S06.E19: Diana & Ashley R 2018.06.06

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Ashley lost over 200 lbs. in Houston, but she faces the fact of regaining independence and struggling to lose weight back in California with her family of enablers; and Diana has embraced her new life and shed 300 lbs., but her knee damage might threaten her progress.

This is the regular episode thread.  It will open after the US East Coast showing. 

A few notes:

• As always, no politics, or even sliding down that slippery slope toward politics
• Posters are allowed to snark the people on the show as long as they do not cross the line into racism, homophobia, etc.
• Posters are not allowed to snark each other; this includes policing what people say
• Yes, TLC does release episode descriptions as poorly worded as the one for this episode; your Mods cringe while transposing them
• Ashley will be "scared" about moving back to California; Diana will be "scared" about her knee; your Mods are scared this will be another update episode that should have been 30 minutes, not 2 hours; let's be "scared" together

[sainte-chapelle]

Diana my eyes are leaking! The makeover, the new friends,  the 5 per cent sign on the mirror, what an inspiration.

[ams1001]

What was the 5 per cent sign? I missed it..

[crazycatlady58]

Just now, ams1001 said:

What was the 5 per cent sign? I missed it..

<5% is the amount  of people  who undergo was and keep  the wight off, and kudos  to  using   < instead  of-.

[ams1001]

1 minute ago, crazycatlady58 said:

<5% is the amount  of people  who undergo was and keep  the wight off, and kudos  to  using   < instead  of-.

Thanks :)

[sainte-chapelle]

9 hours ago, crazycatlady58 said:

<5% is the amount  of people  who undergo was and keep  the wight off, and kudos  to  using   < instead  of-.

She also said it serves as a reminder not to get comfortable and fall back into old habits. I think she will be successful long term as she never saw the surgery as a quick fix and fully understood that the responsibility lies with her.

[jacksgirl]

Missed most of the live chat not my fault I was at the gym. Read all 9 pages of comments,  boy you guys are funny. Just a few things to add. Love Diana, was really rooting for her. Second, boy Ashley carried her weight well. She's someone who if she got down to 220 would look downright skinny. Hope she re-committs and we see a positive update on her.

[calpurnia99]

Diana really did have a bad knee, and never used that as an excuse not to lose weight. Also that 4 month where she lost about 28 pounds a month instead of 15 pounds a month which was her target, proves that if you actually FOLLOW the diet, huge amounts of weight will drop off.  When these folks come in with an 7 pound loss in 2 munt, Dr. Now knows they've been over eating. Because he has patients like Diana that follow the plan. He is no idiot. When he told Ashley well now you are eating 4000 calories a day- he knows exactly how the math works on these morbidly obese folks. I couldn't lose 28 pounds in one munt, but I weigh 145. But if you weigh 500 pounds you can. 7 pounds IS a normal fluctuation, it's not a weight loss, it is like if I was a pound lighter or heavier tomorrow.

Ashley not going to therapy and not losing. She was trying in the sense she was not eating like before surgery, I think she was avoiding junk food, but she was eating way too much. To just quit because she didn't believe that she needed to eat less was stupid. Obviously Dr. Now told her she was going to start gaining now, and lo and behold, she moves back home and is heading upwards. I do not believe she will succeed. Especially with her enabling mom agreeing with her excuses and giving her even more excuses. I had to laugh at "maybe there is something wrong with your body"

Diana is an example of someone who took advantage of this opportunity and never used excuses. When she went on vacation she pre-shipped her protein powder and brought her blender.  We have heard every excuse and finally a patient who got it. I was worried about Diana at first because her niece was controlling all her food intake. She seemed like she was following it robotically. Now she is much skinnier than her sister. 

As for the hair thinning, no she should not "just get a wig".  It sucks. My hair is the same as Dianas. I spent $20,000 on hair replacements, wigs, more wigs, weaves, hair systems for ten years. It looked good but costs a fortune, I was in my 30s and 40s and dating and wanted to look good. It was so hot, so much upkeep, so much work, so much time, so much worry (the glue is starting to come off, I need to go in for a fix) this hair piece is falling apart I need to spend $1800 on a new one, that I decided to go au natural and I am much happier. It's not from poor nutrition. It is similar to male pattern baldness. There is really no vitamin that will fix this. Rogaine will help but you need to do it when it first starts, for me was around 20 and it was not invented yet.  I do think there is a way to wear the hair to hide a bit better that front part, you make an uneven part, kind of then push some hair forward over it.  I think it works for me, the combover, lol maybe not!

Edited June 7, 2018 by calpurnia99

[kicotan]

I’m very grateful they decided to share Diana’s success story, even though there was nothing about it to gleefully snark on.  I think it should be required viewing for anyone looking to be on the show/get Dr. Now’s help as a shining example of what to do with the help provided.  I’m usually yelling my snark AT the TV, much to Mr. Kicotan’s amusement, but for Diana, I was yelling Atta-girl’s and no snark at all!

However, God bless TLC’s little heart(s), they paired her story with the very snarkworthy poundicipant, Ashley.  Although I couldn’t participate in the Live Chat thread, I read all the comments and was literally laughing out loud!  I totally get the anxiety/panic attacks with no obvious trigger, since I suffer from that as well, but she really seemed to be  so very deep in her denial about her “stalling” that she couldn’t reconcile her action(or in-actions) were the big contributing factor. The fact that she is the one that drives and her husband never says anything (if he’s not fluent, they could’ve translated) makes me think she’s a control freak as well.  Similar to the reason anorexics go the way they do, as a means of “control”~she’s her own worst enemy.

Edited June 7, 2018 by kicotan
Clarity

[dahling]

Diana's story was chicken soup for the soul. She wasn't doing it for a boyfriend, husband, or to have a baby. She just wanted to have a life again and go back home and live it with her family. She did the program like it was her job and it worked. Even with two bum knees. "I just did what you told me to do," is the best thing I've ever heard. She knew she had made her own mess, she owned it, she listened to the expert, and she fixed it.  No snark for her. Way to go, girl. 

Edit: I LOVED what she said about her loose skin on her upper arms. Something about the "scars of her progress".  I have also been very heavy in the past and am left with some pretty eye-popping bat-wings. I hate them and don't wear sleeveless things. I flirt with the idea of surgery. But there is also a part of me that is proud of them, because it means I'm not the way I used to be.  I tell my 9 year old daughter that they are my "reward" and I'm happy to have them if it means I don't have to live the way I used to. I don't get the people on Skin Tight whose lives are being ruined by their extra skin. My life was being ruined by 200 extra pounds. The skin I can live with. 

Edited June 7, 2018 by dahling

[Caoimhe]

1 hour ago, dahling said:

Diana's story was chicken soup for the soul. She wasn't doing it for a boyfriend, husband, or to have a baby. She just wanted to have a life again and go back home and live it with her family. She did the program like it was her job and it worked. Even with two bum knees. "I just did what you told me to do," is the best thing I've ever heard. She knew she had made her own mess, she owned it, she listened to the expert, and she fixed it.  No snark for her. Way to go, girl. 

Edit: I LOVED what she said about her loose skin on her upper arms. Something about the "scars of her progress".  I have also been very heavy in the past and am left with some pretty eye-popping bat-wings. I hate them and don't wear sleeveless things. I flirt with the idea of surgery. But there is also a part of me that is proud of them, because it means I'm not the way I used to be.  I tell my 9 year old daughter that they are my "reward" and I'm happy to have them if it means I don't have to live the way I used to. I don't get the people on Skin Tight whose lives are being ruined by their extra skin. My life was being ruined by 200 extra pounds. The skin I can live with. 

