Thursday, June 7, 2012

JACQUI

I will say up front that I don't watch reality TV shows   When I watch TV, I  just want a pleasant escape from reality and to be entertained with a laugh or a good tale. I realize I am  in the minority here for these shows are indeed very popular so it would follow that the majority of people do like them.


That said, I am going to talk about a particular reality show, the Extreme Make Over, Weight Loss Edition. Besides the reality format, perhaps I avoided this show due to my own failings.

Never in my earlier life would I have dreamed I could be 25 pounds over weight. I have wrestled with  the same rotten 25 pounds for about as many years. Lately, I seem to lose 10 pounds, then gain back 8 with an annual net loss of 2 pounds. Whoopee. At that rate and should I make it to 85, I ought to be at my goal weight. Good thing I am the patient sort.


From what I hear on this particular show, twenty or so pounds is to be sneezed at. They must lose at least ten times that amount to qualify. I find that mind boggling. What dedication, courage, pain and sacrifice they must endure to accomplish that. Yes, I do admire the stew out of these brave souls, just have never wanted to watch.  Though I have avoided the show in the past, I won't this Sunday.


My sister Jan's good friend will have a family member on the show. Her friend's 30 year old daughter-in-law Jacqui is featured. My sister has followed this event and is so proud of Jacqui. She says the transformation has been astounding.


 This is a before picture of Jacqui that will be seen on the show. You can easily see that under those 355 pounds is a very pretty girl. How many times do we use the phrase with overweight women in particular,"she has such a pretty face."  What she looks like now, I won't know till the show airs this Sunday on ABC at 9:00 PM Eastern time.



The following are excerpts from the show bio of Jacqui.


Participant Bio


“At 14 years old, Jacqui was a bright and talented teenager with a future full of promise. But one night at a party a boy attacked her, and that event changed her life. She kept the incident a secret and, not knowing how to deal with the pain and stress, turned to food to help her cope. By the time she was a high school senior, she was 100 lbs. overweight and continued to gain.


Although her husband, Shawn, loves and strongly supports her, Jacqui's traumatic past continues to haunt and affect her everyday life. She has many dreams for her future – to graduate from college, pursue her music and have children -- but lacks the confidence to fulfill them. At 30 years of age, she realizes she doesn't want this unhealthy life anymore. Jacqui is ready to start healing and living the healthy, vibrant life she deserves and desperately wants.”

I know she was successful or she would not be on the show. Were this not someone my sister knows, I wouldn't even know to watch. Thanks Jan.


Also, what peaked  my personal interest is that in one scene, sister  Jan says she might be seen directly behind Jacqui's husband and is wearing red. Glad you wore some bright clothing Sis. I'll be looking for you.

A big time congratulations goes out to you Jacqui. Go forward and reach all your dreams. You have earned them and have proven that there are no limits now. Be so very proud, confident and conquer.

Perhaps I will begin to look at reality shows a little differently after this. Shows that can change people's lives for the better, have to be a good thing. We'll see if I am reformed.  Of course my possible change of viewing habits  will have to wait till the end of baseball season.



Do you watch reality shows?? If you do and particularly this one, you now have an "inside" as to the participant.

48 comments :

  1. Patti,
    that is a very interesting inside, to know that some of those shows do some good for very real people! Congratulations to Jacqui and best wishes for the future!

    Btw, love your Freudian slip, "Weighloss Addition"! ;-)

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  2. Merisi,
    Ha ha, thanks for catching that for me. You might be right about Freud:))

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  3. I don't watch reality show because I can't put up with the over the top drama/trauma. The last five minutes is usually enough for me to see what has happened.

    That being said I did watch Skating With The Stars which should have been called Disaster on Ice. Aaaannnd I do watch Chopped over on the Food Channel because the ingredients are so wierd!

    That being said I hope all goes well for your niece.

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  4. I don't really watch TV. Although, I did follow Dancing with the Stars, only because our beloved Donald was on. Congratulations to Jacqui, this once in a lifetime chance is giving her a brand new exciting future.

