S07.E08: Maja's Story

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Chris-shun chose to ride the dog for 55 hours to get away from Maja. Let that sink in.  A 55 hour trip  on Greyhound.  Yet that bit of hell was preferable to staying with Maja. 

[Hannah94]

18 hours ago, TwirlyGirly said:

I rarely let this show's participants get to me. Maya did.

I didn't join the chat last night because I can't give 100% to both the program and the chat (that's mathematically impossible), so I decided to just watch this episode straight through. FTR, I fell asleep halfway...😉...and finished watching it this morning.

Never, and I mean NEVER, have I been so infuriated at a poundicipants in all the episodes I've seen.

Maya had, really, everything going for her. Or, at the least, she didn't have many of the things working against her a lot of the poundicipants have had:

Maya wasn't immobile.

Christian wasn't an enabler, bringing her food and deliberately trying to keep her fat to fulfill his own needs 

Maya didn't seem to have any serious trauma in her past (such as child molestation, or rape) that was never properly addressed and treated.

Money didn't seem to be an issue; she appeared to live in a decent home, had nice furniture, nice clothes, a late model car, and the resources to buy healthy food.

Maya also seemed to have better than average cooking skills (as compared to other poundicipants we've seen).

Maya's biggest stumbling blocks are 1) As she was growing up, her father called her names because of her weight, and 2) Other people refuse to do and say what she expects them to do and say - according to the schedule SHE demands (!?!?)

While her father should have refrained from any name calling, it's important to remember we're only getting one side of the story - and that from someone prone to exaggeration and placing blame on everyone BUT herself for...everything. Maybe he did exactly as she claimed. 

A book I read as a young teen (fiction) had a line in it I've never forgotten:

"Don't be hung up on how you're brung up."

It's something I remember every time I'm tempted to use anything that happened to me growing up as an excuse for self-destructive behavior - or for treating others badly. I was born with a serious mobility impairment. I was bullied from 6th through 10th grade. It culminated with a group of four boys trying to set me on fire by lighting matches and throwing them at me as I walked by when changing classes, and resulted in a hole, 6" in diameter, being burned in the back of my shirt. (I wasn't injured. I wore a brace for scoliosis at the time, and the metal bars in the back held my shirt away from my body).

I should weigh a few hundred pounds by now, if I were to live my life according to Maya's philosophy. But I don't. I won't give others that power over me.

Maya dismisses the wants and needs of everyone else in her orbit. They don't matter. She expects others to defer to her to correct a problem she created. 

"That's not how [life] works. That's not how any [part of life] works!"

I know many viewers saw Christian negatively, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. They'd been together for a couple of years, right? So we only saw snippets of the last eight months of their relationship. By the time TLC got involved, I think he'd pretty much had it with her and only stayed because "Hope springs eternal" and all that. When he realized what had to change was something inside her and that wasn't going to happen (and it didn't), he cut his losses.

I don't feel a bit sorry for Maya. She's going to continue to blame everyone and everything for her overeating behavior until the day she dies; prematurely, no doubt.

And the worse thing is: the people she leaves behind will probably be relieved.

I want to love this comment a million times. I was speechless watching this and you pretty much voiced (typed) everything I would have thought had I not been so floored and paralyzed with shock.

[88Keys]

So, did anyone watch this on TLCGo?  Because someone at Reddit did, and she's saying it was like a completely different episode!

Quote

LCGo is showing something completely different!! Ok. So I watched Maja’s episode on TLCGo yesterday. Wtf? They left out the visit to Lola and the balloon thing wasn’t in it, either. It was a regular two hour episode, right? In the one I watched, Christian was bullied and verbally abused by Maja all through the show. What I was watching showed that Christian shut down completely once they got to Houston. Maja said it was because Christian (who supposedly called Dr. Now to begin with) didn’t believe Maja would make it that far. Christian barely spoke to Maja, then went back to Oregon without telling her why (or speaking at all, for that matter). The end shows Maja walking out of Dr. Now’s office after being denied her surgery. When the episode was over, there was no discussion about what she did after leaving. The show was just over.

Wow!  

[Hellga]

1 hour ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Agreed. If he has a modest sort of job-working retail or something, say--he probably lives paycheck to paycheck. And I have a feeling he gave up questioning anything Maja did long ago, to keep the peace.

I remember being shocked when I read recently that some 80% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. 

Spoiler

That shocked me because I have always been a saver, even as a young child...   but I certainly know plenty of people, even those who make far more than a median salary, who live paycheck to paycheck because they can't control their spending.  My very own cousin, who is a physician, is a prime example.  

