Plenty of reality shows feature dramatic transformations, but few chronicle the intensely emotional
second chances that are documented on TLC's hit series, My 600-lb Life.
Dozens of men and women have had their lives changed, thanks to the intervention of Dr.
Now, and while the journey hasn't been easy, you won't believe what they look like today!
Melissa Morris
The OG of My 600-lb Life, Melissa Morris was the very first person ever featured on the
show.
"The last time I weighed myself I weighed 337 lbs.
And I thought to myself, that's not big.
That's not bad at all."
But having weighed-in back then at 653 pounds, these days she's living a much different life.
While her weight has fluctuated over the years, her Instagram proves she's not looking back.
"I could tell you this whole journey was easy, but that would be a lie.
But it wouldn't be a lie to tell you it was worth it."
Having children was something Morris desperately wanted.
And despite a doctor once telling her she had only a 2 percent chance of getting pregnant,
today, she's a mom of three.
"When I go in, I'm not gonna tell you only the pretty parts.
You're gonna see all of it...I want the good, the bad, the ugly."
On top of raising her children, Morris also speaks publicly about her journey, proving
there's no slowing her down!
Zsalynn Whitworth
Season 2 opened with Zsalynn Whitworth's story, which famously included her manipulative husband,
who prioritized his fetish over Whitworth's life.
"She looked so big and comfy and soft and squishy.
You know, I like big women and she was the queen at the time."
Fortunately for her health, the couple finally got a divorce, and they share joint custody
of their daughter.
"He didn't want me to lose the weight.
And I didn't deserve to feel bad about choosing my health."
But Whitworth also admitted that she struggled with loneliness and depression, as well as
cravings for sweets, following the divorce.
"I want to eat things that are bad for me.
I wanna eat those sweets that really made me feel wonderful before."
In spite of those challenges, however, she's moving forward and is ready for skin removal
surgery.
And she says she may even start dating.
Paula Jones
After an especially emotional episode of the show, Paula Jones is now enjoying long term
weight loss success.
These days, she's in great shape, especially when you consider where she started.
"My skin is my jail.
I really don't have a life.
I'm just trapped.
Period."
She's not afraid to pose in a swimsuit, but Jones also admits she has to stick to her
diet and workout on the reg.
"I hate feeling weak.
Some people were born to workout.
I'm not one of them."
She's also outspoken about the obesity epidemic, which has claimed the lives of some of her
friends and loves ones.
She posted on Instagram,
"It is so senseless since it is preventable.
It just isn't easy.
There's no magic pill or even surgery but it's a lifestyle of eating, exercise, and
healthy habits."
Amber Rachdi
Of all of the stars of My 600 Lb Life, Amber Rachdi is the emerging Instagram queen among
them.
Which makes sense, considering she made her debut on the show at just 23.
"Sometimes I think to myself, I'm never gonna change."
But although Rachdi is a social media star now, she has no plans to appear in a follow-up
episode, citing some pretty serious beef with the production crew.
"Why are you trying to come up the stairs?
Why didn't you call me to help you?"
"'Cause I don't want help, I just wanted to do it."
She told Starcasm,
"The experience was very disorganized and jarring and there's not a whole lot I can
say using my grown-up tact.
They ran late, reshot difficult to replicate scenes, and really sort of acted like bullies."
Rachdi continues to take good care of herself, and she works out regularly.
Joe Wexler
On season 3, viewers were introduced to Joe Wexler, who weighed in at nearly 800 pounds.
"I was lookin' around, trying to find some way to off myself.
Kept thinkin' it would be better for everybody."
Fortunately Wexler was able to get help from Dr. Now, who performed gastric bypass surgery,
after he lost 140 pounds on his own.
"It was really tough, one of the hardest things I ever did."
Ever since, Wexler's had skin removal surgery, and has lost 500 pounds.
But the best was yet to come for the reality star.
After he met a woman named Sarah, things got serious quickly for the lovebirds.
"When I met you, I met my destiny.
Will you marry me?"
"Yeah."
The Wexlers celebrated their two-year wedding anniversary in August 2018.
Joe is also working hard in the IT sector and is taking online courses, with big ambitions
for the future.
Laura Perez
She's experienced lot of changes since her episode, but for Laura Perez, not all of those
changes were positive.
"I feel great about myself.
I'm really happy."
On her Where Are They Now?
episode, Perez revealed that she and her husband Joey were facing eviction.
But there were deeper issues at play as well.
"I want to keep becoming more independent, and get a job, and have a career...he doesn't
want me to do that."
When Perez told Joey about her beauty school ambitions, he confessed he just wanted her
to stay home, and stay dependent.
"I'm not 600 pounds any more.
So I don't need to be trapped."
But according to her Facebook, Perez is now remarried to a new man!
She posted of her guy,
"Thank god he is a great hard-working, loving, caring man that puts me first.
I'm blessed to have him."
Nikki Webster
While she was all smiles in her look-back episode, it was a stark contrast from Nikki
Webster's first appearance on the show.
"I feel like I'm trapped…because it's just difficult to move my body."
One big change?
Webster was able to go shopping for a pair of pants for the first time in ten years.
"I look cute."
As she slipped into a pair of bluejeans, her joy was contagious.
"I feel good in em.
I feel womanly and sassy."
But a pair of pants isn't the only new thing in Webster's life.
Her weight loss has also enabled her to excel at work, something she couldn't do before.
But the really big news?
Webster shared via Facebook in March 2018 that she had recently gotten married, to Marc,
who viewers were introduced to, in her follow-up episode.
And as she posted, she's loving her new take on life.
She says:
"I've been able to experience a happiness I never thought possible.
It's not that I'm just content […] I'm exuberantly gleeful."
"To be able to start to resemble what I felt like on the inside, it's extremely powerful."
Brittani Fulfer
These days, she's almost unrecognizable compared to how she looked on My 600-lb Life.
"A human body should not look the way my body looks."
Viewers first witnessed the dramatic changes in Brittani Fulfer's initial Where Are They
Now?
episode.
Then in a later follow-up, an even more lean Fulfer appeared after additional surgery.
"I'm still adjusting to how much of a change all this has been."
Though it was a bumpy ride, she celebrated her journey by hitting the beach.
Fulfer has been squeezing every drop out of life lately, according to her Facebook page,
and through it all, her husband has been by her side.
She posted:
"I am forever thankful to my husband.
He is truly my strength and without him I do not know where I would be."
Nicole Lewis
All of the stories featured on the show involve hardship, but Nicole Lewis had to overcome
some harrowing childhood traumas.
"I hate what my life has become.
If I don't change, I'm not gonna be here much longer."
But pains from the past didn't stop the determined mom from putting in the hard work to lose
weight and improve her quality of life.
"That's the one thing that brings us together is our love of food…"
"Food, but chips most definitely."
When TLC caught up with her after her initial episode, viewers learned that Lewis had lost
even more weight, bringing her total to over 200 pounds as of July 2018.
These days, she's doing better than ever, and she recently celebrated five years with
her fiancé, Charlie, according to Facebook.
She wrote,
"He is my everything and we are happy together.
Our relationship is a million, a million times stronger than ever before."
Sounds like Lewis found someone who takes just as good care of her, as she now does
for herself!