The Stunning Transformation Of 1000-Lb Sisters' Tammy Slaton
As one half of the TLC hit show "1000-Lb Sisters," 37-year-old Tammy Slaton has struggled to gain control of her weight and her life for its past four seasons. When the show first aired in 2020, she weighed 605 pounds, while her younger sister, Amy, tipped the scales at 406. Little sis was able to lose enough weight to get approved for bariatric surgery during Season 1, but Slaton spent another three drama-filled seasons gaining more weight than she lost, ultimately getting up to 717 pounds. It took a close brush with death to make Slaton get serious about her health. During Season 4, she checked back into rehab and finally lost enough weight to get cleared for the procedure she so desperately needed.
Now, leading up to the December 12 premiere of Season 5, Slaton has been teasing fans via Instagram with jaw-dropping images of her transformation. She has reportedly lost 300 pounds, and photos and videos show her standing and moving about without the aid of a wheelchair or walker. While her achievement may feel like a finale, you can bet Slaton's journey is far from over. She may be lighter, but she still has a lot on her plate, including the death of her spouse, legal troubles, and a sister whose marriage is falling apart. How those things affect Slaton's attitude remains to be seen, but you can bet that the new season will have all the sass, spunk, and sarcasm that viewers have come to expect.
Tammy Slaton's troubled childhood led to bad eating habits
You don't gain more than 700 pounds overnight, and Tammy Slaton's journey started at a young age. As this school photo revealed, she has been overweight for the majority of her life. A native of Dixon, Kentucky, Slaton and her siblings grew up in a family in which money was scarce and parental guidance was lacking. Her mother, Darlene, was no June Cleaver, and the family did not sit down to a healthy dinner at night. On the contrary, her mother worked multiple jobs in an effort to make ends meet.
In her absence, Slaton and her younger sister were either home alone or in the care of their grandmother. When their grandmother died, however, the girls basically became feral. Left to their own devices, they relied on whatever they could find to eat, which was primarily packaged, processed, unhealthy foods. As Slaton told the Louisville Courier Journal, "It's what we ate to survive, and that stuff is not good for you."
Fans of the show have been vocal about their dislike of Slaton's mother, and Slaton admits that growing up with a mother who wasn't exactly nurturing contributed to both her weight and her mental health issues. In a 2019 People interview, the reality star spoke openly about how depression about how she looked not only kept her all but homebound for six years but nearly cost her her life. "I attempted to kill myself last January," she said.
Before reality television, she was a YouTube sensation
Before the world knew Tammy Slaton from the "1000-Lb Sisters" show, she had made a name for herself on social media platforms, including YouTube and, later, TikTok. Slaton first appeared on her younger sister Amy's YouTube channel, where the girls' humorous banter, pranks, and lifestyle content received millions of views across their combined channels. As their notoriety grew, so did their fan base, and Slaton credits those fans with getting her to where she is today. "Our followers from YouTube contacted TLC," Slaton reportedly told one of her TikTok viewers in response to a question regarding how she landed the hit show, according to Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Those fans took their loyalty a step further after Season 2 of the show when they created a petition calling for a Season 3. More than 6,000 people signed the petition, and Slaton's fate was sealed.
Today, Slaton's social media presence continues to grow, especially after her drastic weight loss post-surgery. Fans can't seem to get enough of Slaton's transformation, and viewers know that she relishes the attention. Although she seems to prefer Instagram and TikTok to YouTube these days, the TLC star still uses social media to interact with the public. And while there are those who use the platforms to bully her or leave disparaging comments, the majority of the interactions are positive, with Slaton's legions of devoted fans supporting her efforts and cheering for her success.
