You’ve probably seen, or at least heard of, TLC’s hit reality show called My 600 LB Life. If you haven’t, you should. The show, aptly titled, centers its focus on people struggling to lose weight. We aren’t talking shedding 10 or 20 lbs to fit into your “someday” outfits, either.
The people that appear on the shows are looking to lose hundreds of lbs. Most guests start out at 600 pounds or more when they are introduced to the now famous surgeon, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. Based out of Houston, TX, the surgeon, who often goes by Dr. Now, is committed to helping people who fall under the category of “morbidly obese” to lose enough weight to get themselves healthy and change their lives for the better.
Dr. Now first tries to help get a patient’s weight down through strict diet, and depending on a patient’s commitment and progress, will also offer one of two different types of surgeries; gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy. Both procedures involve surgically removing portions of the stomach and sewing the remains into a much smaller pouch or sleeve-shaped stomach. While these procedures seem drastic (and they are), it is the last chance, Hail Mary, for patients on the show who face critical, life-threatening health conditions due directly to their obesity.
My 600 LB Life isn’t a show about fat shaming. It’s a show about educating the world on what people who fall into this category go through in life, how they got there, and the hope that remains for them to turn it all around for the better. We have picked 25 of the most dramatic images of body transformations from guests who have appeared on the show. Both their stories and their struggles are downright inspiring!
1. Erica Wall Then
When Erica Wall first appeared on TLC’s My 600 LB Life, the scales weighed her in at 661 pounds. Her tragic journey to obesity began in her preteens when she began to comfort herself with food after suffering the verbal abuse of her family and friend’s, particularly her father who gave her the nickname “Godzilla”. After being raped and watching her mother pass away, Erica’s weight skyrocketed along with her bad eating habits.
Erica has now lost over 300 pounds since first appearing on the reality series. While she is still striving to lose even more weight so that she can undergo skin surgery, she isn’t letting it hold her back from pursuing her life to the fullest. Erica is following her therapist’s advice and putting herself out there. As a result, she has reconnected with a long-time fling online and is excited to see him in the coming months.
Tracey first appeared on the show last year in 2017, weighing in at 605 pounds when she went to visit Dr. Now in hopes of surgery. Unfortunately, Tracey’s health was not stable enough to undergo the procedure and she had to lose more weight before it would be considered an option. She was battling severe lymphedema, causing over 400 pounds to be stored mainly in her legs.
Although Tracey continued to struggle with her weight loss, at one point losing 90 lbs only to regain 45 of them back, she was able to eventually work her way down to 439 lbs. With a total weight-loss of 166 lbs, she was finally able to get the skin removal surgery she had been hoping for. After losing the weight, her lymphedema has become controllable, and her relationship with her husband Brian has taken a turn for the better.
Weighing a total of 678 lbs, Pauline starred in My 600 lb Life’s third season as the heaviest woman alive. She held this title officially, being designated as the record holder by Guinness World Records in 2011, just before appearing on the show. The then 47-year-old reached out to GWR in hopes to make her obesity public and getting the attention of medical professionals who would be willing to help her get her weight under control.
It worked! Once on the show, Dr. Now had Pauline admitted to the hospital to be monitored while she adopted an 800 calorie/day diet, and she was able to bring her weight down. She then underwent gastric bypass surgery to help her keep her weight off. The result? It has been a struggle for the reality star, with her weight continuing to fluctuate for a long time. While rumors abound that Pauline has passed away, recent pictures from her social media accounts show that she is alive and well, and seems to finally have her weight under control.
Olivia’s story is a prime example of how so many people become addicted to eating and morbidly obese as a result. The 47-year-old reached out to the show when, at 578 lbs and nearly bedridden, she realized that living a life hidden in your mother’s basement while your overweight sister struggles to take care of you, was really no life at all. The Chicago native had suffered through more childhood traumas than anyone ever should, molestation, physical, and verbal abuse among them, and began a decades-long struggle with food addiction.
A skeptical Dr. Now decided that, while Olivia had already had two unsuccessful weight-loss surgeries, a third surgery involving a sleeve gastrectomy coupled with determination, could be the ticket for her. Thankfully, Dr. Now took a chance on Olivia and after the surgery put her on a 1,000 calorie/day diet, leading Olivia to shed over 350 lbs. The happy and healthy reality star now weighs less than 200 lbs and holds down a regular job that she walks to every day, inspiring her sister in the process.
