ooops sorry...I hate yelling too..

You are probably right about the carbs (that's why I usually get tired at 3:00 in the afternoon if I eat anything carb-heavy - makes sense to me)...I just think most of the women who come to the show have weight problems and it's kind of alarming that they don't address the REASONS behind these problems. BTW: I do see Jodi as seriously overweight. We're talking about 50-60 extra pounds - not just 10 or 15 IMO...

Since SO is dealing with women who want to change their lives and since someone who exercises on a regular basis is scientifically proven to generally be happier, healthier, mentally more alert, have better memory, able to handle stress better, gets more accomplished, has higher self esteem, and in general, does better mentally, physically, socially, and psychologically it would seem SO would do well to have a trainer on staff to work with the women at their individual levels on a daily basis. Maybe it would give them more constructive help, use up some of the negative energy, and maybe curtail some of the needless, hurtful gossip.

Yeah, let's put Marcus on the staff permanently!

Lots of doctors are now looking at high fructose corn syrup now, because it's so addictive. They also think it's responsible for the "sugar rage" that happens with some of us.

I certainly don't see Layne as being overweight. There is a range of acceptable weights for certain heights, and she seems well within that range. Also, there is the BMI (body mass index). I feel that I am 10-15 lbs. overweight right now (I am 5-4, 128 lbs.) but my BMI is within the acceptable range. Also, as women get older, it is normal to gain 10-20 lbs. because of having less estrogen in your body. (In my 20s and 30s, I weighed 108-115 lbs.)

Body image IS a major issue for women in this country, especially young, white women. And eating disorders (severe overweight, bulimia, anorexia) are common in girls/women who have been sexually abused.

Everyone has a different life experience to judge these things by, but in my little corner of the world, weight is the leading issue with all the women I know. Even my friends who are naturally thin worry about their weight. I have never thought that the number of women in the house with weight issues was higher than in the real world.

I am amazed by some of the names included in the posts as having serious weight problems, because I never saw it. It was really an eye-opener for me to read these posts and see the opinions of folks with a different perspective than me.

For me, Layne was the perfect size. Keeping in mind that the camera adds 10 pounds or so, she looked great. Vanessa certainly had a little bit of pudge but would never be considered overweight by me. Current newbie Jodie looks good to me, she's a round gal but I don't think she is "seriously" overweight.

The first time Allison entered the house she was very large, but she had lost quite a bit of weight by the time the next season started. She still had a way to go, but I thought she looked amazing considering what she had been through.

Jill is the houseguest for me with a severe weight issue, and she seems to be handling it pretty well. She has good days and bad days. As a lady who could certainly stand to lose 30 or 40 pounds myself, I say "Go Jill!" Sometimes you just gotta eat that cupcake.

I agree Layne was not overweight...

"The first time Allison entered the house she was very large, but she had lost quite a bit of weight by the time the next season started."

when allison came back into the house she had had a tummy tuck...she looked nice I thought..whining wasn't pretty tho..

"Jill is the houseguest for me with a severe weight issue"

she should really have that tumor removed...who waits about something like this?

"Sometimes you just gotta eat that cupcake."

worry would make me eat more than one....
Go Jill for sure!

she should really have that tumor removed...who waits about something like this?

As a person dealing with the same issue I can tell you, I do.

Having abdominal surgery like that is tough, I know, I have had 4 c-sections. I am the same age as Jill and after a couple of procedures to try to manage my fibroids I was told either lose the uterus or stick it out until menopause and it will go away on it's own. For me at this point, dealing with the fibroid for a couple more years is more appealing than a hysterectomy.

I know for Jill they wanted her to stop smoking and get in better shape before surgery because last time she had surgery I think she had a stroke.

I have to agree...what's the point if you can't have the cupcake every once in a while.

The other issue related to surgery for Jill is that if they have to get in abdominally then they have to cut through a lot of fat and fat does NOT heal well and is very prone to infection. Obese people are usually encouraged to lose weight before surgery for this reason unless the the surgery needed is urgent. In Jill's case it is not life threatening to leave the fibroids until she is physically able to better handle the surgery.

