TLC’s ‘My 600-lb Life’ is a reality show which features the journey and struggles of morbidly obese people generally weighing over 600 pounds. It documents an individual’s weight loss journey by primarily focusing on how they try to change their lifestyle and food habits to lead healthier lives. The arduous process is made easier with the help of a well-known bariatric surgeon, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, AKA Dr. Now, who formulates customized diet and exercise regimens and helps them become eligible for weight reduction surgery.
Since its debut in 2012, several people have obtained the doctor’s guidance; some of them found it tough to follow, while others emerged as extremely strong and determined in their approach. One such impressive patient was Nikki Webster, who appeared in season 4 of the show. She was incredibly positive about her weight loss journey from the beginning and left her mark among fans as a memorable patient.
Nikki Webster’s My 600-lb Life Journey
Nikki Webster appeared in the fourth season of the show, in 2016, as a 33-year-old woman weighing 650 pounds. The Little Rock, Arkansas native faced a lot of issues because of that, such as excruciating pain as soon as she woke up, difficulty cleaning her body, and moving up and down her home to get food. However, she did have a job at a theater, working in the costume department, and was also able to drive around, which she mainly used for getting food from take-out stands.
It is important to know that Nikki faced problems with her weight since childhood and opted to diet whenever the scales moved up a notch. However, she couldn’t continue that for long. As a result, gained back the weight, making her feel miserable, especially as a teenager. It slowly became a cycle, as she sought to eat even more whenever she felt taunted and compared with her sisters. Nikki also had an issue with her two sisters, as she felt that her mother favored them over her, and her feeling of inadequacy increased even more with time.
However, once Nikki began depending on and living with her parents because of her weight, the parents seemed like the enablers, as they catered to all her food requests without hesitation. This made her food addiction get a boost, with a variety of food being served to her throughout the day. Nevertheless, Nikki slowly realized how she was trapped in that body and said, “My weight is debilitating. My body is so painful, I hate it. But I say this to myself. Food is an addiction to me and my addiction is killing me.”
Therefore, she made her way to Dr. Now in Houston, Texas, along with her father. After considering everything, Nikki was asked to follow Dr. Now’s specific diet plan and lose 50 pounds to qualify for surgery. Left with no choice, she followed the instructions well and soon got approved for gastric bypass surgery, which ultimately brought down her weight by 130 pounds. Even after the conclusion of her episode, Nikki continued with the diet plan and eventually lost an astounding 450 pounds.
Nikki Webster is Leading a Healthy Life
After her successful journey on the show in 2016, Nikki appeared in the ‘Where Are They Now?’ episode, two years later. She was thrilled to find out that she had successfully brought down her weight from 650 to a whopping 194 pounds. Not just that, but she could also be seen excitedly trying on and fitting into a pair of jeans for the first time in 10 years. To reach that level, she also went through excess skin and fat removal surgeries done by Dr. Now. Although she did face an issue with the healing of a wound around her surgery area, a visit to Dr. Now solved it instantly, and she got back on track with her progress.
Nikki kept her determination strong throughout her process, away from the doctor, but with the help of his diet and exercise plan. She took responsibility for her actions and stopped turning to food whenever she was stressed. She was eager to get her life back on track, to work, and go about like a healthy person. One of her main goals to become healthier was to be able to take care of her brother Chris, who lives with cerebral palsy. Thus, looking at her own progress, she was grateful that she was able to do that, travel anywhere, and enjoy her life without depending on anyone.
On the personal front, Nikki is married to Marc Gray, a guy she first met in 2016. He is the Director of Education at Odyssey College Prep. They got engaged and soon got married at the end of 2017 in the beautiful LDS Temple in Saint Louis. The couple seems really happy and in love, often enjoying doing crazy and fun things together. Additionally, she went for regular therapy and initiated to have heartfelt and tearful confrontations with her mother, Llewellyn, and sister, Courtney. Courtney had sadly kept her children away from seeing Nikki, thinking her weight might “distress” them.
Nikki lost her job in 2020 when all theater grounds shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She later started working as a teacher for the online teaching organization VIPKID. She loved connecting to the students and their parents from different corners of the world but left the job around November 2021. Nikki had also developed the hobby of making polymer clay jewelry around the same time.
Therefore, after leaving the teaching job, Nikki opened up her small business Freckle Flower Clay to sell such polymer-clay jewelry. She now does that full time and also moved to another small town just near Little Rock, along with her husband. Nikki is doing really well for herself, keeping her weight in check, having a gala time with the love of her life and her new business.
Read More: Is My 600-lb Life Scripted or Real?
