Original subtitles

Marla: I CAN'T EVEN BATHE MYSELF.

MY KIDS HAVE TO DO THAT FOR ME.

Charity: I FEEL LIKE SOME MONSTER.

Woman: I'VE BEEN HIDING FROM THE WORLD, JUST WAITING TO DIE.

Woman #2: [ Voice breaking ] I AM ABSOLUTELY TRAPPED

IN THIS BODY,

AND I FEEL LIKE I'M DYING EVERY DAY.

Susan: I'M TERRIFIED RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS MY LAST HOPE TO BECOME NORMAL.

Madison: I NEED MY MOM.

I NEED HER TO BE HERE FOR ME.

**

Man: 10 SECONDS NOW.

HOLD IT, HOLD IT, HOLD IT.

[ SIGHS ] GOOD JOB.

Christina: I HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE

TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.

Joe: I REFUSE TO LET THEM BURY ME.

I AM NOW EXPRESSING MYSELF AND LIVING MY OWN TRUTH.

Woman #3: I LOST THE WEIGHT, BUT I GAINED MY FAMILY.

Woman #4: LIFE IS AMAZING NOW. I'M REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF.

Woman #5: THIS IS AMAZING.

THERE YOU GO. AWESOME.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Melissa: IT'S NOT LIKE I SET OUT TO SAY,

"I WANT TO GROW UP TO BE THE WORLD'S BIGGEST LADY."

IT JUST HAPPENED.

[ Voice breaking ] IT'S AWFUL TO REALIZE

WHAT I HAD DONE TO MYSELF.

[ MAN LAUGHS ]

Melissa: I HAVE TO HAVE THE SURGERY.

I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE.

IT WOULD BE A RISKY PROCEDURE ON SOMEONE MY SIZE.

Chris: I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HER LIFE CHANGING

AND OUR LIFE CHANGING.

LOOK! I CAN GO UP AND DOWN THE STEPS WITH NO HANDS!

OH, MY GOSH.

I GOT JEANS ON.

[ LAUGHS ]

I'M JUST HALF THE PERSON I USED TO BE.

NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY.

I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW THIN I AM.

I'VE NEVER BEEN THIS SIZE.

THERE IS NOT ONE PIECE OF CHICKEN

THAT FEELS AS GOOD AS THIS DOES.

I'VE TALKED TO PATIENTS

ABOUT THEIR SURGERIES BEFORE AND AFTER.

IT'S HARD TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN.

I TOOK A PREGNANCY TEST, AND IT CAME BACK POSITIVE.

I FEEL SO BLESSED.

WE DID ANOTHER ULTRASOUND, BUT THERE WAS NO HEARTBEAT.

Chris: WE'VE BEEN TRYING FOR SO LONG,

AND, THEN, JUST TO HAVE IT TAKEN AWAY...

[ SCREAMS ]

IT'S LIKE THE WORST HURT YOU EVER CAN IMAGINE.

I JUST FOUND OUT

CHRIS WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER LADY TO HAVE SEX.

MY GOAL FROM THE BEGINNING WAS TO HAVE A CHILD,

BUT NOW THAT I HAVE HER,

IT'S LIKE A MILLION TIMES BETTER.

I CAN TELL YOU THIS WHOLE JOURNEY WAS EASY,

BUT THAT WOULD BE A LIE.

BUT IT WOULDN'T BE A LIE TO TELL YOU IT WAS WORTH IT.

**

ALANA... Alana: YES?

...COME GET THIS BAG OUT OF THE FLOOR.

IT HAS BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE MY WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY,

AND LIFE IS SO DIFFERENT NOW.

BEFORE I LOST THE WEIGHT,

I WAS MISERABLE AND BARELY LIVING LIFE,

AND MY DREAM WAS TO HAVE KIDS.

Woman: IT'S GREAT HAVING HER HOME,

HAVING ALL THESE KIDS AROUND HER.

I HOPED THAT SHE'D EVENTUALLY HAVE A BABY OF HER OWN.

Melissa: NOW I'M ABLE TO BE ACTIVE ALL DAY,

AND I HAVE TWO WONDERFUL KIDS, ALANA AND ELI.

[ GASPS ] GOOD JOB.

AT MY HEAVIEST, I WAS 653 POUNDS.

AFTER BYPASS, I LOST ALMOST 500 POUNDS

AND GOT DOWN TO 157 POUNDS.

I'VE NEVER BEEN THIS SIZE, NEVER IN MY LIFE.

BUT THE LAST TIME I GOT MY WEIGHT CHECKED,

I WAS BACK UP TO AROUND 270 POUNDS.

MOST OF THAT WEIGHT GAIN HAS BEEN FROM MY PREGNANCIES.

I GAINED AROUND 20 POUNDS WHEN I HAD ALANA FOUR YEARS AGO,

BUT DURING MY PREGNANCY WITH ELI TWO YEARS AGO,

I GAINED ALMOST 100 POUNDS.

ALANA, DO YOU WANT YOURS CUT?

I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW HARD IT WAS GONNA BE

WHEN YOU HAVE KIDS

AND HAVE FOOD FOR THEM AROUND YOU ALL DAY LONG.

WHEN I WAS PREGNANT WITH ALANA, IT WAS A LITTLE EASIER,

'CAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE TO FEED ANOTHER CHILD.

BUT WHEN I WAS PREGNANT WITH ELI,

HAVING CRAVINGS WHILE I WAS FIXING HER SNACKS AND MEALS

WAS HARD TO RESIST.

AND NOW I HAVE FOUR KIDS IN MY HOUSE

BECAUSE MY NEPHEW COREY AND MY NIECE NIA

HAVE COME TO LIVE WITH US, TOO.

I'M FEEDING KIDS ALL DAY LONG, SO IT'S HARD TO STICK TO A DIET.

AND I DIDN'T EXPECT HOW MUCH MY WORLD WOULD CHANGE

BEING A MOM AND THE STRUGGLES THAT WOULD BRING.

AFTER HAVING ELI, MY HUSBAND, CHRIS, AND I DECIDED

THAT HE WOULD BE THE ONE THAT WORKED

AND I WOULD STAY HOME AND RAISE OUR CHILDREN.

**

BUT I MISSED MY JOB,

AND I MISSED BEING ABLE TO GO OUT.

I WAS HAPPY TO BE A MOM,

BUT I WAS DEPRESSED BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING I HAD TO GIVE UP.

**

SO I ATE AND I DIDN'T GO BACK TO MY DIET.

