S05.E11: James K's Story

[Trees]

Anyone who would "sign up" to donate a body will learn of the restrictions, by definition.

Speaking of dead bodies, ever hear of "The Body Farm"?  It's a real thing run by University of TN.  Quite fascinating.  Die without money in TN and that's where you go - with forensic science reaping the rewards.

[AdorkableWitch]

24 minutes ago, Trees said:

Anyone who would "sign up" to donate a body will learn of the restrictions, by definition.

Speaking of dead bodies, ever hear of "The Body Farm"?  It's a real thing run by University of TN.  Quite fascinating.  Die without money in TN and that's where you go - with forensic science reaping the rewards.

You can choose to donate your body or even cremains to the Body Farm. A friend's father died of cancer and donated his to help study the effects of the weather on cremains since there has been more than one funeral home improperly disposing of them 

[aliya]

4 hours ago, Awfarmington said:

I'm a little surprised, too. I'm not a med student, but it seems like they would want bodies with chronic diseases, to study them. Same with obese patients. Being that such a large population is obese, one would think they would want to study the many effects of it. 

 

3 hours ago, Hockeymom said:

I think med schools can afford to be picky these days. I'm hearing about families donating to science more and more. Funerals are so expensive now, that's why funeral homes are pushing pre-planning. Between the cost of the coffin, the plot, the burial, and the service, families can easily spend upwards of $15K, and I think that's even low.

For those interested in body donation, I thought I remembered seeing something about a 'thank you' event for donors families at my institution. They appreciate the gift. I didn't know until reading the article just now that they can return unused remains to families.  Deeded body memorial service

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Folks, could we take the body donation discussion to the small talk forum please?  

[auntjess]

deleted

Edited March 26, 2017 by auntjess

[chickenella]

6 hours ago, Moloch Must Die said:

Being American, that show was interesting/horrifying to me because the food array always included fish and chips, curry, doner kebabs, and something that means sandwich. Like the biscuits and gravy that Lisa made for James... is that a thing you just whip up for breakfast?

I'm not sure, I think the gravy is a southern thing. I'm on the east coast and that white gravy isn't served around here, not that I know of.\

[Ocean Chick]

I'm on the west coast and biscuits and gravy is a real thing here.  Most diners have some version of it.  And yes, the Mission low carb tortillas are the boss - I've been using them for years.  James really needs to look into fajitas made with them, using chicken and lots of peppers and onions.

[Tabbygirl521]

49 minutes ago, Ocean Chick said:

 James really needs to look into fajitas made with them, using chicken and lots of peppers and onions.

That sounds delicious but I dunno about corn AND peppers AND onions on a Chux...

[Dru Blood]

15 hours ago, Moloch Must Die said:

something that means sandwich

Could the term have been "sarnie?"  Or possibly, "buttie."  The British have a lot of strange slang words, for EVERYTHING.  Half the time I can't tell what they are talking about.  And on the subject of gravy, I ran into a gravy on my travels, that quite frankly, I couldn't believe I hadn't seen before, because it was in Arkansas.  A place I have been going to since I was a small child.  It was chocolate gravy.  Served over biscuits for breakfast.  I honestly am quite surprised that James K. wasn't scarfing that stuff down.  It is kind of like thick hot chocolate, like the consistency of gravy hot chocolate, and really sweet.  I thought it was kind of gross actually.  Who knows though, maybe the film crew wasn't there for chocolate gravy day.

[Barb23]

My son & I treated ourselves to takeout Chinese food last nite.  We always order a variety of things & unlike James, we will have leftovers for days.  In honor of James we had the Pu Pu platter.  Told Son there were a few requirements we had to follow like saying "this is Gooooood"  & of course "its friiiiiiied rice!", after first screaming "Mayyyhh legs."  But I forgot the most important requirement - eating almost fully reclined in bed with plates balanced on our chests about even with our mouths.  My son laughed when I told him James got mad at Lisa cuz he couldn't see the egg rolls from being in that position. He also couldn't believe James was stuck in that position so he had to eat all his meals that way. 

