S05.E11: James K's Story

[operalover]

3 minutes ago, Michael Stabosz said:

Some of them do within 2 years.  More of them after 3.  Someone compiled some links to past patients' Facebook pages and web sites

Christina Phillips, for example, got down to about 170 pounds and looks absolutely gorgeous.

Even if some of them go from being house-bound and not able to drive at 650 pounds and get down to 300-350 their quality of life has vastly improved, even if by most standards they are still overweight. A few of them are just thrilled to be up and out of the house and getting involved in life although to society they are still obese.  It's a very long road. And as stated James is worse than most because his feet, legs and body has been totally destroyed.

I also noticed that they are liars because at first they said to the audience- I've been stuck in this bed nearly 4 years now. But then he told Dr. Now that he had been in the bed only 2 years. which is it? whichever one suits the conversation and sounds better.

[legalwriter]

I more I think about it, I wonder if Lisa is subconsciously or intentionally trying to kill James. A number of doctors, nurses, and caregivers have killed the elderly and people with disabilities.

Tape Measure: You could duct tape regular tape measures together but you would probably need about a dozen. In the alternative, you could use an open reel measure tape with a hand crank used in athletic events and for construction. I saw a 100 foot tape measure Amazon for $12. I hope 100 feet would be enough for a waist measurement. Maybe not. . . .

I got really squeamish looking at those legs. I guess that's why I chose not to go to medical school.

[Carrie]

5 minutes ago, Michael Stabosz said:

Some of them do within 2 years.  More of them after 3.  Someone compiled some links to past patients' Facebook pages and web sites

Christina Phillips, for example, got down to about 170 pounds and looks absolutely gorgeous.

Problem with Christina is that I worry she is now anorexic.  Food disorders are psychological fundamentally; they involve a hyper-focus on food, whether you are avoiding eating or eating all the time. Two sides of the same coin.

[SouthernCross]

50 minutes ago, operalover said:

Not really they only raised $459 out of the $50,000 they asked for!

 hasn't walked since ..his hospital bed he had broke about a yr ago and he could no longer get out of the bed do to the bed breaking and then he just got worse from then on out...he was hospitalized In Louisville about a yr ago and was sent home and got worse when he was sent home...he has been on every diet there is and nothing is helping he drinks nothing but water and is very active for someone his size...

WTF does a broken bed have to do with your ability to get out of it?  

These people havent earned $50K their entire lives.  They really think the general public (who is already supporting them) is going to part with their hard earned cash.  Ridiculous.

[Stephanie1216]

James actually said at the beginning he wanted to get out of the bed so he can do the things he likes to do. He IS doing what he wants to do, he's eating what he wants, the food is cooked and served to him, he is mean when he wants and Lisa is easily bullied, he even likes them cleaning his s***. He wiggles around in the bed and then calls for Lisa to "change" him. This man literally can't even wipe his own ass. 

In Texas when she gives him that Chinese food, his face is euphoric, just like the addicts shooting up herion. Looks exactly the same.

yes, his legs really get worse over the course of the seven months that were filmed. It starts off as cellulitis but the bubbles that come after I can't find anywhere online.

when Dr Now goes to the apartment and they stand and talk over James while his genitals are displayed, is what he deserves. He can't even see it at that moment I don't know if he knew he was exposed but I'm sure he doesn't care. When a man has no shame for his young daughter to change his shitty sheets, that man has no shame at all.

The lies!!!! He knows he's lost wait? He had gained 150lbs. Said he was really working out. Tried to tell the doctor the hospital didn't give him what he needed.

[Wings]

6 minutes ago, Carrie said:

Problem with Christina is that I worry she is now anorexic.  Food disorders are psychological fundamentally; they involve a hyper-focus on food, whether you are avoiding eating or eating all the time. Two sides of the same coin.

Only Christina's face is visible and she doesn't look anorexic at all.  She is probably carrying a lot of weight below her waist and why she is not showing a full body shot.   If anyone does go there, they can get help just as they did to loose the weight.  It is a lifetime journey for all of them.   