SINCE THEN, I KNOW I'M GAINING SLOWLY,

SO I REALIZED I NEEDED TO GET MY WEIGHT BACK UNDER CONTROL

AND WENT BACK ON MY DIET FOR A BIT.

[ RETCHING ]

BUT, THEN, CHRIS AND I FOUND OUT

THAT I'M PREGNANT WITH OUR THIRD CHILD,

AND I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THIS.

BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT BEING A MOTHER AT 40.

BUT, THEN, THERE'S THAT WHOLE PART OF ME

THAT REMEMBERS THE FEAR OF NOT BEING A MOM AT ALL,

SO I'M GRATEFUL.

BUT I'M SO SCARED THAT I'M GONNA GAIN AS MUCH AS I DID WITH ELI,

SO I'M GONNA SEE DR. NOW FOR AN APPOINTMENT SOON

TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW NOT TO REPEAT MY MISTAKES THIS TIME...

WHERE'S YOUR SHOES?

...BECAUSE I'M REALLY SCARED RIGHT NOW.

**

Ashley: MY FEAR IS I'LL BE DEAD IN FIVE YEARS

'CAUSE I'M GONNA KEEP GETTING BIGGER.

I'M TRYING REALLY HARD TO CHANGE MY LIFE.

I DO NOT WANT TO DIE.

I WANT TO LIVE.

MY FAMILY HASN'T CHANGED IN WHAT THEY EAT.

IT'S HARD BEING AROUND ALL THESE FOODS ALL THE TIME.

Pat: I'LL MAKE A GOOD APPLE PIE.

SAY, "OOH, ASHLEY, THIS TASTES SO GOOD."

[ LAUGHS ]

I DON'T KNOW WHY SHE KEEPS TEASING ME.

SHE'S MAKING IT SO HARD.

I HAVEN'T SEEN ASHLEY DRESS LIKE THIS SINCE HER PROM.

Ashley: I'M GOING TO SCHOOL,

WORKING TO GET MY ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN CHILD CARE.

I HAVE BEEN ORDERING CLOTHES OUT OF CATALOGS

SINCE I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

BEING ABLE TO SHOP AT A REGULAR STORE MADE ME SO HAPPY.

MY DAD GOT DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER.

HE WAS LIKE MY ROCK.

HE SAID, "YOU WORK ON THIS WEIGHT,

GET THIS OFF SO YOU CAN START YOUR LIFE.

KNOWING THAT HE'S WATCHING ME, I HAVE TO MAKE HIM PROUD.

I HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER DREAMS BESIDES LOSING WEIGHT.

I AM SO HAPPY TO GET MY LIFE BACK.

**

A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.

**

SO MUCH OF MY LIFE IS BETTER NOW,

BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT I'M TRYING TO WORK ON.

WHEN MY DAD DIED, MY MOM DECIDED TO SELL THE HOUSE,

SO I MOVED IN WITH A FRIEND.

MY MOM MOVED IN WITH MY YOUNGER SISTER, MEGAN.

THEY WERE ALWAYS CLOSER ANYWAY, SO IT MADE SENSE.

SINCE MY DAD DIED,

MY MOM AND I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO WORK ON OUR RELATIONSHIP,

BUT SHE STILL GIVES ME A HARD TIME ABOUT MY WEIGHT.

Pat: ASHLEY BLAMED ME FOR HER WEIGHT,

BUT I DIDN'T FORCE HER TO EAT ANY OF THEM FOODS.

I TOLD HER.

I SAID, "ONCE YOU HAVE THIS SURGERY,

THERE WILL BE NO COKES, NO CHIPS."

OH, SHE GOT VERY MAD AT ME.

SHE'S A MESS. [ LAUGHS ]

Ashley: AT MY HIGHEST, I HAD GOTTEN UP TO 617 POUNDS.

BUT A FEW YEARS AGO, I HAD REACHED MY LOWEST WEIGHT --

216 POUNDS.

I HAD LOST OVER 400 POUNDS, AND I WAS SO PROUD OF MYSELF.

I WANTED TO KEEP LOSING THAT WEIGHT

BECAUSE MY DAD WOULD HAVE WANTED ME TO.

MY DADDY WAS ALWAYS THERE IN MY CORNER.

HE WAS PROUD THAT I WAS LOSING THE WEIGHT,

AND IT FEELS VERY GOOD FOR ME THAT HE GOT TO SEE THAT.

I HIT A WALL TWO YEARS AGO, AND I STOPPED LOSING WEIGHT,

WHICH MEANT I NEVER GOT MY NEXT SKIN SURGERY ON MY LEGS.

THAT WAS DISAPPOINTING,

'CAUSE I REALLY HATE THE WAY MY LEGS LOOK.

THEY'RE STILL THE AREA OF MY BODY I WANT TO CHANGE THE MOST.

SINCE I KNOW I'M NOT MAKING MUCH PROGRESS,

I HAVEN'T BEEN BACK TO SEE DR. NOWZARADAN.

AND RIGHT NOW I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I WEIGH,

BECAUSE I LOST A LOT OF MY MOTIVATION.

I STARTED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND GET MY DEGREE

SO I COULD OPEN MY OWN DAYCARE.

NOW, THE NERVOUS PART ABOUT GOING BACK TO SCHOOL

IS AM I GONNA FIT IN THAT SEAT

OR, YOU KNOW, IS THERE GONNA BE A PROBLEM OR WHAT?

I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU ALL HERE TO LAB ORIENTATION.

SHE'S LOOKING GREAT.

IT IS GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR HER, I BET,

AS SHE WORKS WITH THE CHILDREN,

BECAUSE BEING ABLE TO GET DOWN ON THEIR LEVEL

IS REALLY SO IMPORTANT.

Ashley: THAT WAS MY DREAM

AND A HUGE REASON WHY I WANTED TO LOSE WEIGHT.

BUT THAT DREAM KIND OF STALLED WHEN MY WEIGHT LOSS STOPPED.

BUT I STILL LOVE CHILDREN,

SO I TRY TO GET SOME WORK HERE AND THERE,

TAKING CARE OF MY FRIENDS' KIDS WHEN THEY NEED ME TO.

I ENJOY BEING ACTIVE WITH THEM AND HAVING FUN.

WANT TO GO TO A PARK?

TAKING CARE OF KIDS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE JOB I WANT.

IT'S STILL A LITTLE HARD DOING MUCH

WITH MY LEGS THE WAY THEY ARE.

OH! READY?

