What is Annjeannette Whaley of “My 600-Lb Life” doing now?

Annjeanette Whaley (with one N) is a “My 600-lb Life” cast member, who viewers often remember for her worryingly undesirable height-to-weight ratio – such problems weren’t new to Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, aka Dr. Now, the resident surgeon and the primary medical professional in the TLC-produced show. When Annjeanette stepped on the scales in the seventh season, she weighed 680lbs or over 300kgs. That was a bit above the show’s rough cut-off point of about 600lbs or 272kgs for the patients that the doctor accepts at his Houston, Texas, weight loss clinic. However, her height of 5ft 1in or 155cms wasn’t typical for someone her size.

Dr. Now has treated patients such as James King, who weighed nearly 800lbs or 363kgs, but he was much taller; hence his BMI (Body Mass Index) wasn’t as high. Despite the staggering number, Annjeanette listened to the doctor’s advice after moving to Houston with Erica Andino, her long-time girlfriend. Although she struggled, she weighed 405lbs or 184kgs when her episode ended in 2019, after a year on the doctor’s standard 1,200-calorie meal plan. However, viewers rightly questioned whether Annjeanette would continue to lose weight without Dr. Now’s close supervision, and if a skin removal surgical operation would be necessary afterwards. Most were also curious to know if she’d broken up with Erica, since their relationship started to crack under pressure in front of cameras. We found the answers.

Annjeanette lost nearly half her initial weight

Annjeanette’s chances of significant weight loss were slim at first. Besides problems with food addiction and lack of physical exercise, it was evident that her relationship with Erica was rocky. She was self-centered and seldom took constructive criticism, yet wanted Erica to change who she was. She blamed their problems on Erica’s fears that she would find a new partner after losing weight, and becoming more physically attractive. Following frequent relationship woes, the couple seemingly split, but got back together and married in late 2022.

Moreover, Annjeanette took therapy seriously, improving her mental health and forcing her to spot her undesirable traits. It’s unclear whether she still follows the diet and exercise plan that helped her gain a slimmer figure, however, based on her social media posts after 2019, it’s apparent that she didn’t regain the 275lbs or 125kgs that she lost at the clinic, but she didn’t look drastically slimmer, either. Annjeanette is undoubtedly happier though, more mobile, has a stable job, and has beaten her addiction to unhealthy foods.

Her BMI was extremely high

Annjeanette was desperate for help when she reached out to Dr. Now. He understood her situation, but was clear about his clinic’s patient requirements. She told him about her long history of overeating and bullying as a child, and claimed that people signed a petition to send her to a fat camp when she was nine. Moreover, she lost her mom when she was a child, and felt miserable throughout her childhood.

Dr. Now invited her and Erica to move to Houston, paid for her travel and stay, and calculated her BMI (Body Mass Index) at 120 at the clinic, which shocked him and the people at home. It was likely the show’s highest after Melissa Marescot’s BMI of 115. That number isn’t an excellent measurement of someone’s health, since it only considers the patient’s height and weight; thus, a bodybuilder and a morbidly obese person could have the same BMI. However, the fact that the USA’s CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) considered a BMI of over 40 as severe obesity showed how dire her situation was.

Annjeanette left the show full of hope

Although she tried to follow the diet and exercise plan Dr. Now prescribed, a history of sneaking food and not tracking calories impacted her journey negatively. She even said, ‘When I’m eating, I don’t feel all the pain of my life. I’m not worried about dying or what I’m doing to my family. All I care about is the food.’

However, Annjeanette seemed happy after Dr. Now’s gastric bypass operation lowered her appetite. It also prevented her from overeating, as she threw up any food that didn’t fit into her new stomach, the size of a golf ball. She reported finally seeing her elbows, previously hidden by fat, and that everything feels different.

She filed a lawsuit against Megalomedia

Unfortunately, Annjeanette was dissatisfied behind the scenes, though not with her progress. In a 2020 Facebook post, she ranted about her appearance in the show. A barrage of negative comments preceded this; she wrote that her followers shouldn’t get upset over a reality TV show, and put ‘reality’ in quotes, indicating that some parts were fake. Annjeanette claimed that she did some things to boost ratings, and later sued Megalomedia, the producer of “My 600-lb Life,” for not paying her medical bills, more precisely for ‘fraud and gross negligence.’

Consequently, she distanced herself from her public life, and kept her Instagram profile private. That prevented people from seeing whether she had her skin removal surgical operation, since Dr. Now previously told her that she must be under 300lbs or 135kgs to qualify. Even if she qualified, Annjeanette likely wanted Megalomedia to pay, for the negativity that she experienced during and after the show, and the suit made that impossible.

Moreover, her followers learned that her father, Jack, one of the critical sources of her post-show progress, also complained about the show’s procedures, which played a part in her decision to sue. For instance, Dr. Now did not pay for the mandatory companion that Annjeanette had to bring to Texas for the entire year of her treatment. Thus, Jack had to start a Facebook fundraising campaign two weeks before her operation to be able to afford it. Family, friends, and fans rose to the occasion and financed his trip, allowing him to be present for her recovery.

She reconciled with Erica

Her relationship with Erica got off on the wrong foot – viewers could feel the tension. Annjeanette started complaining that Erica was spending a lot of time playing video games on her Xbox console, instead of walking with her. After she brought this up with her therapist, the professional told her to write a list of goals for the future, and ask Erica to do the same.

That’s where Annjeanette’s narcissism became apparent; she forced Erica to read the goals first, which included marriage, buying a house, staying close to family, and having children. Annjeanette then took a bit of pleasure reading hers, which excluded Erica. Her plans included losing weight, passing her General Educational Development (GED) tests, and returning home to her family. Her girlfriend was understandably troubled, and it seemed that they would go their separate ways afterwards.

Erica confirmed that via her Facebook profile, @eeandino, in 2019. She wrote a vague but emotional profile bio – ‘I have been through a lot, and it has damaged me greatly. I am permanently broken, but I have learned from my mistakes and gotten stronger. Gotta stay up!’ Luckily, they got back together as early as September 2020, judging by Erica’s picture of them hugging, where Annjeanette looked much slimmer. Erica even captioned it, ‘I can’t wait to hold you. You better be careful because I might not let go, EVER. I love you, mamita!’

Annjeanette married in late 2022

Throughout her relationship, the TV show cast member always used her name or the full name, Annjeanette Renee Whaley. However, she suddenly took Erica’s last name in late 2022 or early 2023 and went by Annjeanette Andino. Although there were no pictures of their marriage then, fans noticed that Erica changed her relationship status to ‘married’ on 23 October 2022, and commented ‘We are now ONE!’ According to their social media profiles, the couple lives in Hillsboro, Oregon, with their three-year-old chihuahua, Niiko Piiko. As additional proof of their love, Erica wrote a country song for her wife, and paid someone to sing and record it in January 2023.

On the other hand, Annjeanette explained that she fell in love with Erica because she loved American Football as much as her family. Additionally, her dad felt connected to Erica because her favorite team, The Philadelphia Eagles was his favorite team growing up. However, Annjeanette admitted that the hype didn’t get to her, and that she still prefers basketball and softball.

She is passionate about ongoing issues

Annjeanette has used her popularity to bring awareness to issues close to her heart. Throughout 2023, she has brought attention to the safety and media abuse of transgender people, animal welfare and vegan alternatives, the ongoing fentanyl addiction, and the unreported or unacknowledged missing person cases.

She also highlighted healthy ways to cope with mental health issues, such as listening to music, singing, and going to the beach, her favorite place in the world. On that note, Annjeanette reminded her Facebook followers about autoimmune diseases in March 2023, Autoimmune Awareness Month, and how severely they can affect someone’s life despite a proper diet, exercise, and enough sleep. However, she needed to clarify whether she spoke from experience.

She opened up about her beliefs and passions

Annjeanette and her wife are devout Christians, despite being open about their sexual orientation, which is often frowned upon in the religion. Regardless, they take spirituality seriously and pray daily. They are animal lovers, and said that ‘if they were rich, they would go broke trying to save every animal who needs love and a warm home.’ Annjeanette also wanted to adopt a French Bulldog, and had a debate about tipping in the US in May 2023 with her Facebook friends.

Annjeanette also mentions pop culture and her family more frequently. For instance, she got matching tattoos with her brother, Ryan Whaley, in January 2023. She gushed about her sister, Vanessa Whaley, and niece Santana Rose, who attended her senior prom this June. It’s unclear whether Erica’s twin sons from a previous relationship live with the couple, but they spend much time together. Nonetheless, she has criticized them for being lazy teenagers.

As for the entertainment industry, Annjeanette shared her love for actors and actresses such as Drew Barrymore, Jennette McCurdy, Ryan Reynolds, and Blake Lively, and recommended the 2023 movie, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance.” She also admired singers such as Tina Turner – whose song “Proud Marry” is her favorite – Elvis Presley and the music group “Spice Girls.”

Annjeanette stopped mentioning her weight

After shedding over a third of her weight, unfortunately Annjeanette ceased discussing her weight loss progress in 2019, leaving viewers in the dark. While she posted many selfies, most were heavily filtered and didn’t reveal her progress. Therefore, curious viewers had to rely on the occasional non-edited pictures that she took with Erica until their wedding in late 2022, when she posted full-body images in her wedding dress.

That didn’t reveal whether she’d had a surgery, such as a tummy tuck or panniculectomy, which would remove her dead stomach skin, and tighten her abdominal muscles. However, the visible body parts were comparable with her last TV show appearance, suggesting that Annjeanette now weighs between 350lbs or 159kgs and her last-known weight, indicating minor weight loss or stagnation; it’s hard to tell.

However, Annjeanette is still a changed person; instead of being addicted to unhealthy meals and big portions, she happily praises nutritious foods such as crab rangoon dip and other boiled food. She occasionally relaxes and gushes over cheat meals such as sugar donuts and ice cream nachos, but never reveals whether she eats them. She also admitted that working in the customer service department left her little time to prepare meals during work days. That means that she likely relies on Erica, instant meals, frozen foods, or meals prepared beforehand. With that in mind, Annjeanette’s ability to maintain her post-show weight is still admirable.