An 800lb man, whose depression and size once brought him to the brink of suicide, vowed to lose 150lbs in order to qualify for the weight loss surgery needed to save his life after a series of dangerous falls sent him to the hospital 10 times in nine months. When Joe Wexler, 31, first joined TLC's obesity series My 600lbs Life, he was using food as an emotional crutch and consuming roughly 10,000 calories a day. And on last night's episode of the series, a weight loss specialist insisted that, if Joe had to get down to 650lbs, he would be unable to undergo the live-saving surgery he so desperately needed. But despite making the life-changing decision to move from Johnson City, Tennessee, to Houston, Texas, to be close to Dr Younan Nowzaradan, Joe struggled to shed the necessary weight - and actually managed to gain a further 15lbs in just one month. Scroll down for video . No hope: Joe Wexler, 31, can be seen calling an ambulance after he fell at his home in Johnson City, Tennessee. At nearly 800lbs, he was unable to get up by himself . Team work: It took multiple emergency technicians to lift Joe off of the floor to take him to the hospital . 'I'm mad at myself,' Joe said tearfully. 'Not only did I not lose, but I gained. I am really scared.' During his appointment, Dr Nowzaradan attempted to address his patient's weight gain - however Joe continued to make excuses for his failure to follow orders. He blamed being on the road during the move to Houston, noting that he was forced to eat fast-food at convenient stores and rest stops. Joe alleged that he ate two grilled chicken sandwiches a day, but Dr Nowzaradan told him that his claims were mathematically impossible. 'Joe is still in denial about how much he is eating,' Dr Nowzaradan explained. 'He is still eating just as much, if not more.' He told his patient that he was on 'borrowed time' and 'spiraling out of control'. 'At this rate every day is a question as to whether he is going to make it,' Dr Nowzaradan said. 'Any number of things could [become] a deadly situation with him.' Daily chore: Joe can be seen getting dressed after bathing himself. He said he would rather die than have someone have to do that for him . Best friends: Joe's sister Annie came to visit him and make him lunch . Feeling lost: Annie cried while explaining that she felt unable to really help her brother . Fearing for Joe's safety, Dr Nowzaradan sent him for testing to ensure he was even healthy enough to return to his own home. And after Joe was cleared to leave his doctor's office, he was appointed a nutritionist to help him get his eating under control. During their first meeting, Joe admitted to her that his 'greatest struggle with food is emotional eating'. 'If I feel bad, I go to it,' he said. One of Joe's biggest emotional hardships was feeling rejected by his father. Joe had always struggled with his weight. As a child he longed for his father's attention, but his dad chose to shower him with gifts instead of his love. 'I would have given up every one of those things that I had if he would have paid me any attention,' Joe said. Smiling child: Joe said he was always chunky, noting that he struggled with his weight his entire life . Strained relationship: As a child, Joe longed for his father's attention, but he was given material items instead of affection . Slippery slope: Joe said he eats to deal with his feelings and his father's rejection . His sister Annie noted that he had always been big, but when their parents divorced his weight 'spiraled out of control'. 'If there was some way to fix him myself, I would,' she said tearfully. Joe explained that he had free reign to do whatever he wanted when was younger - and that included eating whatever he wanted. After hitting 777lbs, Joe was unable to walk without falling and his mom said his 'spirit had been broken'. At the start of the episode, he was forced to call an ambulance after his legs gave out and he had fallen to the floor. 'I feel like a prisoner inside this body,' Joe said. 'I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. When I fall I can't just get up on my own, so I have to call an ambulance. It's really embarrassing.' He used to work an I.T. job from home, but after his company told him he had to return to the office or he would lose his job, he was left unemployed. Huge shock: During his visit to weight loss surgeon Dr Nowzaradan's office in Houston, Texas, Joe was sad to learn that he weighed 777lbs . Big goal: Dr Nowzaradan told Joe and his mother Robin that he needed to get down to 650lbs to be a candidate for gastric bypass surgery . Helping hand: After gaining 15lbs, Dr Nowzaradan had Joe meet with a nutritionist who taught him how to read food labels properly . Joe had become a recluse and the only thing he was able to do on his own was bathe himself. 'I refuse to let anyone bathe me,' he said. 'It is the only thing I won't allow,' He added: 'I would rather die than make someone have to do that for me.' Joe admitted that he once considered killing himself after he saw a television program about a morbidly obese man who had died because of his weight. 'I was looking around trying to find some way to off myself,' he said. 'I kept thinking it would be better for everybody. I didn't care anymore.' After meeting with his nutritionist, Joe knew he was 'as good as dead' if he failed to lose weight. And slowly but surely he started to drop the pounds. His next appointment with Dr Nowzaradan showed that he lost 71lbs. Support system: Joe, who has had suicidal thoughts because of his size, met with a therapist to deal with his inner turmoil . Work it out: Joe also hired a trainer and visited the gym for the first time in his life . Although Joe was pleasantly surprised, he was reminded that he still had a long way to go in order to get down to 650lbs. He decided to keeping seeing a therapist in order to gain control of his emotional eating. 'A lot of stuff is coming up to the surface, and it is hard not to get depressed,' Joe explained. 'Last time I got this depressed I thought about hurting myself, and I don't want to end up in a place that dark again.' He added: 'I think about dying and leaving my mother and my sister behind and I refuse to do that to them. I refuse to let them bury me.' Joe, who has a habit of eating his feelings, said it was really good to talk to his therapist because it was something he had never done before. He also took the initiative to meet with a trainer and go to the gym for the first time in his life. 'I have faith that I am going to be able to do this,' he said. 'I just have to stick with it and keep fighting.' Major milestone: Joe was able to get down to 652lbs and was later approved for weight loss surgery . Next step: Dr Nowzaradan can be seen operating on Joe during his gastric bypass procedure . Fresh start: Joe happily walked out of the hospital after learning that he had lost 200lbs since the start of his journey . Because of his new found resolve to lose weight, he stopped asking his mother for food and started cooking himself healthier meals. He noted: 'Food is killing me when it should be doing the opposite of that, so I am trying to eat even healthier.' And his hard work paid off. The next time he met with Dr Nowzaradan he weighed 652lbs. The doctor scheduled his gastric bypass for the following week. 'If I could jump up and down for joy, I would right now,' Joe said. 'I am as happy as can be.' His mom cried tears of joy when she learned the news. Dr Nowzaradan reduced Joe's stomach size by 80per cent during the surgery. A week later, it was revealed that Joe lost even more weight and was down to 592lbs. 'I finally get to put to rest the curse that has followed me around since I was two years old,' he said. 'This begins the new chapter, and I can't wait to see where the book leads.'
Joe Wexler was told he needed to lose 150lbs if he wanted to undergo the procedure on last night's episode of My 600lb Life . The 31-year-old and his mom Robin moved from Johnson City, Tennessee, to Houston, Texas, to be close to his weight loss specialist . After being told to lose weight, Joe gained a further 15lbs . Joe's struggles with emotional eating are tied to his father's rejection of him when he was a child .