Facebook Dominic Hernandez, star of the hit reality series "My 600-lb Life."
Dominic Hernandez weighs 672 pounds and is living out of a van with his brother when viewers first meet the pair on My 600 Lb Life. The TLC episode follows Dominic during his journey with celebrity bariatric surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, who attempts to help the homeless California native shed some weight and regain control of his life.
The TLC description of Dominic’s Season 8 episode, which aired in late March, reads, “Dominic’s life is falling apart due to his food addiction. At over 600-lbs, living in a van with his brother, Dominic decides to leave California for Texas, where only Dr. Now can help him learn to face life’s challenges without using food to cope.”
Here’s what we know about the reality star, his journey with Dr. Now, and where he is today. (Warning: some spoilers on Dominic’s story ahead! Turn back now if you don’t want anything ruined for you before the episode airs!)
Dominic Didn’t Lose Enough to Qualify for Weight Loss Surgery During His Journey With Dr. Now
Homeless and living in a van, Dominic and his brother face unique challenges when it comes to their weight-loss goals. Follow their story tonight at 8/7c on #My600lbLife.
When we first meet Dominic and his brother, the reality star explains that they became homeless shortly after their mother passed away and they lost possession of her house. Dominic had been dealing with his food addiction since he was a child; the reality star turned to food as a coping mechanism after his father abandoned them, and by the time he was in his 20s, he weighed well over 500 pounds. Dominic was 672 pounds when he first started working with Dr. Now, and sadly, he doesn’t make much progress during his time in Dr. Now’s program.
Although the doctor gave Dominic a modest weight loss goal due to the stress of his living situation, Dominic did meet the standards by his first weigh in – Dominic only lost 26 pounds when he met with Dr. Now, so the doc encourages him to talk to a therapist about his childhood trauma while he continues to diet. “I’m glad Dominic has made some progress, but he still seems to lack overall motivation to turn his life around,” Dr. Now tells the cameras.
In the end, Dominic does not get more motivated, despite therapy and Dr. Now’s modest expectations. The reality star ends up gaining three pounds back by his next appointment, putting his total weight loss at 23 pounds. His final weight was 650.1 pounds, and Dr. Now dropped him from the program, though he did tell him he can come back if he “get’s serious and starts losing.”
He Started a GoFundMe Account to Help With Medical & Living Expenses in Texas
These days, Dominic and his brother are still living in Houston, according to Dominic’s Facebook page, so we have a feeling he might still be working with Dr. Now to lose weight (maybe we’ll even see a followup episode in the near future?). By the end of his episode, Dominic and his brother James had made some progress with their living situation and were able to find affordable housing in Texas, and James was even able to find some work.
Although the reality star is no longer living in his van, he and his brother appear to still be struggling with money. Dominic posted a link to a GoFundMe account, which was launched on March 15, so it looks like he’s still trying to get back on his feet. The page has raised $1,055 of the $30,000 goal so far.
“Hello my name is Dominic and my life is falling apart due to my food addiction,” the description on the GoFundMe page reads. “At over 600-lbs, living in a van with my brother, we decided to leave California for Texas, where I tryed [sic] to get help from Dr Now. With his help I learned to face life’s challenges without using food to cope. Now I need some stability in my life before I can get the surgery, so I’m raising fuds [sic] to help get a stable place to live and help with medical expenses thank you for help.”
You can follow Dominic on Facebook, where he periodically updates fans on his life today. The reality star also occasionally interacts with his followers and re-posts the link to the GoFundMe page.
My 600 Lb Life airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. EST on TLC. You can find more coverage on the Season 8 cast and subjects here.
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