'My Big Fat Fabulous Life' Star Whitney Thore Struggled With Depression Before Weight Loss Success

Mar 23, 2022 by apost team

For some people, feeling comfortable in their own body can be extremely important. Feeling good about themselves can help them feel more confident in taking care of themselves and taking the next step in their life, whether it be a personal or professional endeavor. However, there is no correct size or shape that someone has to be to feel good about themselves and to share their weight loss journey with others.

Whitney Way Thore is a woman who first found fame due to her online videos where she highlighted the fact that she is a larger woman. Thore gained a following from showing how much fun she had while dancing. Eventually, her life chronicles were turned into a television series called “My Big Fat Fabulous Life.” 

The show first aired in January 2015 and has since been capturing the attention of its viewers for its candid moments and honesty. On top of that, the show’s main star Thore has also shared much of her life from experiencing weight gain, weight loss and the ups and downs of her personal relationships.

Over the years, Thore has gone through a lot that has resulted in her change in appearance. She struggled with her health and also had complications within her publicized relationship with her now ex-fiance. She even once weighed 380 pounds. Thore has encouraged others to love themselves at any and every size and to do what makes them happy. For her, that meant embarking on a weight loss journey. Read on to find out more about this reality star’s life and find out how much weight she has lost.

“My Big Fat Fabulous Life” is a reality TV series that depicts the life of Thore. Its first season premiered back in January 2015 and has since shown Thore’s highs and lows in her personal life, whether that be her weight loss, her relationships and everything in between. 

In the first episode of the first season, fans found out that Thore had a health disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome, better known as PCOS. This caused Thore to gain more than 230 pounds, and she reached her highest weight at 380 pounds. “I had always felt like I was fat, and suddenly I was,” Thore said, according to The List. “Before college, I was a dancer and a soccer player, but (after the weight gain), I quit exercising because of what society tells us about how we’re supposed to behave. All of that, coupled with PCOS, made it really hard to take any weight off.”

Fortunately, Thore later refound her passion for dancing. On her YouTube channel, Thore created a small series of videos called “A Fat Girl Dancing,” where she danced to a variety of popular songs. The collection has since reached more than 12 million views in total. Her more popular videos showcase herself dancing to “Talk Dirty” and “Wiggle” by Jason Derulo.

After people became fascinated by Thore’s videos and started watching her reality show on TLC, fans wanted to know more about the reality star. Thore was born on April 14, 1984, in Greensboro, North Carolina. After graduating from high school in 2002, Thore went on to receive her degree in theater at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.

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Thore decided to make a big change in her professional life afterward, and moved to South Korea to teach English to children at school. She later returned back home to the United States and became an on-air producer of a radio show in Greensboro. In 2014, the radio station created the now-famous dance video series called “A Fat Girl Dancing,” thus leading to Thore’s fame and recognition later on.

According to The List, Thore has since helped people embrace themselves at any and every size as she promotes body positivity. However, Thore also wanted to do what she could to help with her own personal health and embarked on a weight loss journey at the start of her reality TV series. In May 2016, she released a memoir called “I Do It with the Lights On: And 10 More Discoveries on the Road to a Blissfully Shame-Free Life.”

According to The List, Thore struggled with her physical and mental health following her breakup with her ex-fiance Chase Severino in 2020. She began considering getting weight loss surgery, something that she had previously not been a fan of. She said, "Deep down, I know that I'm struggling, and I know that I'm dealing with depression on a level that I haven't dealt with in a very long time. And I think that I am seeking relief or solution or a change."

In January 2021, Thore prepared for weight loss surgery, and even lost 70 pounds to show how dedicated she was to making a lifestyle change, according to The List. Nowadays, Thore continues to promote feminism, fitness and fat positivty on her Instagram account, which has reached more than 1.1 million followers.

Are you a fan of “My Big Fat Fabulous Life?” What do you think about Whitney Way Thore’s weight loss journey? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends.