S07:E02 Brianne's Story

[PrincessPurrsALot]

It's baaaack! Or at least it will be on January 2, 2019, according to the often inaccurate TLC site.  They have posted a new episode as the kickoff for Season 7.

Quote

At over 700 pounds, Brianne undertakes a weight-loss journey to save her own life and faces an unexpected challenge to her fragile progress when her husband suffers a heart attack on a birthday she will never forget.

While the TLC site says season 7, episode 2, since it's posted now we'll call it episode 1 unless we learn otherwise.  Dr. Now and his not particularly merry band are back, tackling yet more 600 lb.+ individuals.  Because this episode has not yet shown on broadcast TV, the entire thread is spoiler tagged. Read at your own risk. 

When the regular US showing is scheduled, we will set up the live chat thread.  This is a regular episode thread.  Treat it as if it opened after you viewed the episode.  

Welcome back, Pounders.  Let the snarking begin.

[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. 

[Otter]

I watched her two hour episode last week.  I didn't remember her but my guide stated it was a rerun.  Regardless, I liked her!  She's young and very loving and caring.  Broke my heart when her mom walked out on her during lunch.  That episode ended when she was awaiting approval for skin removal surgery.  

Her husband had a heart attack (or not, but hospitalized) in the episode.  Her stepdaughter is a treasure!  

Merry Christmas!

[cynicat]

I watched the 2 hour episode too.  The train wrecks have their own fascination however it was refreshing to see someone so determined and successful.  I was sure she was going to have gained weight after going back to Oregon for 2 months but nope!  She stuck to her guns.  Loving husband, wonderful daughter--it was like a palate cleanser.  You go Bri!

[PrincessPurrsALot]

They are a really nice family.  I found it interesting that her husband is 30 years older than her.  While he seems like a very kind man and they appear to be very in love, um, daddy issues? She does seem like she could be successful long term.  Also, Dr. Now recommended therapy even though she didn't backslide. Diet + surgery + therapy + real desire to change + supportive family = success.  And we got to see Dr. Paradise again.  

At the end, Mom was back in her life but did not appear on camera.  I wonder if she will appear in a follow up or if part of the problem was Brianne called her out on her bad parenting on TV.  I could see them benefitting from sessions working together with Dr. Paradise without the cameras.

[cynicat]

17 hours ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

They are a really nice family.  I found it interesting that her husband is 30 years older than her.  While he seems like a very kind man and they appear to be very in love, um, daddy issues?

Totally agree with that.  Thankfully it looks like she found a "daddy" who loves her, which isn't always the case.  Her mother was SO not ready to hear that she was a big part of Bri's problem.

[Guest]

13 hours ago, cynicat said:

Her mother was SO not ready to hear that she was a big part of Bri's problem.

But...but...but she said she was "sorry that Brianne felt that way." 

 

On 12/25/2018 at 1:05 PM, PrincessPurrsALot said:

They are a really nice family. 

They sure were! I wound up really like all of them very much. Richard seemed like a complete sweetheart who wasn't in the relationship to get his rocks off for some bizarre fetish reasons and seemed to truly love Brianne for just being a cool person. Their daughter was lovely as well. 

And I really wish someone would tell Brianne that she doesn't have to spend her life trying to ingratiate herself into two toxic people's lives. Her father seems like a grade-A asshole and it's perfectly acceptable to cut her losses with him and move on. Her mother seems like another one full of excuses. Brianne has a family of her own that loves her regardless of her shape or size. Stick with them and be happy, girl! 

[mmecorday]

I've always found it so strange how some people weighing 700+ can walk around and others are completely dependent on motor scooters. I think in Brianne's case she was trying to maintain what little mobility she had. Being bedbound was a real fear for her and thank goodness she was able to turn things around before she got to that point. Good job, Brianne.

I wanted to like her mother because she was wearing an ELO T-shirt, but she made me so angry in that restaurant scene. I'm surprised a server didn't show up with some crayons and a map to color for Brianna's mother because she was acting like such a baby.

