'My kids need a parent': Obese 342lb mom-of-two with a terminally-ill husband sheds 160LBS so that she will be able to care for her children when their dad is gone

• Jenn Snell, 42, from Lovell, Wyoming, started her journey on the ABC show Extreme Weight Loss
• On Tuesday night's episode of the show, she revealed that her husband Dan was given between two and five years to live after his diagnosis
• The 911 operator vowed to lose weight and get healthy because there is no one else to take care of her children Timmy and Hannah
• Jenn had to stop emotional eating, which started after her baby brother hit his head while she was caring for him, and later died from his injuries
• After a year of eating healthy and training with Chris and Heidi Powell, Jenn got down to 182lbs  

By Erica Tempesta For Dailymail.com

Published: 11:11 EST, 15 July 2015 | Updated: 14:19 EST, 15 July 2015

An obese mother-of-two, whose husband is terminally ill, has shed 160lbs in the hopes that she can live a long and happy life with her children after a lifetime of tragedy, which made her turn to food for comfort.

Jenn Snell, a 42-year-old 911 operator from Lovell, Wyoming, started her physical and emotional journey on Extreme Weight Loss after sharing her heart-wrenching story in a letter to the ABC show's trainers Chris and Heidi Powell. 

Over the course of a year, Jenn went from 342lbs to 182lbs - but more importantly, she learned how to handle the traumas in her life without resorting to emotional eating. 

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Unbelievable transformation: Jenn Snell, 42, from Lovell, Wyoming, weighed 342lbs (left) before getting down to 182lbs (right) after a year working with Extreme Weight Loss trainers Chris and Heidi Powell 

'My family means everything to me because growing up I never felt loved when I was home,' Jenn told the cameras on Tuesday's episode of the series.

She explained that her parents were young and weren't ready for a child when they had her. When their marriage failed, her mother got remarried, and she was forbidden to see her father.  

Jenn was nine-years-old and watching her baby brother Peter, who was learning to walk, when he lost his balance, fell backwards and hit his head. Peter died three days after the fall, and Jenn blamed herself for his death, writing a letter to God asking him to bring back her brother and take her instead.  

'I turned to the only thing that was acceptable and that was food,' she explained. 

Serious motivation: At the start of her journey, Jenn revealed that she needed to lose weight because her husband has a terminal illness, and she is the only family her two children Timmy and Hannah have 

Life changes: Knowing that her husband Dan only has two to five years to live, Jenn said she knew she needed to take control of her emotional eating and lose weight once and for all 

Jenn later met her husband, Dan, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Sjogren's syndrome, three separate auto-immune diseases that are attacking his body. 

Because of the severity of his illness, doctors have given him only two to five years to live.

The mother-of-three explained on the show that she never asked to fall in love with somebody who was sick, but by the time she learned of the severity of her husband Dan's illnesses, she was already head over heels.

'I don’t know what I’ll do without him,' Jenn said. 'How can I not get off my butt and do something about this?'

Jenn noted that her husband has always told her that she is beautiful, and has never suggested that she needs to lose weight.

Touch childhood: Growing up, Jenn's mother and stepfather forbid her from seeing or speaking with her biological father 

Too much guilt: She also revealed that when she was nine-years-old her baby brother Peter fell and hit his head when she was watching. He died three days later, and Jenn wrote a letter asking God to take her instead 

'God love him. He has called me super sexy since I met him,' she said. 'I don't know how or why.'

And Dan told the cameras: 'I love my wife. From one to ten, she's a ten.

While Jenn couldn't imagine her life without Dan, she knew she needed to face reality and get healthy for her children Hannah, six, and Timmy, five, because they would have no one to take care of them if she got sick. 

Jenn was working when Extreme Weight Loss trainer Chris, who made arrangements with her co-workers ahead of time, called her and told her he had a '911 emergency'. 

'I need to save your life but I can't do it alone,' he told Jenn, who was growing increasingly confused as the phone conversation went on, not realizing who was on the other end of the line.

When Chris walked into her office, he revealed that he had chosen her to appear on the show and that they were flying to Colorado that night, so she could spend three months training at the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center.

Unhealthy habits: Jenn, who can be seen eating burgers and fries with her family, said she turned to food while she was grieving 

Time to start: Chris Powell surprised Jenn to tell her that he had chosen her, and she had her first weigh-in with her family in her backyard. Chris gave her the goal of losing 92lbs in three months 

'I feel like I deserve this. This is the opportunity of a lifetime,' she said. 

Jenn and Chris headed to her home where she told Dan that she would be leaving for three months. 

While Dan was worried about being a single parent, he was extremely supportive of his wife's weight loss journey. 

'Jenn has to lose this weight,' Chris explained. 'She needs to lose weight so her kids will have a parent.'

Chris had Jenn hop on the scale at her home for her first weigh-in. After it was revealed that she weighed 342lbs, Chris gave her the goal of getting down to 250lbs or less over the course of three months. 

