Where Is the “My 600-Lb. Life” Cast Now? All About Their Lives After Shedding 1,000s of Lbs.
- - Where Is the “My 600-Lb. Life” Cast Now? All About Their Lives After Shedding 1,000s of Lbs.
Lynsey EidellJanuary 10, 2026 at 5:30 AM
0
TLC; Christina Phillips/Instagram
Christina Phillips -
My 600-Lb. Life first debuted on TLC in 2012
The series follows morbidly obese individuals along their weight loss journeys who seek the help of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan
Many contestants have lost weight, while several have died
My 600-Lb. Life has been featuring morbidly obese individuals as they embark on life-changing weight loss journeys since 2012.
The hit TLC reality series, which concluded its 13th season in February 2025, has followed dozens of patients — most of whom are over 600 lbs., have difficulty caring for themselves and are facing life-or-death health complications as a result of their weight. They seek the help of Houston-based bariatric surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan to lose drastic amounts of weight and embrace a healthier lifestyle.
Each episode focuses on an individual patient as they battle with various weight-related struggles — from food and substance addictions to mobility problems to life-threatening health issues. “Dr. Now” and his infamous “tough-love” approach help many of the individuals lose enough weight to receive bariatric surgery. My 600-Lb. Life follows patients for anywhere from six months to two years, chronicling their weight loss journeys.
“My job is not to get aggravated, but to find a way to motivate them to work hard to get to their goals,” Dr. Nowzaradan told PEOPLE in May 2017. “There are times where I think it’s necessary for some tough love and I have to be stern with them, so I show some of my concern and frustration.”
After filming stops, some of Dr. Now’s patients keep up with their success, shedding hundreds of pounds in total. Others, however, fall back into their old habits — and several of the contestants have died.
Here's everything to know about where many of the My 600-Lb. Life participants are now.
01 of 20
Melissa Morris, Season 1
TLC; Melissa Morris/Instagram
Melissa Morris
Melissa Morris’ weight loss journey was the very first chronicled on the TLC series. When viewers first met her, she weighed 653 lbs. and had dreams of becoming a mother. After receiving bariatric surgery from Dr. Nowzaradan, Morris’ weight dropped to 157 lbs. — and she went on to have three children, sons Elijah and Austin and daughter Allona.
Since her episode aired in February 2012, Morris has managed to keep off 80 percent of her weight, according to her Instagram. Now divorced from her husband, she is raising her three children as a single mom — and in January 2024, Morris took them to visit Dr. Now, the man who she credits with changing her life.
“Thank you Dr. Now for giving me this amazing life to look forward towards everyday,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of her three kids and Dr. Now. “I love and respect you more than words can express.”
02 of 20
Zsalynn Whitworth, Season 2
TLC; Zsalynn Whitworth/Instagram
Zsalynn Whitworth
When Zsalynn Whitworth appeared on My 600-Lb. Life, she was nearly 600 lbs. and married to a man with a "physical preference" for larger women. After weight loss and skin removal surgeries, she dropped to 250 lbs. — despite her husband not supporting her goals.
During her 2015 Where Are They Now? episode, Whitworth revealed that she and her husband had divorced because he hadn’t “found much good in my changes.” She has kept her weight down since her surgery with Dr. Now, writing on Instagram in December 2023 that her health journey is “forever a real thing.”
Whitworth currently lives in San Antonio with her daughter, Hannah, and runs a T-shirt business, according to her Instagram.
03 of 20
Christina Phillips, Season 2
TLC; Christina Phillips/Instagram
Christina Phillips
When Christina Phillips appeared on season 2 of My 600-Lb. Life, she was 22 years old and hadn’t left her home in Mississippi in two years due to her weight, which was 708 lbs. After receiving gastric bypass surgery with Dr. Now, Phillips had a staggering weight loss of 540 lbs., bringing her weight down to 183 lbs.
“It’s been pretty amazing having my life back. I’m able to do so much more now. It’s pretty great,” she told PEOPLE in May 2017, adding that found joy in the simplest of tasks — which were once impossible for her to do independently.
She continued, “I’m so much more happier now. Being able to wake up in the morning and get out of bed without feeling like I’m gonna die, I thank God every morning for that. I am so blessed to have a second chance at life.”
Since appearing on the show, Phillips has welcomed three children: Sons Ethan and Ezra and a daughter named Arya. She also takes care of her nephew, TJ, per her Instagram.
04 of 20
Paula Jones, Season 2
TLC; Paula Jones/Instagram
Paula Jones
Paula Jones was a young widow with four children when she turned to Dr. Now for weight loss help in season 2 of My 600-Lb. Life. After gastric bypass surgery and excess skin removal, Jones dropped more than 400 lbs. — allowing her to be more active and present with her children.
