S05.E03: Cynthia's Story

[AmandaPanda]

Quote

Cynthia, a single mother focused on raising five kids, comes to realize what her death would mean for their future.

[Armchair Critic]

She has a good job and a nice family. Where's the next Penny? 

Oops she is not losing enough weight before surgery, could be a little drama.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Armchair Critic

[aliya]

Before I forget... "potato cakes"???  Like a latke? They got drive-ins that serve latkes?  Yes! 

Now back to the story and our lying lady who, like most of the rest of them, can't figure out how to buy some protein and veg and that EVERYONE in the family can eat what she's eating, so she doesn't need special food just for her and who thinks that hitting the drive-in 4 days a week instead of 7 is a diet.

btw - is this the worse mouth we've heard on a patient? 

[Aw my lahgs]

In the beginning she was so likeable. I kept saying "please turn into Penny, please turn into Penny".

Eating burger while saying "I'm still committed to the diet".

Then she goes on how it's so expensive.

A hard boiled egg or two and a $1 bag of microwaveable steamed veggies from Walmart is much cheaper than those fast food meals she's chowing down.

I wonder how it will go from here.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Nutella

[junemeatcleaver]

Wait a second, this woman has two teenage sons but the little 11 year old girl has to cook for six other people and herself?  This is the first time someone on this show has pissed me off.

[Aw my lahgs]

1 minute ago, junemeatcleaver said:

Wait a second, this woman has two teenage sons but the little 11 year old girl has to cook for six other people and herself?  This is the first time someone on this show has pissed me off.

You must have missed Penny, Pauline and Marla.

[Pers]

4 minutes ago, junemeatcleaver said:

Wait a second, this woman has two teenage sons but the little 11 year old girl has to cook for six other people and herself?  This is the first time someone on this show has pissed me off.

Seriously - there were three or four boys sitting around playing video games while mini-Cinderella cooked up a full on breakfast and later, dinner. Not cool.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Pers

[Armchair Critic]

I'm a selfless person and I don't need to work on anything or fix myself. (insert big eyeroll)

[Maizie131]

Gotta admit, tho -- she sure has nicer clothes than anyone on this show we've seen yet -- in fact they're very pretty (if they were many sizes smaller, of course).  Wonder what she's doing about her teaching job, but I'm thinking it's summer - school's out. 

[KBrownie]

I really got tired of Cynthia's denial about her emotional dependence on food.  Every other sentence was: "I don't have/need (insert whatever problem/thing she clearly DID have an issue with), I just love to eat."  Please.

Runner-up? "I don't turn to food for comfort."  Yes, yes you do.  How else do you think you got to six hundred pounds Cynthia?

Third Place?  "I have five kids."  Of course it must be difficult as a single parent of five children, but she was using them as just another one of her long line of excuses.  And she totally should have had them eating a better diet, not just feeding them the same old crap that she could no longer eat.  They'll one day have the same issues she has.

She just came off as really ungrateful and a know-it-all.  She's going to gain it all back in no time.  The only thing she really changed was the surgery.  Everything else pretty much went back to status quo.  Not good for long-term success.

[Aw my lahgs]

"I don't agree with dr Now. I DONT NEED NO THERAPY!!!"

"I don't have no emotional triggers. I have no food addiction. I just love to eat."

"I wanna go at my own pace."

"I am going to stop living up to other people's expectations, including Dr Now's."

Just as much denial as Pauline and Marla. I don't see her being successful if she doesn't change her attitude.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Nutella

[okerry]

Spoken like a true addict, Cynthia . . . 

[Maizie131]

Whoa -- that wasn't a very successful ending.  I'll bet this woman will "beat" that gastric sleeve & be right back where she started.  What a waste of time & effort.  When her daughter started crying right before they took her to surgery, I lost it too.  I really had hopes for her, but no more.

[DNR]

I hope for the sake of all those children she can somehow keep it together and Lose the weight . They all seemed to love her and that's a gift . Cynthia did have a bedazzling smile too (( and one of the best resting bitch faces I've ever seen ?))

