‘My 600-lb Life’ on TLC follows the struggles associated with weight loss journeys of morbidly obese individuals while they try to better their lives. They all generally weigh around 600 pounds and find it difficult to perform daily tasks because of their massive weights. Thus, with the help of a renowned bariatric surgeon, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, also known as Dr. Now, they try to follow tough lifestyle alterations with strict diet and exercise to reach their goal weight.
The reality show presents unique inspirational stories of different individuals having distinct relationships with food. But their determination and hard work are what leave the fans with admiration for the individuals. Tamy Lyn Murrell is one such cast member from season 6 episode 9, who showed her persistent side and continued her journey despite several hardships. Now that she’s been away from the cameras for a while, her fans must be curious to know where she is.
Tamy Lyn Murrell’s My 600-lb Life Journey
When Covington, Kentucky, native Tamy Lyn Murrell appeared in season 6 in 2018, she was 45-years-old and weighed around 591 pounds. She lived with her husband, James, and her son, Zachary. Because of her weight and her extremely bulging abdomen, Tamy was completely dependent on the two of them for every task around her house. She was in pain because of the extra weight she was carrying around her stomach and needed professional help to live a healthier life, without being dependent on anyone.
Tamy was, however, a “normal size” girl in her early childhood. She has two elder siblings who are over a decade older than her so she couldn’t connect well with them and lived only with her parents. Sadly, her life took a drastic turn at the young age of 8, when her father passed away from a heart attack right in front of her eyes. Tamy was shaken by that incident, but her mother found it tougher to cope with their loss and slipped into a deep depression. Since then, Tamy had to be by herself all alone, as her mother couldn’t even get out of bed, let alone look after young Tamy.
The significant life change led Tamy to turn to food for comfort, and not knowing what was good or bad, she began eating unhealthy or all kinds of junk food such as ice cream, pies and soda, to soothe herself. On the show, she described her childhood, saying, “I could just eat whatever I wanted, when I wanted. And it was my friend, it was my parents, my loved one.” Tamy also admitted to only buying and consuming junk food thereafter, which led her to eventually drop out of high school and weigh well over 175 pounds. When Tamy was 18-years-old and working as a janitor, she met James, also a janitor.
Tamy and James fell in love and quickly got into a relationship. Just a month later, Tamy got pregnant, and they eventually married, which brought some form of happiness for Tamy, but it was short-lived as she couldn’t sustain her eating habits for longer. Later, her tumultuous marriage and immobility, got her to Dr. Now in Houston, Texas, where she received the exact professional help she needed. She became determined to follow the diets and exercises religiously.
Tamy continued her weight loss regime with determination even when she learned from her husband, James, that he was cheating on her, right before her gastric bypass surgery. James decided to move out and she was to live with their son, Zachary AKA Zack, who needs special care, which drove her to maintain her journey even more diligently thereafter. She still managed to continue her process and ultimately lost over 200 pounds weighing around 345 pounds by the end.
Tamy Lyn Murrell is Leading a Happy Life Today
Tamy Lyn Murrell kept going on the path of healthy living and followed her diet regularly, including her own explorations with healthy foods. She always chose healthy, low-calorie food items and kept working out as instructed. As such, after losing more weight, she underwent excess skin removal surgery, primarily from her abdomen area. From barely completing her laundry and almost fainting in her first year to performing all household tasks on her own, Tamy has come a long way.
Tamy also loves experimenting on her hair with different hair colors, such as pink and blue, and is happy being able to wear outfits like jeans. Thus, she became confident in herself and is no longer dependent on others for her work. However, a disheartening diagnosis of Degenerative Bone Disease was reported after Tamy complained of ankle pain, although she has still managed to carve her path towards healthy and happy living. Although Tamy had separated from her husband James for a while, because of his infidelity, he was still a part of their lives.
However, James and Tamy reconciled later. In December 2019, she shared a picture of James proposing to her by getting down on one knee (pictured above) with a beautiful ring. They now seem to be even more in love and take pleasure in doing everything together. Tamy and James also became grandparents of four adorable kids from their older son. They often visit each other and enjoy their time as a wholesome family. Thus, as Tamy keeps a positive outlook and is living a healthy life, we wish her continued progress in the future as well.
Read More: Is My 600-lb Life Scripted or Real?