I loved the relationship she had with her stepdaughter. It was obvious that they had a great deal of affection for each other. Brianna was giving her the kind of love she never got from her own mother.

[gonecrackers]

I was impressed with Brianne for moving forward with her mom despite her reactions. I don't know how that will play out with her dad though. If he is still abusive she'll be better off staying away from him.

The husband had said he was attracted to her personality, not her body. Hope this doesn't sound mean but I was wondering if given his age & health issues, he is not able (or didn't/doesn't care to) have sex with her (she was 'smaller' when they first got together). So maybe due to her past abuse that appealed to Brianne, along with an older man caring for her (I agree on the daddy issues). According to the daughter he had a wife who left, & before Brianne got truly enormous she was able to care for them too. It seems like they have a perfect symbiotic relationship, unless sex really was an issue & will become one again someday, as she is still young & losing weight.

[gonecrackers]

Have to admit I was kind of appalled at the new low this show hit with the bottom wiping scene. It's not enough these people have to shower in front of the camera, now they have to have their asses wiped too?  Even with 'things' fuzzed out, it's just disgusting.

[Elizzikra]

On 12/27/2018 at 10:28 PM, mmecorday said:

I've always found it so strange how some people weighing 700+ can walk around and others are completely dependent on motor scooters. I think in Brianne's case she was trying to maintain what little mobility she had. Being bedbound was a real fear for her and thank goodness she was able to turn things around before she got to that point. Good job, Brianne.

I wanted to like her mother because she was wearing an ELO T-shirt, but she made me so angry in that restaurant scene. I'm surprised a server didn't show up with some crayons and a map to color for Brianna's mother because she was acting like such a baby.

I loved the relationship she had with her stepdaughter. It was obvious that they had a great deal of affection for each other. Brianna was giving her the kind of love she never got from her own mother.

I wondered how tall Brianna was - she was much taller than everyone around her including her mother who seemed to be of pretty average height. 700 pounds is overweight on anyone but it’s better on someone 6 feet tall than someone barely hitting five feet.

[TVbitch]

I also thought the ass wiping scene was a new low. Totally unconscionable. I mean, for fucks sake, this is a woman who had been gang raped in her past. Why does the show think we need to see that? Can we please allow these people some boundaries and privacy regarding their own bodies!

Aside from that, Brienne was an absolute delight. I kept waiting for a shoe to drop with her husband or the daughter or some backsliding, but nothing! No shoes! She just followed instructions, didn't argue and got it done with very little complaint. I'm so glad they hooked her up with Dr. Paradise instead of Dr. Baby Voice. 

Also, she kept making Dr. Now fist bump her, and it was totally adorable watching him try to get the hang of it! He really encouraged her and you could tell he was charmed by her. It was nice to see. 

[LocalGovt]

I am so confused.  I didn't realize  you could watch the episodes early on TLC Go.....so I saw Brianne's episode, but it is billed as episode #2.  What happened to #1?  (ETA: Well, forget I even posted that.  That's what I get for posting first, reading second!)

I felt bad for Mom and Brianne during the restaurant scene.  To just get up and leave her there (even though there was a production crew to take her home)...

Edited December 31, 2018 by LocalGovt

[LocalGovt]

On 12/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, gonecrackers said:

I was impressed with Brianne for moving forward with her mom despite her reactions. I don't know how that will play out with her dad though. If he is still abusive she'll be better off staying away from him.

The husband had said he was attracted to her personality, not her body. Hope this doesn't sound mean but I was wondering if given his age & health issues, he is not able (or didn't/doesn't care to) have sex with her (she was 'smaller' when they first got together). So maybe due to her past abuse that appealed to Brianne, along with an older man caring for her (I agree on the daddy issues). According to the daughter he had a wife who left, & before Brianne got truly enormous she was able to care for them too. It seems like they have a perfect symbiotic relationship, unless sex really was an issue & will become one again someday, as she is still young & losing weight.