1 hour ago, Mothra said:

Also, every single episode shows a poundticipant risking serious injury getting into and out of a bathtub.  Why in hell don't these folks have grab bars?  They aren't real expensive, and they aren't difficult to install, and they save lives.  My BMI is under 30, but I'm 71 years old, and I rely on grab bars in the shower and the tub, just to feel secure.  They make a huge difference.

I wonder if because of their size they would constantly hit it (they can barely squish themselves into the bathtub/stall as it is!) and bruise themselves, and bruising at their size can be a serious issue.  The worst bruise I have ever had was in a hotel bathroom where the soap dish was sticking out of the wall.  As I was rising from the bathtub, I hit the top of my butt on it.  I got a bruise bigger than my palm, which hurt so bad i couldn't lay on that side for several days and it took weeks to go away.  That was far worse than any bruise I ever had on my arms or legs which are less fleshy and fatty. 

Edited February 22, 2019 by Hellga

[Pondlass1]

I only watched the first bit - but we saw her get into a small green car and drive all over town to get her junk food fix.

But the rental car - which looked to be the same size more or less - she got stuck and fell?  

 I guess the camera team filming the fun & games are not allowed to intervene or help? 

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

Sorry, but I said "karma" when she got stuck in the rental car.  What an awful person she was.  I am late to the 600lber games, but is it just me or do the poundticipants seem to be getting better and better living arrangements when they move to Houston ? 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I suspect the reason the apartments look so much better this season is because so many were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey, so the floors had to be replaced, a lot of drywall, all of the appliances, and painting.   So my guess is the nicer apartments is because of the need for remodeling after the hurricane. 

I certainly liked Maja's apartment, it was pretty big, and everything looked new inside, but the outside was the same brick kleenex box with the same metal stairs.    I'm guessing that only so many apartment complexes will allow filming on their property, and allow the film crews follow the poundticipants.   

[Thistle922]

1 hour ago, 88Keys said:

So, did anyone watch this on TLCGo?  Because someone at Reddit did, and she's saying it was like a completely different episode!

Wow!  

I watch on TLCGo, and I saw everything that's been discussed here. 

I cannot, for the life of me, understand how these people pay for things! Late model car, fast food eleventy times a day, apartments, etc.  I just don't get it. 

[calpurnia99]

I can't imagine that his one week living with her in Texas, would mean they are common law married in Texas. He was not a resident of Texas,, as in I am sure his documents and tax return all show Oregon as where he lives.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The common law idea came to mind, because when I lived in a nearby state, several sports stars, and one famous actor had stayed for a few days or weeks in Texas, signed in as Mr. & Mrs., and introduced themselves that way, and the ex tried to claim they were married.    In one case it held up.     None of those people were local, but subject to Texas law while they were there.   I wouldn't put it past someone who is vindictive trying to complicate an ex getting on with their life by claiming this.  

I thought the legislature was going to get rid of common law, but apparently they haven't.   My current state ended common law over two years ago, because of issues with it.   

I hope Maja continues her therapy, and recommits to getting healthy.      

[Tabbygirl521]

9 hours ago, Kaia40 said:

Me too!! The most ridiculous display was in Dr. Now’s office. With the temper tantrum of a 4 year old “Christian you ruined everything, this is ALL your fault.” Then she calls her Mother that she didn’t have time to say goodbye to because they didn’t agree to at that time! “Mommmmmyyyy, Christian’s ruining everything!” She’s repulsive! 

I was actually a little surprised that no one from Dr Now’s staff popped in to see what the commotions was about. I know they knew the camera crew was in there but they are really more reporters than interveners (is that a word?). But you’d think they would want to quell any fighting that could upset other patients. Anything for the drama, I guess!

[Tabbygirl521]

18 hours ago, Mothra said:

Yeah, I rolled my eyes at her "volunteer" efforts--was she there 15 minutes?  And so much help, tying off helium balloons (otoh what a wonderful charity, to throw birthday parties for homeless kids).

We know she drives--she could deliver meals on wheels, or give people a lift to doctor's appointments, or any number of truly meaningful volunteer jobs.  This was pathetic.

Well, to be fair (I hate that!), she did say she was doing a bunch of different volunteering (I forget her exact wording) and then began describing the event we saw. 

