S05.E10: Tanisha's Story

[55Unicorns]

Is she TRYING to be an asshole to Dr. Now, just to see if he'll still be there is she gives him crap?

[Maggienolia]

Back to Dr. Now's after basically saying "screw this" and gaining 41 pounds and STILL comes at him with an attitude. She's headed in her mother's footsteps. Sad but with that attitude and unwillingness to change and blaming EVERYTHING on stress... yeah... she's headed (sadly) for an early grave.

[Pers]

I like this therapist. I hope Tanisha sticks with it. 

[okerry]

I really like this therapist. I think she's got some good info that would benefit many, many people. Seems genuine.

[poeticlicensed]

Wow, that was the most common sense straight up counselor they have ever had on this show.

[Spooneroonie]

If someone banged on my door/windows while also repeatedly calling me, I sure as hell wouldn't answer the door. I'd be dialing the police instead. Which leads me to wonder about the teeny-tiny fine print in the contracts that the subjects sign: perhaps there's a clause in there that says Producer Sarah can stalk you at any point in time, and you just have to deal?

I love Malaysia, and I hope she receives some therapy, as well. Her mom gaining hundreds of pounds is in no way her fault, and I hope that someday she realizes that. (Edit: Tanisha did tell her, which was a positive thing.)

Edited March 9, 2017 by Spooneroonie

[55Unicorns]

Well, at least she's headed in the right direction...

[Pers]

I don't get it. Why is she so mopey now? This episode is a strange rollercoaster.

[Azubah]

Just now, Pers said:

I don't get it. Why is she so mopey now? This episode is a strange rollercoaster.

I think there must be a lot of stuff we're not seeing.

[SkinnyMinnie]

She's a b*tch to Dr. Now. If I was him I'd sew up her mouth too.

[TicketToHellPaid]

Ain't a show with no juggalos

thanks pers, sounds like it got good as it went downhill. Still waiting for it here.

 

still don't know what a juggalo is.

[55Unicorns]

Gawd...seeing someone's stomach laid out like that...

[TicketToHellPaid]

1 hour ago, Azubah said:

I swear, watching these shows (and Intervention and some others), you'd get the impression that families that don't molest their kids are the minority. The world is full of pervs.

Former pill popper and the only one that wasn't molested as a kid.  Every woman in AA I know was molested.

clearly it screws people up for life.

Edited March 9, 2017 by TicketToHellPaid

[55Unicorns]

That poor little girl....at least Mom is handling it ...

[Christina]

The contract she signed and the money she received for doing this show should allow the producers to bang on her door and call her as much as they want to until she responds. Her outrage at the producer pissed me off, and just made me think she has no intentions of trying. Saying that Dr. Now didn't give her a diet while she was eating fried chicken should have told me that, but I recognize she is truly addicted and needed counseling long before she started. But, making the producer the bad guy in the exchange because she did wrong, along with not setting her daughter straight that her weight was not that poor girl's fault make me not care if she succeeds or not. We are almost at the end of the episode, she is trying again and has underwent the surgery, and I'm hoping for a change that makes me want to root for her again.

Too many episodes this season seem like "point and laugh at this person" episodes as opposed to people who really want the change, even if they may falter on the way. I can root for those people and cheer for them when they improve. It's not enjoyable watching to me when I'm shown someone naked and being washed because it seems like such an unnecessary invasion of privacy that doesn't add anything to the show, but these people do it in the hopes of getting surgery from Dr. Now. Then, the show just shows them as trash, and I feel guilty for watching. Struggling is one thing; it's expected with addiction. Revealing that person for being a flat out asshole is another. 

ETA: The daughter just shared that she thought her mom's weight was her fault, and Tanisha told her it was not. 

Edited March 9, 2017 by Christina
Added paragraph

[SouthernCross]

The little girl is a sweetheart. 

Other than the pee pail, the gross factor is pretty minimal. No hoisting of rolls or rags on sticks. 

The house is clean. 

[TicketToHellPaid]

1 hour ago, Pers said:

Ooops, spoke too soon - husband being rude to Dr. Now. A wild enabler appears! 

Edited to add: sh*t! They're getting divorced! That was fast!

Edited again: replacement man - he looks a lot like the old model. 

