“You are on your way”— My 600-Lb Life fans react to Juan’s weight loss journey

Juan Adams' story was featured on My 600-Lb Life, season 13, episode 7, which aired on February 12, 2025. A 47-year-old pastor from Metairie, Louisiana, Juan struggled with severe mobility issues because of his weight.

At 627 pounds, he struggled to walk and live independently. He sought help from Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, known as Dr. Now, in Houston, Texas, but his progress was initially slow.

Juan acknowledged that his food addiction began in childhood due to family struggles. He recalled witnessing his father mistreat his mother, which led him to turn to food for comfort. Following his parents’ divorce, his reliance on food grew stronger. By middle school, he weighed 230 pounds, and his weight continued to rise.

Ultimately, he had to resign from his position as a pastor due to his declining health.

"Eating gives me comfort in the way nothing else can but I'm addicted to food and it's impossible for me to lose weight because I've tried too many times on my own," he said.

Fans of My 600-Lb Life had mixed reactions to Juan’s journey. Some praised his efforts, while others felt he took too long to show progress.

“Alright Juan, you are on your way… good job!,” one fan wrote.

“Juan finally lost 70+ lb in two months!” another commented.

However, some viewers were skeptical, with one stating,

“Only 9-lb in two months… #my600lblife Juan.”

“I swear everyone this season has done their bare minimum to nothing at all,” another said.

Some fans also reacted to his interactions with his family. A viewer commented,

“Juan, u should be in the kitchen talking with the nutritionist, not your sister and mom.”

“Maybe I'm reading that therapy session wrong, but Derek actually seems a bit upset about Juan becoming more independent,” another noted.

One fan was frustrated with his slow progress, writing,

“I love when they make progress, but it just sucks when they are too stubborn to give up their habits until the very END of the episode smh.”

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Juan’s struggles and progress in My 600-Lb Life season 13

When Juan first appeared on My 600-Lb Life, he described his daily struggles.

“My life today is a living hell,” he said at the beginning of the episode. “Just pain through my entire body. It’s hard for me to walk a few steps.”

He relied on his sister and her children for help and his brother Derek, who helped him with mobility. Aside from grocery store trips with his mother, Patricia, he rarely left the house.

At his first weigh-in with Dr. Now, Juan weighed 627 pounds. Dr. Now set a target for Juan to lose 70 pounds in two months by following a stringent diet. However, he only lost 9 pounds initially, bringing his weight to 618 pounds at his first follow-up.

Recognizing that Juan’s challenges stemmed from emotional eating, Dr. Now referred him to Dr. Matthew Paradise for therapy. In a session with Dr. Paradise, Juan revealed how his family’s troubled past influenced his dependency on food.

He explained in My 600-lb Life that witnessing his parents’ abusive relationship as a child left him with lasting trauma. He also admitted that depending on his brother for basic tasks made him feel “needy” and impacted his self-esteem.

Following therapy, Juan became more committed to his weight-loss plan. He began walking more and wworkingwith a nutritionist to improve his diet. Over time, his weight began to drop steadily.

Nine months into his journey, he reached 505 pounds, marking a total loss of 122 pounds. At this point, Dr. Now approved him for bariatric surgery on the condition that he continued losing at least 10 pounds per month before the operation.

Since My 600-Lb Life aired Juan’s episode, it remains unclear whether he went through with the surgery. He has not shared updates on his weight loss on his Facebook page, where he regularly posts about his church, Outlet Ministries.

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New episodes of My 600-Lb Life air on Wednesdays on TLC at 8 pm EST.