Perhaps one of the series most memorable patients, Henry Foots was a kindhearted and positive man with a gentle nature. The big old sweetheart weighed a remarkable 750 lbs when he first appeared on the hit show in its very first season. Henry knew that he needed to lose weight in order to keep on living, but he also wanted to look good for an upcoming high-school reunion.
A determined Henry proved that nothing is impossible with the right attitude. By the end of his time on the show, Henry had lost a whopping 500 pounds after gastric bypass and skin removal surgeries and started to get his life back. Sadly though, in 2013 Henry suddenly died. There are myriad theories surrounding the cause of his death, with the most prominent rumor being that he died of a heart attack while driving a bus, but in fact, he died a few months later of unspecified medical complications.
Ashley weighed in at 725 pounds when she first set foot on Dr. Now’s scales. Ashley had been battling a food addiction since she was a child and suffered sexual abuse at the hands of her babysitter’s husband. As an adult, Ashley completely relied on her young son, who was only 5-years-old, to do everything for her that couldn’t she physically do for herself.
It took Ashley a perforated ulcer and a severe car wreck to understand that there’s a right way and a wrong way to lose weight. When she first appeared on the show, she dropped 123 lbs in under 4 weeks. Although that is definitely progress, at her size especially, losing weight too fast can lead to other serious health issues. Since then, Ashley has realized that it’s better to lose weight slowly and be healthy than the alternative. She now spends a lot of her efforts controlling her thought process in connection to food and sticks to a low-calorie diet, that has gotten her to the hard-earned weight of 270 lbs. She will continue to diet and exercise to get her weight down even more, but in the meantime, she is enjoying life with her husband raising their now 8-year-old son.
Lola was a unique guest on the reality show who was struggling with two very different and life-altering dilemmas. Not only was the nearly 600 lb man battling obesity, but there was an internal struggle as well. Lola decided on the show that she wanted two surgeries, gastric bypass, and gender transformation. Lola discovered that she identified as a woman, and living out this reality would be key in helping her to stop over-eating.
Lola successfully lost over 200 pounds on the show, bringing her weight down into the 300’s. She has decided that she better identifies as Chay, and that allowing herself to live life as a woman has definitely helped her to stop comforting herself with food. Now she embraces who she is and what she is capable of, and you can see from her Instagram that she’s winning her battle with obesity.
Milla’s road to weight-loss was a tragic one. The 47-year-old weighed over 750 lbs when she made her first appearance on the show. She was able to lose 100 lbs while on the show, but sadly a year later while filming for the special “Where Are They Now?” series for the show, her husband suffered an eventually fatal heart-attack. Due to her weight still being over 600 lbs, she wasn’t able to make it to the hospital to say her goodbyes to her husband.
In spite of her loss, or possibly because of it, Milla went on with her weight-loss journey. After a lot of tears, sweat, and hard work, Milla qualified for Dr. Now’s sleeve gastrectomy and went on to lose a total of 274 lbs by the end of the special, bringing her to 477 lbs. Since then, Milla has continued to document her weight-loss through social media and is looking forward to living a happier life with her five children.
Marla’s story is one of true success. The 800 lb woman had become an emotional food addict after being forcefully kidnapped at gunpoint by her ex-boyfriend, whom she thought she could trust. Even after getting away from him, he was still at large for quite a while before getting arrested. As a result, her weight had gotten so out of control that she was basically bedridden and required the physical help of her daughters to shower and dress.
After finally meeting the requirements for gastric bypass surgery, Marla lost a total of 266 lbs by the end of her episode on My 600 lb Life, bringing her total weight down to 534 pounds. After the surgery, she was able to stand on her own for the first time in decades, and it inspired her to keep going. While she hasn’t divulged her current weight on social media, her pictures do all the telling that’s needed. Her transformation was so dramatic that you wouldn’t recognize her today!
Kandi (604 lbs) and Brandi (587 lbs) were seemingly set up for failure from the beginning. During their upbringing, with a drug-dealing dad, an alcoholic mom, and suffering molestation by a family “friend”, the two learned to take comfort in processed, unhealthy foods, and each other, at a very early age. The fear of one or both of them dying from obesity, though, was enough to challenge these twins to prove that the past doesn’t have rule over the future.
