Ashley B. From 'My 600-lb Life' Is Thriving Alongside Her Husband and Son

When TLC viewers were first introduced to Ashley Dunn Bratcher in 2016, she weighed 725 pounds and couldn’t do basic tasks without the help of her young son. A gastric bypass procedure led to emergency gallbladder surgery, which only hindered the My 600-lb Life star’s progress.

"I just ended up giving in to gaining again, and then had to get back on track," she shared in a 2018 Where Are They Now? special. Despite a few hiccups, Ashley managed to drop 350 pounds over the span of two years. But was she able to keep the weight off?

According to her Facebook page, the 31-year-old currently lives in Kemp, Texas with her husband, Jacob Bratcher, and their 10-year-old son, Patrick Henry. 

Ashley, who started gaining a troubling amount of weight at the age of six after being abandoned by her mother and sexually abused by her babysitter’s husband, referred to her weight loss journey as an emotional and physical rollercoaster. "I’ve done fairly decent, but yes, I’ve had moments where I’ve broken down," she told People magazine in 2017. 

"Whoever says weight-loss surgery is the easy way out is crazy because this has really been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done," she added. "This surgery is just a tool. It does not change your mindset."

The mom explained that she curbs cravings by taking a moment to assess how she’s really feeling. "If it’s true hunger, then, you know, I’ll eat something," she said. "But if I’m feeling angry, happy, sad, I try to revert my mind to something else. I go for a walk. I play with my dogs. I might journal. It’s a learning experience."

The last time Ashley discussed her weight publicly was on a July 2018 follow-up episode of My 600-lb Life. "I can do so much more than just sit around the house waiting to eat, and I can do so much on my own," she revealed in an interview. 

But losing nearly half your size doesn’t come without major obstacles. Ashley admitted at the time that she desperately wanted to get rid of the excess skin around her midsection, which was causing her pain. "My stomach just hangs in front of my thighs, and that keeps me from being able to exercise properly," she shared.

"I compare it a lot to having like a ball and chain on my waist. Honestly, I still am very self-conscious, more so now than I was before," she confessed, "because before I was just fat."

Recent social media photos indicate that Ashley has maintained her weight loss, but she did acknowledge, "I’m not where I need to be," in a November Facebook post. 

Still, Ashley had plenty to be thankful for last year. In June, she and husband Jacob celebrated a decade of marriage. "I just want to say Happy Anniversary baby. I love you so much," she wrote next to pictures of the couple.

"We've been through so much these last 10 years it's crazy, but I wouldn't want to face it all next to anyone else. Thank you for everything you do for our family. I love you baby and I hope for many more years together."

New episodes of My 600-lb Life air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on TLC.