Ashley is 20 years old cosmetology student who is 180 pounds overweight. She has always been overweight, even as a little girl and doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t the heaviest member of her family. She desperately wants to lose the weight and finally feel free of the burden that comes with being overweight and the emotional toll it has caused her. Well, help is on the way, as Chris surprises her at her 20th Birthday to help Ashley finally start living her best life.
At the initial weigh-in at the California Health and Longevity Institute, Ashley weighs-in at approx. 323 pounds. Chris works Ashley hard during the “flight-or flight boot camp” and Ashley arises to the challenge, meeting every hurdle head on. After the mini boot camp is over, both Ashley and Chris head back to Ashley’s home. She still lives at home, something that has been hindering her progress due to the volatile relationship she has with her mother. However, Chris won’t let this stand in Ashley’s way and helps her maintain focus on her weight-loss journey.
For Phase 1, Chris sets a lofty goal of an eighty weight loss challenge for Ashley. She is apprehensive for the first few moments, but her attitude quickly changes to excitement at the prospect of losing such a large amount of weight in ninety days. Furthermore, Chris sweetens the deal with an enticing incentive-the possibility of attaining her own apartment. This is such an important goal fo Ashley, because she desperately needs to be independent and stand on her own two feet away from her mother and her siblings who are constantly, verbally attacking instead of supporting her.
As the weeks go by, even with Chris’s help, Ashley is not dropping the pounds like she is supposed to and the verbal confrontations by her mother are only getting worse. Chris arranges for Ashley to spend some time at a hotel to help her get away from the negativity and re-focus. Well, staying at the hotel does the trick and Ashley starts dropping double digits, but is it enough for her to catch up and meet her Phase 1 Goal?
Unfortunately, she doesn’t missing the goal only by a mere twelve pounds; dropping her to a new weight of 255. This means that she doesn’t get the chance to move out, but Ashley is still optimistic knowing she is one-step closer to independence. However, at this time, Chris has to move out leaving Ashley to finish her weight-loss journey on her own, but Chris still offers Ashley the opportunity to meet with a therapist so she can still have that moral support, that she so desperately needs.
For the Phase 2 Goal, Ashley needs to lose fifty pounds within the next three months and this time her incentive is a volcano hiking trip in Hawaii. With such an amazing experience on the line, Ashley tries her hardest to lose the amount needed, but with her and her family “butting-heads” it seems like she will never reach her goal, but that’s Ashley receives an unexpected lifeline.
One of her friends offers Ashley a place to stay rent free. Ashley jumps at the opportunity and by being away from her family, it is evident that she is shedding the weight. By being on her own she has started growing as an adult by getting her license, but more importantly has started to repair the relationship she has with her mother. But when the six month weigh-in comes around, she fails to meet the goal once again. This time losing thirty-eight pounds out of the fifty needed, dropping her to a new weight of 217 pounds. Although, she failed to lose the amount needed, Chris still takes her to Hawaii!
Upon arriving to Hawaii, Chris and Ashley take a helicopter ride to a volcano for the hiking trip, but that’s when Chris reveals that the excursion will only be for Ashley. She will have to hike up the volcano all on her alone as a type of “Walkabout” for her to think about all she has achieved in the past couple of months. Well, after countless hours she finally makes it up the top of the volcano where Chris is waiting for her. They celebrate her achievement, but when it is time for them to head back down, they have to use a zip-line. Ashley is of course apprehensive, but she takes that leap of faith and zooms down the volcano all the while laughing and enjoying the moment.
For Phase three, Ashley must lose close to forty percent of her original body weight in order to be a candidate for skin removal surgery. She continues to push herself beyond all limits and in the end all that hard work does pay off with Ashley losing forty-six percent of her body weight. This means that she has lost a grand total of 144 pounds, dropping her to a new weight of 179 pounds just within the first nine months, making her the perfect candidate for the skin removal surgery.
At the end of the year, the final weigh-in takes place in Las Vegas to celebrate Ashley’s 21st Birthday. For her big reveal, she looks like a happier and more sure of herself than she ever did before. When she steps on the scale she is a whopping 156 pounds, giving her a grand total weight-loss of 167 pounds in just one year. Truly a remarkable accomplishment that even Walmart recognizes, so much so, that they give Ashley a $50,000 gift card to help her maintain a new healthy lifestyle and with that it is time to party!
The episode ends with an update on Ashley. She is currently studying to become a personal trainer to help others who are struggling with their weight. She and her mom are getting along really well and they are not fighting as much as they used to. Also, Ashley has been on a couple of dates so he is looking forward to the prospect of dating someone in the future, but for now she is just happy to spend time with her friends and enjoy living a new and healthier life.