[AZChristian]

18 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The common law idea came to mind, because when I lived in a nearby state, several sports stars, and one famous actor had stayed for a few days or weeks in Texas, signed in as Mr. & Mrs., and introduced themselves that way, and the ex tried to claim they were married.    In one case it held up.     None of those people were local, but subject to Texas law while they were there.   I wouldn't put it past someone who is vindictive trying to complicate an ex getting on with their life by claiming this.       

Copied this from the Texas Statutes:

"If a proceeding in which a marriage is to be proved as provided by Subsection (a)(2) is not commenced before the second anniversary of the date on which the parties separated and ceased living together, it is rebuttably presumed that the parties did not enter into an agreement to be married."

Subsection (a)(2) reads:

"Sec. 2.401. PROOF OF INFORMAL MARRIAGE. (a) In a judicial, administrative, or other proceeding, the marriage of a man and woman may be proved by evidence that:

(1) a declaration of their marriage has been signed as provided by this subchapter; or

(2) the man and woman agreed to be married and after the agreement they lived together in this state as husband and wife and there represented to others that they were married."

In other words, legalese at its finest.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Good, I'm glad they clarified it.     I did have to laugh at Maja saying that her spouse deserted her.    He wasn't her spouse, and he didn't leave her on a desert island in the middle of the Pacific.

I'm guessing the airing of this episode certainly screwed up the backstory on everything for her.  

[Mrs. Hanson]

12 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Good, I'm glad they clarified it.     I did have to laugh at Maja saying that her spouse deserted her.    He wasn't her spouse, and he didn't leave her on a desert island in the middle of the Pacific.

I'm guessing the airing of this episode certainly screwed up the backstory on everything for her.  

Yep, he got up and left HER in a place with food, shelter, and a car.  She is not a WWII wife deserted in Guam.  What a tool.

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

12 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Good, I'm glad they clarified it.     I did have to laugh at Maja saying that her spouse deserted her.    He wasn't her spouse, and he didn't leave her on a desert island in the middle of the Pacific.

But he should have....

Edited February 22, 2019 by Mahamid Frauded Me

[Hellga]

26 minutes ago, Mahamid Frauded Me said:

But he should have....

And then get blamed for the rising sea levels when her weight sinks the island?

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

1 minute ago, Hellga said:

And then get blamed for the rising sea levels when her weight sinks the island?

She probably would then call her mom crying and screaming and wanting the island to talk to her mother about how it was all that islands fault 

[88Keys]

20 hours ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

Thing is he probably would help a homeless stranger.  He was done being abused by Maya.  Helping her was signing up for more abuse. 

There's also more of a chance that the homeless stranger might show some GRATITUDE.  There is ZERO chance of that from Maja.

19 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

think its very likely that Christian works, that he makes a decent living, but probably, like many, lives paycheck to paycheck.

At least 80% of his paycheck probably goes to supporting her fast food habit.

Edited to add: I'm watching Brandi and Kandi's story now.  Wow...talk about two people who really did have a horrific childhood and who still managed to take control and change their lives.  Maja could learn from them (but she won't).

Edited February 22, 2019 by 88Keys
I had more thought!

[SunnyBeBe]

3 hours ago, Pondlass1 said:

I only watched the first bit - but we saw her get into a small green car and drive all over town to get her junk food fix.

But the rental car - which looked to be the same size more or less - she got stuck and fell?  

 I guess the camera team filming the fun & games are not allowed to intervene or help? 

I didn't understand that either. That green small SUV looked about the same size vehicle as she tried to get into at the rental place.  Hmmm.....Maybe, they pushed the seat forward as much as possible, for the full effect! lol I was impressed that she was able to get up that fast.  Once again, not to make fun of her, because I do think she may be somewhere on the spectrum, but, she cracked me up with some of her antics. 

[Mrs. Hanson]

38 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

because I do think she may be somewhere on the spectrum,

Okay, SPED teacher here and I gotta pipe in:  She does NOT exhibit any signs of autism.  She does exhibit many signs of being rude, selfish, self centered, narcissistic, mean, cruel, mean, vengeful, brutish, vile, nasty, ornery and unpleasant, grubby, gross and loud, and hostile.  Whew.  

[aliya]

People - this sh$tshow is on YT (but in those stupid formats they use to avoid copyright issues). I'm listening at work. If you thought seeing it on TV was bad, just listening is even worse. Whew! What a terrible person. The screaming, the yelling at Christian & her mom, the crying... wow. I may have to pay for this one on amazon. 