She got rid of one man and acquired another already?

where the hell do these men come from?

[55Unicorns]

Love talking with you guys...see you next week!

[Azubah]

2 minutes ago, TicketToHellPaid said:

where the hell do these men come from?

And they're good-looking, too!

[TicketToHellPaid]

1 hour ago, MsVixen said:

I was going to use something that I heard from one of "The View" ladies.  She had a friend who had a blog which was called "That Bitch's Got A Man?"   

(I'm going to gas up the bus to hell right now.....)

Hop on my bus, my ticket and ride have been bought for a long time.

plenty of room ?

[mellowjoi]

1 minute ago, SouthernCross said:

The little girl is a sweetheart. 

Other than the pee pail, the gross factor is pretty minimal. No hoisting of rolls or rags on sticks. 

The house is clean. 

The house was very clean.  Makes me mad the mother has allowed the youngest to believe it's her fault mom is fat.  Makes me wonder what type of guilt she has placed on the oldest daughter.  It's not physical child abuse but it mental abuse and it's wrong. 

[Ms. Bubba]

10 minutes ago, TicketToHellPaid said:

Former pill popper and the only one that wasn't molested as a kid.  Every woman in AA I know was molested.

clearly it screws people up for life.

I think it's a lot more common than people think.

[aliya]

I give her props for taking pictures with her kids. I'm a big proponent of 'the mom stays in the picture.' Most women weigh a lot less than women on this show, but are unwilling to be in the picture with their kids. As time goes by, there are plenty of pics of the kids, but few of the mom. It takes guts to have your picture taken at her size, but her kids will appreciate it, no matter how  big she is. 

Gosh, I sound like a human with a heart.  Somebody pull me back from the edge...

[Dizzychickstar]

Love that Dr. Now keeps it real and called out hubby's passive aggressive yawning during the follow up appointment. 

Still watching, but I feel for Tanisha. That heritage of abuse and addiction's so obviously crippling. Love her sweet little girl. So bright and chipper--she can come stay with me?Love to see her painting and little style. Her introspection is heartbreaking--a little one trying to make sense of her world. *hugs through the screen. I hope Tanisha is vigilant about watching other adults and family around her children. 

Shallow/ Dang! David was right there to slide into position. Love Tanisha's confidence--can't tell her nuthin with her fro of fire, red bag, and purple ensemble. 

[SouthernCross]

Meh...she keeps whining about how stressed she is.

FFS...she doesn't do anything other than sit on the bed or sit on the couch.  Her home looks decent and she's obviously got cash to buy all those assorted weaves.  

I'm at 1 1/2 years now and 41lb gain. She could have lost half her weight by now. 

[88Keys]

I thought she started out promising, saying how it was her own fault and she was ready to make changes and all, but wow.  That went downhill quickly.  Did TLC really follow her around, when she would let them, for TWO YEARS?  Maybe she was supposed to be on an episode last season.

She had lost 100 pounds by the end, but really didn't look much different.  And she was still using the wheelchair.  I'm a little worried about her long-term success, honestly.

[steff13]

1 hour ago, aliya said:

We have a saying from one of our church Presidents, "Get on your knees and pray. And then get on your feet and work."  It's one of my favorites. 

Oh, I'm so stealing that.

[steff13]

55 minutes ago, TicketToHellPaid said:

Ain't a show with no juggalos

thanks pers, sounds like it got good as it went downhill. Still waiting for it here.

 

still don't know what a juggalo is.

I believe Juggalo and Juggalette is what the fans of Insane Clown Posse call themselves.  I don't know a lot about them, other than they like to drink Faygo.

[mmecorday]

I couldn't watch all of this one. I cut out after the church scene. I'm sorry her childhood was so horrific, but she was so unwillingly to do even the least bit to help herself. The little girl crying because she blamed herself for her mother's obesity was about the most heart-breaking moment in the series thus far.

I have two questions: 1.) Why in the hell did she put her salad in the microwave? 2.) There was a candid picture of her mother eating fried chicken while in the nude (I'm assuming she was naked as it appeared her breasts were blurred.) Who takes a picture of a nude obese woman eating fried chicken??

You know, on second thought, I don't want to know the answer to my second question.

[CousinOliver]

That was some full squat over the bed pan, though. And she got herself back up!  I was expecting a hover.  Walking to the bathroom seems easy in comparison.  

