S06.E18: Erica

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Erica must return to California to continue her weight loss journey, but fears past emotional trauma will derail her progress.

Erica is scared!  Mark off a space on your My 600 Lb. Life bingo card and a second space for "journey". 

This is the regular episode thread for this "Where are they now?" type of episode.  It will open after the US East Coast showing.

[Miss Ruth]

Looks like Jimmy got the memo, too, since he's saying "journey."

I'm proud of Erica.  I wish they had shown her sister eating a little crow.

[Ray Adverb]

What a sweet episode.  So much nicer than her first episode.  A lot more positivity.  Her sister was pretty awful in the first one.  I understand why the sister was so hostile, and I certainly understand why she doesn't want to participate in the show any more.   I hope Erica hits her goal weight soon and that she can have a long and happy life with Jimmy.

[suzeecat]

I don't know why exactly, but I find these update shows much more boring than the original ones.  Maybe because there's so much "review"?

Erica still looked very large for the weight that she was down to.  Maybe she's shorter than average?  Don't know.  Is she still using the walker as a security blanket, or does she have another reason that makes it hard for her to walk? 

I'm so happy for her that she reached out to Jimmy and that they are so happy together.  She deserves all of that happiness! 

[AZChristian]

1 minute ago, suzeecat said:

Maybe she's shorter than average?

She said she used to be 5' 6-1/2", but at Dr. Now's office they measured her at 5'5" . . . I loved seeing him LOL when he said he used to be 6 feet tall.

[AnnaBaptist]

I was a little surprised at the negative commentary in the live chat thread. Perhaps my standards are very low at this point, but I found her to be more interesting and articulate than most of the people on this show. She had these things going for her:

Though she was repetitious about the apartment and her anxiety about going back to California, she only said the dreaded word "scared" twice. 

I thought she showed some insight when she was disgusted with herself for keeping the apartment in CA while only having a six-month lease on the apartment in Houston. She realized that she had made poor decisions out of fear and was determined not to make that mistake again.

She actually did clean out that cluttered apartment. She had some nice furniture and turned that apartment into an appealing place to live. I think that makes a big difference in a person's mindset and attitude. It must be depressing as hell to live in a dirty, cluttered place surrounded my reminders of the life you want to leave behind. 

Her boyfriend was supportive and not a jerk. 

She went to the gym. I lol'ed when she was finished with the ropes and threw them to the side the second she was done with them. I feel the same way about ropes!

She tried to get out more and do things that were not revolving around food.

She had an excellent therapist, a very good fit for her. The therapist was practical and had a no bullshit attitude, which was exactly what Eric needed.

She wasn't an asshole to Dr. Now, and was honest with him.

There was a lot more going on in this episode than most, but without all the negative drama. I wish her well and hope she is successful at meeting her goals and staying happy.

[AnnaBaptist]

12 minutes ago, suzeecat said:

I don't know why exactly, but I find these update shows much more boring than the original ones.  Maybe because there's so much "review"?

Erica still looked very large for the weight that she was down to.  Maybe she's shorter than average?  Don't know.  Is she still using the walker as a security blanket, or does she have another reason that makes it hard for her to walk? 

I'm so happy for her that she reached out to Jimmy and that they are so happy together.  She deserves all of that happiness! 

I think they should keep these update shows to an hour. The first hour of this episode was definitely slower than the second, and a good chunk of that could have been edited out.

Erica will look a lot thinner once she gets the skin removed from her stomach. She is relatively small in the chest area, and the large stomach and the lymphedema on her legs makes her bottom half look disproportionately large. Those tent-like tops make her look larger all around, too. I would love to see how she looks after skin surgery. I bet it will make a huge difference once she no longer needs to cover that large droopy stomach that reaches her knees.

[CarolMK]

I think Erica did remarkably well, it's amazing to see how far she's come in a relatively short period of time. Considering she didn't have much family support, it had to have been very difficult for her to stay on her program alone. It seemed that she and her boyfriend fell in love again very quickly, but I've heard that it isn't that unusual for an old love to reappear and the feelings are still there years later. I'm very happy for her. Agree with the poster above who stated Erica was more self aware than most other patients and also very articulate. 

[gonecrackers]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

She said she used to be 5' 6-1/2", but at Dr. Now's office they measured her at 5'5" . . . I loved seeing him LOL when he said he used to be 6 feet tall.