As an aside to this (but not really) I found - on my facebook feed -- items from QVC, including a bathroom aide  that allows one to wipe their private area after using the bathroom.    I find it mildly alarming that this is a mainstream, everyday item to buy now.  And I say this as a 50-something woman with 60 lbs to lose, so I'm not some stick thin person mocking the obese. I am obese.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Aids like the QVC ones are also for people with joint or mobility issues, or for caretakers.      I didn't realize this until a friend had a bad accident, and had an immobile arm for weeks, unfortunately it was her dominant arm.     

[gonecrackers]

5 hours ago, LocalGovt said:

As an aside to this (but not really) I found - on my facebook feed -- items from QVC, including a bathroom aide  that allows one to wipe their private area after using the bathroom.    I find it mildly alarming that this is a mainstream, everyday item to buy now.  And I say this as a 50-something woman with 60 lbs to lose, so I'm not some stick thin person mocking the obese. I am obese.

 

4 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Aids like the QVC ones are also for people with joint or mobility issues, or for caretakers.      I didn't realize this until a friend had a bad accident, and had an immobile arm for weeks, unfortunately it was her dominant arm.     

Yeah at first glance that would be alarming, but I could see it being a necessity for many.   Also doesn't seem like those on the show use these things - they use their family.

[ams1001]

On 12/31/2018 at 10:26 AM, LocalGovt said:

I am so confused.  I didn't realize  you could watch the episodes early on TLC Go.....so I saw Brianne's episode, but it is billed as episode #2.  What happened to #1?  (ETA: Well, forget I even posted that.  That's what I get for posting first, reading second!)

I felt bad for Mom and Brianne during the restaurant scene.  To just get up and leave her there (even though there was a production crew to take her home)...

OnDemand says "aired on 1/9/2019" ...uhh... (I was just looking at TV Guide to see what was coming back in the next couple weeks and noticed this episode listed for next week, so I came here to see if there was any chatter about the upcoming season and saw the locked threads for tomorrow's ep (Octavia) and this thread. Was very confused by the comment above about having watched it already so I went to see if it was up on demand. Weird.)

Oh well, now I know what I'm doing until I go to bed. ;)

I hope I'm never on a first-name-over-the-phone basis with any place that sells fast food.

[Hellga]

I watched her episode on demand even before Christmas... so I am looking forward to being concentrate more on live chat next week instead of trying to follow both TV and chat!   She did seem like a nice person and I hope everything goes well for her and her family, given that her husband is older and has health issues.  And I hope her newfound knowledge about eating healthy will also help her daughter, who looks like she could lose some weight too...

[DC Gal in VA]

Hi there. Just wondering if we will be having a Live Chat on Brianne? I know that some folks have already seen this episode but I think that probably most of us haven't. Anyway, I am always up for a cray cray Live Chat, so I hope that the answer is yes.

Thanks.

[Hannah94]

2 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Hi there. Just wondering if we will be having a Live Chat on Brianne? I know that some folks have already seen this episode but I think that probably most of us haven't. Anyway, I am always up for a cray cray Live Chat, so I hope that the answer is yes.

Thanks.

When does this air? And how were people able to watch it On Demand already? My On Demand says it is not available yet. :(

[DC Gal in VA]

1 hour ago, Hannah94 said:

When does this air? And how were people able to watch it On Demand already? My On Demand says it is not available yet. :(

Hi. It airs tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. EST. Hope to see you during the Live Chat.

Thanks for the Live Chat thread PrincessPurrsALot!

[Hannah94]

3 minutes ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Hi. It airs tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. EST. Hope to see you during the Live Chat.

Thanks for the Live Chat thread PrincessPurrsALot!

Oh happy day! I cannot wait. I'll be ready and waiting, with my eating habit!

[snarkish]

I am not that far into the episode (watching from TLC site since I forgot to record it), but I couldn't believe Brianne: "I hope Dr. Now can help me because he's my last shot. I think I'll have some of that leftover pizza from last night and take some for the road." AYFKM???? You buy 3 plane seats to fit you, but are bringing pizza for the road? Does anyone cook in their household? The poor stepdaughter looked like a poster child for bad nutrition with the dark circles, acne, and extra weight. I just want to cook her some vegetables, I'm sure she's never tasted one. 