Now that this has been addressed, I am re-thinking it. Agree now that Layne and Vanessa are ARGUABLY a LITTLE heavy. For me, I'll reiterate what I said above: a thin, physically fit woman in my mind would be TJ. (Lisa, obviously, is a bag of bones; even Kim is on the too-thin side to me). That's the basis I was going on.

But since I can feel myself begin to ramble, let me get to the point. I'm at the age where I could give a crap how it *looks* anymore, as much as I care about my health. And as we all know, even an extra ten pounds makes a noticable difference. The premise I stick to is that -- with all the resources they have -- daily exercise (and diet) should be part of the stay in the house. Instead of putting one on Jenny Craig and telling another her weight isn't an issue (or her smoking, as is being discussed in another thread!), have healthy living be a part of it. And I still agree with Sports Nut that there is a certain *proportion* of heavy women on the show (though I will concede that largely reflects society).

If I gave the impression in my particular post that I was Jessica Simpson I apologize, because that would be quite incorrect. And 128 pounds at 5'4" in ?40s, would be someone I would consider quite fit.

Thanks for a different view of it all, guys.

Jodi is seriously overweight. I have no doubt, by looking at the height and shape of her, that her (BMI) "Body Mass Index" falls into the "Overweight" to "Obese" range. The litmus test for me is that Jodi would not pass the physical fitness standards for the police or the military. (I am not suggesting she should do either, but they have both relaxed their standards recently, too.) They don't expect you to be a twig, but they do expect your weight to be "proportional to your height" and Jodi is not. At the very least, we can all agree that Jodi's appearance is not one that makes you think "Heart Smart." That's the second litmus test. Jodi flunks both.

I hope the women know that when and if they quit smoking, it is normal to gain weight. I gained 20 pounds when i quit,and had to work hard at losing weight.

Congratulations on quitting smoking!

For all of you trying to "work it off" If you don't know this already, Losing weight is a mathematical equation. 3,500 calories equal one pound (either way.) "Burn more than you earn." Make fruits and vegetables your friends, and "Just say No to cupcakes" (like Jill)and all other Hostess anything. And, get moving.

But, seriously, the best thing you did for yourself was quitting smoking. That's one of the hardest things in life to do. You are to be applauded.

Jodi didn't look all that bad today. She said she is a 14-16, more likely the 16. And she is fairly short. Her father was terrible making her stand on a scale in front of others when a child, after fat camp. People just don't realize how a little word or two can wreck a person's self image or confidence.

She'll probably get on a scale sometime during the show. Dr. Stan was nice to her about it.

Although her Dad might not have gone about things in the best way I think his heart was in the right place. A scale is a good way to stay aware..measure progress or lack thereof..I don't think her Mom provided her with healthy eating habits and he was just trying to help her. She judges her Dad for so many things..this IMO is just another judgement of Daddy. I don't think she's punishing her Dad by not using a scale but instead it's a control issue..she's the one in control now and that's how she wants it to stay. The way she twists up all her memories of him..this could very well be just another memory she has all wrong!?

Most people are overweight because of emotional issues. That's why diets don't work. You need to get to the core of the problem. Anyone can go to the gym and on a diet. SO addresses the root of the problem. Once you are freed from that you can start to make other changes in your life.

Starting Over is not meant to chew you up and spit out a perfect Barbie type with no vices. By getting to your inner issues, your core problems, you should be able to make a better life for youself once you leave the house. And to be able to make better choices, including lifestyle. Lots of the housemates smoke too. My hope is that after they tackle the big demons in their lives, they will be able to give up this crutch as well.

SO can't do it all. They lay the groundwork. What difference would it make if someone came out thin when they still weren't healed inside? It would be pointless and they sure wouldn't be thin for long!!

Just my open, honest, and true opinion.

My husband allways says "you can tell how much a woman sits on her ##### by the size of it" and it kindof rings true.Jill being the largest woman is allways sitting down doing nothing but excercising her jaws or sobbing for sympathy-but oops I forgot due to health reasons she's not permitted to do any kind of physical activity. Allison was usually laying leiusurely down pondering her future scams somewhere. T.J was allways running around burning calories, Kim looks like she's a doer and keeps active. Lisa1 runs around like a chicken with her head cut off showing off her sweet(not)sunken belly trying to get the camera men to do god knows what with her. So far I don't know too much about Christie and Jodi and NuLisa's habits but I have seen Jodi parking it in the kitchen with Jill a few times. So I'm rambling but these seem to be habits that weren't developed overnight and I think that is why the nutritionist visits. To me it would seem that working on my life problems(unless they were weight related)would be my priority . Hey if you're happy being fat no harm done personally I can't stand putting on a few pounds and if I do I work hard to get them off. That"s me though and as starting over house has shown me, women are all so very very VERY different LOL
Sorry for being off topic and the long post but I had to humour myself

Cinnamongirl30 - the visuals of Jill and Allison taking it easy, and Jodi "parking it in the kitchen" are funny, but I think the reasoning is absolutely accurate. I think it's easy to fall into a suburban house trap of gaining weight because it's hard to always be moving around inside a house. Suburban life can be insular, and then it penetrates your psyche and it's hard to know how still you've become, particularly in your mind! But, then again this wouldn't seem to be true for some, like TJ. I used to live downtown in a city, ate more than I do now, but walked everywhere and was a few dress-sizes smaller.
Anyway, I think lifestyle is the most fascinating topic.

I'm convinced though that the nutritionist visits on SO are just another way of sneeking a commercial into our viewing time, since nothing about eating habits is really said accept in very general terms, and they always seem to have a product with them, even if the camera catches it "upside down" on the coffee table. Watch for it next time.

Shazbot - good point, and true.

"I used to live downtown in a city, ate more than I do now, but walked everywhere and was a few dress-sizes smaller."

When I was able to walk, and worked in a downtown area, I always went for a lunch walk somewhere. When you work in a broader area, you have to drive somewhere usually, and that is no effort expended. You eat, then drive back to work/home.

When you work in a
>broader area, you have to
>drive somewhere usually, and that
>is no effort expended.
>You eat, then drive back
>to work/home.

Yeah, I know, it sucks! But I see people jogging outside my window all year long... and I wonder what is my problem!

I keep thinking how much more productive it would be for all the women if they spent more time on that treadmill and less time sitting on their A$$ in the garden gossiping about each other. For all the whining Alushin did about being 'fat and ugly' did we ever once see her on the treadmill?? I remember seeing Jennifer from Season2 on it a lot - no wonder she had the body she had - I'll bet TJ used the treadmill too but of course we wouldn't see that - that would have portrayed a much too positive image of TJ......... I think Christi, Lisa2 and Jill should take a crack at it - heck, they might even like it.

Bumping because it came up elsewhere.

So far this season, I've noticed that few of HG's are overweight. Lisa N was underweight. Christina, Christie, TJ, Kim, and Kelly are normal weight. Jessica was slightly overweight. Not enough to affect her health, though. The only overweight ones were Allison, Jill, Jodi, and Lisa A.
I do think a weight loss boot camp would be a good idea. With all the fattening food cleared out of the SOH, I think the HG's would have an easier time learning to eat right. Maybe they could start their fourth season with a two week boot camp.

One thing I like about this show is that I can relate to it on different levels with different houseguests. I am about 30 lbs overweight so I can identify with Lisa2, Jill,Christy and Jodi. I love reality shows. I remember the first Big Brother and the first Survivor . The people seemed more like average people found on the street. But now I notice most of contestants come with recommendations or insider advice or a relative of a relative in show business....or even an agent! SO is appealing to me because the people seem 'real'. When they start bringing in "the good looking ones"....I'll probably stop watching....I can't relate. LOL

Some people are just naturally thick. My sister is one of them. She is very active, her home is immaculate, she has a lot of property so she is always cutting grass, with a push mower, raking, pruning trees etc., and she even details her cars so they are always clean and shining. She doesnt have a lazy bone in her body. She doesnt eat junk food, she actually eats rather healthy. So all Im saying is everyones body is different and not everyone who is overweight has issues or low self esteem.

