Duggars By the Dozen - General Discussion - Part 8

[halcionne]

Here's the picture, in case it gets pulled.

She looks thinner than what is typical for her, that's all I want to say about that.

The head tilting and jutting at odd angles is a thing J'menopause does too. Is it part of keeping sweet? This pose, along with the side hugging, always makes me think of myself in situations when I'm expected to be more touchy-feely than I would like to be, in an "oh if I just lean in a little, it will be sufficient and I can have my personal space back sooner" kind of way. :? As for Jinger, it's probably learned behavior. It still reads as gross insincerity to me.

[anjulibai]

Wow, I really hope that's just a weird photographic illusion from her jutting her head forward.

[karen77]

maybe she's hunching over to be lower in the picture (closer to the little kids' heads)?? And then it just looks funny because of that?

[MrsYoungie]

I think a photographer has given them the hint that if they pull their chin a bit forward, it makes a more flattering picture (i.e. no double chins, etc.) But it needs to be subtle.

Michelle and now Jinger, look like they are trying to push their heads too far forward.

[mausi]

I don't know if its the Instagram filter or what, but she looks unwell in the photo from yesterday:

instagram.com/p/rXGs4mGlYf/

[Coconut Flan]

Still over jutting her head and that eye makeup needs removing and being done with at least a hint of a less heavy hand.

[It'sFunToRun]

I don't know if its the Instagram filter or what, but she looks unwell in the photo from yesterday:

instagram.com/p/rXGs4mGlYf/

She looks like a zombie. Maybe one of the littles is sick and she's been up all night playing mommy.

[Alachantal]

She looks extremely thin in that picture.

I can't tell if she's got some terrible posture & is holding her head at an odd angle, or if she's just gotten really really thin. I'm kinda thinking the latter...

[Sweet Fellowship]

Ben is quite attractive-looking. A shame his personality doesn't match.

[JHeathen]

Ben is quite attractive-looking. A shame his personality doesn't match.

Interesting...I guess he's just not my type...I think he's quite un-attractive!

[LurkerOverThePond]

I prefer men with (trimmed) beard and glasses (how convenient that Mr.Lurker happens to have both... ;) ) so I find Ben quite attractive looking, especially in those Crusade Trip pictures when he's much more in a "natural state" and not too groomed.

Actually, at first I thought he was a decent person and seemed quite ok in his first episodes. Granted, he was awkward as hell but probably because he wasn't used to cameras. He helped Jinger to load the bus while the J'boys sat on their asses, and he was polite and treated Jessa well enough. Too bad his beliefs are what they are and his greatest dream (other than bang Jessa on the kitchen island) is to prevent women making decisions about their own life. So yes, it's yet another nice face destroyed by horrible beliefs.

[mebeforee]

Also I always will remember this advice I got from an older lady who is really, really catholic. She told me that if I have a boyfriend, I should sleep with him before marriage. I know right :pink-shock: . But, as she told me, many of her childhood friends who had boyfriends who were just very ok with waiting ended up marrying closeted men. Not saying that is the case in this TLC show, since they all have to agree to do the horse-and-pony show. But another helpful piece of advice she gave me was that sexual chemistry is really important, and you should try that out before marriage. And yes, this was a highly awkward conversation, and I didn't grew up in a fundie family, but the things she told me (and she had a lot of insight how the really fundie catholic circles work, and regarding this fact, they might be very similar to the ATI circles the Duggars run with) showed how harmful all this "courting" rules can in fact be for a happy and lasting marriage.

Now, I'm not saying that someone who truly doesn't want it should have sex before they get married. But to know you partner a bit intimately, before deciding that he/she is the one you want to spend your whole life with, can't hurt.

When I was in middle school (around age 13 or 14, when I was going through confirmation and really properly thinking about my faith for the first time) I told my mom I might wait until marriage to have sex. She said, and I quote, "Don't do that! What if you get married and find out he's into something really weird?"

I have always remembered that and when I see stuff now about purity and the importance of saving yourself, I always think of it. Not only is chemistry important, but if the guy you marry discovers he likes to be super rough, or to bite, or any number of other things that take a very particular interest to fulfill, that's kind of important to know beforehand. Otherwise you could come to dread your sexual encounters instead of look forward to and enjoy them - especially in a relationship where you are expected to be submissive and never turn away your husband's desires.

[IronicallyMaeve]

From the Duggar Family Blog:

Jessa Duggar, 21, and Joy-Anna Duggar, 16, are doing a three-week healthy food challenge! For lunch each day, the girls eat cubed chicken and sweet potatoes cooked in olive oil and seasoned with sea salt and pepper.

[Guest]

From the Duggar Family Blog:

Jessa Duggar, 21, and Joy-Anna Duggar, 16, are doing a three-week healthy food challenge! For lunch each day, the girls eat cubed chicken and sweet potatoes cooked in olive oil and seasoned with sea salt and pepper.

This worried me when I saw it. A healthy food challenge sounds good, and, being around Jessa's age, I know many women whose bodies are beginning to change they way they process food and there and have started paying more attention to their food choices, particularly brides-to-be. In my experience though, healthy eating almost always equates to a weight loss plan, and Jessa is already scary skinny.

As for Joy... Oh goodness. She is a healthy 16-year-old girl who should be focusing on putting the right things into her body to grow and mature rather than limiting foods to achieve the figure she wants. I hope that she's doing the former, but I have a feeling it's the latter.

Surely, more healthy eating needs to go on in the Duggar house, but I don't think this is it. One benefit of having such close supervision from parents into early adulthood is that they can identify unhealthy habits, especially Michelle who suffered from "bulemia" as a teen. But of course, Michelle and Jim Bob have #20 to worry about, so they can't be bothered with the potential problematic eating of #5 an #9...

