Whitney Thore enjoyed a successful first date with a lumbersexual named Lennie, completed her first 5k race and joined forces with her father in a lifestyle plan to prevent diabetes on episodes five and six of season two of TLC's "My Big Fat Fabulous Life."
In the midst of packing, unpacking and furniture shopping for the move into a new place with her friend Buddy, Whitney revealed to her friends (and mother) that a potential online love interest has quickly turned from texts to a first date. The suitor, 27-year lumbersexual (bearded outdoorsman-type) and artist named Lennie, invited Thore on a date for a drink and paint session at a local art space.
Thore received some old-fashioned southern etiquette tips from her mother Barbara during a pre-date mani-pedi session, and Barbara all but begged her daughter not to do anything off-putting while on her first date with Lennie, like snorting while she laughed. But Thore said that she wouldn't change herself for a man, not even her laugh.
Her date, Lennie, didn't seem bothered by her laugh and the two enjoyed each other's company as they painted scenic sunsets together. Lennie showed off his artistic side and helped Thore work her paintbrush across the canvas in what she described as a "movie moment" and Lennie hinted at a second date.
"I know I sound ridiculous right now but I like this dude," Thore gushed in her on-camera interview.
After receiving news that her father received the same pre-diabetic diagnosis that she had gotten a few months prior, Thore vowed to help her father along in his journey to a healthier lifestyle. Together, Thore explained, they could support each other and reverse their diagnosis, starting with a father-daughter appointment to Thore's dietician. During the appointment, Thore realized that a lot of her eating habits were passed down to her from her father.
But while posting fliers to further promote her Big Girl Dance class, Thore stumbled upon a flier for an upcoming "Tuxedo Trot," a 5k race that benefitted African penguins. She signed herself and her father up for the challenge and hoped that the exercise would do well for the both of them.
During the race, Thore faced physical challenges due to her size but her father's words of encouragement - along with her friends cheering her on at the finish line - gave her the motivation to continue. She persevered, only stopping to lean over and clear out phlegm from her chest. She got back up and finished the 3.1-mile-long course in one hour and 36 seconds.
"I did a 5k and I haven't walked more than a mile in a year," Thore said. "I was pushed against my physical limits and it took me a long time, but I got to where I was going."
Watch Thore discuss her date with Lennie in the clip below.