Edited January 9, 2019 by snarkish

[TurtlePower]

17 minutes ago, snarkish said:

I am not that far into the episode (watching from TLC site since I forgot to record it), but I couldn't believe Brianne: "I hope Dr. Now can help me because he's my last shot. I think I'll have some of that leftover pizza from last night and take some for the road." ARFKM???? You buy 3 plane seats to fit you, but are bringing pizza for the road? Does anyone cook in their household? The poor stepdaughter looked like a poster child for bad nutrition with the dark circles, acne, and extra weight. I just want to cook her some vegetables, I'm sure she's never tasted one. 

Probably the same reason drug addicts want to get high right before rehab, one last hurrah. I've never understood this myself, they know they won't be able to partake in bad food/substances afterwards. The people who do this tend to relapse more than the ones who go with the program right away and remove the bad stuff--their minds are in the right place. They know it's going to be hard, but they get started right away. You hardly ever see anyone hit the program hard before even getting to Dr. Now. 

Edited January 9, 2019 by TurtlePower

[ams1001]

On 1/8/2019 at 4:56 PM, Hannah94 said:

When does this air? And how were people able to watch it On Demand already? My On Demand says it is not available yet. :(

Mine had it up the week before last but still said it "aired on 1/9/19"; I just assumed Cablevision got a Tardis.

[sainte-chapelle]

I just started the episode but Caterina seems like a nice girl...I think she also needs to get her eating under control. No snark but she is picking up bad habits. Brianne's dad sounds like a real piece of work.

[Scarlett45]

I wish Brianne all the best. She needs to be in therapy to help accept that her father is never going to be the parent she wanted him to be, and likely her Mom will not take responsibility for the verbal abuse she went through. That will take time but she will be okay. Her husband and step daughter love her a lot. 

[DC Gal in VA]

I am feeling pretty hopeful for Brianne's future success. I loved how she embraced and had so much joy experiencing things people take for granted like that bus tour--she got up and down those steps like a champ--and the softball game. What a difference after her weight loss walking through the airport, handling her luggage as opposed to that previous trip.

This is absolutely not meant as snark but I was wondering why she didn't look dramatically smaller after such a massive weight loss? I could definitely tell she had lost weight but expected to see more of a change physically.

So glad that she has a loving and supportive environment at home.

[Hannah94]

8 minutes ago, DC Gal in VA said:

I am feeling pretty hopeful for Brianne's future success. I loved how she embraced and had so much joy experiencing things people take for granted like that bus tour--she got up and down those steps like a champ--and the softball game. What a difference after her weight loss walking through the airport, handling her luggage as opposed to that previous trip.

This is absolutely not meant as snark but I was wondering why she didn't look dramatically smaller after such a massive weight loss? I could definitely tell she had lost weight but expected to see more of a change physically.

So glad that she has a loving and supportive environment at home.

I felt that way about the bus ride too. I felt sad also because all the other couples were seated on a bench together but she had to sit on a separate bench than her husband. It tore at my blackened dead heart a lil bit. 

[88Keys]

I'm watching it now...their house is NICE!  So refreshing to see, compared to the squalid apartments and trailers a lot of them seem to inhabit. 

[Morgalisa]

I liked Brianne a lot. And her husband and daughter were nice.  I hope their dynamic doesnt change when she loses more weight. I agree that her body didnt change dramatically with the weight loss. I hope it will after her skin removal surgery.  I could have done without the butt wiping and the vomiting, but overall an enjoyable episode.

[NeitherSparky]

1 hour ago, 88Keys said:

I'm watching it now...their house is NICE!  So refreshing to see, compared to the squalid apartments and trailers a lot of them seem to inhabit. 

Wasn’t that shower nice?? I want that shower!

