Facebook Cynthia Wells weighed 610 pounds when she first appeared on TLC's hit series "My 600-lb Life" in 2016. Click here for an update on the reality star today.
Cynthia Wells weighed 610 pounds when she first appeared on TLC’s hit reality series My 600-lb Life in 2016. The mother of five decided to seek out the help of celebrity bariatric surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan after realizing she wouldn’t live long enough to watch her children grow up if she didn’t do something about her weight.
TLC is airing a re-run of Cynthia’s episode at 8 p.m. ET tonight, so fans might be wondering where she is today and what she’s been up to since her episodes aired. The description of the episode, titled “Cynthia’s Story,” reads, “Cynthia is a 610-lb single mother raising five kids. She’s been focused on her children, but now realizes what her death would mean for them. As she battles her emotions and the pressures of life, she is forced to fight harder to save her own life.”
The network will also be airing Cynthia’s followup episode after her Season 5 rerun, so fans will get a double dose of Cynthia on July 29. Here’s what we know about the reality star, her experience with Dr. Now, and where she is today. (Warning: some spoilers on Cynthia’s story ahead! Turn back now if you don’t want anything ruined for you before the episode airs!):
Cynthia Became Motivated to Lose Weight in Order to Watch Her Children Grow Up
In the clip above, Cynthia explains that her motivation for losing weight and getting her life and health back on track has everything to do with her children, and her love of watching her daughter dance. Ukiah, Cynthia’s daughter, talks about how much she loves dancing and that she has a festival coming up, which she hopes her mother can make it to. However, Cynthia tells Ukiah that she can’t come due her issues with mobility.
“I want to be out there with my kids, that’s what a parent is supposed to do,” Cynthia says during a confessional. “I want to see them do things, I’m proud of them. I want to be there when they look up at the stands because kids need that, that makes them go harder.” She adds, “It’s just too much walking, I can’t do it. [Ukiah’s] a dancer, she performs, and I can’t make it to her performances. I know she’s amazing but I don’t get to see what they see. That’s something that I should be able to do.”
Cynthia breaks down crying and tells the cameras, “I’ve never seen her practice before, she’s been dancing since she was in kindergarten. I want to be able to see everything she does. I see that I’m harming them as much as I’m harming me because I’m not letting them live to their full potential as well. They just sacrifice because they love me and they don’t argue and gripe about it. But I’m missing their whole childhood.”
She Has Continued to Lose Weight Despite Quitting Dr. Now’s Program
Although the reality star struggled to cope with Dr. Now’s strict diet and weight loss program, she was eventually cleared to undergo gastric sleeve surgery, and was able to drop 156 pounds. Sadly, Cynthia didn’t agree with Dr. Now’s requirement that she see a therapist about her food dependency, so she quit his program and vowed to lose weight on her own.
“I’ve decided to stop trying to live up to everyone’s expectations for me, including Dr. Nowzaradan,” she said at the time. “I’ve decided if he’s pushing me for therapy, I don’t need to see him right now. (I don’t) need him trying to make connections that aren’t there. He can’t help me at this point. I just think I have to do it on my own right now.”
Cynthia was true to her word and continued to lose weight following her debut episode, after she moved back to Oklahoma. She was featured in a followup Where Are They Now? episode, where she revealed that she was finally weighing in at the 300-lb range and was overjoyed to be more actively involved in her children’s lives. Cynthia stated that her ultimate goal was to continue losing enough weight to qualify for a skin-removal surgery.
The reality star occasionally updates fans on her life through her Facebook page, although she doesn’t often give go into detail about her weight loss progress. However, it appears she is still attempting to lose weight based on her profile photos. You can follow Cynthia on Facebook by clicking here.
My 600 Lb Life airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. EST on TLC. You can find more coverage and updates on the cast and subjects here.
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