[Kid]

14 minutes ago, Carrie said:

Problem with Christina is that I worry she is now anorexic.  Food disorders are psychological fundamentally; they involve a hyper-focus on food, whether you are avoiding eating or eating all the time. Two sides of the same coin.

 Amen! I went to over eaters anonymous for a while and the people who were anorexic had the same problems that I did. I binged and they starved themselves.   That was the only difference between us.  

And that is the other thing that got me about James. You don't need to have money to get help. If he really wanted to get a handle on is eating, overeaters anonymous is free. Now, it's not going to address his legs and heart problems but it would've done more to solve the issue that is causing the problem with his legs and his heart  then going to Houston did. But, OA is not magic, you have to want to change and you have to do the work and you don't get to be on TV!

Someone on this forum said before that he was just like his mother except her problem was alcohol in his is food.   I had to come to grips with the same issue. I hated my alcoholic family but I got to realize that no one gets out alive. I had an addictive personality, as well,  only it wasn't drugs and alcohol. It was food, it was nicotine, and it was crisis. Took years to overcome the addictions one day at a time.  You have to be sick and tired of being sick and tired. And James is not sick and tired.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Kid

[operalover]

5 minutes ago, Stephanie1216 said:

James actually said at the beginning he wanted to get out of the bed so he can do the things he likes to do. He IS doing what he wants to do, he's eating what he wants, the food is cooked and served to him, he is mean when he wants and Lisa is easily bullied, he even likes them cleaning his s***. He wiggles around in the bed and then calls for Lisa to "change" him. This man literally can't even wipe his own ass. 

In Texas when she gives him that Chinese food, his face is euphoric, just like the addicts shooting up herion. Looks exactly the same.

yes, his legs really get worse over the course of the seven months that were filmed. It starts off as cellulitis but the bubbles that come after I can't find anywhere online.

when Dr Now goes to the apartment and they stand and talk over James while his genitals are displayed, is what he deserves. He can't even see it at that moment I don't know if he knew he was exposed but I'm sure he doesn't care. When a man has no shame for his young daughter to change his shitty sheets, that man has no shame at all.

The lies!!!! He knows he's lost wait? He had gained 150lbs. Said he was really working out. Tried to tell the doctor the hospital didn't give him what he needed.

seriously he said something about "hitting rock bottom" if he didn't get to Houston. He hit rock bottom once he started shitting the bed and growing cauliflower on his legs, not being able to sit up, having to use a catheter, can't fit in a car or through the door, need 2 full time caregivers. How can it get any worse? 

[Thriftykins]

13 minutes ago, Carrie said:

Problem with Christina is that I worry she is now anorexic.  Food disorders are psychological fundamentally; they involve a hyper-focus on food, whether you are avoiding eating or eating all the time. Two sides of the same coin.

I worry about that too.  She showed it in her followup episode and it looked like she worked with a therapist and maybe got it under control, but it's hard to tell. 

 

There were 2 anorexic women who worked out at my gym.  It was a sickening sight.  If they ever got on the machines in front of me, I would try to avert my eyes or go to a different machine.  Christina doesn't look that bad in her Facebook photos.... if those are current.

[FCOL]

I personally am not a fan of elective surgery because any surgery can kill you. So I am always stunned when one of the people on the show says stuff like 'well if I diet and lose weight but don't get the surgery, what's the point?', or 'I lost 100lbs and he still won't approve me i'm just wasting my time' (both paraphrased) to which I always wonder 'What do they think the surgery is going to do?'.  I mean the point is to lose weight, you lost weight, that's not a waste of time. This isn't liposuction, no fat is being removed, the surgery ONLY helps you with physical cravings, or am I wrong? Most of these people are not eating because they have physical cravings, the Dr. knows this that is why he is making you do the pre-work.

I also love it when they are 500 pounds and want the skin removal surgery. Its just a weird thing for me to grasp people WANTING to go through the pain of surgery over and over.  If I started the Dr.s program and lost 200 without surgery, I would be like 'let's keep doing this!'.

[Diane M]

12 hours ago, Vettech said:

 

It's not a matter of "if" he stinks, he does.

