A recently transformed woman is avoiding the happiest day of her life on Skin Tight’s Wednesday, April 19, episode, as seen in Us Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek.
In the TLC docuseries’ preview clip, Calisto, a 33-year-old from Redmond, Washington, opens up about gaining weight after getting sick from exposure to banned pesticides that a neighbor dumped on her family’s farm. From the age of 14 through 21, Calisto was on strict bed rest and gained hundreds of pounds, weighing 420 pounds at her peak.
“Having all that extra weight made me feel like I wouldn’t have a future or a family of my own,” she laments. But new life reinvigorated Calisto, and after the birth of her first niece, she decided to make a change: “I remember holding her in my arms and realizing I didn’t want to be that overweight and that I couldn’t do anything with her.”
With diet, exercise and lap band surgery, Calisto lost 250 pounds and found her confidence, enough so that she started modeling. “I liked being in the spotlight, people noticing you and telling you how good you look and you get complimented. It’s probably one of the best feelings in the world,” she marvels.
Despite the confidence boost, Calisto still faces insecurities. Following the weight loss, Calisto finds herself hiding her excess skin, which she compares to a “melted candle,” under layers of shapewear and carefully placed clothing. She is even putting off her wedding with her fiancé, Will, because there are no gowns that can conceal the loose skin.
Watch the clip above. Skin Tight airs on TLC Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
