Original subtitles

I think I'm very close to becoming a total shut-in.

And food is all I have to look forward to.

Somewhere there is just a little glimmer of hope.

I just want to be a normal person.

You can't do it, and then I just get mad.

If I don't make a change now,

I'm scared it's gonna be too late.

No! It hurts!

I refuse to stop fighting.

I have to do this for my children.

I'm a pastor.

Did the lord tell you your body's your temple?

No, I've let him down in those regards.

My life today is a living hell.

Being a very independent person that I was,

the mobility issues that I have today

are nothing that I ever expected when I was younger.

I just never envisioned being here

at this size.

There's never a time when I'm not in extreme pain.

Just pain, you know, throughout my entire body.

It's hard for me to walk a few steps.

My limitations are extreme.

I want to be hygienic, and for the most part

I can manage to take a shower every morning on my own.

It's just an uncomfortable pain.

The pain, it can get to be unbearable.

A lot of the simple things I'm not able to do on my own.

I'm dependent upon people to help me dress.

And I really hate that.

Currently, I live with my sister,

and my nephew, and my niece.

My family does help me out.

My mother and brother come down to Metairie.

We do a lot together.

Of course I have concerns about his weight gain

because he's my favorite person,

and I want him to be here with me as long as possible.

I feel guilty a lot of times, I do,

because I would stop doing some of the things that I'm doing for him.

It would force him to have to do more for himself.

But I've always been protective of him ever since we were kids.

So I try to check on him every single day on the phone,

or I come physically to check on him every single day.

-Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. -Good morning.

Oh, what's for breakfast?

Uh, what's for breakfast?

I'll tell you what I have and you tell me what you would like.

We have, um, eggs,

grits,

bacon,

and sausage.

Uh, all of the above.

Okay, let's roll.

And all of the above.

The type of person he is, you know, he want everything.

Everything.

And if I try to cut back, he says, "No, Ma."

How many eggs, Juan?

Just cook it all.

Cook it all?

When he wants something, he's real persistent.

So I don't like it.

But I've come to the grip that this is what's gonna happen.

You put the chair at the table, Juan.

I'm good here.

My mom, she's a down-home Southern Cajun Creole cook.

And I love being around my mom's cooking.

That's the food I'm addicted to.

My brain just gets fixated on all the smells.

I can't control myself.

How much longer, Mother?

Like, a minute.

Food has caused all the things I hate about myself.

But it's the only thing I've ever had in my life

that has helped me deal with the things that have happened to me.

'Cause no matter how bad everything else gets,

eating is always real good.

My grandfather, he raised pigs.

And my grandma and ma would spend most of the time in the kitchen.

I grew up on a lot of pork crackling and Hog Head cheese,

the Southern Louisiana Cajun down-home staples.

I was raised in a Christian home.

But I think it was my father's misbehavior towards my mom,

witnessing his behavior,

it made me want to become more of a Christian.

Hearing my mother cry, and,

you know, every boy wants to be able to protect their mother.

So because we were so young,

you know, we couldn't do anything about it.

I felt angry a lot.

I felt sad.

I don't know why, but, you know,

eating a candy bar just made me feel better.

It just always brought me comfort, you know.

And from that point on it became my habit.

Before I talked to anybody else about it,

food was the first thing that I would do.

I think I really started to notice I was overweight when

all of the little kids started, you know, calling me fat.

Mom, this is really good.

Thank you. You want some more juice?

Yeah.

Then when I was around 11,

my mom got to a point with my dad

when she finally made the decision to leave.

Once they got divorced,

I spent the majority of my time with my mom.

Couldn't really ask for a better mom, so...

Here you go.

Want me to put it right here?

-Okay. -Thank you.

You're welcome.

You know, in order to be able

to avoid everything I was feeling,

that void of, you know, my father not being present in my life,

After the divorce, um,

our lifestyle changed drastically.

Um, we didn't have as much means as we had before.

I was always hungry.

When I ate I would use the excuse that I wouldn't know

when I would eat again, so I would overeat.

I guess I was maybe around,

I was around 230 pounds

by the time I was in middle school.

And that's about the time being this little short kid,

carrying that much weight become impactful

because my whole family was into sports.

And up until that point,

I had been really active.

I had grown up playing little leagues.

I was really skilled in basketball,

and I had great knowledge of the game.

But when I got too heavy,

I wasn't able to take part like I wanted to anymore.

My coach tried putting me on a diet.

Uh, and he told me if I would lose 35 pounds

I would be his point guard.

And I wasn't able to lose the weight, so,

instead they put me in control of the facilities inside of the gym

which included the concession stand,

and because I was in control of the concession stand,

I used to eat sweets all day.

I gained 200 pounds within two years.

Hey, before you sit,

can you grab me a bottle of water, please?

Thank you.

I was always musically-inclined

doing piano, keyboard lessons.

When I graduated high school,

I had been afforded chances to be a part of, like,

groups and choirs who was doing things,

traveling, having events.

But being on the road,

doing live music,

it was always a struggle.

You know, the fried chicken, the burgers, and,

by that time, I was fresh out of high school,

I was making 1,000 to 1,500 a week.

So the majority of that money was gone on food.

Five to six meals every day.

That's when I became aware

of, like, a real strong addiction to food.

Hand me that water.

He always loved to eat, but,

more than the portion sizes,

I think it's the amount of times

that he's obviously, like, snacking and stuff like that.

I started out pursuing the music career.

But not many people who look like me is very successful

in that line of work.

So I got licensed as a minister.

I got ordained,

which led me into,

you know, now being a pastor myself.