 

Think of the camera crew who spent days/weeks trapped in the apartment filming this guy.  I hope they got bonuses when they were finished.

[Swataz]

It speaks volumes that the Gofundme efforts have failed so miserably.

[Thriftykins]

4 minutes ago, FCOL said:

I personally am not a fan of elective surgery because any surgery can kill you. So I am always stunned when one of the people on the show says stuff like 'well if I diet and lose weight but don't get the surgery, what's the point?', or 'I lost 100lbs and he still won't approve me i'm just wasting my time' (both paraphrased) to which I always wonder 'What do they think the surgery is going to do?'.  I mean the point is to lose weight, you lost weight, that's not a waste of time. This isn't liposuction, no fat is being removed, the surgery ONLY helps you with physical cravings, or am I wrong? Most of these people are not eating because they have physical cravings, the Dr. knows this that is why he is making you do the pre-work.

I also love it when they are 500 pounds and want the skin removal surgery. Its just a weird thing for me to grasp people WANTING to go through the pain of surgery over and over.  If I started the Dr.s program and lost 200 without surgery, I would be like 'let's keep doing this!'.

The surgery doesn't get rid of your cravings.  It really just shrinks your stomach so that you can't eat as much food in one sitting.

 

Weight management has a physical and a psychological component.   The physical component is when you physically feel hunger.  Your stomach growls and you feel a little pain there.  It's pretty simple to fix and understand.  By reducing the size of the stomach, the patient can feel full on less food.

 

The psychological component is much harder.  That's when you eat for reasons unrelated to actual hunger.  You are bored, or angry, or stressed out, or depressed, or scared or whatever...  Or it could be pure habit.  There was a period in my life when I ate a Tastycake Chocolate Junior every morning after getting to work.  I enjoyed it sure, but it was largely about the ritual.  Or it could just be that you want that pleasant feeling that eating delicious but unhealthy food provides.  That psychological component is much harder to deal with and requires willpower and hard work by the patient.  That's why Dr. Now always makes the patients lose some weight on their own first: to prove that they can deal with the psychological component.

[Trees]

7 hours ago, Lizz said:

The pictures, Lord, the pictures.  Catheter and all.  Page should come with a warning.  

Is it bad that I had to laugh that the largest donation is from a Mexican restaurant?  $304!  Do you think maybe he was their best customer?  More rice and beans for James!

Maybe sell some of the pricey electronics before asking others for money.  

Three house fires.... insurance companies won't touch them now unless they pay astronomical premiums, if then.  

He was orgasmic over the desserts. I can't believe I've watched it twice.  I'm the one who needs help.  

Most people never experience ONE house fire, let alone THREE! 

Edited March 17, 2017 by Trees
better

[Whyyouneedaname]

hafta admit when he was eating the Chinese take out I was shocked that he left some on the plate. Of course he could have been in a hurry to inhale the cheese cake. Dude needs some intervention, and the GF & daughter completely out of the pic, he is abusing them.

[Trees]

26 minutes ago, operalover said:

seriously he said something about "hitting rock bottom" if he didn't get to Houston. He hit rock bottom once he started shitting the bed and growing cauliflower on his legs, not being able to sit up, having to use a catheter, can't fit in a car or through the door, need 2 full time caregivers. How can it get any worse? 

It did get worse. Heart failure.  Didn't mean a damn to him. Just kept shoveling it in.  I think the only rock bottom for James is the bariatric coffin the family's going to have to refinance another house to buy.

I only hope that once he's in the grave, his children can get counseling and try to break this toxic cycle of codependency and abuse and addiction. 

[Aw my lahgs]

1 hour ago, OSM Mom said:

"He's very active for someone his size.." BWAHAHAHA!!!! Unless you classify shoveling in food by the pound and screaming "ow" all day, as active.  I almost hurt myself laughing at that. 