Forgot to add that unfortunately there was no cheesecake for dessert.  I'm sure neither one of us would have had room anyway. 

Edited March 26, 2017 by Barb23

[Momof2Cats]

10 hours ago, chickenella said:

I'm not sure, I think the gravy is a southern thing. I'm on the east coast and that white gravy isn't served around here, not that I know of.\

I live in New England and you can get biscuits and gravy here for breakfast (which is the white gravy).  Maybe it is just not available where you are regionally.  

[AZChristian]

An appropriate meme from my Facebook feed just now.

[zoemom]

On ‎3‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 2:09 PM, operalover said:

However, the people on the show get the same resources that patients not on the show get. Except they don't have to pay for it. If there were not successes with Dr Na's methods and Dr. Na's patients, then why is he considered so great? Why are people moving their whole lives to live near his office?

My point is everyone on the show is getting the support and help they need to follow the program, just like those not on the show. TLC is not interfering with the outcome by withholding services from the patients to improve ratings.

. Last year everyone in here was sure they were not even given a diet.  But now we see they are given a diet and a nutrition consult.  So many posts were "They are not even given a diet to follow"......There is probably a nutrition help line they can call- who knows? We don't see the papers and consults that they get.  But Dr. Na's PROGRAM WORKS for those that do what he says. If a patient can't make it work it is not the fault of TLC.

If you go on Dr. Now's website http://www.drnowmd.com/hos/Pages/OutreachPages/Nutrition.html listed there is the diet, support groups offered, tips and links to websites that have fitness information, mention that Dr. Now will refer you to psychological help along with charts that can be downloaded to track the patient's progress and exercise.  The site mentions many times that weight loss surgery is not a "magic bullet."  So I think for the sake of time, TLC doesn't show this part of Dr. Now's practice.  I can't recall which patient said this, (maybe Penny?) said that the appetite suppressant he provided her with didn't work, so it sounds like this is another tool Dr. Now uses.   
IMO, James was too far gone and the people closest to him were major enablers that caused most of his problems.  I too feel that he would need to be hospitalized for many months eating a controlled diet (and his girlfriend and daughter) would only be able to contact him via telephone, for him to have any sort of success.  Even then, unless he had a major shift in attitude, I'm fairly sure once he was discharged he probably would go back to his old ways.

[Thriftykins]

So I mentioned that one really funny thing was that at the end, James' big uplifting victory moment was him kinda sorta sitting up, with a great deal of effort and help.

 

Another funny thing about this episode, which I don't believe was mentioned yet:  James' stated, confident "I will do it by God" goal of the episode was to get under 600 pounds.

 

Yes his big goal was to reach the starting line for so many other patients.

[zoemom]

On ‎3‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 2:40 PM, MillieSparklepants said:

I worked with a guy who used to have a job at a crematorium dumping ashes. If the family didn't want them, he'd take them and dump them where the person had requested. Here's the best part, he'd take a date. Go to dinner, drive half an hour into the desert, get the box of ashes from the backseat and dump them at sunset. Never mind the occasional bit of bone that didn't quite incinerate fully. Super romantic, right?

Many, many years ago I went on a first date with a guy who was in school to be a mortician.  He worked for a funeral home and was on call the weekend we went out.  He got called while we were eating at a restaurant, you guessed it, he took me to the funeral home, picked up the hearse and I went along with him to pick up the body.  Needless to say, that was my first and last date with him.  Nothing "romantic" about that at all.

Back on topic - does anyone think there's any chance for James to do a 180 turn around?  I felt a little bit of hope when I saw him getting physical therapy at the end of the show, however he (along with girlfriend and daughter) would have to also have a major attitude adjustment as well.  So I'm basically answering my own question, which is probably not.  Very sad case, all of them are some of the most delusional people I've ever seen on the show.