WHOO!

BUT I CAN STILL DO SO MUCH MORE,

AND I HAVE A LOT MORE IN MY LIFE THAN I DID BEFORE.

**

THAT WASN'T TOO BAD.

WHEN I WAS 600 POUNDS, I COULD BARELY GET AROUND.

[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS ]

**

AND I'D GO OUT, PLAY POOL, ENJOY MY FRIENDS, AND HANG OUT.

NICE.

AND I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR THE LIFE I HAVE NOW.

NO. I HIT NOTHING.

BUT THERE IS STILL A LOT I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH,

AND I KNOW GETTING CLOSE TO MY TARGET WEIGHT

AND GETTING TO MY FINAL SKIN SURGERY

IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN REACH THAT GOAL.

BUT IT'S A STRUGGLE TO KEEP WITH IT RIGHT NOW.

HOW ABOUT WE JUST SPLIT A GRILLED-CHICKEN QUESADILLA

AND SOME FRIED MUSHROOMS?

OKAY. ALL RIGHTY.

THAT SOUNDS FINE WITH ME.

I TRY TO FIND A BALANCE

BETWEEN EATING WHAT I SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T.

GOT TO ADD THE RANCH.

YEAH.

I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S BEEN SO HARD OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS,

BUT IT HAS BEEN.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT I WEIGH NOW, BUT I KNOW I'M GAINING.

I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUSH MYSELF

TO GET BACK ON TRACK RIGHT NOW.

**

Melissa: TODAY, I'M GOING TO SEE DR. NOWZARADAN.

AND MY BIG QUESTION IS HOW DO I AVOID GAINING LIKE I DID

WHEN I WAS PREGNANT WITH ELIJAH?

**

IF I GAIN ANOTHER 100 POUNDS WITH THIS BABY,

I'M GONNA BE IN THE UPPER 300s,

AND THAT'S NOT FAR FROM 400 AND THEN 500,

AND EVENTUALLY, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO WHERE I STARTED.

SO I AM HOPING THE DOCTOR CAN HELP ME CHANGE THAT

FOR THIS PREGNANCY.

[ CHUCKLES ]

THAT'S ALMOST 300 POUNDS.

**

I CAN'T GO BACK TO THE WAY I WAS,

ESPECIALLY NOW THAT I HAVE KIDS.

I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM, AND I AM NOT GOING TO GET TO A PLACE

WHERE THEY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF ME.

I AM THEIR MOM,

AND I AM GONNA FIND A WAY TO ALWAYS BE THERE FOR THEM.

MELISSA, HOW ARE YOU DOING?

I'M OKAY.

SO, THIS IS ALMOST ABOUT 10 YEARS, HUH?

[ CHUCKLES ] JANUARY.

YOU WERE 650.

NOW TODAY, YOU ARE 290 POUNDS.

MM.

SO, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOU?

I'M PREGNANT WITH BABY NUMBER THREE.

CONGRATULATIONS.

I'M PROUD OF YOU THAT YOU CAME SO FAR,

BUT WITH EVERY PREGNANCY,

WE'RE GAINING A LITTLE BIT OF WEIGHT.

YOU KNOW, YOU WERE 650.

YOU HIT THE 300, YOU'RE GONNA BE HALFWAY THERE.

MELISSA HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL PATIENTS OVERALL.

SHE LOST ALMOST 500 POUNDS,

BUT SLOWLY, SHE STARTED GAINING HER WEIGHT BACK.

OKAY, SO, IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF PREGNANCY,

YOU'RE STILL ABLE TO LOSE WEIGHT IN A HEALTHY WAY.

SO YOU WANT ME TO LOSE WEIGHT WHILE I'M PREGNANT?

RIGHT.

I WANT YOU TO LOSE 10 POUNDS OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.

IT'S NOT HEALTHY TO LOSE TOO MUCH WEIGHT DURING PREGNANCY,

BUT MELISSA CAN SAFELY LOSE 10, 15 POUNDS

IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS

BY LIMITING HER CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE

AND STICKING TO A HIGH-PROTEIN DIET.

CONGRATULATIONS.

THANKS, DR. NOWZARADAN.

ALL RIGHT.

MELISSA HAS TO LEARN TO BALANCE WHAT'S GOING ON IN HER LIFE

AND MAINTAIN HEALTHY EATING

IF SHE WANTS TO AVOID BEING BACK AT 600 POUNDS.

Melissa: IT'S HARD TO THINK ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT WHILE I'M PREGNANT,

'CAUSE I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO LOSE WEIGHT PERIOD.

BUT TO DO IT WHEN ALL THE CRAVINGS OF PREGNANCY KICKS IN

MAKES ME REALLY NERVOUS.

[ SIGHS ]

BUT IF THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA KEEP ME FROM GAINING LIKE I HAVE,

THEN I'M GONNA PUSH MYSELF TO DO IT.

**

IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP, BABY.

YOU WANT TO GO SEE THE BABY TODAY?

Melissa: TODAY, I'M GONNA HAVE MY FIRST ULTRASOUND

FOR THIS PREGNANCY

TO SEE HOW THE BABY'S DOING.

**

AND IT'S MAKING ME REALLY ANXIOUS,

BECAUSE THINGS ARE STILL A LITTLE ROUGH

BETWEEN ME AND CHRIS.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? SOMETHING TO EAT.

I USED -- MADE ALL THE EGGS.

WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 20 YEARS,

AND IN THE BEGINNING,

OUR MARRIAGE WAS LIKE A FAIRY TALE.

Chris: THE FIRST QUESTION SHE ASKED ME WAS,

"WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HAT, AND WHAT COLOR IS YOUR TRUCK?"

AND OF COURSE THE HAT WAS WHITE AND THE TRUCK WAS BLACK.

Melissa: IT'S FUNNY, 'CAUSE I KNEW RIGHT THEN

THAT I WAS GONNA MARRY HIM.

CHRIS IS A DIFFERENT PERSON THAN HE WAS EVEN THREE YEARS AGO.

IT FEELS LIKE CHRIS IS BASICALLY JUST WITHDRAWN.

HE WANTS HIS DAGGONE SOCKS ON AGAIN.

CAN YOU START PUTTING THEM ON HIM?

Chris: NO!

**

THE TIMING OF THIS PREGNANCY IS NOT GOOD AT ALL.

I'M THANKFUL FOR THE BLESSING, BUT I'M SCARED TO DEATH

ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

WELL, LET'S GET IN THE CAR. LET'S GET GOING.

I DON'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE THAT SAME 600-POUND PERSON

WHO FEELS WORTHLESS ALL THE TIME,

AND THAT'S HOW CHRIS MAKES ME FEEL.

BUT RIGHT NOW, I COULD REALLY USE CHRIS' SUPPORT...

Woman: MELISSA MORRIS.

Melissa: ...BECAUSE EVER SINCE I WENT TO MY VERY FIRST ULTRASOUND

AND THERE WAS NO HEARTBEAT,

I'M AFRAID EVERY TIME I GO THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

AND THEY FINALLY SEEN THE BABY, BUT THERE WAS NO HEARTBEAT.

SO WE ARE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL TO HAVE A DNC.

Chris: THE FACT THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING FOR SO LONG,

AND, THEN, JUST TO HAVE IT...TAKEN AWAY

WAS LIKE SOMEBODY JUST PUNCHED ME IN THE GUT.

Melissa: NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I GO THROUGH THIS,

AND THE FEAR NEVER GOES AWAY.

I AM JUST PRAYING THERE IS A HEARTBEAT RIGHT NOW.

[ HEARTBEAT ]

[ CHUCKLES ]

Woman: THAT'S THE BABY'S HEART.

VERY NICE. YES.

MELISSA...

...I HOPE THOSE ARE TEARS OF JOY.

YES.

I'M OVER-THE-MOON HAPPY THAT THERE WAS A HEARTBEAT.

ABOUT HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN WAITING TO KNOW THAT?

12 WEEKS.

12 WEEKS. OKAY, ALL RIGHT. YES.

THAT BABY RIGHT THERE -- SEE ITS HEAD?

MM-HMM. SEE IT'S WAVING AT YOU?

MM-HMM. SEE IT MOVING?

THAT'S THE BABY.

THAT'S COOL. THAT'S COOL?

**

I'M EXTREMELY RELIEVED THAT THERE'S A HEARTBEAT,

BUT NOW THERE'S A MILLION OTHER THINGS I NEED TO WORRY ABOUT.

WE'RE GONNA GO SEE DR. NOWZARADAN TODAY

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ABOUT THREE YEARS.

I'VE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT MY HEALTH THIS PAST MONTH,

AND NOT GETTING UNDER 200 POUNDS TO GET MY SKIN SURGERY

IS ONE OF MY BIGGEST REGRETS FROM THE LAST FEW YEARS.

BUT THAT MEANS OWNING UP TO DR. NOWZARADAN

ABOUT NOT BEING BACK FOR A WHILE.

YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXCESSIVE FLUID IN YOUR LEG.

OVERALL, YOU'RE DOING GREAT, BUT IF YOU CAN GO TO 220.

OKAY.

BUT I'M STILL NERVOUS COMING HERE,

KNOWING I PROBABLY GAINED,

AND THEN HEARING WHAT DR. NOWZARADAN HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT.

Woman: 312.

**

THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A SHOCK.

I JUST HOPE DR. NOWZARADAN IS NOT TOO DISAPPOINTED.

[ SIGHS ]

HELLO. HI, ASHLEY.

HOW ARE YOU? I'M FINE.

HOW ARE YOU?

ALL RIGHT. I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN A WHILE.

AND YOU GAINED WEIGHT SINCE LAST TIME I SAW YOU,

SO WHAT'S GOING ON?

I MEAN, MY EATING HABITS

COULD PROBABLY BE A LITTLE MORE HEALTHIER.

I GET TO WHERE I CRAVE SOMETHING LIKE ICE CREAM OR SOMETHING.

I JUST GO AHEAD AND GET IT, GET IT OUT OF MY SYSTEM,

BECAUSE IF I DON'T, I FEEL LIKE IF I WANT IT,

I'LL GET IT LATER, AND I'LL EAT MORE THAN WHAT I SHOULD.

THAT PERSPECTIVE IS A PROBLEM, OKAY?

YOU CRAVE JUSTIFICATION TO GO BACK EATING WHAT YOU WANT,

AND YOU'RE TELLING YOURSELF IT'S HELPING YOU.

YOU KEEP DOING THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE BACK

TO YOUR ORIGINAL WEIGHT IN A COUPLE YEARS.

Dr. Nowzaradan: ASHLEY WAS THE FIRST KNOWN PERSON IN THE WORLD

OVER 600 POUNDS TO GET GASTRIC BYPASS,

SO WE WERE NOT SURE HOW EFFECTIVE IT WAS GONNA BE

OVER THE LONG TERM.

AND SHE MANAGED TO LOSE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WEIGHT.

WHAT SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR ISSUE FOR YOU RIGHT NOW?

PROBABLY IS EXTRA SKIN, ESPECIALLY ON MY LEGS.

FEEL LIKE IT'S HANGING DOWN, AND THEY JUST LOOK SO HUGE.

YOU NEVER LOST THE WEIGHT

TO GET YOUR FINAL SKIN SURGERY IN YOUR LEGS.

IF YOU WANT THAT TO BE A POSSIBILITY AGAIN,

YOU NEED TO LOSE AT LEAST 120 POUNDS, OKAY?

OKAY.

I WANT YOU TO COME BACK IN TWO MONTHS,

AND I WANT YOU TO LOSE 30 POUNDS BY THEN.

YOU CAN GET TO YOUR GOAL TO SEE IF YOU GET BACK ON TRACK.

YES, I CAN.

OKAY, NICE TO SEE YOU. NICE TO SEE YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

**

Ashley: I WANT TO GET BACK ON TRACK

AND FINALLY MAKE IT TO MY TARGET WEIGHT SO BAD.

I WAS SO CLOSE.

I KNOW I CAN WORK TO GET BACK THERE AGAIN.

**

Melissa: IT'S BEEN ABOUT SIX WEEKS SINCE I SEEN DR. NOW,

AND HE TOLD ME HE WANTED ME TO LOSE 10 POUNDS.

AND I'VE BEEN WORKING HARD TO STICK TO THE DIET

AS MUCH AS I CAN.

BUT I'M CONSTANTLY PREPARING FOOD FOR MY FAMILY..

**

BUT I CAN'T FORCE MY FAMILY TO ONLY EAT WHAT I HAVE TO EAT.

MY FAMILY IS HAVING HAM AND BISCUITS,

AND I'M HAVING COTTAGE CHEESE.

**

I HAVE ALL THE STRESS OF TAKING CARE OF OUR FAMILY,

PREPARING FOR THIS THIRD CHILD,

AND THE STRAIN THAT'S ON OUR MARRIAGE RIGHT NOW.