In the years since her 2014 episode aired, Jones has maintained her weight loss and is considered one of Dr. Now’s success stories. She posted pictures of her continued transformation to her Facebook page in February 2022, writing “I did this!!! Mic drop!”
Jones is currently embracing life as a grandmother, frequently posting everything from cooking content to proud selfies on her Instagram account.
05 of 20
Amber Rachdi, Season 3
TLC; Amber Rachdi/Instagram
Amber Rachdi
Amber Rachdi, who uses they/them pronouns, was 22 years old and 660 lbs. when they appeared on My 600-Lb. Life in 2015. After receiving gastric bypass surgery from Dr. Now, the Oregon native lost nearly 400 lbs.
According to an Instagram post from January 2024, Rachdi works in IT and has “never made a dime as an influencer,” despite having over 400,000 followers. They recently started semaglutide injections, upping their weight loss to 470 lbs., per a December 2025 post.
06 of 20
Joe Wexler, Season 3
TLC; Joe Wexler/Facebook
Joe Wexler
Joe Wexler underwent one of the most drastic transformations in the history of My 600-Lb. Life: The Tennessee native went from 777 lbs. to 304 lbs. during his time on the show.
Following his appearance on the show, Wexler got married to a woman named Sarah, whom he met in an online weight loss support group; they divorced in 2019.
He is currently remarried and living in Tennessee with his wife and teenage stepchild, per his Facebook.
07 of 20
Nikki Webster, Season 4
TLC; Nikki Webster/Instagram
Nikki Webster
At 649 lbs., Nikki Webster’s weight “became debilitating," she told PEOPLE ahead of her 2016 My 600-Lb. Life episode. As a result, she traveled from Little Rock, Ark., to Texas to see Dr. Now — who helped her lose 450 lbs. over the next two years.
“It has been the hardest two years of my life, but it’s been the most victorious and exciting,” she told PEOPLE in May 2017.
Since her time on the show, Webster has said the most difficult part of her weight loss journey has been “balancing and being consistent,” she told PEOPLE in May 2017. Helping her stay successful is her husband, Marc Gray, whom she married in 2017.
The couple share a Shih Tzu and Webster runs an Etsy shop selling handmade earrings.
08 of 20
Chad Dean, Season 4
TLC; facebook
Chad Ddean
Chad Dean went from 701 lbs. to 295 lbs. after receiving weight loss surgery from Dr. Now. The husband and father of two, who moved from upstate New York to Texas to appear on the show, told PEOPLE in May 2017 that the process was "a life-changing situation."
“I’m going to dedicate my life to living the way I’m supposed to live, which is the dieting and eating right,” he shared following his appearance on the reality show.
Dean chronicled his weight loss journey in a 2019 memoir titled I’m In Here Somewhere: Memoir of a Food Addict.
09 of 20
Doug Armstrong, Season 5
Doug Armstrong
Doug Armstrong met Dr. Now when he was at his heaviest (nearly 700 lbs.). After receiving bariatric surgery, Armstrong — who is now a father of five — has kept up with his weight loss journey. He provided fans with a since-deleted update on his Facebook page in August 2023, revealing that he had reached his “goal weight” after eight years.
“As of today I’m am actually at my 'goal' weight from the start of my journey. I started at 698 roughly 8 years ago, and am currently 385, down 315 lbs.” he wrote in the post. “I’m gonna work everyday for the rest of my life to maintain this. I’m never done. I honestly don’t even know that guy anymore, and I’m ok with that.”
10 of 20
Alicia Kirgan, Season 6
TLC; instagram
Alicia Kirgan
Alicia Kirgan was able to lose 366 lbs. with the help of Dr. Now, dropping from 622 lbs. to 256 lbs. — a weight she hadn’t seen since middle school, she shared on an update episode of My 600-Lb. Life.
Since her season 6 episode, Kirgan moved to Oregon in 2021, according to her Instagram, and welcomed a daughter named Aylen Nicole in November 2022, per her Facebook.
“This was something I never expected since I had given up the idea of children years ago,” she wrote in a Facebook post announcing her pregnancy. “I could have never imagined living the life I am now!”
11 of 20
Octavia Nichelle, Season 7
TLC; instagram
Octavia Nichelle
One of Octavia Nichelle’s greatest achievements since appearing on season 7 of My 600-Lb. Life — where she lost more than 230 lbs. — has been receiving her high school diploma in May 2024 at the age of 48.
“I’ve held this shame for many years,” she wrote on Instagram. “When I was 17, I quit school ... I tried going back when I was 19. I quit again. I’ve spent my life quitting. When I think back to it, I had to finish my first quit. Through God’s grace I finished! I’m so grateful for those who supported me along the way.”