Haven't seen this yet but am looking forward to it just to see him say that & laugh.

I think people can/do shrink with age; something to do with the spine. All that weight could have done some damage there as well -although 1-1/2" seems like a lot of 'shrinkage' LOL.

[Bugfrey Von]

So yeah, seeing Erica giddy and hopeful about her relationship melted my cold black heart a little bit.  She was such a monotone mess in her original episode that this is truly the difference between night and day.  Dr. Now is being pretty cute these days.  I'm suspicious....  :)

[cpcathy]

I went to shower for 15 minutes and I came back and was confused--where did the boyfriend come from?

[auntjess]

1 hour ago, cpcathy said:

I went to shower for 15 minutes and I came back and was confused--where did the boyfriend come from?

A boyfriend from years ago, who she found on social media.  She now had the nerve to contact him.

[Starlight925]

Erica's mean sister, I hope you're reading these boards:  You are rude and horrible to your sister.  If you didn't want to, or simply couldn't, help her, then you could have said it in a nicer tone.  You knew you were being filmed back then, so don't act all snotty now and say you didn't want to participate in this episode on camera due to backlash.  There was backlash, because you're a b*tch.  I'm sad for Erica that you're her sister.  Sad.

No, Erica is not your responsibility, but she never spoke to you with the same horrid tone you used with her.  And BTW, your daughter is close to Erica's current weight.  I bet good money that Erica would be a lot sweeter to her if she asked for help than you were to Erica.

Back on topic......

I think Erica still uses her walker because she has 50 lbs. of skin hanging over her legs, and I'm betting it simply puts pressure on her back, legs, etc.  I hope when there's an update we can see her post-skin removal.

I loved how she took responsibility, cleaned up her place, kept up with her therapist visits, the physical therapy visits, the gym, and the diet.  And she owned up to Dr. Now when he asked about her 15 lb./month weight loss vs. the 25 lb./month goal, in saying she had foods she knew she shouldn't have.  Responsibility.  I wish more 600-lb'ers would use that word.

I have Jimmy-love right about now.  I kept thinking:  

        He's not going to show up.  But he did. 

        He's not going to stick around once he sees her.  But he did (and props to her for being honest before his visit).

        He's not going to stick around to help her through her surgery.  But he did.

        Houston?  There's no way he's moving her there.  But he did.

I want a guy like Jimmy!

[xwordfanatik]

I have to admit, I was surprised at how successful Erica was.  I'm happy for her.  It's great she has a special someone.

That sister of hers was really a nasty, bitchy piece of work.  She should be ashamed of herself.  If she was that bad on-screen, I don't want to imagine how horrible she was in private life.  

[Momof2boyz]

8 hours ago, AnnaBaptist said:

I was a little surprised at the negative commentary in the live chat thread. Perhaps my standards are very low at this point, but I found her to be more interesting and articulate than most of the people on this show. She had these things going for her:

Though she was repetitious about the apartment and her anxiety about going back to California, she only said the dreaded word "scared" twice. 

I thought she showed some insight when she was disgusted with herself for keeping the apartment in CA while only having a six-month lease on the apartment in Houston. She realized that she had made poor decisions out of fear and was determined not to make that mistake again.

She actually did clean out that cluttered apartment. She had some nice furniture and turned that apartment into an appealing place to live. I think that makes a big difference in a person's mindset and attitude. It must be depressing as hell to live in a dirty, cluttered place surrounded my reminders of the life you want to leave behind. 

Her boyfriend was supportive and not a jerk. 

She went to the gym. I lol'ed when she was finished with the ropes and threw them to the side the second she was done with them. I feel the same way about ropes!

She tried to get out more and do things that were not revolving around food.

She had an excellent therapist, a very good fit for her. The therapist was practical and had a no bullshit attitude, which was exactly what Eric needed.

She wasn't an asshole to Dr. Now, and was honest with him.

There was a lot more going on in this episode than most, but without all the negative drama. I wish her well and hope she is successful at meeting her goals and staying happy.

I was also really surprised and disappointed at all the negativity in the Live Chat.  I guess people really love to snark on there and they tend to be super negative and make fun nomatter what. I was really rooting for her and I thought her attitude was great.  Jimmy was such a good guy!  And decent looking too. Surprisingly normal. He seemed to really love her and care about her. I hope it all works out for them!