IT GETS HARDER THAN I EVEN REALIZE.

I WISH I COULD RELY ON CHRIS RIGHT NOW.

BUT THAT'S JUST NOT THE REALITY.

IS HE A "SIT DOWN, I SEE YOU'RE TIRED

AND SEE YOU'RE SICK AND I'M GONNA TAKE CARE OF DINNER" GUY?

NO.

WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER 20 YEARS,

AND THE GUY I MARRIED I KNOW IS IN THERE SOMEWHERE.

I JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE HE'S AT.

BEFORE MY SURGERY, CHRIS WAS MY CARETAKER.

Chris: NOW HER ROLE IS A HUSBAND AND A WIFE --

A REAL HUSBAND AND WIFE.

Melissa: RIGHT NOW, I'M JUST GETTING BY

BY THINKING ABOUT MY KIDS.

AND GAINING THE WEIGHT --

NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF MY KIDS,

NOT BEING THE MOM THEY DESERVE --

THAT'S MY BIGGEST FEAR RIGHT NOW.

SO I'M GONNA FIGHT TO DO WHAT I NEED TO RIGHT NOW

AND KEEP MY FAMILY GOING.

**

YOU NEED THE CHICKEN?

YEAH, GO AHEAD AND BRING THAT OUT.

Ashley: SINCE SEEING DR. NOWZARADAN

AND TRYING TO GET MY WEIGHT LOSS BACK ON TRACK,

I'VE OFFERED TO GO TO MY SISTER'S HOUSE

TWICE A WEEK TO COOK DINNER FOR MY WHOLE FAMILY.

**

BUT I KNOW THAT IF I'M GOING TO GET BACK ON MY DIET,

I HAVE TO START PREPARING MY MEALS AGAIN.

IT'S HARD, BUT I'M HOPING THAT MAKING THIS COMMITMENT

TO COOK FOR MY FAMILY WILL KEEP ME ON TRACK

BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'LL TELL ME WHEN I'M NOT EATING RIGHT.

I'D GET ON HER ALL THE TIME.

"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE EATING THAT."

WE'D FIND EMPTY SOUP CANS IN HER DRAWER.

INSTEAD OF LOSING, SHE WAS GAINING.

I SAID, "THAT'S IT. I'M NOT DOING NOTHING ELSE."

AND I DIDN'T.

GET THE SALSA, BECKY?

Becky: YES, I'M GRABBING IT.

Ashley: MY FAMILY, AND MOSTLY MY MOM,

NEVER HOLD BACK WHEN THEY THINK I'M DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

ASHLEY, DO YOU EAT THIS WAY EVERY NIGHT?

Ashley: NO.

DO YOU THINK YOU'LL GO AHEAD AND TRY TO DO YOUR LEGS?

WHEN ALL THE WEIGHT IS COMPLETELY OFF.

SO, WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG TO GO SEE HIM --

LIKE FIVE YEARS?

DID HE WANT YOU TO WAIT THAT LONG?

NO, I JUST -- I HADN'T SEEN HIM AND DADDY DIED,

AND I JUST -- I JUST NEVER WENT BACK.

IT'S HARD BECAUSE WHEN MY MOM STARTS TO GIVE ME A HARD TIME,

I FEEL LIKE MY WHOLE FAMILY STARTS TO DO IT, TOO.

AND THAT MAKES ME FEEL EMBARRASSED AND HURT.

SO I WANT TO EAT MORE.

BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TELL ANY OF THEM THAT, ESPECIALLY MY MOM.

Pat: I'M VERY PROUD OF ASHLEY,

BUT SHE HAS BACKSLIDE WITH HER WEIGHT LOSS.

SHE NEEDS TO LOSE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF HER WEIGHT.

Ashley: I KNOW I'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT

HOW TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT AT SOME POINT

BECAUSE WHAT THEY DO MAKES ME FEEL SO BAD.

**

IT'S BEEN ABOUT TWO MONTHS SINCE I'VE SEEN DR. NOWZARADAN.

MELISSA MORRIS.

BUT WE CAN CHECK MY WEIGHT ON MY OWN NOW,

SO I KNOW I HIT MY GOAL TODAY.

281.

AND I'M EXCITED TO SHOW DR. NOW MY PROGRESS.

**

HEY, MELISSA.

HEY, DR. NOWZARADAN.

WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE DOING GOOD,

BUT NOW THE GOAL IS TO WEIGH LESS AFTER DELIVERY

THAN BEFORE YOU GOT PREGNANT.

OKAY.

I WANT YOU TO STICK TO YOUR HIGH-PROTEIN, LOW-CARB DIET

FOR THE REST OF YOUR PREGNANCY.

Dr. Nowzaradan: I'M PROUD OF MELISSA

BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS NOT EASY FOR HER TO DO.

I WANT YOU TO BE UNDER 260 POUNDS AFTER YOUR DELIVERY.

THAT MEANS YOU SHOULDN'T GAIN TOO MUCH WEIGHT

FOR THE REST OF YOUR PREGNANCY.

OKAY.

IF SHE WAS AT HER TARGET WEIGHT,

NORMAL WEIGHT GAIN DURING PREGNANCY

WOULD BE MAXIMUM 40 POUNDS.

BUT AT HER WEIGHT,

SHE SHOULD ONLY SEE BETWEEN 10 TO 15 POUNDS OF WEIGHT GAIN.

YOU CAN DO THIS.

THANKS, DR. NOWZARADAN.

I HAVE A GOAL, AND I'M GOING TO ACHIEVE IT.

ALL RIGHT, SUPER.

**

Melissa: IF YOU'D HAVE ASKED ME

IF I COULD GET THROUGH THE REST OF PREGNANCY

AND WEIGH LESS AFTER DELIVERY,

I WOULD HAVE SAID, "YOU'RE CRAZY."

BUT NOW THAT I'VE LOST SOME WEIGHT

OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, I KNOW I CAN DO THIS.

BUT IT'S GONNA BE EVEN HARDER TO DO THIS TIME AROUND.

Ashley: TODAY, I'M GOING TO SEE DR. NOWZARADAN

FOR A FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENT AND SEE IF I LOST ANY WEIGHT.

I WAS SUPPOSED TO LOSE 30 POUNDS THESE PAST TWO MONTHS

AND GET DOWN TO AROUND 280.

I'VE DONE WHAT HE'S ASKED ME TO DO.