I haven’t read the live chat thread and I’m sure this was commented on, but something that just staggered me both when I watched this one on the TLC app and then tonight was when Brianne was telling her story, and she gets to when she was about 500 pounds, and that was when her weight “started” to get out of control. STARTED?? D: I absolutely cannot get over anybody saying their weight STARTED to get out of control at FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS.

[Hannah94]

A very large portion of the participants on this show seem to have "gang rape" in their history, while they were extremely heavy. I am not saying it did not or could not happen, but I find it completely mind-boggling that there was consistently a GROUP of men who all agreed collectively to take a 500 lb woman in her late teens/early twenties and have sex with her against her will with no one being witness or knowing anything about it. I cannot help but wonder if maybe some of these women were looking for "love" through sex and once they were rejected after giving it up, they aligned that with rape. 

Edited January 10, 2019 by Hannah94

[Ivylady]

1 hour ago, Hannah94 said:

A very large portion of the participants on this show seem to have "gang rape" in their history, while they were extremely heavy. I am not saying it did not or could not happen, but I find it completely mind-boggling that there was consistently a GROUP of men who all agreed collectively to take a 500 lb woman in her late teens/early twenties and have sex with her against her will with no one being witness or knowing anything about it. I cannot help but wonder if maybe some of these women were looking for "love" through sex and once they were rejected after giving it up, they aligned that with rape. 

Predators often target people who are outside the beauty standards precisely for the reason you just stated: folks will have a hard time believing they did it. You'll hear people say that they don't think the person is a predator because the victim is so ugly/fat/old/etc. I have no problem believing they were raped. 

[Hellohappylife]

She did really well! Overall she did way better then anyone we’ve seen on the show lately,so good for her! I hope she keeps it up! 

I’m not ashamed to admit that I recently took along some left over pizza “for the road” I was making a 9 hour drive & only wanted to stop for gas. 

You know your standards are low when I’m impressed when these people manage to go on planes!  I’m an average weight & even I get self conscious when walking down those rows! I’ve gone 12 hours on a plane holding in my pee to avoid those bathrooms.

On top of that whenever you board a plane the pilots are usually standing there to greet you & I’m always curious about what those pilots on the show are thinking when they see these people shuffling in.

Call me an asshole but these people seriously expect people to not stare at them all confused like when they go on a plane?  I don’t know about y’all,but flying is already scary enough, adding another 600 pounds weight to something that could just fall out of the sky easily gives me concern(especially if I’m flying over an ocean) not to mention god forbid there is a fire or something, does the crew get stuck trying to help them out first before any other passengers since her weight is the reason she entered the plane before anyone else?  Your damn right I’m gonna look at you confused in the airport. 

And then having the nerve to complain about airports not having “plus size wheel chairs”.... I’m sorry but if your 700 pounds you stopped being “plus size” 450 pounds ago. 

I don’t stare because I’m laughing at them,I stare because that’s what you naturally do when you see something for the first time you never have before,like a 600 pound person....

other then those takeaways, she was very pleasant to watch! Her husband cared a great deal for her, he didn’t seem to add any sort of negativity to her journey like we’ve seen in the show,her step daughters reaction to her surprising them with a visit was my favorite part. The age difference between them all is a little odd but they all seem really happy & by the end of the episode I didn’t really notice it because of how much they all loved each other. 

Edited January 10, 2019 by Hellohappylife

[Kenzie]

7 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

I am feeling pretty hopeful for Brianne's future success. I loved how she embraced and had so much joy experiencing things people take for granted like that bus tour--she got up and down those steps like a champ--and the softball game. What a difference after her weight loss walking through the airport, handling her luggage as opposed to that previous trip.

This is absolutely not meant as snark but I was wondering why she didn't look dramatically smaller after such a massive weight loss? I could definitely tell she had lost weight but expected to see more of a change physically.

So glad that she has a loving and supportive environment at home.

