These are nothing short of miracles! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most amazing weight loss journeys on “My 600-lb Life.”
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00:00 and showing myself the possibilities that are out there of all the things that I can do if I just stay healthy.
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most amazing weight loss journeys on my 600-pound life.
00:11 I'm not gonna let anything stop me from getting to where I want to be.
00:14 Number 10, Chuck Turner.
00:18 After his wife was tragically murdered, Chuck felt his life spiraling out of control.
00:22 Like many people who suffer personal tragedies, he turned to food for comfort and ended up weighing nearly 700 pounds.
00:28 If you eat more than you need, it's gonna make you hurt.
00:32 Chuck's size put him in constant pain and made it almost impossible for him to help his second wife with household duties.
00:37 With surgery and Dr. Nowzaradon's help, Chuck dropped an incredible 400 pounds in one year.
00:43 It's not been easy, but I think I'm making good progress now.
00:46 How you feel?
00:47 I'm getting skittish, but I'm good.
00:49 One at a time, there you go.
00:51 Unfortunately, his marriage didn't survive, but Chuck kept working towards his goals despite the emotional turmoil.
00:56 The last time the show checked in with him, he had started a happy new life with a new love.
01:00 I'm thankful for someone in my life I can truly lean on, and I want her to feel the same way.
01:05 Number 9, Diana Bunch.
01:07 When you're morbidly obese, everyday life, just getting through it, it is miserable.
01:14 At over 600 pounds, day-to-day tasks have become impossible for Diana.
01:18 The lymphedema and open sores on her legs kept her in agony, and she knew she couldn't keep living as she was.
01:23 Don't put me too low or I won't be able to get off.
01:26 This is where it all becomes real.
01:28 Okay.
01:30 But I don't even know what I weigh, and that's scary to face too.
01:35 Diana's niece talked her into traveling to Texas to consult with Dr. Now and start her weight loss journey.
01:40 Within just the first year, Diana lost 265 pounds, which relieved a huge amount of stress on her body and enabled her to become much more active.
01:48 It wasn't always easy, and at over 300 pounds, Diana still had joint issues and trouble getting around.
01:54 Knee surgery helped her become more mobile and continue to lose weight.
01:57 After such an incredible transformation, she treated herself to a well-deserved makeover.
02:01 I'm going to do this.
02:03 I have another month and another chance to prove myself.
02:07 Number 8, Mila Clark.
02:09 Her journey was a long and difficult one, but the results speak for themselves.
02:13 Weighing over 750 pounds, Mila had been bedridden for more than two years and relied entirely on her five children to bathe and feed her.
02:21 I have one more month before I go back to the doctor and see my progress.
02:25 So I'm pushing myself and doing everything I have to to lose another 50 pounds and get this surgery.
02:31 Just getting to Texas to see Dr. Now was a challenge.
02:34 However, Mila was determined to lose the weight and get her life back.
02:37 Her courage and persistence paid off.
02:39 Seven months ago, you had got down to 598 pounds.
02:44 And when I saw you a couple months ago, you didn't look like you lost much weight.
02:48 After multiple surgeries and years of hard work, she lost an astonishing 600 pounds and became one of Dr. Now's biggest success stories.
02:55 Now she's able to travel, enjoy life, and be the mother she wants to be.
02:59 Every time I wanted to give up hope, I thought of my kids and that gave me the motivation to keep pushing and to keep doing this.
03:06 Number 7, Marla McCants.
03:08 After years of weight gain, she'd become a prisoner in her own house.
03:12 Marla weighed around 800 pounds and suffered from a slew of health problems as a result.
03:17 I hate living like this.
03:19 I have arthritis, gout, lymphedema, diabetes.
03:25 I'll check my sugar level.
03:26 During her time on My 600-lb Life, she and Dr. Now butted heads and he wasn't afraid to show his disappointment when Marla failed to make progress.
03:33 At times, Marla's own fear and stubbornness held her back.
03:37 You're working hard.
03:38 I'm trying, Sierra. I'm trying.
03:41 You just have to get them to try once and show them that they are able.
03:46 But that stubbornness also helped her to stick to her diet and exercise program and eventually lose over 500 pounds.
03:52 Today, she looks like a different woman and she's proud to set a healthy example for the rest of her family.
03:57 Food is an addiction.
03:58 Mm-hmm.
03:59 People don't look at it as, you know, it's not. It is an addiction.
04:02 I'm gonna always have that mindset.
04:07 Number 6, Brittany Fulfer.
04:10 I don't remember a time waking up that I didn't hurt.
04:14 At only 32 years old, Brittany weighed over 600 pounds when she first appeared on the show.
04:18 Her weight left her in non-stop pain and struggling with her mental health.
04:22 She and her husband wanted to have children, but in her current condition, it was impossible.
04:26 Every single person who walks by me is looking me up and down.
04:29 Like, I'm not a person. Like, I don't have any right to be here.
04:32 I'm a person.
04:33 She had to learn to control her compulsive eating and in just two years, she was able to get down to 200 pounds.
04:39 It wasn't easy and Brittany's weight continued to fluctuate somewhat.
04:42 But after several skin removal surgeries,
04:44 she started to become proud of how her body looked for the first time.
04:47 This last year was a lot harder than I thought.
04:49 But everything I've been through has been so worth it.
04:53 Number 5, Justin McSwain.
