S05.E08: Michael's Story

[Tabbygirl521]

On 2/24/2017 at 11:50 AM, KateHearts said:

Looked like some heavy-duty product added, then severely combed straight back so you could see the comb marks. Not attractive.

It looked like coconut oil. Lots of it. That can't be - right??

[ChristmasJones]

He was shown putting gel in his hair. 

I didn't find his hair that strange, personally.  He is just a guy with a low-hairline who likes to slick his hair back rather than wear it curly.   Not my cup of tea, but again, not completely unusual, IMO

[ClareWalks]

3 minutes ago, ChristmasJones said:

He was shown putting gel in his hair. 

I didn't find his hair that strange, personally.  He is just a guy with a low-hairline who likes to slick his hair back rather than wear it curly.   Not my cup of tea, but again, not completely unusual, IMO

I have known a lot of Hispanic men who wear their hair like that, so I agree that it's not peculiar.

[Aw my lahgs]

Brilliantine or however you spell it is my guess

[Muffyn]

He was shown putting gel in his hair after the obligatory shower scene.  It is not uncommon for men to do this.  It's just so unappealing to me, especially when he had such beautiful curls.  At the end of the show it seemed like his hair had thinned quite a bit on top.

At the dinner at the Italian restaurant, when he had fried mozzarella sticks and a big bite of chicken parmesan, all I could think was he'll be regretting that later.  Didn't he get a bypass?  My understanding is after that surgery you cannot digest high fat quantities.  He was in for a bad night.  That'll kill the romance of a dinner out with your spouse. 

I am having a hard time imaging long term success for them as a couple unless they go to couple's counseling and work on their dynamic.  He needs to deal with his anger issues and learn how to not take them out on his family.  She needs to figure out what she needs to be happy in this relationship.  There is a lot of work to do. 

Edited February 26, 2017 by Muffyn

[LocalGovt]

On 2/25/2017 at 4:20 PM, Tabbygirl521 said:

Roni had a job back home and Michael got hired by a taxi fleet. Doesn't sound like gang life to me. I think the lack of smiles just showed how miserable they were with the trajectory of their lives. We did see some smiles from him and the kids at least as life got better.

But Roni still has work to do because she is getting left behind and now she needs motivation to improve her own physical health. She seems confused about life now that "he doesn't need me."  Bummer, because they should be starting to have fun now, like Michael and the kids are  instead she just wants to eat and whine.

No. I didn't mean they were gang members now, as many of those pictures were old.  Maybe that was their former life.

[Hockeymom]

I finally had a chance to catch up with all "my shows". First, they seemed to take good care of their pets. The birds had a nice big cage( but no toys, bummer), the dog had a comfy bed, and the kids seemed to take the dog for walks. Those kids were super nice. They seemed to really care for him. The daughter, especially, was very loving. The mom shouldn't have allowed her to bandage his legs, though.

The family dynamic seemed weird. Everyone talked about his anger issues. Roni seemed worse, though. I get that I don't live with him everyday, but his "outbursts" didn't seem so bad to me. I wouldn't want to sit at a dirty table either. He seemed moody at times, but she was a cranky pants too. Why would she marry a 500 lb. man and then complain that he eats? There was no bait and switch. We have her complaining about his anger, but she seemed to have anger of her own. Roni was blaming him for her weight. That whole, "I tried to cook healthy meals, but he got so mad" nonsense. Is she not a grown woman? Can't she have a salad for lunch at work?

And then she complains that he has too much energy - she had to tell him to slow down. Why should he slow down? He's a 32 year old man in the prime of his life who is finally ready to start living. Wasn't this the entire point of the move, the surgery, the therapy? She got exactly what she said she wanted - a active participant as a partner, and a parent for her kids. He was playing with her son. I would think that would make her happy.

 I doesn't bode well for these two. Roni's whole world is shifting and I suspect it will be a difficult adjustment for her. I hope he stays in therapy. He will need a neutral voice of reason to help navigate these new waters. I just hope she doesn't drag him down and make everything his fault. She blames him for too much. Like the Italian restaurant. Why did he need to take her? She ruined their night out with her passive-aggressive jabs. She has her own car, her own money, and kids who would love a night out with mom. Just GO!

Roni married a morbidly obese man. After a few more pounds and some skin removal surgery, she may end up with a young hottie! What's she gonna do then?

[bethster]

On 2/23/2017 at 1:01 PM, AnnaBaptist said:

When I think of good Italian food, I think of fresh seafood, a caprese salad with true buffalo-milk mozzarella, homemade pasta, and crispy crusted bread with olive oil.

This.  My favorite Italian restaurant (curiously, owned and operated by a Croatian family!) has this dish that is basically spaghetti dressed with good olive oil, anchovy, and lemon zest.  Freshly shaved parm for on top.  So simple, but off-the-chain delicious.  I don't like any dish that is just drowning in cheese.

I, too, noticed that the wife has significant weight issues herself.  Near the end of the show, Michael was either her size or even somewhat smaller.  I was also irritated by her attitude.  First she complained that he did nothing.  Then when he turned it around and started to be engaged by life, she complained that he was hard to keep up with.