[pdlinda]

I felt happy watching Erica's story unfold in the follow-up and discerned true caring and commitment from Jimmy.  For whatever reason, their paths seemed to cross at the most appropriate time in both their lives and they seem to have the foundation for a healthy relationship.  I, too, remarked to myself that Jimmy seems very "normal", employable, even tempered and affectionate toward Erica despite her unique challenges. 

Of all the shows this season (including the "where are they now" segments) Erica's story was the most satisfying to me.  I truly wish them the best of luck and I hope we can see her "final reveal" when the huge stomach overhang is removed!!

[ShoePrincess]

Erica won me over in the end. She took responsibilty for changing her life. lost weight, cleaned up her clutter, and took care of herself. She wears actual clothes and shoes, works out, has an occasional slip-up becuase she's human,  owns it, and gets right back on track. Jimmy seems like a decent guy. I'm rooting for her and for them.

I'm somewhat forgiving of her bitchy sister. Sometimes you just run out of patience and effs to give when you have to constantly deal with someone else's constant neediness It's exhausting. Maybe her attitude will improve as Erica makes more progress.

[cynic]

I had to laugh when she talked about wanting to eat the food she was throwing out. They hid the logo, but those looked like Nutrisystem prepared foods. They're ...not tasty. Then again, I'd balk at throwing out what appeared to be a couple hundred bucks worth of food too. 

I couldn't stand this woman in her original episode due to her depressive, needy, passive nature. She became so much more likable as she took charge and her mood lifted. By the end, I was positively rooting for her!

[Dianaofthehunt]

My rock-hard heart went all to shit when she visited the miniature horses. Any enthusiastic horse-hugger is fine by me!

[ams1001]

I just watched the last half-ish of the "supersized" version and realized it's 5 minutes shorter than the regular...

But I did get to see the "I used to be six feet tall" joke (which I missed last night) which made my day. :)

[Starlight925]

1 hour ago, cynic said:

I had to laugh when she talked about wanting to eat the food she was throwing out. They hid the logo, but those looked like Nutrisystem prepared foods. They're ...not tasty. Then again, I'd balk at throwing out what appeared to be a couple hundred bucks worth of food too. 

That was all Nutrisystem that she was throwing out.  I recognized it, because, lol, I'm on it right now for my pesky 10-15 lbs. 

Maybe I'm just not that picky, but I actually think the food tastes really good.  I always thought it would be cardboard, but my mother did it, and she told me she really liked the food.  I've been on it for about 3 weeks.  As much as it pains me to say, I actually think it's a good plan for a short term.

And yes, it was several hundred dollars' worth of Nutrisystem foods.  I wonder why the nutritionist couldn't help her work those into her daily calorie count.  I know she said it's too high in carbs, so that's perhaps the main reason.  Dr. Now is a "no processed carb" guy for these 600 lb'ers.

Edited June 1, 2018 by Sterling

[CarolMK]

I'm losing weight on a low carb, low fat,, high protein program called New Direction, and it's administered by my local hospital. 3 products a day and then one "lean and green" meal. It's a total of 1200 calories and I've lost about 30 lbs since I started in mid-March. (My profile picture with my husband is from several years ago when I lost 83 lbs on Weight Watchers, before I regained nearly all of it). I have often wondered why Dr. Now doesn't have his clients follow a diet of meal replacements. At least there might be a decent chance they would stick to the program rather than doing it on their own and making mistakes.  I never thought I could do it, but it's been relatively easy after the first couple of weeks. Many of his clients don't really like to cook, either, so this would be perfect for them. 

[Starlight925]

34 minutes ago, CarolMK said:

I'm losing weight on a low carb, low fat,, high protein program called New Direction, and it's administered by my local hospital. 3 products a day and then one "lean and green" meal. It's a total of 1200 calories and I've lost about 30 lbs since I started in mid-March. (My profile picture with my husband is from several years ago when I lost 83 lbs on Weight Watchers, before I regained nearly all of it). I have often wondered why Dr. Now doesn't have his clients follow a diet of meal replacements. At least there might be a decent chance they would stick to the program rather than doing it on their own and making mistakes.  I never thought I could do it, but it's been relatively easy after the first couple of weeks. Many of his clients don't really like to cook, either, so this would be perfect for them. 