[pdlinda]

18 minutes ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

Okay, SPED teacher here and I gotta pipe in:  She does NOT exhibit any signs of autism.  She does exhibit many signs of being rude, selfish, self centered, narcissistic, mean, cruel, mean, vengeful, brutish, vile, nasty, ornery and unpleasant, grubby, gross and loud, and hostile.  Whew.  

As a result of that very valid list of adjectives describing Maja, I was curious regarding WHY Christian hooked up with her in the first place!!  I believe I recall him saying he was drawn to her for her kindness and sense of humor (am I imagining this????).  

Christian has a decent appearance and presents as "normal" in the cognitive area, so it seems very odd to me that he would have hung around Maja for 3 LONG YEARS!! 

I'm not seeing her looks or physical attraction having a role in this "relationship."

I must be missing something...."what's wrong with this picture???"

[ams1001]

14 hours ago, CousinOliver said:

Re: rental cars, at least half the time I have reserved a car, the type I reserved  has not been available.  Usually it means an upgrade, since I generally reserve a small or midsize car, but there’s been times when the agent will assume a pickup truck will be just fine and I need to ask for something with, you know, a back seat.  

That would piss me off because I would reserve a small-midsize car because that's what I'm comfortable driving. The last thing I want is to be driving a pickup truck or large SUV for the first time in a strange city. (I'm now on my fourth Hyundai Elantra and when I hit a deer in my last car and had to rent one for a week, I wound up with a Nissan Versa, about the same size as the Hyundai Accent, which is the smaller Hyundai (Elantra is the middle child of their sedans). The next size up in Hyundai would be the Sonata, which my dad has and I occasionally drive, but much bigger than that I would not be at all comfortable and I would not feel safe, especially combined with being in an unfamiliar area.)

Regarding the Kia she drives; they're kind of boxy. My friend has one (same color, even!) and though apparently my Elantra has a couple more inches of front legroom (according to a comparison I just googled), I feel like I have more space in her car (at least in the passenger seat; I've never driven it).

3 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

I was actually a little surprised that no one from Dr Now’s staff popped in to see what the commotions was about. I know they knew the camera crew was in there but they are really more reporters than interveners (is that a word?). But you’d think they would want to quell any fighting that could upset other patients. Anything for the drama, I guess!

They often seem to be going there at night (though I didn't notice if there were any after-dark doctor visits this time); it's possible there were few or no other patients around. (I assume between having to accommodate the camera crew and other patients being unlikely to want to appear on camera, they try to schedule them during quieter hours when possible.) Or maybe someone did go in but they didn't include it, because drama.

4 minutes ago, pdlinda said:

As a result of that very valid list of adjectives describing Maja, I was curious regarding WHY Christian hooked up with her in the first place!!  I believe I recall him saying he was drawn to her for her kindness and sense of humor (am I imagining this????).  

Abusers tend to be pretty good at hiding their true colors until their partner is too entrenched to leave easily.

[AVM]

3 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

Well, to be fair (I hate that!), she did say she was doing a bunch of different volunteering (I forget her exact wording) and then began describing the event we saw. 

Dont be fooled vampire  Maja was looking for new victims,her boyfriend and family bailed on her..

[Twopper]

1 hour ago, 88Keys said:

Edited to add: I'm watching Brandi and Kandi's story now.  Wow...talk about two people who really did have a horrific childhood and who still managed to take control and change their lives.  Maja could learn from them (but she won't).

Edited 1 hour ago by 88Keys · Reason: I had more thought!

I just saw most of that episode; I missed probably the first half hour.   I certainly hope the therapy they get is a lot more intensive than shown.   I guess they had to drag their mom to the first session because she was in town, but it seems to be it might have been better to wait though it sounds as though it went ok.  You would think you would hear the therapist suggest the twins go to Al-anon. 

One thing I noticed with the twins was that in the first shot I saw of them in the car their shoulders touched; by the last shot there was a space, albeit not a large one, between them.   So glad they are doing things they never did before like the boat ride.

Back to Maja (which I keep wanted to spell as "Maya")--I see recently released pictures show she has lost weight.  Her face looks thinner, but that's all we see.  I think those are the same clothes she had on before.   Dr. Now seems to give people multiple chances so it wouldn't surprise me if she is his patient again.   I will give Maya credit for wearing real clothes, although I wonder if she would have bothered to dress if she didn't have to "run errands" every day.

[AVM]

6 hours ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

Chris-shun chose to ride the dog for 55 hours to get away from Maja. Let that sink in.  A 55 hour trip  on Greyhound.  Yet that bit of hell was preferable to staying with Maja. 

Its a well known fact, some animals will chew off their own limb to escape a trap...

