What Happened to Cindy Vela After 'My 600-lb Life'? She Shed Major Pounds!

On My 600-lb Life, Cindy Vela's story has been one of the hardest to watch in the history of the show. In "Cindy's Story," which aired on Jan. 20, 2021, we learn all about Cindy, a 45-year-old who lives in Portland, Texas. Cindy is bedridden, and is only able to take a few steps before needing to sit back down because of the strain standing and moving her body puts on her. She has a caretaker, Denise, who feeds and bathes her, and helps her with other day-to-day activities.

“When I wake up, I try not to think about my life and how bad things are. But it’s hard to do that with my body, which hurts all the time because it’s breaking down. And I don’t feel like I’m even living anymore … I’m trapped in this bed pretty much all day, every day," Cindy said on the show, although she frustratingly was not very open to getting help from Dr. Now.

So, where is Cindy now? Here's an update.

Despite only being able to lose about 40 pounds during her time on the show, Cindy was able to turn her life around after. During Season 9, Episode 3 of My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?, which aired on May 15, 2024, Cindy's story is revisited, and we are happy to report she was able to lose a drastic amount of weight.

Eight months after Cindy's initial consultation with Dr. Now, she began experiencing severe stomach pain, and called on Dr. Now for help. After performing an endoscopy, he determined the source of the pain to be a large hiatal hernia. Although it was unfortunate for Cindy to have to suffer with the pain, folks might consider it to have been a blessing in disguise as it was after this that she began making changes for the better.

Dr. Now kept Cindy in the hospital for about two months, where her diet could be controlled and limited to 1200 calories per day. At the end of the two months (10 months after her initial virtual visit with Dr. Now), Cindy had dropped to 443 pounds, reflecting a total weight loss of 161 pounds since seeking medical help.

A year and three months after her first consultation, Cindy was more mobile and able to get out of the car with no help, only relying on her walker. At the time, she said she had been eating better and her weigh-in reflected this as she had dropped to 438 pounds. However, because she had only lost five pounds since leaving the hospital, Dr. Now gave her a goal of losing 15 pounds before he would approve her for weight loss surgery.

A month later, Cindy dropped to 415 pounds, and was approved to undergo surgery the following month. Two months after having a sleeve gastrectomy (a year and eight months after first meeting with Dr. Now), Cindy weighed 373 pounds, reflecting a total weight loss of 241 pounds.

Although she had more progress to make, Cindy could do things that once seemed impossible, spend time outdoors with friends and go fishing. While she isn’t very active on social media these days, we’re hoping she’s continued making better choices in terms of dieting and exercise and has made additional progress.

My 600-lb Life shared Cindy's story and explained how she ended up in her position. When she was 8 years old, she was sexually assaulted by a family friend. She dealt with this trauma by eating, and also hoping that if she gained weight, her abuser wouldn't be interested. She continued to eat, and by the time she was 10, she weighed 140 pounds. When her parents divorced, the binge eating continued.

When she turned 30, she weighed 500 pounds. Because of an injury, she became bedridden, and had nothing to do all day, so Cindy shared that she continued to eat. By this point, she had developed lymphedema and diabetes. Her oxygen levels began to drop, so she was put on constant oxygen support. It clearly became so frightening and severe, that her caretaker and friend, Sandy, urged her to get help.

While it did take a lot of encouragement and motivating, Cindy was able to get the help she needed to make a difference in her life. And we can only hope she's continuing down a good path.