Fox TV's "More To Love" - Epi. 2

After watching episode 2, I have to admit that "More to Love" took a turn for the better. The producers shifted the focus from self-loathing women with weight issues to women with weight issues looking to open up to someone new. It probably helped that their weight wasn't flashing across the screen next to their name and age every 5 seconds. While one of the girls mentioned Luke loving them for their whole package, the theme of this episode had less to do with the infamous line Luke said at the season premiere's ring ceremony of "I promise to open up my heart and accept you for who you are." I'm glad we moved past that hypocrisy.

Week 2 offers more of a typically reality dating show setting where questions of is this more than friendship and do we connect on a serious level come into play. Luke becomes an actual bachelor. However the producers didn't stray far from the overweight theme by having the girls pick teams leaving one left feeling excluded and of course the bathing suit first date. Awkward situations aside, Luke was left breaking 3 hearts this episode.

Listed below are the women in order that Luke picked them on Week 2 of More to Love:

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Those he cut are marked.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Mandy
25 5'7 180
SIZE: 16





Anna
27 6'2 230
SIZE: 18





Amanda
22 5'10 235
SIZE: 20





Malissa
26 5'4 170
SIZE: 14





Christina
23 5'6 206
SIZE: 18





Bonnie
25 5'11 215
SIZE: 18





Heather
22 5'5 200
SIZE: 18





Lauren
26 5'9 210
SIZE: 18





Tali
26 5'4 190
SIZE: 16-18





Melissa
21 5'6 220
SIZE: 19





Kristian
26 5'5 225
SIZE: 20



SECOND CUTS



Magali
24 5'7 193
SIZE: 17





Arianne
37 5'10 190
SIZE: 16





Vanessa
32 5'8 194
SIZE: 16-18



Sincere quote from Vanessa: "I'm not bitter because those girls are really great and I hope one of them establishes a true connection with him. You meet a group of girls that persevere, who are intelligent just like you."

Personality Check:
Lauren needs to to be kicked off the show immediately because she is just as catty as they say she is. In an attempt to knock out the competition, Lauren asks "Did you know this one was old?" Yeah, thanks for stating the obvious. She clearly doesn't have the grounded personality that a heavier person tends to gain through life's hardships. While she alerted Luke to the fact that Arianne didn't want children, that is something he could have easily found out by asking her. If your going to be queen of gossip at least get some real dirt, like she already has a boyfriend at home, or something.

RANT: Fat Mean Girls

Why are girls who are fat mean? It just doesn't seem logical. I'm sure these girls have been picked on for their weight and other related issues throughout their life. I certainly have, but I give every person the benefit of the doubt until they prove themselves unworthy. Like Lauren from More to Love, she is ready to rip apart these girls for absolutely no good reason. Even Vanessa who was kicked off said that the women were amazing, so why is Lauren in attack mode? I don't think Luke has anything to do with it either, she's just a horrible person.

I knew a girl who was exactly like this. She would create unnecessary drama by fighting with every girl. At her core, she was absolutely man hungry. She slept around and would do or say anything to put herself above other girls. I know of a few other fat mean girls, but they never get respect. If anything they create fear and are hated for who they are. Fear and Hate does not replace want and love. A happy fat girl will always win out in the end, because negativity like that comes off as nasty. I'm certain that most guys would even choose a heavier happy girl over a skinny girl that is nasty. In conclusion, a fat nasty girl has no chance at happiness.

###

Kristian said that Malissa was skinny all through high school and only gained the weight recently. I know girls like that and they are still very popular within their own crowds. Her attitude doesn't reflect that of someone who should be there. Although Malissa will probably last much longer than Kristian because she is crushing too hard, Malissa still has too big of an ego for this show.

Current Favs:
* Heather
* Melissa

'MORE TO LOVE' episode 2:


PREVIEW FOR EPISODE 3:
Next week Luke invites the girls to be his prom date, opening up about how prom was a hard time for him too. It's nice that the show goes beyond making the girls divulge all.

Fox TV's "More To Love"

Fox 5 introduces a new reality dating show dedicated to appreciating the average woman, unlike the women normally portrayed on reality TV. 'More to Love' starts off by stating these very facts. "The average woman on a dating show is a size 2. The average American woman is a size 14."

The bachelor on 'More to Love' encompasses the very meaning of the show. Luke Conley, stands at 6'3 and 330lbs. While he isn't a hunk, he does have a nice face. However, the 'More to Love' star is no average Joe, at the age of 26 he already earns a 6 figure salary and resides in Santa Monica, California.