[Aw my lahgs]

3 minutes ago, zoemom said:

Many, many years ago I went on a first date with a guy who was in school to be a mortician.  He worked for a funeral home and was on call the weekend we went out.  He got called while we were eating at a restaurant, you guessed it, he took me to the funeral home, picked up the hearse and I went along with him to pick up the body.  Needless to say, that was my first and last date with him.  Nothing "romantic" about that at all.

Back on topic - does anyone think there's any chance for James to do a 180 turn around?  I felt a little bit of hope when I saw him getting physical therapy at the end of the show, however he (along with girlfriend and daughter) would have to also have a major attitude adjustment as well.  So I'm basically answering my own question, which is probably not.  Very sad case, all of them are some of the most delusional people I've ever seen on the show.

I think at this point James is too far gone to be helped. He can only be helped if he truly wants the help and is willing to make the effort necessary to change. 

He just doesn't want to. He wants a magic pill that will make him magically lose weight while he can continue to inhale whatever food he wants.

He had access to the best help out there for a man his size - free of charge! And he blew it again and again. 

He already has heart failure, and with him only gaining weight and not changing anything, his time is ticking.

[fliptopbox]

1 hour ago, zoemom said:

Many, many years ago I went on a first date with a guy who was in school to be a mortician.  He worked for a funeral home and was on call the weekend we went out.  He got called while we were eating at a restaurant, you guessed it, he took me to the funeral home, picked up the hearse and I went along with him to pick up the body.  Needless to say, that was my first and last date with him.  Nothing "romantic" about that at all.

To me that sounds awesome. I used to go with my dad's ex girlfriend when she would style the hair of dead bodies in prep for funerals (which is totally a thing). There's just something about death and the macabre that interests the hell out of me. For the longest time I wanted a hearse of my own (much like Claire's from Six Feet Under...which I still love and watch).

But to keep this on topic, I'm betting James is not gonna fit in a typical hearse. Hell, I don't even know if they make caskets in his size.

[Trees]

I agree on no hope for James. And why bother?  He already has heart failure and doesn't give a damn. His skin is loaded with infections.  He is simply living to eat.  The End.

[LuciaMia]

Quote

Corn doesn't digest very well.

My mom, (who is 94) wasn't allowed corn on the cob when she was a little kid. It's supposed indigestibility was considered bad for children, and she was only allowed it on her birthday, as a special treat. She still remembers that.

[Anchorabu]

3 hours ago, zoemom said:

 

On 3/19/2017 at 1:09 PM, operalover said:

However, the people on the show get the same resources that patients not on the show get. Except they don't have to pay for it. If there were not successes with Dr Na's methods and Dr. Na's patients, then why is he considered so great? Why are people moving their whole lives to live near his office?

My point is everyone on the show is getting the support and help they need to follow the program, just like those not on the show. TLC is not interfering with the outcome by withholding services from the patients to improve ratings.

. Last year everyone in here was sure they were not even given a diet.  But now we see they are given a diet and a nutrition consult.  So many posts were "They are not even given a diet to follow"......There is probably a nutrition help line they can call- who knows? We don't see the papers and consults that they get.  But Dr. Na's PROGRAM WORKS for those that do what he says. If a patient can't make it work it is not the fault of TLC.

If you go on Dr. Now's website http://www.drnowmd.com/hos/Pages/OutreachPages/Nutrition.html listed there is the diet, support groups offered, tips and links to websites that have fitness information, mention that Dr. Now will refer you to psychological help along with charts that can be downloaded to track the patient's progress and exercise.  The site mentions many times that weight loss surgery is not a "magic bullet."  So I think for the sake of time, TLC doesn't show this part of Dr. Now's practice.  I can't recall which patient said this, (maybe Penny?) said that the appetite suppressant he provided her with didn't work, so it sounds like this is another tool Dr. Now uses.   
IMO, James was too far gone and the people closest to him were major enablers that caused most of his problems.  I too feel that he would need to be hospitalized for many months eating a controlled diet (and his girlfriend and daughter) would only be able to contact him via telephone, for him to have any sort of success.  Even then, unless he had a major shift in attitude, I'm fairly sure once he was discharged he probably would go back to his old ways.