Edited January 19, 2017 by DNR
Ninja edit

[swankie]

Ok, so I'm screaming at the screen again.  First, Cynthia lied about cooking for her household.  Her daughter is doing all of the cooking.  All Cynthia does is lie in her bed, waiting for her daughter to cook.  That's not HER cooking.  Second, if I was the brother I would have left her to her own devices as far as getting back and forth to the doctor's office after she bitched at me the first time.  I'm glad he told her about herself finally.  And what pray tell is she sacrificing?  It's commendable that she took in her cousin's kids to raise, but on the other hand, she made her situation even harder by having two kids of her own out of wedlock.  Where is their father?  Just wondering.  I like to shit when she voiced, "I'm still committed to the diet" while eating a humongous sandwich and fries.  And then she doesn't understand why she gained 4 pounds.  Delusional much?  Her attitude sucks!!!  And as far as her resting bitch face?  It's because she's a bitch!  LOL!

[notyrmomma]

8 hours ago, Maizie131 said:

Gotta admit, tho -- she sure has nicer clothes than anyone on this show we've seen yet -- in fact they're very pretty (if they were many sizes smaller, of course).  Wonder what she's doing about her teaching job, but I'm thinking it's summer - school's out. 

Yes.  She always had her hair done and it seemed like she always looked good (at least for the cameras).  Good for her!

She also has a fantastic house, with a kitchen that I would cook in all the time (my kitchen is from the 70's)...she can afford fast food for six people several times a week (but she bitches about money all the time)...the boys had modern gaming systems and the girls were in dance...the flagrant use of paper plates!..looks like I need to quit my job as a CPA in SoFla and become a teacher in OK.

As I was watching it, I was just imagining all the comments that would roll in about how it can be to cheap cook healthy meals.  But it's true, the internet is FULL of websites devoted to healthy eating on a budget.  Maybe she should teach Cinderella to use the internet.

She kept saying that her family was full of "big people," but I didn't see any.  Did I miss something?  Her kids even looked normal sized, which is rare.

And last but not least, when she said she had to do it "my way"...kiss of death.  Doesn't she even watch this show?

Edited January 19, 2017 by notyrmomma

[swankie]

15 minutes ago, notyrmomma said:

She kept saying that her family was full of "big people," but I didn't see any.  Did I miss something?  Her kids even looked normal sized, which is rare.

 I think when she made that statement about them being "big people", she was speaking of her siblings and parents moreso than of her kids.  Her brother could stand to lose a few pounds and his daughter was well on her way to Cynthia's size.  She was with the brother when he visited Cynthia right after the surgery.  Her kids were very normal, even though her daughter Ukiah was a little chubby.

Edited January 19, 2017 by swankie

[LocalGovt]

7 hours ago, Maizie131 said:

Whoa -- that wasn't a very successful ending.  I'll bet this woman will "beat" that gastric sleeve & be right back where she started.  What a waste of time & effort.  When her daughter started crying right before they took her to surgery, I lost it too.  I really had hopes for her, but no more.

I know, right? That ending was....depressing.  For an educated woman, she said some stupid things...like, "Four pounds! He's mad about 4 pounds!" No...he's upset because in addition to gaining 4 pounds, you also didn't lose any! Funny how that just slipped her mind.  And that mouth on her...every other word a f'ing this or that.  I wonder how the principal and superintendent of her school viewed that?  When she ate those two pizzas in her classroom....I was amazed that she wasn't dead yet. 

[poeticlicensed]

I am not predicting a good outcome. I'm sure the reason she didn't want to go back to Dr now was partly because he kept telling her to seek counseling, but I'm also guessing she wasn't sticking to the diet and eating healthy so she most likely wasn't losing any weight, if not gaining. 

I missed it early on, but did they say why she ended up with the 3 kids? Did someone die? seems like they have a large family, I wonder why the family would put all 3 kids on her. 

That step stool on a rope was killing me. 

[Pers]

52 minutes ago, poeticlicensed said:

I am not predicting a good outcome. I'm sure the reason she didn't want to go back to Dr now was partly because he kept telling her to seek counseling, but I'm also guessing she wasn't sticking to the diet and eating healthy so she most likely wasn't losing any weight, if not gaining. 

