The Drew Carey Weight Loss Story: Now Only Recognizable By Those Glasses After Losing Weight
Popular stand up comic come game show host come actor come sports executive and photographer, Drew Carey is a widely recognized figure in the entertainment world. We say ‘widely’ in the literal sense of the word too because until he shed 100 pounds recently he was as recognizable by his weight as by his trademark spectacles.
A former university dropout and ex-Marine, Carey hit the entertainment industry running. He was already being paid to write jokes for a DJ friend to use on his radio show and the friend suggested he make use of the local library to do some research on how to write jokes. The library research must have done the trick because shortly afterwards he won an open-mic contest and the Cleveland Comedy Club appointed him to the role of Master of Ceremonies. It also left him with a lifelong appreciation of libraries, to which he credits much of his success.
In 1988 he was spotted on Star Search and the rest, as they say is history. Drew Carey has gone on to bigger and better things. Such as starring in his own sitcom The Drew Carey Show as well as taking over as the host of The Price Is Right from the legendary Bob Barker in 2007. He has also hosted the game show Whose Line Is It Anyway and appeared in several films.
But although his career has been hugely successful, Drew Carey has not been as fortunate with his health. Whilst his weight was often the subject of his jokes, it was no joking matter when he had to undergo open-heart surgery and was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. This forced him to re-evaluate his lifestyle somewhat and the result is a trimmer, healthier Drew Carey. So much so that if it weren’t for the trademark black framed specs he’d be almost unrecognizable.
Maybe the most noticeable change in Carey from his first days as host of The Price Is Right is his impressive weight loss. In 2010, Carey stuck to diet and exercise and managed to shed 100 pounds. “A lot has changed, including my personal appearance and it’s so much more comfortable now,” Carey said. “I never felt like an outsider, or anything like that, but I feel so much more comfortable, I’ve been there for so long.”
If you watch TV or read the news, you’ve possibly seen or heard about a celebrity weight loss supplement touted as the “secret”, and absolutely safe (because it’s natural!) alternative. Well, today it’s a secret no longer because we’re here to tell you all about it.
A very real and significant concern when losing weight is how you’ll look. You could end up with sags and bags, or you could end up lean and buff. If your body shrinks in size as you lose weight without the skin area also “shrinking,” you could end up with loose skin hanging around your upper arms, waist, stomach, and other areas. By the time you attain your ideal size, the only solution for tightening up your skin is plastic surgery.
The Drew Carey Weight Loss Story – Avoid Weight-Loss Sagging
You can avoid sagging skin by starting strength training now and continue throughout your weight-loss program and beyond as you maintain your new size. That way, your skin will shrink along with the rest of you. By the time you attain your ideal size, new people you meet will have no idea that you were ever overweight. Why? Because your skin will fit your body. Do this with strength training.
The Drew Carey Weight Loss Story – Stamina, Energy, and Strength Training
You want quick results in losing weight, and you can achieve them with strength training. After only three months of two hour-long strength-training sessions a week, your body will become smaller. Your waist will be smaller, as will your upper arms, and your stomach will be flatter.
You only need to do two sessions of strength training a week. If you feel really ambitious, you can do three, but don’t do any more than that. Strength training causes small tears in the fibers of your muscles. This is good, because as they repair on your “off” days the muscles become stronger and tighter. If you do strength training every day, your muscles won’t have time to rebuild between sessions.
The Drew Carey Weight Loss Story – Strength Training Approaches
- Free weights.
Very popular, easy to use, widely available. Start with 2- to 3-pound weights and add weight as your body adapts to the weight. - Stretch tubing.
A stretchy thin tube with handles on each end. Resembles a jump rope. You can purchase in several levels of resistance. - Flex band.
A long, wide, stretchy band used for resistance training. - Ankle and wrist weights.
Strap them on for resistance as you do strengthening exercises. - Body bar.
A long, weighted bar used for resistance training. May or may not have additional removable weights on either end. - A big inflated ball on which to do exercises. Seems innocent enough, but provides really challenging strength-training exercise.
- Magic circle.
A circular handheld ring, about 15 inches in diameter with handles across from each other. By compressing the circle with legs, arms, and other body parts, you can get quite a workout. - Pilates classes and equipment.
An exercise method that creates long, lean, and strong muscles, plus very strong abs and terrific posture. - Exercise machines.
Set the resistance of the machines to match your strength levels. - Power-pump classes.
Lift weights while you keep pace with the music.
Muscle weighs more than fat. Because of this, a person with higher muscle mass could weigh more, and yet wear a smaller size. In addition to using your weight as a measure of attaining your ideal size, take into account your body fat percentage.
Body Fat Percentage
Having a higher body fat percentage brings with it significant health risks including diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and autoimmune disorders.
When you have your body fat tested at a health club or at a health practitioner’s, you’ll receive a reading of body fat, water, and muscle percentages. All three add up to 100 percent. Assuming that the amount of water weight remains almost constant for each individual, the variables are body fat and muscle. The more muscle you have, the less body fat you have (and vice versa).
Here are ideal body fat percentages:
Women:
- Up to age 20: 14-21 percent
- Age 20 to 50: 17-27 percent
- Age 50+: 20-30 percent
Men:
- Up to age 20: 9-15 percent
- Age 20 to 50: 14-21 percent
- Age 50+: 19-23 percent
The Drew Carey Weight Loss Story: Understanding Body Fat
In body fat measurements, lower is usually best, but don’t go below the recommended guidelines. A person must have at least some body fat to be healthy. Fat pads internal organs such as the kidneys, and it also offers protection against cold weather. For women, the minimum recommended fat percentage is 12 percent. If a woman has less, her menstrual cycles could cease. Men must have a minimum of 5 percent to stay healthy.
The Drew Carey Weight Loss Story: Improving Your Muscles
By doing strength-training exercises for two to three hours a week, you can reduce your body fat percentage by as much as 10 percentage points within six months.
Having less body fat and more muscle gives you more energy, higher stamina, more muscle definition, and a higher metabolism. This means you’ll burn through calories faster and can eat more food without gaining weight.