 

Thx for the info about the website and diet!

And you are right, I don't believe there is any hope for James. There are some people that just can't be helped. It's like he's devolved so far for so long, he's almost subhuman.  Add to that the fact that he's exuberantly, gleefully self destructive... I just don't see a happy ending here. ?

Edited March 26, 2017 by Anchorabu
Ow! Mah grammar!

[zoemom]

2 hours ago, fliptopbox said:

To me that sounds awesome. I used to go with my dad's ex girlfriend when she would style the hair of dead bodies in prep for funerals (which is totally a thing). There's just something about death and the macabre that interests the hell out of me. For the longest time I wanted a hearse of my own (much like Claire's from Six Feet Under...which I still love and watch).

But to keep this on topic, I'm betting James is not gonna fit in a typical hearse. Hell, I don't even know if they make caskets in his size.

Fliptopbox, apparently they do make caskets and hearses for the morbidly obese.  Seeing your interest in death, you'll probably find this article quite interesting.  It has information not only about hearses, but also caskets, burial plots and how crematories are having to adjust to more morbidly obese Americans. 

Looks like James' girlfriend better start saving her $$.  Social Security only pays $255 in death benefits; know that poor James' dad is already tapped out when it comes to finances.

http://www.us-funerals.com/funeral-articles/funerals-for-oversize-people.html#.WNhGnCmQzIU

Edited March 26, 2017 by zoemom

[Dru Blood]

3 hours ago, zoemom said:

does anyone think there's any chance for James to do a 180 turn around?

My honest feelings about most of the people on this show is that they have had some sort of trauma in their lives, either real and extremely traumatizing, or too us, somewhat less traumatizing, like James K.  Either way, they seem to me to really lack coping skills.

In my opinion, this isn't out of the ordinary.  Especially if in childhood, there was NO ONE to teach them coping skills.  They only had themselves to rely on. They wound up developing a coping mechanism that is totally inappropriate, eating.

Once they get the surgery and lose their sense of hunger, they become scared and freak out because they have lost their coping mechanism.  They have lost the only thing that ever helped them cope in a stressful situation and made them feel better.  Which may be why the long term success rate is so low.

Unfortunately for James K. (and Tanisha to some degree),  I don't think therapy to teach him better coping skills will help in the long run because James K. lacks personal insight.

[Lizzie Jones]

18 hours ago, chickenella said:

I'm not sure, I think the gravy is a southern thing. I'm on the east coast and that white gravy isn't served around here, not that I know of.\

It looked like mushroom soup to me.

[zoemom]

2 minutes ago, Lizzie Jones said:

It looked like mushroom soup to me.

I live in Kentucky.  Biscuits and gravy (gravy is white and usually has small bits of sausage mixed in it) is a common food item.  I'm a vegetarian, so it doesn't appeal to me, but my brother and dad love the stuff.  More than likely that's what James was eating.  (Again, I'm sure that's not on Dr. Now's diet plan!) 

[Dru Blood]

Just now, zoemom said:

I live in Kentucky.

Have you ever run across biscuits and chocolate gravy in your neck of the woods?

[alegtostandon]

I somehow missed this episode...just found it on On Demand. First thing I heard was "ahhhhw, mah lags!"

[Miss Chevious]

5 hours ago, Aw my lahgs said:

I think at this point James is too far gone to be helped. He can only be helped if he truly wants the help and is willing to make the effort necessary to change. 

He just doesn't want to. He wants a magic pill that will make him magically lose weight while he can continue to inhale whatever food he wants.

He had access to the best help out there for a man his size - free of charge! And he blew it again and again. 

He already has heart failure, and with him only gaining weight and not changing anything, his time is ticking.

