My 600-lb Life: What happened to Cindy Vela after the show?

Cindy Vela's story was featured in season 9 of My 600-lb Life in 2021. She weighed over 600 pounds when she contacted Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, also known as Dr. Now. Bed-bound and nearly immobile, she struggled to perform everyday activities. Unable to bear the strain her body put on her, Cindy realized it was time to make some changes and turn her life around.

However, Cindy found the transformation rather challenging. She struggled to keep up with Dr. Now's program and often failed to adhere to the prescribed diet plan. During her time on the show, she lost 40 pounds, far lower than her 70 pound target. As a result, she could not qualify for bariatric surgery.

Despite only losing 40 pounds during her time on the show, Cindy managed to transform her life for the better. On May 15, 2024, TLC aired episode 3 of My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now? season 9, which revisited Cindy's story, revealing that the cast member lost had 241 pounds since her initial appearance.

Besides shedding a noteworthy amount of weight, Cindy maintains a quiet life online, rarely sharing posts on her Instagram handle. Although she does not share full-length pictures of herself, fans are hopeful that Cindy has continued making additional progress.

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My 600-lb Life star Cindy Vela's weight-loss journey after the show

Despite struggling to control her diet and follow Dr. Now's exercise plan on the show, Cindy continued to rework herself off-camera. Episode 3 of My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now? documented Cindy's weight-loss journey, detailing everything the cast member had done since her appearance on the show to better herself.

The episode revealed that Cindy experienced severe stomach pain after her initial consultation with Dr. Now. With the help of an endoscopy, Dr. Now discovered the source of pain to be a large hiatal hernia. It prompted Cindy to change her lifestyle so she could reduce her pain and improve her quality of life.

She stayed under Dr. Now's supervision for two months, during which she followed a strict diet plan and restricted her calories to 1200 per day. As a result of her efforts, after two months, Cindy recorded a weight loss of 161 pounds, bringing her weight to 443 pounds.

The drop in weight helped the My 600-lb Life star regain control of her body and perform some day-to-day activities without relying on anyone. Cindy continued to eat healthy, successfully bringing her weight down to 438 pounds. After a month, her weight reduced to 415 pounds, which earned her Dr. Now's approval for a sleeve gastrectomy.

Two months later, Cindy weighed 373 pounds, having lost 241 pounds since her initial appearance on the show. Her transformation post-show allowed her to perform activities she could not before, like getting in and out of the car, spending time outdoors, and fishing.

Besides the update from My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now? episode, not much is known about Cindy's weight-loss journey. Although Cindy rarely shares pictures of herself online, fans hope she maintains a healthy lifestyle.

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Cindy Vela from My 600-lb Life had a difficult childhood

When Cindy first appeared on the TLC show, she detailed the incident that compelled her to turn to food. Cindy was only 8 when a family friend s*xually assaulted her. The female cast member indulged in unhealthy eating habits to cope with the trauma of the incident. She ate to relieve herself from the pain and by the end of 10, she weighed 140 pounds.

Her parents' divorce worsened her situation, encouraging Cindy to continue eating. By the time she turned 30, she weighed 500 pounds. After incurring an injury, Cindy became bedridden. While she spent days sitting idle, her unhealthy eating habits kept snowballing. Only after she developed lymphedema and diabetes did her friend, Sandy, request her to seek help.

Despite her challenging childhood, Cindy sought the help she needed and transformed her life for the better.

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Episodes of My 600-lb Life are available to stream on Discovery+.