‘1000-lb Sisters’: Tammy Slaton Says She Hit ‘Rock Bottom,’ Weighed 717 Pounds When She Began Rehab
TLC star Tammy Slaton was at her lowest point ever after a health scare put her in a medically induced coma. In the 1000-lb Sisters Season 4 premiere, she reflected on the moment when she realized she had been given one more chance to lose weight and turn her life around.
Tammy Slaton was at her highest weight ever when she entered rehab
At the end of 1000-lb Sisters Season 3, Tammy was preparing to return to rehab, with the goal of eventually losing enough weight to qualify for bariatric surgery.
“I decided to go back to rehab,” she recalled in the season 4 premiere, which aired Jan. 17. At the time, Tammy weighed 717 pounds – her highest weight ever, she said.
Unfortunately, Tammy’s stint in rehab didn’t start out well. Within minutes of arriving at the Ohio facility, her oxygen levels dropped dramatically and she was put in a medically-induced coma. Her family feared that she might not survive. But Tammy managed to pull through. When she woke up a week later, she realized she had to make some changes.
“I think me hitting my rock bottom has opened my eyes,” she said. “I have to get better. This is my last chance. I just don’t understand why God saved me again.”
The ‘1000-lb Sisters’ star has lost more than 100 pounds
After Tammy left the hospital, she returned to rehab, where she began losing weight. Roughly two months later, she had a virtual check-in with Dr. Eric Smith. During that appointment, Tammy revealed she was down to 620 pounds.
“That’s good. You’re down quite a bit,” Smith replied, adding that she was “heading in the right direction.” However, he cautioned Tammy that some of her weight loss was “probably a little fictitious as far as true body fat loss” because she’d likely been retaining a lot of water.
“Tammy’s lost nearly 100 pounds already,” he told a producer. “But a lot of that was medically induced. So now we want to make sure she can continue to lose weight on her own by making dietary changes and not because she’s being given medication to get rid of that water.”
Tammy Slaton’s doctor wants her to get down to 550 pounds
Tammy seems to be making progress on her weight loss. But the 1000-lb Sisters star still has a lot of work to do if she hopes to reach her goal of getting bariatric surgery.
“Our goal is to get you to 550 [pounds],” Smith told her. “How do you still feel about that weight goal?”
“The sooner you get to that goal, the sooner we can get you to surgery,” he added.
Tammy told her doctor that she felt getting to 550 pounds was “achievable.” In an interview, she said she’d reached a point where she had to commit to getting healthier.
“I know it’s going to be hard, but since I’ve been back to the hospital, I have a different outlook and perspective,” she said. “I’m done being sick, I’m done with hospitals. I’m done not being able to breathe. It’s just time for me to live.”
1000-lb Sisters airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on TLC.
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