Heidi forces Jenn to fight back and stop playing the victim

Out of shape: Jenn, who said she hadn't ran in 20 years, started sobbing after spending seven and a half minutes on the treadmill at the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center

Tough love: Heidi knew Jenn was comfortable being the victim, so she forced her to fight back by hitting her in the face 

However, Jenn, knowing that this would be a huge challenge, noted that she hadn't weighed 250lbs since 1995. 

When she arrived at the training center, she and Chris met with celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito at a grocery store, where he scolded her for not eating breakfast. 

Jenn was put on a 1,750 calories-per-day diet in which she was required to eat small meals five times a day in order to keep her metabolism running. 

Before her first workout on the show, called the 'Fight or Flight' session because it gives participants a chance to determine if they really want to take part in the program, Jenn revealed that she was scared to death, admitting to the Powells that she hadn't gone for a run in 20 years.

Pushing through: Jenn admitted that dealing with her emotional issues was even harder than boot camp

Keep climbing: Jenn kept working and training, and she soon started to lose weight and change her attitude 

Chris and Heidi had her on the treadmill for seven and a half minutes, during which time she broke down in tears, complaining that she was in pain.

'I hope those are tears of joy,' Chris told her. 

He explained the cameras that Jenn has been comfortable being the victim her entire life, and it was his and his wife's job to teach her how to fight back. 

After her time in the treadmill, Heidi gave Jenn a solid dose of tough love as she held up mitts for her to hit.  

'I think you like it, being the victim!' Heidi yelled at her before hitting her in the face. I think that you like being hit all the time!' 

Defining moment: Jenn knew she needed to deal with her brother's death, so she took the day off from training so she and her sister Susie could visit his grave. And Susie assured her that no one blamed her 

So close: Jenn was 14lbs shy of reaching her 250lb weight loss goal during her 90-day weigh-in 

Jenn eventually began to punch back and fight, and Heidi told her: 'When your husband dies, you mourn his loss, but you don’t become a victim!'

It was an eye-opening experience for Jenn who called her husband the next day and apologized for focusing on the negative. She knew she wanted to be able to enjoy every moment she had with Dan.

'When I get home we are going to embrace life,' she vowed. 

A great deal of Jenn's journey was dealing with her grief, and she revealed that she carried a picture of her broth in her sports bra when she was training. 

Jenn explained that she just wanted to let go of the pain that continues to 'haunt' her, and she asked Chris and Heidi for the day off so she could visit Peter's grave for the first time since his funeral. 

Emotional reunion: When she arrived home, Jenn was surprised by her biological father who told her that he always wanted to be in her life, but he wasn't allowed to be 

Keep fighting: Jenn's meeting with her father helped her heal, and she continued to work out as much as she could at home 

Jenn was with her sister Susie during the emotional moment, and she assured her that no one blamed her for their brother's death.  

'I hope you know that nobody blames you. Mom doesn’t blame you, dad doesn’t blame you. It’s not your fault,' she told Jenn. After that moment, Jenn said she finally felt 'free'. 

Dealing with her emotional issues helped Jenn make great progress, however, when she stepped on the scale at the end of the 90 days she learned she was 14lbs away from meeting her 92lb weight loss goal. 

Jenn started to sob, and Heidi asked her if she had been eating more than she was supposed to. Chris and Heidi followed her when she walked away, and she admitted that she was adding things to her meals. 

Fully dedicated: Jenn started going on long runs after Chris called her and told her that they would be running the Disneyland Star Wars Half Marathon together 

Rain or shine: Jenn continued with her training even when it was snowing and cold. If she couldn't run outside, she would work out on the treadmill 

And while she didn't reach her weight loss goals, Chris and Heidi were happy that she stopped being the victim and took responsibility for her actions. 

Chris and Heidi told Jenn that they wanted her to lose another 55lbs in three months for her second weight loss goal. 

The Powells also revealed that they were taking her and her family on a vacation to Disneyland so they finally start living their lives and enjoying the time they have left together. 

Jenn, who was greeted by her family, as well as her entire community, when went back to Lovell, noted: 'To be home is the best feeling ever.'

Living in the moment: Dan's health began to decline rapidly, and Jenn noted that their trip to Disneyland might be the only family vacation they get to have 

Never give up: However, when Jenn got on the scales she learned that at 221lbs, she once again missed her goal, this time by 12lbs 

She was thrilled to learn that her biological father James was there to surprise her, and Jenn said she 'instantly felt so much love'. 

During her meeting with her father, James explained he her mother were young when they had Jenn and that he didn't want to sign the adoption papers. He noted that has always regretted doing it. 

James also revealed that he grew up watching her, but was never allowed to speak to her. 

'I wanted to say something but I couldn’t,' he said. 

James told her that he doesn't know how to be a father, but he wants to try. 

Serious problem: On the day of her half marathon, Jenn was doing great until she started cramping up during mile seven 

Major setback: Chris took her to first aid, but he was worried that she was going to quit the race. They decided to spend a few miles walking because of how much pain Jenn was in 

When she arrived home, Jenn was surprised by how clean the house was, while Dan told the cameras that he missed his wife terribly when she was gone. 

