My 600-lb life, a show on TLC, has made it possible for individuals of a certain weight to share their weight-loss journey with the world. Amber Rachdi was one of such individuals who was cast on the show. Rachdi who identifies as non-binary, and goes by the pronoun ‘they’ made their debut in the third season of the show in 2015 when they were 23 years old, while weighing 657 lbs.
What followed was intensive work on diet and exercise while they worked with the show’s doctor, Dr Younan Nowzaradan. The changes that were made by Amber were not just physical but also mental. In this article we cover Amber’s journey during the show and after it ended.
Amber Rachdi was Born in Oregon
Amber was born in Portland, Oregon on 22nd June 1990. They have struggled with their weight and excessive eating habits from the age of five. This only got worse as they grew older. Rachid’s managed to maintain a close relationship with their family during the show as it featured members of their family in some episodes. They are one sibling a brother called Omar and they are Morrocean-American.
During the show, they also had a boyfriend, Rowdy. He was very supportive and helped with a lot of the things Amber could not do around the house, like chores and cooking meals. However, the couple broke up during the course of the show.
Amber Rachdi’s Had Multiple Struggles with Obesity
Aside from Amber’s inability to lose weight they also struggled with depression and anxiety. They saw food as a form of coping mechanism for the depression they were facing. Amber described the feeling before a meal as a “combination of depression and sadness”. Prior to the show, they also relied on a scooter or wheelchair and this was because of their inability to stand for long hours which also impeded their efforts at losing weight.
The fact that Amber depended on their parents and Rowdy for a lot of things came with its own problems. Rowdy being a supportive boyfriend, did not stop Amber from feeling some sense of guilt because they sensed they were starting to fail both their parents and their relationship. It was only a matter of time before Amber decided to take a step in changing their life as they started having an overwhelming fear of dying young.
They Took Drastic Measures to Change Their Life
Amber Rachdi took the first step in their weight loss journey by meeting with Dr Younan Nowzaradan to determine eligibility for gastric bypass surgery. This was their first real step in their transformation. Rachdi took Nowzaradan’s advice seriously and began changing their eating habits and implementing some lifestyle changes. The change was mostly spurred by the fact that Amber had been told they would be dead at the age of 30.
This information meant that they had no choice but to implement some lifestyle changes, coupled with prodding from the doctor for them to qualify for the gastric bypass. Amber put in the work and was able to lose 17 pounds after following the advice from Dr Nowzaradan. Upon losing 17 pounds they qualified for gastric surgery and Dr. Nowzaradan approved the surgery.
Amber Rachdi Is Very Active on Social Media
Amber Rachdi continued to lose weight after My 600-lb Life and is now a plus-size model and social media influencer with over 214,000 followers on Instagram, serving as a motivation to fans of the show and others facing what they faced throughout their weight loss journey. Amber continues to stay active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, engaging with their fans and people that are facing anything like what they faced throughout their weight loss journey. They are also a vocal advocate of body positivity and mental health on social media.
One of the things Amber also struggled with was going out in public. This was based on fear of being laughed at but Amber now shares pictures and videos showing their figure, working out and partying with friends. It is not uncommon for fans to reach out and express how much the work they have done has inspired and keeps inspiring them. From all indications, Amber has settled into the life of a small celebrity and leads the kind of life that inspires others who had the same struggles they had.
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