LAST EDITED ON 02-19-06 AT 01:21 PM (EST)

Just to add, if their weight is really all about their health, why was TJ a smoker?? Is that ciggy keeping her from putting food into her mouth? We all know that to be the size of say Layne and not a smoker is MORE healthy than to be TJ's size and smoke. My mom is small boned but the same height I am am I have had her nagging at me since I was young about my weight. When I was 5'10" and hit 145 lbs she started screaming at me to lose weight, with my larger frame. Even if I ate nothing but grass there is no way I could be the same size as mom, we are not built the same. Everyone has their own definition of beauty and it is very recenly that people like Terry Hatcher would be considered beautiful, she really is a stick insect. Thinner is not necessarily more healthy, nor more beautiful. It is ok to make assumptions about people based on the size of their behind but not on the color of their skin??? No it is not right to do either.

LAST EDITED ON 02-19-06 AT 01:39 PM (EST)

They probably all have some type of weight issue. When Christie was told to get with the food diary, I found two fantastic sites of interest in this issue. One gives calorie and nutrition breakdowns, the second has a really nice food diary you can print out. So you can work on this with the HGs if you want.

http://www.calorie-count.com/

http://msig.med.utah.edu/runningutes/nutrition/diary.cfm

Food becomes a coping mechanism for emotions instead of a body maintaining device for most people, IMO. It's easy to get, legal, everybody does it, and it's so convenient. We don't even have to grow it anymore! Don't even have to fix it anymore! There can be basically no calories expended in getting it anymore! And that's part of the problem. If you eat out, you don't even have to wash the dishes.

I think "body image" is a different problem than overeating and "weight issues". Body image is more inclusive, and is part of weight issues. But weight issues can cause body image problems. It's so everywhere in this society. Look at magazines in the checkout line...most have at least one cover story on fat/diet/body.

One more for calorie/nutrition: http://www.caloriecountercharts.com/chart1a.htm

I think many of the woman in the Starting Over house are going to continue to have weight issues, because we, as women, are most of the time, (and not all women,) so caught up in how we look, and how that affects who we are on the inside. I wish it wasn't true, but women are hard on each other! I teach high school kids, and I'm already seeing the influence of all these models, tv personalities, etc., and I preach constantly LOOKS don't count--what you are INSIDE--and what you stand for is what really matters. Then--I look at the pictures on the board of myself when I weighed 94 lbs (I'm 5 ft tall) 5 years ago, then discovered I had a HUGE thyroid problem, and now weigh 140. I find myself thinking the same thing--I'm not as good as I was when I was I looked like at 95. By the way, I looked like a Holocaust Survivor at that weight---but you don't notice it yourself! Girls are so very precious--I bet the Starting Over house will always have someone with a weight issue. After all, why do we spend billions of dollars trying to look better?
Happs

I think It's interesting that there are several general similarities beyond the weight issues. Divorced parents, no healthy relationships with men, no husbands, all have had abortions, poor relationships with parents and siblings, few children, and immaturity.

>I think It's interesting that there
>are several general similarities beyond
>the weight issues. Divorced
>parents, no healthy relationships with
>men, no husbands, all have
>had abortions, poor relationships with
>parents and siblings, few children,
>and immaturity.

You are so right - you forgot drugs and alcohol abuse, which I see as the BIGGEST problem among most of the houseguests...

I think eating properly (that doesn't mean dieting or not eating well)and exercising are important ways of taking care of ourselves; just as important as the makeovers, bras, makeup, and dating that SO spends so much time on.

So many women eat/exercise poorly because they don't have the self-esteem to take care of themselves. Structure and discipline are also important in a "recovery" setting. I thought that schedule Iyanla gave Jennifer last year, though somewhat strict, was a really good idea. If you take care of yourself and accomplish things, you will feel better about yourself and your day.

I thought it was awesome that Iyanla sent Lisa to that battered women's shelter. That is another important thing for happiness and fulfillment: helping others and feeling needed.

These are all basic tools for building self-esteem, self-reliance and discipline, which should all be part of starting over.

(I moved this from another thread that was locked.)