I missed it early on, but did they say why she ended up with the 3 kids? Did someone die? seems like they have a large family, I wonder why the family would put all 3 kids on her. 

That step stool on a rope was killing me. 

Hi Poeticlicensed - I think she took in the first three kids when they were abused by her cousin and/or cousin's husband. They arrived in Cynthia's life with horrific injuries, poor things. 

I don't get the aversion to therapy we sometimes see on this and other similar shows. It is uncomfortable to hold a mirror to ourselves and to dig away at our hurts, but it is often necessary in order to heal. People often see therapy = weakness, and that's just not right!

[LocalGovt]

2 minutes ago, Pers said:

Hi Poeticlicensed - I think she took in the first three kids when they were abused by her cousin and/or cousin's husband. They arrived in Cynthia's life with horrific injuries, poor things. 

I don't get the aversion to therapy we sometimes see on this and other similar shows. It is uncomfortable to hold a mirror to ourselves and to dig away at our hurts, but it is often necessary in order to heal. People often see therapy = weakness, and that's just not right!

She did later on say that "these kids have already lost one mother...."

[Pers]

Just now, LocalGovt said:

She did later on say that "these kids have already lost one mother...."

I assumed that the bio mother has been blocked by restraining orders (or the like), maybe she ultimately died? No clue.

[nlkm9]

Ok I missed the last 3 minutes!! grr!! what was the ending? did she miss an appt after the surgery?? I loved the relationship she had with her kids and her 11 year old was amazing. Thanks!!

[suzeecat]

I got here early this morning and already everything I was thinking has already been said!  Cynthia definitely had the best wardrobe and it was impressive that she was able to get to work to support herself and family.  When she sat down to eat that pizza I thought "wow, she's going to eat the whole thing".  THEN, she opened a second box - WHOA ! ! !  She really does seem to love her kids and is committed to them (and the kids seem to be very loving in return).  Her attitude will do her in, though.  Once the cameras go away she will go back to the same bad habits unfortunately.  I was so happy to see her FINALLY vacuuming that filthy carpet - that grossed me out from the beginning! 

Someone asked about her natural children's dad.  She mentioned that she dated and I got the impression that she did so for the sole purpose of being impregnated.  She really wasn't interested in having a relationship with the fathers/sperm donors.  Her daughter Ukaiah was so sweet and so mature for her age.  I felt sorry for her having to do all the cooking. 

[poeticlicensed]

33 minutes ago, nlkm9 said:

Ok I missed the last 3 minutes!! grr!! what was the ending? did she miss an appt after the surgery?? I loved the relationship she had with her kids and her 11 year old was amazing. Thanks!!

In the last few minutes she pretty much said that she wasn't going back to Dr. Now and that she wanted to do it on her own at her own pace (shades of Pauline). I fear that her eating will slowly ramp up and the weight will come back on because she has no one making her weigh herself and she hasn't dealt with the emotional issues that caused her to pack on hundreds of pounds. 

I was very disappointed because clearly Cynthia was smart and educated and her kids were so sweet and they all clearly have a loving healthy relationship. Even Dr. Now approached her initially like you are a teacher, you know the drill, then she disappointed. It's really too bad. 

Edited January 19, 2017 by poeticlicensed

[TurtlePower]

11 hours ago, Nutella said:

In the beginning she was so likeable. I kept saying "please turn into Penny, please turn into Penny".

Eating burger while saying "I'm still committed to the diet".

Then she goes on how it's so expensive.

A hard boiled egg or two and a $1 bag of microwaveable steamed veggies from Walmart is much cheaper than those fast food meals she's chowing down.

I wonder how it will go from here.

I cannot stand this excuse and spend a lot time teaching others that eating clean doesn't have to be expensive.  A buck and some change for a bag of steamable veg, a buck and some change for tofu (or the boiled egg idea), that's less than $3. Lentils, edamame and beans are also cheap (for people like me who work out enough to require carbs).

