TLC's "1000-Lb. Sisters" introduced viewers to Amy and Tammy Slaton in 2020, chronicling their weight loss journey. The sisters have made remarkable progress through dieting, exercise, and surgery. At the show's start, Amy Slaton, 36, weighed 406 pounds, while Tammy Slaton, 37, weighed 608 pounds. Tammy Slaton's swimsuit photos after losing 440 pounds were recently applauded by fans. Amy Slaton revealed in December 2023 that she is focusing on her mental health.
Recognizing the Origins of Weight Struggles
The Slaton sisters shared the origins of their weight struggles in a 2023 interview with People. Tammy Slaton said, "I’ve always had a weight issue." Amy Slaton echoed her sister's sentiments, stating, "Our whole family's big."
Diet played a significant role in their weight gain. Their mother worked three jobs when they were children, requiring them to cook for themselves. Amy Slaton said, "And at 10 and 11 you really couldn’t prepare healthy food and stuff." Tammy Slaton added, "The microwave was our best friend. Ramen noodles, bowls of soup, things that were quick and easy - stuff that adds on carbs."
Following their grandmother's death in 1999, Tammy Slaton said she and her sister "turned to food for comfort." Amy added, “I started eating my feelings.”
Amy's Desire for Children as Inspiration
Amy Slaton's desire to become a mother motivated her to lose weight. After losing nearly 100 pounds following her bariatric surgery, she took the first steps toward motherhood and now has two sons.
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She said in an episode of “1000-Lb. Sisters,” “Now that my weight is getting under control, I went to the OB/GYN because I want to see if there’s anything that can keep me from getting pregnant. Being a mother is, like, the world to me. Like, seriously. I can’t express how much I want to be a mother. So I got bariatric surgery."
Tammy's Rehab Experience
Tammy Slaton entered a food addiction rehab center several times as part of her weight loss efforts. Her weight goal was 550 pounds to qualify for surgery. Tammy Slaton's rehab experience was tumultuous, and she initially left the facility weighing more than when she entered, according to People. The next time she went to the rehab center, she lost 115 pounds in one month.
After regaining the weight, Tammy entered rehab once again and then reached her surgery goal weight.
Bariatric Surgery as a Kickstart
The Slaton sisters both turned to bariatric surgery to kickstart their weight loss. Doctors may recommend weight loss surgery when diet and exercise have not worked. According to The Mayo Clinic, weight loss surgery may limit how much a person can eat and/or reduce the body's ability to absorb fat and calories.
The sisters first had to reach a certain weight to qualify for the surgery. Amy Slaton was the first to reach this milestone and underwent surgery in 2019. In an episode of “1000-Lb. Sisters” that aired in 2020, she showed off her 100-pound weight loss, revealing that she started out at 406 pounds.
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After reaching her weight goal, Tammy Slaton underwent surgery in July 2022. Per People, she was down to 285 pounds as of December 2023. At her heaviest, she weighed 725 pounds. In October 2024, Tammy weighed in at close to 304 pounds.
Approachable Dieting Tips
Amy Slaton maintains her weight loss after surgery with a go-to meal plan. She told Us Weekly in 2023, “As far as eating habits go, I eat small meals with high protein and low carbs.”
The mother of two also planted a vegetable garden at home to ensure that her family had access to healthy foods. She told People in 2023, “Gage (my son) will eat Brussel sprouts. He’ll eat broccoli. He’ll eat cauliflower. He’ll eat all of that.” The proud mom added that her son Glenn is always willing to try different foods.
Tammy Slaton's approach to maintaining her weight loss is also quite simple. She commented on Instagram in response to a fan, per People, “Oh, you (eat) proteins, low carbs, no sugars, no pop, portion control.”
Curbing Soda Intake
Tammy Slaton said in an early episode of "1000-Lb. Sisters" that she usually drank eight to 12 cans of soda a day. Now she says, “I mean, maybe two 12-ounce cans a day, sometimes not even that. Sometimes just one, sometimes not at all.”
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Tammy Slaton also said she now mostly drinks water. “Or if I do drink something else it’s tea - diet tea - or sugar free Gatorades. I do like drinking Crystal Light packets and stuff like that sometimes, but (I mostly drink) plain, ordinary water,” she said.
