Loving the journey! 1000-Lb Friends star Vannessa Cross didn’t wish to endure bariatric surgical procedure — till a household tragedy and a well being scare modified her thoughts.
“I never really wanted to [lose weight]. I was kind of against it. I’ve had several surgeries due to my medical issues throughout my life. So I don’t wanna put myself under the knife and I [was] happy being fat,” Cross, 44, solely informed Us Weekly whereas selling season 2 of her TLC sequence. “But when I lost my father and then was diagnosed with cancer — and I’m now cancer free, thank God — It woke me up to see that life is short. Life can be taken away from you in a matter of a moment. So it’s time to either start doing something or give up on life altogether.”
The Georgia native, who has starred on 1000-Lb Friends because it premiered in February 2022, initially couldn’t lose the burden essential to qualify for the process. However, she ultimately made small modifications to her life that helped her attain her targets — however that doesn’t imply it was straightforward.
“I started getting my life together. The first thing I did, the very first thing I did, to start losing weight was I cut out soda, I cut out sugar and I cut out bread,” she informed Us. “Those were the hardest. It’s the most traumatic thing you can ever do in your life. I had depression, I had anger. When you can’t eat your food, when your addiction, your happiness, your joy has been food for so many years. And I’m talking 20-plus years in my life, 40-plus years, right? It’s been my happiness, it’s been my joy, it’s been my pleasure.”
While Cross stated she was “miserable” attempting to shed kilos, she finally realized that “in the misery, I was gaining happiness.” Now, she needs different folks to grasp beginning a weight reduction journey doesn’t need to really feel like torture.
“I don’t want anybody to think that you have to be unhappy and miserable,” she defined. “No, you can be happy and lose weight. You have to make yourself happy. I found joy in coloring, sewing, getting out, going to thrift store, searching around things, like, that is where I found my joy, my comfort instead of eating.”
The TV character revealed that she misplaced a complete of fifty lbs over time earlier than being authorized for bariatric surgical procedure, however following the process, she started to drop weight “fast,” dropping over 70 lbs inside the first six months on account of being put on a liquid eating regimen — one thing Cross referred to as “no easy feat.”
Now that she’s on the opposite facet of surgical procedure, the truth star is all about staying optimistic and spending time together with her 1000-Lb Friends costars — Meghan Crumpler, Ashley Sutton and Tina Arnold — and even going out on a number of dates.
“My thing is, [when I was] the big fat Vannessa, a date would’ve been me going to his house, doing the dang thing and then me going home. When I say dating now, it’s so different,” she defined, including that she’s met two males — a surgical technician and a cop — who’re each “good people.”
While Cross says she does wish to get married once more, she’s conserving her “options open” and ready for The One. “As I change my expectations of a boyfriend that further would be a husband is changing because my needs are changing. My wants are changing. I need someone that is slightly on a healthy level so that I don’t have to fight or argue over any kind of food or anything like that. So options are open. I’m doing pretty good with it.”
As for if Cross’ romantic life might be featured on the present any time quickly, followers must see, however the mother of two hinted that she isn’t ruling it out. “There may be something,” she teased.
1000-Lb Friends airs on TLC Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
Keep scrolling to study extra about Cross’ weight reduction journey and life after surgical procedure:
Discussion about this post