I've wondered the same thing too.  But I think he wants them to really get, early on, what healthy food is vs. non-healthy.  Some of these people have literally never eaten a green vegetable, or cooked an egg.  

The other reason is, I wonder, cost.  Many of these people are on income assistance programs, and the cost is high.  Then again, I often wonder how they can afford all the fast food they eat, as that can be more expensive than the pre-made diet foods.

[Colleenna]

8 hours ago, CarolMK said:

I'm losing weight on a low carb, low fat,, high protein program called New Direction, and it's administered by my local hospital. 3 products a day and then one "lean and green" meal. It's a total of 1200 calories and I've lost about 30 lbs since I started in mid-March. (My profile picture with my husband is from several years ago when I lost 83 lbs on Weight Watchers, before I regained nearly all of it). I have often wondered why Dr. Now doesn't have his clients follow a diet of meal replacements. At least there might be a decent chance they would stick to the program rather than doing it on their own and making mistakes.  I never thought I could do it, but it's been relatively easy after the first couple of weeks. Many of his clients don't really like to cook, either, so this would be perfect for them. 

I've noticed that there is a selection of "meal replacement" foods there in his office, near the inner exit door (ie, the exit from exam rooms to the lobby.) Many bariatricians are proponents of something similar to Medifast. But I think  he wants them to "get" calorie counts and portion sizes, so that they don't regain all the weight. Heaven knows, Medifast and Nutrisystem are NOT sustainable long-term.

[Carly13817]

This is my first time posting for M600PL. I have been watching the show for years and reading the forums for years. I found this episode boring, but I liked how sweet and helpful the boyfriend was for Erica. Also, I think Dr. Now is adorable. The end.

[dahling]

This was as dull as dishwater.  But:

- I thought Jimmy would turn out to be a disaster. He wasn't. He was actually kind of a mensch. Way to go, Erica. 

- Hey, sister, you acted like an unspeakable hose beast on camera last time. You're probably correct to not try again.

- Random musing, Dr. Now told her at 5'5", her goal weight is 170. I wonder what formula he uses to determine this. Is he adding +30 to the normal healthy range to compensate for "forever" extra skin, or is it more complicated than that? Asking for a friend. 

[ninjakid]

16 hours ago, Momof2boyz said:

I was also really surprised and disappointed at all the negativity in the Live Chat.  I guess people really love to snark on there and they tend to be super negative and make fun nomatter what. I was really rooting for her and I thought her attitude was great.  Jimmy was such a good guy!  And decent looking too. Surprisingly normal. He seemed to really love her and care about her. I hope it all works out for them!

I think that comes from commenting as the show is airing rather than reflecting on the whole episode. 

[Starlight925]

2 hours ago, dahling said:

Dr. Now told her at 5'5", her goal weight is 170. I wonder what formula he uses to determine this. Is he adding +30 to the normal healthy range to compensate for "forever" extra skin, or is it more complicated than that? Asking for a friend. 

The higher-than-normal goal weights have been brought up before, and I, too, wondered, as it does seem a bit high.  Like, 145 would be more "normal".

But for these patients, first of all, maintaining a goal weight that low would be near impossible, as they've totally messed up their metabolisms, gut bacteria, leptin & ghrelin levels, etc.  They can semi-fix these things with a healthy diet & lifestyle, but it's like scar tissue, as it will never completely heal.

Also, they still carry a ton of excess skin, even past skin removal surgery, as it's impossible to get all the skin off of every nook & cranny off their body.  So that extra skin probably weighs about 20-30 lbs. total:  upper back, legs, etc.

I saw a woman recently at a park, in shorts, out walking, and she had extremely saggy skin all over her body, as though she had lost 100+ lbs.  It was easy to "see" the weight of the extra skin.

There's that show that comes on after My 600 lb. life about the people who have lost a lot of weight and have the extra skin, and they are brave enough to be filmed nearly naked.  It's very apparent there.

Edited June 1, 2018 by Sterling

[Miss Ruth]

2 hours ago, Sterling said:

...they are brave enough to be filmed nearly naked.

They may get free surgery because of appearing on the show.

[auntjess]

19 hours ago, ShoePrincess said:

I'm somewhat forgiving of her bitchy sister. Sometimes you just run out of patience and effs to give when you have to constantly deal with someone else's constant neediness It's exhausting. Maybe her attitude will improve as Erica makes more progress.