Both of the twins were able to lose enough weight to have gastric bypass surgery, and have lost over 200 lbs since their episode appeared on the reality show. The two continue to strive for healthy weight loss together by consuming a healthy diet and staying active. They want the people who follow them on social media to know that every goal is achievable if you stay focused and keep your eye on the prize.
Like so many people who appear on My 600 lb Life, Ashley’s story was one of a trauma-filled past that included physical and sexual abuse. At 12-years-old, a frightened and hurt Ashley turned to food for emotional support in lieu of a listening ear. At 668 lbs though, Ashley came to the jolting realization that while she’d found all the love she could ever want in her husband, Daniel, her weight would keep her from living a long life with him.
After committing to regular visits with a therapist, Ashley has been able to address and deal with some of the issues from her past, leading her to breakthroughs on her weight-loss journey. She has now lost over 250 lbs and started being active again. She is now on the road to self-recovery as she continues to heal from her childhood, and her marriage is back on track as a result of her newfound self-confidence.
Bettie Jo first appeared on the show weighing 650 lbs. She felt that it put undue stress on her marriage, and feared she would eventually become too big to enjoy her life. As she struggled with depression and tried to lose weight on the show, she found out that she was pregnant, too, as well as that she had a huge bone mass on her spine that would be inoperable until after the birth of her baby. Doctors warned that if she wasn’t cautious, she could end up paralyzed from giving birth due to the mass’s size.
A determined Bettie beat the odds, giving birth to a healthy baby boy in August 2016. While she was at it, she continued on her weight loss journey and underwent surgery. Since then she has lost a total of 250 lbs and climbing. She hopes to get skin removal surgery in the near future, but for now is raising her baby with her husband, Josh.
After her husband passed away from morbid obesity, Paula appeared on the show more determined than ever to lose her extra weight. Tipping the scales at roughly 600 lbs, she had a long way to go. Though throughout the show she often seemed riddled with excuses for shedding the weight, she eventually abided by Dr. Now’s recommended liquid diet to get down to a safe weight for gastric bypass surgery.
Paula was successful in sticking to the diet and approved for the surgery. Afterward, she continued dropping her weight so much so that she has now lost a grand total of 400 lbs. What’s more, she has found love again, as she recently announced on social media that she has been in love with a man (who wishes to remain private) for over a year. When you look at her updates, it is clear without a doubt that she is one of the show’s most successful weight-loss champions.
June’s story is one of the biggest weight-loss success stories to have aired on the popular show. When her story first appeared in season 4, June weighed 590 lbs (just a bit lighter than most of its participants), and relied solely on her long-time partner, Sadi, for physical care. Sadly, June said she felt like a “prisoner” in her body, only being able to move from the bed to the toilet, and to the couch throughout her day. For June, though, being able to lose weight started with being able to confront the death of her 17-year-old son and come to terms with it, first.
After receiving gastric bypass surgery from Dr. Now, June also began seeing a therapist to help her healthfully mourn the loss of her son. As soon as she started seeing her therapist, she began seeing results in her weight loss even more. She has now shed over 300 lbs since she first appeared on the show, and continues to strive for a healthy weight, posting regular updates through her facebook page.
Yet another hugely successful participant on My 600 lb Life, Melissa Morris is one of the biggest losers on the show. She was also their first. When the show’s first episode aired, she weighed 653 pounds at her meeting with Dr. Now. Melissa was able to get gastric bypass surgery performed, and was determined to turn her dreams of a family of her own into a reality.
Within just a few short years after her surgery, Melissa went on to lose 500 pounds, bringing her closer to her goal of 150 pounds than she had ever been. Melissa made it all the way to 157 lbs before she got pregnant with her daughter, Allona, when she regained 100 lbs. After giving birth, she was able to knock her weight back down. Since then, she has had another child, a son, and has assumed custody over her niece and nephew. Her weight has unfortunately crept back up to 275 lbs, however, she is working hard to lose the weight again, even volunteering at Dr. Now’s clinic when she can to help keep herself in check. From the looks of social media, this inspiring woman will be able to pull it off and have the life she’s always dreamt of.
Laura was yearning for change when she first came on the show. At the time, she weighed 600 lbs and was physically unable to take care of herself. She had to rely solely on her husband for her hygiene and her food, and while her husband, Joey, seemed to relish being depended upon, his behavior was only enabling Laura’s life-threatening obesity.
