A man who lost 443lbs was finally able to celebrate his incredible transformation after having 36lbs of unsightly excess skin removed from his body.
At his heaviest, Sal, 36, from Land O’ Lakes, Florida, tipped the scales at 688lbs. After having gastric bypass surgery, he shed more than half of his body weight, but he was plagued by the excess flesh that hung from his stomach, arms, and legs.
‘The skin feels like a rough playdough when I touch it, and it kind of wiggles and jiggles like a slinky,’ he explained on Wednesday night’s episode of the TLC series Skin Tight. ‘It makes me disappointed that I let it get so out of control. I need the excess skin gone.’
Transformation: Sal, 36, from Land O’Lakes, Florida, went from 247lbs (L) to 211lbs (R) after having 36lbs of excess skin removed from his body
Struggle: Sal explained that the skin hanging from his stomach felt like an ’80lb anchor’ holding him down
Morbidly obese: At his heaviest, Sal tipped the scales at 688lbs
Sal said the excess skin stopped him from making any more physical progress with his body, and it was also an emotional reminder of how he let his life get out of control.
He believes his problems with food really started after his father died of a massive heart attack when he was a senior in high school.
Sal turned to food for comfort, and he admitted he had to change pants sizes every couple of months because of how rapidly he was gaining weight.
He estimated that he was consuming anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 calories per day during that time of his life.
However, it wasn’t until he was hospitalized for a procedure on his knee that he learned that his weight had spiraled to 688lbs.
Tragedy: He believes his problems with food really started after his father died of a massive heart attack when he was a senior in high school
Out of control: Sal said he had to change pants sizes every couple of months because of how rapidly he was gaining weight
Shocking: It wasn’t until he was hospitalized for a procedure on his knee that he learned that his weight had spiraled to 688lbs
The moment was a wake-up call for Sal, who had weight loss surgery after losing 254lbs by following a low-carb diet.
Sal said the weight continued to come off after the procedure, and he lost 443lbs over the course of four years. But he was left with heavy skin that he said felt like an ’80lb anchor’ holding him down.
Because there was so much excess skin, he had trouble keeping it dry and clean. He would sometimes need medical intervention to deal with the infections and irritations that developed in his body rolls.
Sal was particularly worried that his skin would prevent him from being able to take care of his seven-month-old nephew, whom he watched during the day.
After a consultation with Houston-based surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, it was decided that Sal’s excess skin would be removed over the course of three separate surgeries due to his history with blood clots.
Losing it: Sal had weight loss surgery after losing 254lbs by following a low-carb diet and the pounds continued to come off after the procedure
Covered: After losing a total of 443lbs in four years, Sal was left with excess skin all over his body
Concern: Sal was particularly worried that his skin would prevent him from being able to take care of his seven-month-old nephew, whom he watched during the day
During his first surgery, Sal had 6lbs of skin removed from his arms and chest, as well as a brachioplasty.
The doctor then removed 22lbs of skin from Sal’s body during his 360 degree abdominoplasty, and he had 8lbs skin removed during his final surgery — a thigh lift and chest lift.
At the end of the episode, Sal was down to 211lbs after losing a total of 479lbs following the surgeries.
‘I really can’t believe this is me,’ Sal said of his transformation, while his mom Maria was hoping that the surgery would help him find a partner and have children of his own.
On hi way: After a consultation with Houston-based surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, it was decided that Sal’s excess skin would be removed over the course of three separate surgeries
Almost there: Sal is pictured looking at himself in the mirror before his final surgery
End results: At the end of the episode, Sal was down to 211lbs after having a total of 36lbs removed from his body
‘I want him to find a nice woman,’ she told the camera.
Rebecca, 31, from Bagdad, Arizona, also had skin removal surgery on last night’s episode of the reality series after losing 148lbs following weight loss surgery.
‘I am very happy that I am healthy, but I feel like I have hit a rather large wall because of the skin,’ she said. ‘I feel like I am the Blob’s daughter because I have no real feminine form anymore.
‘I don’t like looking in the mirror because I see what I did to myself.’
Rebecca said she was harassed for two years in junior high school because she was chubby and had braces and glasses.
Then and wow: Rebecca, 31, from Bagdad, Arizona, went from 176lbs (L) to 165lbs (R) after having 11lbs of excess skin removed from her body
Excess skin: ‘I feel like I am the Blob’s daughter because I have no real feminine form anymore,’ she said of her body
Lost: Rebecca turned to food for comfort as a teen and she hit 200lbs when she was about 15 or 16 years old
She coped with her discomfort by eating, and she hit 200lbs when she was around 15 or 16.
She spent most of her teenage years isolated and only communicating with people online, where she met her husband, Larz when she was 15. After dating for four years, he moved to Arizona to be with her.
When they got married, she wore a size 28 wedding dress, and she believed that she weighed somewhere in the high 300s. Despite her obesity, the couple decided to have a baby together.
Rebecca was so heavy that it caused a health crisis during her delivery, and Larz recalled how it seemed like it was going to be either the child or her who survived when their son Dorian arrived four weeks early.
Dangerous: After marrying her husband Larz, they decided to have a baby together despite her obesity
Motivation; After her son Dorian nearly died because of her weight, Rebecca vowed to get healthy once and for all
Weight loss winners: Rebecca had bariatric surgery, and she and her husband completely overhauled their diets following their son’s recovery
Their little boy was turning blue within minutes of his birth, and his lungs refused to open. Rebecca was told that he had less than a 40 per cent chance of coming home, and her midwife explained that she was having all of these problems because of her weight.
‘When I saw [my son] in the NICO, I promised him that no matter what I would get healthy. I would lose the weight. I would do anything to save him,’ she said.
After Dorian’s recovery, Rebecca had bariatric surgery, and she and her husband completely overhauled their diets.
She lost 148lbs and even developed a love of running. However, she had to stop because her excess skin made it too painful.
Dream come true: After having a consultation with plastic surgeon Dr. Camille Cash, she was approved for skin removal surgery in two stages
Success: Rebecca had a total of 11lbs of skin removed, and she was thrilled with the results
New woman: Rebecca proudly showed off her new body at a luncheon with her family and friends
After having a consultation with plastic surgeon Dr. Camille Cash, she was approved for skin removal surgery in two stages.
During the first operation she underwent a brachioplasty and an abdominoplasty. When she recovered, she went on to have a breast lift and augmentation, as well as a thigh lift.
Rebecca had a total of 11lbs of skin removed, and she was thrilled with the results. She was down to 165lbs after losing a total of 162lbs.
The mother-of-one happily showed off her new body during a luncheon with her family and friends, and she was looking forward to getting intimate with her husband.
‘Now that the extra skin is gone, I don’t see a disgusting mass of just skin,’ she said. ‘I see a shapely toned body that I can be proud of.’