TLC John and Lonnie Hambrick are the subjects of tonight's Season 8 premiere of "My 600 Lb Life," which airs at 8 p.m. EST on TLC. Here's what we know about the duo.
John and Lonnie Hambrick, brothers who each weigh more than 600 pounds, are the subjects of tonight’s Season 8 premiere episode of My 600 Lb Life. The Hambrick brothers are traveling to Houston to seek out the help of celebrity bariatric surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, most commonly known as Dr. Now, to try to shed some weight and get their lives and health back on track.
The description of Season 8 Episode 1, titled “John and Lonnie’s Story,” reads, “John and Lonnie are two brothers from opposite ends of the spectrum. For years estranged, the brothers are now brought together by a common goal to lose weight while they still can.”
The highly anticipated premiere of Season 8 airs tonight, January 1, 2020 at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST on TLC. Here’s what we know about John and Lonnie ahead of tonight’s debut:
John Weighed 686 Pounds & Lonnie Weighed 612 at the Start of Their Journey With Dr. Now
In a first look at the Season 8 premiere of My 600-Lb. Life, brothers John, 35, and Lonnie, 36, take their first steps toward leading healthier lives, which included finding out their weight and beginning a diet plan with Dr. Now to start shedding some weight. Lonnie is 612.7 pounds at the start of his journey, while his brother John weighs in at 686.5 pounds.
“Neither of us have ever been able to get weight loss surgery and it’s gonna take something drastic like that to give me a John a fighting chance to lose all the weight we need,” Lonnie says as the pair visit with Dr. Now and look into the possibly of getting gastric bypass surgery.
Lonnie says he wasn’t shocked by his weight, but that he felt disappointed “because that’s my highest weight yet.” He is also worried about his brother’s weight because John’s “always been the bigger one,” according to the reality star.
John & Lonnie Have Dealt With Food Addiction Since They Were Kids
John and Lonnie have always relied on food, now they’re looking to make a huge life change. Follow their weight loss journey on the season premiere of #My600lbLife TOMORROW at 8/7c.
Both brothers struggled with food since they were very young children. By the time John was 8-years-old, he was already tipping the scales at 200 pounds, and he notes in a clip from tonight’s episode that “Lonnie wasn’t too far behind me.” John adds that both he and Lonnie started to “look at food even more for that happy and safe feeling,” after their mother remarried.
“Our stepdad gave me all kinds of hell because I was always different,” Lonnie says, revealing that after he came out as gay to his religious mother as a teenager, she just “brushed it off.”
“I basically decided to stay in the closet after that. Only my brother knew but I tried to hide my sexuality so I wouldn’t disappoint my mom,” he says. “So eating is what got me through that time. It was the only thing I could control in my life and that made me happy and felt happy. So I just kept eating and getting bigger.”
The Hambrick brothers also had a rocky relationship growing up after Lonnie came out, but the two are closer than ever these days. Lonnie told People that his favorite part of their weight loss journey are his “daily phone calls” with John.
Both Brothers Struggled to Adjust Their Diets in the Beginning
During an interview with People, John and Lonnie shared that the hardest change they had to make revolved around their diets, including finding the right foods to eat and attempting to become more active, despite their extra weight.
“Eating is really hard now but now I’m able to eat the right foods and I’m more active,” John told People. Lonnie added, “the hardest part for me was learning to eat less.”
Lonnie also had some advice for fans who are attempting to change their own eating habits and lifestyle: “If you fall don’t just stop, get back up and keep going. The key to think about is it’s a journey, so if you have a day tomorrow, you will do better. Never give up.”
Be sure to tune in Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST on TLC to catch new episodes of My 600 Lb Life. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out this author’s profile for all of your reality TV coverage, and more!
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John & Lonnie on My 600 Lb Life Season 8 Episode 1