Tammy Slaton has hit a snag in her weight loss journey.
After being told that she would need to lose weight before she was eligible for skin removal surgery, Tammy visited a new surgeon in the Dec. 17 season finale of 1000-Lb. Sisters who confirmed Tammy would have to kick her vaping habit before he was able to operate.
The 38-year-old was joined by sisters Amy Slaton and Misty Slaton as they visited Pittsburgh-based plastic surgeon Dr. J. Peter Rubin, where Tammy got candid about how much the excess skin was limiting her mobility.
"I just want to be able to walk around better without losing balance," she told the doctor, before adding in a separate interview, "It's hard to walk because of the skin. I walk like a daggone penguin. My belly goes this way and I'm going that way."
Dr. Rubin agreed to removing the excess skin around Tammy's lower stomach and chin, but noted that taking care of other parts of her body would have to be done in separate surgeries.
"We shouldn't do everything at once," he explained, "it's a great stress on the body."
Tammy was initially overjoyed by the news, saying, "I've been waiting to hear that I can get my skin removal for so long. When I get rid of the skin, I'm going to be a brand-new me. Better. I'm going to become a model and walk the catwalk."
However, her doctor needed Tammy to get her protein levels up to help with wound healing—which led Tammy to confess her vaping addiction when asked if there would be issues with her lungs.
"So there's one thing I haven't told my doctors about and it could mess up the chances of having skin removal," the TLC star admitted. "I do vape. I mainly use it for anxiety. It helps calm me down."
Tammy explained that she is currently vaping "every day, several times a day," and will even smoke in the middle of the night to help her get back to sleep.
Amy also noted how she's watched Tammy's addiction blossom, saying, "I know it's going to be really hard for her to quit vaping because instead of turning around one addiction, she went to another one. She went from food to vaping. I think it's her security blanket at this point."
Unfortunately, the revelation meant that Tammy wouldn't be able to schedule her surgery, as Dr. Rubin explained using nicotine products increases the risk of wound healing problems.
"So No. 1 we got to get you off the vapes completely, No. 2 the nutrition is really important," he told her. "We got to get those numbers up. That's going to take about two months minimum. So we can't schedule the surgery now until we can get all these things worked out."
Tammy did not take the news well. When asked about her nicotine use in an interview after her appointment, the reality star replied, "I don't wanna talk about vaping."
"I think I might need a five ‘cause I'm gonna flip. I'm pissed now," she said before angrily leaving the room to hit her vape again. "I don't give two s--ts about it."
For a deeper dive into Tammy's weight loss transformation, keep reading.
Sharing Her Journey
Since 2020, TLC viewers have watched Tammy Slaton's journey on 1000-lb. Sisters. She underwent bariatric surgery in mid-2022 and since then, fans have continued to witness her transformation on TV and on social media.
As of August 2024, she has lost 500 pounds.
Summertime Style
The reality star shared a snap of herself in a floral print dress on Instagram in June 2023.
Squad Photo
That same month, Tammy posted a group photo with her brother Chris Combs and YouTuber Chelcie Lynn.
A Heartbreaking Loss
In July 2023, Tammy mourned the death of her husband Caleb Willingham. "Rip sweet angel you will forever be missed and loved so much," she wrote on Instagram alongside throwback photos, "thank you Caleb for showing me real love and happiness."
Mirror Selfie
Tammy stopped for a series of bathroom selfies, shared on Instagram August 2023.
Posing in Jeans
In October 2023, Tammy proudly posed for an Instagram selfie in jeans.
Tie-Dyed Style
Tammy posted this video on TikTok in January 2024.
"Killing It"
After she shared new selfies in April 2024, her weight loss surgeon, Dr. Eric Smith, commented, "You are killing it!"
Great Cat-titude
Tammy included in her update a pic of herself with her cat, Chocolate.
"You Are Beautiful"
Amid her weight loss journey, Tammy continued to provide her followers with the optimism she had gained throughout her 500-lb. weight loss.
“Always remember you are beautiful,” she wrote in the caption of an August 2024 TikTok. “You are strong. You are brave. You are loved and you are enough.”
Skin Removal Recipient
After months of setbacks that prevented Tammy from being approved for skin removal surgery, she was finally given the green light for the procedure.
She unveiled the results on a June 2025 episode of the TLC series.
Flaunt Your Form
One month after Tammy revealed her new look following her skin removal surgery, she shared a series of selfies from her life as of late.
Included in the July 2025 update, she showed off her new figure in a skin-tight body suit as she smiled at the camera.