A mother who spent around $1000 on fast food a month has shed nearly 100lbs after gastric bypass surgery.
Lauren Nagle, 32, from Canton, Ohio, was trapped in a vicious cycle of binge eating, visiting up to four different fast-food restaurants a day and tipping the scales at 252lbs as a size 26.
The mother-of-three said she was ‘miserable’ struggling to use the rest room and getting winded when she would roll over in bed due to her size, and in July 2018 decided ‘enough was enough’.
Since then, she has lost more than 100 lbs and dropped 11 sizes. She claims that people often compliment her on how youthful she looks. Some even say she is ‘age backwards’.
Lauren Nagle, mother-of-3, was originally 26 years old and weighed 252lbs (left). She decided to go under gastric bypass after gaining weight. Her weight now stands at 154lbs, and she’s a trim size 4/6.
After losing over 100 lbs, her clothes have shrunk by 11 sizes. Her new youthful appearance has been praised often, and some people even said that she looked ‘aged backwards.
Lauren decided enough was enough and, after having tried several diets, decided on gastric bypass surgery in July 2018. Before her weight loss surgery, she is shown L-R at the hospital.
Lauren says that Lauren is a slim size 4-8. “You’re like your daughter,” to “You’re ten years younger.”
“When I go back to photos, I feel younger. It’s helped me appear more youthful. It was like I was a mother of middle-aged children.
“I feel ten years younger than I actually am.” Although I look almost 33 years old, I feel like I have 33-years of age. But I remember looking 33 years older ten year ago.
Lauren was an 18-year-old high school student who weighed around 196lbs.
Lauren, pictured aged 21, was trapped in a vicious cycle of binge eating, visiting up to four different fast-food restaurants a day and tipping the scales at 252lbs as a size 26
Lauren, left, with Shaun (age 22), and after having lost eleven sizes in her dress size at 32
Lauren was pictured at her 2011 wedding. She was in an eating disorder that led to her binging habit of up to $1000 per month.
Lauren (pictured above this month) says that she is now looking older than she was before losing weight. She is pictured left at the age of 21 weighing 238lbs
“I was in seventh grade when I met a boy who I loved. When I said I no longer liked him, he simply replied that you were fat and ugly.”
“Looking back it seems that I can still remember the comments. Although you don’t forget such things, I found it funny and decided to just laugh about it.
Lauren claims that she was overweight all her life. Being the “class clown” at high school would have masked the low self-esteem.
She stated, “I feel like I have always pretend to be that happy-fat person,”
“I felt so low in self-esteem and was depressed that people didn’t know about it so I tried to make myself outgoing and a class clown. My emotions and feelings were very difficult to cover up for long periods.
‘I recall that I was always a big girl. I was also always the closest friend. That didn’t bother me. It wasn’t something that bothered me.
“But once in awhile there were moments when I didn’t find the perfect prom dress for me, like when I tried on a few dresses while shopping. These are the moments when your mom is standing there in tears and telling you that nothing fits you in the shop.
According to the personal trainer, her binging began when she was 22 years old and her depression grew after her second child. She started eating fast food every day for five years.
It wasn’t a particular food. “It was more like whatever I had in my mouth I was going to eat till I got sick,” she stated.
“I’d order Chinese food, fill up a plate and have dinner, then have another round not five minutes later.
“I was an avid soda-drinker. There would be nights where I’d go to the store and buy a Code Red Mountain Dew and the family size peanut butter M&Ms and I would sit and eat the whole bag and the entire drink. It’s amazing to me that this amount of sugar is in my life.
“There were times that my binging was so bad, I would go to multiple drive-thru’s and get all sorts of food. One day, I think I had four meals at different fast-food restaurants.
‘I felt comfort in food. That was my way to cope with all the daily challenges. Eating those foods brings me joy. It is a shameful and guilt-inducing experience to eat these foods.
Lauren stated that she tried “absolutely everything” and every diet “under the sun” to lose weight, and while she did manage to do so at times in her life she would soon regain it.
Lauren is pictured below in 2017. She was 252lbs overweight when she took her 2017 weight loss. Lauren said that her obesity had been a problem throughout her childhood and that as the “biggest” girl in her class, it would mask her low self-esteem. Right, Lauren now at 140lbs
Lauren is pictured following her dramatic weight loss in December 2020 shortly after becoming a certified personal trainer
Lauren, left at 252lbs in 2016, had a tummy tuck in August 2019 and bra line backlift this March. Lauren is now 140 lbs
Lauren (pictured June 2021) now finds joy in exercise and not comfort eating junk food when she is stressed.
Gym lover Lauren, pictured in June, had gastric bypass surgery three years ago and hit her goal weight of 140lbs seven months after the procedure
This gym-loving lady had gastric bypass surgery in 2003. She reached her target weight of 140 pounds just seven months later.
In August 2019, she had a tummy-tuck and bra line backlift.
Lauren said, “I was completely miserable.” The mirror made me feel terrible. It was hard to recognize who I was.
“It was so difficult to even use the bathroom or take a bath, and to wash my body. My bed would make me feel so tired that I was unable to move. Tieing my shoes was the hardest thing I did. I felt like I could not breathe.
Lauren (pictured L-R at the gym in June and December), weighing 140lbs. She says that her life is now different since she had her operation.
Lauren celebrated three years after her July 2012 gastric bypass operation.
“I just had enough after my kids were born. After having my children, I realized that I was a parent and wanted them to live a happy life. Not just living, but truly living.
“One day I was outside with my kids and my husband throwing them the ball. When I attempted to play with them, it was only five minutes before my chest felt like it was about to burst. It’s not what I want.
“My whole life changed. After falling in love and becoming a personal trainer, I found that exercise was something I loved. It’s amazing to think of where I might be if it wasn’t for this.
“It’s not just affected my health; it has given me the opportunity for a new career that will help others.”