[CousinOliver]

36 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

15 hours ago, CousinOliver said:

That would piss me off because I would reserve a small-midsize car because that's what I'm comfortable driving. The last thing I want is to be driving a pickup truck or large SUV for the first time in a strange city. (I'm now on my fourth Hyundai Elantra and when I hit a deer in my last car and had to rent one for a week, I wound up with a Nissan Versa, about the same size as the Hyundai Accent, which is the smaller Hyundai (Elantra is the middle child of their sedans). The next size up in Hyundai would be the Sonata, which my dad has and I occasionally drive, but much bigger than that I would not be at all comfortable and I would not feel safe, especially combined with being in an unfamiliar area.)

Oh, it pisses me off, too.  I pick the type of car based on my needs on that particular trip and an “upgrade” isn’t an upgrade when I’m road-tripping in a big car or SUV using twice the amount of gas, or when I’m trying to parallel park (dock) a freakin’ Grand Marquis (I don’t mourn the end of that model, which I was “upgraded” to more than once).  Also, upgrade is just code for cost more, so a fancy sports car doesn’t impress me when I need space.  “Upgrade” =/= better, many times.  

I know there’s some risk (they can’t just magically make someone return an overdue car), but the ability to take but not hold (tm Seinfeld) the reservation runs rampant. 

Again, I’m not seeing any producer manipulation here; I totally believe the reserved cars were not available on both episodes this season.

[Tosia]

1 hour ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

Okay, SPED teacher here and I gotta pipe in:  She does NOT exhibit any signs of autism.  She does exhibit many signs of being rude, selfish, self centered, narcissistic, mean, cruel, mean, vengeful, brutish, vile, nasty, ornery and unpleasant, grubby, gross and loud, and hostile.  Whew.  

Another Sped teacher weighing (ha!) In here....just speculating.   I did consider that Maia's  tantrum at mom abt not doing multiple things at once when she was leaving might be somewhat rigid thinking of spectrum.   That and her minimal communication skills...with everyone. ..she only said the same 5 statements in the whole 2 hours.  Chriss-shaun, Chriss-shaun, etc.....      

 Also her easy frustration at normal situations, altho moving is a pain. Maia's statements that people shouldn't" lie" to her (abt Houston airport) seem immature and weird, and her anger at.                          Chriss-shaun's jokes abt urgent care in the 3rd world country of Texas,  and calling the FBI to look for bedbugs.....which I thought were funny/snarky. 

Or her IQ may have been somewhat low and she may have some OCD issues.  There's a lot going on in her psyche and emotions. ...or a whole lot of nothin' going on (upstairs).   Lol. 

[ams1001]

1 minute ago, CousinOliver said:

Oh, it pisses me off, too.  I pick the type of car based on my needs on that particular trip and an “upgrade” isn’t an upgrade when I’m road-tripping in a big car or SUV using twice the amount of gas, or when I’m trying to parallel park (dock) a freakin’ Grand Marquis (I don’t mourn the end of that model, which I was “upgraded” to more than once).  Also, upgrade is just code for cost more, so a fancy sports car doesn’t impress me when I need space.  “Upgrade” =/= better, many times.  

I know there’s some risk (they can’t just magically make someone return an overdue car), but the ability to take but not hold (tm Seinfeld) the reservation runs rampant. 

Again, I’m not seeing any producer manipulation here; I totally believe the reserved cars were not available on both episodes this season.

I made the reservation for the size/price point I wanted (it came out to just under my daily insurance allowance) and then when I got there they actually had several options available so I got to pick (oddly, they were all white). If I had wanted to pay a little extra I might have gone for the Mini Cooper just for the fun of it (it was in the size bracket but because it's a 'specialty' car or whatever they call it it's in the next price bracket). I did have to get gas once and I had to google how to open the damn gas tank door. Luckily I thought to check before I left work and didn't find out at the gas station that they basically hid the switch under the dashboard. I was a little worried I'd end up getting stuck with a bigger vehicle than I'm comfortable with. But I certainly wouldn't have made a scene.

My parents had a Marquis (not a Grand) and that was the first car I drove (also the first* car I totaled, about 6 months after I got my license. Oops). I worked with a guy who had a Grand Marquis and I was a little terrified just to ride in it.

*Only, really. The other one was not my fault.

[gardendiva]

21 hours ago, KateHearts said:

Honestly, what would the answer be if an airline employee fielded a question via phone call asking, "How far is it from God Knows Which Gate I May arrive at" in Houston Airport to the baggage claim?  Does anyone tabulate that?  Is the information available on Google Maps, perhaps? I'd love to know who she decided to call and what their answer was.