I totally understand her frustration, but just enjoyed the interaction.  Erica totally deserved the scorn, but Molly did herself no favors when she was so public with her attitude.

[Colleenna]

3 hours ago, Sterling said:

The higher-than-normal goal weights have been brought up before, and I, too, wondered, as it does seem a bit high.  Like, 145 would be more "normal".

But for these patients, first of all, maintaining a goal weight that low would be near impossible, as they've totally messed up their metabolisms, gut bacteria, leptin & ghrelin levels, etc.  They can semi-fix these things with a healthy diet & lifestyle, but it's like scar tissue, as it will never completely heal.

Also, they still carry a ton of excess skin, even past skin removal surgery, as it's impossible to get all the skin off of every nook & cranny off their body.  So that extra skin probably weighs about 20-30 lbs. total:  upper back, legs, etc.

I saw a woman recently at a park, in shorts, out walking, and she had extremely saggy skin all over her body, as though she had lost 100+ lbs.  It was easy to "see" the weight of the extra skin.

There's that show that comes on after My 600 lb. life about the people who have lost a lot of weight and have the extra skin, and they are brave enough to be filmed nearly naked.  It's very apparent there.

I had a friend many decades ago who lost 300+ pounds (the hard way.... Atkins diet + exercise). He had a LOT of excess skin. I lost track of him about 40 years ago, so I don't know if he ever got skin removal surgery. He was fairly young (30) when he lost all the weight so some of the skin might have tightened up a little.

[Momof2boyz]

6 hours ago, ninjakid said:

I think that comes from commenting as the show is airing rather than reflecting on the whole episode. 

Agree.  I remember the episode where the guy died.  It was all snark until the end and then everyone felt awful.

[Miracle Maxie]

14 hours ago, Momof2boyz said:

Agree.  I remember the episode where the guy died.  It was all snark until the end and then everyone felt awful.

Commenting as the show is airing is a whole different animal from commenting after the show is over. I rarely have much to say on the episode threads although I comment like mad during Live Chat. The show has become so formulaic that it's easy to expect to see this week what you saw last week (which is why the Live Chatters were all expecting to see pee-sticks once Erica started a relationship with Jimmy!). Most of the poundtestants are such disasters, even on the Where Are They Now episodes, that we just expect to keep seeing more of the same.

At least I finally realized who Jimmy looks like to me - Johnathan Hillestrand, of the Time Bandit (Deadliest Catch). I think that's one reason I expected Jimmy to be kind of a jerk. (Although Johnathan is by far my favorite captain, he's not exactly Mr Clean.)

Edited June 2, 2018 by Miracle Maxie

[Mothra]

"I used to be six feet tall."

Oh, Dr. Now, can you be any more adorable?  I think he genuinely likes Erica because I've never seen him let his professionalism slip like this with any other patient I've seen.  And I think he likes her because of the reasons everyone's posted about Erica, that she follows the diet--and when she slips, she gets right back on it--she exercises, and she sees her therapist.  She really cooperates with him, and her success validates his program.  She never whined or argued with him, she acknowledged that he knew what he was doing--how many of these patients say to the camera, or sometimes even to Dr. Now's face, that Dr. Now doesn't know their body, that 1200 calories isn't enough for their particular metabolism, that you "have to have balance" and treat yourself once in a while.  Maybe she pulled that shit in her original episode, but I didn't see it in the (overly long) recap. 

You can tell by the way he looks at her that Jimmy really likes Erica as well as being in love with her, and that makes me happy.

[frenchtoast]

Please focus on the show and not the posters.  PTV’s golden rule Be Civil applies only to your fellow members.  It does not apply to the show, the characters, the cast, etc. Folks are free to say whatever they like - and however they'd like to say it - about anybody that is related to the show as long as it does not violate site rules, i.e. is racist or homophobic etc. Dissecting posts in the Live Chat topic is not only off topic it's uncivil. Bring it back to the show, please.

[OoogleEyes]

I know people have talked about siblings being nasty or bitches on this show, but, geeze, they have been putting up with this stuff for *years*.  A food addict is just like any other  addict. They manipulate, they are users and whiners, they play the pity card. They say "this time I really mean it" again and again. They use everybody up until the family finally says enough! It's enough!  I'm not going to do this anymore!

I've got to cut them some slack. 

Sorry. I think I just ODed on this show. Time to go outside and WALK!

