'My 600-Lb. Life' Star Mark Rutland Rejects Doctor's Advice to Get Surgery Despite His Weight Being 'Torture'
Completing everyday tasks feels like "torture" for Mark Rutland because of his weight.
"When you get to be this size you're definitely broken mentally," the 42-year-old from Orlando, Florida says in PEOPLE'S exclusive clip from Wednesday's episode of My 600-Lb. Life. "I know I'm fat and I have the ability to change, but I can't stop eating because when I'm eating it's the only time I get relief from the physical pain. It's the only time I'm happy."
Mark's struggle with binge eating and a fast food addiction led to his weight topping 715 lbs., which is when he turned to Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, a Houston-based bariatric surgeon, for help.
However, after making a few lifestyle changes to hopefully lose enough weight to qualify for weight loss surgery, Mark decided to continue the journey on his own. He believes — despite Nowzaradan's medical advice — that he can stay committed and lose 500 lbs. naturally.
"Everything's been going good," Mark tells his parents. "I've been working with the trainer at the gym. I've been losing weight, he's happy with the progress I've been making. But with all that being said… I'm not gonna do the surgery. Hopefully not ever."
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His mother tries to remind him that it's a huge decision and suggests he first talk to his sister April, who's a nurse. Mark calls April, who quickly disagrees with his thinking, calling bariatric surgery a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Yeah, I get it," Mark admits. "I got the greatest weight loss doctor in the entire world and all you guys want me to do it. It's not an easy decision for me not to do this."
His dad also points out that he's only lost 160 lbs. so far and has a lot more to go.
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"I don't want to hear that. It's the same s— Dr. Now was saying: 'You still have 300 lbs. to lose.' It's like yeah, I don't care," Mark says. "You work hard, you do everything you can and then the number on the scale, that's gonna take care of itself."
"I have no intention of going backwards," he adds, before his sister reminds him that he's not going to get this opportunity again. "I know, but I'm gonna get the opportunity to see what I'm made of right now and that's more valuable."
Watch Mark's full story in the new episode of My 600-Lb. Life, Wednesday, March 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on TLC and discovery+.
