What Does Cindy From 'My 600-lb Life' Look Like Now? Did She Lose the Weight?

On My 600-lb Life, Cindy Vela's story has been one of the hardest to watch in the history of the show. In "Cindy's Story," we learn all about Cindy, a 45-year-old who lives in Portland, Texas. Cindy is bedridden, and is only able to take a few steps before needing to sit back down because of the strain standing and moving her body puts on her. She has a caretaker who feeds and bathes her, and helps her with other day-to-day activities. 

“When I wake up, I try not to think about my life and how bad things are. But it’s hard to do that with my body, which hurts all the time because it’s breaking down. And I don’t feel like I’m even living anymore … I’m trapped in this bed pretty much all day, every day," Cindy said on the show, although she frustratingly was not very open to getting help from Dr. Now.

After being put on a super strict diet and prescribed psychotherapy and exercise, Cindy was only able to lose about 40 pounds (she needed to lose at least 70). It's unclear whether Cindy was able to reach her goal weight, since she hasn't posted any photos to her Facebook page, but she did update her feed with a video on Jan. 2, 2021.

On March 4, 2020, Cindy updated her status to say "in the hospital," and elaborated in the comments, "had infection and my oxygen is low." 

Cindy has seemed to make a recovery. And perhaps she's still on her journey to healthier and happier life. The caption to the video she posted in January read, "Passion is the journey inward.. Purpose is the journey overcoming the fear.. Know Freedom and Leave Your Legend."

My 600-lb Life shared Cindy's story and explained how she ended up in her position. When she was 8 years old, she was sexually assaulted by a family friend. She dealt with this trauma by eating, and also hoping that if she gained weight, her abuser wouldn't be interested. She continued to eat, and by the time she was 10, she weighed 140 pounds. When her parents divorced, the binge eating continued.

When she turned 30, she weighed 500 pounds. Because of an injury, she became bedridden, and had nothing to do all day, so Cindy shared that she continued to eat. By this point, she had developed lymphedema and diabetes. Her oxygen levels began to drop, so she was put on constant oxygen support. It clearly became so frightening and severe, that her caretaker and friend, Sandy, urged her to get help. Hopefully Cindy will continue to try and lose weight, for her body's sake.

By the end of the episode, Cindy still weighed around 600 pounds. “I’ll keep trying my hardest, and hopefully … I’ll be in a good enough place to get surgery." She added, "I’ve learned a lot during this time. So, I get to take that back with me to implement at home. I’ll find a way to get better and change my life and have a new life. And I’m still very much looking forward to that.”

If you need support, The National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673. You will be connected with a trained staff member in your area. Or visit RAINN.org to chat online with a support specialist at any time.