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  5. I just lost my extra pounds. It was not fun and quite a struggle. I can't imagine doing it in a public forum. kudos to Jacqui.. I wish her the very best!!!

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  6. I don't see these weight loss editions any more; I suppose if I channel surfed I could find one but I've seen them before. I don't watch reality TV either, except for one that catches my interest when I didn't intend to. If I had access to this show, I'd watch it with you on Sunday; it looks very interesting and I do hope Jacqui all the best. :-)

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  7. No I do not watch reality show. I could write volume why I don't. I did watch the Extreme Makeover, Home Edition when they built the houses in Joplin.

    About the before picture, how much courage did it take for her to pose. I think Jacqui is a lovely woman, before and after this show.

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  8. I do watch some reality shows when there is NO football by any team. One is Dance Mom. Not that I love dance. I hate most all the prima donna dance instructors who pound perfection into little minds and put down the moms in the most rude manner. Other wise I flip from one to another--hate the bridal ones and wardrobe ones. Avoid the music ones.

    I am so proud of Jacqui to have fought and won her demons at an earlier age than I. And Yes to lose as she has, which I might add for other readers, is under strict medical supervision: a disaster on a television would really lead to a massive lawsuit).

    I have lost 40+ in 4+ years; it is excruciatingly painfully slow, but I am old with multiple medical distractions but weight loss will and has made small improvements in medical problems. Most chronic medical problems will show some improvement with weight loss alone.

    No wonder the medical community, many of whom could use their own advice, harp on "lose some weight."

    RAH! RAH! RAH! for Jacqui. Now comes the even harder part, keeping it off.

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  9. Hi Patti,

    Well this is so exciting! That is wonderful that Jacqui has met her goals and is moving past her trauma, and that we will also get to watch your sister on t.v. too.

    I think that some reality shows are awful and are so negative. Some I like, and others have grown on me over time. I enjoy the ones where I learn about cool things and how much they are worth: American Pickers, Storage Wars and Pawn Stars. I enjoyed Billy the Exterminator, Restaurant Impossible and Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. The one reality show that fascinates me is Sister Wives though. What do all of those shows have in common? I like the personality of the normal folks that are the stars and I learn something.

    It struck me as you were talking about your 25 lbs. (which is what I am packing) and how we call that being fat ... but it is due more to hormones than because of eating due to ease emotional pain. By coming forward, Jacqui will be shedding light on the horrible effects of rape to a person's psyche. I am so happy for her that she is overcoming and ready to achieve the rest of her dreams. Her husband must be a sweetheart and we can tell that he loves her very much.

    Awesome post! I am thinking about giving this link a shout-out very soon.

    Hugs!

    Kathy M.


    I don't watch The Bachelor and those kind of shows though.

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  10. Good luck to Jacqui, I used to be thin till my thyroid went out of wack and all the doctors said I was "sneaking" food - 10 different doctors and finally one tested my thyroid when I was almost in a coma and I have never been able to loose it all since then, then two years ago a gluten attack and more weight gain, slowly loosing now, I think many of the foods we eat now are killing us, all the additives have no nutritional value and our bodies tell us we need to eat more because our body is craving good food. so Gary and I try to eat fish and vegetables and all before 5 pm in the day and so far it is working slowly.

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  11. Never. And the rest of the stuff as well. Except for my beloved Twins (only when they're doing well). I a "fair weather" fan according to Mrs. T. Television today is a swamp of mostly muck...

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  12. I watch "Project Runway" but only after the contest is down to six participants. My husband is totally addicted to the he-man reality shows such as "Axe Men," "Dangerous Catch," and the ones with the alligator hunting in the swamps and python hunters in Florida. He says they are great mindless entertainment. At least he recognizes them for what they are.

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  13. Since I watch no TV it is certain I do not watch reality shows. Great shouts of cheer should go up for this young woman. Harder work is in her future in keeping that weight loss. It's much harder to keep it off than to lose it. I hope she has a good support team. Good for her. She must feel like a new person.

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  14. I never watch reality tv shows. I would like to see the "after" photos of Jacqui, though. I bet she will look beautiful.

