Original subtitles

Marla: I CAN'T EVEN BATHE MYSELF.

MY KIDS HAVE TO DO THAT FOR ME.

Charity: I FEEL LIKE SOME MONSTER.

Olivia: I'VE BEEN HIDING FROM THE WORLD, JUST WAITING TO DIE.

Pauline: I AM ABSOLUTELY TRAPPED IN THIS BODY,

AND I FEEL LIKE I'M DYING EVERY DAY.

Susan: I'M TERRIFIED RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS MY LAST HOPE TO BECOME NORMAL.

Madison: I NEED MY MOM. I NEED HER TO BE HERE FOR ME.

**

Man: 10 SECONDS NOW. HOLD IT, HOLD IT, HOLD IT.

-[ BREATHES DEEPLY ] -GOOD JOB.

Christina: I HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.

Joe: I REFUSE TO LET THEM BURY ME.

Susan: I AM NOW EXPRESSING MYSELF

AND LIVING MY OWN TRUTH.

Olivia: I LOST THE WEIGHT, BUT I GAINED MY FAMILY.

Zsalynn: LIFE IS AMAZING NOW. I'M REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF.

Christina: I CAN DO SO MUCH MORE THAN I EVER EXPECTED.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Paula: I'M EMBARRASSED BY MY WEIGHT.

IT HURTS TO MOVE, IT HURTS TO WALK,

IT HURTS TO DO JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.

MY HUSBAND DIED, AND SO NOW IT'S MY JOB TO PROTECT MY KIDS.

Madison: I NEED MY MOM. I NEED HER TO BE HERE FOR ME.

Paula: I DON'T WANT TO BE IN A BOX SITTING ON MY KIDS' MANTEL.

I HAVE GOT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

I HATE FEELING WEIGHT.

EVERYTHING'S SPINNING.

Man: IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME.

THE WEIGHT -- IT'S A SYMPTOM OF AN EMOTIONAL OBSTACLE.

I'VE BEEN OVERWEIGHT SINCE I WAS MOLESTED.

I'VE LIVED WITH THOSE CONSEQUENCES

FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS.

I CAN'T CARRY IT ANYMORE.

I WILL NOT LOSE ALL THE PROGRESS

THAT I'VE MADE OVER THE LAST YEAR.

MY HEALTH NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY.

Dr. Nowzaradan: YOU STOPPED LOSING WEIGHT,

AND YOU'VE GAINED A COUPLE POUNDS.

I HAD A LOT OF STRESS IN THE LAST 10 DAYS.

Dr. Nowzaradan: PAULA IS BACK TO MAKING EXCUSES.

Paula: I DON'T THINK I'LL BE SUCCESSFUL

IF I JUST HEAL MY BODY.

I'VE GOT TO HEAL MY HEAD.

I'M DONE MAKING EXCUSES.

BUT THE TRUE TEST IS THAT SCALE.

YES.

THROUGH THIS JOURNEY, I'VE LEARNED HOW TO NOT ONLY BE

PHYSICALLY HEALTHY BUT HOW TO BE EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY, AS WELL,

AND IT'S AWESOME.

**

GET UP, SAVANNAH.

IT'S BEEN OVER TWO YEARS SINCE MY SURGERY

AND THINGS ARE VERY DIFFERENT IN MY LIFE NOW.

BEFORE, I WASN'T EVEN ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF,

BUT NOW I'M VERY INDEPENDENT, AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER.

AND MY LIFE HAS CONTINUED TO CHANGE A LOT,

AND IT'S BEEN HAPPENING VERY QUICKLY.

MY ELDEST IS IN HER SENIOR YEAR AT COLLEGE.

MY SON IS LIVING IN ATLANTA.

AND MY DAUGHTER MADISON, SHE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL,

HAD A BABY, GOT MARRIED, AND MOVED OUT.

SO MY HOUSE HAS GOTTEN A LOT EMPTIER.

SAVANNAH!

YOU'RE GETTING UP.

SO NOW IT'S JUST SAVANNAH AND ME.

GET UP, FOR REAL.

BRUSH YOUR TEETH, I'M GONNA MAKE SOMETHING TO EAT,

WE'LL GET READY TO GO.

I USED TO BE ADDICTED TO FOOD.

THERE WERE DAYS THAT I ATE OVER 6,000 CALORIES.

BUT NOW I'VE LEARNED TO MANAGE MY ADDICTION.

SIX WEEKS AGO, I WEIGHED 268 POUNDS.

AND I'VE LOST AN ADDITIONAL 28 POUNDS SINCE THEN.

SO I'VE BEEN MAKING REALLY GOOD PROGRESS.

BUT IT USED TO BE REALLY HARD.

I HAD TO WORK THROUGH SOME DARK PARTS OF MY PAST.

HI.

HI.

I LOVE YOU, TOO.

FORGIVING MY MOM FOR ALL THE ABUSE THAT SHE ALLOWED

MEANT THAT I COULD MOVE ON WITH MY LIFE

AND FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS MOST.

AND NOW THE NEXT STEP IN MY HEALING PROCESS

IS TO HELP OTHERS.

I WANT TO SHARE MY STORY WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING

WITH OBESITY AND HELP THEM TO TURN THEIR LIVES AROUND

SO THAT THEY CAN LOSE WEIGHT.

SO I'M TRYING TO SPEAK AT DIFFERENT EVENTS,

AND I HAVE SOME ENGAGEMENTS COMING UP.

AND NOW I'M ALSO WORKING ON A COOKBOOK

FOR WEIGHT-LOSS PATIENTS.

I'M NOT A PROFESSIONAL TRAINER OR NUTRITIONIST,

SO THE ONLY THING I CAN DO IS TELL PEOPLE WHAT WORKED FOR ME,

AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT MY MESSAGE IS ALL ABOUT.

SAVANNAH.

-YEAH. -FOOD'S READY.

BUT WITH ALL THAT GOING, THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE

THAT I WANT TO HELP ARE MY CHILDREN.

IT REALLY UPSETS ME THAT WHILE I'VE LOST WEIGHT,

MY CHILDREN HAVE GAINED WEIGHT, ESPECIALLY WITH SAVANNAH,

BECAUSE SHE LIVES WITH ME.

MY HUSBAND AND I ENABLED EACH OTHER IN OUR OVEREATING,

AND EVENTUALLY, IT LED TO HIS DEATH.

