There are many 90 Day Fiancé stars who have lost weight since appearing on the show, but there are some weight loss success stories that fans find it hard to relate to. With several spin-offs, including 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days, TLC fans have met dozens of chaotic couples over the years. They have closely followed their ups, downs, and everything in between. Viewers not only enjoy getting to know each engaged couple as a duo, but like to also keep tabs on each cast member individually, including learning about their families, interests, and hobbies.
Besides bringing internationally-separated couples together, the 90 Day Fiancé franchise has showcased some amazing physical transformations. Jorge Nava, whose complicated relationship with Anfisa Arkhipchenko graced 90DF season 4, lost over 100 pounds in prison while serving a two-year sentence for marijuana possession. Ed “Big Ed” Brown, who is one of the more controversial figures from B90D seasons 4, revealed that he lost weight with a simple exercise regime. Other TLC stars who have slimmed down naturally include David Toborowsky, Andrew Kenton, Pedro Jimeno, Anfisa, and Danielle Jbali.
There are stars who are more unrelatable than others due to their cosmetic procedures and surgeries. Angela Deem, who appeared on B90D season 2 with ex Michael Ilesanmi, has not been shy about going under the knife to look younger. After losing over 100 pounds via weight loss surgery, Angela continued to document her journey on 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? season 6. However, fans have criticized the 56-year-old for still participating in bad habits like smoking.
Tiffany Franco from 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way season 1 also used available medical procedures, and has lost over 70 pounds since doctors performed gastric sleeve surgery last summer. Between other stars using Botox, fillers, photo editing software, and other artificial ways to appear slimmer, some 90DF fans find it harder to celebrate certain weight loss stories.
It’s no surprise that turning to plastic surgery and gastric bypass procedures costs money, and many of these cosmetic additions are simply out of the average working class budget. According to WebMD, gastric bypass surgery has an average cost between $20,000 and $25,000 in the United States, which is more than many fans make in a year. Botox, fillers, and other physical appearance enhancers are cheaper, but not by much, which renders them equally inaccessible to some members of the general public. With the cast members earning anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500 per episode (as per In Touch Weekly), paychecks for appearing in just one season quickly add up, and spinoff stints mean even more money. However, since many TLC viewers don’t make anywhere near that amount monthly, they can’t enjoy (and therefore don’t relate to) the same luxuries.
All in all, just because fans can’t relate to some weight loss methods doesn’t mean that those journeys aren’t celebrated. With so many physical and emotional transformations that take place in the 90DF universe, viewers are ultimately happy to find out what positive changes the stars are making in their personal lives. Now that 90 Day Fiancé season 9 is currently airing with six new and returning couples, there are even more cast members who might have their own future weight loss journeys, whether through natural or assisted ways.
90 Day Fiancé airs Sundays at 8 pm EST on TLC.
Sources: WebMD, In Touch Weekly