[Azubah]

I agree with others that Cynthia had a bad attitude. But she probably wasn't lying when she said she was hungry all the time. And it's entirely possible that her hunger is physical and not some psychological problem. It's far more likely that she has some hormonal imbalance that is screwing up her appetite control. I get kind of tired of Dr. Now insisting that the surgery works exactly the same for everyone and if it doesn't, then you need psychological help. Weight, appetite, etc., are very complex and poorly understood. 

[chuckity]

Cosign Azubah's comment on how she was perhaps truly hungry all the time.

I don't buy that everyone who is INSANELY overweight has emotional issues.  (Though I would agree an overwhelming majority do.)   There are people who just love food.  A lot.  And a lot of really, really bad food.  And if you don't have the switch that tells you you are full - it's really easy to overeat constantly.  

Then you're caught in a vicious cycle - you eat, you eat too much, you move less so you get bigger.  Rinse and repeat x 4,342,019.

I do give her major props for taking in those 3 kids at 28.  And the baby had broken ribs?  JFC - hope that dad had his balls cut off with a dull butter knife.

[poeticlicensed]

19 minutes ago, Azubah said:

I agree with others that Cynthia had a bad attitude. But she probably wasn't lying when she said she was hungry all the time. And it's entirely possible that her hunger is physical and not some psychological problem. It's far more likely that she has some hormonal imbalance that is screwing up her appetite control. I get kind of tired of Dr. Now insisting that the surgery works exactly the same for everyone and if it doesn't, then you need psychological help. Weight, appetite, etc., are very complex and poorly understood. 

I know that we only see a slice of what actually happens, but if Dr. Now is a specialist in this area, I would hope that he requires his patients to go through the paces in terms of getting everything checked our, from hormones to a psychological profile. I know that for some types of surgeries, there is a steep hill for the patient before they actually go under the knife. But I have no idea and I wouldn't judge based on the 5 minutes we see him interacting with the patient. 

[Hana Chan]

Cynthia is such an intelligent and commendable person, and it's sad to assume that she's not going to have a good outcome from this surgery. I totally get the love of food and it absolutely sucks that the stuff that really tastes good (donuts, pizza, burgers, etc.) are things that in large amounts just aren't good for us. What a lot of people with weight issues lack is the ability to recognize when enough is enough. You can't just eat one donut or one slice of pizza. She can't recognize real hunger since she allows herself to not just eat, but outrageously overeat, whenever food is available. 

I found a lot of things in this ep hard to watch, but watching her daughter forced into the position of caretaker at such a young age was really heartbreaking. To have to see your mother naked and clean the backs of her legs because she can't do it herself is unreal. And cooking all of the meals... that just killed me.

It's a harsh reminder that no matter what tools you use to lose weight, nothing is going to work unless you really want it and are willing to stick to the program. Surgery is a major tool for those who have reached the critical point, but it's not going to work if you refuse to change your eating habits. Cynthia wasn't, at least what we saw, willing to do so at this point so the surgery was a waste. I really hope for her's and her childrens' sakes that she gets her head together and really takes this seriously, or that wonderful daughter of her's is going to be burying her mother before she's done with high school.

[Azubah]

7 minutes ago, poeticlicensed said:

but if Dr. Now is a specialist in this area, I would hope that he requires his patients to go through the paces in terms of getting everything checked our, from hormones to a psychological profile.

I've been through the entire preliminary screening for weight-loss surgery, though I chickened out at the last minute and didn't go through with it. They do a standard blood panel that doesn't address hormones at all, and the psychological screening is pretty much just the psychologist checking to see if you're delusional and making sure you understand (or claim to understand) that there will be difficult days ahead.

[Carolina Girl]

1 hour ago, Runnergirl said:

I cannot stand this excuse and spend a lot time teaching others that eating clean doesn't have to be expensive.  A buck and some change for a bag of steamable veg, a buck and some change for tofu (or the boiled egg idea), that's less than $3. Lentils, edamame and beans are also cheap (for people like me who work out enough to require carbs).

I wonder if it's laziness.  Fast food comes to you from the window of a car.  To do anything else, you have to make the effort to actually walk into a grocery store and make choices.  And I'm with junemeatcleaver above - that 11-year-old is working around the house and the four boys are playing effing video games?  Aw HELL no.  