Re-watching today and Diana’s comments about her loose skin resonated with me a lot.  My loss is only around 130 pounds (though I regained a few that I am losing again) so my loose skin isn’t as extreme.  But I understand your pride because every time I saw the flabby skin on my thighs I was incredibly amazingly over-the-moon happy because it meant all that fat was gone!  (Unfortunately it’s where I regain first too so I’m working on getting that loose skin back again).  My bat wings are minimal enough that I will wear sleeveless unless it’s a fancy occasion LOL.

Ashley’s insistence on the importance of exercise surprised me, but it could be the mental effect of feeling you had done really well and not wanting to mess that up with extra food.  She really does need to get away from that family!  I hope she does learn to take responsibility and reach her goal.

[dahling]

1 hour ago, ThereButFor said:

Re-watching today and Diana’s comments about her loose skin resonated with me a lot.  My loss is only around 130 pounds (though I regained a few that I am losing again) so my loose skin isn’t as extreme.  

You should never say "only" about losing 130 pounds. Way to go, and there's no shame in a little bounce back as long as you deal with it pronto. I'm in the same boat. You got this. 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

It looked to me like Ashley was going back to some of what she learned on other diets, which did not match the post-gastric sleeve diet. She was denying herself a bagel while loading up on fruit.  So in her mind she was sacrificing, but she wasn't eating the right food.  Because she felt like she was eating "diet" food and denying herself, she couldn't understand why she wasn't losing weight.   Being back home, she was also more likely to have the occasional bite of something absolutely not on the diet.  With her large family eating their version of normal, there was a lot of temptation.  Mom certainly didn't help talking about the breakfasts she used to make. 

Having seen the online information for the diet, many of these folks could use a lot more help understanding what is allowed and not allowed.  The other missing component is that diet food doesn't have to be bland and boring.  It would help if they considered people's ethnicity and/or preferred flavor profiles.  For those living off fast food, the transition isn't actually as extreme.  For those that are used to spicier or more flavorful foods, the diet on Dr. Now's website does not give much insight into how to make the food more interesting.  For someone like Ashley, she would benefit from a nutritionist that did more than say "Don't eat this" and instead helped her meal plan.  Many of the poundticipants could use that help.  So many end up with yogurt, scrambled eggs and plain chicken breast and the ubiquitous sugar-free jello cups.  Living off that food would make me very depressed. 

I didn't hate Ashley.  I really think she did not understand what she was doing wrong.  She's not the first one to hit that wall. 

[auntjess]

Missed the discussion, and didn't get to watch until later, but while I thought Diana did well, in her original show, she was very presumptious, and assured Dr. Now that her niece and family would be OK to stay a certain time, without even asking them.
I'm glad she's doing well, but don't see her as an inspiring saint.
Ashley probably picks up bits to snack on with every trip through the kitchen, and doesn't count it.

 

[SunnyBeBe]

Is there any reason that NO ONE that I saw told Ashley to weigh everything she ate, LOG it all in a journal, and take a photo of it too.   She should Email it to her nutritionist every Friday for review and comment.  Then, get herself weighed every 2 weeks.  That way she is forced to show what, "not much" looks like.  

It appeared to me that Ashley may have a certain condition that prevents her from seeing reality, called:  

Quote

 

Anosognosia

When someone rejects a diagnosis of mental illness, it’s tempting to say that he's “in denial.” But someone with acute mental illness may not be thinking clearly enough to consciously choose denial. They may instead be experiencing “lack of insight” or “lack of awareness.” The formal medical term for this medical condition is anosognosia, from the Greek meaning “to not know a disease.”

When we talk about anosognosia in mental illness, we mean that someone is unaware of their own mental health condition or that they can’t perceive their condition accurately. Anosognosia is a common symptom of certain mental illnesses, perhaps the most difficult to understand for those who have never experienced it.

Anosognosia is relative. Self-awareness can vary over time, allowing a person to acknowledge their illness at times and making such knowledge impossible at other times. When insight shifts back and forth over time, we might think people are denying their condition out of fear or stubbornness, but variations in awareness are typical of anosognosia.