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  15. I do watch some reality shows, mostly American Idol and the dancing shows. I have watched that show before, but not in a while. Maybe I'll tune in to see your friend's success. I know they go through tremendous struggles and pain to get where they are at the end.

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  16. But, she managed to find a husband despite her weight. How many skinny women can say that? My heart goes out to her and I hope for the best for her. God bless!

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  17. Wow! I will look for her. I watch very little TV but will make an effort to keep up with her. She obviously wants to change and leave the past behind to participate in such a show.

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  18. Dear Arkansas Patti, I really don't watch reality shows but during April and May, when I wasn't interested in what Masterpiece Theater was showing on PBS each Sunday night, I did watch "The Apprentice" and got hooked to watching the way the contestants, especially the women, talked about one another. It was a study for me in how we can undermine others.

    I will watch this weight loss program next Sunday now that you've posted so engagingly about it. Thanks for letting us all know. Peace.

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  19. I watch almost no nighttime TV... it gets turned off after "Jeopardy" but I think a show like you write about might be a great incentive for many.
    I guess I should be happy that I was never overweight but, now that I am 79, I find that my skin just seems like thin paper ... it bruises easily and just hangs off my arms ! Ugh, the joys of aging.

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  20. Ah that familiar sad tune again. Why are we so prone to being hurt and suffering for years in silence?
    Buddy and I watch some shows here and there. Ellen is one I have loved. We see some of the Dr.Oz shows and a few dance thins.

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  21. Congrats to Jacqui on her weight loss! I don't watch much TV, but I'll try to remember to tune in and catch this show. Great story!

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  22. Losing weight is hard, but I have discovered that the fad diets just don't work. I'm counting calories and walking every day. It is really working!

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  23. I wanna see the AFTER photo. Good luck to Jaqui. PBS did a story on childhood diabetes and weight issues last night. Lack of activity, too much TV and a poor diet were behind the huge increase in Type II. Bravo to anyone who promotes good food habits. One reason I like Mrs O is because she is such a great role model. Probably more inspirational than the Reality TV shows. Maybe. Dianne

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  24. I'm not a TV watcher, except for a few specials I record, but it's nice to know Jacqui was helped.

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  25. Smartcat,
    So far this has been a blessing to Jan's friends DIL.

    Muffy,
    It really was a special gift to have all the power of the show behind her.

    turquoisemoon,
    I agree though perhaps it being public would make one try harder.

    Djan,
    Thanks so much.This will be a first one for me. Sorry you can't get it.

    Miss Dazey,
    I agree with you 100% on what a lovely lady she is.

    Nitwit,
    Congrats to you for such a great weight loss. It can only improve your health. Slow is best for it tends to stay off then.

    Oregon Gifts,
    Had to laugh at your Sister Wives. I watched that a couple and am not entirely sure I couldn't pull that off, with a different guy.

    Linda Starr,
    How fortunate you stuck with it and found the cause. I have seen your recipes and you do eat well.

    troutbirder,
    Ha,ha I have a post on hold about fans such as you. If it weren't for baseball and MLB Extra Innnings, I would hate summer.

    NCMountain woman,
    Well your choices really are gender biased. Just so they don't come on at the same time:))

    Linda,
    You are right. Support is vital. Fortunately she really has a great support team with her husband and her family.

    robin,
    Me either but I really want to see how she wins this battle.

    Judy,
    You are right. I know how rough 20 pounds is, can't imagine what it would take to lose over 200 pounds.

    gigi,
    Fortunately there are men out there who can see past a waist line.They should be treasured.

    islandwonder,
    I do admire her determination to get healthy enough to start a family and to just live a longer life. I'll be watching also.

    Dee,
    You are right and that is why I avoid reality shows. Generally they dramatise the very worst in people. This should be much different.

    Ginnie,
    I too can relate to paper skin. Mine is so fragile that a simple bump and I am cut open. I have a rediculous amount of bandaids in my cabinet. Such fun huh??

    Heidrum,
    Often we just don't know what lies at the bottom of a person's behavior.

    Cheryl,
    Thanks, I think you will find it interesting and rewarding.