I also agree that Cynthia is not going to be among those 5% that have a long-term recovery.  I imagine we'll get to see her on a "where are they now" special in a couple of years when she's back up to 600 lbs. and begging Dr. Now for a second chance.  

[Ocean Chick]

I haven't totally written Cynthia off yet.  Remember Marla?  She of the awful attitude and defiance for Dr. Now?  And she did manage to lose weight after leaving Dr. Now's program.  She found another doctor that she didn't have such bad history with and was able to do the work with him/her.  So Cynthia can STILL pull this off, if she gets her head in the game.

I'm with the rest of y'all with that poor girl having to do ALL the cooking, and those boys all sitting around playing games.  Her 2 full brothers were BOTH older than her - why weren't they doing all the cooking?  Especially as Ukiah had the nasty job of cleaning her mom's legs.  Ukiah was really well spoken and seemed very intelligent - I hope she manages to get out of this okay.  I really don't want her to snap under all the pressure and decide to act out in harmful ways.  All those children were respectful and polite, and clearly loved their mom, so that was nice.  Cynthia must be doing something right with them, even if she DOES put too much on an 11 year old girl.

Cynthia's pity parties were too much.  Glad brother broke out the truth stick at one point.  And yes, stuffing your mouth with French Fries and declaring that you're still working the diet is a no-go for the sane people of the world.  There is NOTHING low-carb or low-fat about French Fries.  All you quicker posters have already pointed out that you can eat well on little money.  And even if they weren't fat, it wouldn't kill the boys to learn to eat healthier either, so you don't have to make "special" for yourself.  Or, in reality, have poor Ukiah make 1 meal for the kids and 1 meal for mom.

I started out really liking Cynthia.  Ended up wanting to hit her over the head with a clue-by-four.

[Toaster Strudel]

Cynthia won me over for taking 3 children out of terrible abuse, one of them an infant with horrifying injuries.  Unlike many parents on reality TV, she was a truly great mom, her interactions with her kids were thoughtful and kind, and they turned out great.  As she told the useless therapist, she is a selfless person.  She is beautiful and has magnificent teeth.  So I feel bad about the other things I have to say...

(1) The amount of food she ate before work was insane.  Breakfast at home (bacon, french toast, sausage, scrambled egg), then pick up two big breakfast burritos at the fast food with all the trimmings, then OMG two pepperoni pizzas.  Who makes pizzas in the morning and delivers them to a school? Just wow.  And the mouthfuls she was taking were frighteningly huge, I thought she'd choke but then another huge food boulder was getting stuffed on top of it.  Ah well.

(2) That poor Ukiah cooking like she's working for some greasy spoon and the army showed up hungry.  Seriously, bacon and breakfast sausages for everyone?  What a terrible habit.  Next thing I see, she's pouring an inch of oil in a frying pan.  I'm biting my nails.  She's not deep frying, is she? At 11?  Who lets her do that?  Who even taught her to do that, like it was a good idea?  I'd say it wasn't the fire department.  But yes!  Not only is she deep-frying, but she's deep-frying pork chops in chunky breadcrumbs... to absorb more oil and calories?  Is that the goal?  Then she removes them from the fryer, but she's just a kid, she doesn't even let the oil drip off into the frying pan, the deep-fried pork chops drip whole teaspoons of oil on the counter on their way to the communal plate.  Who cooks like this as their daily habit?  Just fry them in a bit of butter who needs all those oil-soaked breadcrumbs OMG people.  Maybe as an occasional treat...  deep-fried pork chops... the mere thought gives me liver damage.

(3) Healthy food is expensive? No way.  Healthy food is way cheaper than fast food.  Make your own bloody breakfast burrito at home, an egg, a tortilla, a tsp of veggies for flavor it's got to cost no more than 30 cents... It's $2 at the fast food joint.

(4) Three crates of snack pantry overflow.  For the kids?  I'm skeptical.

I am rooting for her and I hope she can at least get to, and maintain 300 lbs - just being realistic.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Toaster Strudel

[islandgal140]

Why are these episodes 2 hours now?