Just like people are told in a fancy upscale boutique asking about prices: “if you have to ask, it’s too much”.

[gardendiva]

“Chrisshun. Chrisshun. Chrisshun. Chrisshun-uh! Answer me when I am talking to you!” 

That little exchange right there encapsulated so much that was wrong about Maja and how she dealt with other people. I am truly surprised that Christian didn’t try smothering her with a pillow a long time ago.

[CousinOliver]

If someone were to ask me how much walking it takes to get from a gate to baggage claim at my home airport, I’d probably say 5 to 10 minutes of walking, with a shuttle ride in the middle.  I’d just assume reasonable health and ability to walk, unless s/he specified otherwise.  Maybe that’s what happened here?  Instead of saying “I’m over 600 pounds and can only walk a few yards at a time, how close is baggage claim?  Will I need (services)?”, Maja just asked how long a walk it was, the person answered an honest answer that applies to the majority of travelers, thus making the info person a “liar.”   

[pdlinda]

36 minutes ago, CousinOliver said:

If someone were to ask me how much walking it takes to get from a gate to baggage claim at my home airport, I’d probably say 5 to 10 minutes of walking, with a shuttle ride in the middle.  I’d just assume reasonable health and ability to walk, unless s/he specified otherwise.  Maybe that’s what happened here?  Instead of saying “I’m over 600 pounds and can only walk a few yards at a time, how close is baggage claim?  Will I need (services)?”, Maja just asked how long a walk it was, the person answered an honest answer that applies to the majority of travelers, thus making the info person a “liar.”   

Why didn't she request a wheelchair?????    They are available to all those who are disabled.

[AVM]

30 minutes ago, pdlinda said:

Why didn't she request a wheelchair?????    They are available to all those who are disabled.

Then she wouldn't have had anything to bitch about ..Maja's life is all about complaining  and blaming others ,she perceives  everyone has done her wrong.

[TVWatcher12]

Oh my gosh!! I’m at a loss for words about this giant baby!!! Blaming him for her not losing weight? He had a life in Oregon that he gave up to help her and she has zero appreciation! She got herself into this mess so she should get herself out. I don’t agree with this “support” Dr. Now insists on. I say some tough love is what they need. Expecting people to move there is ridiculous by itself but expecting a family member to uproot is just crazy. 

[gingerpuff]

56 minutes ago, TVWatcher12 said:

Oh my gosh!! I’m at a loss for words about this giant baby!!! Blaming him for her not losing weight? He had a life in Oregon that he gave up to help her and she has zero appreciation! She got herself into this mess so she should get herself out. I don’t agree with this “support” Dr. Now insists on. I say some tough love is what they need. Expecting people to move there is ridiculous by itself but expecting a family member to uproot is just crazy. 

The part where she confesses to being verbally abusive is spot on. I feel bad for her a bit, but she refuses to take ANY responsibility. I don't blame him. She's not even nice to him!

[gingerpuff]

Holy oversharing, batman. When she's volunteering at the end and just blurts out how her "spouse" left her and she can't have kids and the other volunteer is like "ooookay" * sidles away *

[Motor City]

“AVM:

Its a well known fact, some animals will chew off their own limb to escape a trap...”

Good point

[newyawk]

Watching this right now,  DAMN, she is a crybaby. Very annoying individual.  Once again, though, I was taken aback that someone pushing 700 lbs could be as mobile as she appeared to be. Maja's boyfriend was like an emotionless robot, but after watching her for half an hour, I can kind of  understand why, though I don't think he just became that way after years with Maja. He is one big impermeable callous inside, lol.  He's also an asshole, and I feel sorry for anyone who gets involved with him in the future. This was not all Maja's fault. 

Dr. Now seemed to be having a good time tweaking her at the first appointment and calling her out on all her crap. I found that highly amusing!

Maja's mom is a bitch on wheels. What a PITA.

I was glad Maja started to do volunteer work at the end, though it wasn't really relevant to why she was on the program. Hopefully it makes her stronger, less whiny and more selfaware so she can recognize what she needs to fix about herself. 

Edited February 23, 2019 by newyawk

[Hellga]

When she looked like a giant next to her friends, I think a large part of it was her bulk, not just her height.

Spoiler

I am 5'10" and if I put on heels, I stand at 6'1" or so, while most of my friends are in the 5'2"-5'4" range and rarely, if ever, wear heels.  Even though I tower over them by at least half a foot and sometimes as much as a foot, we don't look anything like Maja and her friends did in the gym scene!