LIVING THROUGH THAT HELPED ME TO CHANGE MY LIFE AROUND,

AND I NEED TO MAKE THAT CHANGE FOR MY CHILDREN, AS WELL.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S HARD,

BECAUSE I'M STILL WORKING ON MYSELF, TO REACH MY FINAL GOALS.

IN ORDER TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO GET ON THE RIGHT TRACK,

I HAVE TO LIVE AND LOOK HEALTHY, AND WITH ALL THE WEIGHT LOSS,

I'VE DEVELOPED A LOT OF EXCESS SKIN.

I'VE ALREADY HAD MY SKIN REMOVED FROM MY STOMACH,

AND NOW I'M WORKING TOWARDS GETTING THE SKIN REMOVED

FROM MY ARMS AND MY LEGS.

SO WE JUST GOT WIGGLIES AND JIGGLIES.

GETTING RID OF THE SKIN, FOR ME, ON MY LEGS

WILL HELP ME WITH EVERYTHING --

GETTING UP, GETTING DOWN, WALKING, EXERCISING --

EVERYTHING.

BUT TO GET APPROVED FOR THE SURGERY,

DR. NOW WANTS ME TO BE UNDER 200 POUNDS.

I FEEL LIKE THESE ARE THE FINAL STEPS FOR ME,

SO I'M DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO GET APPROVED.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S WARM UP WITH SOME CROSSES.

KEEP THOSE ELBOWS DOWN.

ALL THE WAY UP.

SO USE THOSE LEGS TO KIND OF EXPLODE IT UP.

THREE YEARS AGO, I COULD NOT DO WHAT I'M DOING TODAY.

DUDE, I'M GONNA PASS OUT.

BUT NOW I'M MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER TO LOSE WEIGHT.

I'VE GOT 40 MORE POUNDS TO LOSE IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS,

AND I'M GONNA WORK MY BUTT OFF TO REACH THAT GOAL.

ALL RIGHT. KEEP GOING.

WE'RE DOING AWESOME. LET'S GO.

Christina: I'M TRAPPED INSIDE THIS BODY

THAT I DON'T WANT TO BE IN.

Tammie: SHE TELLS ME THAT SHE'S A BURDEN TO ME.

SHE'S NOT A BURDEN. SHE'S MY PRIDE AND JOY.

MY FEAR IS THAT SHE MIGHT GO TO SLEEP AND NEVER WAKE UP.

Christina: MY WEIGHT IS OUT OF CONTROL.

Dr. Nowzaradan: SHE IS NOT TOO FAR FROM IMMINENT DEATH.

Christina: I WANT TO CHANGE. I DON'T WANT TO DIE.

ZACH AND I CAN FINALLY SLEEP IN THE SAME BED.

WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT IN YEARS.

IT BECAME CLEAR THAT ME BECOMING INDEPENDENT

WAS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR HIM.

SO ZACH AND I ARE GETTING A DIVORCE.

I'VE WORKED HARD TO GET TO THIS GOAL.

AND LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER NOW.

IT HAS BEEN SUCH A DRASTIC CHANGE.

EVERY NEW EXPERIENCE JUST MAKES ME WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

OW, OW, OW.

Woman #2: SHE FAINTED WHENEVER WE WAS TRYING TO GET HER TO BED.

Dr. Nowzaradan: CHRISTINA HAS BEEN PUSHING HERSELF A LITTLE BIT TOO HARD.

WE NEED TO MONITOR HER HEALTH.

Christina: I'M NOT WHERE I WANT TO BE AT,

BUT I'M GETTING THERE, AND I WILL GET THERE.

-WOULD YOU LIKE A RIDE TONIGHT? -SURE.

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD MAKE IT THIS FAR.

AND I'M NOT GONNA WASTE MY SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE.

**

IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE I HAD WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY,

AND I WOULD'VE NEVER IMAGINED LIFE COULD BE SO GREAT.

I'VE GAINED A WHOLE NEW INDEPENDENCE.

AND I FINALLY MOVED OUT FROM MY FAMILY'S HOUSE.

THEY HAD TO DO EVERYTHING FOR ME.

THERE.

I HAVE TO HAVE HELP GETTING DRESSED

OR GETTING UP OUT OF BED AND BEING PUT IN BED.

AND IT'S BEEN A YEAR SINCE I FINALIZED THE DIVORCE

WITH MY EX-HUSBAND.

OUR RELATIONSHIP CENTERED ON HIM ENABLING ME.

ALL RIGHT, HOW MANY NIBBLERS DOES EVERYBODY WANT?

BUT NOW I CAN FOCUS MORE ON GETTING HEALTHY.

I LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT IN THE LAST YEAR,

MOSTLY BECAUSE I'M REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I EAT.

BUT WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR, I SEE THE EXCESS SKIN,

FLABBY ARMS, AND I SEE MYSELF STILL AS A BIG PERSON.

IT'S HARD TO LET IT ALL SINK IN HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED.

I'M CURRENTLY LIVING WITH MY BOYFRIEND, SHANE.

HE MOVED IN ABOUT A MONTH AGO.

-HEY. -HEY.

-YOU WANT TO JUMP IN? -YEAH.

SHANE AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR EIGHT YEARS.

HE KNEW ME AT MY BIGGEST AND WAS ALSO REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF ME.

THAT'S CHEATING.

AFTER DATING FOR A WHILE, THINGS GOT SERIOUS,

AND I ASKED HIM TO MOVE IN WITH ME.

Shane: WE'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW EACH OTHER ON A REALLY DEEP LEVEL.

WE JUST OPEN UP TO EACH OTHER,

AND WE'LL FINISH EACH OTHER'S SENTENCES SOMETIMES.

LIKE, I'LL BE THINKING OF SOMETHING,

LIKE A SONG OR SOMETHING, AND SHE'LL START SINGING IT.

I MEAN, IT'S JUST CRAZY.

YOU LOOK UP SOME PLACES, AND I'LL GO GET READY.

Christina: SHANE'S REALLY GOOD FOR ME.

HE HELPS ME GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

EVEN THOUGH I FEEL INSECURE ABOUT HOW I LOOK.

I STILL FEEL LIKE I NEED TO HIDE MY ARMS AND MY LEGS

WHEN I GO OUT.

IT'S WEIRD, BECAUSE BEFORE, WHEN I WAS 700 POUNDS,

I COULDN'T EVEN GET OUT OF THE HOUSE,

AND NOW THAT I CAN, I STILL DON'T FEEL NORMAL.

BUT DR. NOW HAS APPROVED ME FOR SKIN SURGERY ON MY ARMS,

SO I'M REALLY HOPING THAT HELPS ME FINALLY BE HAPPY

WITH HOW I LOOK.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO.

IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ME TO BE PRESENT

WHEN I'M OUT IN PUBLIC

BECAUSE I'M SO DISTRACTED WITH THE WAY MY BODY LOOKS.

I'M HOPING THAT ONCE THE SURGERY'S OUT OF THE WAY

AND I FEEL BETTER ABOUT MY BODY,

IT'LL HELP ME BE MORE COMFORTABLE

WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP.

ALL RIGHT, MA'AM, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE OUR PAN-SEARED CHICKEN.

SHANE IS GREAT, BUT IT'S JUST SO HARD TO BELIEVE

THAT HE WANTS TO BE WITH ME EVEN WITH THE UGLY BODY I STILL HAVE.

I HAVE THE DESSERT MENU.

DO Y'ALL WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT?

-OH, NO, THANK YOU. -YEAH, I THINK WE'RE GOOD.

YOU SURE? OKAY.

I JUST WANTED TO GET TO A PLACE

WHERE I FEEL COMFORTABLE IN MY NEW BODY

INSTEAD OF FEELING LIKE I'M STILL 700 POUNDS,

AND GETTING RID OF THIS FLABBY SKIN

IS THE FINAL STEP I NEED TO TAKE.

-DID YOU HAVE FUN? -YES, I DID.

I'M READY FOR MY SKIN SURGERY.

**

Paula: I'M FINALLY HEADED IN FOR MY APPOINTMENT WITH DR. NOW,

AND I REALLY HOPE HE APPROVES ME FOR SKIN SURGERY.

I'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO GET MY WEIGHT DOWN,

BUT IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S GOING TO SAY.

MY FIRST SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT IS COMING UP SOON.

SO I'M REALLY HOPING THAT I'M UNDER 200 POUNDS

AND I GET APPROVED TODAY.

OTHERWISE, I WON'T HAVE TIME TO RECOVER.

**

Paula: I NEED TO BE UNDER 200 POUNDS TODAY

TO BE APPROVED FOR SKIN SURGERY.

Nurse: IT'S 202.

I DIDN'T QUITE HIT MY GOAL, BUT HOPEFULLY IT'S CLOSE ENOUGH

THAT DR. NOW WILL ALLOW ME TO GET SKIN SURGERY.

[ KNOCK ON DOOR ]

HI. -HELLO.

-HOW ARE YOU? -I'M DOING OKAY.

HOW ABOUT YOURSELF?

I'M PRETTY GOOD.

SO, YOU'RE DOWN TO 202 POUNDS.

THAT'S GREAT. YOU LOST, WHAT -- 331 POUNDS?

YEP.

YOU'VE DONE WELL, SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD

AND APPROVE YOU FOR SKIN SURGERY.

AWESOME.

PAULA HAS BEEN DOING VERY WELL WITH HER WEIGHT LOSS LATELY.

SHE DOESN'T COME WITH EXCUSES ANYMORE, AND THE RESULTS SHOW.

THAT ONE'S THE ONE THAT THE KNEE HURTS AND THE HIP HURTS.

SHE HAS LYMPHEDEMA IN BOTH LEGS THAT CAN BE VERY PAINFUL

AND PREVENT HER FROM MAKING PROGRESS.

SO I'M GOING TO DO SKIN REMOVAL

ON HER LEGS IN THE FIRST SURGERY,

THEN TAKE CARE OF HER ARM IN THE SECOND SURGERY.

SO, WE'LL SET YOU UP FOR SURGERY,

AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

-OKEYDOKE. -ALL RIGHT.

WITH THE SKIN SURGERY, THAT MIGHT BE AN ENCOURAGEMENT

THAT SHE NEEDS TO STICK WITH THE DIET

AND GET TO HER GOAL WEIGHT OF 170.

Paula: I'M REALLY EXCITED TO FINALLY BE MOVING FORWARD

WITH THESE SURGERIES.

THIS SHOULD ALLOW ME TIME TO RECOVER

BEFORE MY FIRST SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT.

**

Christina: TODAY, I'M HAVING SURGERY

TO HAVE THE EXTRA SKIN ON MY ARMS REMOVED.

I'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO LOSE THE WEIGHT

BY WATCHING WHAT I'M EATING,

AND I'M ANXIOUS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS NEXT STEP.

-ARE YOU VERY NERVOUS, BABY? -NO.

I'M NERVOUS.

WELL, YOU'RE ALWAYS NERVOUS.

I'M ALWAYS NERVOUS WHEN YOU HAVE SURGERY.

IN MY HEAD, I'M STILL 700 POUNDS.

I'M STILL REALLY INSECURE ABOUT THE EXTRA SKIN,

AND THE MORE WEIGHT I LOSE, THE MORE SKIN THERE IS.

IT'S STILL A CONSTANT REMINDER OF A NEGATIVE PART OF MY LIFE.

I'M TRAPPED INSIDE THIS BODY THAT I DON'T WANT TO BE IN.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE WORKED SO HARD TO GET AWAY FROM.

SO I'M READY FOR THIS.

-HOW YOU ALL DOING? -FINE.

PRETTY GOOD.

ALL RIGHT, YOU READY FOR SURGERY?

YES, SIR.

SO, YOU LOST 518 POUNDS.

THAT'S A LOT OF WEIGHT TO LOSE.

CHRISTINA HAS HAD ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TRANSFORMATIONS

I HAVE SEEN AFTER WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY.

SO, TODAY, WE'RE GONNA GET RID OF THIS EXTRA SKIN IN HERE.

AT THIS POINT, SKIN SURGERY IS VERY IMPORTANT

SO SHE CAN BE MORE ACTIVE AND HAVE A NORMAL BODY CONTOUR.

SO, LET'S GET YOU FIXED UP.

Christina: I'M READY FOR THIS.

I'M NOT TURNING BACK NOW.

Dr. Nowzaradan: TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO BE REMOVING

QUITE A LOT OF SKIN FROM CHRISTINA'S ARMS.

OKAY, LET'S BEGIN.

WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH THIS OPERATION

WITH THE AMOUNT OF BLOOD LOSS.

OKAY. WE GOT ONE SIDE OFF.

CAN YOU NOW LEVEL THE TABLE TO THE OTHER SIDE?

MY WORST FEAR IS HER GOING UNDER AND NOT COMING BACK OUT.

Dr. Nowzaradan: SHE DOESN'T HAVE MUCH FAT ON HER SKIN.

SHE REALLY HAS LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT.

REMOVING SKIN FROM THE OTHER ARM AND THE CHEST.

NOW WE JUST FINISH STITCHING HER UP,

AND WE'RE DONE.

LET'S GET HER TO A RECOVERY ROOM.

SURGERY WENT VERY WELL,

AND WE WERE ABLE TO REMOVE 30 INCHES OF SKIN FROM EACH ARM.

WE DIDN'T REMOVE MUCH WEIGHT

BECAUSE THERE WAS VERY LITTLE FAT.

IT SEEMS THAT CHRISTINA IS PUSHING HERSELF

TOO HARD WITH HER DIET.

IF SHE DOESN'T GET PROPER NUTRITION,

IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS.

SHE NEEDS TO MAKE SURE SHE'S EATING ENOUGH

OF THE RIGHT FOOD TO LET HER BODY HEAL.

SHE'S FINE.

**

Paula: YOU WANT TO GO FOR A WALK?

I GUESS.

MY LEG SURGERY'S COMING UP IN A COUPLE WEEKS,

AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M STAYING AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE

GOING INTO THE OPERATION.

AND I'M TRYING TO USE THIS TIME TO SHOW SAVANNAH

HOW SHE NEEDS TO CHANGE HER HABITS...

HI.

...EVEN IF IT'S JUST GETTING OUTSIDE, AWAY FROM THE TV.

FOR A LONG PERIOD, I WAS THE WORST ROLE MODEL FOR MY KIDS.

OOH, YOU GUYS GOT A LINE TODAY.

THERE AREN'T A LOT OF HEALTHY OPTIONS AT DRIVE-THROUGHS,

BUT MY KIDS HAVE TO EAT.

NOW I'M TRYING TO REPLACE THOSE MEMORIES WITH GOOD HABITS,

BUT IT'S HARD BECAUSE OUR LIVES ARE FULL.

I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, BECAUSE IN THE PAST,

WHEN I'VE BEEN STRESSED, I TURN TO FOOD.

YOU STOPPED LOSING WEIGHT,

AND YOU'VE GAINED A COUPLE POUNDS.

I'M DOING 900 CALORIES A DAY,

BUT I HAD A LOT OF STRESS IN THE LAST 10 DAYS.

MY JOB CHANGED, AND MY WHOLE JOB DESCRIPTION CHANGED,

PLUS I'M STILL WORKING 80 HOURS A WEEK.

PAULA, UNTIL YOU MAKE IT A GOAL TO BE UNDER 350 POUNDS,

I'M NOT APPROVING YOUR SKIN SURGERY.

IF I'M GOING TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR MY CHILDREN

AND OTHER PEOPLE, I CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN.

IT'S JUST NOT AN OPTION.

TODAY, I'M FINALLY HAVING SKIN-REMOVAL SURGERY ON MY LEGS.

THERE'S A RISK TO ANY SURGERY.

BUT I'M EXCITED TO MAKE THIS STEP

SO THAT I CAN SHOW MY CHILDREN AND OTHER PEOPLE

WHAT THE FINAL GOAL LOOKS LIKE AFTER LOSING ALMOST 400 POUNDS.

MY CHILDREN SAW ME AT MY ABSOLUTE WORST FOR MANY YEARS,

SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY SEE ME AT MY BEST.

AT THIS WEIGHT, I AM HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON MY CHILDREN.

I HAD FOOT LOTION ON HER LEGS AND PUT HER SOCKS AND SHOES ON.

KIND OF FEELS LIKE SHE'S HANDICAPPED.

Paula: THIS EXCESS SKIN IS REALLY

THE LAST PIECE OF MY OLD LIFE.

I AM BEYOND READY FOR THIS SURGERY.

Dr. Nowzaradan: TODAY, WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO PERFORM

A THIGH LIFT ON BOTH OF PAULA'S LEGS.

IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL,

SHE'S GOING TO BE VERY HAPPY WITH HER INCREASED MOBILITY.

LET'S BEGIN.

SUCTION.

WHEN A PATIENT LOSES AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF WEIGHT,

THERE'S STILL A LARGE NETWORK OF BLOOD VESSELS

AND VARICOSE VEINS IN THE LEG.

WE CANNOT JUST REMOVE THE SKIN

WITHOUT ADDRESSING THESE BLOOD VESSELS.

WE HAVE TO TIE OFF HUNDREDS OF VESSELS DURING THE OPERATION.

WHAT?!

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.

CLIP, CLIP, CLIP.

PUT A HEMOSTAT ON IT.

Dr. Nowzaradan: CLIP, CLIP, CLIP.

WE FINISHED REMOVING SKIN FROM PAULA'S FIRST LEG,

BUT SHE'S LOSING A LOT OF BLOOD.

SOME PATIENTS BLEED MORE THAN OTHERS,

SO WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT.

SHE LOST TOO MUCH BLOOD TO CONTINUE DOING THE OTHER LEG.

ALL RIGHT, GO AHEAD AND CLOSE HER UP.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE ONLY ABLE

TO COMPLETE SURGERY ON PAULA'S RIGHT LEG.

TO BE SAFE, WE GAVE HER A TRANSFUSION,

AND SHE'S DOING BETTER,

BUT WE HAVE TO LET HER BODY RECOVER

BEFORE WE CAN ATTEMPT SURGERY ON HER LEFT LEG.

**

Paula: IT WAS REALLY HARD WAKING UP TO FIND OUT

THAT THEY COULD ONLY OPERATE ON ONE LEG.

I KNOW I'M MAKING PROGRESS,

BUT IT FEELS LIKE SUCH A HUGE SETBACK.

THIS IS GOING TO DELAY EVERYTHING I HAD PLANNED.

-HELLO. -HEY.

ALL RIGHT, HERE'S THE SITUATION.

YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE'S TOO LOW.

ALSO, YOUR BLOOD COUNT HAS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY.

AND YOUR PROTEIN LEVELS ARE VERY LOW.

THESE ISSUES ARE NOT UNCOMMON

FOR SOMEBODY WHO LOST A LOT OF BLOOD.

Paula: SO WHAT ARE THE DETERMINING FACTORS

OF GETTING THE OTHER LEG DONE?

GETTING MY BLOOD PRESSURE UP, MY PROTEIN UP, AND MY IRON UP?

YEAH, WE GOT TO GET THOSE BUILT UP.

OKAY, LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT IT

AND SEE HOW YOUR RIGHT LEG LOOKS.

PAULA HAS BEEN IMPROVING, BUT WE GOT TO PUT HER

ON A PROTEIN I.V. AS WELL AS MEDICATION.

ONCE PAULA'S BODY RECOVERS,

WE CAN CONSIDER PERFORMING SURGERY ON HER OTHER LEG.

IT CAN BE A WEEK, OR SHE MAY HAVE TO WAIT A MONTH.

I'LL SEE YOU LATER, OKAY? -OKEYDOKE.

[ DOOR CLOSES ]

Paula: IT'S SO HARD, BECAUSE I WANT TO FIX THIS.

BUT ALL I CAN DO IS SIT HERE.

[ ALARM BEEPING ]

Christina: IT'S BEEN ALMOST A MONTH

SINCE I HAD SKIN SURGERY ON MY ARMS.

IT'S BEEN REALLY HARD.

I'VE BEEN KIND OF NEGATIVE,

AND I'M NOT TOO HAPPY ABOUT THE WAY I LOOK.

I JUST THOUGHT THAT, AFTER SURGERY,

I WOULD FEEL SO MUCH BETTER ABOUT MYSELF.

I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES I'VE HAD

TO GET MY LIFE BACK.

BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY I FEEL THIS WAY.

MORNING. HOW'D YOU SLEEP?

GOOD.

FEELING ALL RIGHT TODAY?

STILL HURTING? -YEAH.

I DON'T KNOW WHY I STILL SEE THAT 700-POUND PERSON

AND WHY I'M STILL HATING MY BODY.

BUT SHANE HAS BEEN A BIG HELP,

AND THAT HAS BEEN PRETTY AWESOME.

THERE YOU GO.

YOU GOOD?

I'M JUST TRYING TO STAY POSITIVE AND HEAL

SO I CAN GET MY NEXT SURGERY AND PUT ALL THIS BEHIND ME.

**

IT'S BEEN ALMOST TWO MONTHS SINCE MY ARM SURGERY,

AND I'M PRETTY MUCH DONE HEALING.

BUT I STILL DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT MY BODY.

THE SKIN ON MY LEGS I REALLY WANT REMOVED,

SO I'VE BEEN EATING LESS AND HOPING THAT THE DOCTOR

WILL APPROVE ME FOR SURGERY.

I USED TO HATE HAVING TO WEIGH MYSELF.

I WAS SCARED I'D BREAK THE SCALE.

BUT NOW I HAVE NO REASON TO BE SCARED.

Nurse: OKAY. IT'S 160.

WOW. I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT AT ALL.

I FEEL GOOD ABOUT DR. NOW APPROVING ME.

HELLO. HOW ARE YOU TODAY?

ALL RIGHT, I SEE YOU'RE DOWN TO 160.

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOUR EATING HABITS?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

YOU LOST 13 POUNDS IN THE LAST MONTH.

THAT'S TOO MUCH FOR SOMEBODY YOUR WEIGHT.

SO, WHAT DO YOU EAT FOR BREAKFAST?

I DON'T EAT BREAKFAST.

HOW MANY CALORIES DO YOU THINK YOU'RE EATING IN A DAY?

400, 450.

THAT'S FAR BELOW WHAT YOU SHOULD BE GETTING.

YOU SHOULD DOUBLE THAT, AT LEAST.

YOU'RE GOING FROM ONE EXTREME TO THE OTHER.

THEY'RE BOTH UNHEALTHY.

OKAY.

EATING 450 CALORIES A DAY FOR SOMEBODY THAT IS 160 POUNDS,

IT MEANS THAT SHE'S COMPLETELY MALNOURISHED.

CLEARLY, THERE ARE SOME BIGGER ISSUES

THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH.

IN MY HEAD, EVEN WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR,

I DON'T SEE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE SEES.

IT JUST -- IT REALLY CONFUSES ME WHEN SOMEONE'S LIKE,

"OH, YOU NEED TO STOP LOSING WEIGHT."

IT'S NOT ABOUT HOW MUCH WEIGHT YOU LOSE.

HAVING A HEALTHY BODY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE.

BUT WHEN CAN WE DO THE LEG SURGERY?

BECAUSE I CAN'T FIT IN ANY SMALLER CLOTHES.

LIKE, MY JEANS ARE REALLY BAGGY,

BUT BECAUSE OF MY LEGS, I CAN'T GET ANY...

SEE?

SKIN SURGERY IS NOT EVEN A TOPIC OF CONSIDERATION RIGHT NOW.

UNTIL WE ADDRESS EATING HABITS AND GET YOUR BODY HEALTHY,

WE CANNOT MOVE FORWARD.

THERE ARE CLEARLY SOME EMOTIONAL ISSUES

THAT CHRISTINA NEEDS TO DEAL WITH,

BUT FIRST, WE NEED TO GET HER BODY IN A BETTER POSITION.

I GOT YOU ON PREDNISONE TO DEVELOP SOME MUSCLE MASS.

AND I WANT YOU TO TAKE THIS PROTEIN SHAKE EVERY DAY.

YES, BECAUSE YOU NEED TO GAIN MUSCLE WEIGHT.

LOOKING AT YOUR CONCAVE COLLARBONE,

I CAN SEE THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH BODY FAT.

SO YOU NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT THAT YOU NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT.

I'M ALSO SENDING YOU TO A THERAPIST.

WE NEED TO ADDRESS ALL THESE ISSUES.

CHRISTINA NEEDS TO GET TO THE ROOT OF HER ANXIETY

WITH HER BODY IMAGE.

SHE WILL NOT BE HEALTHY IN LONG TERM

IF SHE DOESN'T RESOLVE THESE ISSUES.

