Monica was one of 'Extreme Love's most hazardous cases, but now that she's welcomed a baby, she's doing better than ever.
Originally a web series by the same name, Season 1 of Extreme Love has just begun on WE tv and it tells the stories of unconventional couples who forge relationships against all odds. The show bills itself as portraying "shocking and outrageous" love stories "with a twist" that proves "there's someone for everyone" — and this week's episode will focus in part on 700-lb Monica Riley, whose goal is to be rendered immobile at her dream weight of 1,000 pounds and be taken care of solely by her fiancé, Sid.
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In a trailer for this week's Extreme Love, we see the self-proclaimed "feedee" open up to her mom in a scene that leaves the mother teary-eyed. "You know how Sid likes to feed me a lot of food?" she asks, "the ultimate goal is to like, be a thousand pounds and eventually be like, where Sid takes care of me 24/7." "That's what makes me happy," she continues.
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Her devastated mother calls her goal of being unable "to take care of yourself, where you have to rely on someone else" "crazy," but admits "it's your life," and tells her to do "what makes you happy."
But since the show was initially filmed a few years ago, we were able to check up on Monica and see where she was at with her extreme goal.
Monica and Sid gave birth to a baby.
If we know anything about Monica, it's that she's totally enabled by and in love with her feeder, Sid. And the two go through crazy lengths for each other, including Sid driving around to several stores in town to accommodate her food orders.
Like this request, which she posted to her Instagram page: "Sourdough Jack combo No tomatoes, large curly fries, large diet vanilla coke, 3 egg rolls, 2 chicken sandwiches, 2 Jr. Bacon cheese burgers & 2 regular tacos no sauce. Ask for ranch & ketchup. Oh & a slice of cheese cake."
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According to her social media, the couple had been trying to conceive a child since at least the end of 2016. A few months later, Sid jumped onto Monica's personal page to announce that the two had just suffered a miscarriage.
"Earlier you saw Monica posted that it was the worst day ever, and she didn't really say anything," he says to the camera. "She had her pre-natal appointment today and I'm going to be upfront with you guys, half the baby was missing. For all intents and purposes, it was a miscarriage, so that's what's going on," he added, holding back tears.
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But the couple kept trying in spite of the tragedy, and in August of 2017, the two announced they were pregnant on Monica's YouTube channel. "I am no longer gaining weight," she says to the phone she's filming on. "I am 25 weeks pregnant, I have lost weight, I am under 500 pounds now, doing good."
She continues to say that the "huge changes" are "worth it because I want to be healthy for my baby and for my fiancé." And a few months later, in October, the couple welcomed baby Michelle Elizabeth, who is now more than a year old.
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Monica has become a weight loss inspiration.
After initially running into difficulties conceiving a child, Monica stopped trying to gain weight. As she explains on the GoFundMe page for her weight-loss surgery aftercare, "Around 5 years ago I pretty much gave up on my life of losing weight. I started eating non stop and gained so much weight. I didn't care if I died from being morbidly obese. I just wanted to stop worrying about 'diets.' But April of 2017 I found out that I was pregnant. I also found out that I have PCOS, which is a huge reason I had so much trouble losing weight to begin with."
"The moment I saw my baby's heart beating on the sonogram monitor, I knew I had to change," Monica confesses. From that moment, she's managed to lose "so much weight" and is now down to 465 pounds.
Feeling like her "body plateaued at 465 pounds," Monica has recently made the decision to undergo weight loss surgery — not just for her own health, but also for her family and especially her baby Michelle. "I want to see her grow up and show her that anything is possible," she adds.
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Follow Monica and watch her progress on Instagram.
Now looking healthier than ever, it's clear that Monica has found a new lease on life. Just last month, she updated her GoFundMe page to say that she would be receiving the date of her surgery on January 3, so fans should follow her social media accounts to track her progress in the next few months.
For adorable baby pictures and inspiring body positivity, follow her Instagram account here. If you want to watch her extended vlogs, including how the whole family spent their Christmas in Arkansas, subscribe to her YouTube channel, here.
Congratulations to Monica and Sid on their adorable baby girl; we're truly uplifted by this family's journey.
Don't miss Monica's episode tonight and stay tuned to the rest of this season of WE's Extreme Love on Fridays at 10 p.m.
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