Six years ago, Tammy Slaton first appeared on television alongside her sister Amy in the TLC reality show, 1000-lb Sisters.
In just a short time, Tammy has experienced a remarkable amount of hardship and joy – she’s battled a life-threatening illness, lost a significant amount of weight, grieved the loss of her husband, and rediscovered love.
She’s shared before that she opens up about her own experiences to help others feel less isolated, believing that sharing personal stories can be a source of support for those going through similar things.
We’re inspiring people by sharing our own weight loss journey, letting them know they can succeed as well and aren’t facing this challenge on their own. Many have expressed gratitude for us being open about our experiences.
‘It’s kind of comforting knowing we’re putting smiles on other people’s faces.’
As Tammy celebrates her 40th birthday this Monday, marking the start of her fifth decade, The Daily Mail is revisiting the ups and downs of her life.
Tammy’s weight gain
When “1,000-lb Sisters” began airing in January 2020, Tammy Slaton weighed 605 pounds and her sister, Amy, weighed around 400 pounds.
In the first episode of the show, she shared that she’d battled with her weight since she was a child. She grew up in Kentucky with her mother, Darlene, and her three siblings: Chris, Misty, and Amanda.
Tammy explained that she and her family didn’t have much money growing up. They often ate fast food, but when they couldn’t afford that, their church provided them with meals.
With five children to raise, my mom had to work three jobs. Growing up, we didn’t receive a lot of emotional support; instead, we often faced criticism and were frequently called unintelligent or lazy.
My grandmother meant the world to me. She always helped me feel normal and accepted, just like everyone else. Losing her was incredibly difficult, and for a while, sharing meals was the only thing that brought our family comfort.
Tammy shared that she had struggled with her weight her entire life, and was often bullied as a child. She recalled being pushed around and name-called by classmates. By the time she turned twenty, she weighed approximately 500 pounds.
TLC discovered Tammy and Amy through their online videos documenting their weight loss journey. The network then developed a show centered around the sisters’ efforts to lose weight and qualify for bariatric surgery.
Amy found quick success, losing 125 pounds in just two seasons. However, Tammy didn’t have the same positive results.
By the end of the second season, Tammy had gained weight, reaching 665 pounds. This led to a difficult period where she struggled with severe sadness and coped by drinking too much and going out partying.
People were deeply worried about Tammy’s health because of her dangerous habits, fearing she didn’t have long to live.
During an episode in the show’s third season, her family was shown talking about preparations for her funeral.
It resulted in many wondering if she would ever turn her life around.
Tammy’s rock bottom moment
Tammy experienced a frightening health crisis in November 2021 when carbon monoxide poisoning landed her in the hospital and required life support.
She had a health problem called obesity hypoventilation syndrome, where she breathed very slowly. This caused carbon dioxide to build up and oxygen levels to drop in her blood.
Amy explained during the show that doctors said her mother’s lungs were failing and her body was starting to shut down, describing a terrifying medical situation.
We’re now at the heartbreaking point of planning my little sister’s funeral. She’s been struggling for a long time, and this is incredibly difficult.
She waited for too long, and now that she’s finally found the courage to seek help, this is happening.
After having a breathing tube inserted into her chest, Tammy was on life support for three weeks and thankfully pulled through.
That scary moment really woke me up about Tammy’s struggles. She had reached 717 pounds, and I could see she knew she needed help again, so she made the brave decision to return to rehab for her food addiction. It was a relief to see her taking that step.
The actress’s fortunes began to improve when her brother, Chris, shared during the third season finale that she had lost 115 pounds while in treatment.
A friend shared with The Sun in early 2022 that she’s making incredible progress. She’s become much more active and is now able to handle things independently. The friend also mentioned she successfully stopped smoking and drinking completely.
Tammy kept a low profile for several months, but when she posted a photo from rehab in March 2022, people immediately noticed a significant change in her appearance.
I remember when she shared with everyone that she was really focused on making progress and felt optimistic about what was coming. It was so encouraging to see her positive outlook, even then!
Three months later, Tammy had finally dropped enough weight to undergo bariatric surgery.
When she had surgery, she weighed 534 pounds. This meant she had lost 180 pounds after starting treatment.
Tammy finds love
While in rehab, Tammy found love with a fellow patient named Caleb Willingham.
He asked the television actress to marry him in October 2022 while they were at the parking lot of her treatment center. They then had a private wedding with just family and close friends two months later.
According to a source, they’ve bonded over similar challenges and have been a great source of support for one another during their recovery process.
Caleb, known as ‘Double K’, appeared on a weight loss show with his wife, where they both worked to overcome long-term struggles with obesity.
The next year, reports surfaced that Caleb and his partner were getting divorced due to his difficulty maintaining a healthy diet.
For months, people had been wondering if the couple was having trouble, especially after fans noticed Tammy had taken Willingham’s name off her social media accounts.
According to a source, the couple broke up because Caleb wasn’t sticking to his recovery plan. He reportedly gained thirty pounds and hadn’t been fully committed to his rehab program.