NEXT TIME, I WANT TO SEE THAT YOU'VE GAINED 15 POUNDS.

THEN WE CAN DISCUSS YOUR NEXT SURGERY.

YOU HAVE TO BE HEALTHY, CHRISTINA.

OKAY.

Christina: THE DOCTOR DOESN'T UNDERSTAND

THAT I DON'T WANT TO GAIN WEIGHT.

I'VE BEEN BIG MY WHOLE LIFE.

I WANT TO BE HEALTHY,

BUT I'VE WORKED SO HARD TO GET TO WHERE I AM TODAY.

SO HAVING TO GAIN WEIGHT SCARES ME TO DEATH.

I'M REALLY FRUSTRATED RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU.

Paula: I'VE BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A COUPLE WEEKS NOW,

AND I'VE FINALLY RECOVERED ENOUGH

TO MOVE AHEAD WITH MY SECOND LEG SURGERY.

WE'RE GOING THAT WAY.

IT'S BEEN A TOUGH PROCESS, BUT ONCE I HEAL,

I'LL BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO BEING WITH MY FAMILY

AND HELPING MY CHILDREN.

Dr. Nowzaradan: AFTER A COUPLE WEEKS OF TREATMENT IN THE HOSPITAL,

PAULA'S BODY HAS FINALLY RECOVERED

TO THE POINT THAT I CAN COMPLETE THE SURGERY ON HER OTHER LEG.

OKAY. STARTING INCISION.

BECAUSE OF THE COMPLICATION WITH HER FIRST SURGERY,

WE'RE GOING TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON HER BLOOD LOSS.

IF WE ARE ABLE TO COMPLETE THIS SURGERY SUCCESSFULLY,

PAULA SHOULD SEE A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN HER MOBILITY.

I HOPE THE SURGERY WILL DO SOMETHING GREAT

FOR MY MOM SO THAT WAY SHE CAN DO THE THINGS SHE WANTED TO DO,

LIKE RUN, RIDE A BIKE NOW.

SHE CAN HAVE LOTS OF FUN, AND I COULD HAVE FUN WITH HER.

Dr. Nowzaradan: HOW IS THE BLOOD LOSS?

PAULA'S SURGERY WENT VERY WELL.

WE REMOVED ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF SKIN,

BUT IT WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR HER.

WE'LL GET HER INTO RECOVERY, AND AS SOON AS SHE'S READY,

SHE'LL BE ABLE TO HEAD HOME AND LET HER LEGS HEAL.

**

Christina: DR. NOW HAS ASKED ME TO SEE A THERAPIST TODAY.

HE THINKS I'M PUSHING MYSELF TOO HARD TO LOSE WEIGHT.

I KNOW I'M NOT 700 POUNDS ANYMORE,

BUT I STILL FEEL THAT WAY,

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CHANGE HOW I FEEL.

HI, CHRISTINA. NICE TO MEET YOU.

NICE TO MEET YOU.

COME ON BACK.

Christina: LATELY, I'VE JUST BEEN GOING THROUGH A LOT.

I'VE LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT THE PAST COUPLE YEARS,

AND LATELY, ANYTIME I SEE THE SCALE GO UP,

I TEND TO FREAK OUT,

AND I WILL STOP EATING FOR A COUPLE DAYS.

SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE FOOD'S ALMOST BECOME YOUR ENEMY.

I MEAN, I STILL SEE MYSELF AS 708 POUNDS,

AND PEOPLE ARE STARING AT ME.

IT JUST -- IT MAKES ME NOT WANT TO LEAVE THE HOUSE AT ALL.

IT'S HARD TO SHIFT TO SEEING YOURSELF

THE WAY THAT YOU ARE NOW. -MM-HMM.

BESIDES THE FEAR OF GAINING WEIGHT,

WHAT OTHER THINGS ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

DISAPPOINTING PEOPLE.

I MEAN, IN THE BEGINNING, I HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE DOUBT ME.

PEOPLE THAT YOU CARED ABOUT, LIKE FRIENDS OR FAMILY?

WELL, I MEAN, I WAS IN A REALLY ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP,

AND THAT DEFINITELY, I THINK, HAS HAD

A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ME A LITTLE BIT.

IT REALLY IMPACTED YOUR SELF-ESTEEM.

-IT HURTS. -IT HURTS.

IN MY HEART, IN MY HEAD.

EVERYWHERE.

IF YOU WERE GONNA TAKE ONE LITTLE SMALL STEP

JUST TO KIND OF MOVE INTO YOUR LIFE A LITTLE BIT MORE,

WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL?

MAYBE NOT BE SO HARD ON MYSELF, LIKE,

AS FAR AS THE SCALE GOES, LIKE, LEARNING TO JUST BE OKAY.

I MEAN, IT --

HOW OFTEN ARE YOU WEIGHING YOURSELF?

SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.

THAT'S YOUR SELF-ESTEEM MONITOR, WHICH IS LIKE UP AND DOWN.

AND WE WANT TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT,

AND WE WANT TO MOVE INTO SELF-COMPASSION.

'CAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT THE OUTSIDE.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE SCALE OR THE FOOD OR THE WEIGHT.

IT'S ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL ON THE INSIDE.

CHRISTINA, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU

AND SEEING YOU AGAIN.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. IT WAS NICE MEETING YOU, TOO.

TAKE CARE.

I KNOW I NEED TO WORK THROUGH SOME THINGS.

WHEN I WAS 700 POUNDS, I FELT WORTHLESS

AND LIKE I DIDN'T DESERVE ANYTHING BETTER

THAN THE LIFE I HAD.

AND NOW MY FEAR OF GAINING WEIGHT HAS CRIPPLED ME.

BUT I HAVE TO MOVE PAST THAT FEAR IF I WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE.

**

I'VE BEEN STARTING TO WORK OUT LATELY.

...AND YOU'RE GONNA COME HERE AND THEN BACK UP.

DR. NOW WANTS ME WORKING OUT FIVE DAYS A WEEK TO BUILD MUSCLE

AND GAIN 15 POUNDS BEFORE MY NEXT VISIT.

BLOW IT OUT. THERE YOU GO. GOOD JOB.

I'VE NEVER FOCUSED ON STRENGTH TRAINING BEFORE.

WANT YOU TO SQUEEZE THOSE SHOULDERS TOGETHER.