I remember there was a woman about his size on once. She had a special needs son who she took care of, and she walked around with her big son on her shoulder since he couldn't walk.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Nutella

[TurtlePower]

49 minutes ago, Carrie said:

Problem with Christina is that I worry she is now anorexic.  Food disorders are psychological fundamentally; they involve a hyper-focus on food, whether you are avoiding eating or eating all the time. Two sides of the same coin.

in reading about Christina, having been anorexic myself, I am concerned for her just based on her comments. Christina: “Lately any time I see the scale go up, I tend to freak out and I stop eating for a couple days."

Her collarbones and chest bones are visible in some photos, indicating a loss of not just fat, but muscle. The thing with anorexia is that the disease is progressing even while the person appears "healthy". By the time someone appears underweight, they have been ill for a very long time. 

Anorexia is food related but that's only a small fragment of its manifestation. It's extremely difficult to overcome because it's easier to remove a substance from someone than it is to try and force it into them. 

Edited March 17, 2017 by Runnergirl
Autocorrect was incorrect. Again.

[Wings]

Eating, for the morbidly obese is akin to taking heroin for a drug addict.  That is not going to disappear unless they can transfer the food high to feeling that way about their body getting smaller. You have to replace the addiction with something else.

3 minutes ago, Whyyouneedaname said:

hafta admit when he was eating the Chinese take out I was shocked that he left some on the plate. Of course he could have been in a hurry to inhale the cheese cake. Dude needs some intervention, and the GF & daughter completely out of the pic, he is abusing them.

.  When I saw that I immediately thought, wow, she must have bought a HUGE amount of food for him to be finished.  He probably ate all the rice all the egg rolls (favorites), save one we saw her have, and skipped the vegetables (I saw broccoli being cleared away).

[mmecorday]

I swear, the soldier in "Gone With the Wind" about to have his leg amputated without chloroform didn't carry on as much as James did. I keep hearing him yelling, "Ow, mah leg!" over and over.

[Barb23]

1 hour ago, SouthernCross said:

Yeah they are sleeping 10 feet apart in an 800 sq ft apartment....not on opposite ends of the White House.  It was just another demonstration of his abusive control of this woman.  

Agree.  I broke my leg a few years ago & slept in the recliner in our living room.  When I needed help in middle of night I called my husband or son on my cell.  Or if that didn't wake them up, I hollered. Very simple.

Someone mentioned bed sores which they never mentioned on the show.  His whole backside has to be covered with them since he never moved from that one position unless they were cleaning him and we saw how clean that bed was.  That whole catheter thing was just gross.  I have a very strong stomach but can't imagine having to empty or change that bag.  On the pop-up about his heart failure it did say he was also  treated for infections while he was in the hospital.  How much antibiotics did they have to give him to actually work? He probably wiped out their supply of Cipro. 

Another observation - why don't they use colored or preferably dark colored sheets?  At least it wouldn't show all the "funk".  (Kudos to poster who used that word, love it)  The white sheets were just gross when they showed them either moving or cleaning him.  I keep laughing thinking about him breaking his home hospital bed and Lisa trying to use that as an excuse with Dr. Now.  Couldn't they just hoist the bed up on cinder blocks like an old car that's missing it's wheels?  It wasn't like he used the electrical part of the bed since he was always shown in that one position.  They never showed him with his feet & legs raised which would help with the swelling.  (Not sure if it would work on a person his size though.)

I also laughed that he was so proud of himself for "exercising" using the arm weights.  I realize any movement is good for an immobile person, but he thought he was The Man. He was delusional thinking it was helping immensely with his weight loss.  

I'm enjoying watching the old episodes of 600 lbs TLC has been playing daily at noon. Pauline is on now & Penny was on earlier this week.  Oh their excuses.......

Edited March 17, 2017 by Barb23

[Lizzie Jones]

1 hour ago, gardendiva said:

Why do all these behemoth bariatric patients seem to have the same weird splayed out legs? They all look like they have the legs of a plastic baby doll whose legs have been turned out in their sockets. I am a normal size and tried to get my legs to do that and it was painful in the hips to keep them in that position.

