TLC's "My 600-Lb Life" has captivated audiences with its raw and emotional portrayal of individuals battling morbid obesity. Among the many memorable stories featured on the show, that of Karina Garcia stands out as a testament to courage, resilience, and the transformative power of determination. Karina's journey, documented in season 6 of the series, is one of profound change, both physically and emotionally.
Early Struggles and the Onset of Weight Issues
Karina Garcia's weight loss struggles began in her childhood. As she revealed, she turned to food due to not getting enough attention and affection from her parents. Emotional neglect from her family led Karina to turn to comfort food and develop unhealthy eating habits. She weighed over 100 pounds by the age of 10.
Karina, a 38-year-old Chicago, Illinois native, weighed 633 pounds while appearing in season 6 of the show. Karina recalled her childhood issues that led her to her binge-eating habits. She also suffered from health issues including a severe case of asthma. “I had asthma really bad, so I was in and out of the hospital with asthma attacks and I was in an oxygen tent most of the time,” shared Karina. “I remember them holding me down, pinning me down, sticking IVs in me. I felt like I was suffocating. But my family was always there when I was sick. Karina is the oldest of three children but never spent much time with her younger siblings because she was always sick.
This got her a lot of attention from her parents, which decreased once she recovered. Her parents had to work long hours and double shifts to pay her medical bills, which made her lonely and longing for attention. She thus turned to food for comfort and ate uncontrollably, weighing 100 pounds by age 10, and hitting 250 pounds by the age of 15. “Before school and with my allowance, I would buy junk food: chips, soda, cookies, cupcakes.
Karina was almost confined to bed as she couldn’t stand on her own and used a wheelchair to get around her house and even outside. She lived in her parents’ living room and depended on them for all her needs, including taking her grocery shopping. She began living with her parents again and even tried different diets, but nothing worked for her. She slowly weighed up to 600 pounds by the time she was 37 and was already using the wheelchair.
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Seeking Help and the Gastric Bypass Journey
Feeling sorry for her own situation and desperately wanting to change her life, Karina reached out to Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, AKA Dr. Now, a bariatric surgeon known for his work with morbidly obese patients. Even though her family was skeptical about it, she made the journey to Houston and received a customized diet plan to lose weight on her own.
Karina's case was more complicated than usual as she had previously had a weight loss procedure. Dr. Younan Nowzaradan revealed they would first need to perform a gastric balloon removal to take out the balloon that was previously inserted into her stomach to prevent her from overeating. Ultimately, Karina was able to get the gastric bypass surgery by Dr. Now.
Karina did not have a smooth weight loss journey as she frequently lost control and was caught eating junk food. Despite an increasingly unsupportive family, Karina showed courage and determination. After a year, she dropped 235 pounds with help from a gastric balloon he already had in her stomach and a second gastric bypass surgery performed by Dr. Nowzaradan. After a successful weight loss surgery, Karina Garcia lost about 235 pounds, which brought her weight down to less than 400 pounds. She got a second bariatric procedure which helped her to lose weight. Karina started My 600-Lb Life at 633 lbs. She ended up at 387 pounds.
Life After the Show: Maintaining Progress and Finding Love
According to her follow-up ‘Where Are They Now?’ episode in 2019, she continuously kept up with her weight loss journey. She also emphasized that she was eventually able to replace her favorite foods (which were mostly junk food items like chips, soda, ice cream, cupcakes, and cookies) with new ones like fish. Karina is no longer using wheelchair or walker and can easily move around and work on her own. She diligently does her diet and workouts necessary to keep her healthy weight in check.
“He [Dr. Nowzaradan] has helped me do what I need to do in order to lose weight, and he has helped me get my life back,” she told Newsweek. “My goal right now is to lose as much weight as possible this year so I can get skin removal surgery by the end of this year.
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After living in Texas for a long time, Karina now lives in Kirby, Texas, and as far as her new job, she was last known to work as a Bilingual Customer Service Representative at Westcorp.
In early 2019, Karina raised eyebrows when she was reported to be dating Gilbert Donovan Jr. He is infamous from season 4 of ‘My 600-lb Life’ as Lupe Donovan’s husband. As per the show, he mistreated Lupe by allegedly pressurizing her into having sex shortly after her surgery, opening up her stitches and causing infections. Karina and Gilbert soon fell for each other, and now he addresses her as his “wife to be,” indicating they might get married soon. Karina thanked him for helping her eat right and exercise, and they also shared tips on how to do so with anyone who needs help.
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