Tammy Slaton returned to rehab after topping 700 pounds
When "1000-Lb Sisters" debuted in 2020, Tammy Slaton weighed just over 600 pounds. Her goal was to get down to 550 and qualify for bariatric surgery. At first, things seemed to be going well. Slaton talked a big game and continually assured her doctor and audiences that she was committed to her goal. However, by the end of Season 1, Slaton still never weighed less than 587.4 pounds, which wasn't enough to qualify her for surgery. To add insult to injury, Slaton's younger sister did reach her goal and was approved for the procedure. Throughout the next three seasons, Slaton's weight continued to climb, and her attitude and health began to deteriorate. By Season 4, she was at her heaviest, weighing 717 pounds. This was a turning point for Slaton, who checked herself into a rehabilitation center in Ohio.
Fans may recall that this is not the reality star's first rehab rodeo. In Season 3, she spent eight weeks in the same Ohio rehab center, where the staff recommended that she stay until she could lose 100 pounds. She checked herself out against her medical team's and her family's advice after losing only 60 pounds. In a YouTube clip from TLC, Slaton tells the facility administrator, "I'm homesick. I miss my bed. I miss my family." So why the change of heart during Season 4? As she tearfully told the camera in another TLC clip, "I just don't feel good."
A brush with death was Tammy Slaton's wake-up call
Some people seem to have nine lives, and Tammy Slaton is one of them. Just when you think she is down for the count, this feisty female rallies. At the beginning of Season 4, however, fans began to wonder if her luck had run out. In a dramatic season opener, Slaton stopped breathing after checking herself into Windsor Lane Health Care Rehabilitation Center in Ohio and was rushed to the hospital, where she was given an emergency tracheotomy and placed in a medically induced coma. While her family prepared for the worst, Slaton once again defied the odds and woke up nearly a week later on life support. In a TLC YouTube clip, Tammy said that she had no recollection of the event. "I completely blacked out," she said, adding that she could hear the voices of her family around her. But Slaton was not out of the woods yet. In another terrifying moment, nurses had to remove a blockage in her trach tube that had once again caused her to stop breathing.
These close brushes with death seemed to be the wake-up call that Slaton needed to understand the seriousness of her condition. "I think me hitting my rock bottom has opened my eyes," she said in another TLC clip from the show, adding, "This is my last chance." Throughout Season 4, it became clear that Slaton wasn't going to take that for granted.
She tipped the scales in her favor and finally got her surgery
Fans who had followed Tammy Slaton's struggles and setbacks during "1000-Lb Sisters" finally got to witness her success in Season 4 when she tipped the scales in her favor, getting down to 534 pounds and qualifying for her long-awaited surgery. Two of Slaton's siblings were with her at the doctor's office when she learned the exciting news, and it was an emotional moment for the family and their viewers. In a clip from the show that TLC shared on YouTube, a smiling Slaton happily exclaims, "I did that!" Her family shared in her joy, with her sister Amanda Halterman saying, "Girl, I'm just so freaking proud of you!"
The day Slaton was scheduled for her surgery was filled with mixed emotions. The atmosphere was celebratory as her siblings gathered outside the door of the rehabilitation facility to send her off in style, throwing confetti and presenting her with a homemade banner filled with loving messages. But just because this was a day they had all prayed for didn't mean there wasn't any anxiety or fear. Like any surgery, this one carried risks, which were made worse by the fact that Slaton was still over 500 pounds and had been through a lot of physical trauma already. True to form, however, Slaton sailed through the procedure and returned to rehab to learn how to take care of her new body and enjoy her new lease on life.
Tammy Slaton loses weight and gains a husband
Season 4 of "1000-Lb Sisters" was full of surprises for the Slaton clan, but perhaps none as big as the fact that Tammy Slaton not only found love but decided to get married. Her fiancé was fellow rehab patient Caleb Willingham, and their romance played out over the course of the season, culminating with the happy couple's wedding during the season finale. Willingham proposed to his bride-to-be outside of the rehab center after just one month and sealed the deal with what People described as a "heart-shaped diamond ring."