 

I can tell you why mine do that. First off at my last weigh in I was 462 pounds. That is down from 520 lbs. I carry most of my weight in my legs and especially in my thighs. I also have a very large lymphedema  on each leg right at the inner part of each knee. Those alone make it very difficult to put my legs together. I can if I need too but there is still quite a bit of space there due to the fat. I have a photo if anyone wants to see.

[operalover]

23 minutes ago, wings707 said:

Eating, for the morbidly obese is akin to taking heroin for a drug addict.  That is not going to disappear unless they can transfer the food high to feeling that way about their body getting smaller. You have to replace the addiction with something else.

.  When I saw that I immediately thought, wow, she must have bought a HUGE amount of food for him to be finished.  He probably ate all the rice all the egg rolls (favorites), save one we saw her have, and skipped the vegetables (I saw broccoli being cleared away).

I am sure he went right back to it as soon he was done with the cheesecake. He stopped because after all "I don't want to undo all that I already done". And then inhaled the cheesecake. THE CAMERAS WERE THERE! This is when you are supposed to pretend to be following the diet.  What happened when the cameras were not there? Well we know because as Dr. Now says "the scale doesn't lie". Every meal, every hour, every day= cheated SOME 

[poeticlicensed]

How many gofundme pages does this guy have? I've seen 2 so far. One was created by Lisa, the other by someone named Courtney. Who is Courtney? 

[Fluffball]

Such a whiner.  

[Noirprncess]

5 minutes ago, operalover said:

I am sure he went right back to it as soon he was done with the cheesecake. He stopped because after all "I don't want to undo all that I already done". And then inhaled the cheesecake. THE CAMERAS WERE THERE! This is when you are supposed to pretend to be following the diet.  What happened when the cameras were not there? Well we know because as Dr. Now says "the scale doesn't lie". Every meal, every hour, every day= cheated SOME 

Meanwhile, I had to stop buying slices of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake because I figured out it took me about 4 days to eat one slice.  It's just too much for me in one setting & by day 3 or 4 I was sick of it.

Not to mention that first slice was obviously multiple servings.

[ClareWalks]

Just now, Noirprncess said:

Meanwhile, I had to stop buying slices of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake because I figured out it took me about 4 days to eat one slice.  It's just too much for me in one setting & by day 3 or 4 I was sick of it.

For real. I'd have to be feeling extremely piggish to eat an entire slice of cheesecake, and even then I'd have to attempt it on an empty stomach.

[Noirprncess]

Does anyone know how many months went between visits with Dr Now when he gained 158 pounds?  I thought it was like 2-3 months but that means he was gaining like 50+ pounds a MONTH.

[marz]

18 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

I want to buy Dr. Now a beer and just listen to stories.

Wouldn't it be great to hear what Dr. Now really has to say about these lumps?  He is so mild-mannered on the show (with the exception of James, and can we blame him?) but get a couple beers into him and I bet he'd light up!

[Hana Chan]

When he was laying in the hospital bed after his cardiac episode, he was moaning in the voice over that he didn't understand how this happened because he hadn't cheated that much (HA!). He is completely missing the point that his body has completely fallen apart from many years of the abuse he's put it through. You just can't weigh as much as he has for as long as he has without his organs starting to give out. I'm guessing that besides the congestive heart failure that his liver is the consistency of foie gras and  his arteries are probably coated with enough lard to make a thousand pies. That's not even touching on this systemic skin infection that he's got going on. His entire system was going into full collapse long before he got in touch with Dr. Now.

Not to sound like a broken record, but he's as delusional as fuck. And he keeps painting himself as some kind of sad victim when the only victims here is that poor woman and her daughter who are trapped as his caretakers.

[CarolMK]

One thing I'll admit that this show does for me is to force me to look at my own life and not feel sorry for myself, no matter what the circumstances. Last month I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and this past Tuesday I had surgery to remove the lump, and I'll have radiation for a  few weeks starting in a month- hopefully no chemotherapy will be needed. Seeing somebody like James, who put himself into this condition by his own behavior, acting so entitled and whiny really gets on my last nerve. If there was any way I could have prevented my cancer, I definitely would have done so. James is so many years into his behavior and addiction that he's beyond hope, and Dr. Now recognized that over the course of his visits with James. I have to wonder why Lisa didn't make any attempt to stop him along the way- it sounds like they've been together now almost 25 years. 