I'VE WATCHED MY INTAKE OF WHAT I'VE BEEN EATING.

I'VE BEEN EXERCISING.

BUT I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHAT MY WEIGHT IS RIGHT NOW.

**

I FEEL LIKE I MADE GOOD PROGRESS.

I KNOW I'VE BEEN WORKING HARD TO LOSE WEIGHT.

**

Woman: 310.

HMM. OKAY.

THAT'S A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING.

I'M NOT SURE

WHAT DR. NOWZARADAN'S GONNA SAY RIGHT NOW,

BUT I DON'T THINK HE'S GONNA BE HAPPY.

HI, ASHLEY.

HOW ARE YOU?

I'M GOOD.

SO I GAVE YOU THE GOAL OF LOSING 30 POUNDS

OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, AND YOU ONLY LOST TWO POUNDS.

ARE YOU STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH EATING BETWEEN MEALS?

I'VE BEEN WATCHING IT.

HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU EATING A DAY?

I EAT ABOUT FOUR TIMES A DAY.

FOUR TIMES?

THERE'S NO REASON YOU SHOULD BE EATING FOUR TIMES A DAY.

Dr. Nowzaradan: ASHLEY HAS A CHOICE RIGHT NOW.

SHE CAN EITHER GET BACK ON TRACK AND START LOSING WEIGHT

OR CONTINUE WHAT SHE'S DOING

AND BECOME 600 POUNDS AGAIN IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.

YOU NEED TO GET UNDER 200 POUNDS

IF YOU WANT SKIN SURGERY IN YOUR LEGS.

AND IF YOU WANT ME TO EVEN CONSIDER YOU FOR ANY SURGERIES,

THEN HIT THE GOAL I'VE GIVEN YOU,

AND WE CAN WORK FOR THAT.

IT WOULD BE A SHAME FOR HER TO COME THIS FAR

ONLY TO END UP BACK WHERE SHE STARTED.

BUT THE CHOICE IS HERS.

YOU'RE SMALL ENOUGH NOW THAT YOU CAN USE A REGULAR SCALE

AND CHECK YOUR WEIGHT.

IF YOU'RE NOT MAKING PROGRESS,

KEEP TRYING AND COME BACK WHEN YOU HIT YOUR GOAL.

OKAY.

**

IT WAS HARD MAKING THE CHANGES I DID THESE PAST COUPLE MONTHS.

BUT I KNOW I HAVE TO WORK HARDER RIGHT NOW

BECAUSE I WANT TO DO THIS.

I'VE ALREADY MISSED TOO MANY CHANCES.

I DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS ONE.

**

Melissa: TODAY, I'M GOING TO A SUPPORT GROUP

AT DR. NOW'S OFFICE.

AND IT'S A LITTLE WEIRD BECAUSE I USED TO HELP RUN THESE GROUPS

AND SHARE MY STORY TO HELP OTHERS LOSE WEIGHT.

THIS IS MY SKIRT.

FOUR YARDS OF MATERIAL.

THERE IS NOT ONE POTATO CHIP THAT FEELS AS GOOD...

**

...AS THIS DOES.

[ APPLAUSE ]

BUT RIGHT NOW, I'M THE ONE THAT COULD USE

A LITTLE MORE ENCOURAGEMENT AND INSPIRATION.

YOU DON'T END UP CLOSE TO 700 POUNDS

AND JUST MAGICALLY NEVER DEAL WITH WHAT GOT YOU THERE.

YOU NEED HELP TO DO IT.

WELCOME, EVERYBODY. I'M CINDY.

I'M THE COORDINATOR HERE FOR TONIGHT,

AND I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE EACH PERSON.

HI, EVERYBODY. I'M JOE.

MY HIGH WEIGHT WAS 803.

I'M CURRENTLY AT 522.

WOW! THAT'S AMAZING.

I'M COLLEEN.

I STARTED AT 678, AND I'M NOW 405.

[ APPLAUSE ]

HI, EVERYONE. I'M CHRISTINA.

I STARTED AT 708, AND I'M 177 NOW.

WOW!

[ APPLAUSE ] I'M AMBER.

MY HIGH WEIGHT WAS 660-ISH,

AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT I CURRENTLY AM.

I'LL HAVE TO WEIGH IN AFTER THE MEETING.

YEAH, BUT YOU LOOK GOOD, GIRL. YOU GO.

YOU LOOK FABULOUS, FABULOUS, FABULOUS.

[ APPLAUSE ]

MY NAME IS MELISSA, AND I LOST 500 POUNDS.

[ APPLAUSE ]

BUT WITH MY LAST PREGNANCY, I GAINED 100,

SO I'M HAVING LONG-TERM ISSUES WITH FOOD

'CAUSE HE DID SURGERY DOWN HERE AND NOT UP HERE.

I DON'T THINK YOU'RE ALONE.

I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE CAN FEEL FOR THAT IN THE ROOM, TOO.

YEAH.

THERE'S BEEN SOME AWESOME SHARING TONIGHT,

AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.

Melissa: I'M REALLY GLAD I CAME TODAY.

YOU ROCK, MAN.

THAT'S AN AMAZING AMOUNT.

BEING A FULL-TIME MOTHER TO FOUR KIDS

CAN MAKE YOU FEEL ISOLATED AT TIMES.

BUT I FEEL SO ENCOURAGED RIGHT NOW.

I ONLY HAVE THREE MORE MONTHS UNTIL MY DUE DATE.

SO I HAVE MY EYE ON THE FINISH LINE RIGHT NOW.

THIS MORNING, I CAME IN FOR A REGULAR CHECKUP,

AND MY BLOOD PRESSURE WAS JUST OUT-OF-CONTROL HIGH.

SO THE DOCTOR DECIDED THAT I NEEDED TO DELIVER EARLY.

I'M ABOUT 32 WEEKS PREGNANT,

SO THIS IS ALL HAPPENING SOONER THAN I EXPECTED.

**

INSANE.

I'M READY FOR IT. I'M READY FOR IT.

I'M READY FOR IT.

BUT GUESS WHAT, I'M NOT THAT READY FOR IT.

I HAD PLANNED ON PREPARING A LOT OF HEALTHY MEALS

TO HAVE READY FOR AFTER THE BABY WAS BORN,

BUT I WASN'T EXPECTING HIM TO BE HERE SO EARLY.

Woman: HI. THEY'RE HERE TO GET US.

WE'RE HERE TO TAKE YOU DOWNSTAIRS AND GO HAVE A BABY.