But then somewhere along the way,

my increasing weight

began to affect my mobility,

until one day, I fell,

and it was hell getting me up.

He was, like, weak.

And he said he was overheating and stuff,

his body was getting hot.

I didn't know what to think at that moment.

I didn't know whether to take him to the emergency room,

or sit there and let him cool down.

It was a concerning situation.

Okay, Juan.

Are you ready?

-Ready to roll? -And we go to the grocery store.

So what we gonna buy?

All right, crawfish rice, shrimp rice,

um, mac and cheese something.

Okay.

Let me move this out the way.

These days, my health is worse than it's ever been.

And most of the time, it's a real strain for me to leave the house,

so i try and avoid it,

with the exception of grocery shopping.

That's something I make the extra effort to participate in.

Life at my size is tedious,

and food is all I have to look forward to.

My brother's the only one who have a car

that's big enough for me to fit in.

There's a lot of things that if I would have known

I would have done better.

I would always tell him, like, "Slow down a little bit."

But I did it in a loving way.

But like I said, I could have done better by showing him.

It's hard for me to tell him no

because I like to see him happy.

You can look at it as me being an enabler,

but I look at it as it's helping out my brother.

Get some cookies.

Every time I come here I feel weaker and weaker.

My condition is declining rapidly.

And I'm having instances where I feel like I might stroke out.

Mac and cheese,

that's what I need.

It's getting harder for him to move around

and to do the things that he would like to do.

And now he's gotten to the part where he's discussed it,

and he's telling himself that, "Hey, it's either this or my life.

Either I do this, I go forward...

...or I'm just going to decline."

But I always have hope

that he's coming out of this.

Oh, man.

Okay, Juan.

See you tomorrow.

Everything is there that we purchased.

All right. I'm already hungry, though.

I think I'm gonna order.

All right, bam.

See you all later, bye.

Eating gives me comfort in the way that nothing else can.

But I'm addicted to food.

And it's impossible for me to lose weight

because I've tried too many times on my own.

Yes, I would like to place an order.

Give me a large stuffed-crust meat lovers pizza.

Sixteen, um, boneless wings, honey-barbecue.

No, that's it. Okay. Thank you.

I kind of think that we're at the desperate part right now.

Hey, J, get my delivery order.

I'm willing to push him in the right direction

and assist him instead of assisting him

in doing all the wrong things, assisting him in doing the right things.

I know I can't live forever at this size.

My physical body's breaking down on me.

I hate it.

I just know that I have to make some changes.

If I don't get help I think I'm very close, um,

um, to becoming a total shut-in.

I need help.

All right.

Ready for your little journey, huh?

Ready to see Dr. Now?

Yes, ma'am.

This is the beginning of a new beginning, huh?

That's what we're gonna call it.

Yep, definitely a new beginning.

You glad?

-I'm never glad about seeing a doctor.

-Can you help me with these bags, please? -Yeah.

Today I'm taking a leap of faith,

and I'm driving to Houston, Texas

to meet a man named Dr. Nowzaradan...

Thank you.

...who works with obese individuals,

whose lives are out of control from their addiction to food.

And he helps them to find a healthy way to live.

Because I'm admitting to myself and others

I no longer have my hands on the wheel like I should.

It's gonna be a long drive,

and it will be unpleasant.

This is the route that I know pretty well

because we lived in Houston after Hurricane Katrina.

And I've been back and forward a lot,

but my health is worse than it's ever been.

And it means that this ride will also be worse.

I'm dreading it.

Are we all set?

Yes, sir.

There's only one good thing that comes to mind

which is one of my favorite restaurants that we'll pass along the way.

-So, you excited? -Yes, I'm very excited.

I'm excited about a new and fresh start.

So what you think we're gonna eat today?

Maybe some...

I don't think so, huh?

Oh, man.

I know I'm not supposed to eat like that anymore.

But right now, it may sound sad,

but the thought of that food is one of the only things

that's helping me to get up and out on the road.

Oh, man!

We've been on the road for a couple of hours,

and my knee pain is just miserable.

So we're gonna have to stop.

But the good news is we've made it to my favorite restaurant.

Thank you.

Let me get, uh, one pork boudin.

Uh, three seafood.

-Two crawfish balls. -Okay.

Two pepperjack boudin balls.

-Okay. -What's the roll up things?

Crawfish roll.

Like four.

And, uh, like $5 worth of crackling.

That's it?

Yes.

The food's out of this world.

I wish I could just keep eating to make the pain go away.

These things good, man.

Oh, yeah?

But even if I wasn't going to weigh in tomorrow,

I know better than to do that.

Delicious.

So it's probably another two or three hours on the road.

Thank God we made it to Houston, Texas.

That was even worse than I thought.

And then my pain is maxed out.

Tomorrow I'm going to meet Dr. Nowzaradan

and I'm nervous and scared to see how much I weigh.

Only thing is now I have to make it our room.

My legs are swollen. My knees are swollen,

so because of that it caused me a lot of pain doing the ride.

There's a big part of me that just wants to sit myself down on that luggage cart,

and just have Derry push me.

But I'm too proud to get wheeled through the hotel

like some heavy piece of cargo.

Fourth floor.

Oh, man.

Oh, man.

I'm at Dr. Now's clinic in Houston to see how much I weight

and to get his help losing weight.

It's been a few years since I got a weigh in,

so I'm nervous about that number.

This is the day I've been waiting for.

And I think I'm also, you know, a little nervous about...

Just the whole experience but excited at the same time.

This is it.

Yeah, family support means everything.

Juan.

Dr. Nowzaradan.