This show has definitely changed for the better. In the earlier seasons, there was never a hint of patients getting therapy. These past couple of seasons, therapy has been a staple. Also, interesting to see more and more pre-surgery testing. 

I didn't know it was possible for someone to have a BMI of 100%. Does that mean that they are all fat?

Cynthia stated that when the 3 children arrived into her care one of the boys, a toddler at the time, was in a full body cast. Yes, you read that right - A FULL BODY CAST!! I had to rewind and re-listen to that 3 times because I wasn't sure I heard it right. Ukiah, who was 4 months old had broken/bruised ribs.  I hope the SOB that did that to them is still in jail or died/is dying a slow painful death. Who does these things to babies?

I highly appreciated Cynthia's sentiment of not wanting to bring men around after what the kids have gone through (and knowing there are high incidents of abuse in such situations) but I think a balance could be struck between living like a nun (except for conception purposes) and being a careless about strange men you bring around children.

Cynthia not only had a decent wardrobe and kept her hair looking nice, I think she had just about the prettiest set of teeth and smile ever on a participant of this show and she wore flattering makeup, especially her lipsticks.

I felt super bad for Ukiaella. Those pork chops she was frying up did looked super unhealthy. Yes, the boys should help with the cooking. I really hope Ukiahella wasn't also stuck doing all the cleaning and laundry too. Being that it was a household with 5 kids, the house seemed to be in relatively good shape.

I get a feeling of disgust with myself after eating 2-3 slices of pizza. Cynthia ate 2 pies covered in toppings and that was only for lunch! 

Edited January 19, 2017 by islandgal140

[chuckity]

3 minutes ago, islandgal140 said:

 

I didn't know it was possible for someone to have a BMI of 100%. Does that mean that they are all fat?

 

I think you're confusing BMI w/ body fat.

She had a BMI of over 100.  I have no idea what her bodyfat percentage was.  

[Cherrio]

" I was so happy to see her FINALLY vacuuming that filthy carpet - that grossed me out from the beginning! "

That was driving me crazy too.     

I do not buy the she is just hungry all the time.  She has a lot of issues which if anyone brings up, she shuts them down with a scary anger, F bombs and excuses.   Classic food addict that probably stems from childhood trauma.  As long as her issues are not addressed and she deals honestly with them, her chances of success are low.   We saw at the end she was already heading down that road.

I also can't believe she is actually a teacher. She is not capable of it physically. 

Doesn't take time or money for herself?  Those hair appointments cost big bucks.

I feel sorry for Ukiya for multiple reasons.   Cynthia is blind to the neglect and abuse she is guilty of.

[TurtlePower]

24 minutes ago, Carolina Girl said:

I wonder if it's laziness.  Fast food comes to you from the window of a car.  To do anything else, you have to make the effort to actually walk into a grocery store and make choices.  And I'm with junemeatcleaver above - that 11-year-old is working around the house and the four boys are playing effing video games?  Aw HELL no.  

I also agree that Cynthia is not going to be among those 5% that have a long-term recovery.  I imagine we'll get to see her on a "where are they now" special in a couple of years when she's back up to 600 lbs. and begging Dr. Now for a second chance.  

I'm going to say more like unwillingness. I think for people with food addictions, it's hard to trade burgers and pizza for broccoli and boiled eggs even if that food is very convenient. Once people get "off" fast food/junk food for a long time, their palates usually will change.

[cpcathy]

I had to give up halfway through on Cynthia, but I just had to say, Ukiah, you go, little lady! Her technique at cooking the chicken (or was it pork?) was perfect, lay it in the pan away from you.)

[aliya]

1 hour ago, Cherrio said:

I also can't believe she is actually a teacher. She is not capable of it physically.  

My mother was huge. I saw a picture of her with her sorority sisters and she was the size of two of them. She lost weight over the years, but only in her 80's has she been <200 lbs. I'm sure she was 300+ (I  don't have the heart to ask her how big she was or why she let herself stay that way. Maybe I should. We didn't have fast food back then, so I wonder what the deal was.) Anyway, she wasn't as big as Cynthia, but she was pretty darned big, yet managed to teach K-3 for many years. Then she taught in community college. It's doable, but it must have been difficult.