    Terri,
    I am also a big believer that if you move you lose. Since Spring and gardening, I have lost 10 pounds.

    Dianne,
    Tune in Sunday to see the after photo plus a nice surprise. Who is Mrs. O?

    Wanda,
    Thanks. Sometimes it takes a program like this to do the trick.

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  26. I really don't much care for reality shows but I can see why this would pull you in. She really is a pretty girl and it's such a shame that she's gained all that weight. Bless her husband for supporting her.

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  27. Hi Patti: Re your comment on my blog: You can experiment with your favorite fruits ~ peaches, pears, oranges, even walnuts!

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  28. I don't watch the reality shows much,and definitely not the weight loss ones. But my sister, her husband and her daughter, all very thin love to watch these shows. They actually make a night of it, and have popcorn as they watch. She claims that they are cheering the folks on, and that they admire their hard work and dedication. I don't buy that, it seems more like voyeurism, as in "Can you believe she looks like that!?"
    Glad that Jacqui-and others-have had help to reach their goal. But I do think a lot of it comes from loving yourself, and accepting yourself. The issue of rape victimization cannot be solved by an eliptical.

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  29. What a heartbreaking and yet hopeful story! Even though I usually don't watch much t.v. and never watch reality shows, I'll tune in to see Jacqui and cheer her on. I so hope she has learned the tools to maintain her loss and to develop a whole new lifestyle. Her most daunting challenge, indeed, will be maintaining her loss.

    In the absence of morbid obesity like Jacqui's, the slow loss (like yours) is the best, incorporating healthy new habits into your daily life instead of being on a diet. Six years ago, I was referred by my alarmed physician after a cardiac episode to a special liquid diet program at a teaching hospital. It worked very well -- I lost 60 pounds in three months. But the minute I started eating real food again, even though it was healthy and in moderate amounts, I started gaining the weight back. I ended up gaining 30 of my 60 pounds back. But, realizing how much better I felt at a lighter weight, I continued to exercise and eat healthy food and am losing again -- but at a slower pace. And that's O.K. Every pound lost is an achievement. So kudos to your two pounds lost per year, Patti!

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  30. I have in past watched some of the reality shows. I used to watch American Idol and also Survivor... Got disgusted with both of them --and gave them up. Haven't watched any of them since.

    I have read about The Weight Loss show ---and think that it has done some good for alot of younger folks with a huge huge weight problem.

    Congrats to Jacqui and hope she succeeds and continues to do well...

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  31. I don't watch these shows either, but I'm hoping you will give us an update when it airs. I carry way more than 25 pounds of extra weight and would love to lose it, but life just keeps getting in the way.
    Sandy

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  32. An inspiring story. I don't watch this show so I hope you will post the "after" picture.

    Thanks so much for your very kind and caring words, my dear.

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  33. Kay,
    You are so right, her husband is quite a special guy.

    gigi,
    Thanks. Since I have a tree full of peaches, think I'll go that way.

    chlost,
    I'm sure some people think like you suggest but I think most like to see when someone wins against all odds with grit and determination. It is uplifting.

    Dr. Kathy McCoy,
    Thanks Kathy. Those diets do work but the body gets used to the low calorie count and any increase piles the pounds back on again.
    I am so pleased for you that you kept those 30 pounds off. Quite an accomplishment. You should be proud.

    Betsy,
    I agree, those which very large amounts of weight to lose, need the professional help this show provides. Thank goodness it is there.

    Mom of 12,
    I have no idea how with all your kids and the running around you do that you have any extra pounds. You must be quite fit.

    OOLOH,
    If I can find one I will.
    My heart still hurts for you Naomi. You and Gordon's family are in my prayers.