Trying Various Workouts
Amy and Tammy Slaton have tried several methods of exercise, including swimming, virtual reality workouts, personal training sessions, and group workout classes. Tammy Slaton also talked about her go-to workouts with Us Weekly, saying, “I like chair exercises, lifting weights, running, the bike and walking.”
The Importance of a Support System
The Slaton sisters rely on each other for support in weight loss and in life. Tammy Slaton called her sister "my everything" in an episode of "1000-Lb. Sisters" that aired after Amy Slaton's weight loss surgery.
"She's been there for me whenever I need her (and) whenever I don't need her. But Amy needs me right now, so I'm going to help her as much as possible. Whatever she needs, I've got her back," she said. Before her husband Caleb Willingham passed away, Tammy Slaton spoke to Us Weekly about his loving support.
“We support each other wholeheartedly. On our weight loss journeys, when he’s having issues with wanting to eat because he’s bored or because he’s an emotional eater, he comes to me and we talk about the situation,” she said. “It’s the same for me and I talk to him. We talk about our issues and why we feel this way. We are true partners.”
Prioritizing Mental Health
Amy Slaton opened up to People in December about her ongoing weight loss journey and revealed that she'd lost 176 pounds since her surgery in 2019. After going through a divorce, however, she said she's prioritizing her mental health over dwelling on her weight these days. Recently, Amy said she was no longer focusing on weight loss to instead deal with her mental health.
“You can’t have weight loss without mental health,” she said. After recognizing that her mental health was "the worst it’s ever been," the reality star began attending therapy sessions and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, acute stress disorder, and depression. In addition to bipolar disorder, Amy was also diagnosed with depression and acute stress from her divorce. To manage her mental health, Amy Slaton still attends therapy and is now on medication. Amy shared that she tries to stay positive by “talking to Tammy, and being with my kids and my family as much as possible. Surrounding myself with love and light… and puppies.”
“It's a relief to know that I'm not crazy. It was something totally different. I'm not just snapping because I'm snapping. I'm snapping because I'm bipolar,” she said.
Celebrating Milestones
Tammy Slaton's weight loss journey has been a marathon, not a sprint, and she's learned to celebrate her milestones along the way.
Her doctor, Eric Smith, told People, “I remember the first time I got a picture that she sent me of her riding the front seat in a car with a seatbelt, things that we may take for granted. That was a huge accomplishment for her when she used to be coming to my office in the back of a minivan with the seats removed because that was the only way that they could transport her.”
Tammy told People, “Just being able to walk without a walker or be pushed in a wheelchair, and no oxygen. I don’t even sleep with it at night anymore. Then it was being able to fit in a regular vehicle, front seat, and then the belt buckle, and not have to use an extender now. So I mean, just what seems minor to some people is giant for me.”
Impact on Mental Health
After losing over 400 pounds, Tammy Slaton's mental and physical health has changed drastically. “Before I went to rehab, I was bitter, unhappy, very, super suicidal, depressed and just mean. Everybody hated me, and they still do. Oh well,” she said. “I had this I don’t care attitude back then. I still do but it’s not as bad."
Amy's New Weight Loss Goal
Amy Slaton celebrates achieving a new weight loss goal in E! News’ exclusive new sneak peek clip from the Oct. 29 episode of 1000-Lb. Sisters. Part of Amy’s success came from the knowledge that she had lost enough weight to wear the heels without risk.
“It’s registering that I have lost weight, and I’m not going to break the damn heel,” she quips. “It’s a good moment.”
Amy isn’t the only member of her family shedding the weight.
Reflecting on the Journey
In a new clip from the upcoming season six premiere of 1,000-Lb. Sisters, the Kentucky native looks back on four years of losing weight, going from over 400 pounds to 237. In an October 2024 episode of 1,000-Lb. Sisters, she weighed in at 237 pounds.
In the scene, Amy and her sister Tammy visit bariatric surgeon Dr. Eric Smith to discuss potentially getting a procedure to remove excess skin. Amy hadn't weighed herself since the previous year-and when she steps on the scale, she's surprised by a 44-pound loss.
"Hell, all you need to lose weight is two toddlers and a divorce," she jokes to the cameras. (Amy's ex-husband Michael Halterman filed for divorce in March 2023.)
Amy says she's committed to raising her sons in a healthier environment than what she and Tammy grew up in. "I try to be there for them as much as possible," she told People. "If they ain't at Daddy's, they're with me. I know my mama couldn't always do that."