I DON'T FEEL PREPARED, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW I'M GONNA DO THIS

WHEN I GET HOME RIGHT NOW.

BUT WHETHER I'M READY OR NOT, THE BABY'S COMING TODAY.

Chris: ALL RIGHT, WHO WANTS HIM FIRST?

YOU GET BABY FEVER AGAIN?

NO.

Melissa: THE PAST MONTH, GETTING HOME AND SETTLING IN

HAS BEEN A LITTLE OVERWHELMING.

BUT THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS

WHEN YOU HAVE A WHOLE NEW PERSON IN YOUR LIFE TO TAKE CARE OF.

SO IT'S A STRUGGLE RIGHT NOW TO KEEP THE DIET,

BUT I'M WORKING ON IT.

HE'S SO COLD.

I'M HOPING BY NEXT MONTH, I CAN START DOING MORE

AND WORKING OUT BECAUSE I SEE DR. NOWZARADAN SOON.

AND I WANT TO HIT MY GOAL OF BEING 20 POUNDS LIGHTER

THAN I WAS WHEN I GOT PREGNANT.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I GOT ELI.

BUT EVEN THOUGH HAVING KIDS THAT TAKE UP ALL MY TIME

IS A STRUGGLE,

IT'S NOT AN EXCUSE TO IGNORE MY HEALTH AND GAIN LIKE I HAVE,

SO I HAVE TO FIX IT FOR MY FAMILY AND FOR ME.

**

Ashley: TODAY, I'M GOING TO HAVE LUNCH WITH MY MOM.

MY DAD WAS ALWAYS THE ONE WHO I COULD RELY ON

BECAUSE I NEVER HAD TO TELL HIM ANYTHING.

HE JUST KNEW, AND HE WAS THERE FOR ME.

I KNOW IT'S UNFAIR TO EXPECT THAT FROM THE REST OF MY FAMILY,

SO I TOLD MY MOM AND HOW I WANT HER SUPPORT

SO THAT SHE KNOWS WHAT I NEED.

HEY. SORRY I'M LATE.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

IN THE PAST, MY MOM AND I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A RELATIONSHIP.

SHE USED TO GIVE ME A HARD TIME ALL THE TIME ABOUT MY WEIGHT.

IT WAS VERY HARD.

WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR LUNCH TODAY?

VERY LITTLE.

**

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE STAYING ON TRACK.

OH, I AM.

I ALWAYS FELT LIKE I LET MY MOM DOWN

OR THAT SHE'S DISAPPOINTED IN ME.

AND THAT'S MADE ME AFRAID TO SHARE THINGS WITH HER.

HOW'D YOU DO ON YOUR WEIGH-IN?

HOW MUCH DID YOU GAIN?

**

THAT'S NOT GOOD.

NO, IT'S NOT.

I THINK THERE ARE THINGS SHE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER

TO BE THERE FOR ME.

BUT I CAN'T BLAME HER FOR ANYTHING IF I NEVER SPEAK UP.

YOU KNOW, I'M DOING WHAT I CAN NOW WITH MY WEIGHT.

I GOT TO GET THAT OFF

SO I CAN BE ABLE TO FINISH THIS SCHOOLING UP.

YOU GOT TO BE NUMBER ONE.

YOU GOT TO PUT YOURSELF FIRST

SO YOU CAN START ON THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

YES.

MY MOM HAD GASTRIC BYPASS WITH DR. NOWZARADAN,

SO SHE KNOWS WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH.

SHE CAN REALLY HELP ME THROUGH THIS.

YOU KNOW, DADDY IS LOOKING DOWN ON YOU,

AND HE'S VERY PROUD OF YOU.

WHAT DID HE ALWAYS CALL YOU?

"BABY GIRL"?

WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET THIS 60 POUNDS OFF, EAT HEALTHY,

AT LEAST WALK THREE TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK.

WE GOT TO DO IT.

AND WE'RE GONNA DO IT TOGETHER.

YOU CAN DO IT, BABY GIRL.

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO, ASHLEY.

I'M EXCITED TO START DOING SOME THINGS WITH MY MOM

THAT MAY HELP ME LOSE THE WEIGHT.

I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU.

SEE YOU TOMORROW.

I THINK THIS IS GONNA HELP ME

MORE THAN ANYTHING IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW.

AND I FEEL SO ENCOURAGED TO KEEP GOING AND DOING THIS.

**

Melissa: THINGS ARE GOING WELL RIGHT NOW.

I'VE MANAGED TO LOSE A LITTLE BIT MORE WEIGHT

OVER THE PAST MONTH.

IT'S STILL JUST BABY WEIGHT THAT I'M LOSING, THOUGH,

BECAUSE I HAVEN'T MADE IT BACK INTO THE 270s YET.

**

SO I'VE STARTED WORKING OUT SOME TO HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT FASTER.

HOW ARE YOU? I'M FINE.

HOW ARE YOU? GOOD.

**

SO FAR, I'VE REALLY ENJOYED IT

BECAUSE IT'S QUIET "ME" TIME WHERE I CAN THINK.

**

I HAVE TWO MORE MONTHS TO DO THIS

AND A LOT OF WEIGHT TO LOSE TO GET THERE.

BUT I'M GONNA DO IT.

**

Ashley: MY MOM AND I HAVE BEEN SPENDING MORE TIME TOGETHER

TRYING TO WALK AND BE AS ACTIVE AS WE CAN.

YOU DOING OKAY? YEAH.

YOU DOING OKAY? I'M DOING FINE.

WE'VE GOTTEN A LITTLE CLOSER OVER THE LAST MONTH

JUST DOING MORE TOGETHER AND SUPPORTING EACH OTHER.

SHE'S ALSO BEEN HELPING ME PREPARE HEALTHY MEALS,

AND THAT'S BEEN HUGE.

IT'S TAKEN ME A LITTLE BIT

TO GET MY WEIGHT LOSS GOING BACK IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

I WANT MY LEG SURGERY,

AND I KNOW I HAVE A WAYS TO GO TO GET THERE.

BUT I WANT TO STAY ON TRACK AND DO EVERYTHING I NEED TO DO THAT.

LAST TIME I WENT TO GET ON A SCALE

WAS AROUND A MONTH AGO,

AND I HAD LOST AROUND 20 POUNDS THEN.

SO I'M HOPING I LOST THE REST TO MAKE IT BELOW 280 POUNDS.

Woman: 272.

I LIKE THAT.