  

 

https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Related-Conditions/Anosognosia

[calpurnia99]

Dr. Now's patients get tons and tons of help from a nutritionist that we do not see on the show. They all get this education on what exactly to eat. They are also provided with websites and pamphets etc.. He does not just hand them that piece of paper and send them on their way.  He knows she knows exactly what she is supposed to be eating, because they explained it to her- all of it - and made sure she understood it.  Other people who have been in Dr Now's practice have stated this.  She was not following the plan. I believe they have access to a nutritionist any time they want it. It's just another excuse.  They do not show this on the show because it is very boring. Although we have seen nutritionists visit the home.  And honestly there are thousands of websites about how to spice up your diet food,  great meal plans for after your gastric bypass, healthy recipes etc. Ignorance is not an excuse when you refuse to change your eating habit.

[Mothra]

Ashley's stubbornness about following the diet to the letter maddens me.  So often I think people with significant weight problems have been on so many diets and programs that they don't really hear what Dr. Now and the nutritionist tell them to do.  They think they know what diet food is--Ashley's fruit with yogurt would never make it on Dr. Now's diet.  Just because a food is "healthy" (and I'm also sick and tired of these patients saying they're trying to "eat healthy" as if that was the problem) or good for you doesn't mean you should be eating it on a weight-loss diet.  I know scrambled eggs and broiled chicken breasts can get boring, but holy moly these people are going to DIE if they don't lose weight.  I guess their addiction is so strong that they'd rather endanger their lives than give up food they love--which is where the counseling comes in.  Why are so many of them resistant to going to therapy?  Is it a cultural thing (an Asian friend of mine kept her going to a psychiatrist a secret from her family because it just wasn't done), or ignorance?  Isn't everyone familiar with the notion of talk therapy by now?

And I don't know when these guys are going to get it through their heads that exercise isn't how you lose weight.  A pound equals 3500 calories.  Look at the display on the treadmill and see how many calories you burn--you'd have to devote most of your day to exercise to achieve weight loss.  This is a sore point with me because my husband, who could stand to drop a few, insists that exercise is the way to go.  Exercise is good because it makes you stronger and it makes you feel a lot better, but it doesn't make you lose weight.

I, too, was surprised by how well Diana did.  Her niece did all the cooking and food apportioning when Diana first came to Houston, and her weight loss was entirely due to her niece's hard work.  I didn't like the way Diana just assumed that her niece and her family would stay in Houston for as long as Diana needed them to.  I thought Diana had a total dependence on the niece and knew it.  But wow--Diana really took off!  I hope her niece is pleased that she was able to get Diana started on Her Journey--I wonder why we didn't see the niece in this episode?

I hope there will be more followups of both these women.

[dahling]

27 minutes ago, Mothra said:

And I don't know when these guys are going to get it through their heads that exercise isn't how you lose weight.  A pound equals 3500 calories.  Look at the display on the treadmill and see how many calories you burn--you'd have to devote most of your day to exercise to achieve weight loss.  This is a sore point with me because my husband, who could stand to drop a few, insists that exercise is the way to go.  Exercise is good because it makes you stronger and it makes you feel a lot better, but it doesn't make you lose weight.

 

So many people, including my own husband, cling to this idea like the the Holy Grail of Weight Loss. When I lost weight I went from 380 to 300 with diet alone, largely because I simply couldn't move very much. Now, I run 3k a day, which translates to about 350 calories.  This is less than one piece of pizza or a bakery style muffin.  It helps, and it does great things for my overall health, but it's not the key.  My trainer used to say, weight loss is 80% what you eat "out there" (out in the world) and 20% what you do "in here" (the gym).  80/20.  

[Wanda]

I had to put my horse down yesterday and couldn't concentrate on the live episode. Trying again tonight but I'm so sad I had a cheesecake for dinner. Is that inappropriate dinner fare for this show? I'm hoping bereavement calories don't count.

[ams1001]

6 minutes ago, Wanda said:

I had to put my horse down yesterday and couldn't concentrate on the live episode. Trying again tonight but I'm so sad I had a cheesecake for dinner. Is that inappropriate dinner fare for this show? I'm hoping bereavement calories don't count.

