Bhaswati Borthakur
TLC’s famous ‘My 600-lb Life’ chronicles the experience and struggles of morbidly obese people as they try to lose weight and renew their lives into healthier ones. The show has garnered a large fan following because of the unique stories and journeys presented in it. The people receive the help of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, AKA Dr. Now, a prominent bariatric surgeon, who guides them with their weight loss journey. He advises them on specifically designed diet and exercise plans for weight loss that can ultimately make them eligible for surgery.
Since its inception in 2012, numerous individuals have appeared on the reality show, and some of them made quick while some made slow progress in their weight loss plans. Hence, it is no doubt that their life updates post-filming become intriguing to the fans. Doug Armstrong appeared on season 5 in 2017 and shared a heartwarming story about his experiences dealing with morbid obesity. After his appearance on the show, many must be interested to know where and how Doug is at present.
Doug Armstrong’s My 600-lb Life Journey
A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, Doug Armstrong appeared in season 5, weighing 684 pounds at 36 years of age. He lived with his wife Ashley, 4-year-old stepson Cooper, and their 3-month-old twin daughters, Harper and Parker. However, Doug was not exactly able to make his contribution as a father because of his weight. He found it hard to even get out of bed without help and could not stand for long because of pain all over his body. He was devastated to see Ashley take care of the entire household by herself and feared that she might have reached the point of giving up.
Expressing his concern, Doug said, “I know that Ashley was getting to a breaking point, and she can’t do this much longer. She’s practically raising our family on her own.” It made him realize the need of the hour. He needed to lose weight and become healthier to be a responsible father for his kids. He added saying, “I should be able to help raise the kids and not have my wife do all of it. If I don’t make these changes that I need to make, what kind of relationship am I going to have with my children? I’ve got to do something so I could be around for these kids. I have to change now.”
The understanding also came from Doug’s own childhood experiences of abandonment by his mother. On the show, he revealed that since his father was in the military posted abroad, he and his elder brother, Darryl, lived with their mother, Julia, who dropped them off at their grandparents’ home when Doug was only 6-years-old. To top it off, the boys were mostly taken care of by different nannies and friends appointed by their father.
Unfortunately, Doug shared he was molested by the son of a nanny when he was only 8. Recalling the incident during his introduction, he said, “When I was eight, a nanny’s son, who was older, decided to have an inappropriate relationship with me, so I dealt with the trauma of being abused by eating, and I started to gain weight.” Sadly, this was the beginning of his years of unchecked food issues and weight gain. Although Ashley grew impatient with Doug’s situation, she understood his struggles because she dealt with weight gain issues as well.
Ashley mentioned being over 300 pounds when she was younger and later going for weight loss surgery. However, she also noticed how she gained weight again after living with Doug for a few years, “Now I am close to 60 pounds heavier than I was when we first started dating, and instead of being the motivation to eat better, I have, in turn, started eating worse, and I never expected to be this size ever again.” Thus, Doug decided to visit Dr. Now with Ashley by his side and took recommendations for initial weight loss.
Doug had his initial struggles with maintaining the diet and his “secret eating” habits only made him lose 28 pounds. After he was sent back, he took the process more seriously and lost another 55 pounds, making his weight 601 pounds. He got approval for gastric bypass surgery but again had a hard time following his diet after the surgery. That’s when he was recommended to see a psychotherapist to work through his childhood traumas and address his abandonment issues with his mother.
After Doug met his mother to talk through it, she confessed that her fear of her own violent temper made her leave her son with the grandparents. This eased Doug’s mind and had a huge impact on his mind making him instantly put more effort into his weight loss journey. At the end of his year, Doug ultimately managed to lose 222 pounds and came down to 462 pounds.
Doug Armstrong is a Proud Father Today
Doug kept up with his weight loss diet and exercise plans and went to the gym, lifting heavy weights without any health constraints. Although he did make some detours in his diet, which ended up increasing his weight by a few pounds, Doug had the doctor and his wife by his side to guide him. Once he managed to get below the 400-pound mark, he qualified for excess skin removal surgery. The process continued where he kept losing some weight and got his excess skin removed a few times.
Doug made his final appearance in the 2018 episode of ‘Where Are They Now?’ where he presented himself after losing another 110 pounds, bringing down his weight to 353 pounds. His wife, Ashley, also seemed super proud of his triumph and talked about how fun he became after his progress. She said, “He really is a completely different person, but all for the better. It’s fun to be with him.”
Doug also posted several pictures of his transformation, where he shared that Ashley lost around 100 pounds as well. They both maintained their progress together and saw huge differences in their weight. Now, Doug leads a healthy life and talks about his journey on his social media profiles, sharing the information with as many people as needed. He also promotes various causes and posts detailed recipes of various delicious meals that can be consumed by people looking to eat healthy.
In terms of his personal life, apart from the three children, Doug and Ashley welcomed another son, Tucker, on August 31, 2019. He often shares adorable pictures of all his children. Ashley works as a nurse and Doug proudly supports her in her work. Thus, as Doug keeps working towards his weight loss goal and being a great father to his children, we only wish him the best for whatever life brings him in the future.
Read More: Is My 600-lb Life Scripted or Real?