The one thing I think might be a bit harsh is when Lisa is taking the brunt of James's weight gain. Yes, she brings him the food, but it is his choice to either eat it or refuse. She isn't forcing him to overeat as far I could see. In her own sick way, she thinks she's making him happy, probably not realizing she's feeding his addiction. 

[okerry]

3 hours ago, Toaster Strudel said:

Just in time to pay for the funeral, too...

The great thing about fires is that they get rid of the smell, the flies, the stains on the carpet, and all the broken up junk piled in every corner.

Ever seen *What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" They had the same idea.

[operalover]

20 minutes ago, Noirprncess said:

Does anyone know how many months went between visits with Dr Now when he gained 158 pounds?  I thought it was like 2-3 months but that means he was gaining like 50+ pounds a MONTH.

The show said it was 2 months but someone upthread said it was actually 4 months. 

31 minutes ago, poeticlicensed said:

How many gofundme pages does this guy have? I've seen 2 so far. One was created by Lisa, the other by someone named Courtney. Who is Courtney? 

I think Courtney is his step-daughter- one of Lisa's kids by her first marriage

3 minutes ago, CarolMK said:

One thing I'll admit that this show does for me is to force me to look at my own life and not feel sorry for myself, no matter what the circumstances. Last month I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and this past Tuesday I had surgery to remove the lump, and I'll have radiation for a  few weeks starting in a month- hopefully no chemotherapy will be needed. Seeing somebody like James, who put himself into this condition by his own behavior, acting so entitled and whiny really gets on my last nerve. If there was any way I could have prevented my cancer, I definitely would have done so. James is so many years into his behavior and addiction that he's beyond hope, and Dr. Now recognized that over the course of his visits with James. I have to wonder why Lisa didn't make any attempt to stop him along the way- it sounds like they've been together now almost 25 years. 

The one thing I think might be a bit harsh is when Lisa is taking the brunt of James's weight gain. Yes, she brings him the food, but it is his choice to either eat it or refuse. She isn't forcing him to overeat as far I could see. In her own sick way, she thinks she's making him happy, probably not realizing she's feeding his addiction. 

Good luck with your treatment- I am sorry you have to go through that-it's very tough. There is no way to prevent breast cancer, contrary to popular opinion.  I think this is the only 1/2 century in the history of time that a person can get themselves into a state like this through their own actions. The human body is not supposed to work like this. 

Edited March 17, 2017 by operalover

[Noirprncess]

1 minute ago, operalover said:

The show said it was 2 months but someone upthread said it was actually 4 months. 

Thanks!

Still that's like 40 pounds a month.  He would have to "cheat" daily and avoid doing his upper body exercises.

[marz]

16 hours ago, Suzy123 said:

Does anyone else get really hungry while watching this show, get food ready, but then is too grossed out to eat it? This happens to me way too often and then I have to remind myself to NEVER eat during this show. t

Not only that, but I am compelled to exercise my arse off after the show is over.

[Jordan Baker]

2 hours ago, gardendiva said:

I am a normal size and tried to get my legs to do that and it was painful in the hips to keep them in that position.

Yes, but did you say "OWWW, mah hips!" over and over? :)

[Lesia]

4 hours ago, Noirprncess said:

But eating rice is TERRIBLE if you are trying hard to avoid carbs.

Ever see an 843 pound Japanese person? 

2 minutes ago, marz said:

Does anyone else get really hungry while watching this show, get food ready, but then is too grossed out to eat it? This happens to me way too often and then I have to remind myself to NEVER eat during this show. t

its like after watching HOARDERS I want to clean my bathroom.

[poeticlicensed]

Did anyone else catch the part when he lifted an arm weight for 10 seconds, then looked at his arm and commented "rock hard". I mean seriously, this guy thinks he has a hot bod under all that blubber? I am not surprised when they said he gave the EMTs women advice and considers himself a conniseur of the female persuasion.  Dude is delusional.  

