and ankles.

I am assuming that the big girl dance class Whit teaches is one night a week for an hour - that's not a lot of exercise, even if she spends an hour or two a week working on her "choreography" with Todd.  I wish they would tell us what it is he does - he's always called "Whitney's dance partner" like they are the stars of the local ballet or something.  She mentioned at the beginning of the show that taking a tap class right after big girl's dance really wore her out; for someone who considers herself a dancer, that should be a sign right there.  Then at the danceathon the other male friend mentioned something about being "proud of her" for dancing a whole 40 minutes straight!  Once again, that's something you say about someone who is fat and out of shape, not about a dancer!

The whole thing about fundraising danceathons (walkathons, bowlathons, etc.) is that when they started you were to get pledges based on the number of hours/miles/points you completed, so the better you did the more money you raised.  (That's what the Golden Girls were doing :)  But nowadays people just give you $20 or whatever, so it doesn't really matter how hard you work or what you do, which changes the concept.  Whitney was obviously at her leisure to stop when she pleased to auction off her prizes, so she didn't even seem to have a grasp on what she was doing.  And LOL at her bowing straight out of that 10 mile bike ride!

I think that in addition to the attention, she just doesn't want to stick to her diet - I can sympathize!  My thin sister and her thin husband eat salmon and greens almost every night for dinner and claim they enjoy it, and I just think to myself "I'd rather be fat!"  But she needs to realize that about herself and quit lying and making excuses or she will indeed go the way of Ruby.  And she won't even have the consolation of an Oprah appearance!

ETA:  Penn State's event is called "THON" and what I know about it is that the students stand around at stoplights on the street collecting money in cans.  I didn't know it was ever (or maybe still is) a danceathon!

Edited June 10, 2016 by princelina

[shoovenbooty]

In the previews for this season, doesn't one of Whitney's friends say that Whitney is "spiraling out of control"? This is just NOW being realized, since she weighs 370-plus? Whitney said in this episode that she believes PCOS is a big contributing factor in her weight gain. It may very well be A factor, but it's not THE factor. She overeats, plain and simple. And everyone around her enables her.

[Tosia]

Whit contradicts herself ALOT in this show.  At the beginning she mentioned that doing tap class and her Big Girl Dance class right after is really difficult.  So she does a 4 hour dance-athon.  Whit is full of B.S.,  and it's not Body Shame.  

The fainting and vomiting were faked. She wanted to get out of dancing so long and made a scene for attention, as well as to try and convince everyone that she is working soooo hard. Strange that she tells someone else to do the prize announcements, instead of waiting until she got back from the rest room to do them.  Fake, fake, fake, etc. 

The incontinence is another sign that her weight is hurting her. 

Any attention is necessary, thus the over-sharing of TMI.  

The show motivated me to go and exercise cuz I was angry at her stupidity and TLC's complicity in encouraging anyone to defend stupidity. 

[aliya]

13 hours ago, stillhere1900 said:

I'm confused about this *4 hour dance-a-thon. 

Are people really expected to 'keep moving' non stop for 4 hours straight ?  I don't see how that is humanly possible. Even if you try this, it's a human condition to just stop for, even for a min..... just because.

We have a massive 24 hour dance marathon here at the Univ of Iowa. This year the students raised >$2million for the children's hospital. "During the Big Event, Dancers may not sit, sleep, or drink caffeine in order to raise awareness for pediatric cancer."  It seems that not everyone is a 'Dancer', however, and I don't know why she expected people from off the street (probably there to see what being on TV was about) would be able to do that. I have a stand up desk at work and don't freakin' stand for 4 hours, much less dance.

Having seen videos about our dance for years, I was shocked to see Whitney's pitiful attempt. No atmosphere, no excitement, nothing. Maybe I missed it - was it done to raise money for anything?

I think I've mentioned it before, but years ago I read that it is not unusual for obese people not to be diabetic. In fact, not being diabetic may be one reason they get so large - they never get the 'wake up call' that Type 2s get, which usually makes people change their lifestyle or at least watch what they're eating more than they did before the diagnosis. 

I knew this girl was not going to last for 4 hours. What was she thinking? 

Iowa Dance-a-thon

[aliya]

13 hours ago, abbey said:

I have been overweight most of my life, but never to the extent that Whitney is.  Have finally found a weight loss group that works for me and am almost to my goal weight.  However before I found that group and started losing the weight I had to have knee replacement surgery.  Worst surgery I have ever had (and I had open heart surgery as a kid and I thought nothing was worse than that).  Carrying around all that extra weight has already damaged her knees and she is facing joint replacement surgery in the future.  She is fooling herself if she thinks she is fit and fabulous. 

I have a friend who is probably 150 -200 lbs overweight, and this is after losing 100 lbs with surgery years ago. She's had 2 hip replacements and she's in her early 40's. Way too early, and all due to weight.

[RCharter]

4 hours ago, aliya said:

I have a friend who is probably 150 -200 lbs overweight, and this is after losing 100 lbs with surgery years ago. She's had 2 hip replacements and she's in her early 40's. Way too early, and all due to weight.

....and that.....is not fabulous.

[VioletNevermind]

11 hours ago, Tosia said:

The fainting and vomiting were faked. She wanted to get out of dancing so long and made a scene for attention, as well as to try and convince everyone that she is working soooo hard. Strange that she tells someone else to do the prize announcements, instead of waiting until she got back from the rest room to do them.  Fake, fake, fake, etc. 

