What Happened To Cindy Vela After My 600-Lb Life Season 9

Summary Cindy Vela lived with addiction after trauma, leading to severe obesity that she overcame by embracing a healthier lifestyle.

After appearing on My 600-Lb Life, Cindy lost 241 pounds. She has avoided the pitfalls of reality TV fame, focusing on her health.

Cindy Vela's journey to health is inspiring, showing that perseverance in overcoming emotional eating and obesity is possible.

Cindy Vela starred in My 600-Lb Life season 9, and it's time to talk about her life after the show. Cindy debuted on the popular series by seeking the help of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. 45-year-old Cindy weighed over 600 pounds and was completely bedridden when viewers saw her onscreen. At age 8, she'd been molested by a family friend, which made her turn to emotional eating. She believed her molester would lose interest in her if she gained weight. While she didn't appear on My 600-Lb Life season 12, she managed to lose 241 pounds after her season 9 stint.

Sadly, for years, Cindy was trapped in her eating addiction, which only worsened after her parents divorced. By the age of 30, Cindy was living with mental health issues. She later developed lymphedema (tissue swelling) and diabetes. Due to her precarious situation, her friend Sandy encouraged her to seek professional help. However, Cindy refused to cooperate fully - she wouldn't stick to Dr. Now’s strict diet and exercise plan. At the end of her episode, Cindy had lost 40 pounds rather than the required 70. This meant she wouldn't qualify for bariatric surgery.

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My 600-Lb Life's Cindy Vela Lost Close Family Members

Cindy Has Been Through A Lot

According to The Cinemaholic, Cindy lost her niece, Miranda Sue, in September 2021. Cindy and her relative were very close, and she paid tribute to her relative with a post on her social media. In January 2022, the My 600-Lb Life alum shared the news that her stepfather, Raul Garcia Quintanilla, had also passed away. Raul was very supportive of Cindy before his death, and the loss was extremely painful for her. She honored him in the post shown above.

My 600-Lb Life Cindy Vela’s Weight Status Was Revealed

Cindy Vela Appeared On My 600-Lb Life: Where Are They Now On May 15, 2024

Cindy's post-show journey has been as fascinating as what unfolded onscreen during her My 600-Lb Life season. She wasn't a series villain like Justin and Steven Assanti. She was someone it was easy to feel sorry for. While filming the series, Dr. Now discovered that Cindy had a hernia. That is a painful health condition. Losing weight would likely ease her pain. So, the desire to avoid pain was the catalyst for the first stage of her weight-loss journey. Learn more about the earlier part of Cindy's body transformation in the clip shown above.

As shown on My 600-Lb Life: Where Are They Now? season 9, episode 3, Cindy dropped 241 pounds. That's quite an achievement and she should be proud. It's a bit unusual that she isn't flaunting the results online, but maybe she's more interested in enjoying life than posting about it.

Sometimes, former reality stars benefit from retreating from the spotlight, if only for a while. With fame comes notoriety and that can make it harder to stay on track and hit goals. Cindy dabbles in reality TV but doesn't try to be an influencer, and she's having weight-loss success. Maybe her low-key life is part of the reason why.

Her WATN episode aired on May 15, 2024. Before the follow-up special was available, there were so many questions about Cindy's weight-loss journey. It seemed like she'd failed, but really, she was destined to succeed. It took a couple of years to lose all those pounds, but she did it.

Before slimming down, Cindy felt like a prisoner. She had serious mobility issues that made living a normal life impossible. Also, she was living with an addiction that has claimed other lives. Super-morbid obesity is very hard on the human body. Feeling frustrated, she said:

"I'm trapped in this bed pretty much all day, every day"

In 2021, things were bad, but she turned it all around with the help of a sleeve gastrectomy. Dr. Now performed that bariatric procedure. Now, based on information from her WATN episode, she weighs 373 pounds. The days of being trapped in bed are long gone, and she's really enjoying her mobility. Addiction takes its toll and those who are addicted to food (and very obese) often find it hard to move around. They pay such a heavy price for their emotional eating.

Quite often, very sensitive people eat to soothe their stress. When they're eating, they feel better, but it doesn't last. Soon enough, they begin to hurt again - they reach for food again. This vicious cycle is just like what happens to drug addicts and alcoholics. It's an endless loop that typically creates a sense of despair. People going through this may have very dark thoughts. So, when someone like Cindy perseveres, it's meaningful and beautiful.

Cindy Vela Did Post One Fun Picture In September 2022

She's Still Active On Instagram In 2024

Cindy hasn't posted full-length photos that might give followers clues about her current weight, but she did post a glam picture of her face in 2022, as seen above. The photo is cute, and it was tweaked with an app to give it a little extra glamour. In general, Cindy's posts about her family members are the most heartfelt and confessional. However, as with the post above, she can be more lighthearted. She posted on New Year's 2024, clearly thrilled that another year had begun. That was a sign of hope.

Even though she's active on social media, the star doesn't give a lot of information away. That's why her Where Are They Now? episode was so fascinating. While it's impossible to judge from the My 600-Lb Life alum's Instagram pictures, as she generally captures only her face, and not her full body, she is much thinner. Cindy is hopefully maintaining her weight-loss results and feeling good.

Sources: Cindy Vela/Instagram, The Cinemaholic, Cindy Vela/Instagram, TLC/YouTube

My 600-Lb Life is available for streaming on Discovery+ and TLC Go.