I heard that he's, you know, rather strict.

But you know I'm okay with it, you know, uh.

Hopefully he'll commit to taking me on as a patient.

My health is declining.

There's no one to blame but me.

-You can step on the scale whenever you're ready. -Okay.

So if I want to live, I know I have to make the necessary changes.

-Please got the room five. -Okay.

Yeah.

It's been the way for a while.

That's why I really need Dr. Now's help.

My only concern is that I waited too long to make the call,

and that he's going to tell me it's already too late for me.

I'm just praying he knows how to help.

-Hello, how you all doing? -How you doing, sir?

Oh, good.

Great. All right, Juan, good to meet you.

Who you got here with you?

Uh, this is my brother, Derick,

and my mother, Patricia.

Well, nice to meet you all.

-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.

So, Juan, what can I do for you today?

Uh, I came to try to make some life altering changes.

What is on your wish list?

Some changes you want in your life.

To lose a few hundreds

and gain my mobility back.

So what kind of issue you got with your mobility?

Arthritis in the knees.

Both of them.

Six hundred pounds of weight definitely is going to make that much worse.

How much walking you can do?

Um...

Maybe...

Thirty yards?

Without having to take a break.

Do you do any activity that keep you mobile?

I'm a pastor and I do music.

-Pastor? -Yes, sir.

-Didn't the Lord tell you that your body's your temple?

Yeah, he did, and it's my issues is my struggle.

I feel terrible.

You know, I've let Him down in those regards.

Well, the primary thing to lose weight is to eat less.

So your weight loss is gonna depend on

-reducing the calories you take in. -Yeah.

Just walk me through a typical day.

What do you eat from the time you wake up and you go to bed?

Once I wake up, I'm not really hungry in the morning.

I would start eating maybe around 2:00 P.M.

What do you eat at 2:00?

-Baked chicken, green beans. -So you eat that at home?

Yes.

Who make that?

Oh, well, my mom makes a lot of my meals and package it

and bring it to me.

She live close-by?

Well, she lives like an hour away.

-But she-- -A hour away and she come and bring you food?

-All the time. -All right.

So your mom is your enabler?

-Is he blaming you for his--

No, I... I blame me.

-I am not. -Hmm?

I am not the enabler.

But you bring him all the food.

-When I bring him-- -You know he's going to eat it.

Okay, but it's up to him

to put it in the portions that he should.

It's to be spread out for the week.

It's not to be eaten the same day.

So she bring you a week worth of food and you eat it all at once?

-Yeah. -And then after that you snack on what?

Uh, pickles, nuts.

Sometimes I do have like sweet binges.

I try to stay away from them, but sometimes I crave them.

Yes, like what?

Pies, cakes.

Pies and cake.

-If you're tying to lose weight...

...and you go buy a pie and a cake,

and then you have difficulty walking.

You're trying is not very good.

I've done some of the low-carb cereals too

and like almond milk and things like that.

Low-carb cereal?

Yeah.

Okay.

How's that working?

Not too well, I guess.

All right. So...

You know, ultimately, weight loss surgery is going to be

a powerful tool for you to lose weight.

But in order to get to that point,

you need to lose some weight and you need to show me

that you're willing to start to make the changes you need

for the surgery to be successful, okay?

And show me you're going to be able to do this.

-Any questions? -No, sir.

Okay. I'll be back. Let me go get some stuff.

Okay.

Dude, wow.

Juan seemed to spend a lot of time convincing himself

he's trying to be healthy,

and trying gimmicks to lose weight

while continuing to eat whatever he want.

And it is clear there is also a family dynamic

that revolves around food that is likely contributing

to his weight gain over the years.

There are three factors that control your weight.

One is the frequency of your feeding,

the second one is the amount you're eating, Juan,

the third one is type of food.

So there are a lot of changes

that Juan and his family have to make

if it's going to be possible to turn his situation around.

Hopefully this will change everybody's life

and everybody gonna be healthier and live longer.

-That's right. -Thank you, sir.

Okay. Y'all have a safe trip back home.

-Thank you, sir. -Thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

-All right, y'all, take care. -All right.

So this shouldn't be too hard, Juan.

Because, yeah, you're eating this everyday.

-One cup of fat free Greek yoghurt. -It wasn't...

Huh?

Said if it wasn't, I wouldn't be here.

-No sweets. -It's gonna be hard, but it's doable.

No sweets.

I think it went great.

It was more than I was expecting.

So I believe it went really well.

I'm ready to do what I need to do to lose this weight.

And I got Dr. Now on my side to help me do this.

At some point I have to be a man of my word

and just not do it, not eat the unhealthy things.

So I got to do everything in my power to change it up

'cause I'm not ready to say goodbye just yet.

Good morning, mother.

Good morning, Juan.

-What you making? -I'm gonna cook some egg omelet.

Would you like one?

-Yeah. -Would you like some cheese?

Yeah, just, you know, the right amount. Fat free?

-Yes. -Okay.

It's been a couple weeks since I saw Dr. Now.

And I've already made a lot of changes to my life and my diet.

So I can try to reach his goals that he set for me to lose weight.

Okay, Juan, here's your breakfast.

-Thank you. -I'm gonna get your water.

Thank you, Mom.

I went over everything Dr. Now gave me with the diet and exercises.

And I've been trying to follow them

and adapt everything to how I'm supposed to be.

It's better than my omelet.

I wonder why.

I guess it's just mother's touch, I guess.

You think so?

Let's do this, bro.

One, two, three.

Come on. You ready, bro?

My family been supportive too,

and they're trying to help me eat better,

and encourage me to work out.

