We’ve known for awhile now that My 600 Lb Life Season 3 star Amber Rachdi would not be filming a Where Are They Now? follow-up. She’s one of only a few cast members to forego the opportunity, and the only one from the show’s first three seasons. Naturally, this has led to plenty of questions about what she’s been up to since the cameras stopped rolling for her 2015 debut. Fortunately, it looks like My 600 Lb Life Amber today is better than ever, brimming with confidence and eager to keep moving forward.

How is My 600 Lb Life Amber today?

When viewers first met her, Amber Rachdi was just 22 years old, and in dire need of assistance. Her peak weight of 657 pounds had Dr. Nowzaradan saying some of the things he would repeat upon meeting 20-year-old Garrett several seasons later: namely, that extreme obesity at such a young age was a recipe for disaster.

Since then, Amber’s become one of the most successful patients to appear on My 600 Lb Life, in terms of both weight loss and lifestyle change. As we noted in in our initial feature on Amber’s progress, she’s been able to lose well over 400 pounds thanks to a gastric bypass surgery and an entirely new approach to diet and healthy living.

Part of that new approach has been saying no to more than just unhealthy food. Last year, Amber told us exactly why she won’t be filming a Where Are They Now? episode. While she was quick to point out that Megalomedia, the show’s production company, is run by different people now, Amber revealed she had “bad experience” filming. It was a lot more than just being uncomfortable:

The experience was very disorganized and jarring and there’s not a whole lot I can say using my grown-up tact. They ran late, reshot difficult to replicate scenes, and really sort of acted like bullies. When I would say I had a boundary I didn’t want crossed, their first reaction was always to threaten to postpone or cancel my surgery. I know the field producers don’t have that power, but they appeared to be used to using this tactic a lot on noncompliant cast members, which is next level unethical. The very first producer I worked with tried to use this when I said I didn’t feel comfortable showering in the nude on camera. Needless to say, it didn’t work, and so there I am, filmed in a pink sports bra and briefers in my opening act. That was my first experience with the company, which is a hell of a rough introduction.

Amber Rachdi’s latest photos depict an increasingly happy person

Even though there will likely never be an official update on My 600 Lb Life Amber today, it’s actually never been easier to keep up with her on social media. Amber’s official fan outreach page on Facebook has over 65,000 followers — the largest following of any My 600 Lb Life cast member. She’s also an intermittent Instagram user. The photo at the top of the article is one Amber shared on IG back in February; below is the most recent pic she’s made public, from this past March:

Additionally, here’s a particularly boss pic Amber shared last August. It’s technically “outdated” by the standards of the previous paragraph, but it’s also too good not to share:

“This is who I am as a person,” Amber captioned the pic.

Speaking of who Amber is as a person, we’ll conclude this update with a lengthy and entertaining FAQ Amber shared on her fan page at the beginning of 2019. Amber went out of her way to get the most common fan questions out of the way as painlessly as possible; the result is plenty informative, and doubles as a really fun read.

Two exchanges in particular are worth highlighting. The first has to do with Amber’s current weight. She weighs “the same as I weighed two years ago. And,” Amber adds, “that question is still hella rude.”

The second is related to that: it’s about Amber’s entertainment philosophy. Specifically, it’s the heart of the reason why she isn’t filming for My 600 Lb Life any longer. Part of the reason is Amber’s aforementioned “bad experience” with the production company. But another reason, just as prominent, is wanting to move past her association with the show, rather than risk being limited by it.

“I’m not going on TV again until it’s for doing something rad and accomplishing something,” Amber said. “I don’t want the rest of my life to be solely measured in pounds lost.”

You can read Amber’s self-update in the original here. Below is a verbatim copy, condensed only in spacing.

New year, new FAQ.

Q. What are you up to right now?
A. In a very literal sense, laying in bed and writing this. More generally dancing badly in my kitchen or working on computer projects.

Q. Are you still with that guy?
A. Still no.

Q. What’s that makeup product?
A. I have no idea, I have more makeup than any one person ought to, I have a problem, AND GIRL, I need storage solutions so link them below if you got them.

Q. Where’s your brother these days?
A. Medical school, like the badass he is. The future Dr. Rachdi is kicking butt and taking names.

Q. Do you still live in Houston?
A. Are suburbs considered Houston?

Q. What do you weigh right now?
A. The same as I weighed two years ago, and that question is still hella rude.

Q. Will you marry me / send me nudes / look at this horribly framed, artistically-bankrupt lewd photo?
A. W H O. R A I S E D. Y O U? Begone.

Q. Can you give me a meal plan?
A. Sorry, friend, I’m an English major, I am not qualified to preach on dietary science.

Q. Do you still wear a lot of pink?
A. Yes, but I’m totally having a goth phase scheduled to last at least until spring.

Q. Did you get skin surgery?
A. Nooooooo, I wish. I don’t have that kind of money.

Q. Will they do a follow up show about you?
A. I’m not going on TV again until it’s for doing something rad and accomplishing something. I don’t want the rest of my life to be solely measured in pounds lost.

Q. Do you have any goals?!
A. Weirdly enough, I want to learn to wrestle???? And be strong and throw people and put on a good show? So if any of y’all know the radiant and amazing Stephanie McMahon… drop my name somewhere useful. Outside of that, at some point I’m finishing my degree, working on a video game, and someday achieving a 10 minute mile. Skin surgery would be great but as I said before, that stuff is prohibitively expensive.

Q. Why were you always barefoot?
A. Ankle overhang, my good dudes. Made shoes painful. I didn’t care to wear them.

Q. How did you have a boyfriend at 600lbs and I can’t even get a text back?!
A. Have you considered that I’m amazing?

Q. What next?
A. Bed time. Clearly.

Thanks and have a good one!

You can revisit Amber Rachdi’s My 600 Lb Life episode here, via TLC.

(Photo credits: My 600 Lb Life Amber today via Facebook, Instagram)

John Sharp is Starcasm’s chief editorial correspondent-at-large. Tips: E-mail john@starcasm.net or Twitter @john_starcasm.