Pawn Stars’ Chumlee Reveals 160-Pound Weight Loss After Gastric Surgery: Before and After Photos
Chumlee, best known for being on Pawn Stars, unveiled a new slim figure after undergoing gastric sleeve surgery and losing 160 pounds.
The History Channel star, 39, told TMZ that he tipped the scales at 350 pounds in January 2019 and often struggled with his weight fluctuating over the years. Chumlee (real name: Austin Lee Russell) said he had been in a “years-long battle” for a healthier lifestyle that he could sustain, which motivated him to get the surgical weight-loss procedure at Blossom Bariatrics in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Now, he is down to 190 pounds and eager to keep up his fitness regimen with the help of his support system.
Gastric sleeve surgery is done by “removing part of your stomach and joining the remaining portions together to make a new banana-sized stomach or sleeve,” according to WebMD. “Plus, the surgery removes the part of your stomach that makes a hormone that boosts your appetite.”
To kick off the new month, Chumlee took to Instagram with a photo flaunting his trim physique on October 1. Days later, he shared a Facebook update alongside before and after photos showing off his progress so far.
“Can you believe it, I’ve lost over 150lbs!!” he wrote at the time. “How many people out there have always struggled with your weight like I did?”
The Henderson, Nevada, native has been a fan-favorite on the show that details day-to-day business at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas. Chumlee had been working at the shop for five years before he made his reality TV debut, thanks to his expertise on pinball machines, sneakers and video games.
In May, Chumlee shared a powerful message about self-love and talked about how it helped him find peace.
“Be yourself even when others don’t understand,” he wrote. “We live in a time where people judge you from their beliefs, I say judge a person on their morals and their beliefs, individuality is beautiful and I see too many people trying to strip that from us. Live your life, be kind, spread love and live for yourself.”
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