Slaton may have been all smiles following the proposal, but the rest of the Slaton crew was stunned and skeptical. Slaton shared the news with her siblings via a FaceTime call and, as seen in this TLC clip, their reactions are more confused than congratulatory. Sister Amanda questions whether the two have known each other long enough, while Amy's reaction is a blunter "Like, what the f***?" In spite of Slaton's family's reservations, the couple wed at the rehab center, and the bride wore a white gown and tiara. In a TLC clip from the big day, Slaton calls the event "magical," and says, "When I saw Caleb at the alter, I was just picturing doves and butterflies all around, like God had opened up the clouds and let the sunlight in." The magic faded quickly, however, as reports began to surface that the pair had split after Slaton was released from rehab.
Caleb Willingham died not long after the couple allegedly split up
Season 5 of "1000-Lb. Sisters" will begin with Slaton's triumphant return to Kentucky after 14 months in rehab. Viewers will see her return home much lighter, having left her bad habits, and nearly 300 pounds behind. But her unhealthy lifestyle wasn't the only thing Slaton left at rehab. She returned to Kentucky without her husband, Caleb Willingham, who stayed behind to continue trying to lose weight. He reportedly planned to join his wife in Kentucky, but sadly, he never got that chance. Willingham died suddenly on June 30, 2023, at just 40 years old. Slaton posted a photo of her and her late husband on Instagram with the caption, "Rip sweet angel you will forever be missed and loved so much thank you Caleb for showing me real love and happiness."
At the time of Willingham's death, The U.S. Sun reported he and Slaton were no longer together. An inside source claimed that the long distance coupled with Willingham's apparent inability to stay on his weight loss program had driven a wedge between the newlyweds and that Slaton was filing for divorce. "She wants someone who can be there for her, and his health keeps declining. She would have to take care of him once he's out of rehab, and that is her taking on the care of a whole other person when she can barely take care of herself, so the relationship is pointless," the insider added.
Tammy Slaton fell back on a bad habit after her husband's death
Less than a week after she buried her husband, it seemed like Tammy Slaton was back to some of her old ways. A Union County Court clerk confirmed to In Touch that Slaton "was charged on August 7 with one count of possession of marijuana and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia after a Sturgis police officer responded to the complaint on August 4." Whether or not a trial will play out on "1000-Lb. Sisters" remains to be seen. What we do know is that Slaton has a history of hard partying. In earlier seasons of the show, viewers witnessed Slaton binge drinking, vaping, and partying with friends. In a TLC YouTube clip, she blames the fact that she was too shy and insecure about how she looked to enjoy her teen years and was making up for lost time as an adult.
While in rehab, Slaton admitted to struggling with mental health issues and coping with food and alcohol. However, after nearly dying not once but twice and undergoing bariatric surgery, it looked like Slaton had turned a corner once and for all. However, since returning to Kentucky, she has had to learn to navigate the real world again with all its stress and temptations. With this recent arrest and drug charge, fans hope that Willingham's death is not causing Slaton to return to her old ways.
She's ready to reveal her new body
Fans have been waiting anxiously to see Tammy Slaton's stunning transformation on the "1000-Lb. Sisters" Season 5 premiere. She has been giving them glimpses via her Instagram account, and the difference is dramatic. According to People, the new season opens with Slaton announcing, "I lost 300 pounds. And I'm ready to conquer the world." And it looks like she just might do it! In an Instagram video, Dr. Eric Smith showed Slaton walking into his office without a walker or oxygen to surprise him on his birthday. She also told People in an exclusive interview, "Now, I only wear my oxygen at night, along with my BiPap machine." She also posted a photo in which she is clearly sitting in the front seat of a car wearing a seat belt, something she was previously unable to do.
These are huge steps for a woman who was once wheelchair-bound, unable to breathe, and staring death in the face, but the biggest change in Slaton isn't external. She's lost more than the weight. She's lost the insecurity and low self-esteem that came with it. In fact, she seems to be gaining something: confidence! In a recent Instagram post, she shared a series of unfiltered selfies and referred to herself as "beautiful." She also understands that she is lucky to be alive, telling People, "I'm feeling great! I'm thankful to be alive, and it's fun to be progressing as much as I am."