Definitely not! Sorry for your loss. :(

[Aliconehead]

2 hours ago, dahling said:

So many people, including my own husband, cling to this idea like the the Holy Grail of Weight Loss. When I lost weight I went from 380 to 300 with diet alone, largely because I simply couldn't move very much. Now, I run 3k a day, which translates to about 350 calories.  This is less than one piece of pizza or a bakery style muffin.  It helps, and it does great things for my overall health, but it's not the key.  My trainer used to say, weight loss is 80% what you eat "out there" (out in the world) and 20% what you do "in here" (the gym).  80/20.  

As some one that has lost weight, I always say weight loss 95% food. I exercise a lot but that is for physical and mental health.  It is really hard to burn 500 calories but eating 500 calories is REALLY easy. 

[calpurnia99]

The combination of diet and exercise is important but you can't assume that exercise alone will help you lose weight while still eating too much. And as Dr. Now pointed out, the type of exercise his patients do burns off about 100 calories an hour.  This is not going to help much. Exercise does boost up metabolism for several hours after and if you exercise a lot and daily your overall metabolism burns calories better. There is some after effect. However, they are not bike riding for 2 hours at 20 mph which can burn 400-600 calories. They are waving their arms around.  She was dancing around in her living room, barely getting her heart rate up.  Probably a total of 20 minutes a day. He was saying once you get closer to your goal weight you have to eat very little to maintain it, so at that point you will need to throw in the exercise. 

[QuinnInND]

3 hours ago, Mothra said:

 Why are so many of them resistant to going to therapy?  Is it a cultural thing (an Asian friend of mine kept her going to a psychiatrist a secret from her family because it just wasn't done), or ignorance?  Isn't everyone familiar with the notion of talk therapy by now?

 

Some of it may be cultural. But I think in most cases, they don't want to deal with their trauma, which is why they're stuffing their faces with food. If they talk about it, then they have to acknowledge the trauma and start dealing with it in a different way. And some of them don't see the corolation between the trauma and them being morbidly obese. 

To add to the exercise VS. food intake conversation, I have a friend who had to  go without eating for 3 days. She lost zero weight. Her metabolism is zero. She exercises, and barely eats, but can't lose a pound. It gets depressing. 

[jcbrown]

3 hours ago, Wanda said:

I had to put my horse down yesterday and couldn't concentrate on the live episode. Trying again tonight but I'm so sad I had a cheesecake for dinner. Is that inappropriate dinner fare for this show? I'm hoping bereavement calories don't count.

I think that is entirely appropriate dinner food for this show. I often find myself with salty snacks in front of me while I watch, and I do not have the terrible stress of losing an animal friend. I'm sorry for your loss!

[Delete]

Diana is truly a sweetheart, and absolutely adored by her family. I teared up when she went to see her Dad, and when she got a makeover. She worked so hard, went through pain but kept focused and positive. She is an inspiration. 

 

Ashley unfortunately doesn’t want to deal with her food addiction. I hope she gets back on track. Side note: she’s a real stunning looking woman, 

[libgirl2]

On 6/7/2018 at 8:06 AM, jacksgirl said:

Missed most of the live chat not my fault I was at the gym. Read all 9 pages of comments,  boy you guys are funny. Just a few things to add. Love Diana, was really rooting for her. Second, boy Ashley carried her weight well. She's someone who if she got down to 220 would look downright skinny. Hope she re-committs and we see a positive update on her.

I know she did not look like she weighed that much when she was walking, only when she sat could you really see it. She really learned a lesson that she can't do it "her own way". I wish her well. She has youth (and nice legs) on her side. 

8 hours ago, Barbara Please said:

Diana is truly a sweetheart, and absolutely adored by her family. I teared up when she went to see her Dad, and when she got a makeover. She worked so hard, went through pain but kept focused and positive. She is an inspiration. 

