If you had asked me three years ago if Tammy Slaton would be walking unaided into a Kentucky animal shelter to volunteer, I probably would have hesitated. Honestly, most of us would have. We saw her at 725 pounds—her absolute peak—struggling to breathe, tethered to a trach tube, and seemingly stuck in a cycle of rehab stints that didn't quite take.
But the math has changed. Big time.
So, how much weight did tammy lose exactly? As of the Season 8 premiere in January 2026, the total is a staggering 560 pounds. She’s currently sitting around 180 pounds. Think about that for a second. She didn't just lose weight; she lost the equivalent of three full-grown adults. It’s one of the most radical physical transformations in reality TV history, and it wasn’t just about "eating less."
The Heavy Reality of 725 Pounds
To understand the 180-pound Tammy we see today, you have to remember the 725-pound Tammy from a few seasons back. That was her "rock bottom" moment. It wasn't just the number on the scale; it was the fact that her body was literally shutting down. She ended up in a medically induced coma at one point because her lungs couldn't support her mass.
She spent over a year in a specialized weight-loss rehab facility in Ohio. Most people don't realize how grueling that was. It wasn't a spa. It was controlled portions, forced movement, and intense therapy to dig into why she used food as a shield in the first place. By the time she left that facility to finally qualify for bariatric surgery with Dr. Eric Smith, she had already dropped nearly 200 pounds on her own.
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That's the part people skip. They think the surgery did the work.
Actually, the surgery is just a tool. If she hadn't lost those initial 180+ pounds through sheer discipline, no surgeon would have touched her. The risks of anesthesia at 700 pounds are basically a death sentence.
How Much Weight Did Tammy Lose After the Gastrectomy?
In July 2022, Tammy underwent a vertical sleeve gastrectomy. This is where things got real. After the surgery, her weight loss didn't just continue—it accelerated.
- By late 2023: She was down to roughly 285 pounds.
- By mid-2024: She hit the 300-pound loss milestone, hovering around the 250s.
- Late 2025/Early 2026: Following skin removal, she reached her current weight of 180 pounds.
The surgery physically limited how much she could eat, but the mental shift was the real driver. She had to ditch the "easy carbs" and ramen noodles that were staples of her childhood. Growing up, her mom, Darlene, worked three jobs, which meant Tammy and Amy were left to fend for themselves with a microwave. That's a hard habit to break when it's your primary comfort.
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The 15-Pound "Skin" Factor
You can't talk about how much weight did Tammy lose without mentioning the "apron." When you lose over 500 pounds, your skin doesn't just snap back. It hangs. Tammy famously described herself as "walking like a penguin" because the excess skin on her stomach and thighs was so heavy it threw off her balance.
In January 2025, she finally got the green light for skin removal surgery. Dr. J. Peter Rubin in Pittsburgh performed an 8-hour procedure. They removed over 15 pounds of excess skin from her chin, her "bat wings" (arms), and her stomach.
When she woke up, she said she finally felt "light." It wasn't just a vanity thing. Removing that skin allowed her to sit in a regular car seat without an extender and, for the first time in decades, look down and see her own lap without a massive overhang. It’s the kind of stuff we take for granted that was a daily battle for her.
Is She Still Losing Weight?
Right now, it seems Tammy has reached a maintenance phase. At 39 years old, she’s focused on "adulting"—her words, not mine. She’s living more independently, dating, and even volunteering. The focus has shifted from the scale to her quality of life.
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There are critics, of course. People always want to know if she's using GLP-1 meds like Wegovy or Ozempic. While many celebs are, Tammy's journey has been documented pretty transparently as a result of bariatric surgery, intense rehab, and skin removal. She’s been open about the struggle of food addiction, admitting that even now, her brain sometimes tries to negotiate for the old binges.
What You Can Learn From Tammy’s Transformation
If you're looking at Tammy's 560-pound loss and wondering how to apply that to your own life (even if you only have 20 pounds to lose), here's the reality:
- Environment is everything. Tammy had to go to a facility to get away from the triggers of her home life. You might not need rehab, but you probably need to clear your pantry of the "trigger foods" that call your name at 9:00 PM.
- The "Why" matters more than the "How." Tammy didn't start losing until she faced the grief of losing her grandmother and the trauma of her childhood. Weight is often a symptom of something deeper.
- Surgery isn't a shortcut. It’s a permanent lifestyle change. If you choose a medical route, you're still the one doing the walking and the meal prepping every single day.
- Celebrate the non-scale victories. Tammy's biggest wins weren't the numbers; they were being able to cross her legs, fit in a booth at a restaurant, and walk to the mailbox.
Looking ahead, the road isn't "finished." Maintenance is a lifelong job, especially when you have a history of food addiction. But for now, the girl who was once told she wouldn't live to see 35 is thriving at nearly 40.
To keep your own health journey on track, start by identifying one "emotional" food habit you can swap this week. Whether it's reaching for water instead of a second soda or taking a five-minute walk when you're stressed instead of hitting the fridge, small pivots are what eventually lead to a 500-pound change.