She's a very tall girl (standing next to her Dr. Paradise looked positively minuscule) and she did look smaller but given that at one point she had lost the equivalent of a 300 pound linebacker you would think it would show much more, 

Edited January 10, 2019 by Kenzie

[Scarlett45]

5 hours ago, Hannah94 said:

A very large portion of the participants on this show seem to have "gang rape" in their history, while they were extremely heavy. I am not saying it did not or could not happen, but I find it completely mind-boggling that there was consistently a GROUP of men who all agreed collectively to take a 500 lb woman in her late teens/early twenties and have sex with her against her will with no one being witness or knowing anything about it. I cannot help but wonder if maybe some of these women were looking for "love" through sex and once they were rejected after giving it up, they aligned that with rape. 

 

I have no problem believing she was was raped. Vulnerable people are more likely to be sexually assaulted (the mentally disabled, and the elderly)- it has nothing to do with their attractiveness based on beauty standards. A very obese woman, who’s socially seen as “less than” or “easy” would be a target for creeps like that- and too cowardly to try it one on one where she might have a chance of fighting back & winning. College aged girls are often ganged raped at parties etc and manipulated to keep quiet out of shame of being at the party, or drinking, or perhaps wanting sexual activity with one boy, him inviting his friends along and her being too intoxicated to be able to fight back. 

 

Edited to add- gang rape doesn’t mean they carried her off somewhere; into the bushes with no one being able to see it. Despite being obese drugs and alcohol would impair her ability to consent, and I have no problem believing she could’ve been drugged or incapable of consenting due to being drunk like any other girl her age- and a bunch of rapists thinking she was their “play thing” and taking advantage of that. 

3 hours ago, Ivylady said:

Predators often target people who are outside the beauty standards precisely for the reason you just stated: folks will have a hard time believing they did it. You'll hear people say that they don't think the person is a predator because the victim is so ugly/fat/old/etc. I have no problem believing they were raped. 

Ditto. A woman in a vegetative state in AZ was raped and became pregnant- SUPPOSEDLY no one noticed until she gave birth to a full term baby (can you smell cover up and abuse ring?!), and people are surprised. Ummmhmmm......there are these types everywhere, people are shocked because she is disabled. If there are rapists that would do that, I have no problem believing Brianne was raped. 

[nr65000]

4 hours ago, Ivylady said:

6 hours ago, Hannah94 said:

A very large portion of the participants on this show seem to have "gang rape" in their history, while they were extremely heavy. I am not saying it did not or could not happen, but I find it completely mind-boggling that there was consistently a GROUP of men who all agreed collectively to take a 500 lb woman in her late teens/early twenties and have sex with her against her will with no one being witness or knowing anything about it. I cannot help but wonder if maybe some of these women were looking for "love" through sex and once they were rejected after giving it up, they aligned that with rape. 

 

Predators often target people who are outside the beauty standards precisely for the reason you just stated: folks will have a hard time believing they did it. You'll hear people say that they don't think the person is a predator because the victim is so ugly/fat/old/etc. I have no problem believing they were raped. 

I also think that sexual assault or sexual molestation during childhood is a factor in gaining weight.  Many obese people seem to gain weight as a control or armor mechanism (subconscience or not).  Many, many of these stories include sexual molestation.  I have to say that I absolutely loved Brianne and was so impressed with her willpower and determination.  I love that she created her own family that adored her.  As far as believing any of their stories, I absolutely believe them 100%.

[libgirl2]

I was so proud of her. She saw Dr. Now and took off running. I even cheered at her first weigh in when she lost more weight than he asked her too. Her husband and daughter adore her. She was going it for herself as well as for them. She knows her husband has a heart condition and he can't keep taking care of her. She also is concerned for her daughter. I hope she keeps it up. What a wonderful episode this was. 

Edited January 10, 2019 by libgirl2

[Pepper Mostly]

9 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

 

This is absolutely not meant as snark but I was wondering why she didn't look dramatically smaller after such a massive weight loss? I could definitely tell she had lost weight but expected to see more of a change physically.

 

At the end of the show, she still weighed almost 500 pounds! She'd lost well over 200, but she had a long way to go, for sure. As noted above, she's also a tall, big boned girl. Statuesque, not petite.

I do hope that Katrina picks up some better eating habit. She's young and I'd hate to see her go down that same path. She was eating the same junk Bri was.

[Scarlett45]

17 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

At the end of the show, she still weighed almost 500 pounds! She'd lost well over 200, but she had a long way to go, for sure. As noted above, she's also a tall, big boned girl. Statuesque, not petite.

I do hope that Katrina picks up some better eating habit. She's young and I'd hate to see her go down that same path. She was eating the same junk Bri was.

I thought her final loss was 347? But yes, even losing half her weight she was over 350lbs and body shape/extra skin can make someone look bigger. I think once she has skin removal surgery she will be so much more comfortable and look a lot slimmer. Even at 250 or so, at 6’2 ish (I’m basing this on her height next to doors) she will look down right slim. 

[Jeeves]

25 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

At the end of the show, she still weighed almost 500 pounds! She'd lost well over 200, but she had a long way to go, for sure. As noted above, she's also a tall, big boned girl. Statuesque, not petite.

As I recall it, she weighed about 350 at the end of the show, not 500. And she was out playing freaking softball. Amazing!

She did have more weight to lose, but in one of the final scenes Dr. Now gave the go-ahead for skin removal surgery based on her success to that point. That was at Month 11 or 12 - which is amazing compared to most of the participants we've seen on this show. So many of them have struggled to even get to the weight loss surgery after months and months. 

Has any other participant had Dr. Now seriously talking about skin removal surgery before the end of the first year? (I've heard plenty of participants yakking about skin removal but all too often they weren't doing all that well with weight loss and Dr. Now wasn't at all on board with that yet.)

@Scarlett45 posted as I was writing this. I agree, at Brianne's height she'll be able to carry a lot of weight in a healthy state. As of the final scenes they shot, she had maybe 150 pounds left to lose to get to 200, after losing 350 pounds in less than a year. And the first, what, 140 of it was before the surgery.

Edited January 10, 2019 by Jeeves

[Pepper Mostly]

Oops, almost 400 pounds, then. Still a lot. I was dozing during the last half hour and obviously didn't see correctly!

[Pondlass1]

These 600 pounders must have awesome gallbladders.  All that fat and stodge and they don't seem to suffer at all.

[AVM]

I found Brianne very unlikable, she waited until she was over 700 lbs before seeking help,and blamed her misery for being  yelled at when she was 13 year old..my dad didnt love  ,i am a victim..  A  bratty 30 year old child ...no thanks I would avoid her too ...God bless Dr Now

[dahling]

This girl is adorable. I was cheering for her the whole time. Plus, a lot happened this episode! Two hours of content, imagine that!

However, the scene where she confronted mom in the restaurant is bugging me.  First of all, if the day had already been going as terribly as she narrated, then she should have changed her plan to have "the talk" over lunch. Maybe she felt she couldn't, because the camera crew was there?  But imagine you're her mother (which I can, because she is my generation) and your daughter, with a camera pointed at your face, says, "Let's talk about how you were a terrible mother.  Go."  The mother was unprepared and ambushed. The proper setting for this would have been therapy.  Additionally, the mother isn't responsible for what the father does, so it's hard to see how anyone thought this could be effective without the father being present. The mother was putting a lot of time and energy into helping her daughter get better, participating in the filming, and then BAM "you suck".  I might have walked out, too.  

I hope this girl keeps working the program so she can go home to her family and live happily ever after. 

Edit: 

Quote

These 600 pounders must have awesome gallbladders.  All that fat and stodge and they don't seem to suffer at all.

On the British show Fat Doctor, they frequently discuss that they remove the gall bladder at the same time they do the weight loss surgery.  Maybe Dr. Now does it too but it doesn't make it into the show.  But I'm sure their gall bladders are ticking time bombs, if they aren't removed.

