Vanessa Cross, known for her role on TLC's "1000-Lb. Best Friends," has captivated audiences with her remarkable weight loss journey. Having shed an astounding 273 pounds, Cross's story is not just about physical transformation, but also about mental and emotional growth. Her initial weight was 448 pounds, and she now weighs 175 pounds. Her journey underscores the importance of addressing the psychological aspects of weight loss, a strategy that has enabled her to maintain her weight for over two years.
Addressing the Root of the Problem: Mental Health First
Cross took an unconventional approach when she first started, prioritizing her mental health and well-being. Instead of focusing on traditional diet and exercise methods, she turned to addiction recovery principles. "When I first started, I threw everything I knew about weight loss out the window and I picked up an addiction book." Viewing food as an addiction, she delved into the 12 steps, adapting them to her relationship with food. "And instead of it being drugs or alcohol, fried foods, bread, anything that was considered bad, food was my drug," she tells TODAY.com. This focus on the mental aspects of weight loss came first for Cross, and her approach has clearly paid off because she's maintained her weight for over two years.
A Lifelong Struggle Turned Triumph
Cross's struggles with weight began in childhood. “Ever since I was a child, my mother spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on quick weight loss (solutions) and all these pills and the grapefruit diet and sent me to fat camp,” she recalls. Despite numerous attempts throughout her life, she couldn't achieve lasting results until her forties. Before joining the TLC reality series, Cross reached her heaviest weight of 535 pounds and was bedridden between 2010 and 2013.
Witnessing her best friend Meghan Crumpler's success in her own weight loss journey served as a catalyst for Cross. “It pushed me and showed me that, ‘Ok, well, now she’s getting around better. She’s walking better. So that was kind of my aha moment,” she says.
The Path to Weight Loss: A Holistic Approach
Initially, Cross was skeptical about reaching her weight-loss surgeon Dr. Charles Procter's goal weight of 180 pounds. "I was like, 'Whatever. Well, then I’ll see you in six years at 180 (pounds),'" she recalls. However, as she began to see progress, her motivation grew. "Life was getting easier. Walking was getting easier. Everything was getting easier. I wanted to do more and more," she says. Once Cross reached her personal goal of 250 pounds, she was motivated to keep going.
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Exercise as a Foundation
Cross started with basic exercises due to her size. “Being that big, you can’t do leg things and squats or any of that. So I had to start with just the basic walk,” she recalls.
Revamping the Diet
Cross soon realized that exercise alone was not enough and that she needed to address her diet. “When (I) actually started taking the bad foods out, that was when everything started changing and when I really started losing weight. And when I got down to like 420 (pounds) I was like, 'Well now, ok. Alright, let’s keep going,'" she says. She totally revamped her diet.
Cross made significant changes to her diet, eliminating entire food groups. "I had to (go) cold turkey when it came to the fried foods, fattening foods and breads when I first started this journey to lose weight. Those were my addictive foods: honey buns, pastries, candy bars and then of course, fried chicken, fried fish, French fries," she says.
Over time, Cross learned to modify her favorite foods to make them healthier. "I know how to make fried chicken that’s not fried at all and that is healthy, but it’s seasoned, it’s flavorful. I know how to do broccoli in so many different flavors that you can have a sweet to a heat. I've learned how to modify the healthy foods," she says.
The foods she once craved no longer hold the same appeal. "I’m allowed to actually eat fattening foods now. After two years, you don’t want it. Even now, I see these commercials for all these big old burgers and all these big old things. And I told my kid, I said, ‘That looks gluttonous,’” she explains.
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Maintaining the Weight Loss: A New Chapter
Cross shifted her focus to maintenance after reaching her goal weight, acknowledging the challenges involved. "Mentally, it is extremely hard. I would definitely recommend therapy for anyone that is having a dramatic weight loss," she says.
Adjusting to her new body image has been a significant part of the process. "Mentally in my head, I’m still 400 pounds. I still back up when I walk around counters, I still get further away from people when I’m walking in a line at a grocery store. I have found myself turned sideways to move the belly out of the way and, and it’s not there," she says.
Diet and Exercise Routine
Cross maintains a consistent workout routine. For starters, her workout is “way more advanced" these days than it was when she first started. When she hits the gym, the reality star typically spends 30 minutes on a stair climber followed by 20 minutes on a lat pull down machine and running on a treadmill.
She also avoids sugar, having eliminated it from her diet two years ago. "I had to work myself up to not having sugar and not having soda and not having things like that to where now it doesn't taste good when you put it in your mouth," she says.
Regular Weigh-Ins
Cross weighs herself regularly to stay on track, but not too often. "Weighing yourself is important, but it’s more important to maintain your diet and maintain your exercise and don’t worry about the numbers because then when you do step on, you’re like, 'Holy crap,'" she says.
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Her perspective on weighing herself has changed over time. "Now me and the scale have a very healthy friendship because I only weigh myself around every two weeks," she says. While she hated weighing herself early on in her health journey, Cross' perspective has shifted.
Impact on Relationships
Cross noticed tension with her friends as she became more focused on her health. "Once Cross started seeing success with her weight loss, she noticed a bit of friction with her friends and co-stars "because all I wanted to talk about was the gym (and) healthy food." "I didn’t realize that I had upset them. I don’t really understand it, but they were not there to support me," she says.
Viewers will witness the friends' tension in season 3 of the show along with Cross' determined attitude. "It takes time for me to get over that. But as they let me go, I learned how to take care of myself. I learned how to strengthen myself," she says.
Future Endeavors
Cross is working on a book and plans to become a motivational speaker. “(I want to) motivate people to get on with their life and learn how to live a normal life and accept yourself in the skin you’re in,” she says.
Life After Weight Loss: A New Beginning
Cross's life has transformed dramatically. Most recently, she underwent skin removal surgery. “When I first woke up from surgery, I cried," she says, noting how emotional the experience was.
Cross is now working at a smoothie shop and says it's surreal to be able to stand for six to seven hours during her shifts after being bedridden at one point. "Smoothies are what helped me maintain weight loss," she says.
She has also started dating, approaching it with intention and self-respect. Cross has also started dating and is having "fun" exploring this next phase. However, she's determined to approach the process intentionally and apply the lessons she's learned throughout her weight-loss journey."I’m only gonna accept the man that is supposed to be with me and treats me with respect because mentally I still struggle thinking I’m 400 pounds. I don’t want to let someone come in and just treat me (poorly) knowing that my worth is so much better now. I’m such a better person," she says.