You’ll meet very few people in life who will complain about how hard it is for them to gain weight. But you’ll meet many people who would be happy to shed a few pounds. And while that may be true, most people who want to lose weight only need to do it for superficial reasons. But Nikki Webster was facing a health crisis after she gained so much weight she struggled to live an ordinary life or enjoy the security of having a future of good health.

Morbid obesity is a serious issue. And because Nikki weighed more than 600 pounds, she could not take care of herself on a regular basis. And that left her feeling embarrassed and weak.

“My weight is debilitating. My body is so painful; I hate it. But I say this to myself: ‘Food is an addiction to me, and my addiction is killing me.’”

Nikki was featured on the popular reality television show “My 600lb Life.” And because she was committed to losing weight, she relocated from Arizona to Texas so she could be closer to Dr. Nowzaradan, who is a highly-skilled doctor specializing in weight loss.

Because she wanted to change her life, Nikki thought Dr. Nowzaradan would perform a weight loss surgery on her, and everything would be fixed. But he denied her request. He needed her to lose at least 50 pounds before she could undergo such a dangerous procedure. He was tough on her – and tough love was what she needed.

After three months of hard work, Nikki shed enough weight for Dr. Nowzaradan to perform the weight loss surgery. Despite the positive changes she already made in her life, Nikki was not hopeful. She worried she would fall back into her habits of overeating and food abuse.

And she also feared the surgery.

“Earlier this year, my best friend Michael had a gastric bypass, and he died. That haunts me.”

Despite the fear, Nikki took the step forward. But it was not an easy step. It was more like a leap. And her faith in herself and the process paid off. In that first year after the surgery, Nikki dropped a whopping 207 pounds. That was more than seventeen pounds per month.

Nikki did not stop with weight loss surgery. She went farther and deeper. She met with a therapist because she believed her eating problems had a source. And if she could remove that problem from its root, she would not need to turn to food to fill a gaping hole in her psyche.

Although Nikki’s journey proved to be a success, she faced hardships throughout just like any heroine.

Finally, Nikki was told that she was ready for skin removal surgery. With that deadline on the calendar, she worked hard and ate better. And she lost a whopping 348 pounds. Then doctors cut away 56 pounds of extra skin.

The Nikki almost died. She started bleeding internally. She went under the knife again – this time as an emergency. But she survived. Then she returned home weighing just 236 pounds. And after more exercise and healthy eating, she now weighs just 192 pounds. She is proud.