I'M REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF RIGHT NOW.

I JUST HOPE DR. NOWZARADAN IS, TOO.

ALL RIGHT, ASHLEY, YOU DID GREAT.

YOU LOST 40 POUNDS.

I'M EXCITED.

I'M JUST -- I'M HAPPY IT'S COMING OFF.

IF YOU KEEP THIS UP,

YOU CAN BE UNDER 200 POUNDS IN 6 MONTHS.

AND IF YOU DO THAT, YOU QUALIFY FOR SKIN SURGERY.

I CAN'T WAIT.

Dr. Nowzaradan: I'M REALLY PROUD OF ASHLEY.

WHEN SHE STOPPED COMING A COUPLE YEARS BACK,

I WASN'T SURE SHE WOULD EVER GET BACK TO THE PROGRAM.

I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE SHE HAS.

JUST STICK WITH THE PROGRAM, AND I'LL SEE YOU SOON.

**

I KNOW I STILL HAVE 75 POUNDS TO LOSE

BEFORE I'M READY FOR MY NEXT SKIN SURGERY.

BUT I WAS 110 POUNDS WHEN I STARTED THIS,

AND THAT'S A HUGE AMOUNT I'VE ALREADY LOST.

SO I'M SO GLAD I'M BACK ON TRACK RIGHT NOW.

I STARTED WORKING WITH A TRAINING CAMP

THAT HELPS KIDS BUILD UP THEIR CONFIDENCE.

ALL RIGHT, YOU READY?

STEP UP.

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH KIDS,

BUT I NEED TO PICK BACK UP WITH MY TRAINING AND MY SCHOOLING.

SO I'M STARTING ALL THAT AGAIN.

Woman: HAVE YOU EVER WALKED ON A BALANCE BEAM BEFORE?

Ashley: NO.

IT'S A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE

TO PUT MYSELF BACK OUT THERE LIKE THIS.

AWESOME!

SO THAT'S YOUR SELF-ESTEEM FOR THE DAY.

BUT THE MOST OUTSIDE-MY-COMFORT-ZONE THING

I'M GONNA DO IS TO START AN ONLINE PROFILE ON A DATING SITE.

Woman: WHAT KIND OF GUY ARE YOU LOOKING FOR, ASHLEY?

SOMEBODY NICE, I GUESS.

I NEVER REALLY DATED BECAUSE I'M NOT VERY OUTSPOKEN.

BUT I'M TRYING TO CHANGE THAT ABOUT MYSELF.

Woman: YOU'RE GONNA GET A LOT OF HITS TODAY.

I'M MOVING FORWARD EACH DAY.

OH, THAT'S A GOOD ONE. I GOT YOU SMILING.

I'M NEVER GONNA LET MYSELF FALL BACK TO A PLACE

WHERE I'M LOOKING AT BEING 600 POUNDS AGAIN.

**

Melissa: I'VE BEEN LOSING WEIGHT,

AND I SEE THE DOCTOR IN TWO WEEKS.

BUT I STOPPED GETTING ON THE SCALE

AND KEEPING TRACK OF MY WEIGHT ABOUT A WEEK AGO

BECAUSE I WANT TO BE SURPRISED WHEN I GO SEE DR. NOW

AND SEE WHERE I'M AT.

**

AND I'VE BEEN FEELING BETTER ABOUT MYSELF,

SO I'M GONNA TREAT MYSELF TO A NEW HAIRSTYLE

AND A MAKEOVER TODAY.

COME BACK AND HAVE A SEAT OVER HERE FOR ME, PLEASE.

MY FOCUS IS STILL MY FAMILY,

BUT I'M JUST NOT LEAVING MYSELF OUT ANYMORE.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE WANTED TO DO FOR A WHILE.

Melissa: WHAT DID YOU SAY?

IF I'M GONNA GO, GO BIG. GO BIG.

CHOP IT OFF. CHOP IT OFF.

ALL RIGHT. LOVELY.

WOW. FIVE YEARS JUST FELL OFF.

Melissa: I FEEL LIKE IT'S TIME FOR A NEW ME --

SOMEONE WHO ISN'T PUSHED OFF TO THE SIDE.

AND PART OF THAT IS THE REALIZATION

THAT CHRIS AND I AREN'T GOING TO WORK TOGETHER ANYMORE.

SO RIGHT NOW, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE

BECAUSE IT'S TIME I TAKE CARE OF MYSELF

IN BECOMING THE MELISSA I WANT TO BE.

SO, MELISSA, ARE YOU READY TO SEE YOURSELF WITH THE NEW LOOK?

[ GASPS ] OHH!

I LOOK...

Woman: 10 YEARS YOUNGER?

I FEEL LIKE I'M BECOMING A NEW PERSON.

Woman: LET'S PUT A LITTLE MAKEUP ON YOU

SO WE CAN COMPLETE THE NEW LOOK.

WHY NOT? SOUNDS FUN.

AND THIS MELISSA IS WHO I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THESE PAST FEW YEARS.

**

I'M ALWAYS NERVOUS GETTING ON THE SCALE

AND CHECKING MY WEIGHT.

BUT I KNOW I'VE MADE PROGRESS.

I JUST HOPE I HIT 260, LIKE I WAS SUPPOSED TO.

Woman: 252.

YES!

THAT IS INCREDIBLE.

I SEE YOU LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT SINCE LAST TIME I SAW YOU.

YOU ARE DOING GREAT. THANK YOU.

I GOT BACK ON YOUR EATING PLAN AND OFF OF MINE.

ALL RIGHT, YOU'RE DOING GOOD, THEN.

NOW WE NEED TO KEEP PROGRESS GOING

SO WE GET YOU BACK TO YOUR TARGET OF 150 POUNDS, OKAY?

ALL RIGHT.

HOPEFULLY, YOU SEE NOW WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF

IF YOU APPLY YOURSELF.

HOW ARE THE KIDS?

THEY'RE GOOD.

ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?

YOUR LIFE IS DIFFERENT, HUH?

I'M PROUD OF YOU. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, I'LL SEE YOU LATER.

THANK YOU, DR. NOWZARADAN.

THE APPOINTMENT TODAY WAS GOOD.

HE MADE ME CRY NOT BECAUSE HE WAS YELLING AT ME,

BUT BECAUSE HE TOLD ME HE WAS PROUD OF ME.

DR. NOWZARADAN SAVED MY LIFE.

HAVING WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY HAS MADE MY DREAMS COME TRUE.

I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER RIGHT NOW.