This x 100. I agree he's not going to make it. He lacks the willpower to do what is necessary. And his girlfriend is also part of this unsavory equation. She'd have to be totally onboard with preparing and feeding him only healthy foods in controlled portions and I don't see her doing that either. 

[xwordfanatik]

I remember reading many years ago (probably in the early 70's) in the Guinness Book of World Records that there was a man who weighed over 1,000 pounds.  When he expired, they buried him in a piano crate (must have been a Grand Piano.)  I guess extreme morbid obesity was around then, although I'd bet nowhere near the levels of today.

James has got to be one of the most delusional people on the planet.  An earlier post said something like he sucks the life out of Lisa, and I have to agree.  Whatever get up and go she had got up and went, thanks to this sorry selfish bastard.

[Christina]

2 hours ago, Dru Blood said:

Have you ever run across biscuits and chocolate gravy in your neck of the woods?

I live in southeastern Ohio and the only biscuits and chocolate gravy I've heard of is a dessert dish where the biscuit is a bit sweet, not too sweet, but not savory, either. The chocolate gravy has a bit of cayenne pepper in it to give it a "bite" and if done well, is not super sweet like a chocolate syrup. It is certainly not a breakfast food. Well, for James it probably is.

[Dru Blood]

2 minutes ago, Christina said:

dessert dish where the biscuit is a bit sweet, not too sweet, but not savory, either

That does not sound like the thing I saw.  That sound a bit different.  This is just a regular old biscuit, like you get with sausage gravy.  The chocolate gravy is really like thick, overly sweet hot chocolate.  I was raised in the south, well Northern Virginia really.  They pretend they are the south, but I have been dragged 'round the south for 40 years and it's like this was hidden in the back room every time we came to town or something, weird.  My state's claim to fame is the ham biscuit which I won't touch either and I definitely do NOT recommend to James K.  It's essentially a biscuit with a piece of country ham on it and it is soooo salty his legs would swell up worse then they are.  With his appetite, he would want 15 of them and die of salt poisoning!

[aliya]

On 3/22/2017 at 8:54 AM, MillieSparklepants said:

Something else I've been wondering about these bed bound patients -- what about their teeth? How do you go for years and years with no dental care? Tooth pain is some of the worst, and I'm pretty sure these people aren't doing thorough floss and brush routines after every meal, so they're bound to get cavities. Do dentists make house calls?

I don't know if someone addressed this (so many posts!) but there are mobile dentists who go to assisted living facilities, etc. I also found info on dentists that do home visits for the elderly. Dental schools often do outreach in poor, underserved, or rural areas, so if James wanted dental care he might be able to get it. 

[MegD]

Perhaps it's a regional thing. In Alabama, I'm used to seeing red eye gravy, not white gravy. But I have seen gravys the color on a few menus as I've traveled. But if she's using a regional recipe or a short cut (like a quick cook down of Bisquick and sausage grease), she may end up with a very odd looking gravy. Given the amount James consumes and the speed at which he seemed to eat, chances are, he isn't really tasting the food for long so it may be easier to just find something quick rather than something tasty that may only make a small amount.

Edited March 27, 2017 by MegD
removed the body donation discussion

[chickenella]

12 hours ago, Momof2Cats said:

I live in New England and you can get biscuits and gravy here for breakfast (which is the white gravy).  Maybe it is just not available where you are regionally.

I've lived my whole about 5 miles north of Boston. Didn't hear of the white gravy until the past few years and that was in the context of chicken and gravy. Gravy to me has always been brown (as in turkey gravy) . I must have missed the boat on this, lol! Also, according to the Italians in my area gravy is red, its tomato sauce. Some call it sauce, others call it gravy, it's hot debate here on which to call it.

[Lizzie Jones]

7 hours ago, zoemom said:

I live in Kentucky.  Biscuits and gravy (gravy is white and usually has small bits of sausage mixed in it) is a common food item.  I'm a vegetarian, so it doesn't appeal to me, but my brother and dad love the stuff.  More than likely that's what James was eating.  (Again, I'm sure that's not on Dr. Now's diet plan!) 