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  34. Patti honey like you I do not watch reality shows and forever I have tried to see the reason for their success. I do admire someone like this young lady though and wish her all the luck in the world especially for keeping it off.
    I hope my ole brain will let me remember to tune in so I can at least see this friend of your sisters and maybe spot your sister too. lol
    When I do watch TV it is a comedy sitcom or an old movie on the Turner Classic Channel. Love those old actors. It was raining yesterday so I watched Elvis in Jailhouse Rock. Would you believe I don't remember seeing this movie but surely I did I can't imagine not seeing one of his movies. haha
    Love
    Maggie

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  35. Best of luck to Jacqui! Please post the 'after' photo. I don't watch the show, but a friend does and says it makes him cry he gets so involved with everyone's stories, so I will be sure to tell him about this connection to one of the contestants. I hope she wins!! Losing the weight is a gift in itself~!

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  36. I am afraid that I never watch reality show, but I can see why you want to see this one. Will you also show a photo of the "new" Jacqui?

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  37. Gosh, Patti, I hardly watch TV, and my own reality is sometimes more than I can take! However, I wish this young woman all the best. I cannot imagine carrying all that weight and the heavy emotional baggage, too. As for for your weight loss - no more eating after 6 PM and I bet you'll lose it by the end of the summer. Also, take Mighty on a walk 3x a day (even if he doesn't want to go).

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  38. I am so pleased for her and cant wait to see what she is like now ...shame we dont get it here for a long time ...if ever. i tend not to watch the weight loss reality ones because we all need to loose and it makes me feel so bad. I like fun reality shows I must admit... my favoutites are the music ones ...like American Idol. please post a photo of her after the show. xx

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  39. Patti, we don't watch any TV in our home, but it's not that we don't own any but don't subscribe to any cable/dish service for reception. Instead we watch movies on the larger screen (as compared to a PC screen). These reality shows generally seem like so much nonsense to me, but after reading this post I can understand HOW the shows can affect people lives for the better. And like you I lose and regain the same few pounds.

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  40. Grandma Yellow Hair,
    Can't believe with your back ground you missed Jail House Rock:))
    I'll be watching with you if you remember.

    Dianne,
    Dummy me, I thought that after I posted. I am just used to using a more formal title:))

    I Wonder Wye,
    You are so right. The weight loss and regained health are winning enough.

    Reader Wil,
    I will try to find an "after" picture once the show has aired and post it.

    Barb,
    Excellent advice but I never eat anything after 4:00. Always been like that. I have lost 12 pounds this year with the start of gardening. It is those darn winter months that get me.

    Angie,
    Sorry you won't get it but I will try to find an after photo to post. I understand it is amazing.


    Beatrice P. Boyd,
    I sure wish I could go TVless like you. I admire you for that.
    Sometimes I feel like naming my pounds. We have danced a long time.

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  41. Watched survivor last.. My favorite reality shows are the cooking kind. Master chef Australia tops that list.

    About Jacqui, I think the first step to an improvement is accepting the huge problem she is in, or was in, prior to the show. I am sure from there on, the other obstacles were only a matter of sheer dedication. Tough no doubt . I salute her spirit! Cheers. Do post her transformation too, I am a sucker for inspiring real life stories!

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  42. The gravity of how one horrid act can change the course of ones life makes me angrier than I can state.
    Best wishes Jacqui!!!

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  43. lostworld,
    If nothing else, that terrible problem is no longer hidden. It is out for all to see which has to be helpful. I will try to find an "after" photo.

    Grayquill,
    You said it so well my friend. The after effects of the crime were as brutal as the act. Thank you.

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  44. How wonderful! I will certainly look out for the show now and know who to cheer on! It will be an inspiration for me (and all of us!) to live a healthy lifestyle!
    Thank you for this, Patti! :D
    WAY TO GO, JACQUI!

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  45. This is such encouraging story. I can't wait to see her new look. Congrats to Jacqui!

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.

    Doris

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  46. Hi Patti! Thanks so much for making sure that we knew about Jacqui and her show. I updated my blog post from yesterday ... she has just begun her own blog and I went over and left a comment for her. What an amazing young woman she is!

    Kathy M.

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  47. Lynda G.
    I know she really impressed me. It makes us realize how in control we can be if we try.

    Doris,
    Her new look is amazing but it is the reborn woman that so impressed me. Thanks.

    Kathy,
    We found the same video. Thank you for posting about her also. I'll have to check out her blog.

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