According to reports, Caleb attempted to reconcile with Tammy during their separation, but his efforts didn’t work, and she’s moving forward with the divorce.
Caleb’s tragic death
Caleb died unexpectedly in July 2023 at the age of 40, only one year after getting married.
Tammy shared a heartfelt message on Instagram mourning the loss of her husband. She wrote, “Rest in peace, my dear Caleb. I’ll miss and love you forever. Thank you for bringing so much joy and genuine love into my life.”
The funeral took place in Kentucky later that month, and was filmed for the show 1000-lb. Sisters.
I was really saddened to hear that Tammy was so upset with how things went at her husband’s funeral. Apparently, she felt the show’s producers were deliberately creating unnecessary drama during a time that was already incredibly difficult for her, and she wasn’t happy about it at all.
Let me tell you, from what I’ve heard, Tammy felt the funeral scenes weren’t genuine at all. She believed the show added things specifically to create sadness, even though, in reality, things weren’t as dramatic as they were portrayed. It really bothered her that it didn’t feel authentic.
The reality star reportedly also stated that while people were enjoying themselves, the show’s producers created a depressing atmosphere.
Tammy’s transformation
After her weight loss, Tammy was left struggling with her excess skin.
On the show, she talked about her biggest issue: having too much loose skin after her weight loss. When someone asked how much excess skin she had, she responded bluntly, ‘Way too much!’
Tammy explained that she develops rashes under her stomach which sometimes become infected. She also mentioned that while her movement has improved, she has to walk with her legs slightly apart because of something dangling between them.
She quickly added, ‘I don’t mean to sound harsh, but I’m hoping I’m prepared for the surgery to remove my skin.’
Tammy’s dream came true in 2025 when she was approved for the eight-hour procedure.
I was absolutely thrilled when she shared her incredible news! After dedicating herself to a journey of health for six years – and losing over 500 pounds – she finally got the approval for surgery. It was such an emotional moment, and honestly, I was overwhelmed with happiness for her.
This has been a long journey, and seeing the result is incredible. You could probably tell by my expression – I was completely stunned at first, then overjoyed.
Tammy went to Pittsburgh to have excess skin removed by Dr. J. Peter Rubin at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and she started to feel nervous about the surgery the night before it was scheduled.
She admitted she felt very anxious before her skin removal surgery, mainly worrying about how she’d react to seeing her body afterward with less abdominal skin.
I was incredibly scared the night before my surgery. Surprisingly, I felt even more anxious about the skin removal procedure than I did about the original sleeve gastrectomy – it’s a much bigger operation involving incisions across my entire abdomen.
On January 18th, Tammy had surgery to remove loose skin after significant weight loss. Doctors took off more than 15 pounds of excess skin from her chin, arms, and abdomen.
As a huge fan of 1000-Lb. Sisters, I was so moved watching the star’s surgery and recovery. It was incredible to see her transformation during the season finale, and honestly, I was right there with her siblings – I was completely amazed by how far she’s come on her weight loss journey. They were all so proud, and it was truly inspiring to watch.
After her surgery, Tammy shared on the show that it felt strange no longer having weight pulling on her face and that she was happy to see her excess skin – which she referred to as ‘bat wings’ – had been removed. She described looking down and seeing a flat stomach where those areas used to be.
‘It’s going to take a little while for me to get use to seeing myself like this’.
Tammy finds love again
The same year, Tammy revealed she had started dating again, three years after her husband, Caleb, passed away.
She revealed in April that she’s starting a new relationship, sharing the news in a preview clip from the show. She also confessed she hasn’t told her family about it yet.
Tammy confessed she’d been keeping a secret from her family. It wasn’t just Amy who was dating someone – Tammy had also started seeing someone new.
‘I have been seeing someone for the past couple months and it’s going pretty well.’
She also shared that she’s dating a woman and hasn’t told her family yet, as she anticipates they won’t approve.
My family seems to have an opinion about everything, and they aren’t afraid to share them – often and loudly! It feels like they’re constantly voicing their thoughts.
I publicly shared that I’m pansexual several years ago, but since Caleb’s death, I’ve realized I no longer want to be in relationships with men. Now I’m starting to date a woman and I’m worried about how my family will respond when I tell them.
Tammy then revealed her mystery partner was Andrea Dalton, who she met on a dating app.
Only two months after that, she shocked her followers by announcing her engagement and sharing news of their wedding plans.
Tammy and her future husband shared details about their wedding plans after asking followers for suggestions on TikTok.
A couple was delighted when one of their followers shared a vision board for a wedding with a Kentucky Wildcats basketball theme.
Tammy and Andrea excitedly reacted as they looked at pictures of the wedding details – including a basketball-court themed dance floor, a unique cake, and bridesmaids dresses designed like sports jerseys.
The couple hasn’t announced their wedding date yet, but they might be planning a wedding with a unique theme.
2026-07-27 10:07