And that's helping me motivate myself and keep going forward.

Even when it feels like I'm too tired.

No.

That's what he says.

No.

No, bro.

And too much pain to do exercises.

Or when the cravings hit me really hard and all I want is something sweet.

So I'm doing my best and giving it my all.

And I gotta believe in myself and believe that my business is good enough.

So when I go back to see Dr. Now next time,

I'll pass his weight loss test and move forward to get the surgery.

All right, there's one.

It hasn't been easy.

But every time I make a sacrifice or do a workout that may be painful,

I tell myself I'm one step closer to the goal of reaching a better life

that's longer and healthier.

That's it. That's it.

So how does your body feel?

Feel good. Feel better.

Getting better and better.

You feel like you've lost the amount that you should've lost?

I think so.

I'm back to Dr. Now to get my checkup and see how much weight I lost.

It's been tough lately cutting back like I need.

But I've been doing everything like I should.

And I'm really hoping I see the right progress

when I step on the scales this time.

You ready?

Yep.

I don't know.

Yeah, we're here now.

The moment of truth.

Juan.

This whole time I've been feeling like I've been doing pretty good.

And now that we're here, all of a sudden, I'm scared that I didn't do enough.

If I fail, there's no one to blame but me.

And I can't live with that kind of regret.

One second.

You can step on the scale whenever you're ready.

But I guess I won't have to if it's already too late

and my food addiction kills me.

Right now, I'm at Dr. Now's to see where my progress is at.

Before I was 627.

And the doctor told me to lose 70 pounds in two months.

So if I did then I'd be 557 or less.

Your weight today is 618.

Please go to room five.

That's short.

I'm not feeling too good about that.

I'm disappointed.

And I bet the doctor will be too.

I just hope he doesn't lose faith in me just yet.

'Cause I know I can do better.

Hello. How are y'all doing?

-How you doing, sir? -Pretty good. How are you?

I'm doing well.

-Great. -So how was your trip this time?

It was okay.

I mean, getting easier to... drive to Houston?

Yes. Yeah.

You don't sound very convincing.

Okay, what's going on with you?

You lost nine pounds.

Unfortunately.

What happened?

I don't know. I thought I was following the diet

and doing everything I was supposed to be doing.

But, uh, I guess I didn't.

I made changes, eliminating the carbs and the sugar.

But I guess I didn't do enough.

So what does your meal look like now?

Grilled chicken, fish, you know, things like that.

Um, I implemented a lot of the keto meals.

I like cereal, uh, so I do the low-carb cereal.

You know, fruits, vegetables, and, you know.

Uh, fruit is not part of your diet, okay?

And fruit got a lot of sugar.

-Mmm. If you want to lose weight

you have to cut the sugars out.

So, you can taste the fruit,

and that's about it.

But not to use them as a dessert or part of your meal.

Well, um, I thought I did.

But I guess not as well as I thought.

-Okay. -That's right.

And you too.

And, Juan, you're doing good.

Then you tighten up your eating habit.

And let's see how we do in two months.

-Yes sir. And hopefully in two months

you will have a better grasp

on the instruction with the nutritionist.

And see how things are going.

And then we'll see what option we got for you.

-Yes, sir. -Okay.

Okay, wonderful.

Well, nice to see you all.

-All right. -You too. Thank you.

-Bye-bye. -Bye-bye.

All right, let's go.

Losing something is better than nothing.

But losing 9 pounds in two months is nothing.

So Juan may have cut back on some of his unhealthy eating habits.

But he's still either eating things that are not on the diet,

or not controlling his portion sizes.

So we'll see if that's the case,

and see if a nutritionist can help Juan

make more progress this next time.

But no matter the reasons behind his own healthy habits,

ultimately it's up to him to figure out what he needs to do.

We will give him the support and tools we can.

But if he doesn't start to take control of things

to turn his situation around,

then nothing we do will help him.

So until he changes what he needs,

we won't be moving ahead with him.

I'm not feeling too good about today.

I've been trying hard, and my family's made a lot of sacrifices

to help me.

And I know this result is a letdown for all of them.

But Dr. Now's giving me another chance to make it.

So that's exactly what I'm gonna do.

-Mother? -Yes?

ask Neisha, the nutritionist is...

-...arriving shortly. -Okay.

Let me get her.

-Neshia. -I'm coming.

I'm feeling pretty excited about seeing a nutritionist.

I'm hoping to, um, just get some, um, questions answered,

and to find out if I've been on the right track, you know, pretty much.

Hold on.

-Hi -Hello.

-How are you? -I'm good.

-Good. I'm Daphne. -Deneisha.

-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.

So are we going in here?

Yes, ma'am.

Hello. Are you Juan?

-Yes, ma'am. How are you? -Hi, I'm Daphne.

-It's nice to meet you. -Oh, pleased to meet you.

-You too. -Nice to meet you.

And you are?

-Derick, are you a family member? -Brother.

Brother. Okay. Nice to meet you.

-And... -I'm Mom.

-Mom. Okay. Nice to meet you guys. -Nice to meet you.

-Yes, ma'am. -You too.

-Can I have a seat over here? All right. -Yes, ma'am.

All right, Juan, so tell me a little bit about your goals.

What is it exactly that you're wanting to achieve?

I think I've been doing okay, since, uh, I've met Dr. Now.

But, you know,

I'm just trying to make sure that I'm on the right track,

-doing the right things... -Okay.

...uh, implement whatever I need to implement

to keep progressing, and you know, even take it to another level.

Okay.

So do you have a timeframe, like, a weight-loss goal,

and a specific timeframe?