04:56 He was so ashamed of his size, he couldn't stand to look at himself in the mirror.
05:00 And he blamed himself for his weight.
05:02 When I wake up in the morning, I'm in disbelief at how bad I've let things get.
05:07 Justin turned to food to forget about his problems.
05:09 And by the time he was 27 years old, he weighed nearly 700 pounds.
05:13 But Justin refused to give up and over the course of a year,
05:16 with a strict diet and exercise, he lost over 300 pounds.
05:20 So I'm proud of myself for my progress and to have the chance to experience new things.
05:24 Now he's able to do the things that he never thought he could,
05:26 like rock climbing and mountain biking.
05:28 His honesty about his struggles and his positive attitude are truly inspiring.
05:32 I know now that I need to take care of myself first because no one else will do that for me.
05:36 Not like I need.
05:37 And if no one does it, not even me, but I can end up back like I was.
05:42 Number 4, Olivia Cruz.
05:44 In the last seven years, I've been in and out the hospital constantly
05:50 for my illnesses and just depression.
05:56 Before her debut on My 600-lb Life, Olivia already had two weight loss surgeries.
06:01 However, the surgeries failed because she didn't follow through with the necessary diet and
06:04 exercise. In her own words, by that point she had already given up on life.
06:09 I don't want to be a burden on anybody's life,
06:11 especially my twin. I mean, it's time for me to do something.
06:16 Unable to climb a flight of stairs, she had been confined to her basement apartment for over two
06:20 years. Thanks to her own determination, her third weight loss surgery was finally successful,
06:25 giving her a fresh start on life. Since then, she's reclaimed her relationship to food by
06:30 training to become a professional chef, proving that it's never too late to pursue your dreams.
06:34 I'm getting a second chance at life. I do things that I thought I could never do before.
06:38 Simple things people take for granted.
06:40 Number 3, Melissa Morris.
06:43 The first episode of My 600-lb Life was one of the most dramatic.
06:47 Not like I set out to say, "Ooh, I want to grow up to be the world's biggest lady."
06:51 I want to be 700 pounds. It just happened.
06:56 Melissa had been overweight for her entire life,
06:59 but was in denial about how serious the problem had become. Over an incredible seven-year journey,
07:03 she's lost more than 400 pounds and achieved her dream of becoming a mom.
07:07 I'm ready to be a mom. I'm ready to have a job. Oh my gosh, I got jeans on.
07:14 You want to start moving on with your life? It's very hard on a relationship.
07:21 Of course, life is never simple, and her pregnancies, along with the responsibilities
07:24 of parenthood, resulted in her gaining over 100 pounds back. She also discovered that her
07:28 husband had been cheating on her for years. When he refused to change his ways, she kicked him to
07:32 the curb. For the longest time, I felt like I was in the wrong.
07:35 Because I mean, at 700 pounds, what do you expect?
07:38 But he did it even after I lost weight, so it's not because I was fat.
07:43 Now, she's loving life as a devoted mom, and in 2019,
07:46 she even revealed that she'd gotten a job in Dr. Nazaruddin's office.
07:49 Christina Phillips
07:52 By the time she was 17 years old, she weighed almost 400 pounds, and when she finally reached
07:57 out to Dr. Now for help, she was well over 600. It's hard because of my weight.
08:01 Just simple walking from the living room to the bedroom, I'm out of breath.
08:08 Within a year, Christina had lost 300 pounds and regained much of her independence.
08:13 Her husband didn't like her newfound mobility, and the two ended up splitting.
08:17 Another year later, Christina was down to 185 pounds and had found new love.
08:21 But you can have too much of a good thing.
08:23 Christina is in a dire situation. She's surrounded by an enabler.
08:29 I need to see you lose 30 pounds next month, get you in best shape for doing the surgery.
08:36 Dr. Now became concerned that she was losing too much too fast,
08:40 especially when she revealed that she was only eating 400 calories a day.
08:43 It took time, but eventually, Christina learned to be comfortable in her new body.
08:47 Two years ago, I would have never seen myself here.
08:49 It makes me feel like my goal is a little bit closer.
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09:07 Number 1. Amber Rakti
09:11 Constantly hurting and exhausted, living in her 650-pound body had left Amber feeling hopeless.
09:17 Sometimes I think to myself, I'm never going to change. Everything hurts. My back hurts.
09:27 My shins hurt.
09:28 Though her family and her boyfriend were supportive, she felt like a disappointment
09:32 and a failure. Knowing that she had to make changes in her life, she undertook a difficult
09:36 and stressful plane flight to visit with Dr. Now.
09:38 I overeat any time I eat. I know what's good for me, but I eat too much.
09:45 Within the first year, she lost over 260 pounds. She kept going after her time of
09:50 my 600-pound life, eventually losing over 400 pounds. Like most of the participants on this
09:54 show, Amber's mental transformation was as important as her physical changes.
09:58 She was always beautiful, but now she has the confidence to show it off.
10:02 I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep going, keep losing weight, keep getting healthier,
10:07 and not let what I see in my reflection discourage me at all.
10:10 Which transformation did you find most inspiring? Let us know in the comments.
10:14 "The feeling of freedom and possibility it comes with. And the best part is that no
10:18 matter what waits beyond the horizon or what turbulence might be waiting in my future,
10:22 at least I know I'm in charge of my journey."
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10:33 [Outro]