Edited March 17, 2017 by poeticlicensed

[Noirprncess]

1 minute ago, Lesia said:

Ever see an 843 pound Japanese person? 

Sumo wrestlers  (they turbo eat on a fixed eating schedule)

[operalover]

3 minutes ago, Noirprncess said:

Thanks!

Still that's like 40 pounds a month.  He would have to "cheat" daily and avoid doing his upper body exercises.

those exercises don't do anything. "I'll eat this cheesecake then Ahl double up on my exercises". Thirty minutes of that might negate a bite and a half. I'm sure the second he feels any discomfort he stops and says "ow my chest, ow my arm...I gotta stop...I can't..get me a drink..get me something to eat..ow my arms..."

[flappa1016]

23 hours ago, bethster2000 said:

Here's the thing about the Chinese food that really bugged me: if he had a craving, he could have made it work for him.  He could have had cashew chicken, or moo goo gai pan, or kung pao anything.  And no rice.  And no egg rolls!  The sodium issue would still be there, but at least he would have been eating low carb.

Boom!  We are a low carb household and our local Chinese place has a delicious dish called spicy shrimp and scallops. They are lightly dredged thru flour (we tell them to skip that step) and then they're flash cooked in the wok with spicy oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and asparagus. Perfect for us. They also offer a dish that are filet mignon medallions cooked with mushrooms and a brown gravy (we just scrape off most of the gravy).  They are known for their egg rolls, so I order several and we unroll them and eat the filling. If we do takeout, I'll make fried cauliflower rice to serve alongside; if we dine in we tell them no rice. Some of the soups are also low carb friendly.

It's never going to be perfect, but there are workarounds. There is a popular reddit thread about low carb acceptable Chinese food dishes, and one of the commenters is a guy whose parents own a Chinese restaurant. He says it's impossible to go 100% low carb compliant because all meats are marinated in a solution containing sugar before cooking. But it's better than chowing down on rice and sauces full of starch and sugar. It's just as annoying as the fact that IHOP adds pancake batter to their scrambled eggs to make them fluffy. 

Edited March 17, 2017 by flappa1016

[operalover]

5 minutes ago, Lesia said:

Ever see an 843 pound Japanese person? 

 

no but the japanese don't eat pizza, bologna, sausage and hot dogs, chips, french fries and big macs to go along with the rice. They eat fish and vegetables with their rice. 

Edited March 17, 2017 by operalover

[BabyRocker]

17 hours ago, Barb23 said:

They said the breakfast he had  was 1630 calories & 103 grams of fat.  That has to be wrong.  It seems kind of low to me. He had 6 fried eggs, 6 sausages, 6 biscuits (4 broken up in a bowl with gravy & 2 broken up over the eggs & sausage) with a mountain of gravy poured over everything.  

 

But it was Turkey sausage.  You know, lo-cal

[Carrie]

15 minutes ago, CarolMK said:

One thing I'll admit that this show does for me is to force me to look at my own life and not feel sorry for myself, no matter what the circumstances. Last month I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and this past Tuesday I had surgery to remove the lump, and I'll have radiation for a  few weeks starting in a month- hopefully no chemotherapy will be needed. Seeing somebody like James, who put himself into this condition by his own behavior, acting so entitled and whiny really gets on my last nerve. If there was any way I could have prevented my cancer, I definitely would have done so. James is so many years into his behavior and addiction that he's beyond hope, and Dr. Now recognized that over the course of his visits with James. I have to wonder why Lisa didn't make any attempt to stop him along the way- it sounds like they've been together now almost 25 years. 

The one thing I think might be a bit harsh is when Lisa is taking the brunt of James's weight gain. Yes, she brings him the food, but it is his choice to either eat it or refuse. She isn't forcing him to overeat as far I could see. In her own sick way, she thinks she's making him happy, probably not realizing she's feeding his addiction. 

