The TLC series ‘My 600-lb Life’ chronicles the inspirational journeys of morbidly obese people, many of whom weigh 600 pounds or more. By making an effort to change their sedentary and overeating habits, they start their road toward living healthy lives. They seek the help of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, often known as Dr. Now, who provides them with strict dietary and exercise regimens as well as advice for lifestyle changes to accomplish this.
The reality series has featured a variety of body transformation tales throughout its ten seasons, some of which are more difficult than others. They go through different challenges, which makes their journey quite interesting for the viewers. Cindy Vela, who appeared in season 9, episode 4, was one such cast member. After being so invested in her episode, fans must wonder what she is up to now.
Cindy Vela’s My 600-lb Life Journey
Cindy Vela is a Portland, Texas resident who weighed over 600 pounds and was entirely bedridden. At 45, she was also not motivated for any change and was reluctant to even get help in the first place. She required the help of a hired caretaker to bathe and feed her every day, along with requiring help with all the everyday activities. “When I wake up, I try not to think about my life and how bad things are. But it’s hard to do that with my body, which hurts all the time because it’s breaking down. And I don’t feel like I’m even living anymore…I’m trapped in this bed pretty much all day, every day,” she said on the show.
While describing her journey, Cindy revealed that her dependence on food stems from a childhood assault. At the age of 8, Cindy was sexually assaulted by a family friend; that’s when she began eating to cover her pain. She also hoped that if she gained more weight, her molester would not be interested in her anymore. Thus, this led her to reach 140 pounds weight by the time she turned 10 and 200lbs by age 14. She sustained another blow when her parents got divorced and food was the only comfort throughout that pain as well.
Even though the abuse stopped after a while, Cindy’s eating habits spiraled up even more and she tipped 500 pounds by the time she turned 30. Following that, she slowly began suffering through many health issues and an injury, which then made her bedridden. Eating was her only solace for survival, even though she further developed lymphedema and diabetes and began needing constant oxygen support. Hence, looking at her condition, her friend and former aide, Sandy, suggested that she seek professional help to lose weight and get healthy.
During her consultation with Dr. Now, Cindy was assigned a strict diet and exercise plan like all cast members and was asked to lose 70 pounds before going for the next appointment in a month. However, as mentioned above, Cindy was not keen on working hard or getting her life together. Thus, she only managed to lose 40 pounds instead of 70 and was slowly back to gaining some weight back. By the end of her episode, Cindy went back to weighing almost 600 pounds, making her ineligible for the gastric bypass surgery.
Cindy Vela is Focusing on Her Health Today
While ending her journey on the show, Cindy seemed hopeful about her weight loss journey in the future. She said, “I’ll keep trying my hardest, and hopefully…I’ll be in a good enough place to get surgery. I’ve learned a lot during this time. So, I get to take that back with me to implement at home. I’ll find a way to get better and change my life and have a new life. And I’m still very much looking forward to that.”
Therefore, Cindy went back to Portland and ascertained that she was optimistic about losing weight on her own. On her social media platforms, she often posts numerous positive quotes, which indicate that she maintains a positive attitude while trying to change her life around. She is also a believer in God, and she thus posts content about remaining positive and inspired as a result. However, she does not share much about her personal life or progress with her followers.
Cindy shared the sad news in January 2022 that she lost her stepfather Raul Garcia Quintanilla. He was very supportive of her, and they were quite close, which is why she seemed devastated by this loss. She also lost a very dear niece, Meranda Sue, in September 2021, with whom she was extremely close. She wrote a long post, paying tributes and condemning her loss to share with her followers. Apart from that, as it turns out, Cindy is doing good and trying her best and we only wish her a speedy journey toward a healthy life.
Read More: Is My 600-lb Life Scripted or Real?
