This story is based on an interview with Andrew Tagliarino, 34, a hospital administrator from Long Island, New York. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I was in my late teens when someone made a comment that completely threw me off. They told me I'd be "more good-looking" if I were skinnier.
It was mean, but it spurred me to lose a total of 80 pounds, going from 250 pounds, which was too heavy for my 6ft height, to 170.
I was addicted to food
Food had long been an addiction, and I'd been bullied for my weight for as long as I could remember. I was targeted because I couldn't do sports as well as the other kids.
When the coaches handed out ice hockey and baseball uniforms, I had to wait longer for my order because I needed a larger size than everyone else.
As I grew older, I became particularly self-conscious about my enlarged breast tissue, caused by a hormone imbalance.
It remained a problem after I lost the weight at age 20. I did intermittent fasting combined with exercise, including kickboxing, but my chest stayed the same.
I always wore a tank top with swim trunks on the beach. I purposely bought shirts with writing or patterns as camouflage.
Plastic surgery had been on the back of my mind for years, but I'd been worried about the anesthesia. However, as I approached my 30th birthday in the spring of 2023, I decided to go ahead.
The surgery cost $7,000
I researched the procedure, a specialized form of fat removal known as gynecomastia liposuction, online. My surgeon, Dr. Claudia Kim, of New York City, said I was an ideal candidate for the liposuction and skin tightening, which cost me $7,000.
It took around 90 minutes to complete. I woke up determined to follow the aftercare instructions, including wearing a compression vest for two months.
The results were amazing and natural. I'd never looked down and seen a flat chest before. I could finally wear block-colored shirts without worrying about how I looked.
A year later, I spent another $7,000 when Dr. Kim performed liposuction on my obliques and flanks. These were other stubborn fat spots that my exercise program couldn't seem to remove.
My confidence has soared
I feel like a whole new person. My confidence has gone from a baseline of five to 10. I wear tighter tops and go bare-chested when I'm on the beach with my wife and 3-year-old son.
There is a bit of a stigma about men having cosmetic surgery, but it's dissipating. I'm happy to share my journey if it helps other guys deal with body concerns.
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Jane Ridley is a correspondent on the Life team at Business Insider.She was a senior features writer at the New York Post from 2012 to 2022 and previously worked at the New York Daily News for six years.Ridley was born and raised in the UK. She arrived in the US in 2005. She moved across the Atlantic after spending seven years at The Daily Mirror in London.