Luke says he's always been attracted to luscious curvy women. Yet somehow I wonder when his fortune and recent popularity will lead him to become interested in his thinner fans. Whether or not he makes it to the altar, I have a feeling it's not just curvy women that does it for him.

Most of the women on the show appear to be giving love its last chance. This is a completely different vibe than on normal dating shows where women are only searching for something new. I can see why this shift might be realistic, but watching 20 self loathing women talk about weight and problems finding love takes away from the fact that this is at its core a dating show. I can't imagine ever introducing myself to a guy and saying, "I'm here because I know you might not judge me for my looks." When guys even mention weight on a first date, even if it's about themselves, I just think "Wow, you have nothing else going on in your life?"

Luke said that life is too short to be worrying about dieting and weight-loss. I can't imagine at the age of 26, continually putting on weight because "life is too short." He is making life short with his lifestyle choice. Then he has the nerve to make the claim that he "promises to open up his heart and to accept them for who they are." Who is he to judge them in the first place? It sounds like he's saying that he's willing to look past their looks, but he should be saying I will be the guy who will see your beauty on the inside and out. I have a feeling that he'll be spewing that judgmental crap every episode too!

The show is interesting nonetheless because it offers a spin from the typical reality dating shows. I'm also extremely proud of these women for having the courage to put their bodies on display for the public to see. This is not something I would feel comfortable doing even on a show unrelated to weight. What impressed me the most was how they listed everyone's weight for all to see. Not even celebrities willingly allow their weight to be publicly announced. Since they listing everything else, I almost wished they posted their dress sizes as well so it would be easier for me to compare them because I have a feeling the last woman standing will be on the slim side of the bunch.

Based on their height and weight, I figured out the women's dress sizes using a size chart provided by 'Squeem: magical lingerie.' Using my own height, weight, and clothing size I tested to make sure the chart was accurate.

After looking at the women's sizes, it's interesting that only one woman is a size 14 and everyone else is much larger. It takes away from the shows original concept that the average American woman is a size 14, because the women's average size on 'More to Love' is a size 18. The show wants to talk about thin extremes and only manages to add to the problem by producing heavy extremes. Where is the average American on 'More to Love,' which has now become the show's ultimate fail. I can only hope that their "average" phrase does not appear on future shows. It would be misleading to say the least.

There was one quote worth mentioning from the show. Michelle, one of the contestants kicked off the show, said that she's "going to buy clothes that fit me now and enjoy life now." It was a wise thing to say and everyone should follow that piece of wisdom.

Listed below are the women in order that Luke picked them on the premiere of More to Love:

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Those he cut are marked.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Anna
27 6'2 230
SIZE: 18





Malissa
26 5'4 170
SIZE: 14





Magali
24 5'7 193
SIZE: 17





Heather
22 5'5 200
SIZE: 18





Mandy
25 5'7 180
SIZE: 16





Amanda
22 5'10 235
SIZE: 20





Vanessa
32 5'8 194
SIZE: 16-18





Tali
26 5'4 190
SIZE: 16-18





Lauren
26 5'9 210
SIZE: 18





Bonnie
25 5'11 215
SIZE: 18





Christina
23 5'6 206
SIZE: 18





Danielle
25 5'9 195
SIZE: 17





Arianne
37 5'10 190
SIZE: 16





Kristian
26 5'5 225
SIZE: 20





Melissa
21 5'6 220
SIZE: 19



FIRST CUTS



Michelle
32 5'5 230
SIZE: 19




Natasha
25 5'9 197
SIZE: 18





Sandy
30 5'8 200
SIZE: 18






Shari
24 5'4 180
SIZE: 16





Natalia
28 5'10 279
SIZE: 26



'MORE TO LOVE' series premiere:

Shopping for a Destination Wedding

Wedding Reservations

My cousin is getting married in less than a week. I'm not one to get excited about things like that, then again I have a hard time getting upset at funerals too. A few years back I was a bridesmaid at a former best friends wedding. I was accompanied by my loving boyfriend at the time who was asked to be a part of the groomsmen. We walked down the aisle together. The whole night was something of a fairytale for me as we danced the night away. It was only when I looked around me and noticed that few people were left in the grand hall that I had realized the night was actually over. I guess you can say it was like my own wedding, even though my ex and I have long been over. It was almost too good of an experience, and therefore only my own wedding will one day surpass it. Although I can't be too hung up about it, the bride and the groom didn't last either, divorced after 3 years.

This particular wedding is a bit stressful for me because it's a family documented event of me looking fat. My Aunt has always been particularly strict on her family's diet and as a result has a skinny family. Ever since the wedding was announced a few months ago, comments such as losing weight for the wedding have occurred. No these comments weren't directed at me or my family, it was actually quite the opposite. My Aunt was referring to herself and her excitement for the wedding. They weren't even negative, but yet they lingered on my mind.