Edited June 2, 2018 by OoogleEyes
I watch to much tv

[silverspoons]

It was nice to see someone who was not cheating on the diet. Did we even see one fast food stop?

Jimmy sure popped up fast. While I am glad that she had someone supportive, I hope he is there for the long haul. I was surprised Erica mentioned she was thinking about marriage and having kids with him at the end of the episode. Isn't she 45. I guess maybe she was thinking adoption? but that might be a hard path too, if she is not finanically stable and has health issues. Did the show ever say what Jimmy did?  What made me worry a bit was it said he was in a 15 year marriage that ended. Then he is suddenly living with Erica and we never saw any kind of job, Just him and all his stuff in one duffle bag. I just hope he didn't find a comfortable old friend and find a way out of post divorce life turmoil. 

 

I was confused when she told Jimmy that she gained the weight from 250 to 660 when her mom died a few years ago and then Doctor Now said the mass he removed had been there for 15 years? 

 

What were all the blurred out photos all over her CA house? There was the Shaq #34 Jersey that was not blurred but the living, hallways and bedroom had many framed pictures/photos hat were blurred? At first I thought were they pin up girls? or Pictures of Erika ? There were too many to be some favorite family member.

Edited June 2, 2018 by silverspoons

[kicotan]

16 minutes ago, silverspoons said:

It was nice to see someone who was not cheating on the diet. Did we even see one fast food stop?

Erica managed to pay rent on two apartments for 6 months-I grew up 20 miles from Lompoc and it’s not as expensive as LA by any means but still, it’s California.  If she grew up there, they didn’t even have fast food restaurants until the 90’s, I think.  It’s a small town where folks would get fresh seafood(it’s about 10 miles from the ocean), authentic Mexican food or local burger and steak joints(lots of cattle ranching history nearby) or fresh fruits and vegetables from roadside stands or cheaply at the local market(The Santa Maria Valley is a breadbasket). They left out the part about her impoverished/not being cared for properly/abusive childhood ( I’m assuming because it didn’t exist?) and focused on her gang rape at 16 being her emotional issue that drove her to overeat.  She also had no children.

That being said, I think those issues are largely the ones that poundticipants blame when they make the rounds at the fast food joints.

[kicotan]

33 minutes ago, silverspoons said:

What were all the blurred out photos all over her CA house? There was the Shaq #34 Jersey that was not blurred but the living, hallways and bedroom had many framed pictures/photos hat were blurred? At first I thought were they pin up girls? or Pictures of Erika ? There were too many to be some favorite family member.

My guess:

Reproduced art prints that she bought but didn’t enter into a contract with the artist to reproduce and therefore doesn’t have permission to share publicly were blurred out.

Laker’s memorabilia that she acquired is hers to display publicly and she doesn’t need permission.

[gonecrackers]

Very happy for Erica but am concerned about her level of attachment to Jimmy so quickly after all these years. I tend toward concern when they seem to have a reason for losing weight/staying on the program that isn't just for themselves, because that other person/thing could possibly not be there someday. She was doing well before, so hopefully will stay with it no matter what happens.

Her sister Molly should've come back on the show if even just to show more positivity this time; I think it would've made a difference in how people viewed her. The show seemed to have it in for her too, since they showed so many flashbacks of her being bitchy. If she had filmed a better side of her this time maybe they would've balanced that more.

I did not like it when the show replayed the shower scene at the end. Erica had come so far & done so well, & was so positive & hopeful. We got the point about how far she's come with other flashbacks; no need for that particular scene, which seemed dragged out a bit too. Especially given she's a rape survivor, I felt it was a crappy thing to do.

And now I SO want to HUG a mini horse!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited June 2, 2018 by gonecrackers

[pdlinda]

On 6/2/2018 at 1:52 PM, silverspoons said:

It was nice to see someone who was not cheating on the diet. Did we even see one fast food stop?

Jimmy sure popped up fast. While I am glad that she had someone supportive, I hope he is there for the long haul. I was surprised Erica mentioned she was thinking about marriage and having kids with him at the end of the episode. Isn't she 45. I guess maybe she was thinking adoption? but that might be a hard path too, if she is not finanically stable and has health issues. Did the show ever say what Jimmy did?  What made me worry a bit was it said he was in a 15 year marriage that ended. Then he is suddenly living with Erica and we never saw any kind of job, Just him and all his stuff in one duffle bag. I just hope he didn't find a comfortable old friend and find a way out of post divorce life turmoil. 

