My 600-lb Life: Tiffany Barker Struggles with Depression, Humiliation
So far, My 600-lb Life Season 7 has been running a streak of success stories. Considering the death toll of Season 6, that’s encouraging.
But on Wednesday night, we saw Tiffany Barker struggling with more than just her weight.
She grapples with depression, hostility, and public humiliation on a regular basis. It’s heartbreaking.
Tiffany weighs 672.5 pounds. She turns 29 years old on Friday, March 1, 2019.
"Shopping for food is something that I absolutely love," Tiffany shares as she shops at a grocery store.
"Aside from eating, it’s my favorite thing to do," she shares. "And it fills me with such excitement when I find what I want."
Unfortunately, there are two major downsides to shopping in person at a grocery store.
The first is that she suffers joint pain and, if there is not a sitting scooter, she must soon return to the car to rest.
The second is that some people in this world are unimaginably cruel.
As the clip that we have included shares, a woman chastises Tiffany for walking slowly through the parking lot.
We would love to believe that such a display of rudeness was staged, but Tiffany says that it’s a familiar experience.
"Stuff like that happens all the time when I go out,” Tiffany reveals.
“People either stare and point at me, or they make comments about how I’m in the way," she shares.
"People are really brutal and judgmental when you’re my size," Tiffany observes.
"And they don’t understand how hard it is for someone like me to do this and get around," Tiffany laments.
"I try to ignore it," she shares. "But you never really get used to it."
Obviously, it’s no one else’s business what Tiffany weighs or what size her body is.
But, for her own reason, she has resolved to lose weight.
She meets with Dr. Now and agrees to a shockingly drastic 1200 calorie diet.
In Tiffany’s second month, she and her boyfriend, Aaron, move from Washington to Houston with Dr. Now’s approval.
Airlines can be a particularly humiliating experience for a person Tiffany’s size.
Fortunately, because she is moving, she and Aaron get there by driving.
By Month 3, Tiffany has already dropped more than two-dozen pounds.
Tiffany weighs in at 646.
During Month 4, Tiffany accuses Aaron of not supporting her on her weight loss journey.
It can be particularly challenging to diet when those around you are not, though of course what they eat is their business.
We should also note that someone suddenly deprived of their primary coping mechanism — food — is naturally going to be cranky.
In Month 5, Tiffany begins to suffer new physical pains, including gall stones and stomach pains.
(The gall bladder was seriously inflamed — dramatic weight loss is absolute hell on the human body)
Dr. Now urges her to stick to her diet in order to lose 80 pounds in the next two months.
By Month 6, Tiffany has hired a personal trainer who is helping to give her an edge so that she can meet Dr. Now’s goals.
An example of a dinner that she has is chicken with brussel sprouts, which she has enjoyed since and shared on Instagram.
Delicious, but a far cry from a sleeve of cookies.
Then, in Month 7, Tiffany has trimmed down to 555.
Dr. Now schedules her weight loss surgery for two months later.
With hope on the horizon, by Month 9, Tiffany’s weight has dropped down dramatically to 491.
Month 10 shows Tiffany weighing just 454 pounds.
She is also sitting down for therapy with Lola.
Like most habits, compulsive overeating is a form of self-medication. Therapy is important.
Month 11 rolls around, and Tiffany weighs 436 pounds.
By this point, she has lost 237 pounds.
By month 12, she loses another 21 pounds, and weighs 415.
That’s a total weight loss of 257 pounds.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoaalpKmsvLCwxqiqrKGgY7CwuY6voJ2dn6h8rsWMb2dpZZyXeq21xZ5kraGWm66vxYybmKujlad6tMDRrp6gpJWoeri106FknZ2gp7K0v8iopWagpaK2rbXArWY%3D