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‘This Is Us’ Recap Raises Questions On Chrissy Metz Weight Loss Contract: Diet, Gastric Bypass Options

By Joanne Eglash
Published on: 01:30 PST, Nov 30, 2016

Ever since the first episode of This Is Us, fans have learned to have boxes of tissues ready for the inevitable tears, with causes ranging from Chrissy Metz’s character Kate struggling with her weight loss goals to Jack sharing his wisdom. The most recent episode of This Is Us was no exception, but it also raised questions on what Metz has shared about the weight loss clause in her contract requiring her to slim along with her character.

Us Weekly highlighted the moments from the most recent episode of This Is Us that caused viewers to “ugly cry,” from Randall (played by Sterling K. Brown) to his mother Rebecca (portrayed by Mandy Moore) to Randall’s biological dad William (played by Ron Cephas Jones).

“You acted like you didn’t remember abandoning me,” said Randall in a painful confrontation.

Along with Randall, Kevin (portrayed by Justin Hartley) and Kate (Chrissy Metz) headed off to the family cabin. Kate provided the snark when Justin’s new gal pal Olivia (played by Janet Montgomery) showed up accompanied by her ex-boyfriend Ash and another friend.

Chrissy Metz portrays Kate in “This Is Us.” [Image by Ron Batzdorff/NBC]

“Who are you right now?” questioned a scoffing Kate.

Providing for time with the beloved character of his dad Jack (played by Milo Ventimiglia), Randall consumed (accidentally) Ash’s smoothie, which contained magic mushrooms that resulted in a hallucination of his father.

In This Is Us Episode 9, it was Randall who seemed to have the lines that brought the most emotion to the show, pointed out Entertainment Weekly.

Randall showed his struggle with the new awareness that his beloved mom had been fibbing to him for more than 35 years about his biological father. How to vent? The upset This Is Us character pours his emotions into a very long list of reasons why he is angry at Rebecca.

Chrissy Metz revealed that she will join her character Kate on a weight loss journey. [Image by Ron Batzdorff/NBC]

One of the closing cliff hangers that This Is Us created on the last episode had to do with Kate and her weight loss. Kevin fulfills viewers’ hopes that the storyline will continue and provide some answers by questioning plus-size actress Chrissy’s character about her sudden decision to undergo gastric bypass surgery.

“You experienced mild turbulence,” pointed out Kevin.

But even though he thinks it was the “near-death” experience that led to this realization about gastric bypass surgery, Kate doesn’t surrender.

While some shows opt for fat suits and makeup to allow viewers to follow a character’s weight loss journey, This Is Us is holding true to its tone of realistic, believable characters by having the actress Chrissy Metz on a weight loss trajectory just as Kate is on the show. Metz told TVLine that her This Is Us character’s journey parallels her own life.

Consequently, Chrissy needed to make a commitment, and Metz revealed that she signed a contract to do so.

“In our contract, it did state that that would be a part of it, to lose the weight in the trajectory of the character as she comes to find herself,” shared Chrissy.

“That was a win-win for me.”

Metz pointed out that while it is “one thing to try to do it on your own,” it is an “ego thing” when it comes to slimming down for someone else. Consequently, Chrissy feels that taking on an acting gig accompanied by a requirement for her to shed pounds gradually provided a “different kind of motivation, so I was excited about it.”

However, Metz is emphasizing that she desires to take steps “that mentally, emotionally, and physically make me the best that I can be,” clarifying that her goal is health.

“Whether or not I lose weight or stay the same, it’s purely a choice of mine for health,” she noted. “Not because I think that plus size, curvy, voluptuous, big bodies aren’t attractive — because I think they’re awesome and sexy.”

As for how Chrissy will win her weight loss wars along with Kate, Metz talked about diet changes and fitness rather than gastric bypass in a conversation with People, providing more of an overview about her approach.

Chrissy plans to shape up “in a healthy manner,” revealing that she has “started incorporating a better eating regimen and started to do things personally, but not something so drastic because it’s going to be a lifestyle change not just for Kate but for me.”

Metz described her weight loss journey as a “gradual process,” pointing out that she needs to “be aware of not losing too much weight because of the show.” Providing inspiration for Chrissy has been her on-screen father Milo Ventimiglia.

“Milo actually works out with a really amazing trainer who does this thing called Rise, and Milo’s been doing it for seven years and he doesn’t look too bad,” noted Metz. “I’m really excited about starting that. I think it’s 35 to 40 minutes, and you don’t have to kill yourself to see results.”

As for whether Kate (and perhaps Chrissy) will actually go through with the gastric bypass to shed pounds? Viewers will have to tune in to find out.

[Image By Ron Batzdorff/NBC]

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