Dr. Now told Laura that she first had to lose 50 lbs before receiving surgery. A determined Laura took to the challenge by cutting out her beloved sweets and moving a little more each day. When she dropped the fifty and was on the operating table, though, the Dr. realized that her organs had enlarged beyond the point of a safe gastric bypass. Dr. Now did what he felt was best, and performed a gastrectomy instead, where he removed 80% of Laura’s stomach. Since then, she has lost over 400 lbs and found new love. Before you feel too sorry for good ol’ Joey though, beyond being an enabler, he was also discovered to be abusive and unfaithful to Laura, so the split was probably for the best. Laura is now happily expecting twin daughters in her new life, under her new name, as Angelika Juarez.
17. Donald Shelton Then
Donald was the show’s second-ever participant to be aired on TV, weighing 678 lbs. Not only did he have unhealthy eating habits, but he was also addicted to meth. Regardless of these two very real struggles, he did see a tremendous amount of weight loss in his first couple of years.
Charity Pierce graced My 600 lb Life with her journey in season 3 weighing close to 800 lbs. Worried that she had passed her unhealthy eating habits onto her daughter Charly, Charity was eager to lose the weight to teach her daughter the importance of self-care, including and especially when it comes to your diet. Struggling with myriad mental health issues on top of it all, she was definitely one of the show’s most driven participants. Similar to one of the show’s earlier contestants, Pauline Potter, Charity Pierce also once held the title for heaviest woman alive.
Since appearing on the show, Charity was able to get her weight down enough to have gastric bypass surgery, and now weighs roughly 400 lbs. She has a series of skin removal surgeries planned with Dr. Now, one of which she just had this last August. Though the road for Charity has been a long one, she plans to continue doing everything she can to better her life and get to a healthy weight, and is teaching her daughter how to do the same.
Amber’s episode first appeared in season 3 of My 600 lb Life. The then 24-year-old weighed 600 lbs, and it was only climbing as she never left the house, unless grocery shopping, for fear of humiliation. She had big dreams for herself, though, and knew she had to shed the weight in order to turn them into a reality.
Dr. Now was skeptical about her sudden decision to change her lifestyle in order to become the person she dreamed of being. After a long consultation, the Dr. told Amber that if she could lose 20 lbs, he would perform gastric bypass operation. It took her a few months, but she lost 17 lbs by their next visit, and he agreed to the surgery. In the years following, she has lost over 400 lbs and continues to document her incredible transformation through several social media outlets.
Zsalynn appeared on My 600 lb Life in its second season at 600 lbs. She told viewers that she “felt so close to death every day” as a result of her weight. Her dilemma was made all that much worse by her verbally abusive and emotionally manipulative husband, Gareth, who enabled her unhealthy lifestyle by making her feel that she had to be beyond fat in order for him to maintain a sexual attraction to her.
Thankfully, the 44-year-old mother realized that her health trumped whatever sexual fantasies her husband was hung up on. She dropped down to 316 pounds after gastric bypass surgery and ditched the husband along the way. She wanted to pursue skin removal surgery but had to drop another 20 lbs. After struggling with overeating while going through the divorce and new custody arrangements, a consultation with Dr. Now finally gave her the motivation she needed. She has since received the skin removal, losing another 52 pounds, and has begun seeing a therapist to help her deal with her depression. She is now on the road to happiness, and has even found love again!
Joe Wexler began the show weighing 800 lbs and was dealing with severe food addiction. Lonely and depressed, Joe began to doubt that he would ever get down to a healthy weight, or find love. Joe said in his episode that his eating addiction began with his father, who constantly neglected Joe and would feed him fast food whenever Joe was hungry. Often referred to as the show’s most “likable” participant, the gentle soul was already immobile and his obesity was proving life-threatening.
After receiving gastric bypass surgery from Dr. Now, Joe has managed to lose an outstanding 418 lbs in the last few years. The perpetual optimist continued to seek help after the surgery in online weight-loss support groups, where he accomplished his biggest dream. He began chatting with a girl named Sara in the support group, and after the two decided to meet in person, love was in the air. Joe is now married, and he continues to lose weight as he exercises and eats healthy meals each day.