Edited January 10, 2019 by dahling

[kicotan]

It is pitiful that so many of the stories told on the show include molestation/rape but unfortunately, somewhere in America, a woman is raped every 2 minutes.( https://www.wcsap.org/help/about-sexual-assault/how-often-does-it-happen).  I have no problem believing Briane’s story, or any of the other participants stories, for that matter, regarding their sexual assault(s).

I found Briane to be rather positive throughout her journey, something you rarely see on this show.  Other than her “Last Supper” there wasn’t the usual backsliding and the nutritionist didn’t have to come to her place and throw out the food she shouldn’t be eating.

Am I the only one who reads the panels in Dr. Now’s voice?  For example,  Screen: Month 5 In my head: Munt 5. LOL

[libgirl2]

25 minutes ago, kicotan said:

It is pitiful that so many of the stories told on the show include molestation/rape but unfortunately, somewhere in America, a woman is raped every 2 minutes.( https://www.wcsap.org/help/about-sexual-assault/how-often-does-it-happen).  I have no problem believing Briane’s story, or any of the other participants stories, for that matter, regarding their sexual assault(s).

I found Briane to be rather positive throughout her journey, something you rarely see on this show.  Other than her “Last Supper” there wasn’t the usual backsliding and the nutritionist didn’t have to come to her place and throw out the food she shouldn’t be eating.

Am I the only one who reads the panels in Dr. Now’s voice?  For example,  Screen: Month 5 In my head: Munt 5. LOL

Too funny! I don't though.

I have to say she was very positive all things considered. Even when she was at the office and her husband was in the ICU so far away, she didn't slide back or fall apart. She was concerened, seh was worried but it didn't turn into an excuse to go eat a whole pizza. 

[sempervivum]

2 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

thought her final loss was 347? But yes, even losing half her weight she was over 350lbs and body shape/extra skin can make someone look bigger. I think once she has skin removal surgery she will be so much more comfortable and look a lot slimmer. Even at 250 or so, at 6’2 ish (I’m basing this on her height next to doors) she will look down right slim. 

She was half her original weight at the end, and she still looked mountainous. I thought her figure looked very much like her mom's- tall, wider shoulders, slim hips-but I bet her mom didn't weigh more than 150. I hope Bri's skin removal includes her arms and back areas, because that bulky upper torso really detracts from the appearance of slimness.

I'm sure it's been mentioned before (because I'm pretty sure he's been on previous episodes), but Dr? Paradise has to be under 5 feet tall. When he was showing Brianne out at the end of their session, she appeared to be well over a foot taller.

[readheaded]

5 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I have no problem believing she was was raped. Vulnerable people are more likely to be sexually assaulted (the mentally disabled, and the elderly)- it has nothing to do with their attractiveness based on beauty standards. A very obese woman, who’s socially seen as “less than” or “easy” would be a target for creeps like that- and too cowardly to try it one on one where she might have a chance of fighting back & winning. College aged girls are often ganged raped at parties etc and manipulated to keep quiet out of shame of being at the party, or drinking, or perhaps wanting sexual activity with one boy, him inviting his friends along and her being too intoxicated to be able to fight back. 

 

Edited to add- gang rape doesn’t mean they carried her off somewhere; into the bushes with no one being able to see it. Despite being obese drugs and alcohol would impair her ability to consent, and I have no problem believing she could’ve been drugged or incapable of consenting due to being drunk like any other girl her age- and a bunch of rapists thinking she was their “play thing” and taking advantage of that. 

Ditto. A woman in a vegetative state in AZ was raped and became pregnant- SUPPOSEDLY no one noticed until she gave birth to a full term baby (can you smell cover up and abuse ring?!), and people are surprised. Ummmhmmm......there are these types everywhere, people are shocked because she is disabled. If there are rapists that would do that, I have no problem believing Brianne was raped. 

I have no problem believing it, either.   It's all about further humiliating a person who's already broken.  If a vicious bully's the "ring leader," others will go along with and/or won't tell on or confront him, which he already knows and uses as cover for his cruelty.