[AZChristian]

I haven't watched the end of this episode - just know what I've read here, but it piqued a memory.

I have a friend whose husband was quite obese - not Dr. Now territory, but REALLY big.  He had heart bypass surgery and got the "wake-up call"; he started living a healthier lifestyle and lost quite a bit of weight.  Suddenly, my friend was complaining that all her husband wanted to do was "intimate" stuff.  Because he finally COULD.

Might that be the issue with Michael and Roni?  Maybe she liked having someone who was more of a roommate sharing expenses, but then ended up with a husband - which she didn't want.

Just a thought.

[auntjess]

So we seem to be getting 3 shots at the shows now.
We had the 2-hour show, we had the extended or supersized one, and now there's probably the 2 hour, cut in 1 hour segments, but with a new original air date.
 

[Muffyn]

It is not uncommon for couples to break up  after one member gets weight loss surgery.  Seeing the change in the family dynamic was one of the more interesting things we saw the first year.  And we saw a few couples edging toward divorce.  Unless they're a "marriage is for life" couple, I have a hard time seeing Roni and Michael together in a few years.     

[Hockeymom]

6 hours ago, Muffyn said:

And we saw a few couples edging toward divorce.  Unless they're a "marriage is for life" couple, I have a hard time seeing Roni and Michael together in a few years.     

I don't see it either. I would guess they have a five or ten year age difference. Not huge, but she acts more like a scolding mother than a wife. Perhaps it's his fault for becoming so dependent. Perhaps it's hers for choosing such a needy mate.

There were some couples I wished would divorce, but didn't. I can't remember their names, but the one woman lost all the weight, had her skin surgery, and began working for the doctor. She was so happy!! Then she found out her husband was cheating on her. They worked through it and started a family. Maybe they had already started the family, but they definitely added to it. He cheated again! Last I remember, they had a few kids, she stopped working for Dr. Now, and the weight was creeping back.

I did want to say that there is no real villain here. I liked Michael. I didn't see him as abusive. Every time he showed an emotion, it was "Oh no! See how he gets!" Basically, he recreated his childhood dynamic. I loved those kids. Roni did a nice job with them. Yes, Roni and Michael had some anger issues, but they seemed like nice people independent of each other. I guess now they will have to decide if the work is worth the marriage. I feel for the kids. They clearly see Michael as their father, so I assume the real dad isn't in the picture. I hope he continues in that role for them.

[ethalfrida]

There were a number of flags to this one. First, he was morbidly obese when when she mmarried him so it looks like she is the one who needed whatever security he had to offer.  Then, she feeds hm and proceeds to continually throws him under tne bus. Her behind, while talking about him kept growing too. Physically she was no prize. The kids were lovely.

 

I liked Michael. I havve driven from L.A. to Houston mant times. It is approximately 19 hours. Sometime during the first 8 hours we stop and get a decent meal. So why does anyone think a person with a food addiction can ride straight through without eating? No matter how new the auto is you still have to stop for gas and a lot of the stations have hotbfoods from cafes and attached restaurants. It just didn't make any sense about him eating.

[Yolo]

I just watched this story today, in the beginning I was annoyed by how rude he would get, considering everybody has to tackle it all because he's not in a position to. He started doing well and I'm very happy for him.

BUUUUUUUUUT!!!: The elephant in the room is his wife Roni. Shes not small at all, so why is she not trying to better herself with him!? Now she'll be the overweight one in their relationship. It seems like they both have the same over eating issue and that they do not balance each other out.

Good luck to them BOTH!!!

Edited March 20, 2017 by Yolo

[MillieSparklepants]

This wasn't a very exciting episode, but I was glad to see Michael making some progress. The scene of him tossing the football with his son was cute. The hair gel could be a cultural thing--many of our Latino friends gel their hair that way--but I liked it better without. Maybe it was just me, but I was picking up a very machismo kind of vibe in their household as well. And I was confused by the editing of the pilgrimage to Houston, too.

These boards are a great place to discuss the show, but I'm also learning a ton about nutrition. I know about good food vs bad food and I try to eat healthy, but I've always been vague on the details and have never gotten into learning about things like complex carbs, starchy veggies, how the body breaks down food, etc. That's kind of embarrassing to admit. So thanks for sharing your knowledge, everyone!

[essexjan]

On 23/02/2017 at 3:01 AM, WrongReasons said:

Yet another one that didn't need to be 2 hours. TPTB need to cut these boring ones down to 1 hour. I'm glad he finally got on board but man he was a miserable person there. 

 

 

In the UK it's edited down to an hour. I'm just catching up on this one, and we didn't have any traffic jam. We saw the part where they packed up and left, the new house was a shit hole, but then it moved on to Dr Now's office, the first failed attempt to lose weight, the renewed focus, surgery, follow-up, therapy, final scene and The End.

I agree with everyone who said the wife might alos benefit from weight-loss surgery too. It won't be long before he weighs much less than her.