I wish you well CarolMK.  ❤️❤️❤️

[OSM Mom]

As to to cheesecake, I can eat 2 or 3 slices with no issue.. And doughnuts too. I could eat half a dozen Krispy Kremes easy. I don't, but I could easily. I can hardly eat anything anymore without gaining weight. My metabolism is zero.  But I try and do as much as possible, even with the fibromyalgia. Not just sit and shovel. 

[poeticlicensed]

16 minutes ago, flappa1016 said:

It's never going to be perfect, but there are workarounds. There is a popular reddit thread about low carb acceptable Chinese food dishes, and one of the commenters is a guy whose parents own a Chinese restaurant. He says it's impossible to go 100% low carb compliant because all meats are marinated in a solution containing sugar before cooking. But it's better than chowing down on rice and sauces full of starch and sugar. It's just as annoying as the fact that IHOP adds pancake batter to their scrambled eggs to make them fluffy. 

I have figured out that the only way to eat chinese food in a healthy way is to make it myself. "Rice" made from shredded cauliflower, with just a few drops of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and an egg. Stir fried veggies and chicken with a few drops of soy, chili paste ginger and splenda. I don't even try with take out. 

Edited March 17, 2017 by poeticlicensed

[Noirprncess]

4 minutes ago, operalover said:

no but the japanese don't eat pizza, bologna, sausage and hot dogs, chips, french fries and big macs to go along with the rice. They eat fish and vegetables with their rice. 

One thing that impresses me (we have a large number of Asians in this area),  many will buy several entrees and maybe a dessert or two then SHARE the portions amongst the group (several people in the group).  I watched a family do this at Cheesecake Factory.  When they left there was still leftover cheesecake but it was cut into small bite-sized blocks and those that ate some took only one small block.

Another factor is sheer portion size.   It's rarely TEXAS sized portions and more like Vermont or New Hampshire sized portions (to keep with the state size themes).  That's why Japan's number of obese people who's BMI is over 30 is around 3.6% of population.

[operalover]

1 minute ago, OSM Mom said:

As to to cheesecake, I can eat 2 or 3 slices with no issue.. And doughnuts too. I could eat half a dozen Krispy Kremes easy. I don't, but I could easily. I can hardly eat anything anymore without gaining weight. My metabolism is zero.  But I try and do as much as possible, even with the fibromyalgia. Not just sit and shovel. 

I have fibromyalgia too and I love sweets and can eat them all day long, day after day. I do exercise like a maniac (about 8-10 hours per week 3 hours or so is very hard effort) although it's often very painful. This is the only way to keep my weight down. The minute I stop exercising I gain 10 pounds in 2 weeks. Right now I stop eating after 7PM every night. This has helped the acid reflux and the weight. It's really hard but a lot of us eat for boredom, stress and emotions. I lost my dad a few months ago so turned to food for comfort but as soon as I hit a point of about 12 pounds over where I want to be, I get with the program. I get myself back on track. I used to not get myself back on track until I was 25 pounds over weight, but since losing that 25 pounds in 2008, I don't let myself get more than 12 pounds over before snapping back to reality. Middle age and a family history of obesity plus medical problems, it does seem like we are fighting a losing battle. 

[poeticlicensed]

6 minutes ago, Noirprncess said:

Another factor is sheer portion size.   It's rarely TEXAS sized portions and more like Vermont or New Hampshire sized portions (to keep with the state size themes).  That's why Japan's number of obese people who's BMI is over 30 is around 3.6% of population.

When I went to Europe a couple of years ago, it was shocking how much smaller the portions in the restaurants were. 

Ever since then, I find that I am hypersensitive to portion size and  I steer clear of some restaurants. It's literally disgusting watching people devour piles of food. 

Edited March 17, 2017 by poeticlicensed

[okerry]

2 hours ago, Noirprncess said:

I still don't understand why the girlfriend "made" the daughter drop out of school to care for James.

someone mentioned above that, like Lisa, Bayley is probably also being paid by the state to be a "caretaker." She was pulled out of school - and out of life - to get more money for the junk food her father shovels into his carcass nonstop.

You can be sure that these people do nothing unless they think it will get them money and/or freebies. Nothing.