 

 

She had me smiling the entire episode. She took control, she knew this wasn't just a quick fix that she had to work at it. I was so proud of her. She will succeed, she was no nonsense about it and didn't try to use excuses, she did what she had to do. 

Edited June 8, 2018 by libgirl2

[Lunula]

I could not love Diana more if I tried. Not just her, but her family and friends. How refreshing and wonderful to see someone who "gets it" (maybe her age had something to do with that?) and additionally see a loving, supportive family behind her. No enabling, no excuses, just love and support. Man. I just loved her entire story and wish I could write her a fan letter. :)

I'm trying to forget Ashley's entire portion because she was the exact opposite and it pisses me off. I only want to bask in the loveliness that is Diana...

[Lunula]

14 hours ago, calpurnia99 said:

The combination of diet and exercise is important but you can't assume that exercise alone will help you lose weight while still eating too much. And as Dr. Now pointed out, the type of exercise his patients do burns off about 100 calories an hour.  This is not going to help much. Exercise does boost up metabolism for several hours after and if you exercise a lot and daily your overall metabolism burns calories better. There is some after effect. However, they are not bike riding for 2 hours at 20 mph which can burn 400-600 calories. They are waving their arms around.  She was dancing around in her living room, barely getting her heart rate up.  Probably a total of 20 minutes a day. He was saying once you get closer to your goal weight you have to eat very little to maintain it, so at that point you will need to throw in the exercise. 

This. 

Honestly, there is no way on God's green earth that a woman who is 400-500 lbs is "eating almost nothing" and not losing weight. Exercise is very important - for fitness. For blood flow, for muscle development and retention, for bone strength, brain health and for heart health, etc. Of course, muscle uses more calories than fat - but so many people believe it's way more than it actually is and it makes me chuckle when I read some weight loss post about "muscle weighing more than fat" so you shouldn't worry if you're not losing. Fitness is about having a body that functions well and by nature, will burn calories more efficiently. If you're eating 4,000 calories per day, you'd have to train like Michael Phelps to overcome all the crap you consume. Furthermore, I'm guessing she isn't eating 4,000+ calories worth of broccoli and spinach - which makes it all even worse because you aren't giving your body nutrients, only calories. 

You are not "working hard" because you do a 30 minute exercise video. I felt for her at one point because I know, for her, the 30 minute video is working hard - but then got immediately ticked off at the family dinner scene when mom was making excuse after excuse for her. You don't have to be confrontational and a jerk, but a little tough love should definitely be on their menu. 

Edited June 8, 2018 by Lunula

[TVbitch]

Just watched this epi. Don't remember too much about Diana from her original episode, but I do remember a lot of people were helping her out. I was impressed when she dug down and started doing it on her own. That was a long painful slog and bitch was gettin' it done, one day at a time, broken knees and all. With little complaint. Wish I could find that kind of determination with my own issues.  

As for Ashley, can I not hear ever again about the state of her and her husband's ability to "get closer." That can just be between the two of you, okay?  

[calpurnia99]

20 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Just watched this epi. Don't remember too much about Diana from her original episode, but I do remember a lot of people were helping her out. I was impressed when she dug down and started doing it on her own. That was a long painful slog and bitch was gettin' it done, one day at a time, broken knees and all. With little complaint. Wish I could find that kind of determination with my own issues.  

As for Ashley, can I not hear ever again about the state of her and her husband's ability to "get closer." That can just be between the two of you, okay?  

She was the only one who seemed to live in a nice place when she got to Houston.  the family rented a big, beautiful house with lovely furniture. Also we all commented that she seemed to have a much higher level of education than the people we are used to seeing on this show. We also all thought that she expressed herself in proper English, which was another first for this show.

[pdlinda]

1 hour ago, calpurnia99 said:

She was the only one who seemed to live in a nice place when she got to Houston.  the family rented a big, beautiful house with lovely furniture. Also we all commented that she seemed to have a much higher level of education than the people we are used to seeing on this show. We also all thought that she expressed herself in proper English, which was another first for this show.