I think they haunt me because I didn't do anything about it. When my Aunt heard wedding she was motivated to lose weight, when I heard wedding I had no real reaction. I could have had a 3 month head start on losing weight and I'm only getting in the game now. I must admit the wedding has nothing to do with me wanting to lose weight, but it upsets me that things that should motivate me don't.

Dress Shopping...
Now comes the task of finding the best form fitting dress a size 14 has to offer. The first store I went to was Mandees. At size 12, I could buy my whole wardrobe within minutes. However, at size 14 I'm lucky if I find a shirt or two that look decent on me. Located right next door was Dots, a size 0-24 store. The quality of the clothes aren't as nice as Mandees, but I can actually find something that fits and looks decent on me.

While searching for a dress I noticed that designers do not understand how to design clothes for bigger women. A dress that looks good on a size 4 must be redesigned for a larger size. It's the little touches that count, yet designers fail over and over again to alleviate this problem.

Most of the dresses wore like a drape, hiding my extra baggage from others view. They didn't use eye catching lines to play off of my curves, just a sheet of material draped over my body. Instead of embracing my imperfections with a creative design, they sew together one end of a sheet to another making me look larger than my actual appearance. Do you really expect me to buy these bag dresses? The worst part is designers don't realize that when people put on weight, we grow everywhere. Instead they continue to make every dress size with what I can only assume is a B cup. These dresses make my boobs look awkward. As a larger girl, my proudest body part is the extra fat in my boobs, and I'm not going to let a bad cut ruin my awesome cleavage! I found that more dresses had a bad cut rather than a bag effect. It's a shame too because it means that they are trying, but still falling short. While I am not sure of my exact cup size, I think it's safe to say Size 14 should be equated with a size D.

Dots had nice shirts and pants, but I had to keep at the task at hand. The next store I visited was T.J. Maxx. There was a major clearance that day and my mom and I went in different directions in the search for all things size 14. Since it's a destination wedding aka vacation, I might as well go swimming as well. The cart quickly filled up with possible dresses and bathing suits for the upcoming event.

... & Swimwear
My last bathing suit purchase was at 160lbs. I was leery looking for bathing suits since past browses led only to 2 piece items. At the time I would have picked up almost any 1 piece, but for some reason stores didn't seem to carry them. Since I don't have a pool at home and I wasn't planning on going on any day trips to the beach, a bathing suit hasn't been much of a priority for me either. I figure a family vacation is the perfect time to swim without the worries of Facebook photography getting in the way. Of course if I like a photo, I may just go ahead and post it.

T.J. Maxx had a small selection, most in size order, and I found some bathing suits worthy of trying on. When my cart was filled with every size 14 dress and bathing suit, I went to the changing room to begin the most difficult task of all. I started trying on dresses because I figured it would be a more rewarding experience for me. The dresses with the accurate size tag all looked decent on me. While I didn't love any of the dresses, all of the designs were nice. Since I was working with clearance prices, I ended up choosing two $20 summery dresses.

Next I had to try on one-piece bathing suits. The very first one I tried on had a boy short type bottom and just looked extremely awkward. I didn't let that get me down and the very next 2 bathing suits were absolutely gorgeous on me. The flowery one had a bit of scrunch material that I prefer my shirts to have as well. It creates a sleek look while looking very fashionable. The second bathing suit was solid aqua with a single white line breaking up the top and skirt bottom. This bathing suit made me feel even thinner and sexier. When I had originally picked it up, I wasn't expecting something without camoflouge to look as good as it did on me. My stomache even appeared flat! Sometimes an open mind can lead to great possibilities.

I wish I can attach pictures of the bathing suits because they are absolutely gorgeous, however T.J. Maxx doesn't have an online store. It's really frustrating because I find a lot of major retailers don't cater to the online browsers and shoppers of the world including stores like Joyce Leslie. As a result, I end up shopping at these stores close to rarely because I am unaware of what's in stock.

As for these bathing suits, both are from the brand Mainstream Swimwear. I couldn't find a link to the brand, but I did find an online retailer that sells the brand. Although none of the bathing suits shown are the ones I purchased, many have a slim fitting appeal.

I can't seem to find a site for Mainstream Swimwear or the exact bathing suit I purchased. However, I did find a site that sells Mainstream. Mainstream's targets sizes include 8-18, so you can trust the design is made with a larger model in mind.

Shopping can be fun and now I'm looking forward to my vacation too.