I'm Canadian so that whole concept of biscuits and gravy is foreign to me. I had never seen white gravy before until that episode and I guess the small bits of sausage in it (or whatever was in it) looked like mushrooms.  If I was going to have gravy it would be brown (beef gravy) and on poutine which for me is not on my diet anymore as it is way too high in calories and fat.

5 hours ago, Miss Chevious said:

 She'd have to be totally onboard with preparing and feeding him only healthy foods in controlled portions and I don't see her doing that either. 

She was at first until he started whining that he didn't like or want the fish and vegetables anymore and demanded chinese food.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Lizzie Jones

[swankie]

4 hours ago, MegD said:

Perhaps it's a regional thing. In Alabama, I'm used to seeing red eye gravy, not white gravy. But I have seen gravys the color on a few menus as I've traveled.

Dairy Queen carries the biscuits with white sausage gravy on their breakfast menu.  I don't know how many states have Dairy Queens, but I remember seeing one in the movie The Outsiders with C. Thomas Howell and Ralph Macchio.  lol

[Christina]

I must have missed the biscuits and gravy, or just didn't notice because it is so familiar, but sausage gravy is made by cooking the sausage, then you add white flour to the grease and cook it out, then add milk. That gives you the sausage gravy. If you want just white gravy, you can do it with a bit of lard or butter, after it liquefies add the flour and cook down. The color of the gravy is affected by how long you cook the flour, and if it is long enough, the gravy is dark like a beef gravy, and doesn't taste as much like flour. Maybe she used a whole wheat flour because it is "healthier" and on his diet. I'd laugh, but that is actually a belief of many people, in part because of the diet fad industries, which ultimately resulted in Pepsi making some with sugar again after high-fructose corn syrup became a sin against nature, resulting in the first time in years I could drink it. 

Bodies don't process fructose, it binds to glucose to get out of your system, and just adding glucose doesn't fix the problem. I have an intolerance to the fructose molecule, like people have an intolerance to lactose, and not only do I have the GI symptoms like people have with lactose, I've been hospitalized for severe reactions. Once it became the newest diet fad, many products started excluding it, but exchanging it with honey or molasses, which is a fructose molecule! Yet, it isn't named high-fructose which apparently sounds like a frankenfood, even though fructose is a naturally occurring sugar in most fruits. Sigh. This entire paragraph is to say that crappy and incorrect nutritional information abounds, and I can't blame people for being confused. Wheat being healthier than white is a major one, but if you look at the labels on bread, you'll see that is largely incorrect.

One would think that flour would be recognized as that it isn't allowed on their diets, in any formulation, but it is one of the most common claims of confusion on this show, including people who seem to actually be trying. I won't give James or Lisa the benefit of the doubt on this, though, because they clearly ignored what James didn't want to acknowledge.

ETA: Sausage gravy and white gravy are yucky to me, and I haven't made them in years, and then only made them for others. 

Edited March 27, 2017 by Christina
Added paragraph

[AZChristian]

Denny's has biscuits and gravy with 2 eggs and hash browns for $4.  (I just looked it up.)  The salt level is 1400+, fat grams are about 52.  And James' breakfast that we saw was about 3 orders.  It was almost 900 calories, so James shoveled in at least 2,500 calories JUST for breakfast.  That's two full days on Dr. Now's diet, just for one meal.

[Anchorabu]

22 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

Denny's has biscuits and gravy with 2 eggs and hash browns for $4.  (I just looked it up.)  The salt level is 1400+, fat grams are about 52.  And James' breakfast that we saw was about 3 orders.  It was almost 900 calories, so James shoveled in at least 2,500 calories JUST for breakfast.  That's two full days on Dr. Now's diet, just for one meal.

