Down 300 pounds, Mama June is proud of where she's at with her weight, and that's why she's "never going back" to seeing 460 pounds on the scale.
With plans to maintain portion control, make better food decisions and adopt a regular exercise regimen, Mama June is determined to permanently alter her life. "I can promise you I'm never going back to that size," she tells People. "I'm happy where I'm at."
After receiving a gastric bypass sleeve, having nine pounds of skin removed and undergoing a tummy tuck, the From Not to Hot star admits there are more downsides that people don't necessarily talk about because it's hard to hear.
"I'm not going to lie to you: I have thrown up, because you can't over eat with the gastric sleeve," she says. "That's not a thing that I recommend to somebody. You realize what you can and can't do, and when you do it that one time, you don't do it again."
Although there's a learning curve to her new eating habits, Mama June tells the magazine that she's not going to deprive herself of some of her favorite foods, such as Mexican and barbecue; she's just going to have it in moderation. With a new outlook on life and food, Mama June says she hopes her children, Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon, 17, and Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, adopt her changes, but she's not going to force anything on them.
"I do worry about their health, but I'm not going to say, 'You got to eat salads all the time,'" says Mama June. "I've seen Pumpkin and Alana lose and gain weight, but I don't want them to end up like I did at 460 lbs. Who would want that?"
Mama June also has 20-year-old daughter Jessica "Chubbs" Shannon and estranged daughter Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell, 22.
The finale of Mama June: From Not to Hot airs Friday at 9 p.m. ET on WE tv.