Where Is Karina Garcia From My 600-Lb Life Now?
Like so many before her, Karina Garcia took her weight loss journey public on "My 600-lb Life." When her episode debuted, Karina weighed 633 pounds, was unable to get around without a wheelchair, and was fully dependent on her parents. She explained to the cameras that her co-dependence with food stemmed from a need for attention. After her bouts of severe asthma improved in childhood, her parents were forced to work long hours to pay her medical bills. Their absence led to Karina building an unhealthy relationship with food that clearly spiraled.
Karina's family was supportive but doubtful of her plan to work with weight-loss surgeon Dr. Nowzaradan, as she had already had gastric bypass surgery previously and had failed to lose any weight. Regardless, Karina was determined to turn her life around, and by the end of her episode, she had lost 235 pounds.
Karina returned to TLC for Season 5 of "My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?" in 2019. For the follow-up episode, Karina justly praised her own progress. She had left both the wheelchair and her walker behind but struggled to lose a significant amount of weight since her last visit to Dr. Now. Despite the setbacks, Karina has not given up on her goal of losing weight. Here's an update on where she is now.
Karina has been seen with a certain My 600-lb Life co-star
In one of the most scandalous stories involving "My 600-lb Life" stars, Karina has been associated with fellow reality TV personality Gilbert Donovan Jr. Longtime viewers of the show will remember Gilbert from Season 4 of "My 600-lb Life" — not for his own weight loss, but for his treatment of wife Lupe Donovan during her journey. Gilbert infamously pressured Lupe into having sex after her gastric bypass surgery, causing her infections and recent stitches to open.
Starting in 2019, a significantly slimmer Karina Garcia began appearing alongside Gilbert in a number of his Instagram and Facebook photos, as well as a Facebook live video (via The Cinemaholic). In the video, Karina credits Gilbert's personal training and her new diet for her smaller frame. She also explains that she continues to stay away from junk food, and now fills up on protein-rich foods like fish. Gilbert explains that Karina reached out to him via Facebook in search of a personal trainer and that the two are best friends. Both have hinted at the possibility of another follow-up, though they added that they aren't allowed to go into further detail.
Most of Karina's own Instagram posts are selfies of herself, with little mention of Gilbert. While she still appears to be losing weight, neither she nor Gilbert has posted an update since early 2020. Starcasm reported that as of mid-2019, Gilbert and Lupe were separated, but had not yet gotten a divorce. Lupe still lives in Southern California, while Gilbert currently resides in San Antonio, a 30-minute drive from Karina's home in Converse, Texas.
Since past reports, Karina has removed her Facebook page from public view. She hasn't posted during quarantine, and a Google search of her often confuses results with a YouTube star sharing her name. Hopefully, we will get a happy update from the trimmed-down star soon.