Also, she had no tattoos!!!

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Pounders,

A poundticipant-at-the-drive-through-sized portion of off-topic posts has been moved to the Small Talk thread.  Small Talk, where your non-show-specific dreams come true!

[configdotsys]

On 6/7/2018 at 8:28 PM, Wanda said:

I had to put my horse down yesterday and couldn't concentrate on the live episode. Trying again tonight but I'm so sad I had a cheesecake for dinner. Is that inappropriate dinner fare for this show? I'm hoping bereavement calories don't count.

They don't count! So, so very sorry for your loss.

I just watched this ep On Demand and thought Ashley is a Shenee in training. Whining about how all her efforts are not lauded by Dr. Now. Please. She knows that she's mailing it in. Even Dr. Now said earlier that she thought the surgery was going to be the answer to her problems. Um, no, it's a lot more work than that. I don't know how old she is and really don't care. She came across as incredibly whiny and wanting a parade if she did one little thing right. That kind of stuff drives me nuts.

Diana was indeed chicken soup for the soul as said in a post above. I loved her and was so rooting for her. There were so many times that I smiled. I think she should let her hair go gray because the dark coloring made the thin areas much more prominent than gray or a very light color would. Either way, she just rocks. I was so proud of her!

[IvySpice]

I appreciated Diana's specific language: under 5% reach their GOAL WEIGHT and stay there long term. Many more gastric bypass patients may stabilize at 100 pounds down when their goal was 200 pounds down. That's still highly beneficial to their longevity and quality of life. It's a success, even without an optimal outcome.

Ashley's denial was apparent. No, if you're eating high protein, low carbs and low sugar, you wouldn't be at 500 pounds. I was kind of surprised that she told Dr. Now the truth about her weight, since she was lying about her diet.

The apartment they were looking at seemed pretty nice/expensive for the LA metro area. What did they do for a living that would make that affordable?

[AVM]

Diana did amazingly , so happy for her.Ashley like so many other wanted to do her own thing with usual outcome  weight gain,if Dr Now doesn't know nobody does ,  yet she came crawling back still in denial of her food intake.

[3girlsforus]

Wow. I just saw this episode and it’s hard to believe Diana is the same person. When they did the flashbacks I could hardly believe it was her. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I didn't know they would do both knee replacements at the same time.      I love Diana's story, and how she has the best attitude ever.     I hope she's one of the <5%, and lives happily ever after.

I suspect Ashley R. didn't stop at gaining 100 lbs back, and has gone way above 500 lbs.    

[AZChristian]

20 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I didn't know they would do both knee replacements at the same time.  

You have to meet some pretty significant criteria:  Not living alone, weight under a certain amount, no chronic illnesses.  I've had one done, and met people in PT who had had both done at the same time, or fairly close together.  Having had the one, when I saw the doctor for my 3-month check-up, he said, "You know your other knee isn't a whole lot better than the one we replaced."  I looked at him, smiled, and said, "Wait by the phone.  The day AFTER hell freezes over, I'll call to schedule the other knee."  (My recovery was not without its challenges.)

[CrazyInAlabama]

My hard heart melted when Diana said she was donating her walker to charity the second she didn't need it any longer.      I hope she's running around like a 20 year old now.  

 

Sadly, I bet Ashley didn't just gain 25% of her weight back, to 500 lbs, but I bet she's gained a lot more.    

[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. 

[Ben.w]

I just saw this episode and Diana is definitely my favourite participant by far. I didn't exactly warm up to her in her main episode, but here it was like 'Yes! yes! yes!' for her every victory. She went into it with honest intentions, worked hard and was so humble about it. Loved when Dr. Now told her she could stop losing weight (something he hardly gets to say) and just focus on maintaining the smile on her face was amazing. Uh.... I don't remember anything of Ashley's portion.

