Plus-size model Rosie Mercado used to weigh 420 pounds and after being in two seasons of NuvoTV’s reality show, Curvy Girls, she lost 100 pounds. As we might already know, keeping the weight off is extremely difficult, and when Rosie gained 20 pounds, she decided she needed to do something drastic and opted for a weight loss procedure that helped her lose 150 more pounds and today she looks incredible!
Mercado talked to Cosmo about her weight loss journey and explains that it wasn’t easy. “I was criticized like crazy for dropping the weight and accused of being ashamed of my body. It had nothing to do with shame or even wanting to have a better career. I just wanted to have a better life with spontaneity, the freedom to go zip-lining or ride a roller coaster, and take part in other experiences that I never had as a teenager because I’ve been overweight my entire life. It was never about being thin. It was just about being healthy with vitality and choices,” she says.