A single father who once tipped the scales at 831kg underwent skin removal surgery after losing 571kg in five years following a healthy diet and exercise routine.
Rafael, 46, of Blue Island, Illinois, managed to get his weight down to 260 pounds, but the dramatic weight loss left him plagued by heavy excess skin that hung from his arms, chest, stomach and thighs.
“Excessive skin reminds me of a tub of diluted lard. I describe my skin as a bag of Jell-O. This skin is just disgustingly disgusting and I can’t do it anymore,” she explained on Wednesday night’s episode of the TLC docu-series. Skin tight.
Journey: Rafael, 46, of Blue Island, Illinois, was left with loose excess skin on his arms, chest, stomach and legs after losing 571 pounds
Makeover: The single dad began the process of shedding excess skin from his 260 lb. frame. Raphael pictured after his surgeries (right)
Struggles with obesity: At his heaviest, Rafael weighed 831kg and could barely get out of bed
Rafael said he watched his muscles grow when he started losing weight, but the more he lost, the more his skin sagged.
“It’s like Beauty and the Beast,” she said. “Beauty is my muscles and beast is my loose skin.”
Reflecting on his childhood, Rafael described how food was always a big part of his family. He and his sister loved dinner, and often went to the store and bought whatever snacks they wanted to enjoy.
As his weight increased, his parents began calling him “fat pig” in Spanish, but he just kept getting bigger and bigger. By the time he was a sophomore in high school, he weighed 300 pounds and his health began to suffer.
Rafael developed sleep apnea and lymphedema and admitted he could not stand for more than 15 minutes at a time. He weighed 600kg when he became a single dad and the more weight he gained, the less he could do for his daughter, Kenethia.
Looking back: Rafael (right) said food was always a big part of his family and he started putting on weight from an early age
Out of control: When his daughter, Kenethia, was born, he weighed 600 pounds and was still gaining
Tough times: The dad said he hit rock bottom when his mother had to step in and start doing daily chores for him – including sweeping
Determined: Rafael started eating as healthy as he could and started doing sit-ups and leg lifts in his bed until he built up the strength to start lifting weights
Then wow: Rafael’s hard work and determination helped him lose 400kg in two years
“I was just depressed. My business was in debt. I had a bad breakup and I just couldn’t control my eating,” she explained.
The dad said he hit rock bottom when his mother had to step in and start doing daily chores for him – including sweeping.
When Rafael went to the hospital, he learned that he weighed 831 kg and knew that he had to control his weight.
“I couldn’t afford the weight loss surgery, but I knew I couldn’t go on like this because I could die any day,” she said.
Rafael started eating as healthy as he could. He downloaded a calorie-counting app and started using a scale to weigh his portions.
Side effects: Although Raphael managed to control his weight, he was left with loose excess skin all over his body
Making Changes: Raphael was sick of living with his excess skin and after consulting with surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, was approved for skin removal surgery
Getting there: So far, Rafael (pictured after surgery) has had a brachioplasty, a breast lift and a bilateral thigh lift
Difficult to handle: Before going under the knife, Raphael managed to grab the loose skin on his inner thighs
Good: Raphael was delighted with the appearance of his legs after the operation (photo)
At his worst he couldn’t walk, so Rafael started doing sit-ups and leg lifts on his bed until he built up his strength.
He lost 400 kg in just two years and continued to lose weight until he reached 260 kg. Although he was proud of his accomplishments, he struggled with his excess skin.
“I feel like the whole world is looking at me and laughing,” he said.
The dad emphasized that his daughter has been incredibly supportive, but admitted that he thinks his appearance embarrasses her a little.
Raphael was sick of living with his excess skin and after consulting with surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, was approved for skin removal surgery. However, it required several different operations.
Hiding his progress: Raphael also struggled with the heavy flesh hanging from his arms
Impressed: Dad happily flexed his muscles after having excess skin removed for his arms
Progress: Rafael still needs to have excess skin removed around his waist and stomach, as well as knee replacement surgery. At the end of the episode he was in physical therapy
During his first surgery, he had a brachioplasty and a breast lift. A month later he underwent a bilateral thigh lift. In total, he had nearly 15 pounds of skin removed.
Rafael still has to have excess skin removed around his waist and stomach, as well as knee replacement surgery.
However, he must wait several months between procedures to give his body time to recover and undergo physical therapy.
Although he still has a long way to go, Raphael was already excited about his new look and at the end of the episode, he proudly showed off his toned arms.
“I knew this process was always going to be an uphill battle, but I know it will be worth it in the end — it’s worth it now,” he said.