[Colleenna]

51 minutes ago, Hellga said:

When she looked like a giant next to her friends, I think a large part of it was her bulk, not just her height.

  Reveal spoiler

I am 5'10" and if I put on heels, I stand at 6'1" or so, while most of my friends are in the 5'2"-5'4" range and rarely, if ever, wear heels.  Even though I tower over them by at least half a foot and sometimes as much as a foot, we don't look anything like Maja and her friends did in the gym scene!

If you look at her FB page, she's lost a ton of weight. You can tell from the facial features that it's definitely her. 

[Hellga]

11 minutes ago, Colleenna said:

If you look at her FB page, she's lost a ton of weight. You can tell from the facial features that it's definitely her. 

I became curious and googled - there was an article that linked to her FB page that does seem to be her - well, the photo is from JULY 2017 - it was posted then, and who knows how many years and pounds ago it was taken?  So I am not buying her weight loss unless I see a definitive proof. 

[aliya]

19 hours ago, CousinOliver said:

If someone were to ask me how much walking it takes to get from a gate to baggage claim at my home airport, I’d probably say 5 to 10 minutes of walking, with a shuttle ride in the middle.  I’d just assume reasonable health and ability to walk, unless s/he specified otherwise.  Maybe that’s what happened here?  

I've watched this show for the 2nd time now on YT. I wonder if she hasn't flown before and isn't aware of how big airports are? I know enough to ask for assistance when I need it because I know, without fail, my gate or connection will be on the friggin' other side of the airport, probably 20 miles away. I wouldn't have had to ask how far baggage was from the gate because I know it's always in the next county.

[Snarkastikate]

I can kinda understand how Chriss-shen was low on funds, when I was their age I pretty much lived paycheck to paycheck too, and he obviously had to quit his job when they moved. 

We see lots of male significant others who don't drive.  In this case I'm assuming Maja's hated mommy (as in boo hoo, mommy has no time for me, just because she had a stroke and now works 2 jobs to support me is no excuse!) is paying for her nice new car, her nice clothes, her portion of the rent for that nice apartment and the mountain of food she consumes daily.  Because there's no way that Chriss-shen could afford all that.  I'm 100% positive that he felt the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders on that bus ride home!! What a relief, whew!   

At least she's still in Houston apparently, so although she probably calls her mommy or poor old grandma every day demanding they send more cash.  And you know she isn't nice about it.  What a horrendous being she is.  

[Taleeya]

On 2/21/2019 at 9:41 AM, Hellga said:

My two hypotheses:  when she focused on losing weight she actually behaved decently and he thought maybe she has seen the light of day and wanted to help, or she and her whole family ganged up on him and guilt-tripped him into going with her.  Once he saw that she was hell bent on being a nasty fat bitch, he cut his losses and hightailed it. 

On 2/21/2019 at 12:12 PM, embarassed2bhere said:

I disagree with the "non-supportive boyfriend".  I didn't see it that way at all.   

He did virtually everything for her, financially and physically.  He was even the driving force trying to save her life by changing her lifestyle.

He left his family, friends, job... his life, in essence, behind, for her, and got bombastic abuse in return.  Do you think her behavior becomes better when the cameras are off?  I don't.  I think it gets far, far worse.  Could you live with that?  I couldn't.  

Leaving an abuser is simply not supporting the abuse, or allowing it to become a physical threat.

On 2/21/2019 at 1:15 PM, Pepper Mostly said:

Maja is a perpetual victim. The people at the airport "LIED" to her. The car rental company was ruining everything. Her dad "abandoned" her. Her mother "won't" move to Texas. Christian "ruins everything". Not only does she blame everyone unfortunate enough to wander into her orbit for every little bump and ruffle in her life, she does so in the most extreme terms. Her mother "won't" move to Texas? She's elderly. She's had a stroke! That she would even ask or expect it is laughable. Maja is 33 years old, she's not a teenager.

She certainly used her height and size to intimidate him.

On 2/21/2019 at 1:12 PM, Snarkastikate said:

As far as nasty goes, this horrible woman beats every other patient in this show, hands down.    I can totally imagine her being physically abusive to Christian.  She's really mentally off balance, really scary angry, nasty, then crying the next minute.  I don't buy her story that her husband left her because she couldn't have kids ......of course that's a lie.  He left her for the same reason that Christian left:.  he couldn't take her abuse any longer.  Do you see how she tells everyone she meets that her "spouse" left her?  Yeah that came as a total surprise, right Maja?   I must have heard her say at least 6 times that they were fighting A LOT. She was even screaming at him in Dr Now's office, wowza!  Yup it's all his fault you're a disgustingly fat nasty failure, right?

