Never underestimate the power of music.
Ronnie Brower of Syracuse, New York was morbidly obese when a doctor told him he’d die if he didn’t lose weight. Tipping the scales at 675 pounds, Ronnie’s diet needed a complete overhaul, and he knew it was time to hit the gym. With his life hanging in the balance, Ronnie hired a personal trainer and started working out every day.
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Each day, Ronnie climbed stairs, lifted weights, did sit-ups, and worked out on the machine’s cardio equipment. He claims that every time he strapped on his workout shoes, he’d crank up the music of Taylor Swift in order to keep him pumped up and motivated.
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“The only thing that would give him the energy, or something to look forward to, during his deepest, darkest times were these upbeat songs,”Ronnie’s friend Joe Bufano stated. “It kept him buying into life.â€
Using T-Swift’s upbeat, high energy pop music as his workout soundtrack, Ronnie was gratified to see the pounds starting to melt away.
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Ronnie created a Facebook page where he could share pictures and videos of his progress with friends and family. As he achieved more success, the page grew to include thousands of fans who found inspiration in Ronnie’s accomplishments.
One fan of Ronnie’s was Andrea Masella, who at 250 pounds was wearing size 20 dress when she decided enough was enough. Deeply inspired by Ronnie’s perseverance, Andrea decided to reach out to him and see if he would like to work out with her on occasion to help her with her motivation.
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Andrea and Ronnie instantly hit it off, and before long their relationship moved beyond the gym.
“I was inspired by his workouts and then when I saw what a great man he was, he just swept me off my feet,” Andrea said.
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After two years of refusing to quit and working tirelessly towards their goals, both Andrea and Ronnie found themselves in the best shape of their lives. Andrea lost 120 pounds… and Ronnie lost a jaw-dropping 458 pounds.
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A year and a half after they met, Ronnie and Andrea tied the knot. They continue to help each other to eat right and exercise, still hitting the gym together each day.
“We hold each other accountable,” Ronnie shared. “She’s been through the same thing I have been through.”
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Like many people who lose a vast amount of weight, Ronnie suffered from excess skin that made it hard to see the weight loss he’d worked so hard to achieve. With over 35 pounds of lose excess skin, Ronnie decided to have surgery to remove it so that he could finally break free of the bonds of being obese.
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After 15 hours of surgery, Ronnie emerged from the operating room looking svelte at last. Andrea could not believe her eyes when she saw the difference in her husband’s body. Now that he’s rid of the extra skin, Ronnie’s self confidence can finally soar.
“I’m the healthiest and happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” Ronnie said.
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All thanks to Taylor Swift’s infectious pop music!
Congratulations, Ronnie and Andrea! We couldn’t be happier for you both.
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Watch the video below to learn more about Ronnie’s story, and don’t forget to share to inspire others to lose that extra baggage too!
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