[SouthernCross]

36 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

I have two questions: 1.) Why in the hell did she put her salad in the microwave? 

I saw that too but assumed it was their weird editing or something because....WTF?

20 minutes ago, CousinOliver said:

That was some full squat over the bed pan, though. And she got herself back up!  I was expecting a hover.  Walking to the bathroom seems easy in comparison.  

I didn't understand all the wheelchair use.  Her legs seemed ok and when she needed to walk she was able to. 

Stubborness aside, I can buy this has been going on forever.  Her story seems to fit in better with past seasons...before the massive over the top train wrecks we've had lately.  

Edited March 9, 2017 by SouthernCross

[Barb23]

I'm being Debbie Downer (again).  I don't have good vibes that she'll succeed.  Besides eating store bought salads with creamy ranch dressing, did we see her eat anything else healthy or cook a healthy meal for the girls at the end?  That whole family including new boyfriend's daughter need to make changes in their eating. The oldest daughter was as big as her mother or close to it.  I dozed off occasionally - did they show her exercising at all, even just a walk around the parking lot? Did Dr Now even address her exercising like he does with everyone else?  Like another poster said, walking in the pool would have been great for her.  I'm questioning the use of the wheelchair.  It didn't seem like she needed it to go to the counselor but in the next scene, she's wheeling herself into Dr Now's exam room & he didn't even mention it when it was sitting next to her folded up.  In the past, he's given other patients hell for still using a wheelchair or walker after surgery.  Maybe he just wanted her gone & didn't want to start another argument with her. In my opinion, she could have least upgraded to a walker.  

[Armchair Critic]

1 hour ago, SkinnyMinnie said:

She's a b*tch to Dr. Now

I notice she doesn't say thank you either. With her stank attitude she doesn't have the personality for being a counselor at church.

[OSM Mom]

I thought I saw chicken in the salad, which is probably better warmed up. (The chicken... Not the salad) 

And am I the only one who saw her spray her hooha with perfume?? 

Malaysia (Bad enough that name, but I refuse to even try and spell it the other way) is just the sweetest thing. I want to hug her.. Poor baby. It's not her fault her mother is a whale. 

[Miss Ruth]

2 hours ago, Brooklynista said:

Where does one find a new boyfriend when one can't leave the bed??

She sure made it to the bathroom by herself after Troy left.  I'm sure she was in pain at times, but it seemed to me that she got around pretty well.

[Carrie]

New here.  Just have to say - two hours of my life watching a childish, morbidly obese woman not lose weight.  Two hours I will want back some day. Really this "episode" should have been scrapped.  

[DC Gal in VA]

Besides all of the truly sad and frustrating aspects of her story, I really wanted to shout at the screen "please stop chasing men and just do YOU for a while!" Especially so after her horrendous past experiences of sexual abuse and rape, I mean both her grandfather and one of her mom's boyfriends then the rape by a strange man. If it was me, I would be so paranoid about having any man around my beautiful girls. My thinking would be "are all these guys really that into super morbidly obese women or could they just be trying to get next to my daughters?"

Anybody else feel this way?

Edited March 9, 2017 by DC Gal in VA
To correct typo.

[magemaud]

An hour into the rerun of this episode and Tanisha hasn't made one bit of progress! Should I give it another TWO HOURS? 

[Armchair Critic]

1 minute ago, magemaud said:

Should I give it another TWO HOURS? 

Only one more hour, the 3rd hour is Skin Tight.

[Pretty5Vacant]

Dr Now should of said, "Bye Tanisha" after she basically said screw the program

 

I come from the imdb boards and I come in peace :) frequent reader here though

[EtheltoTillie]

This one really did not follow the established script. What a sad story. That therapy session was devastating. 

[Dru Blood]

3 hours ago, mmecorday said:

2.) There was a candid picture of her mother eating fried chicken while in the nude (I'm assuming she was naked as it appeared her breasts were blurred.) Who takes a picture of a nude obese woman eating fried chicken??

I know you said that you "didn't want to know", but my tentative guess would be that some how the poor dear got mixed up in feeder porn.  She appeared to be on oxygen and most likely wasn't receiving much income and needed money to live on.  Just a guess though, so don't quote me.

