The journey toward weight loss is a hell of a road…
Nikki Webster went from weighing 649 lbs to finally gaining control of her life again. But her journey towards health was not without tragic obstacles.
Now, Webster surprised the world with how she lost more than 400 pounds in two years.
Back in 2016, Webster weighed 649 pounds. She could hardly stand or bathe herself when she finally realized she couldn’t keep living that way, and decided it was time to transform her life.
“My weight became debilitating,” Webster, of Little Rock, Arkansas, told PEOPLE.
“Growing up I was always struggling with my weight, and I was also always on a diet,” she said. “My first diet was when I was seven. And it was usually successful, but then I would always gain it back and more.”
By the time she was featured on TLC’s My 600-Lb Life, at 33, Webster had become dependent on her parents for absolutely everything, including getting out of bed.
“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.’”
On the show, she was told that she’d have to lose 50 pounds before she could even undergo gastric bypass surgery.
Determined to make lasting change, she lost 130 pounds in just three months by following a strict diet, and then got the life-changing procedure.
She feared the surgery because her best friend died after having a gastric bypass. But she took a step forward, anyway.
At 450 pounds, she still had a long way to go and decided to go under the knife again, this time to remove the huge amount of excess skin left hanging from her stomach.
Webster trained at the gym so she could get approved for skin removal surgery but then had second thoughts when tragedy struck.
Her best friend, Michael, who had been inspired by her successful weight loss journey, died suddenly following gastric bypass complications.
“Earlier this year, my best friend Michael had a gastric bypass, and he died. That haunts me.”
She dropped to just 207 pounds during her first year of surgery. Aside from the surgery, she also worked with a therapist to help her overcome her eating problems, which, for her, was the root cause of her obesity.
Webster hit a wall and lost her motivation, as she grieved her friend’s passing.
Knowing that her friend didn’t survive haunted her, but she was determined to go through with the surgery, so she gathered her strength and doubled down on her efforts to get approved.
Around the same time, her friend Marc asked her out on a date, which was the first she’d had in years. Everything was happening quickly, and she was still filled with anxiety but knew it was time.
“As terrified as I am about surgery, I know this has to happen,” she said.
According to AWM:
Although Webster’s journey proved to be a success, she faced hardships throughout just like any heroine.
Finally, Webster was told that she was ready for skin removal surgery. With that deadline on the calendar, she worked hard and ate better. And she lost a whopping 348 pounds. Then doctors cut away 56 pounds of extra skin.
Webster almost died. She started bleeding internally. She went under the knife again – this time as an emergency. But she survived. Then she returned home weighing just 236 pounds. And after more exercise and healthy eating, she now weighs just 192 pounds. She is proud.
Watch the video below for more details: