Lupe Samano Update on My 600-lb Life: Where is She Today?

Facebook Lupe Samano, star of TLC's "My 600-lb Life," was nearly 600 pounds and bedridden for 12 years before she reached out to Dr. Now for help losing weight.

Lupe Samano first appeared on TLC’s hit reality series My 600-lb Life back in 2016, during Season 4 of the show. The reality star weighed 642 pounds and had been bedridden for 12 years while her husband acted as her sole caregiver. She decided to seek out the help of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan to shed some weight and regain control of her life after realizing how close she was to an early grave.

TLC is airing a re-run of Lupe’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 episode first aired. The (unusually short) description of the episode, titled “Lupe’s Story,” reads, “Lupe, almost 600 pounds, is confined to bed and dependent on her husband.”

The network will also be airing Lupe’s followup episode after her Season 4 rerun, so fans will get a double dose of the reality star on September 16. Here’s what we know about Lupe, her weight loss journey, and where she is today. (Warning: some spoilers on Lupe’s story ahead! Turn back now if you don’t want anything ruined for you before the episode airs!):

Lupe’s Food Addiction Began at an Early Age After She Was Abandoned By Her Father

As is often the case with many My 600-lb Life stars, Lupe’s issues with food addiction and weight gain began at an early age, after her father abandoned Lupe and her sister in a bathtub and never returned. She remained in the tub for hours waiting for her father to come back, and when he didn’t, she turned to food as a coping mechanism to deal with the trauma. According to The Cinemaholic, by the time Lupe weighed 500 pounds by the time she was a teenager, and when she reached her 20s, she went into a diabetic coma.

By the time Lupe was 39 years old, she had been confined to her bed for 12 years and was completely dependent on her husband to help feed, bathe and take care of her personal needs. When she realized just how close she was to losing her life, Lupe decided to make a change and join Dr. Now’s rigorous weight loss program. Although she struggled to adjust to his strict diet and exercise program at first, Lupe eventually adjusted to the new lifestyle change and was able to lose enough weight to be approved for gastric bypass surgery.

Lupe worked incredibly hard throughout her journey and by the end of both her debut and followup episodes, the reality star had lost an astonishing 400 pounds. However, she dealt with plenty of obstacles along the way, including a rocky, tumultuous relationship with her husband Gilbert. Her episode featured a particularly disturbing incident where Gilbert forced Lupe to be intimate with him because of his sexual “needs,” which caused her stitches to tear and led to an infection.

Lupe is Down to 220 Pounds & She Frequently Updates Fans on Her Weight Loss Journey Through Facebook

These days, Lupe is continuing to focus on her health and fitness; she was down to 220 pounds as of October, 2019, according to social media. The reality star frequently updates fans on her progress through Facebook, where she shares before and after pictures of her weight loss journey. After a fan shared a YouTube video of Lupe’s journey last year, Lupe reminisced about how far she’d come over the years, despite the challenges she faced.

“Sometimes I feel like a failure… sometimes I feel I [haven’t] accomplished nothing in life, but after watching this, I can honestly say I’ve come [a long] way. I’ve accomplished a whole lot!” she wrote. “I might not be [where] I want to be, but I’m not [where] I [used] to be, so I thank God for the strength he has given me to make it through every trial and tribulation I have had to face.”

As for her husband Gilbert? She kicked him to the curb shortly after her first episode aired, and  went on to find love with a man named Andrew Renteria in 2017. Unfortunately, Lupe was dealt another tragic blow in 2019 after Andrew, who suffered from kidney problems and was on dialysis, died unexpectedly and left Lupe alone and single once more.

Lupe was also moved to a nursing facility shortly after Andrew’s death, but despite the many tragic obstacles she faced, the reality star has continued to lose weight over the last few years. She recently underwent surgery to remove her excess skin, and she is still working hard to stay fit, active and healthy while she mourns the death of her boyfriend and parents.

If you’re interested in following Lupe’s ongoing weight loss journey and progress, you can follow her on Facebook here. In the meantime, 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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