A woman who lost a whopping 337lbs has proudly unveiled her new body after having 25lbs of hanging excess skin surgically removed from her body.
Before the life-changing procedure, Natasha, 43, from Waco, Texas, shed 294lbs in just two years after having gastric bypass surgery. Although she should have been celebrating her success, she was repulsed by the hanging skin that was left on her stomach, arms, and legs.
‘My extra skin just looks gross. It just looks like wrinkled cloth,’ she explained on Wednesday night’s episode of the TLC series Skin Tight. ‘I feel ashamed of my body. It makes me feel depressed. I am beyond ready to get rid of it.’
Transformation: Natasha, 43, from Waco, Texas, went from 213lbs (L) to 170bs (R) after having 25lbs of excess skin removed from her body
New woman: ‘At times, I have to actually remind myself it’s my body,’ she said of her transformation
Natasha was finally able to run a 5K and keep up with other athletes at the gym, but her excess skin made her feel like there was no point to her weight loss because she still felt fat.
She griped that she hated how the skin on her thighs hung over her knees, and she felt like the unsightly flesh was her ‘punishment’ for letting her weight spiral out of control.
Natasha explained that her younger brother had cerebral palsy and was severely disabled. She started overeating when he was placed in a state school because her parents couldn’t take care of him.
He passed away when she was 27 years old, and she turned to food for comfort. By the time she was 33 years old, she weighed 400lbs. At age 40, she hit her highest weight: 507lbs.
Feeling ashamed: Natasha said the excess flesh on her body looked like ‘wrinkled cloth’
After the procedure, Natasha was thrilled to have a flat stomach for the first time in her life
Heartbreak: Natasha explained that her younger brother (pictured) had cerebral palsy and was severely disabled. She said she started overeating after he was placed in a state school
Natasha reached her breaking point when she saw an unflattering photo of herself that her friend posted on Facebook, and she realized it was ‘only a matter of time’ before she ate herself to death.
After having gastric bypass surgery, she lost nearly 300lbs, but her success was overshadowed by the hatred she felt for her body. Natasha was always self-conscious about her excess skin, and she refused to wear any tops that revealed her arms.
Natasha made an appointment to have a consultation with weight loss surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, and he approved her for skin removal surgery.
The doctor warned Natasha that she couldn’t gain any weight before or after the procedure; however, he ultimately felt like the skin removal surgeries would motivate her to get to her goal weight of 180lbs.
Emotional moment: When she was 27 years old, her younger brother passed away, and she turned to food for comfort
Spiraling: Natasha continued to gain weight until she hit 507lbs (right)
Eye-opening moment: Natasha reached her breaking point when she saw an unflattering photo of herself that her friend posted on Facebook
Getting there: Natasha started losing weight after having gastric bypass surgery
For her first surgery, Natasha had a 360-degree abdominoplasty, as well as a pubic and buttock lift, and he removed a total of 14lbs of skin.
Natasha didn’t have an appetite during her recovery, and she ended up losing 19lbs in addition to the 14lbs of skin the doctor had removed.
Dr. Nowzaradan focused on her arms, chest, and legs for her second surgery, and five months later, Natasha had lost 337lbs and had a total of 25lbs of excess skin removed.
Natasha’s friends threw her a party to celebrate her success, and she happily showed off her new figure in a strapless dress.
Side effect: After losing 294lbs in two years, she was left with skin hanging all over her body
Making changes: Natasha was approved for skin removal surgery after having a consultation with Dr. Younan Nowzaradan (pictured)
Hard to handle: Natasha had drainage tubes in her stomach after having surgery
Incredible: Natasha showed off her new boy six months after her skin removal surgeries
‘When I look at myself now, I think I look amazing. At times, I have to actually remind myself it’s my body,’ she said.
Antonia, 25, from Wilmington, Delaware, also shared her story on last night’s episode of Skin Tight.
The teacher, who once weighed 375lbs, lost a total of 190lbs after having weight loss surgery at the age of 22. However, she struggled with the excess skin that hung from her arms, stomach, and thighs.
‘My access skin gives me a lot of insecurity,’ she admitted. ‘I look like pile of putty. I just want to move on from what I’ve done to my body, and it’s never going to end unless I do something about it.’
Then and wow: Antonia, 25, from Wilmington, Delaware, went from 185lbs (pictured) to 174lbs after having 11lbs of excess skin removed from her body
Something new: Her body was totally transformed by the surgery, and she noted that she barely recognized herself
Candid: ‘My access skin gives me a lot of insecurity,’ she admitted. ‘I look like pile of putty’
Struggle to be happy: Although she was proud of all the weight she lost, Antonia said the leftover skin made her feel depressed
Antonia explained that she had conflicting feelings about her body. On one hand, she was proud to have lost almost 200lbs, but the excess skin that was left behind made her feel depressed.
‘Being in front of high school kids when you have body issues is really tough,’ she admitted, noting that she would often hear her students laugh about the way the skin on her arm shook back and forth when she was writing on the chalkboard.
Antonia said her issues with food started when her father left when she was just 10 years old. Her mom mainly fed her pasta and other carbohydrates because that was all she could afford, and she was always allowed to eat as much as she wanted.
When she reached her highest weight of 375lbs, she decided to have weight loss surgery. Just three months later, she met her boyfriend Steve, and she warned him that she was about to lose a significant amount of weight.
Gaining: Antonia said her issues with food started when her father left when she was just 10 years old
Tipping the scales: At her heaviest, Antonia was just 22 years old and weighed 375lbs
Finding love: She met her boyfriend Steve just three months after she had weight loss surgery
Shedding the weight: Antonia went from 375lbs (L) to 185lbs (R) after having the surgery
The couple started going to the gym together, but Antonia said the hanging skin on her body held her back because it caused her pain.
Antonia made the decision to meet Dr. Camille Cash, and despite her fear of being told her legs were too heavy for surgery, she was approved for two procedures.
She noted that her boyfriend wanted her to have bigger breasts, but the doctor made it clear she was treating Antonia, not her boyfriend.
They agreed that she would be given breast implants that would match the rest of he body.
Last resort: Like Natasha, Antonia made the decision to have skin removal surgery because she couldn’t’ stand the sight of her body
Wrapped up: Antonia had an upper body lift, including breast augmentation
Amazing: Six months after her final procedure, Antonia had lost a total of 201lbs after having 11lbs of excess skin removed
For her first surgery, she had and upper body lift, including having excess skin removed from her arms and the side of her chest.
She also had a breast lift and augmentation, abdominoplasty, and liposuction on her upper thighs.
The doctor removed 4.9lbs of flesh during the first procedure, while Antonia’s second surgery involved a butt and thigh lift.
Six months after her final procedure, Antonia had lost a total of 201lbs after having 11lbs of excess skin removed.
She proudly showed off her figure in a form-fitting dress while enjoying a party thrown in her honor.