Amber Rachdi tipped the scales at 657 pounds when they signed up for My 600-lb Life. But what happened in the years since camera crews first documented them? Did Rachdi undergo a successful transformation, or did they fall among former cast members who suffered worse fates? Find out what became of Rachdi after they shared their struggles on TLC.
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‘My 600 lb Life’ Airs On The TLC Network
Since 2012, viewers have been fascinated by TLC’s My 600-lb Life. The reality series follows the lives of morbidly obese Americans as they attempt to lose weight and heal emotional wounds. Along the way, their progress is overseen by a medical professional, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan (often referred to as Dr. Now).
The show has produced a roster of alumni who’ve achieved varying results. Some former participants are success stories; others died of causes related to their weight. (In fact, one patient who appeared on Season 6 had a heart attack and passed away during filming.)
The unpredictable nature of the outcomes has some people wondering what happened to Amber Rachdi of Season 5.
Amber Rachdi Lost An Unbelievable Amount Of Weight After ”My 600-lb Life”
Oregon native Amber Rachdi was 23 years old and 657 pounds when they appeared on Season 5 of My 600-lb Life. Obesity had always been a struggle for them—at 5, they weighed 160 pounds, and by 16, they had to be weighed on a scale designed for the wheelchair-bound. A bulk of their excess weight was carried in their legs, which made it difficult to walk or even stand for more than 30 minutes. They relied on a mobility scooter to get around and suffered from an intense amount of shame over their condition.
Amber, who used binge eating to cope with an undiagnosed anxiety disorder, eventually became a recluse. They depended on their enabling family and boyfriend to feed and care for them. But when they were finally ready to address their problems with medical and psychological treatment, they allowed the show to follow them for an entire year.
Dr. Now’s prognosis was grim: if they didn’t lose significant weight, Amber wouldn’t live to see their 30th birthday. Eager to prove their commitment, they lost 17 pounds in three months. Amber became one of the few patients approved by the doctor to receive gastric bypass surgery.
The procedure came with risks, and at one point after the surgery, Amber was hurried to an emergency room for severe chest pain. Amber was actually having an anxiety attack, which highlighted their need to supplement their lifestyle changes with therapy. By the end of their journey, they lost a total of 267 pounds.
So did Amber maintain their weight loss, or did they gain it back? Neither—they went on to lose at least an extra hundred pounds. Contractual obligations prevent them from giving a solid number, but the pictures say it all. Check them out in this Instagram bathroom selfie:
Amber’s motivation and optimism have made them a popular figure on social media. Their Instagram following clocks in at over 200,000 followers, and they are said to engage with fans of the show on Facebook. Just don’t turn to them for dieting advice—they know that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss:
What Is Amber Rachdi Doing Now?
Amber’s appearance isn’t the only part of their life that’s undergone a drastic change. Since we last saw them on the show, they came out as non-binary. They also broke up with their boyfriend Rowdy. He was often accused by critics of being an enabler who stood in the way of his partner’s weight loss. However, Amber seems to suggest that their split wasn’t bitter. On social media, they have requested that viewers go easy on him.
In 2016, they announced on Twitter that they were engaged. There’s no word on who the partner is, and they have never shared a photo of him on social media. However, they did make one mention of him in 2018. Dressed in a leather jacket and looking super slimmed down, they wrote in an Instagram caption, “My husband took this one, but I still feel pretty cool in my leather jacket.”
Amber is currently based in Houston, Texas, and is pretty active on Instagram and Twitter. They don’t seem to fixate on their reality star status. Instead, they prefer to talk about their life and current affairs.
A sad truth is that many people we’ve seen on My 600-lb Life could not overcome their challenges. Amber is an inspiration who has survived a hard life with a sense of humor. (“I was REAL fat. Now I’m just normal-fat. Life ain’t bad,” they quip in their Instagram bio.)
Amber serves as a reminder that a positive attitude can help achieve even the most difficult goals.