Well, Dr. Now told me he want me at 175 by next year.

So, I mean...

-Hey. -Okay. So as fast as possible.

-Yeah. Yeah. -All right.

All right. Well, do you mind if I go take a look in the kitchen

-and kinda see what we're working with here? -Yes, ma'am.

All right, let's go.

I was discouraged after my last appointment with Dr. Now.

Where's the pantry?

The pantry is over here.

But he's not giving up on me.

And I'm not giving up on myself.

All right, how many people live here?

Me, my husband, Juan,

-and my son and granddaughter. -Okay.

So I think that we need to have places for Juan's food,

-and then places for the others food. -Mmm-hmm.

So some things, I mean...

...things like cereal and cookies,

uh, should probably be...

I'm assuming that's not for Juan.

-So probably should be in a place... -Yeah.

...in a separate place so that we can separate things.

So when he comes in, what he's looking at

are the things that all ready for him to eat.

I just got to find a way to resist my cravings

and start eating less.

I would love it if the cravings just went away.

And that's part of why I want the weight-loss surgery.

So essentially, you'd want to focus on having mostly vegetables,

um, nuts and seeds.

So pumpkin seeds, um, sunflower seeds,

those kind of things would be okay.

I'm gonna take the corn out.

Pasta sauce, hmm, okay.

The gumbo, I'll take out.

Now, something like this, pickled okra.

-Mmm-hmm. -That's perfectly fine for him to have.

So we're making this particular place

-primary place for Juan. -Mmm-hmm.

Hey, Juan, do you like coconut?

-No. -No. Okay.

We'll leave that one down there.

-All right. Should we move to the refrigerator? -Mmm-hmm.

Having family and friends supporting me is always beneficial.

So I'm really glad that they're even trying

to come on this journey with me.

Um, we have these yogurts

that have the little candies on top.

Probably not the greatest idea.

Definitely, our fruits we can put up here.

Those are some good ones.

It definitely motivates me to, uh, you know,

to keep progressing.

Move this down here.

All right. Refrigerator's getting kind of frustrated with me.

Uh, I'll put the eggs up here.

Okay. So, as far as the way

that both the pantry and the refrigerator are set up,

we want to make sure that what you see

are only the things that you are allowed to have.

We don't want to have a lot of things that are very high in sugar,

and a lot of snacks right at eye level

because when you open it up,

-that's what you see, that's what you want. -Yeah.

So we want whenever you open up either the pantry,

or the refrigerator, or the freezer,

to be only things that are checkmarked,

-okay for you to have. -Okay.

Have a little bit of concerns

with food that's coming in from the outside.

And so I'm hoping that he takes this information

and he's able to do a lot of good stuff with it.

-Do you like cucumbers? -Yes.

-I like cucumbers because they have a crunch. -Yeah.

So sometimes whenever you just want to chew something...

-Yeah. Yeah. -...or if you have a little bit of anxiety

about something, and you just want to chew,

that's our kind of natural inclination.

Um, so, um, cucumbers can work well for that.

-All right. -Cool.

Well, my phone number's on there.

-If you have any questions, feel free to call me. -Okay.

Appreciate everything.

I'm gonna try to apply these ideas going forward.

But I got to do it this time.

That's really sinking in on me now.

And next time when I see Dr. Now coming up here soon,

I'm gonna hit that goal.

There's no choice anymore.

I have to hit that goal.

-Well, it's great to meet you. -Yes, ma'am.

-You too. -All right.

This is good stuff, man.

There's a lot of information that I needed.

-I would like to get a copy of that also. -Yeah.

I'm a little nervous, but I'm excited to see

the progress of what I've been doing.

I have worked harder.

My only problem is I got to get

into a better routine.

You know, naturally, I've always been a night owl.

If I can ever get that routine in order...

...I think I really would do well.

I'm back at Dr. Now's clinic with my family for my checkup.

And I'm feeling pretty good about how this one is gonna go.

'Cause I really applied myself this time,

and I'm feeling good about it.

Juan.

At my last appointment I weighed 618 pounds.

And the doctor told me to lose 70 pounds in two months.

One second.

You can step on the scale whenever you're ready.

So if I did that I would be down to 548 today.

And I really hope I did that.

Your weight today is 601.

Ooh, wow, that's great.

What?

Please go to Room 5.

But I still thought it would be more...

...because I'm doing everything I can and working my hardest.

So I'm not sure why the changes aren't more dramatic.

So that leaves me disappointed

because even though it feels better,

it's still not a result I can bring to Dr. Now and be proud of.

So I'm not sure how this is gonna go.

I'm thinking he's not gonna be too pleased with that result.

-Hello, how y'all doing? -Hi.

-Good. How are you? -How you doing, sir?

Good.

Well, nice to see you all again.

-Same. -Nice to see you too.

So it looks like you did better this time than last time, huh?

Yes. Yes.

So what's going on with you?

I'm not really sure. Um,

I made all of the changes after the nutritionist came and talked to us all.

So I'm not really sure.

I'm definitely not eating any carbs.

Uh, I'm having lower portions, uh, sizes,

so I'm... I think I'm doing much better with that as well.

So you're cutting back on your portions?

Yes, sir, I am.

Okay. So how you doing with your snacking between the meal?

I'm not snacking at all between the meals.

So you cut the snacking after the meal.

-Yes, sir, I have. -Okay, well, that's good.

So at this point, I want you to cut back more.

-Yes, sir. -Do you think you can do that?

Yes, sir. Whatever it takes.

Okay, that'd be great.

-Yes, sir. -Okay.

And do you think you still,

uh, eating with the emotional issues?

