Amber Rachdi, a woman who gained worldwide fame following her appearance on Season 3 of the reality show My 600-lb Life, is a true inspiration to people who want to live a healthy life.
At that time, she weighed a whopping 660 pounds, and her life was in danger because of her weight. But now, five years later, Amber’s lost hundreds of pounds and looks unrecognizable! Her journey towards a healthy life hasn’t been easy, but she has fought her way back with hard work, both mentally and physically.
Amber was born on June 22, 1990, in Portland, Oregon. She struggled with her weight from a young age, weighing over 160 pounds when she was only five years old. Her weight problems continued as she suffered from an undiagnosed anxiety disorder, which was triggered by an eating disorder during her teenage years. Amber turned to food to combat her anxiety, eating several huge meals and plenty of candy every day as a form of comfort. By the time she turned 16, she needed a wheelchair to get around.
At 23, Amber was unable to do even the smallest things, like taking a bath or walking down the stairs by herself, because her weight had made it impossible. Her parents cooked her meals, with her mother Patty saying that food “calms her down”. Amber would sometimes accompany her boyfriend Rowdy when he would go grocery shopping, though she needed a mobility scooter to get around. The couple couldn’t even be intimate with one another, which started to frustrate them both.
“I do feel guilty,” Rowdy said. “But what else do you do when you love someone?”
Amber described herself as a “nasty monster” due to her weight. She suffered infections in between the folds of her skin and needed a long brush to clean herself. Because of her weight, she was a prisoner in her own home, unable to stand up for more than 30 minutes at a time. Amber felt like a sideshow and hated being in public. She had tried so hard, so many times, to change the way she ate, but she couldn’t. She felt like she was already such a failure, so why not just keep failing?
But Amber’s life took a drastic turn when she was told that she wouldn’t live past her 30th birthday if she didn’t do something about her weight. Her life was at risk, and so Amber decided it was time for a change. She starred on TLC’s My 600-lb Life, where the viewers got to follow each step of her journey towards getting back to a more normal weight and life.
The show was filmed in Houston, Texas, where she met her new doctor, Dr. Nowzaradan, who is also known as “Dr. Now”. Amber had to travel by plane to meet Dr. Nowzaradan, but her weight crushed her own wheelchair at the airport. It led to her father, Abe, having to wheel her through the airport in an oversized luggage cart. Amber also had to purchase two seats on the plane to fit, but she still had a hard time sitting there as she almost couldn’t squeeze into the row.
Dr. Nowzaradan’s plan was for Amber to undergo a gastric bypass to reduce her enlarged stomach, but she couldn’t just do it right away. He said that she had to lose at least 20 pounds in order for him to “even consider” performing surgery. Amber didn’t have any option. She had to start losing weight in order to get the surgery, and she started right away. She realized the seriousness of the situation, and the family quickly moved with her to Houston, to show their support and to be closer to Dr. Nowzaradan.
Amber Rachdi’s journey has been an inspiration to millions of people worldwide. Her incredible transformation has not only improved her health but has also empowered her to achieve her dreams. Today, Amber has over 200,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares glimpses of her everyday life, giving fans an insight into her journey to becoming a healthier and happier person.
In 2016, Amber revealed via her Twitter page that she had split with her ex-boyfriend Rowdy. However, she has continued to maintain a good friendship with him. Amber was single for a while, but that did not last long. In June of the same year, she announced that she was getting married, exciting her fans with the news.
Amber’s transformation has not been an easy journey, but her persistence and determination have been her driving force. Although she is still working on her figure, she has learned a valuable lesson that she wants to share with others. To be obese, as she was in 2015, is not healthy. However, it does not make a person any less of a human being, nor does it give anyone else the right to judge them. Amber is trying to convey that it is okay not to have a supermodel’s body and that one should be comfortable with their body and embrace themselves just as they are.
On Instagram, Amber describes her journey as, “I was REAL fat. Now, I’m just normal fat. Life ain’t bad.” Her candidness and honesty have won over many people who have come to admire her for who she is.
Amber Rachdi’s story is an inspiration to anyone struggling with their weight or facing any other challenge in life. Despite facing numerous obstacles and setbacks, Amber has proven everyone wrong and has become a role model to millions worldwide. As she turns 30, she is living proof that one can change their future if they keep fighting and never give up.
Amber Rachdi is an example of resilience, persistence, and determination, and her story deserves to be shared with the world.