Christina’s transformation is definitely one of the show’s most drastic to date. When her episode first aired, she was living life nearly bed-bound, weighing 708 pounds. Her husband, Zach, was a classic enabler, and an abusive one at that. Knowing that her body wouldn’t hold up long in this state, Christina decided to let nothing get in the way of regaining her health, and turned to Dr. Now for gastric bypass surgery.
After receiving the surgery, Christina continued on her straight path to health, exercising and sticking to a healthy diet. Over a couple of years, the beautiful young woman went on to lose 536 pounds, totally transforming herself from the inside out. With her newfound confidence, Christina is approaching life with a can’t-stop-this attitude. Unfortunately, Zach couldn’t handle the heat of her independence and healthy lifestyle, so the two ended up splitting. Since then, she has found new love with a long-time friend, and continues to work out and eat healthy on a regular basis.
Brittani first appeared on the show weighing in at 605 pounds. Her insecurities from being morbidly obese took a negative toll on her marriage and her sex life, which only led to further depression. Tired of being stuck in a vicious cycle, Brittani decided she was going to take back her life and her marriage by getting healthy.
That is exactly what she did. After receiving bypass surgery on the show, Brittani has gone on to drop over 330 pounds, and her transformation is unbelievable! She makes regular social media posts showing her ever-shrinking frame. Some have even commented that she might be taking it too far and becoming anorexic. She assures people that, although she does struggle with body image, she is eating healthfully. She is now enjoying having intimacy back in her marriage and has her heart set on having children in the near future.
Chuck Turner went through a lot on his journey to health. Not realizing he had grown to 700 lbs, Chuck would spend his days sitting in an office chair talking on the phone with clients all day for the wrecking company he was operating. When not on the phone, he would go get loads of fast food and stuff it down between calls. As his obesity worsened, he lost custody of his son, and went through two divorces. He knew he had to change things.
He sought help from Dr. Nowzaradan, who performed a gastric bypass surgery on him. In the following few years, Chuck has worked hard at losing weight. He has now gotten himself down to 267 pounds, losing a grand total of 433 pounds. That’s nearly 60% of his body weight! He continues to stride toward health by including regular exercise in his daily routine and sticking to low-carb meals.
When Nikki Webster first came on the show, she weighed over 650 pounds. While it was clear that in order for her to lose the amount of weight she needed to lose to become healthy, she was terrified at the thought of getting gastric bypass surgery. Her fear was born out of the loss of her best friend to the same procedure.
Empowered at the idea of living a healthy, fun, and full life though, a courageous Nikki decided to face her fears. She went ahead with the bypass surgery and has since lost over 450 pounds. She now has a confidence she’s never felt before, and a new husband to match. She continues on her journey to health and hopes that her story will inspire others like her to take those first baby steps into a healthier life.
If you or someone you’re close to is struggling with obesity, know that you aren’t alone. A healthy future is always possible with just a dash of optimism, and a large dose of determination! Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
These 25 People Weighed Over 600 Pounds, But Take A Look At Them Now
Jessica Adler
10.24.18
You’ve probably seen, or at least heard of, TLC’s hit reality show called My 600 LB Life. If you haven’t, you should. The show, aptly titled, centers its focus on people struggling to lose weight. We aren’t talking shedding 10 or 20 lbs to fit into your “someday” outfits, either.
The people that appear on the shows are looking to lose hundreds of lbs. Most guests start out at 600 pounds or more when they are introduced to the now famous surgeon, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. Based out of Houston, TX, the surgeon, who often goes by Dr. Now, is committed to helping people who fall under the category of “morbidly obese” to lose enough weight to get themselves healthy and change their lives for the better.
Dr. Now first tries to help get a patient’s weight down through strict diet, and depending on a patient’s commitment and progress, will also offer one of two different types of surgeries; gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy. Both procedures involve surgically removing portions of the stomach and sewing the remains into a much smaller pouch or sleeve-shaped stomach. While these procedures seem drastic (and they are), it is the last chance, Hail Mary, for patients on the show who face critical, life-threatening health conditions due directly to their obesity.
My 600 LB Life isn’t a show about fat shaming. It’s a show about educating the world on what people who fall into this category go through in life, how they got there, and the hope that remains for them to turn it all around for the better. We have picked 25 of the most dramatic images of body transformations from guests who have appeared on the show. Both their stories and their struggles are downright inspiring!