I think I... I do. Uh...

...sometimes, occasionally.

Uh, and that's what I need to work on as well.

So you get emotional and upset.

You eat, you feel better?

I've always,

you know, I would eat to feel better.

Like, it would always be a crutch.

Okay. So we'll set you up to see the therapist.

He'll help you with your emotional eating.

And figure that out.

So that's going to be a goal that you need to work for.

-So, you think you can do that? -Yes, sir.

Uh, I know you believe in me.

I know my family believe in me.

And, uh, I'm not gonna let any of you down.

-So I know I can do it. -Great.

Juan, I'm proud of your progress.

Um, I think you can do better.

And I will see you in two months.

In the meantime, if you need anything,

-uh, let me know, okay? -Yes, sir.

All right. Nice to see you all.

And you all have a wonderful trip back home.

-Thank you so much. -Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

-All right. -All right.

-Y'all ready? -Yeah, let's go.

Get out of here.

I'm glad to see that Juan had some improvement.

But there's still, clearly, a disconnect

with him fully understand how much he's eating.

Majority of time, patients who are still overeating

know on some level what they're doing.

And they lie to themselves and me about it.

With Juan, I think, he's actually trying.

I don't doubt his sincerity.

He just needs a little bit more help.

So now we'll see if therapy

can address some of the issues that driving him to eat.

If not, I'm not sure what more we can do for him at this point.

I'm disappointed I'm not off to a better start.

And I'm concerned about how much harder I can actually work.

But I got to keep trying, and that's what I'm gonna do.

I'm buying in to his program.

And I got to believe

that's the only way to get the results I need,

and to keep myself alive right now.

Just don't pull too close to it.

Up all the way to it.

Today I'm heading to see the therapist, Dr. Paradise,

that Dr. Now wants me to see.

And I'm feeling really nervous because I don't know how it's gonna go.

Part of it is just going to a new place.

Because I don't know what kind of mobility challenges I might have to face.

So I'm thankful I have my brother bam here to help me

just in case it's difficult to get up the stairs or anything like that.

But also, I don't really know what we're gonna talk about.

And I'm nervous about what he might ask me.

-Juan? -Yes, sir.

-I'm Dr. Paradise, come on in. -Okay.

-Okay, Juan, have a seat right over there. -Okay.

Yeah, make... make yourself comfortable.

Yeah, I'm trying.

Find a good spot.

-Yeah. You can settle back.

You can use the ottoman if that...

Yeah, so if you want to do some place where your back is supported.

Can my brother come in and help me?

-Thank you. -Okay.

Hi, Derick, come on in. Can you help...

Your brother needs a little help moving, so...

Stand me up.

One, two, three.

-Yeah. Thanks, Derick.

Okay. How does that feel?

-Yeah. -Better. Okay.

Welcome, Juan.

Who did you grow up with? Who was in your house?

Uh, I grew up with my uh, mother and father.

Um, my parents divorced

-when I was around 11 years old. -Okay.

-Old enough that you remember it. -Yes, sir.

What do you remember about the divorce?

Uh, he was abusive.

Um...

-You got to watch a lot of that? -Yes, sir.

Um, I'm seeing it in your face.

It was a big deal.

How did that affect you?

You know, Juan, that's... It's so close to the surface for you.

We haven't even been talking five minutes,

and...and you're emotional.

Um,

that sounds like that was, uh, the defining part of your childhood.

Have you talked about it much over the years?

Hmm, not really.

Yeah, I... My... My guess is that's why it's...

it's so close to the surface still

is 'cause it's... it's stuck in you.

You have an older brother. Your brother's older than you?

-Yes, sir. -He was around for that.

Yeah. And he's very... That's my... That's my brother.

Say what you're feeling.

I'm just...

I'm not, like, a needy person.

I'm just...

I've never...

I've never been at this point in my life.

Yeah. You know what, Juan? I watched as your brother helped you.

And you both seem frustrated.

It's like you don't want to be needy.

-I don't think he wants you to be needy. -Right.

Um, yet, you're here, aren't you?

Right.

Okay. Is it okay if I bring him in? Can I ask him to come in?

Derick, are you cool to join for a little bit?

Come on, you can have a seat right over there.

Thanks for coming in.

The reason I brought you in

is he was talking about being needy,

and I noticed how helpful you were to him coming in

but I noticed that neither of you seemed to like that.

He knows, like, he knows I hate being needy, you know?

And, you know, I have no one to blame but myself.

-I did this, you know? -Sure, sure.

Does he want you to lose weight?

Oh, yeah, of course.

-Yeah. Yeah. -Of course.

If you had a more fit version of your brother,

what would you want him to help you with, like, physically?

Would he help you wash your car?

Yeah, bro.

Let me do it.

-Yeah. -Do you see how he lit up for that?

I...

It's been kind of one-sided, hasn't it?

You've been getting a lot from them,

and you haven't really been able to give much back.

Could you drive more?

My guess is you're even more mobile than you think you are.

-I think he is. -Yeah.

He could do more than he thinks he can.

-I tell him that all the time. -Yeah.

So, Juan, that's your overall homework assignment.

-We can break it down into smaller stuff... -Okay.

...but I want you to switch from being helpless to be helpful

because I think that's your nature.

-I feel like that's who you are as a person. -Yeah.

I'd help hurting people.

And...

...at this state it's impossible for me to help hurting people

-if I can't help myself. -You can do that better at 250 than 620.

-All right. -Yeah.

-At 170. -1... Right on.

You come to me at 170

-and you're gonna be jumping off of that couch.

-You're gonna help me out of my chair.

