Jasmine & Nesha Get Real About Season 2, Healing & Growth

Jasmine and Nesha don’t sugarcoat anything. That is exactly what makes them so compelling to watch.

As the stars of TLC’s A Thousand Pound Roomies, the two best friends have built a following not just on their weight loss journeys, but on the raw, unfiltered honesty they bring to every conversation. Season two picks up with both women navigating major transitions  Jasmine still working to regain her mobility after a stroke, and Nisha confronting childhood trauma, including the lasting impact of growing up in a religious cult. Through it all, their friendship remains the throughline. It is messy, hilarious, deeply loving, and completely real.

Season two of A Thousand Pound Roomies premieres Tuesday, August 25 at 10 p.m. on TLC. Before it airs, both women sat down to talk about faith, fear, boundaries, and why sometimes the bravest thing you can do is take off the cape.

When you look back at who you were at the start of season one, where do you see the greatest change in yourselves today? Jasmine, start us off.

My faith and I see a mental change in myself. Right now, I am trying to accept everything that happened with my physical health. I am learning how to have faith in God that everything is going to turn around for good. That is what I got from this journey  working on my mental and working hard on my faith.

Nesha, what about you?

For me, it is definitely working on my mental and getting over a lot of childhood trauma. I am trying to navigate my relationship with my mother and figure out how to step into entrepreneurship. Beyond that, I am sticking to our weight loss goals, incorporating more physical activity, and just trying to be a better person overall.

Season two opens with Jasmine still unable to walk independently. Jasmine, can you walk on your own yet?

Nope. But I am able to stand. I can shift my weight, and I am learning how to take more steps. Right now, I can take one or two. I am also working through the mental fear of falling. I don’t want to end up back in the hospital. So I am pushing through that mental block  just telling myself to keep going. I am also continuing physical therapy, which has been a big part of the process.

Your fear of falling is very real, but regaining independence requires confronting it. What does courage look like for you at this stage?

Going forward, even knowing I could fall. Nothing is impossible if I try. The physical therapy is showing me that slow progress is still progress. I had to stop thinking I needed to jump from zero to everything all at once. Instead, I am learning to adjust my weight, pull up, stand, do leg movements  all the different steps it takes to regain mobility after a stroke. It has been a journey, but there has been a lot of progress.

Nesha, where do you and Jasmine stand now as friends and roommates?

We are definitely still friends and definitely still roommates  all of the above. Our relationship is like a sister relationship. Sometimes you have ups, sometimes you have downs. Sometimes you don’t like each other and need your space. But at the end of the day, we are all in this together, and we are not going anywhere.

Jasmine, bariatric surgery was expected to move your health journey forward. Instead, losing your mobility created an entirely different battle. How did you process that emotionally?

A lot of crying. A lot of praying. Talking to Nesha, talking to my family, talking to close friends  that is how I navigate it emotionally and get through it. But it is hard. It is rough. There are times I just want to give up. However, I cannot. I have myself to live for, and if I don’t do what needs to be done, then my daughter cannot be at her best. So I have to keep going.

Nisha, Jazz’s recovery has placed additional pressure on you both. How have you learned to support her without abandoning your own wellness journey?

It has definitely been tough. I am sometimes a people pleaser, and I get into a mode of wanting to do everything. I do get burned out. I do get overwhelmed. I do get frustrated, and that is not always fair to everyone around me. So it has been a journey to figure out what works best for me while still being supportive to Jazz. Juggling everything honestly has been challenging.

Your own weight loss journey is also continuing. How has that progressed since taping?

Before, I was not doing any kind of physical activity  just eating and doing whatever I wanted. Now, I am trying new things: different exercises, hiking, walking. I am still a foodie and I still love my food, but I am incorporating way more physical activity than I was before.

Nesha, you also confront the lasting impact of growing up in a religious cult. What gave you the strength to speak publicly about that experience?

My strength comes from a lot of the people I grew up with. Many families and children were mistreated, and I feel like I am acting as a voice for my generation  people who don’t have a voice. I also drew strength from recognizing how unheard this story is. Being Black and in a cult, being from Long Beach and in a cult  people don’t think of those things together. So I felt like I had to tell my story. There is a lot of power in speaking your truth, and I needed to get it out in order to heal completely.

Jasmine, we see that the possibility of romance gave you some motivation this season. How has opening yourself up to love changed how you see yourself beyond your health challenges?

