‘My 600-Lb Life’ Nicole Lewis: Emotional Struggles Led To Food Addiction

The latest season of My 600-Lb Life features the story of Nicole Lewis, who weighed nearly 684 pounds when she wrote to TLC. Her obesity has had numerous major impacts on her lifestyle, including the fact that, because she could no longer fit into her bathtub or shower, in order to bathe, her boyfriend had to hose her off on the porch of their home. Daily Mail reports that Nicole had gastric sleeve surgery about six months ago and has lost 163 pounds since.

My 600-Lb Life follows the Ohio mother of two through her weight loss journey. Before deciding to take the steps necessary to lose weight, Nicole found herself unable to care for toddlers Jayden and Shelby. At the age of 23, she talked about the life that led to her food addiction and some of the changes she had to make to lose the weight.

Nicole talked about her childhood with a mother who was short-tempered. The star of My 600-Lb Life said that when her mother was in a bad mood, she would go to the garage because that is usually where she could find her father. He could relate to her and her struggles with her mother’s temper, and he often gave her food as comfort at those times. He was a truck driver, and when he wasn’t home, she learned to turn to food. By the time she turned 14, she weighed 200 pounds. The problems got worse in later years as the dysfunction in her family grew.

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While he was on the road, her father became addicted to cocaine. He brought it home to her mother and got her addicted too. She told My 600-Lb Life that once they were addicts, they both became angry whenever they ran out of cocaine, and the violence at home increased. She recalled hour-long stretches of her mother screaming and crying for more. Her chaotic home life led to more eating and emotional problems.

“And when my parents were doing the drugs, I would get so mad I would scream and holler at them, and they’d just ignore me, and I’d go and lay on my bed and just eat and cry for hours until I fell asleep. Food was a comfort to me because when I would eat something and get full, I would feel comfortable and safe. I felt secure. And so I just didn’t stop eating.”

Nicole weighed 400 pounds by the time she turned 16.

Despite eventually weighing in at nearly 700 pounds, the My 600-Lb Life star says she loved going to the grocery store. She lives with her boyfriend, Charlie and her two children. When Charlie is at work, her parents take care of her. TV Ruckus shared a video in which, because she is too large for the electronic carts, Charlie pushes her in a wheelchair while they shop. Nicole says that, although it is sometimes uncomfortable, she enjoys going to the grocery store with her boyfriend.

“When that happens I feel like I am going to start to panic and all I want is food, but I know the sooner I get the shopping done, the sooner I can eat. Charlie loves food too, and grocery shopping is the only time we get to do something together,’ she adds. ‘It’s kind of romantic in a way, but after we shop I can’t wait to get home and eat.”

When Nicole finally went to My 600-Lb Life doctor Younan Nowzaradan who told her that she would have to lose 50 pounds before he would perform her gastric sleeve surgery. It took her three months to lose that weight, but she did. Her weight loss has continued since the surgery.

[Featured Image by TLC]