WHEN I WAS 600 POUNDS, I WOULD STRUGGLE

WITH EVEN THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

JUST SIMPLY WALKING FROM THE LIVING ROOM TO THE BEDROOM,

I'M OUT OF BREATH.

NOW I CAN DO SO MUCH MORE THAN I EVER EXPECTED.

GOOD. FANTASTIC.

BUT IT'S HARD TO LET GO OF MY FEARS OF GAINING WEIGHT.

REMEMBER, THE WEIGHTLIFTING, THAT'S GONNA HELP YOU

NOT ONLY BUILD MUSCLE BUT ALSO BURN FAT.

ALL RIGHT, SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

BUT KNOWING I CAN GET MY FINAL SKIN SURGERY KEEPS ME MOTIVATED.

YEAH.

I'M ALSO TRYING REALLY HARD TO EAT THE RIGHT FOODS

AND ENOUGH OF THE RIGHT FOODS,

SO I'M STICKING TO HIGH-PROTEIN FOODS

THAT HELP ME GAIN MUSCLE WEIGHT.

LAST YEAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE DREAMED

OF EATING THIS MUCH FOOD, BUT I'M TRUSTING

WHAT THE DOCTOR'S TOLD ME I NEED TO DO.

I REALLY WANT TO HAVE

ALL THESE SKIN SURGERIES BEHIND ME,

SO I'M DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY.

CHRISTINA.

I'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO EAT BETTER

AND BUILD SOME MUSCLE.

I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO TAKING THIS FINAL STEP

AND GETTING THIS SKIN REMOVED FROM MY LEGS.

I HOPE I'VE MADE ENOUGH PROGRESS.

Nurse: CHRISTINA.

Christina: I'M BACK AT DR. NOW'S OFFICE TO SEE

IF I'VE GAINED ENOUGH WEIGHT TO GET APPROVED

FOR MY LEG SURGERY.

177.4.

IT'S STILL A LITTLE HARD FOR ME TO SEE THAT NUMBER GO UP,

BUT I DID WHAT DR. NOW WANTED AND GAINED SOME WEIGHT.

HELLO.

OKAY. SO YOU WEIGHED IN AT 177.

THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S 17 POUNDS UP.

YOU HAVE COME A LONG WAY FROM 708 POUNDS.

THAT'S GREAT.

I THINK YOU'RE READY FOR THE SURGERY AT THIS TIME,

AND WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE CAN SCHEDULE IT, OKAY?

MM-HMM.

Dr. Nowzaradan: CHRISTINA HAS DONE WELL,

SO I'M GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH HER LEG SURGERIES.

SHE HAS A LOT OF EXCESS SKIN ON HER LEGS,

SO THE SURGERY WILL TAKE SOME TIME.

ALL RIGHT, I'LL SEE YOU LATER.

-THANK YOU. -OKAY.

BUT I THINK CHRISTINA WILL BE REALLY HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS.

Christina: I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THIS LAST SURGERY ON MY LEGS.

I'M STARTING TO FEEL LIKE

I'M FINALLY ABLE TO SEE THAT I'M WORTH IT.

AND I'D BE ONE STEP CLOSER TO WHERE I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE.

Paula: IT'S BEEN ALMOST TWO MONTHS SINCE MY LAST LEG SURGERY,

AND I'VE HEALED VERY WELL.

TODAY, I'M BRINGING SAVANNAH TO THE GROCERY STORE,

AND WE'RE GONNA BUY SOME HEALTHY, NUTRITIOUS FOOD

AND LEARN ABOUT WHICH FOODS WE SHOULD BUY.

SAY YES, BUT OKAY.

ALL OF MY CHILDREN HAVE SEEN ME BUY AND EAT UNHEALTHY FOODS.

I SHOWED NO RESTRAINT.

I DON'T EAT JUST FOR FUEL. I EAT FOR ENJOYMENT.

NOW I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO ROLL BACK

THOSE BAD HABITS AND SHOW THEM THE JOY OF EATING HEALTHY NOW.

THESE ARE MY GO-TO THINGS.

IT DOESN'T SAY SALT. IT'S SODIUM...

480.

Paula: RIGHT.

SAVANNAH, AT 11 YEARS OLD, SHE WEIGHS MORE THAN I DO RIGHT NOW.

SO I FEEL LIKE I CAN HELP HER THE MOST

BY HELPING HER FIND HEALTHY FOODS

AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN DECIDING WHAT TO EAT.

WHAT ABOUT THIS STUFF?

-LOOK AT IT. -22 CARBOHYDRATES.

THESE ARE PRETTY GOOD, RIGHT?

-NO. SORRY. -OH.

NOW THAT I'VE MOSTLY HEALED FROM MY LEG SURGERY,

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THE EXCESS SKIN

FROM MY ARMS REMOVED.

DR. NOW IS GOING TO SCHEDULE THE SURGERY

WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.

MY BIGGEST FEAR GOING INTO SURGERY IS

THAT THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO DO BOTH ARMS

AND THAT WILL DELAY MY RECOVERY EVEN FURTHER.

I REALLY NEED TO GET THIS FINAL SURGERY BEHIND ME.

SEE YOU WHEN YOU WAKE UP.

Christina: I'M SO EXCITED TO FINALLY BE GETTING

THIS LAST SURGERY ON MY LEGS.

I CAN'T WAIT TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE.

I FEEL LIKE MY WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN LEADING UP TO THIS.

Dr. Nowzaradan: TODAY, WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO PERFORM

THE FINAL SKIN SURGERY ON CHRISTINA.

OKAY. KNIFE, PLEASE.

WE'RE DOING A SPIRAL THIGH LIFT

AND REMOVING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF SKIN FROM HER LEGS.

WE'LL START REMOVING TISSUE FROM THE BACK OF HER LEGS

AND LOWER BUTTOCKS ON BOTH SIDES.

Nurse #2: 1, 2, 3.

THEN WE'LL TURN HER OVER,

AND WE'LL CONTINUE ON THE FRONT SIDE OF HER LEGS.

AND WE'LL BRING HER SKIN TOGETHER

AND MAKE HER THIGHS TIGHT AND NORMAL.

ALL RIGHT, WE'RE DONE.

CLEAN HER UP AND GET HER UP TO A RECOVERY ROOM.

