'1000-Lb. Best Friends' ' Vannessa Cross Celebrates First Time Wearing a Seat Belt After Losing 200 Lbs.

Vannessa Crosshas “changed her life” after reaching a huge milestone in her weight loss journey.In PEOPLE’s exclusive clip from Wednesday’s episode of1000-Lb. Best Friends, the 44-year-old meets with her bariatric surgeon Dr. Charles Procter for her nine month post-op check in. As soon as she walks in the doctor’s office, Procter says she looks fantastic.“Honey, my world has changed completely,” Cross admits. “I put a seat belt on. First time, in the front, put a seat belt on and clicked it. All my life I’ve had to put it behind me, click it, and just pull it around.““I have had so many different breakthroughs,” she continues. “I feel like I’ve been locked up for 20 years — been in prison for 20 years and now I’m free. I get to see things in the world I didn’t get to see.“Procter then tells Cross they will weigh her and see her progress, reminding Cross that he instructed her to have lost 40 lbs. when she came back.“I’m confident that my weight is still going down, so I’m excited to step on the scale,” she says. “Dr. Procter wants me to get to 260 lbs. so I’m hoping and praying that I’ve done enough work, I’ve done what I’m supposed to do to not only reach but possibly exceed his goal.“Vannessa Cross standing on the scale after losing 200 lbs.TLCWhen Cross steps on the scale, she gasps and has a big smile on her face as she learns she now weighs 248 lbs.“That’s the 200 mark. You did it! You’ve lost 200 lbs. Congratulations,” Procter tells her while they give each other a high five and hug.“My starting weight was 448 lbs. I’ve now lost over 200 lbs. total since this journey started,” Cross boasts. “I’m so excited, I’m overjoyed. I really want to go run around and throw a party.“Additionally in the clip, Cross opens up about her desire to get skin removal surgery now that she’s lost the weight. “I have to have the skin removed. It’s messing with me more having all of this stuff hanging than it did just being big, voluptuous and full,” she explains while shaking her arms in the air.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Vannessa Cross at the beginning of her weight loss journey.TLCCross tells PEOPLE that she’s been having a lot of problems recently with her excess skin since dropping the weight.“I don’t like all this hanging skin. My rolls pull and it rips my stomach. The bottom roll is so heavy that if I turn over in my bed too hard, it pulls it,” she says. “I’m just having issues with my skin and I don’t think I’m gonna be able to fix it until I have surgery.“However, Cross notes that she was told to finish her weight loss journey before getting the procedure. Procter said she needs to get down to 180 lbs. and a plastic surgeon told her that once she reaches 180 lbs., she needs to maintain that weight for six months in order to go through with the skin removal.“I’m not at my goal yet. I’m working there, but I’m not there yet,” she tells PEOPLE. “I’m going to the gym — that’s one thing I’ve done differently because I’m trying to build muscle. Procter said that when I get the skin removed, I want something there. You don’t want to remove the skin and it just be bone and skin. So I’m working my core. I’m doing upper, I’m doing lower, I’m doing everything I can.““I never thought in a million years Vannessa Cross would say, ‘I’m gonna go to the gym today.’ But I’m doing it.“The new episode of 1,000-Lb. Best Friendsairs Wednesday, February 22 at 10pm ET/PT on TLC and discovery+.

Vannessa Crosshas “changed her life” after reaching a huge milestone in her weight loss journey.

In PEOPLE’s exclusive clip from Wednesday’s episode of1000-Lb. Best Friends, the 44-year-old meets with her bariatric surgeon Dr. Charles Procter for her nine month post-op check in. As soon as she walks in the doctor’s office, Procter says she looks fantastic.

“Honey, my world has changed completely,” Cross admits. “I put a seat belt on. First time, in the front, put a seat belt on and clicked it. All my life I’ve had to put it behind me, click it, and just pull it around.”

“I have had so many different breakthroughs,” she continues. “I feel like I’ve been locked up for 20 years — been in prison for 20 years and now I’m free. I get to see things in the world I didn’t get to see.”

Procter then tells Cross they will weigh her and see her progress, reminding Cross that he instructed her to have lost 40 lbs. when she came back.

“I’m confident that my weight is still going down, so I’m excited to step on the scale,” she says. “Dr. Procter wants me to get to 260 lbs. so I’m hoping and praying that I’ve done enough work, I’ve done what I’m supposed to do to not only reach but possibly exceed his goal.”

Vannessa Cross standing on the scale after losing 200 lbs.TLC

When Cross steps on the scale, she gasps and has a big smile on her face as she learns she now weighs 248 lbs.

“That’s the 200 mark. You did it! You’ve lost 200 lbs. Congratulations,” Procter tells her while they give each other a high five and hug.

“My starting weight was 448 lbs. I’ve now lost over 200 lbs. total since this journey started,” Cross boasts. “I’m so excited, I’m overjoyed. I really want to go run around and throw a party.”

Additionally in the clip, Cross opens up about her desire to get skin removal surgery now that she’s lost the weight. “I have to have the skin removed. It’s messing with me more having all of this stuff hanging than it did just being big, voluptuous and full,” she explains while shaking her arms in the air.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Vannessa Cross at the beginning of her weight loss journey.TLC

Cross tells PEOPLE that she’s been having a lot of problems recently with her excess skin since dropping the weight.

“I don’t like all this hanging skin. My rolls pull and it rips my stomach. The bottom roll is so heavy that if I turn over in my bed too hard, it pulls it,” she says. “I’m just having issues with my skin and I don’t think I’m gonna be able to fix it until I have surgery.”

However, Cross notes that she was told to finish her weight loss journey before getting the procedure. Procter said she needs to get down to 180 lbs. and a plastic surgeon told her that once she reaches 180 lbs., she needs to maintain that weight for six months in order to go through with the skin removal.

“I’m not at my goal yet. I’m working there, but I’m not there yet,” she tells PEOPLE. “I’m going to the gym — that’s one thing I’ve done differently because I’m trying to build muscle. Procter said that when I get the skin removed, I want something there. You don’t want to remove the skin and it just be bone and skin. So I’m working my core. I’m doing upper, I’m doing lower, I’m doing everything I can.”

“I never thought in a million years Vannessa Cross would say, ‘I’m gonna go to the gym today.’ But I’m doing it.”

The new episode of 1,000-Lb. Best Friendsairs Wednesday, February 22 at 10pm ET/PT on TLC and discovery+.

source: people.com