Friend of 757-Lb. Man Worries He's Not Committed to Weight Loss Surgery: 'He Just Won't Stop Eating'
Paul MacNeill is trying to make a change and lose some of his 757 lbs. through weight loss surgery. But he still needs to prove that he's fully committed.
MacNeill, along with his mom Teresa and friend JJ, is making the long drive from Florida to Houston to see Dr. Younan Nowzaradan in the hopes of getting weight loss surgery, and it's been a tough few days on the road.
"Today is gonna be hard. But somehow, I have to make it to Houston," he says in this exclusive clip from Wednesday's episode of My 600-Lb. Life.
MacNeill accidentally slept in after a difficult day of driving and missed breakfast at the hotel, so Teresa and JJ bring him back two breakfast burritos and an omelet to eat.
"The trip has been harder on Paul, I think, than we really expected it to be," JJ says. "Someone 700 lbs., his size, being crammed in the car, it's hard on his legs and it's really rough and we're all tired but I know it's taking a toll on him worse. And he slept in this morning, you can just tell his body is tired and hurting and now I'm really concerned we're going to missing this appointment."
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TLC Paul MacNeill and his friend JJ
As MacNeill eats, JJ starts worrying that they need to get on the road immediately to make the appointment. But MacNeill refuses to leave until he's done with breakfast.
"I feel like I am trying to pressure him and push him," JJ says. "It's been hard to get him motivated and going. I feel like I'm the only one really taking it serious. I'm very concerned about Paul's eating."
JJ explains that she had weight loss surgery herself and "it's really a mental thing, so you have to be mentally prepared to stop yourself from eating, and it's hard, and I just don't feel like he's really taking it as serious as I wish he was," she says.
"We're on the way to the doctor and I know he really has to start the diet after, but I wish I would see him trying to put in the effort now, ahead of time."
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Seeing MacNeill disregard her concerns about making it to the appointment in favor of finishing his breakfast reignites JJ's anxiety that he isn't committed to the weight loss process, and that Nowzaradan won't approve MacNeill for the surgery at all.
"I know it's hard, I do, but he just won't stop eating," she says, as she starts to cry. "I try to tell him, 'are you sure you're still hungry?' and he says yes but he just doesn't stop and I'm really getting concerned. I'm scared, really scared, that Dr. Now isn't going to approve the surgery because he's not seeing what he needs to see from Paul. Like he wants to see that you're dedicated and ready for this change, and he's not going to want to waste his time on somebody who's not putting in the effort."
My 600-Lb. Life airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on TLC.
