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‘From Not to Hot’: Mama June Shannon Quits Diet and Opts for Weight-Loss Surgery Prior to Sugar Bear’s Wedding

Mama June Shannon is saying bye-bye to the cheese fries! On the series premiere of Mama June: From Not to Hot on Friday, February 24, the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo matriarch started her weight-loss journey.

Related: Celebrities’ Weight Loss and Transformations: Before and After Pictures

Sugar Bear Drops a Bomb

The well-known family is back on the small screen, but this time, Mama June has a new house, new platinum blonde tresses and a newly single lifestyle. After a stint on Marriage Boot Camp, June and her ex, MikeSugar Bear” Thompson, decided to call it quits in 2015. Their shared 11-year-old daughter, Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, is now in middle school and retired from the pageant life, which makes coparenting much easier on the exes.

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In the series premiere, Alana showed that she even packs her own lunch (i.e., an entire lunch box of chocolate snack cakes and a book bag full of chips). Despite her independence, her camo-clad dad still has to drive her to school. When he stopped by the house to pick up Alana, he politely asked June how she was doing. “That’s none of your business,” June quipped, making it obvious that she was still hurt by Sugar Bear’s infidelity.

Alana returned from school later in the evening, and Sugar Bear told June that he wanted to talk to her. At first, June resisted (“He ain’t gettin’ no more vanilla June cake,” June informed her 17-year-old “daughter from another father,” Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon), but then Sugar Bear dropped a major bomb: He got engaged to another woman.

Related: Failed Reality TV Romances

June Starts Her “Revenge Diet”

At first, June tried to play it cool. She reminded Sugar Bear that he’d already been in two serious relationships. “So what do you think the third time is gonna be? Your f–king charm?” she demanded.

But behind the scenes, June told the cameras that she wasn’t ready to see Sugar Bear with anyone else, even though she didn’t necessarily want him back either. She sought comfort from family (and a plate of cheese fries) at a local restaurant. As June chomped down on a burger, her niece said she should try going on a “revenge diet” to show Sugar Bear what he’s missing. (Somebody call Khloé Kardashian!)

June admitted that she didn’t know what exactly a “revenge diet” entailed, but Alana was quick to offer suggestions. “You gotta limit ya cheese,” Alana insisted, eyeing her mother’s fries. With 44 weeks left until Sugar Bear’s wedding, June decided to give it a shot.

Alana aka Honey Boo Boo and Mama June Wetv

Ditched by Her Date

Feeling motivated, June dug out an old Buns of Steel tape from “the last time she worked out.” Her friend Big Mike stopped by to help her set up the dusty VCR, but he couldn’t hide his disapproval. “You wanna tighten that ass up? Do it for you. Don’t do it for him,” Big Mike advised.

Despite his concerns, Big Mike joined June and Alana for a quick living room sweat session. But the warm-up alone was enough for June — she immediately had to ice her legs with food from her freezer. With her workout complete, June shifted focus to phase two of her revenge plan: Find some man candy.

She swiped through some dating apps (“There’s a lot of hot-ass guys on here!” June exclaimed) and finally settled on a “smexy” guy named Jeff. June met Jeff at a homestyle buffet restaurant, where she was more tempted by the fried chicken and mac ‘n cheese than by her date.

Mama June Wetv

June didn’t exactly make a great first impression. She itched her “side t–ty” at the dinner table and “kept it real” by revealing all of her baggage. However, June did manage to stick to her diet, even though she was surrounded by delicious foods. But Jeff, on the other hand, couldn’t manage to stick around at all. He excused himself to the restroom, and then made a run for it. After she discovered that her date had fled the scene, June loaded up her plate with fried goodies to cope with the sting.

After eating her feelings (and getting a harsh lecture from her manager), June pepped herself up and decided to recommit to her revenge body. She met with a doctor in California to discuss weight-loss surgery.

Her family admitted they were worried about the risks associated with surgery (although Alana gave June a bacon-covered pillow to show her support), but June was convinced that nothing could possibly taste as good as scorning Sugar Bear will feel. She decided to ditch the diet and opted for surgery.

Tell Us: Did Mama June give up on her “revenge diet” too quickly? Is she choosing weight loss surgery for all the wrong reasons?

Mama June: From Not to Hot airs Fridays on WE tv at 10 p.m. ET. 

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