A mother-of-three is struggling to lose the 150lbs she gained over the course of her pregnancies while going through a painful divorce from the man who used to take care of her when she weighed 653lbs.
When Melissa Morris appeared on the TLC series My 600lb Life 11 years ago, she was happily married but morbidly obese. With the help of gastric bypass surgery, she lost a whopping 496lbs and got down to a size eight. However, after three pregnancies, she has regained 150lbs.
In a preview clip from Wednesday night’s episode of My 600lb Life: Where Are They Now? she reveals that she is trying to keep her weight in check while she and her husband Chris are in the middle of a divorce that has turned her into a single mom.
Ongoing battle: Melissa Morris weighed 653lbs (L) before she lost 500lbs. After having three children, she is struggling to lose the 150lbs she regained during her pregnancies (R)
Tough times: Melissa revealed that she is trying to keep her weight in check now that she is a single mother-of-three
When viewers first met Melissa, she relied on Chris to do everything for her, but their relationship changed once she became self-sufficient.
‘It was an adjustment for me, having to let go of that caretaker role because I had been doing it for the better part of six years,’ Chris said at the time.
Melissa ended up having 60lbs of excess skin removed from her body, and at one point she was down to 157lbs.
However, the weight crept back on during each of her pregnancies.
Difficult: The mom admitted that it can be stressful to take care of three little ones by herself
Throwback: Melissa weighed 653lbs when she first appeared on My 600lbs Life 11 years ago
After the birth of her second child, she had gained 133lbs and was back up to 290lbs.
When she learned she was pregnant for a third time, she made the decision to start seeing her weight loss surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan again.
Melissa’s pregnancy came at a difficult time, as she and Chris were struggling with their relationship. Dr. Nowzaradan feared that she would continue to excessively gain weight if he didn’t monitor her food intake.
The mom was dedicated to losing weight after the birth of her third child, but she and Chris were dealing with a separation.
Looking back: She relied on her husband Chris (pictured) to do everything for her, but now they are getting a divorce
Life-changing: Melissa (pictured with weight loss surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan) had gastric bypass surgery on the documentary series
Former caretaker: The weight quickly started to fall off, and she and Chris started having problems when she became more self-sufficient
On tonight’s update, Melissa explains that she and Chris have decided to get a divorce after trying to stay together for their children.
‘It’s been 11 years since I started my journey to lose weight, and I am thankful for every day I’ve had since then,’ she says in a clip from the episode.
‘Not only would I not be a mom to three wonderful kids, but I wouldn’t be here.’
Although she is happy about her progress, she admits that there are many things in her life that have turned out differently than she thought they would.
Success: After having skin removal surgery, Melissa was able to fit into a pair of jeans for the first time since the ’90s
Success: Melissa (pictured holding up her old skirt) lost 496lbs and got down to a size eight
Chris has moved out, and they are going through a difficult divorce. However, she admits the split is a ‘relief’ for her.
‘That’s sad to say,’ she says. ‘I thought I was holding on for my kids, but it made it painful for all of us. Divorce is a hard thing to go through.
She notes that it is ‘still a nasty road’ because she has been left to raise three children by herself.
‘Everything I do now is because of them, and one of my biggest fears is passing on my bad habits that led me to being 600lbs,’ she admits.
‘But if I teach them anything, it’s to never end up like I was.’
Distractions: The mom is trying to lose the 150lbs she gained during her pregnancies while dealing with a painful divorce
Looking to the future: ‘It’s a struggle every day to not want some potato chips and popcorn,’ she admits
Melissa says she makes sure that they eat right and stay active whenever they can because she is accountable for their health and well-being.
‘Being a single mom has actually pushed me to push harder,’ she says. ‘I want better for them because now I am like, I got to live longer and I’ve got to be healthier.’
Her goal is for exercise to become a part of her children’s normal everyday routine, but she admits she has been struggling with her own weight.
‘Sticking to the diet is always going to be my biggest struggle,’ she says.
‘It’s a struggle every day to not want some potato chips and popcorn. Oh my gosh, it’s like my best friend in the whole world.
‘I am never going to be in a place where I don’t have cravings like that.’