[Callipygian]

This is the second time they've posted a picture of food recently. The thing they have in common—the food is on actual plates and not paper ones. Is this an FU Internetz example? That butter steak (after reading what exactly it was) looked scrumptious :drool:!

I feel bad speculating about the girls and their eating habits because I have been on the receiving end of those speculations, but I truly hope this health kick is done with intentions that are actually beneficial to their health and not self-esteem related ones. Less TTC, more fresh, less processed food.

[marmalade]

Jessa posted that on her Jessa Seewald instagram earlier today. People identified the style of cooking as from the Paleo diet. And why drown chicken in olive oil? Pan cook with a little Pam if they're not using non-stick pans. There's too much fat and carbs on that plate, with NO veggies! Not healthy, and given that they think it is, Joy is actually dieting. NOT acceptable!

The older Duggar girls are verging on being UNDERweight. They need to concentrate on eating well-balanced meals, not limiting themselves to what's on that plate. And what's on that plate could be prepared in much healthier ways. Not that hard.

[Rescinded and Mended]

What bugs me about that platter of food is that they could be eating twice as much and still get a wonderfully healthy meal if they piled more of the right types of foods on it. They could add a little fruit (honeydew melon is wonderful in this heat), maybe a healthy grain like brown rice or quinoa, and then some lightly spiced mixed veggies like cauliflower, carrots and broccoli. Then add a glass of milk or even a bit more chicken.

That just seems like way too little food to me in order to get a balanced, healthy meal that hits all the proper nutritional requirements. That, combined with the fact that these ladies are so thin to begin with is really very troubling. :(

[neuroticcat]

It actually looks pretty healthy to me. Sweet potatoes are a superfood, olive oil is a healthy fat, and chicken is good for protein and B vitamins. I think it could be improved with something green, but on the whole it's not bad. (Maybe I'm biased because I love sweet potatoes and yams). I do think it's odd that they are eating the same thing every day for three weeks. That seems more an indicator of weight loss plan or orthorexia or perhaps they are reading that book Seven. It could be benign of course, but if not, disordered eating comes in all manner of expressions, not just anorexia or bulemia (sp?). Very rigid rules for eating healthy could be an "acceptable" way for them to maintain control through disordered eating.

That being said, I remember eating lots of cheesy toast in high school, so I guess this beats that and tater tot casserole - ha!

[Bazinga]

Having read through the comments on instagram, Jessa actually admits that they are doing the Whole30 challenge, which is even stricter then paleo. It's basically lean protein, veggies and fruit only. No sugars (even natural like honey), fatty meats, legumes or carbohydrates, or dairy. I'm all for the healthy eating bandwagon, and am impressed that the girls are seeking this for themselves. However, this seems more like a diet in disguise. I think clean eating (without all these banned food groups), plus portion control will get you the same healthy results. Just my opinion.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Sweet potatoes are delicious

But seriously, these girls should not be dieting, they are already really thin, to the point that it has been speculated about on here if any of them have an eating disorder. This is not healthy, they should not be trying to lose weight-they barely have anything to lose!

[mausi]

Having read through the comments on instagram, Jessa actually admits that they are doing the Whole30 challenge, which is even stricter then paleo. It's basically lean protein, veggies and fruit only. No sugars (even natural like honey), fatty meats, legumes or carbohydrates, or dairy. I'm all for the healthy eating bandwagon, and am impressed that the girls are seeking this for themselves. However, this seems more like a diet in disguise. I think clean eating (without all these banned food groups), plus portion control will get you the same healthy results. Just my opinion.

Does this mean she can't have lattes, thus limiting the number of coffee shop selfies with Bin? Perhaps this is the downfall of their relationship! ;) (I jest, I jest)

But on a serious note, a few of my friends who struggle with disordered eating have jumped on the Whole30 challenge. It is worrisome. I also have a friend who has been on-and-off-again hospitalised for her disorder, and she is now on the Banana Girl kick (facebook.com/TheBananaGirl -- for those of you lucky enough to not have your FB feed spammed with this once or twice a day).

[RabbitKM]

So was this before or after Jessa's double date to the ice cream shop?

I agree, there needs to be some veggies on that plate! And eating the exact same thing for lunch every day does not sound healthy to me. Unless its not the same meal every day, its just the same diet.

As far s the girls' weights go, I think there are plenty of naturally thin people. Especially as you hit your 20s, your hormones balance and your growing period is over. Their weights alone is not something that causes me to worry. However, a focus on such restrictive diets is somewhat alarming. It is much better for girls this young (especially Joy) to eat healthy, whole meals, with all the food groups included, rather than restrict your eating or eat the same thing every day. Hopefully, they figure out what kinds of foods helps their bodies run better. I know for me, college was a really interesting experiment food-wise. I got to choose what went in my body every single day. By doing that, I learned what kinds of foods make me feel great, and which ones don't.

[Ethdyl]

It's not a diet it's a lifestyle. That is a very healthy meal and using olive oil is way better than non stick spray oil with all sorts of crap added to it. This is a step in the right direction - no preservatives here!

[Onomatopoetikon]

Yeah, I don't see what's wrong with those meals themselves. I mean, eating the same thing every day for three weeks sounds boring and I'm a little worried that they're dieting (Jessa is already very thin, and I wish Joy didn't feel like she needed it at her age when she's not overweight), but chicken, sweet potatoes, green beans and eggs are good for you? And I would much rather use olive oil than Pam or something similar. Baked vegetables drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with sea salt and pepper are a staple in my dinners. I don't see how there's too much fat on a plate that is full of chicken and sweet potatoes, and a bit of oil for cooking. There is some fat, yes, but your body needs some fat.

[PennySycamore]

Non-stick cooking sprays are basically just lecithin which you have in every cell in your body. It's nothing to be scared of.