 

I was confused when she told Jimmy that she gained the weight from 250 to 660 when her mom died a few years ago and then Doctor Now said the mass he removed had been there for 15 years? 

 

What were all the blurred out photos all over her CA house? There was the Shaq #34 Jersey that was not blurred but the living, hallways and bedroom had many framed pictures/photos hat were blurred? At first I thought were they pin up girls? or Pictures of Erika ? There were too many to be some favorite family member.

I read upthread somewhere that Jimmy was engaged for 7 years to a woman with 4 children who passed away a short time prior to him reconnecting with Erica.  There was even a link to a Gofundme page for the deceased fiance's family.

[silverspoons]

17 minutes ago, pdlinda said:

I read upthread somewhere that Jimmy was engaged for 7 years to a woman with 4 children who passed away a short time prior to him reconnecting with Erica.  There was even a link to a Gofundme page for the deceased fiance's family.

Thanks. I did not look in the Live chat thread. I looked at the page and the social media links. He seems a little rough around the edges and has some strong opinions. I hope he was not just in a bad place in his life and Erika showed up at the right time and she gave him a home, a sense of being needed, kind of an instant life. I guess it all depends on who Erika is, we only saw her struggles from her apartment she  likes sports and has some artwork? that had to be blurred so maybe she is into the "bad boy". 

[Guest]

In response to why art is blurred out on television programs, this article provides some insight. 

I think I was most annoyed by Erica because she seemed like a human sad trombone until some man showed up and she suddenly became "happy." I wished she had found some form of happiness with herself before hitching her wagon to someone else who'd do it for her. 

[TVbitch]

I swear in the last 3 minutes of the episode Erica says "Jimmy" about 100 times. Lord have mercy if Jimmy moves on.  

Dr. Now cracking up the room with his 6' tall joke was classic. Someone should make a youtube video of his most adorable moments.  

[katisha]

So as a person who had a mini gastric bypass only last Monday (all went well and I am recuperating nicely on an eating habit of liquids for the first two weeks), I record this show on my DVR partly for research purposes. I currently have my mum staying with me and last night we watched Erica's first two shows and this morning we watched her follow-up. And I just had to post how happily surprised I was by the ending! Halfway through the first bit we both were ready to STRANGLE Erica for her sad sack attitude and moaning. Then when she started off being non-compliant about the diet and sneaking food she wasn't supposed to have into the house, things were being thrown at the telly. And then it hit me. Erica was not depressed so much as numb. Her affect was flat and she looked miserable. What kind of a life is it when, aside from having enough childhood trauma to cripple the strongest soul, you have gotten to a point where all you CAN do is sit around the house all day eating, because that is literally your only joy in life, and then even that is off limits to you. So her behaviour suddenly made sense and I had a feeling once she got with the right therapist she might shock us all and actually start doing well. So once she did, I was so pleased to see it and even though others in the live thread did not seem to, I was very touched by her relationship with Jimmy, who strikes me as a great guy. It was lovely to see her genuinely happy and smiling and not feeling compelled to overeat because finally there were other good things in her life. In summary, well done to Erica!

On a side note, I was a fat kid who grew into a fat adult and one side of my family gave me a lot of grief about my weight disguised as "tough love". Obviously worked a treat. ? So, Erica's sister and father, if you were in my family I would cut off all unnecessary contact with you. If I am not good enough to get a place in a family fat, then that is a family I want no part of no matter what I weigh.

Edited October 21, 2018 by katisha

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Pounders, What do we do? We avoid discussing how money is being snatched from the public's wallet for the participants unless it’s specifically revealed on the show. Anything else is pure speculation not to mention also a slippery slope toward talking politics. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think this follow up is where she meets Jimmy again.   

[OoogleEyes]

Jimmy!

[auntjess]

OK, I'm rewatching Erica's Story and this one, and here's the link to the 3rd one, where Jimmy (leaves?), so I'll look for it on the schedule.

 

https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/108230-s08e17-david-benji-erica/#comments

Edited December 11, 2020 by auntjess

[CrazyInAlabama]

The last rerun of Erica, they showed her original episode, and then skipped to part three with Benji and David.  

At least this time they reran the original, and the first follow up. 

Edited December 12, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama