Woman, 30, who used to binge eat fast food reveals she lost 100lbs with the help of a gastric bypass surgery – and now has the confidence to pursue her dreams of getting a master’s degree
- Taylor Ragano, 30, originally weighed 217lbs before her gastric bypass surgery
- After shedding almost 100lbs she started working as a part-time model
- Weight loss also gave her confidence to apply to college for a master’s degree
A woman has revealed how she lost 100lbs following a gastric bypass surgery.
Taylor Ragano, 30, from Arlington, Virginia, weighed 220lbs at her heaviest but thanks to the gastric bypass she now weighs 126lbs.
Her transformation also led to her swapping her size 20 wardrobe for much smaller size four clothing.
Taylor’s dramatic weight loss also gave her the confidence to study for a master’s degree and pursue her dreams of becoming a model.
Part-time model Taylor Ragano, 30, (pictured before weight loss left, and after, right) lost nearly half of her 217lbs weight after undergoing gastric bypass surgery
Taylor’s weight loss transformation also led to her ditching her size 20 wardrobe for size 4 clothing instead
In high school Taylor believed she was not intelligent enough to get into college.
Taylor said: ‘I was in special education classes through high school. I have ADHD, Auditory Processing Disorder, and Sensory Processing Disorder.
‘I almost dropped out my senior year. My class didn’t even go to a career fair. We went to a workforce class.
‘From graduation until I was 23 years old I was just unmotivated and at the age of 21 I gained about 98lbs.
‘I managed to lose 50lbs of it with Atkins but ended up gaining it all back. I binge ate. It was something I looked forward to. I would order a huge order of Chinese food and eat a ton of frozen yogurt after with all the toppings.
‘In the mornings, I would go get donuts or a muffin with a large Frappuccino. I liked baked pastries. It’s hard to gauge how many calories I was eating a day.’
To combat her weight, Taylor opted to have gastric bypass surgery to shrink her stomach.
Binge eating during her 20s contributed to Taylor’s weight gain, but the gastric bypass surgery shrunk her stomach which helped her get fuller while eating less
She said: ‘Before the surgery, I weighed 220lbs. Now I’m 127lbs. I eat 800-1000 calories a day. I eat very little and I’m full. I don’t snack often. A meal might be like half of a six-inch Italian sub or half a kid-sized plate at a restaurant.
‘I also try to eat as much protein as possible because people who have gotten gastric bypass surgery need a lot of protein.’
Following her weight loss, Taylor felt more motivated and capable of taking control of her life.
She said: ”All the weight was off by 2015 and just losing the weight gave me the confidence I needed. I started taking my community college classes more seriously and applied to a four-year university.
Taylor said her weight loss gave her the confidence to apply to college and earn a master’s degree
‘I then went to JMU and graduated on the dean’s list. I then applied for grad school and I’m currently getting my master’s in public administration from Virginia Tech.
‘I’ve also had a few internships on Capitol Hill and have been freelance modeling a few times a month. I signed to an agency in Pennsylvania recently, but I’ve been modeling for about two years.’
Another benefit of having lost weight is that Taylor’s love life has improved and she is now dating the ma she described as ‘the love of my life’.
She said: ‘He’s super supportive and he’s going to be a lawyer. Guys were really not nice to me when I was overweight.
‘My exes who weren’t nice to me all wanted to get back together when I lost the weight, but I didn’t give them the time of day.’
Looking ahead, Taylor aims to get her master’s degree and then progress to be either a Congresswoman or the first fashion model to have had gastric bypass surgery.
She added: ‘I didn’t think I’d even have a degree, but my goal in life is to work on The Hill, maybe even as a congresswoman, and help pass legislation that helps people with disabilities.
‘I’d also eventually love to go to law school, but I’m just trying to get my master’s first.
‘It would also be awesome to be the first fashion model who lost a lot of weight or has had gastric bypass surgery. People need someone to look up to who has had success losing weight.’
Taylor Ragano shares photos of her weight loss transformation on her Instagram at @Taytay-transformation.