[jacksgirl]

Since the show follows people for a year and when they start, no one knows who will succeed and who will fail, maybe TPTB just decided we've committed a year plus to Tanisha,  we need to finish? They definitely commit time to start with these people and since Tanisha didn't have to move to Houston,  said screw it, we will keep filming.  I see Tanisha being in the less than 5% that will succeed.

[Armchair Critic]

5 hours ago, Pretty5Vacant said:

Dr Now should of said, "Bye Tanisha" after she basically said screw the program

LMAO! Bye Tanisha/Felicia!

[operalover]

9 hours ago, SouthernCross said:

Well, nice we are getting to skip the "on the road" histrionics we had last week. 

Maybe when you up and move yourself and your whole family you try harder...I think that is a big motivation- they are in a shithole apartment in Houston, have nothing to do, don't know anyone, so why not diet?

[Guest]

Points for Tanisha and her lipstick hombre effect game. It's clear she has a lot of free time to watch the how-to YouTube videos. I wish she'd have spent another 10 minutes watching one that showed her how to apply some damn foundation. 

Also points for having the neatest, tidiest home I think I've ever seen on this show! 

That being said, she's a miserable human. Nobody deserves shit in life unless you're willing to work for it. She didn't "deserve" WLS no more than I "deserve" a Ph.D in physics simply because I want one. I'm sorry for her horrific childhood but, sans the abuse, she's foisting a horrific childhood on her own kids, too. 

If she had as much common sense as she does hairstyles, she'd be in good shape. 

[poeticlicensed]

WRT the mystery of the salad in the microwave:

As soon as I saw the salad coming out of the fridge, I said to Mr. Poetic, I think that's fried chicken on that salad. Eating salad is a great way to lose weight, but a lot of people fool themselves in thinking that salad with anything on it is still diet food. And fried chicken is a no no, even if it's on a bed of greens. Then she slathered the dressing on it. I figured she wanted to heat up the chicken. Why she didn't take the chicken off the salad and heat it up by itself remains a mystery. 

Edited March 9, 2017 by poeticlicensed

[Pepper Mostly]

11 hours ago, operalover said:

Wait, how did she get a boyfriend at 600 pounds and I can't get one?

Two words--low standards

11 hours ago, Ms. Bubba said:

she just doesn't get it. "I'm gonna take a little break" and eats fried chicken, fries, slushees.....

My god, that was obscene. You just know she made everyone's life hell if she didn't get what she wanted. She had every excuse in the book. "I'm stressed!" "Its an addiction, I need help!" "my kids need me!" but they all meant the same thing "I want to lose weight but I don't want to stop eating crap". As Shelley used to say on Celebrity Rehab, "she's not prepared to do what it takes. She's prepared to do what she thinks it should take".

11 hours ago, Maggienolia said:

Back to Dr. Now's after basically saying "screw this" and gaining 41 pounds and STILL comes at him with an attitude. She's headed in her mother's footsteps. Sad but with that attitude and unwillingness to change and blaming EVERYTHING on stress... yeah... she's headed (sadly) for an early grave.

Her kids are headed there too. Not only is she not available to parent them, she makes them enable her bad habits and encourages them in the same bad habits. And really, there are enough stray men around that she can find a new honey in fifteen minutes? I would worry about those girls. That is fishy as hell.

I think TLC came to her house and tried to persuade her to continue for a couple of reasons. They knew they had a trainwreck on their hands and had to try and salvage it. They'd probably already paid her at least some of the money for the show. Maybe her producer came by again and said "sure Tanisha, we'll get out of your life. Just give back the $2500 we've already paid you and we'll be gone". And I'm sure she signed a contract. Surprise! you don't get to just walk out if you change your mind!

[dahling]

Lose 11 pounds...

Gain 10...

"I've gained back almost everything I've lost" -- she was speaking as if she had lost 150 pounds in the first place, instead of 11.  I've never seen anyone so inordinately proud of 11 pounds.

Free Mahlayzwysia. I'll take her. 

[atiyah9369]

12 hours ago, operalover said:

Wait, how did she get a boyfriend at 600 pounds and I can't get one?

This never fails to boggle my mind! How are they finding these men? Especially the ones that will carry a bright red purse for his woman LOL.