When TLC aired the 10th season of “My 600-Lb Life” in 2021, one patient’s story and experiences moved the show’s viewers to tears. Typically, a patient’s journey to Texas to meet Dr. Nowzaradan – commonly known as Dr. Now – and begin the weight loss journey is filled with battle cries in the form of brave words of commitment from the patient, and encouraging words from their loved ones. Lacey had the bravado and zeal of most patients on their way to begin the transformative program, but the two people who accompanied her on the journey to Texas were nothing short of cruel after abandoning her mid-way through the journey, and selling her valuables. Lacey’s rough journey rallied the show’s fans around her, who have continued to follow her on her public social media pages where she documents her life after her 6-month stint on the show. Here is an update on how she is doing today.
Finding Comfort in Food
Lacey’s struggle with food and weight is a heartbreaking tale of rejection, sexual assault and neglect by the people who should have protected her and her innocence. Early on in her life, Lacey discovered that her birth wasn’t planned – when she was conceived, her mother actually had an IUD in place to prevent conception. Despite taking the decision to carry the pregnancy to term, throughout her childhood Lacey’s mother didn’t make her feel wanted, leaving a young Lacey to seek comfort in food. In addition, Lacey felt unworthy and unloved, particularly since she compared herself to her skinny and gorgeous sister, and her brother who was the family’s favorite child.
When Lacey was in the third grade, she was raped – she hid the incident from everyone around her, afraid that no one would believe her. Her fears were confirmed when she confided in her mother later on, only for her to accuse young Lacey of lying. With food as her only source of comfort, Lacey binge-ate her way through high school and college, and weighed more than 500 pounds by the time she graduated.
Lacey worked as a customer service representative after college, until she was unable to cope with the physical demands of the job due to her weight. Desperate for an income to support herself, she turned to feederism, a fetish where men would support her financially in exchange for videos, pictures and live feeds of her stuffing herself with food. Naturally, her weight rose astronomically, sending her in a desperate search for a way to bring it down after she quit feederism. She turned to Dr. Now, hoping to follow in the footsteps of patients such as Milla Clarke, Brittany Fulfer, and Ann Whaley, who surpassed their weight loss goals on the show.
“My 600-Lb Life”
Lacey’s story was featured in the 5th episode of season 10 of “My 600-Lb Life”. She weighed close to 600lbs, and hoped to lose enough to prove her commitment to Dr. Now, and qualify for the weight loss surgery he’s performed on multiple patients in the show. After her initial consultation, Dr. Now gave Lacey the most difficult task in the weight loss program. – eight weeks to show her commitment to the program by losing 50 pounds to qualify for weight loss surgery, much to her disappointment as apparently she’d expected to qualify automatically as she weighed under 600lbs. A disappointed but determined Lacey vowed to adhere to the strict diet, and follow the exercise plan.
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However, Lacey was distracted by some problems in her relationship. She had just started dating Ricky a few months before she was accepted into Dr. Now’s program; the doctor had recommended some adjustments to her lifestyle, and scheduled some sessions to evaluate her progress before asking her to move to Houston for surgery. Ricky was incredibly supportive, but Lacey was missing some of her appointments with the doctor and keeping it from him until her sister, Sharon, found out and attempted to use the information to split-up Lacey and Ricky. Fortunately, Ricky, who was besotted with Lacey and intended to marry her, forgave her, and continued to support her weight loss journey. Even with Ricky’s support, Lacey only lost 11.3 pounds in 2 months.
Lacey then took matters into her own hands, and planned a trip to Dr. Now’s practice in Houston without the latter’s knowledge. Her excitement and determination were palpable as she, her fiancé Ricky and his sister Sharon set off on a journey to Texas. However, at one point during the five-day journey, Sharon instigated an incident that left Lacey stranded miles away from her home and her destination. Although her fiancé and his sister abandoned her, Lacey’s determination to change her life led her to find alternative transportation to Dr. Now’s practice in Houston for her first physical consultation with him. Unfortunately, all her appointments with the Dr. now were unproductive, leading Lacey to quit six months into the program, and return home to California, but vowing to keep exercising and dieting to lose weight.
Beyond “My 600-Lb Life”
When her time on the show ended abruptly after her premature departure from the program, Lacey had to leave Houston – she’d depleted all her resources and could no longer afford her rent and utilities in the city. She packed the few belongings she had left after Ricky and Sharon sold most of her valuables after abandoning her earlier, and headed back home. Luckily, her old apartment was still available, and she was able to find some furniture. Unlike most patients who fall off the face of the earth after appearing in the show, Lacey has remained active on social media, and doesn’t shy away from sharing updates on her health, weight loss journey, and romantic relationships.
Health and Weight Loss Updates
True to her word, Lacey exercised religiously and adjusted her lifestyle to fit her weight loss goals. A few months after leaving the show, she was excited to let her followers and supporters know that she’d lost 120 pounds. Unfortunately, she faced a huge setback occasioned by a few visits to the hospital; her problems began when she visited a dentist and had a few teeth pulled out in preparation for dentures. She had an extreme reaction to the antibiotics she was given for the procedure, and ended up in the hospital for a few days. Around the same time, Lacey’s blood sugar levels surpassed the recommended limit, and she started having some eye problems.
Amid the barrage of health problems, Lacey retrogressed in her weight loss journey and gained back all the weight. Just as she was getting back on her feet, and returning to her exercise and diet regimen, Lacey took to Facebook to share yet another setback. She had bruises on her feet, and had fractured her left foot after spending a lot of time on her feet in an attempt to increase her physical activity levels. The strain of increased activity had extended to her spine, injuring her fifth and sixth thoracic vertebrae T6 and T6.
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Lacey seems to have overcome the setbacks in her health. In January 2023, she told her fans that she’d resumed her dental work, and was having some of her teeth pulled out in preparation for dentures. She blamed her poor oral health on the medication she has taken for years, but expressed hope that her dentist would gradually take out the bad teeth in time for new dentures later in the year. With no new updates on her health in the past two months, fans can only hope that Lacey is doing well.
Wedding Bells?
The cameras caught the moment when Lacey’s tumultuous relationship with Ricky ended, and he drove off with his sister and some of Lacey’s things. Fans silently hoped that Lacey would resist any impulses to rekindle her relationship with Ricky, when she admitted that she missed him. They got their wish in 2022 ,when Lacey hinted at a new love, and shared a few pictures of them together on Instagram. In September, she revealed that she met Dennis, her partner, in May, and appreciated her followers for their positive comments about him and the relationship after they inferred from the pictures that Dennis made her happy.
After an incredible journey from lack of acceptance and love in childhood to joining the cast of “My 600-Lb Life”, but failing to lose weight, losing it after the show, and gaining it all back amid health problems, Lacey is set to get her happily-ever-after. In November last year, Lacey shared some big news on Facebook. She referred to Dennis as her fiancé, and announced that they would be getting married in December 2022 or January 2023. The post elicited mixed reactions among fans and followers, with some congratulating her on her impending nuptials, while others called her entitled for asking anyone who would like to give a gift to contact her. Lacey hasn’t shared an update on any change in her marital status, leaving fans to speculate over whether she and Dennis have actually tied the knot.
