See the Stars of ‘My 600-Lb Life’ After Weight Loss: Chris Parsons, Mark Rutland and More

Chris Parsons

Chris weighed 620 pounds when he made his debut on season 11 of My 600-Lb. Life. After realizing he was making good progress without it, Chris opted to forgo weight loss surgery, and instead lost 250 pounds with dietary changes and exercise alone.

“I strongly believe that if you can do it without major surgery, you should,” Chris said during a March 2023 interview with Distractify. “If you can naturally lose weight, I believe that is the healthiest option.”

Wess Schulze

The Texas native, who weighed more than 700 pounds at his heaviest, had lost nearly 230 pounds just 12 months after he began following Dr. Now’s program.

In a February 2024 Instagram post, Wess shared that he was down 400 pounds total. “This is my body and it’s beautiful,” he captioned a photo of his progress so far. “Unfiltered. Unedited. Real.”

Mark Rutland

Mark Rutland is another season 11 participant who decided to skip bariatric surgery. The Florida native, who weighed 715 pounds when he appeared on the TLC show, had shed nearly 160 pounds less than a year into his weight loss journey.

He told Distractify during a March 2023 interview that he felt like he had “found purpose again” in his life following his dramatic weight loss. “I am going to keep working hard and tackle this beast head on,” he added.

Marla McCants

We first met Marla McCants back in 2015 on the season finale of the hit series. The Nashville native recalled being kidnapped and held hostage by her ex-boyfriend — which is when her weight spiraled out of control to nearly 800 pounds.

“My weight has condemned me to this bed,” she said during her episode.

These days, Marla is active on social media, often posting selfies and inspirational quotes. During an interview with Sister Circle in December 2019, it was revealed the gorgeous mama lost a whopping 560 pounds in two years.

“I never want to go back to that place,” she shared on the show. “The way I was treated. I never want to go back there. It’s lonely.”

Now, Marla is a motivational speaker and health advocate based out of Tennessee.

Robin McKinley

Many fans have expressed how inspired they are by Robin McKinley‘s strength. After losing her sister to complications brought on by obesity, Robin was determined to get healthy with her nephew Garrett Rogers: together they weighed more than 1,200 pounds.

The TV personality managed to drop down to 394 pounds after having successful surgery and we haven’t seen the last of her yet! In 2020, she teased a future appearance on Where Are They Now?

Her nephew also made some big strides with his weight loss journey. With the help of Dr. Nowzaradan, he went from 607 pounds to 337 after the surgeon mentioned how he was “on track to [become] the world’s heaviest person.”

Together, he and Robin shed 42 percent of their body fat, which is no small feat! By the end of his episode, Garrett was able to start training so he could pursue job opportunities as a welder.

Robin is still married to husband James McKinley and shared the above before-and-after photo showcasing her weight loss, writing in the caption, “What a difference nine years can make.”

Christina Phillips

Christina was 708 pounds when she first appeared on the show in 2014. After getting gastric bypass surgery, she dropped to 183 pounds. However, in her 2016 Where Are They Now? special, the TLC alum admitted to still feeling like she was 700 pounds and often went days without eating if she gained any weight.

“My fear of gaining weight has crippled me,” she said in 2016. “But I have to move past that fear if I want to live my life.”

She has since welcomed a baby boy named Ethan in February 2021. “I know it’s been almost a year since my last update,” Christina wrote in July of that year. “I had Ethan in February and he’s been the greatest thing to ever happen to me.”

Nicole Lewis 

Being raised by drug-addicted parents, Nicole Lewis‘ only comfort growing up was food, which led her, at just 23 years old, to tip the scales at more than 700 pounds. “Even as a toddler, I remember food was what made me happy,” she said on her episode of the show.

“When I was little, me and my mom never really got along because she had a really bad temper and would explode on me for things that I just didn’t understand. And when that happened, I would always run to the garage, because my dad would be out there working on something. So, I would just sit with him, and he would give me a snack. And that was safety.”

By the time she reached her early teens, Nicole weighed more than 200 pounds, and when her parents’ drug addiction worsened, her weight increased rapidly. These days, things are looking up for Nicole. She’s taking care of her two children with her fiancé, Charlie, and actively updates fans on her Facebook page. “Im sooo in love with you!” she wrote in March 2018. “Your [sic] my forever, 5 years strong my love. No one has ever made me feel the way you do.”

Diana Bunch 

Weighing in at more than 600 pounds, Diana Bunch faced extreme lymphedema (swelling) in her legs, as well as open sores and blisters. As viewers watched her journey unfold, they came to learn that she was molested as a child by two older boys. At the time of her abuse, she was unable to turn to food as comfort, as her mother insisted on strict dieting. As a teen, she only weighed 115 pounds.

However, when she went off on her own, the addiction spiraled. It was so out of control, that she was discharged from the Air Force. As Diana continued to reflect on her struggle, she came to realize that her childhood was definitely a root cause.

