Taylor lost 76 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Taylor lost 76 pounds. After the passing of her father, emotional eating resulted in weight gain. She wanted to be healthier and avoid a family history of illness, so she took steps to change her lifestyle, with surgery, meal planning and lots of exercise. Check out her weight release journey.

Starting weight: 303 pounds
Current weight: 227 pounds
Height: 5’7″
How long did your transformation take?
I started August 4th 2015, so it’s almost been a year since my journey began.

What inspired you?
Really what inspired me was just wanting to be more healthy. We have a really bad health history in my family, and I did not want to pick up any of those issues. My father was a active runner and exercised frequently, so when he passed away recently it really did not sit right with me. At the time, I started to eat more and more and the weight just started to pack on. With the support of my mother, my brother and other family members, I was able to take steps to change my life. Weight loss surgery is apart of my journey. I had the Gastric Sleeve procedure. I know that people say what they want about surgery, but it has been the BEST decision of my life. I advise anyone who is interested to go do it!

How did you change your eating habits?
My eating habits changed tremendously. I eat very small portions now and I don’t eat bread as much now, which is huge for me because I am a TRUE lover of bread. I eat more fruit, drink more water and just try to stay away from all greasy and fast food. It can be hard at times, but when I think about my results and how far I have come, I say that unhealthy food is not worth it.

What did your workout routines look like?
I workout 5 times a week. I do 45 minutes of cardio every time and I also lift weights. I try to do as much high intensity exercise as I can so that I can get my heart rate up and burn more calories. I designate specific days when it comes to lifting weights. Mondays are arms, Tuesdays are chest Wednesdays are legs (my favorite days), Thursdays are arms again, and Fridays I do a combination of everything.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Number one advice: DO NOT GIVE UP!!! Seriously!! Giving up is probably the worst thing you can do. Also, get with a group of friends that you can workout with or start your journey with. I have 3 AMAZING friends that I work out with. We all are different, but we all motivate one another. (Shout out to, Charles, Chelsea, and Maiya.) Honestly, without them, my mother, my brother and family, I don’t know where I would be. I could not do this alone.

My second piece of advise: Make a plan. Write out exactly what you are going to put in your mouth at each time of the day you eat so you don’t have an excuse to grab a bite somewhere else or eat out. I bring my lunch box faithfully to school and work. I pack it the night before and plan out my meals for the week breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Try to stay positive at all times. I know that being overweight is hard and that people look at you differently. Focus on what you want for your life. No matter hard it gets or how tired you feel, you must keep going. You must never give up. Think about your goal every time you work out, when you eat or whatever it is you are doing. Just tell yourself, “You can do it!”, because you CAN!

Instagram: @taylor_gaines