I wasn't a Ukiya, but starting at 11 when my mother remarried and worked/was pregnant, I shopped and cooked for 4-7 people as the family grew. I also did my laundry, including ironing school uniforms. My mother was a freak about the washing machine, so the only thing I didn't do was wash clothes. My stepfather never lifted a hand for any housework as he had, '5 maids' (5 daughters) for that. I'm sure if there had been brothers, they wouldn't have done any housework, either.

I see you, Ukiya, and you need to sit with a doll, some chocolate almond milk, and the Little House series.  

[RedKoolAide]

Ukiah definitely deserves to be a kid. I get so pissed when I see people who think boys don't have to do housework. They didn't do anything because Cynthia didn't make them. Ukiah was way more mature than her older brothers because she had to be. She had way too much responsibility for an 11 year old.

It's really Cynthia's fault because if she wasn't so obese then poor Ukiah wouldn't have to cook for the entire household. Haven't we seen episodes where the obese person used a rolling chair to sit and cook? Why couldn't Cynthia do that?

[Carolina Girl]

1 hour ago, Runnergirl said:

I'm going to say more like unwillingness. I think for people with food addictions, it's hard to trade burgers and pizza for broccoli and boiled eggs even if that food is very convenient. Once people get "off" fast food/junk food for a long time, their palates usually will change.

An excellent point.  I don't even HAVE a food addiction but I've given in to the temptation to grab McDonald's on my way home from work than stop at the store and say pick up a rotisserie chicken and have it with rice and gravy - far better for me that the McNuggets.

[ClareWalks]

2 hours ago, islandgal140 said:

I didn't know it was possible for someone to have a BMI of 100%. Does that mean that they are all fat?

BMI, or body mass index, is a ratio of weight to height presented as a number. 19-24 is considered normal, 25-29 overweight, 30+ obese. This chick's BMI was apparently over 100, which I don't think we've seen much even on this show. She must have been pretty short. Body fat percentage is a different measurement. I would guess she was at least 60% body fat. Probably closer to 70.

[raiderred1]

Cynthia, Cynthia, Cynthia. Denial be thy name.

On 1/18/2017 at 7:58 PM, junemeatcleaver said:

Wait a second, this woman has two teenage sons but the little 11 year old girl has to cook for six other people and herself?  This is the first time someone on this show has pissed me off.

That pissed me off to no end!!! Poor little girl, she was soooo sweet and I just wanted to come up there and watch her dance and give her a big hug!  I'm only about 4 hours from OKC!  

This evil woman rules with brace (oops brass) knuckles to EVERYONE in her life. Don't dare cross her! BITCH!!

[flappa1016]

4 hours ago, Azubah said:

I agree with others that Cynthia had a bad attitude. But she probably wasn't lying when she said she was hungry all the time. And it's entirely possible that her hunger is physical and not some psychological problem. It's far more likely that she has some hormonal imbalance that is screwing up her appetite control. I get kind of tired of Dr. Now insisting that the surgery works exactly the same for everyone and if it doesn't, then you need psychological help.

 

4 hours ago, chuckity said:

I don't buy that everyone who is INSANELY overweight has emotional issues.  (Though I would agree an overwhelming majority do.)   There are people who just love food.  A lot.  And a lot of really, really bad food.  And if you don't have the switch that tells you you are full - it's really easy to overeat constantly.  

Then you're caught in a vicious cycle - you eat, you eat too much, you move less so you get bigger.  Rinse and repeat x 4,342,019.

But between the diet and the surgery, the hormones that affect hunger and satiety are brought back into a semblance of normalcy.  I have binge eating disorder, and the ONLY thing that has ever worked for me (other than Phen-Fen) is a low carbohydrate diet.  When you eat a diet that is high in carbohydrate, blood glucose, insulin, ghrelin and leptin are all out of whack.  Remove the carbohydrate and increase the protein and fats, and they all start working properly again.  When I first started a LCHF diet, it was like a switch was turned on in my body and for the first time, I was actually satisfied by "normal" amounts of foods.  Combine that with a smaller stomach of these bariatric patients, and there is no physiologic need to overeat - just an emotional need. 