Think about it.....if this is how she acted in front of the camera crew, can you only imagine how she acts when NOT in front of the camera?   

I think Maja was super abusive.... I could tell in the first few minutes of the show when she was too lazy to look around for her purse and when he handed it to her and grabbed it out of his hands and berated him - so ungrateful!  Then when he was trying to leave in the doctor's office and she physically blocked him from doing so.  (and that temper tantrum with phoning her mom would be considered infantile for a 14 year old junior high girl).  I can only imagine the outrage if the genders had been reversed and a man physically blocked and intimidated a woman from leaving!  Talking about the mom phone call - I couldn't BELIEVE when the mom was basically saying that it is fine for him to not want to be in the relationship anymore but he basically had a duty to give up his entire life for a few months to be of service to Maja?  That is some special kind of BS.  

On 2/21/2019 at 9:45 AM, Scarlett45 said:

I disagree with this. You don’t get to cop out of parenting your minor child just because you don’t like their personality. Wasn’t Maja a young teen when her Dad disappeared from her life (she looked between 12-13 in the photos)?

I think her Dad just didn’t want to parent any more and wanted the easy way out (like many parents before him). That in no way excuses Maja’s behavior NOW but her ending up a nasty brat doesn’t excuse her Dad who had an affirmative duty towards her at least until 18. 

THIS!!!! ^^^^^^^^

This could basically be why Maja is such a beeyotch.  Having a parent abandon you to create a new family can really mess with you. 

On 2/21/2019 at 2:23 PM, CringeWatcher said:

Right. What could she *possibly* need to do? Seriously. Errands are what adults with responsibilities do. 

I am sure she had tonnes of errands to do!  Pick up work suits from the dry cleaners, get her shoes cobbled, renew her passport, stop off at the farmer's market for choice produce, choose an arrangement of freshly cut flowers, mail some letters.....  all those normal errands morbidly obese people do.....

[Fuzzyknickers]

On 2/20/2019 at 10:28 PM, Trillium said:

9/10 certain Christian had a side piece back in Oregon. Not that I can really blame him, she was straight up awful. 

I’d like to be that side piece and show him how a man should be treated

[winsomeone]

Off topic, but I have never seen so many "neat eaters" in my life. They take enormous bites of food, shovel it in their mouths at break neck speeds, and never seem to lose a single crumb.

[FormeryHeavyJ]

Because I hit the gym at 445am every day I never see the full episode until days later.  Watched it Friday night.  That woman is one of the most unlikeable I have ever seen on this show.  She is up there with Nicole.  There are failures...and then there are nasty failures.  She's a nasty failure.  Christian was a jackass but no wonder he bailed on her.  You would need the patience of St Peter to tolerate her.

[calpurnia99]

When I was a kid I was obsessed with food. I would ask my mother what was for dinner, what was for dessert first thing in the morning. I would be beside myself over any occasion that involved food like cookout etc. I was always the first one done eating. . I wrote a story: what I like about school and what I don't. It says the best thing about school was: Lunch! Then I go on to describe the food. Halloween I was in my glory. Also Easter, in my glory. I wrote postcards home from summer camp only describing the food to my family. I just saw this postcard: Im having fun, dinner was macaroni and cheese YUM the desserts are really good, we can have a lot of syrup on our pancakes. I miss you. All I wanted to do was eat. But I was not fat because I did not have access to all the food I wanted to eat! My mother actually hid the cookies due to I would eat them and doled them out after dinner.  If food had been around the house I would have not stopped. This is why I don't understand these back stories that by the time I was 5 I weighed 150 and at 8 years old I weighed 200. Where are they getting this food to eat? They can't drive.  Sometimes my brother and I would ride our bikes to a 7/11 and buy candy. But it was not like we had unlimited funds for that.  I suppose I could have eaten an entire loaf of bread. But it sounds like they are going right into the kitchen and helping themselves without consequences. And the parents are filling the house up with junk and letting their fat child eat it. As soon as I became an adult I did develop a weight problem, because I could get food anytime I want. Once I was so embarassed I was around 11 years old eating out with a friend's family they pointed out I was finished with my ice cream sundae already. The rest of the people were not even half done.

Edited February 24, 2019 by calpurnia99