Okay.

So, Juan, I don't want you to just be a passenger.

You know, your brother is not your chauffer

who drives you around

and keeps the car clean for you.

I want you to participate.

All right. I think I can do that.

Really good to meet you. Derick, thanks for being here.

Um, ask a little bit more of him, right?

-Okay. -Take care, guys. Have a safe drive back, okay?

-Appreciate you. -Thank you.

Okay.

Let me see.

You got it?

Hey, he's doing it.

Look at that.

Good job, Juan. -Yeah.

Take care. Good to meet you, man.

-Pleasure meeting you. -Take care.

Yes, sir.

Dr. Paradise really dialed into my emotions.

Quite honestly, it was a little embarrassing at first

because immediately some things that was built up began to come out,

but it was a relief, I would say that.

I will be able to move forward since I released those things.

I'm eager about driving, you know, my brother.

And, you know, I'm gonna take the challenge

and I'm excited about doing that.

So, yeah, so I'm going to complete those homework assignments.

So, yes, I'm excited about it.

I can't pick the bucket up. It's too heavy.

All right.

It's been a couple of weeks

since my appointment with Dr. Paradise,

and I've been trying to do some of the stuff he told me to do.

But I don't want to get wet.

It's a little difficult though

because Derick doesn't really want me to help him out.

He's used to caring for me...

...and he's much more likely to say,

"Hey, man, don't worry about it."

Old habits die hard...

...so it's been a bit of a tough sell.

It's been such a long time since Juan washed the car.

I'm very proud of him.

Didn't take him too long. I was surprised.

All right. Good job.

He loves challenging himself,

and I'm just happy every time I see him doing more and more,

and he's just achieving so much.

So it's like his life is just coming back together like it should.

Great job.

Hey!

-Great job. -Good job.

-Thank you. -Why don't y'all be quiet?

Oh.

All right, all right, all right.

Phew!

-All right, you ready to work out? -Let's rock.

Okay.

I'm liking the progress that I've been making.

My workout with my sister, we're increasing as we go.

We've added some more strenuous things.

Think we're on a good path with that.

What do you want to do?

-So let's do 10. -Ready? 10.

I'm still sticking to the diet with extreme discipline,

and I can feel myself doing better this time,

and it's paying off in terms of stamina, for sure.

What's next?

Ten up, straight up.

Ready?

One, two, three.

Because I can do more now

than I can remember being able to do in a very long time.

Three, two, one.

-Whew. -Do some bicep curls?

Might be helpful if you bring your arms up and keep 'em up,

so you're not bringing them all the way down so...

-I like to do more work. -Okay.

Ready. Ten, nine, eight...

So it hasn't all been perfect or easy,

but I believe in how I'm doing.

-Five... -And I have a real strong feeling

that when I go back to Dr. Now's for my follow-up

that I'm gonna step up on that scale

and find myself where I need to be.

I'm gonna add 10.

Oh, just 10.

I'm on my way to see Dr. Now for a follow-up visit

and I'm really excited about it.

I think I've been doing pretty well.

I'm been following up with the plan.

I've been working with a nutritionist and a therapist,

and I think things are going well.

I'm feeling optimistic because I've been working hard...

...and it feels like everything I'm doing

is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.

And I've got to be honest where it hasn't been perfect,

but I've been applying myself across the board...

...and I can feel the internal growth taking place.

So I have to have done better this time.

Juan?

It would mean a lot to me if it were enough

because the weight loss surgery,

on top of this other change I'm doing,

would be a really valuable tool.

I just know it.

You can step on the scale whenever you're ready.

I was down to 601 two months ago,

and I need to have dropped another 70lbs.

So if I did that I would be down to 531 or lower.

Your weight today is 577.

Bigger weight loss than last time.

Please go to room five.

So that's encouraging but I don't know if Dr. Now will see it that way...

...and I'm afraid to find out.

But I can't avoid it so I guess we're about to find out.

Hello. How y'all doing?

-Good morning. -All good. Good morning.

Good.

-The good news is you're finally under 600lbs. -Yes, sir.

So how does that feel?

Um, I'm able to do more, able to walk further, uh, have more energy.

So, you know, I'm loving the progress.

You have exactly lost 50lbs up to this point,

but it's taken you seven months to do that so that's not great.

I know, I know, but I've been trying.

You're working with therapy. Is that helping?

Yeah, it's a new experience for me,

but, you know, just speaking with him

is, you know, helping me navigate through the process, so...

That's good because you need to figure out what the issues are

that's holding you back.

I know and I will. I will. I promise you.

Because you're still overeating.

And until you get control of that

we're not moving ahead with you.

So show me you can cut back or the surgery is not gonna help you.

So I'm gonna give you the same goal to lose 70lbs in two months.

So keep working with therapy, and cutting back, and do your exercises,

-and show me you can do this. -Yes, sir.

All right.

We'll see you in two months,

and if you need anything in the meantime give me a call.

Yes, sir.

Well, y'all have a safe trip back home.

-Okay. -Thank you.

All right. Let's go, bro.

Hopefully Juan is really ready to finally what he needs to move forward.

He's been willing to work at making changes,

but he hasn't done it to the point

that it's uncomfortable for him.

If he's thinking he has been he can eat until he's full.

Discomfort isn't a bad thing.

Any changes in life is going to be uncomfortable.

So after today maybe he will go back and realize that,

and push himself to the point he needs to do this.

If not, we'll be at the end of road with him for my program.

He either does it or that's gonna be it for him.

I'm determined to do this.

I know I can, and I'm gonna prove to everyone

that I'm ready for a new life.

