Never underestimate the power of hard work and perseverance. In just a few short years,
My 600-lb Life star Amber Rachdi has gone from overweight to overachiever.
Amber appeared on season 3 of My 600-lb Life. Back then,
they had many of the same issues that lots of the show's cast members had.
They were only 23 years old and weighed 657 pounds. They struggled with anxiety,
depression, and a fear of failure, using food as a coping mechanism. They
were overweight as a child, weighing 160 pounds by age 5. They depended on others,
such as their parents, to survive and complete everyday tasks.
Unable to stand for longer than 30 minutes, they relied on a scooter or wheelchair to get around.
What's more, their boyfriend at the time really only served to enable their poor eating habits.
However, they were anxious to change and put in the hard work necessary to save their life.
Happily, Amber was able to do that by working with My 600-lb Life's Dr. Now
to live a healthier lifestyle. They proved their ability to follow Dr. Now's advice
and lose weight on their own, qualifying for gastric bypass surgery in the process.
After the surgery, they began eating healthier and regularly exercising.
They moved out of their parents' house and began living independently. To
help address their eating habits, they also began working with a therapist to
find alternative coping mechanisms for their anxiety and depression.
"You're going in the right direction."
By the end of Amber's journey on My 600-lb Life, they had lost 257 pounds. With major
changes to both their appearance and lifestyle, they appear much happier now.
These days Amber is an Instagram influencer with more than 260,000
followers. They use their platform to showcase makeup tips and fun hairstyles,
and they've lost over 400 pounds since first appearing on My 600-lb Life.
While their quality of life seems to have improved dramatically in the past few years,
they're still brutally honest about their continuing struggles. While
they continue to encourage others on their self-improvement journeys,
they refuse to give medical advice. They explained why in a Facebook post, writing,
"I resonate so deeply with the fears and feelings of shame people carry to me. But,
I am not a doctor or a nutritionist or a health educator. I would be horribly
negligent if I tried to tell anyone what to do with their bodies or health."
Avid My 600-lb Life fans may remember Amber's boyfriend,
Rowdy, from their weight loss journey. Many viewers weren't fans of Rachdi's partner,
and felt he encouraged bad eating habits. In their episode of My 600-lb Life, Rachdi even
estimated that they'd put on an additional 200 pounds since meeting their then-partner.
Even after Rachdi and Rowdy broke up, the reality star came to his defense after he
was attacked online following their My 600-lb Life appearance. Rachdi shared a tweet saying
that their former partner had helped them through their fitness journey, even taking photos of their
workouts to document their progress. They even called him a "good, supportive friend." However,
it seems a friend is all he will ever be to the influencer, as they seem to have moved on.
In 2016, Rachdi shocked fans when they revealed they were engaged in a tweet. However, don't
bother scouring social media for a picture of their new beau, because Rachdi has been extremely
private about their new man, only briefly mentioning him in posts. In 2018, Rachdi wrote,
"Ok, so not a selfie. My husband took this one,
but I still feel pretty cool in my leather jacket."
As far as we know, Rachdi and their husband are still happily married.
In terms of their relationship with TLC,
Amber also confirmed they won't appear on My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now,
citing their unpleasant experience with the original show. They told Starcasm that filming
was incredibly sporadic and difficult. Producers put them in unpleasant situations repeatedly,
and they weren't particularly respectful of their subjects' time or feelings.
Fortunately, fans can keep up with them on social media. Apart from their marriage and their
outspoken online presence, they also announced on Facebook that they've graduated college in
recent years. After a very difficult journey, it seems it's only up from here for the young model!