I had to get to a point in life where I refused to let my situation stop me from growing or from living. Now that I feel like I am at my lowest, if you cannot deal with me at my lowest, then you do not need me at my highest. That is how I have been approaching it. It has been a journey, but I am not stopping.

Your friendship is filled with humor even during the hardest moments. How has laughter helped you both survive chapters that could have broken you? Nisha, start us off.

That is what is good about us and what is bad about us at the same time. We really go through some traumatic life experiences but cannot take anything seriously. I don’t want people to think we treat everything like a joke. But sometimes, when you are going through so much, all you can do is laugh. All you can do is smile, because that is literally the only thing that can bring you up out of it. You have to laugh through the pain.

Jazz, what would you add?

Laughing through the pain is therapy  mental therapy. We just cannot believe the things that happen to us sometimes, so we laugh. Girl, can you believe that? It has just been our therapy.

What do you hope viewers understand about the emotional, financial, and psychological realities of pursuing lasting change? Nisha, go first.

That it is not easy. Sometimes you are going to want to give up, and sometimes you might give up. But don’t rest in it. Don’t rest in your failures. If you failed today, try again tomorrow. Just keep pressing forward.

Jazz, what about you?

You have to hold on to faith no matter what. No matter how bad it looks or how dark it gets, do not allow yourself to sink. Depression is nothing to play with. After everything that happened to me, it put me in a very dark place. My mood changed. My attitude toward my family and toward Nisha changed completely. That is not healthy. But keep going and know that it will get better. If you change your mindset and know your worth, it will get better. Do not stop.

What has each of you learned about the difference between helping someone you love and trying to rescue them? Nesha, start us off.

A lot of the time, I overcompensate because I want to do so much to help. But overcompensating equals burnout. I have had to set boundaries and take care of myself, because if I am not taking care of myself, I cannot be there for anyone else. I have also felt a lot of helplessness in this journey with Jazz, because there is nothing I can do to make her walk again. So we have sad moments, but we just keep going, keep fighting, and try to stay as positive as we can.

Jazz, what would you say?

Sometimes you have to take that cape off. You will drain yourself  especially when you are supporting someone who has not yet accepted what they are going through. They will lash out, and it will put you in a mental space where you question whether you are doing enough. But sometimes, taking that cape off is actually rescuing that person as well as yourself. Once they see you pull back, they start to reflect. You cannot step into what God has meant for somebody else and rescue them from what they are meant to go through. Sometimes they have to conquer it. Sometimes they have to climb and see what is beyond that mountain. At times it hurts to let go. But sometimes you have to. You have to find your way through the valley.

By the end of this season, what would make you feel like you have truly reclaimed your independence? Jasmine, go first.

Traveling. Now that I have a passport, I am trying to hit every country. First stop: Jamaica. I definitely want to get on that raft and get a good massage. We deserve it.

Nesha, what would success look like for you if it had nothing to do with your weight?

Just being successful in my business endeavors. Being here for Jazz and watching us grow and prosper. Eventually moving out of this apartment  because it is closing in on us. We are ready to travel, make money, meet people, try new things, and go new places. We are just excited to live life, honestly. We are also excited to go on our individual journeys while still supporting each other through them.

Rapid fire with Jasmine and Nisha

Who apologizes first after an argument?
It is not Nisha.

Who is more likely to plan the perfect date?
Both of us.

Who keeps the household laughing?
Both of us.

What song instantly lifts your mood? Jasmine, go first.
“You” by Lucy Pearl. When they brought me home from the hospital, I had the ambulance crew playing it in the ambulance. I was grooving with oxygen in my nose on the gurney. I was just so happy to be going home.

Nesha, what about you?
People might not expect this given my background, but I love “Available” by Molly Music. He is a Christian artist and that song is one of my go-tos.

One word to describe your friendship today.
Nisha: Growing. Jasmine: A roller coaster  because we have ups and we have downs, but we are still on that ride.

Season two of A Thousand Pound Roomies premieres Today Tuesday, August 25 at 10 p.m. on TLC. The ladies are also hosting a meet-and-greet on Saturday, August 29 at Big Back Snacks in Riverside, California  featuring food trucks, music, line dancing, and merch signings. Follow Nisha at @ItsJustNesha across all platforms and on YouTube. Follow Jasmine at @JasmineMarie on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

Source: According to Porsha, featuring Porsha Monique, Jasmine, and Nesha