Around the 30 minute mark (not counting commercials) after Diana is weighed (Diana is wearing purple) as she makes her way to the room, did  Kassandra stick her tongue out at one of her colleagues? 😂😛

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loved Diana too.    I really hope she ends up the poster woman for Dr. Now's program.

If it's the same Ashley, she was the one who came from California, lived with her mother, and sister there, and had the surgery.     She was down to 400 lbs. when she decided to go back to California, and promptly gained 100 lbs. back, so 25% gain.    

[pdlinda]

On 6/12/2018 at 11:52 AM, IvySpice said:

The apartment they were looking at seemed pretty nice/expensive for the LA metro area. What did they do for a living that would make that affordable?

I saw the re-run last night and that's the thing that stuck with me about Ashley and Daniel's situation.  My daughter and her family lives in L.A. and the housing prices are ASTRONOMICAL!!  

Ashley's family looks financially comfortable but certainly not wealthy.

However, I saw NO indication whatsoever that either Ashley and/or Daniel has any employment.  I noted that Daniel doesn't (can't) drive so many opportunities for employment in L.A. would be precluded as there is barely any public transportation there.  However, I guess he could work from home.

I guess we can conclude that there are MANY things that the show excludes in editing.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think they said Ashley's husband Daniel did work, so she must do the driving.  Maybe they were looking at places near where he worked?    With this show who knows what was really going on with the apartment.     I remember that Ashley and her husband lived with her family at the beginning.   

[fonfereksglen]

Was this rerun today?  If so, sorry I missed it.  I don't remember much of this WATN.  In Diana's original episode, they showed a picture of her in her Air Force fatigues.  Though I am a bit older, if you placed a picture of me in my Army fatigues next to her picture, we look like sisters!  And we both had to deal with arbitrary weight limits which had nothing to do with fitness nor competence and had to leave the military.

I have always wondered why she gained another 450 lbs afterward while I didn't.

[pdlinda]

On 6/7/2018 at 6:45 AM, calpurnia99 said:

As for the hair thinning, no she should not "just get a wig"

If she got one of those powders like what Joan Rivers sold on QVC that many customers said was fabulous, that might help Diana.  I think Amazon now has several options in that category.

 

 

[calpurnia99]

17 hours ago, pdlinda said:

If she got one of those powders like what Joan Rivers sold on QVC that many customers said was fabulous, that might help Diana.  I think Amazon now has several options in that category.

 

 

Those powders help a little. I've use them and my sister likes them. I think it's not perfect, you have to match the color just right.  The ads make it look better than it actually is. It does sort of give an optical illusion and hides the bald patches. 

[pdlinda]

3 hours ago, calpurnia99 said:

Those powders help a little. I've use them and my sister likes them. I think it's not perfect, you have to match the color just right.  The ads make it look better than it actually is. It does sort of give an optical illusion and hides the bald patches. 

Well, then I think it would be worth a try for Diana.  I realize that the follow-up show was done a few years ago so presumably Diana is independently pursuing her life in Washington State with her family.  I wonder how she looks and what type of work she is doing.  I think I recall them doing 2 follow-up shows with Brittani so maybe there's another with Diana.

[pdlinda]

On 3/9/2020 at 10:33 AM, pdlinda said:

I think I recall them doing 2 follow-up shows with Brittani so maybe there's another with Diana.

I just read on some Facebook post that Diana declined to participate in any more filming quite a while ago.  No reason was given.  I guess we can all speculate; however, I'd prefer to believe she simply had enough of camera intrusion into her life rather than a weight gain.

[Wanda]

4 hours ago, pdlinda said:

I just read on some Facebook post that Diana declined to participate in any more filming quite a while ago.  No reason was given.  I guess we can all speculate; however, I'd prefer to believe she simply had enough of camera intrusion into her life rather than a weight gain.

Diana reached her goal and was told to stop losing. In essence, she could feel her story is over. She’s not a drama queen, so I can see her saying there’s no reason for another follow up episode. She’s not looking for baby daddy’s’, booty calls, no interest in Gilbert, and probably has stayed on track. Bravo to Diana.