Honestly, if you took a photo of Tammy Willingham from three years ago and put it next to a picture of her today, you’d probably do a double-take. It's wild. Most of us first met her as Tammy Slaton, the fiery, often stubborn sister on TLC’s 1000-Lb. Sisters who seemed stuck in a cycle of health scares and heartbreak. But life looks a whole lot different for her in 2026.
She’s not just "surviving" anymore. She is actually living.
The name "Willingham" carries a lot of weight for her, literally and emotionally. It’s the name of her late husband, Caleb Willingham, whom she met while they were both fighting for their lives at a rehab center in Ohio. Their romance was the kind of whirlwind that reality TV producers dream of—engaged after two weeks, married a month later. But as we’ve seen, the aftermath was anything but a fairy tale.
The Reality of Tammy Willingham Now: Life After Loss
Caleb’s death in 2023 was a massive turning point. It could have sent her into a spiral. In the past, Tammy often turned to food when things got heavy, but something shifted this time. She’s been very open about the grief, even trying to "connect" with him through paranormal apps on the show, which was honestly a bit heartbreaking to watch.
But here is the thing: she didn't let the grief stop her physical progress.
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By the start of 2026, Tammy has managed to maintain a staggering weight loss of over 500 pounds. Think about that for a second. She went from being nearly bedridden and reliant on a wheelchair to walking unassisted and even—wait for it—flying on a plane without needing two seats. That’s a level of freedom most of us take for granted, but for her, it’s everything.
The Big Skin Removal Surgery Update
If you've been following her journey, you know the "loose skin" issue was the final boss.
- The Struggle: Carrying dozens of pounds of excess skin isn't just about looks; it's painful and causes major mobility issues.
- The Hurdle: She had to quit vaping (a huge struggle for her) and stabilize her weight to qualify.
- The Result: Recent updates from late 2025 and early 2026 confirm she finally got the green light for her skin removal procedures.
She’s joked about walking like a "penguin" because of the skin on her legs, but those days are basically over. The transformation is pretty much complete from a medical standpoint.
A New Kind of Love
People are always asking who she’s dating. After Caleb passed, Tammy made a pretty big announcement: she’s done with men. She’s been identifying as a lesbian recently, saying that her experience with Caleb was "real love," but she just doesn't see herself with a man again.
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She’s been linked to Andrea Dalton, and while they’ve had their ups and downs (as all Slaton-adjacent relationships do), it seems to be a much calmer, more supportive vibe than the toxic dynamics we saw in earlier seasons. No more "clout chasers" who just want to be on TV. It feels like she’s finally surrounding herself with people who actually care if she stays healthy.
The Sibling Rivalry is Still Very Real
It wouldn't be 1000-Lb. Sisters without some drama with Amy.
Right now, things are... tense. While Tammy has been soaring, Amy has been going through a messy divorce and some legal troubles of her own. In a weird role reversal, Tammy has become the "stable" one. She’s been calling out Amy’s behavior, even labeling her a "deadbeat" in recent episodes, which has caused a massive rift.
It’s kind of sad, but also shows how much Tammy has matured. She’s no longer the one everyone has to babysit.
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What You Can Learn from Tammy's Journey
Looking at Tammy Willingham now, there are some pretty legit takeaways for anyone trying to change their life:
- Grief doesn't have to be a dead end. She used her loss as a reason to keep going, not an excuse to give up.
- Environment is everything. Moving out of the "sodie" fueled house and into a mindset of "adulting" (as she calls it) changed her trajectory.
- Consistency beats intensity. It took years of small, miserable choices to get to this big, beautiful result.
If you’re looking for a next step in your own wellness journey, start by auditing your circle. Tammy had to distance herself from people who enabled her bad habits before she could truly shrink. Maybe it's time to look at who is "feeding" your own bad habits—whether that’s food, procrastination, or just plain old negativity.
The most important thing to remember is that Tammy didn't get here overnight. She’s still a work in progress, but for the first time in her life, the progress is actually winning.