Fortunately, Diana was able to turn her circumstances around and nowadays, she’s living a positive, healthy life! After appearing on the TLC reality show, Diana lost 265 pounds from a gastric sleeve surgery that removed 70 percent of her stomach.

Tara Taylor 

Tara Taylor not only shed more than half of her body weight, but she also got engaged. Fans remember meeting Tara as a 606-pound woman who struggled to walk and breathe while experiencing severe joint pain. Viewers saw a miserable Tara admit that she had no social life because of her excess weight … she’d never even been on a date.

She ended up dating Eugene Perkins, whom she met on her Where Are They Now? episode, and he popped the question in October 2015. However, since then, they have split. “I’m a single mom,” her Facebook bio reads. “I love listening to music, animals, and being the best mom that I can be.”

And when it came to keeping the weight off, Tara revealed that she’s still careful about her eating and exercise habits. “Now that I have lost the weight, this is a whole new world for me,” she revealed. “The reason I am willing to give Eugene a chance is that he is a good man.” She was even open with him about her new healthy lifestyle. “I have to be careful about what I eat,” she said. “If it’s not healthy or it’s too much food, I’m not going to do it.”

In June 2022, Tara shared a cute photo of her two teenage children giving each other a huge.

Janine Mueller

At the time of her episode, Janine Mueller found herself at her heaviest at about 629 pounds. She decided it was time to finally take her life into her own hands and booked a flight to Houston to meet with Dr. Now. Once under his care, he suggested that Janine follow a strict 1200-calorie diet in order to lose 100 pounds before she can qualify for the surgery, but she struggled to control her eating habits.

When she returned to Dr. Now’s office to track her progress, she found out that she had actually gained weight, so he admitted her into the hospital so that she could be put on a controlled diet. During her hospital stay, Janine lost 118 pounds, but she still struggled with her new diet.

Dr. Now approved her for a gastric balloon surgery and when her episode ended, Janine weighed 566 pounds. But since then, Janine has continued to lose weight, showing off her much trimmer figure in a February 2020 photo. Now, she works as an independent consultant with her own services: Paparazzi Accessories.

Laura Perez

She was 541 pounds when she first appeared on the show in 2015. After dropping 300 pounds, the show revisited her for a Where Are They Now? special in 2016 where she revealed she was trying to lose 80 more pounds. Since her transformation, Laura Perez, who now goes by the name Angelika, confessed that her marriage felt strained and that her husband at the time, with whom she shares two children, was “jealous” of her weight loss.

However, by August 2022, Laura, who still lives in San Antonio, Texas, had listed herself as single on her Facebook page.

Amber Rachdi

Amber Rachdi weighed 660 pounds when she first appeared on the show in 2015, and today she has lost more than 400 pounds.

“On #my600lblife I couldn’t climb into my parents’ minivan without a step stool,” she wrote on Twitter under a picture of herself climbing a tree. “Feels like lifetimes ago.”

She also has an active Facebook where she answers viewers’ questions about her weight loss progress. In July 2022, she shared “a bunch of selfies” to “remind myself it’s OK to post imperfect pictures because, like everyone, I am an imperfect human.”

Paula Jones

In 2014, Paula Jones was 533 pounds and fearful of dying and leaving her children without a mother. After undergoing surgery, she dropped to 269 pounds over a span of a year.

Today, she continues to live her new healthy lifestyle and shares photos on Instagram of herself at the gym. In early 2018, she also cohosted a weight loss and empowerment summit in Atlanta.

In 2022, her son was involved in a scary motorcycle accident. “This is major and he can barely move!” she wrote at the time. “So me, I ate! Nope not the best way to handle it but that’s my go to…I acknowledge that I need to do better and get better coping skills but no need to beat myself up right now.”

Charity Pierce

Charity Pierce was 778 pounds before undergoing gastric bypass surgery, as well as subsequent surgeries to remove large masses from her legs and 38 pounds of skin.

Today, she’s dropped 500 pounds and is active on Facebook where she continues to document her weight loss journey. In March 2020, Charity gave fans a sad update, revealing that she had kidney cancer, leading her to having her kidney removed. That September, her daughter shared an update saying that Charity was “away” to “better herself,” before adding that she’s “doing great now.”

June McCamey

Before June McCamey got gastric bypass surgery, she weighed almost 600 pounds and ate fast food every day. After the surgery, she dropped to 389 pounds. In 2016, she shared with her followers that “being in love with me is a beautiful feeling.”

Today, June is continuing her weight loss regimen. However, in March 2022, June revealed that she was “homeless” in a Facebook update, adding that she was exhausted “mentally, emotionally and physically.”

Melissa D. Morris

When Melissa D. Morris first appeared on the show, she was 653 pounds. After gastric bypass surgery, she lost 500 pounds and used her new weight loss to do what she always wanted to do — have children. However, after having two kids, she realized how hard it was to stay fit while raising kids.

