'My 600-Lb Life': Look Back at Angel Parrish's Emotional 300-Pound Transformation

Hannah Barnes

04/12/2019 03:36 pm EDT

TLC's My 600-lb Life chronicles the lives of severely overweight participants, many of whom are tipping the scales at around 600 lbs. and are looking for a change.

Participant Angel Parrish was one of the show's rare success stories, managing to go from her heaviest weight of around 570 lbs. to less than 200. Her struggle began when she was a teenager, having turned to binge eating after giving her child up when she became pregnant at age 14. She weighed 300 pounds by age 20, when she gave birth to her son Andrew. Parrish continued to gain weight before reaching out for help, beginning a dramatic weight loss journey that was featured on the show.

Scroll through for a look at Parrish's remarkable transformation.

Turning point

When the show first featured Parrish, she weighed 570 and relied on her boyfriend, Donnie, to help take care of her.

"I feel like I am helpless every day," she said on the show. "I see myself as an oversized whale."

(Photo: TLC)

Gastric bypass

She underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost 165 before being coming down with severe nausea. Donnie took Parrish to the hospital, where doctors thought she was suffering from malnutrition and gave her a feeding tube. Dr. Nowzaradan wasn't happy with the decision and feared it would set Parrish back on her weight loss journey.

Continued progress

Despite the worry from Dr. Now, Parrish continued to make progress, dropping her weight to 261 pounds. by the end of the show. An update later revealed that her weight had dropped to 230 pounds, and she was no longer relying on her boyfriend to take care of her.

A personal best

Parrish's most recent Facebook update came in May 2018, when shared a full-length photo of herself weighing likely under 200 pounds.

Life updates

In comments on her photo, Parrish shared with fans that she and Donnie are still together. Parrish's weight loss is a remarkable achievement, as many people who attempt to lose weight may initially succeed but ultimately gain it back. Congratulations to you, Angel!

Photo Credit: TLC

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