Wow. That really puts it into perspective. I know when my mom and I saw James' 6 eggs, 6 sausages, 6 biscuits, and gravy, we were like, Lordy that's 6 meals right there.

Ow mah angina!

Edited March 27, 2017 by Anchorabu

[Ocean Chick]

My mom always made milk gravy with roast pork - my favorite.  We also called it country gravy.  I've heard of chocolate gravy with biscuits (someone on the Food Network was making it for her husband, who grew up with it), but it didn't sound very tasty to me.

James just needs to stay away from gravy altogether.  It's just not a necessary part of any diet.  But we all know he's never going to stop eating what he wants, when he wants it.  And Lisa is never going to stop enabling him until he's dead.  Don't know what she's going to do in her old age - sounds like she's never had a paying job, and she's not married to James.  Not that James has anything to leave her.  Gub'ment nursing home for her?  Section 8 housing, if she's lucky?  What a sad waste of a life.

[TurtlePower]

I never realized how popular biscuits and gravy were until I started doing a lot of fieldwork and traveling--every hotel had that stuff available on the breakfast buffet. I'd never heard of it and always grabbed a yogurt or boiled eggs but one day, my curiosity got the best of me. I wondered, what is this stuff everyone keeps loading their plates with? So, I tried. it. Blech! Too rich, too heavy. I took a couple bites and chucked it in the bin. Back to boiled eggs and yogurt. 

It's interesting how different peoples' palettes are. I generally don't have a taste for the stuff James (and the other patients) enjoy and I can understand how hard it would be for them to try and develop a taste for things like boiled eggs and yogurt. 

Edited March 27, 2017 by Runnergirl
Apostrophe abuse

[MegD]

6 hours ago, swankie said:

Dairy Queen carries the biscuits with white sausage gravy on their breakfast menu.  I don't know how many states have Dairy Queens, but I remember seeing one in the movie The Outsiders with C. Thomas Howell and Ralph Macchio.  lol

According to the Google, Dairy Queen is located in every state but Vermont and DC.

The Dairy Queen version appears to have 3-4 biscuits covered in 4-8 oz of gravy with sausage in it. I'm not sure, I've never ordered such a thing but I'm basing this on the pictures on the internet. It has 680 calories, 1850 g sodium, 51 carbs and 7 grams of protein. What James ate was at least 2 servings of that.

[Dru Blood]

41 minutes ago, Ocean Chick said:

And Lisa is never going to stop enabling him until he's dead.  Don't know what she's going to do in her old age - sounds like she's never had a paying job, and she's not married to James.  Not that James has anything to leave her.  Gub'ment nursing home for her?  Section 8 housing, if she's lucky?  What a sad waste of a life.

I just had a terrifying thought.  What if Lisa's heart gives out on her while she is cleaning James and she is all alone at the time.  I can picture the scene.  James, half cleaned, sprawled across the bed, urinary catheter hanging out and Lisa in a heap on the floor with a balled up dirty chux clutched in her hand.  What a way to go.  Poor Lisa. She had such a sad life before she went. :(

Granted James would be in the room, but unless he's hungry, is he even really there?

Edited March 27, 2017 by Dru Blood
thought addition

[MichelleTX]

Wow, being from Texas it never crossed my mind that biscuits & white gravy would be so foreign to others. I personally don't care for it but it's on almost every breakfast menu here. 

[ethalfrida]

22 minutes ago, MichelleTX said:

Wow, being from Texas it never crossed my mind that biscuits & white gravy would be so foreign to others. I personally don't care for it but it's on almost every breakfast menu here. 

It's even on menus here in Southern California. I too thought it was a staple menu item. 

[highhighyabothhigh]

I had to register just to comment on this program! I have found my people!!! :)

I have seriously never hated any television show participant as much as I hate James. I wanted to kick him in his nasty, oozing legs. Normally I have a lot o sympathy for the folks on this show, but he enraged me. #freebailey

I'm born and raised in the South and sausage gravy is pretty common here. The way my mom made it was just sausage (and the grease), milk, flour, salt and pepper. Very common. I've had chocolate gravy but it's been a lot of years.

