What Happened To My 600-Lb Life's Mark Rutland?

Most of the participants on "My 600-lb Life" aim to lose some weight on their own so that they qualify for bariatric surgery with Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. However, Season 11's Mark Rutland wanted to pursue a different path. He refused surgery against Dr. Now's wishes, believing he could get healthy all on his own. It's an uphill battle, but he does pretty well. He starts his episode at 715 pounds, but through hard work and dedication, he loses 137 pounds to end up at 578 pounds. 

Rutland's episode wasn't too long ago, but he's already made impressive strides. His family was a big source of support for him on the episode, and they're still cheering him on. On his Facebook page, someone wishes him a Happy Sons Day and writes the following, "Happy 44th Sons Day Mark . Could not say enough with your New Health Journey . Loosing over 300 plus pounds on your own . NO SURGERY." It appears he's more than doubled his weight loss achieved on "My 600-lb Life," and he has the pictures to prove it. 

He posts regularly on Instagram, mostly about his weight loss journey, with numerous photos of him working up a sweat at the gym. Most importantly, it appears his mental health has improved tremendously. While sharing a birthday post on the platform, he wrote, "It's been a while since I can say this, but I am looking forward to this trip around the sun."

Many people on "My 600-lb Life" end up sharing their continual journeys on social media to help others see what's possible. In this way, Mark Rutland follows the same path as the likes of Tiffany Barker and Amber Rachdi. And he wants to show this is all possible through sheer grit, as he shared in an interview with Distractify. He spoke about taking on this challenge, "I found purpose again, a mission that was so insurmountable that it — for me to accomplish it — would take everything I have, plus [I] would have to get stronger and develop traits I don't have."

While bariatric surgery has saved many lives, Rutland has made it clear it's not for him although he doesn't rule it out as a possibility eventually. He went on to tell Distractify, "Surgery will probably never be off the table for me, the doctor might be right and I might really have a zero percent chance, but until I know that I can't do this on my own, surgery is not an option."

And things are looking up for Rutland in more ways than one. On October 9, Rutland posted a video on Instagram where he talks about being too heavy previously to work at an office. But he recently got a new job where he'll work on-site three days a week. He encourages everyone to bet on themselves and take that first step, no matter how insurmountable it may appear.