CHRISTINA'S SURGERY WENT GREAT.

HER NEW LEG CONTOUR LOOKS VERY NATURAL.

SKIN SURGERY ON THE LEGS CAN BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT

IN THE RECOVERY.

SO CHRISTINA WILL NEED TO TAKE IT EASY AND LET HER BODY HEAL.

Shane: I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING SHE'S WANTED,

SOMETHING SHE'S FOUGHT FOR OVER THE COURSE OF YEARS.

AND I HOPE THAT THIS IS

THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING NEW FOR HER.

**

Paula: TODAY, I'M GOING IN FOR SKIN SURGERY ON MY ARMS.

I BOOKED MY FIRST SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT BACK IN ATLANTA,

SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THIS SURGERY COMPLETED.

I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT MY BLOOD-LOSS ISSUES,

ESPECIALLY AFTER WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY LEG SURGERY.

Dr. Nowzaradan: TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO ATTEMPT SKIN-REMOVAL SURGERY

ON PAULA'S ARMS.

SHE POSES SOME UNIQUE RISK FACTORS

BECAUSE OF HER ISSUES WITH BLOOD LOSS IN THE PAST.

SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL.

LET'S GET STARTED.

Dr. Nowzaradan: PAULA IS HAVING SKIN SURGERY TODAY FOR HER ARMS.

OKAY, STARTING INCISION.

PAULA HAS GOOD MUSCLE TONE IN HER ARM,

BUT LOSING WEIGHT CAUSED HER TO GAIN THIS SAGGING SKIN.

WE'RE REMOVING THE SKIN DOWN THE LENGTH OF HER ARM

AND A LITTLE FROM HER CHEST.

OKAY, AND STITCH HER UP.

OKAY. PAULA'S SURGERY IS OVER.

PAULA'S SURGERY WENT VERY WELL.

AND I THINK SHE'LL BE VERY HAPPY ONCE SHE HEALS.

**

Christina: I'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD LATELY

TO BE OKAY WITH WHO I AM.

AND NOW THAT I FINISHED MY SKIN SURGERY,

IT'S NICE TO BUY CLOTHES THAT SPEAK TO WHO I AM.

IT'S MAKING IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER

TO SEE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE SEES.

AND IT'S DEFINITELY A CONFIDENCE BOOST.

WHEN I WAS 700 POUNDS,

I COULDN'T GO ANYWHERE IN PUBLIC,

LET ALONE GO SHOPPING FOR CLOTHES.

THANK YOU. HAVE A GREAT DAY.

YOU TOO!

SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL I CAN DO NORMAL THINGS LIKE THIS.

Nurse: MISS PHILIPS.

I'VE BEEN LEARNING

THAT THE NUMBER DOESN'T MATTER AS MUCH,

AND THE PRIORITY IS THAT I NEED TO BE HEALTHY.

171.

ALL RIGHT. SO YOU'VE LOST 537 POUNDS.

THAT'S A LOT OF WEIGHT TO LOSE.

THANK YOU.

CHRISTINA IS A REALLY AMAZING SUCCESS STORY.

I KNOW IT'S BEEN A DIFFICULT PROCESS FOR HER

TO HAVE A HEALTHY OUTLOOK ON FOOD AND HER SELF-IMAGE,

BUT SHE'S MADE GREAT PROGRESS.

YOU'VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB, AND I'M PROUD OF YOU.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

Christina: IT'S STILL SO HARD TO BELIEVE I'VE COME THIS FAR.

AND NOW THAT MY SKIN SURGERY'S BEHIND ME,

I'M GLAD TO BE DONE WITH THIS PROCESS.

AND I'M READY TO LIVE MY LIFE.

I FEEL LIKE I'M STARTING A NEW JOURNEY.

I'M SO GLAD I FOUND SOMEONE THAT LOVES ME LIKE SHANE.

NOW MY LIFE IS FULL OF SO MANY NEW EXPERIENCES

THAT I COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED WHEN I WAS BIG.

Nurse: PAULA JONES.

Paula: IT'S BEEN A COUPLE WEEKS SINCE MY ARM SURGERY,

AND I'M HERE FOR A FOLLOW-UP WITH DR. NOW.

WHEN I WALKED INTO THIS CLINIC FOR THE FIRST TIME,

I DON'T THINK I EVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED

THAT I'D MAKE IT THIS FAR.

YEAH.

IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE TO COME FROM 533 TO UNDER 200 POUNDS.

YOU DIDN'T THINK I'D MAKE IT THAT FAR.

I DID HAVE SOME DOUBTS IN THE BEGINNING.

BUT FINALLY, YOU FIGURED IT OUT.

PAULA HAS ACHIEVED A LOT OF SUCCESS, AND I'M PROUD OF HER.

Paula : THIS IS, BY FAR, THE HARDEST THING THAT I'VE EVER DONE.

BUT MOST OF ALL, I HOPE THAT MY CHILDREN SEE

THAT ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

MY DAUGHTER SAVANNAH HAS LOST A LITTLE BIT OF WEIGHT,

BUT WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT IS THAT I THINK

WE'RE FINALLY ON THE RIGHT PATH AS A FAMILY,

AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR ME TO TAKE MY STORY OUT

TO THOSE WHO NEED HELP THE MOST.

I'M FINALLY HEADED TO MY FIRST SPEAKING EVENT IN ATLANTA.

I FEEL LIKE I CAN FINALLY LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND BE PROUD OF IT.

Y'ALL READY FOR PAULA?

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

GO AHEAD.

EVEN THOUGH THE SURGERY, AT FIRST, MADE ME LOSE WEIGHT,

I HAD TO RE-LEARN EVERYTHING I EVER DID,

AS FAR AS FOOD, NUTRITION, EVEN WORKING OUT.

SINCE I STARTED THIS JOURNEY,

I'VE FELT LIKE IT WAS MY PURPOSE TO MOTIVATE OTHERS

TO BE HEALTHY, AND I'M FINALLY DOING IT.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

I'M REALLY PROUD OF MY MOM.

SHE SPOKE FROM HER HEART. SHE HAS BEEN REALLY INSPIRING.

-I ENJOYED YOU. -THANK YOU.

Paula: THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REALLY HARD TIMES IN THIS JOURNEY,

BUT I'M SO GLAD I PUSHED THROUGH.