12 of 20
Brianne Dias, Season 7
TLC; instagram
Brianne Dias
Brianne Dias’ weight loss journey has featured many ups and downs: She lost nearly 400 lbs. on My 600-Lb. Life, but developed life-threatening blood clots after her skin removal surgery. She also separated from her husband, Rick, during filming.
Brianne has since remarried and given birth to a baby boy, according to posts on her Instagram.
13 of 20
Justin McSwain, Season 7
TLC; instagram
Justin McSwain
One of My 600-Lb. Life’s best success stories is Justin McSwain. When he met Dr. Now, he was 687 lbs. and suffering from debilitating anxiety and agoraphobia. After undergoing weight loss surgery, he lost more than 450 lbs. — and went from not fitting into an SUV to speaking at weight loss surgery conferences.
“Every day I’m more thankful for my improved physical and mental health that allows me to embrace the world outside my bedroom,” he wrote on Instagram in July 2023. “The fight to maintain weight loss is ongoing, but it's worth every effort. Life is beautiful.”
14 of 20
Brandon Scott, Season 7
TLC; instagram
Brandon Scott
Brandon Scott’s relationship with his girlfriend, Taylor Kunce, was almost ruined because of his addiction to food. After losing 400 lbs. on My 600-Lb. Life, Scott proposed to Kunce on the show, and the two wed in October 2020, per his Instagram.
Scott continues to chronicle his weight loss efforts on his social media — which is where he also showcases his music. Since his weight loss surgery, the Christian musician has released several songs, including “Handcuffed to a Demon," "Dry Bones" and “Buffer.”
15 of 20
Lonnie Hambrick, Season 8
TLC; instagram
Lonnie Hambrick
Lonnie Hambrick, who appeared on the TLC reality show alongside his brother, John, has had one of the most stunning transformations in series’ history. He lost 245 lbs. in a year — and has continued to lose drastic amounts of weight in the years since his 2020 episode.
Hambrick, who works as a professional hairstylist in Texas, married his partner Richard Gavadin in November 2024, according to his Instagram.
16 of 20
Shantel Oglesby, Season 8
TLC; instagram
Shantel Ogelsby
Shantel Oglesby appeared on My 600-Lb. Life with her brother Carlton. She was able to lose 215 lbs. during filming, bringing her from 640 lbs. to around 425 lbs.
Shantel now runs a beauty business and women’s self defense business, according to her Instagram.
“My journey is far from over, who is with me?” she wrote on Instagram in May 2024.
17 of 20
Tammy Patton, Season 9
TLC; facebook
Tammy Patton
Season 9's Tammy Patton has continued to lose weight since her appearance on the show — calling it a “marathon not a sprint” on her social media. Patton, who once weighed 594 lbs., fans on her progress via her Facebook page in April 2024.
“So in January of this year I made a few goals for myself one being continuing on my weight loss journey,” she wrote in the post. “Well I am very proud to announce that here we are a month and some change away from my goal date and I am 13 pounds away from my goal weight!”
18 of 20
Dolly Martinez, Season 10
TLC; facebook
Dolly Martinez
When Dolly Martinez appeared on season 10 of My 600-Lb. Life, she was living without housing and struggling with complications from her weight, including congestive heart failure. Though she only lost 40 lbs. during her time on the show, she has continued her weight loss efforts, writing on her Instagram (which she has since made private), that she was “losing weight and feeling good.”
She also revealed in her Instagram bio that she was "not homeless anymore."
“I can see how much I'm losing. It's a journey and I'm seeing my worth now,” she wrote in an Instagram post from June 2024.
19 of 20
Wess Schulze, Season 11
TLC; instagram
Wess Schulze
Since appearing on season 11 of My 600-Lb. Life, Wess Schulze has kept up with his weight loss progress. He's dropped over 400 lbs., per a July 2024 post on Instagram.
He also shares various non-scale victories on his Instagram account, including dropping from a size 10XL to 4XL, getting a pedicure and fitting behind the steering wheel in the driver’s seat of a car.
“This journey has been tough, but moments like these make it all worth it,” he wrote in an Instagram post from June 2024.
20 of 20
Mark Rutland, Season 11
TLC; tiktok
Mark Rutland
Mark Rutland was one of the rare patients who was approved for weight loss surgery by Dr. Now, but went against the doctor’s advice and declined — insisting he could lose more than 500 lbs. naturally. He has made significant progress on his own, providing an update on TikTok in April 2024 that revealed he was down from 715 lbs. to 388 lbs.
“I used to not be able to walk 30 steps, now I’m doing five, six miles at a time,” he said in the video clip.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