This was my suspicion, too.  How nice to force her elderly parents to race to the hospital to be by her side (assuming they weren't complicit in it).  At the least, it's a deplorable waste of emergency resources.  That sucking sound you might hear when Whitney is on the screen is the attention vacuum that she keeps running at level 10 at all times.  

Edited June 10, 2016 by SuzyLee

[stillhere1900]

The EMS may have also been part of the show. They could have been actors.

[okerry]

23 hours ago, SuzyLee said:

I can see this ending up like Ruby Gettinger.  Anyone remember her?  She had a reality weight-loss show on the Style Network a few years ago and lost it when she returned to her old habits in secret, made excuse after excuse, and basically gave up.  People are willing to tune in to a weight-loss show if the subject is at least trying to lose weight, but for Whitney to attempt to convince the world that she actually enjoys being fat?  This will wear thin quickly.

I do remember the Ruby show. She turned out to be an awful narcissist who was only in it for the attention. The show kept hinting that she was so hugely obese due to some childhood trauma, but never explained anything - quite possibly because there was nothing to explain. She never lost any weight and the show just faded away. Don't know what happened to her.

23 hours ago, SuzyLee said:

 

23 hours ago, momofsquid said:

I imagine that if this show retains an audience, aside from hate-watchers, it will be people like Whitney herself, those who have found weight loss too difficult and want someone to tell them it's okay to be morbidly obese. And that's not acceptable, Whit. You're doing those people a disservice and possibly contributing to serious health problems and early death for some of them by telling them 370 pounds is a healthy weight.

I completely agree with you. Being more accepting of women whose bodies are not model-perfect is one thing. Telling people that being morbidly obese is a great way to live is not helping anyone and may indeed be harming many.

[lallalla]

Since being revealed quite a while ago that she is at 380, I think she looks like she's gained a considerable amount. The pic that has been posted somewhere here in one of these MBFFL threads of her in the dress? She looks considerably larger than in the past. I think she is well past 380 now, she for sure is not any smaller.

[riverblue22]

4 hours ago, okerry said:

 

I completely agree with you. Being more accepting of women whose bodies are not model-perfect is one thing. Telling people that being morbidly obese is a great way to live is not helping anyone and may indeed be harming many.

I think she might be a great motivation to people wanting to lose weight.  I see the stress she puts on her body with things like the dance marathon and I think about how much farther I would get in my gym workouts with less weight.  She is really inspiring me to not be like her!

ETA:  Whitney is easy for me to watch in spite of how annoying she is.  I really have trouble watching that 600 lb show--it's so awful what has happened to those people.  Whitney does a fine job of helping me put away those cookies!

Edited June 10, 2016 by riverblue22

[LocalGovt]

I watched. My husband was disgusted with me, but I watched.  I can't help it.  I wanted to know the story behind shoving the marshmallow in her mouth...but I guess that'll be later in the season.

When she said, "I like being fat"...I don't get overweight people who say that (and I am overweight by about 75 lbs).  I hate being fat.  I am disgusted with the fact that I cannot lose this weight, although I try to eat cleanly and I exercise, but obviously, I am not trying hard enough.  No one likes being fat.  Unless you have an underlying psychological issue that feeds that, anyway.

I would be interested to know what she eats in a day.  Not for any judgemental purpose. Just to keep myself on the straight and narrow.  

Her poor dad.  I feel badly for him, but I'm not sure why.  Babs, I think, likes the attention as much as Whitney. 

And being so proud that you're not pre-diabetic? As if that gives  you a license, free and clear, to keep eating what you want, when you want, and gain even more weight??!!   Please.  She is grasping at straws.

[lallalla]

1 hour ago, LocalGovt said:

I watched. My husband was disgusted with me, but I watched.  I can't help it.  I wanted to know the story behind shoving the marshmallow in her mouth...but I guess that'll be later in the season.

When she said, "I like being fat"...I don't get overweight people who say that (and I am overweight by about 75 lbs).  I hate being fat.  I am disgusted with the fact that I cannot lose this weight, although I try to eat cleanly and I exercise, but obviously, I am not trying hard enough.  No one likes being fat.  Unless you have an underlying psychological issue that feeds that, anyway.

I would be interested to know what she eats in a day.  Not for any judgemental purpose. Just to keep myself on the straight and narrow.  

Her poor dad.  I feel badly for him, but I'm not sure why.  Babs, I think, likes the attention as much as Whitney. 

And being so proud that you're not pre-diabetic? As if that gives  you a license, free and clear, to keep eating what you want, when you want, and gain even more weight??!!   Please.  She is grasping at straws.

I think just guesstimating her intake based on BMR would be interesting. A baseline of likely calories and then imagining all she could eat for that.

She is certainly not under-eating to not only maintain, but do what looks like gaining.

Her base BMR, assuming she's still only 380, is 2444.3 calories (taken from BMI-calculator.net; input: 380lbs, 5'1 height, age: 32; F)

(For perspective, I am 5'2.5 and of normal to below average weight; inputting my "high normal weight" (meaning, within recommended limits for weight for my age, height, etc, my recommended calories before any serious exercise, is right over 1300, to maintain my weight).  

Her height, like mine, absolutely means her calories are on the low-end of what we consider "normal".  If she were in a healthy weight range, her base BMR would be less than/almost half her current base BMR.

Edited June 10, 2016 by lallalla
edited to clarify BMR