“I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be when you have kids and have food for them around you all day long,” she said during her Where Are They Now? special that aired in 2016. “It’s hard to stick to a diet.”

The TLC alum is a busy mom, but she does post on social media via Twitter and Instagram. In November 2021, she shared a powerful message with her followers, writing, “16 [years] ago on 17th, 2005 I had my very first 8 hour appointment with Dr. Younan Nowzaradan he had faith that day he could get me to lose 75 [percent] of my excess body weight and he said I was sure to have a baby.”

“I knew that day if he took a chance on me and gave me the surgery I so desperately wanted that I would do EVERYTHING in my power to do my part. I now have 3 Beautiful children and have managed to keep off over 80 [percent] of my weight,” she added.

In September 2022, she shared a full-body photo of herself, saying, “My weight has stayed the same for the last 6 years – after the birth of my 3 baby!”

Penny Saeger

Perhaps one of the most controversial people featured on the show, Penny became infamous for being the only person on the show to not successfully lose weight after surgery. The show’s surgeon, Dr. Now, accused her of being “delusional” for refusing to follow her strict diet or curb her portion control. When the show visited her again for the Where Are They Now? special, Penny admitted that “not much has changed,” but that she lost 35 pounds.

According to her Facebook, Penny is living in Maryland and raising her son. Her current weight is unknown.

Donald Shelton

During Donald Shelton‘s 2012 episode, which documented his weight loss journey for four years, Donald was 675 pounds and slimmed down to 295 pounds after surgery. However, halfway into his weight loss journey, he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre disease, which made him too weak to walk. He eventually gained back 200 pounds, but after breaking his wheelchair, decided to make a new effort to lose weight and keep it off.

Donald was still bound to his chair, but he made progress on his weight loss. 

Zsalynn Whitworth

In 2014, Zsalynn Whitworth weighed more than 600 pounds and was so desperate to earn money for gastric bypass surgery, that she started modeling for “fat fetish” websites. After successfully getting the surgery and dropping 300 pounds, she confessed during her 2015 Where Are They Now? special that she and her husband got a divorce.

 “Gareth hasn’t found much good in my changes,” she said on the show. “It’s time for us to admit it’s over.”

Zsalynn dropped even more weight after having 52 pounds of excess skin removed from her body, and she has since found new love, per Starcasm. These days, she also documents her weight loss progress on Facebook. Sharing a photo of her leftovers from a meal, including eggs and potatoes, in January 2020. Zsalynn shared in the comments that “it is so much for a single person” after her “gastric bypass.”

Brittani Fulfer

Brittani Fulfer was 605 pounds when she appeared on the show in 2016 and was desperate to lose weight so that she could have a sex life again with her husband.

“I don’t walk around naked because I am afraid that he will be absolutely disgusted if he sees me and that he will never look at me the same way again,” she said on the show.

After dropping more than 200 pounds via gastric bypass surgery, Brittani is now happily enjoying life with her husband. She has an active Facebook where she answers questions from fans and posts inspirational quotes.

“Me on my birthday a couple weeks ago!” she wrote in September 2018 alongside a photo of her progress. “3 years ago I weighed 600 lbs. Now I am stronger, healthier, and more alive than I thought was ever possible! Am I skinny? Nope! Am I okay with that? Yep! My goal is to be healthy not skinny! Remember to love yourself today! Be blessed!”

Chuck Turner

In his 2014 episode, Chuck Turner was 693 pounds and lost 433 pounds after gastric bypass surgery. His new weight loss made him more physically able to do the work needed to run his tow truck business. And in 2015, Chuck, who is divorced, revealed that he was looking for love.

Currently, Chuck shares heartfelt quotes on his Facebook page, and his truck towing business appears to be doing well and thriving.

Kirsten Perez

The season 5 star began her weight loss journey at 512 pounds and with the help of famed Dr. Now, Kirsten Perez dropped 170 pounds and appeared to lose even more after her time on the show ended. After moving to Houston, Texas, in 2016, she settled into her new home state of Washington, where she appears to reside now.

Cillas Givens

The season 7 star tipped the scale at 729 pounds, but he managed to have quite the comeback story. By the end of his reality TV debut, Cillas Givens had lost an astonishing 388 pounds, bringing him down to 341 and beginning a bright new future for him and his wife, Jessica. They have since moved to Fairview, Oklahoma, in July 2021, where he started a new job, per his latest life updates on Facebook. 

Octavia Nichelle

Remember her from season 7 as well? Octavia Nichelle weighed 692 pounds and was bedbound when viewers first met her. Now, she looks like a new woman!

“I struggled with posting this picture. I cried when taking the before picture. I didn’t want people to see me like this,” she captioned a before-and-after shot in August 2021, celebrating her strides. “I remember my buddy and favorite cameraman said you want to see how far you’ve come. I get it now! No one can take away what God has blessed me with. I’m not doing unhealthy things to lose weight faster. I’m doing MY best. Slow and steady wins the race. Be blessed.”