He was completely supportive when she told him that she had to throw out a lot of the items in their refrigerator, helping her go through all the condiments and tossing the things that had too many calories or sodium.

Later, Chris called Jenn and told her that she and her entire family would be going to Disneyland like they had discussed, however, for her milestone, Jenn would be running the Disneyland Star Wars Half Marathon there.

Jenn started training aggressively, running in the snow and on the treadmill when she was inside. 

But Dan's health was starting to rapidly deteriorate. She had to call an ambulance for him two days in a row. Dan was in tremendous pain and his spinal cord was 'crushed in four spots'. 

The doctor told Jenn that he needed surgery.

Pulling through: Jenn was able to find the motivation to continue the half marathon 

Support system: Dan, their children and Heidi were cheering her on as she reached the finish line 

Jenn said she felt like she was being really selfish by not telling her husband that she will stop, so he can have the surgery because he was in so much pain. But she also knew that her husband wouldn't forgive her if she gave up. 

The family decided to go to Disneyland like planned, and Chris was amazed by how great Jenn looked. 

However, he did notice that Dan, who was in a motorized scooter, had a rapid detorioation of health in six months.

'The doctor said that there was no guarantee that the surgery would work, and he could turn into a quadriplegic,' Jenn explained, noting that this was the only time they would be able have a family vacation. 

As soon as they got to the resort, Jenn had her second weigh-in. Although she weighed 221lbs, 12lbs shy of her goal, both she and the Powells were thrilled with her progress. 

Reality check: When they got home, Dan had to have major surgery. The doctors said that he risked becoming a quadriplegic

Full-time job: Dan began to recover, but it was Jenn's responsibility to care for him during his recovery 

'I don't feel defeated,' she noted.

After the weigh-in, Jenn was ready to enjoy the family vacation that she said they had been wanting for years.

'It’s hard for me to say this,' Jenn said, 'but my kids have not had many opportunities to do things like this.' 

On the day of the Disneyland Star Wars Half Marathon, Chris told the camera that she felt the marathon was her chance to finally have some sort of win after missing her weight loss goals twice. 

Change of heart: Jenn, who was reprimanded for not eating breakfast at the start of her journey, can be see making egg on day 218 

Back in the groove: As Dan healed, Jenn was able to get back into the gym and start working out like before 

Jenn set the pace and was doing well, but at the seventh mile she started to cramping up. Chris had her stretch and get water and a little sugar, but the cramping wouldn't stop. 

She had to go into the first aid tent, and Chris was worried that he would never be able to motivate her again if she quit the half marathon. 

Jenn and Chris decided to walk the ninth and 10th miles, and despite her struggle, she made it to the finish line where Dan was waiting.   

'He was so proud of me. I did that race for him,' she noted. 

After they went home, Dan had his surgery and Jenn was responsible for taking care of her husband, who needed to be given medications every three hours. 

Jenn had three weeks until her nine-month weigh-in, and she was worried she would miss her goal again because of her added duties. But Dan slowly started to get better, and was able to start running again. 

Not there yet: Jenn needed to lose 40 per cent of her body weight to quality for skin removal surgery by day 270, however, she missed her goal by two pounds 

This weigh-in would also decide whether or not Jenn lost 40 per cent of her original body weight, which she needed to do to be a candidate for skin removal surgery. 

Jenn needed to weigh 205lbs or less, but at 207lbs, she just missed her goal, losing 39 per cent of her original body weight - not 40. 

She said it was 'gut-wrenching, however, Jenn refused to quit and was determined to 'finish it strong'.

And Chris was proud that Jenn hadn't give up because the person they met nine months ago would have. 

Feeling confident: Chris showed the audience Jenn's amazing transformation during her final weigh-in 

So in love: Dan was overcome with emotional as he clapped for his wife, who he said he always found 'hot' 

Jenn continued to eat healthy and work out, and at the end of her journey, Chris shared Jenn's story with the audience at her final weigh-in.   

'I’m happier than I’ve ever been,' she said of her visible transformation. 

Although her biological father wasn't able to attend her weigh-in, she explained that their relationship is continuing to grow. 

'That rejection that I felt wasn't real,' she said of her childhood. 

Jenn also explained that everyone was wearing purple ribbons for auto-immune awareness. Dan had proved the doctors wrong and was feeling much better. He happily stood next to their children during her weigh-in. 

Loving children: Timmy and Hannah said they were proud of their mother and the little boy noted that she looked 'pretty' 

Finally made it: A year after she started journey, Jenn was no longer comfortable being the victim. She weighed 182lbs after losing 160lbs from her frame 

She needed to weight 185lbs or less to meet her year-long goal, and Jenn clocked in at 182lbs, reaching her first goal of the year.   

'I used to dream about this,' she said. 'This is the end of this part of the dream, but it’s the beginning of my life.'

Jenn was given a week-long scholarship to the Powell's boot camp, which she gifted to a friend she has known since middle school.   

'This was a transformation, but it was more of an intervention for me,' Jenn said of her progress. 

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