When you are a former model, one who walked the runway for Victoria’s Secret, people expect you to look amazing every day of the year. Sadly, that is not possible. Bodies change. People change. We grow older. In 2019, Tyra Banks appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. At the time, she was in great shape. But now, Tyra Banks’s weight gain has sparked some internet trolls and comments.
The reality is that Tyra is not the same person she was on that cover. Yet, unlike many other celebrities, she does not have complexes because of weight fluctuations. She even enjoys and embraces them.
Once she said, “I used to feel like I was betraying people if I lost weight”. So what has been the reason for her weight gain?
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Get To Know Tyra
Let’s talk about one of the most successful models in the history of the industry. Born Tyra Lynne Banks in December 1973 in Inglewood, California, Tyra grew up in a supportive family. Even from a young age, she showed a passion for fashion and modeling.
Let’s talk about her education. She attended Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. There, was involved in activities like theater and painting. Following her high school graduation, she attended Loyola Marymount University. There, she majored in Communication, with a focus on advertising.
Yet, despite her academic commitment, it was modeling that attracted her. She decided to leave college and dedicate her time to a professional modeling career.
She was only 15 years old when she began her modeling career. In 1990, Tyra signed with Elite Model Management and quickly rose to prominence thanks to her stunning looks and unique ability to captivate audiences.
In the mid-1990s, she became the first African-American woman to grace the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. And then, in 1997, she made another big break, creating and hosting her reality television show America’s Next Top Model. It became an internationally successful television show. It ran for 24 seasons, solidifying her role as a prominent figure.
She also walked the runway for Victoria’s Secret, being one of the Angels. In addition to her modeling career, she expanded her career into acting. Some of the movies and shows she appeared in include Coyote Ugly, Life-Size, and Gossip Girl.
Nowadays, she continues to inspire people with her determination, resilience, and commitment to empowering people.
Going From XS To XL
If you are a fan of Tyra Banks, you probably remember her early days. Fans of the TV show America’s Next Top Model have watched her weight fluctuations over the years. During the first seasons, she was thin and fit model parameters. Yet, in subsequent years her weight has increased. The show closed in 2018, but she did not forget about modeling.
In 2019, she appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. She was the first black model at the age of 45 to be photographed for the cover. A year later, she gained 25 pounds, and her new weight surprised fans.
In one video interview, she said food is her new hobby and she doesn’t want to give it up. The TV host added that food is one of the most important things in her life. Tyra says she loves going to new restaurants and trying unusual dishes.
Weight Gain Affecting Her Modeling Career
Nowadays, Tyra doesn’t look like a model. And her weight gain affected her modeling career. She can afford a plus-size. Tyra has a face with high cheekbones and well-refined lines.
And while Tyra Banks’s weight gain did not affect her gorgeous appearance, it affected her career as a model. She has good genetics and that face will remain phenomenal. Thanks to her face she can work as a model no matter if she is having an XS or XXL size. But her body doesn’t follow suit.
Cooking Influenced Her Weight Gain
As we said before, Tyra considers cooking to be her new hobby. And that is the reason she gained weight recently. During the pandemic, she could afford to enjoy her cooking every day. People were locked in their apartments.
While she didn’t like to cook before, being home with her family made her appreciate food more than before.
Tyra Banks Diet
Tyra revealed she gained 25 pounds in a new episode of Harper Bazaar’s Food Diaries YouTube series. She said, “I have a very interesting relationship with food. I have to say that it is one of the most important things in my life. A lot of my personal life, and the things that I like to do and my hobby is food: finding new restaurants, doing a challenge where I can’t go to the same restaurant again for six months, and finding food festivals. I love a supper club. It is a true, very important thing to me”.
In the same interview, she said, “Right now, you can’t tell because I have on a men’s blazer, [but] I am 25 pounds heavier than I was on the cover of a very famous swimsuit magazine that came out last year”.
She spoke about her experience, saying, “When you’re tired and you’re working hard, you just go to this fast food, this fast food and this fast food and you compare the burgers. So I’m 30 pounds heavier and [the weight] will come off one day, but not today!”
In 2019, the famous star graced the cover of SI Swimsuit, more than two decades after being the first black woman to grace the cover back in 1997. That was the third cover for Banks. Her career was launched when she first appeared on the cover of SI Swimsuit back in 1996, alongside model Valeria Mazza.
For the 2019 session, she wanted to recreate the iconic polka dot bikini moment. But she gained a bit of weight since 1997.
She said, “We couldn’t find the exact one in the archives — it was the polka dot bikini so we recreated that bikini. I recreated it [the shoot] — 25 pounds heavier”.
Here is what she eats throughout the day.
– Her breakfast begins with black coffee, usually going from vanilla or caramel-flavored beans, continuing with a whole bagel routine
– For lunch, it is challenging to find time, so her solution is snacks
– Dinners are her most important meal and often eats at a local dinner
Tyra Banks On Diets
Speaking of diets, she once said that “diets are a bunch of bologna”. Throughout her modeling career, she has done everything.
In one interview, she said, “I used to feel like my body was not mine. I’ve been too thin or too big. And I used to feel like I was betraying people if I lost weight”.
And while she has done plenty of diets, she doesn’t feel good about them. She says, “I do not believe in diets. I have been on diets in the past. They are a bunch of bologna. This is a lifestyle change. It’s not about being skinny. It’s about being in the best shape you can be”.
To get where she is now, and feel healthy, Tyra worked with a nutritionist and kept a food journal.
She revealed, “My nutritionist says, if you bite it, write it. Writing down everything that you put in your mouth really helps. I don’t count a damn calorie. But when I am really trying to eat healthy, I write everything down. It really holds me accountable and puts me on a healthier path.
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