[IOU Payne]

I tried it when I was in the South (Mississippi) because I'd never had it.  This was a one-shot deal for me, because I don't like goopy foods, and this is maximum goop to me.  Now, poutine?  I'm from Montreal, and that's on the menu everywhere, even McDonald's.  There are even fusion versions (Portuguese chicken & chorizo, kimchi and Korean pork, pulled pork and BBQ sauce, spaghetti sauce and mozzarella, etc., etc.)

James would probably love poutine.  Sadly, it is not a food that loves you back health-wise.

[Kellyee]

Quote

I still can't get over this episode. It has my thoughts go to places I don't want to but just for good measure I will share...so I eat 1500 calories a day (I track it in my fitnesspal, I have struggled with my weight my whole life and to track every bite is the only way to keep my BMI in a healthy range).

I go back and forth with these people, because I have struggled with my own weight for most of my adult life. I am a healthy size now, but its a daily struggle between wanting to maintain a healthy weight, and wanting supersize curly fries from Arbys. But still, when you can't walk anymore and can't even wipe your own ass, that has to be wakeup call. I was a little fat, but I didn't blame that on my cubicle job or anything else. James and Lisa refused to take responsibility for anything.

As Ricky Gervais  once said in a standup routine, you don't just wake up fat one morning. You have plenty of time to back out of the experiment of overeating.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Kellyee

[xwordfanatik]

27 minutes ago, IOU Payne said:

I tried it when I was in the South (Mississippi) because I'd never had it.  This was a one-shot deal for me, because I don't like goopy foods, and this is maximum goop to me.  Now, poutine?  I'm from Montreal, and that's on the menu everywhere, even McDonald's.  There are even fusion versions (Portuguese chicken & chorizo, kimchi and Korean pork, pulled pork and BBQ sauce, spaghetti sauce and mozzarella, etc., etc.)

James would probably love poutine.  Sadly, it is not a food that loves you back health-wise.

I've never tried biscuits and gravy.  I don't like gravy, and I'm gluten sensitive, so not even tempting for me.  

What in the world is poutine?  That's a new one on me.

When we stay at a hotel (here in the Northwest) b & g is always served with the complementary breakfast.  My husband eats it, but it's not something I ever make.  

[xwordfanatik]

43 minutes ago, highhighyabothhigh said:

I had to register just to comment on this program! I have found my people!!! :)

I have seriously never hated any television show participant as much as I hate James. I wanted to kick him in his nasty, oozing legs. Normally I have a lot o sympathy for the folks on this show, but he enraged me. #freebailey

I'm born and raised in the South and sausage gravy is pretty common here. The way my mom made it was just sausage (and the grease), milk, flour, salt and pepper. Very common. I've had chocolate gravy but it's been a lot of years.

You are in good company!  I can't dredge up one bit of sympathy for James.  Even Penny didn't have her son wiping her ass, so far anyway!

I normally want to see the people be successful.  James is so damned selfish, though.  He took his Dad's money and wasted it.  He uses people to cater to his every whim, and I don't see any redeeming qualities in that dickhead!

[Christina]

3 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Denny's has biscuits and gravy with 2 eggs and hash browns for $4.  (I just looked it up.)  The salt level is 1400+, fat grams are about 52.  And James' breakfast that we saw was about 3 orders.  It was almost 900 calories, so James shoveled in at least 2,500 calories JUST for breakfast.  That's two full days on Dr. Now's diet, just for one meal.

 

3 hours ago, Ocean Chick said:

James just needs to stay away from gravy altogether.  It's just not a necessary part of any diet.  But we all know he's never going to stop eating what he wants, when he wants it.  

But, but, but, Y'Alls, he has to train his body to go on a diet! He has to eat something! He only has 800 pounds of food in him, do Y'Alls want him to starve? I mean, I do, but recognize how mean that is.