And I'm gonna succeed at this.

Oh, man.

I'm the pastor of Outlet Ministries.

Today we are at New Zion Christian Center.

Because of the size of the building, you know,

we come here a lot for rehearsals.

We do concerts, worship events, and things like that.

-What's up, Juan? -What's up, you guys?

Outlet Worship is my band of collective worshipers.

Many of them are worship leaders themselves.

But pretty much, you know, all of them are like family to me.

It's been another month into my weight loss journey.

What's up, fella?

And with all the dieting and exercising,

I'm starting to see some real results

with regard to how much I can do now.

-Here's me. -What's up?

What's up?

Test, test. Mic check.

The biggest thing is the increase to my stamina.

All right, you guys, let's pray to begin.

And that's also the most exciting thing

because that's the component that's allowing me to get back to life.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you.

We thank you for this day, assembling all of us here together.

Now, Father, even in this rehearsal be glorified.

Let your presence dwell in this place, God.

We give you all of the honor.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Amen. Y'all feeling all right?

You guys have mics?

Okay.

Being back in the church with my people there,

doing music, it's an amazing feeling.

Like something inside of me has been asleep for a long time

that's finally starting to wake up, and it feels great.

The worship, y'all remember that, "I'm Running for my Life"?

I'm running?

I'm running for my life

Lighten up a little.

I'm running for my life

Good job. I'm running?

I'm running for my life

Now open up a little more.

I'm running for my life

It's in the right direction.

And remembering what it feels like

to be in that role of a central figure for others.

Tell them that I'm saved

Tell that I'm saved

It's like a rust has been on my self-esteem that's coming off,

and it all just makes me want to get further in that direction.

And I've got Jesus.

Yes, Lord, yes, Lord

Good job.

Good job. Word of God.

I'm back at Dr. Now's, and this time I have my mom and my brother again.

I'm happy to have the support this time because I'm nervous.

So much depends on this today that I've got a knot in my stomach.

I just hope I made it this time

and I didn't lose my chance for surgery.

I know I worked harder than I ever thought I could because I need this.

Body, mind, and spirit, I really need this.

Juan?

Last time I was 577, and it was the same goal to lose 70lbs over two months.

You can step on the scale whenever you're ready.

So if I did that I'll be right there at 500lbs.

Your weight today is 505.

-Whoo! -All right.

-Yay! -Yes, sir.

-Whoo! Yes. -That's enough.

-Yes! Whoo! -That was enough.

Hallelujah.

That's what's up. Finally, a decent result.

This is the first time I feel justified in saying,

"Come on, Doc, you can live with that, can't you?"

So I'm not gonna let myself get too excited, but I'm excited.

-Pretty good. -We're doing great.

-All right. -Excited.

Okay.

Well, Juan, looks like you finally figured out

-what to do to lose weight, huh?

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir. I worked harder, but really it was the hunger thing.

You know, my will, learning to just say "no" when I felt hungry.

Just changing that mindset that I was gonna be hungry but not eat.

That was a real turning point for me.

I am very excited.

I'm overwhelmed, yes.

-Well, that's good. That's good. -Yes.

-So he's come a long way... -Yes.

-...and he lost a good amount of weight now. -Yes.

So he's gonna be a good candidate for weight loss surgery,

-so I'm gonna approve him for weight loss surgery. -Ohh! Yes, yes, yes, yes!

Yes. Hallelujah.

Thank you, Lord.

-Thank you, sir. -Yes, yes, yes.

I am proud of the whole family supporting you,

and that is very important, okay?

Thank you so much. Thank you, Dr. Now.

Yeah, I can do that easily.

-You think you can do that? -Oh, 100%.

I can do that no problem.

All right. Keep it up and we'll set you up for some testing.

If everything look good then we'll set up a date for your surgery, okay?

-Yes, sir. Let's do it. Yes, sir. -All right, yes.

I will see you soon, and have a good trip back home.

-And if you need anything let me know. -Yes, sir.

-Bye. -Bye.

-Yes, yes, yes. Finally. -Yes, sir.

Finally. Got it done.

Oh, man.

How you feeling?

Excited, man.

-Ready? -We're here now.

This is a lifechanging moment -Yep.

for you, man.

We praise you, Lord God

Hey!

We praise you, our king

Let's hit it.

We praise you, oh, God

Hey!

We praise you, our king

Forever and always.

We praise you.

Now that I've got my surgery approval,

it's like that piece of me I can feel

just barely starting to wake up.

King

Forever and always. Turn around forever.

Forever and always

Forever.

Forever and always

Special forever.

Forever and always

God be praised.

God be praised

All right, appreciate y'all. Good job.

For the first time in so long, I'm happy for tomorrow.

That's so simple sounding but it's all I wanted for such a long time.

I appreciate you guys, like, so much.

You know, all of you, I say it all the time,

but I do know, like, a part of my ministry

is gonna be the weight loss thing

because so many people struggle.

That's my biggest motivation, so I appreciate y'all, man, big time.

-Love y'all. -Love you.

I'm extremely proud of Pastor Juan.

I've seen over the years his struggle with weight loss

and I've paralleled it to my own.

But I see that, you know, he is diligent,

and consistent, and committed.

And when you have that level of commitment

you can't help but start a fire in others.

Love you.

-What did you say? -Juan for life.

All right, so...

I'm running for...

-Oh! Finally got my kiss. -Oh, you got your kiss?

When I get to that point and I lose more weight

but it's gonna be a rebirth and a renewal.

My steps will be lighter.

My message will be louder and my voicer will be clearer for those who will listen.