She even admitted to Dr. Now, and in one of her TH segments, that she DOES feel full, but she CHOOSES to eat past her satiety.  If that doesn't scream the need for therapy, I don't know what does.  I think that receiving the surgery should be contingent upon ongoing therapy.  You don't get to 500+ lbs. without having some emotional attachment to food.  She's in deep, deep denial about her need for therapy.

Honestly, the bacon, eggs and sausage were probably the most healthy things they ate during the show.  I eat 2-3 eggs with either bacon or sausage almost every day and I've lose 80 lbs.  My total cholesterol dropped down to a range where my doctor stopped pushing statins on me (not that I'd EVER fill a Rx for that poison!), my trigs dropped from 130 down to 78, and my HDL went from 63 to 74.  I use a food logging site and my diet breaks down to 60-75% fat.

I cringed EVERY time I saw them sit down to eat, because they used paper plates and plastic utensils for every meal they showed!  Great way to fuck up the environment, while killing themselves with mostly non-nutritious foods  . . .

Edited January 19, 2017 by flappa1016

[ChristmasJones]

Honest question- what is the difference between a food addiction and just liking to eat lots of bad food?

[okerry]

Most humans do like to eat lots of bad food, but most can also recognize the harm it does and will stop. Addicts can't stop, even when it's killing them and destroying their lives and the lives of everyone around them.

[raiderred1]

7 hours ago, notyrmomma said:

looks like I need to quit my job as a CPA in SoFla and become a teacher in OK. 

As I was watching it, I was just imagining all the comments that would roll in about how it can be to cheap cook healthy meals.  But it's true, the internet is FULL of websites devoted to healthy eating on a budget.  Maybe she should teach Cinderella to use the internet.

She kept saying that her family was full of "big people," but I didn't see any.  Did I miss something?  Her kids even looked normal sized, which is rare.

And last but not least, when she said she had to do it "my way"...kiss of death.  Doesn't she even watch this show?

If your job pays more than about $50k than don't quit!  I have a friend that is a special education teacher with a master's degree and she makes around $55K a year and she is in fabulous shape. She is exhausted after each day at school because she literally has to help some wheelchair bound students use the restroom. She loves those kids and if she saw Cynthia and how she made, not only her own kids do all the work, but her students she would be pissed.  

Your Cinderella comment was so funny but it saddens me that Ukia(sp?) is treated so poorly.

I thought her family looked big but not super obese like she is. I was so happy to see that her kids love getting out and playing and not just seated in front of the videos games.

"My way" was absolutely the kiss of death.  I knew very early in when she blew up at her poor brother that she was done!

[poeticlicensed]

A food addict demonstrates many of the same characteristics as people addicted to other substances as outlined in the DSM. Three or more of these characteristics are enough to be classified asa food addict

: 1. Tolerance, as defined by either of the following: (a) A need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or the desired effect or (b) Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance.

2. Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following: (a) The characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance or (b) The same (or closely related) substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.

3. The substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than intended.

4. There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use.

5. A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance (such as visiting multiple doctors or driving long distances), use the substance (for example, chain-smoking), or recover from its effects. 6. Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use.

7. The substance use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance (for example, current cocaine use despite recognition of cocaine-induced depression or continued drinking despite recognition that an ulcer was made worse by alcohol consumption).

[islandgal140]

2 hours ago, Cherrio said:

I also can't believe she is actually a teacher. She is not capable of it physically.

That's nothing. A season or so ago there was a 600 lb that worked for the City of Detroit and she went around teaching about nutrition. Yes, nutrition. I can't remember if she was let go due to budget cuts or she just couldn't do it anymore. At the time she held the job I think she hovered around the 400's and got steadily bigger after losing it. 

Am I the only one when it was mentioned that her cousin's name was TT thought of the character on Reno 911?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfykPMl3H_U

Edited January 19, 2017 by islandgal140