Fitness trainer Drew Manning gained 70 pounds in six months, then lost it all before a year was up.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Fitness trainer Drew Manning wanted to better understand his clients’ struggles
- Manning gained 70 pounds on purpose so that he could lose it
- Back at normal weight, he says the psychological aspect to dropping pounds is important
(CNN) — When Drew Manning stepped out from behind the cardboard cutout of his former fat self on Monday, the audience of “Good Morning America[1]” was appropriately shocked.
The fitness trainer’s journey had come to an end after successfully losing more than 70 pounds — six months after he purposely gained the same amount.”Like it never happened,” host George Stephanopoulos said.
“Kind of,” Manning said.Both Manning and his wife, Lynn, can attest that a lot actually has changed in the past year. While Manning’s body may have returned to its six-pack heydays, his mind, in many ways, has not.
Always a fitness junkie, staying in shape comes naturally for Manning. He’s that guy at the gym the rest of us love to hate, the one who likes to use his biceps for pumping iron instead of changing channels, and who prefers sucking down a spinach shake to indulging in a brownie sundae.
Because of that, Manning was a “judgmental” trainer, his wife says. “He would look at someone who was overweight and say, ‘They must really be lazy.’
“I was convinced people used genetics or similar excuses as a crutch,” Manning writes in his new book, “Fit2Fat2Fit[2].” “You either wanted to be healthy or you didn’t.”
Defining the new male body ideal[3]
That point of view wasn’t helping Manning help his clients. When he failed yet again to push someone over to the light side, he knew something was wrong. In order to better understand the struggles his clients were facing, he had to face them himself.
He gave up the gym and started consuming junk food, fast food and soda. In just six months, he went from 193 pounds with a 34-inch waist to 265 pounds with a 48-inch waist.
Lynn saw the difference in her husband in less time than that. He became lethargic, stopped helping around the house and was less than eager to play with their 2-year-old daughter.
“He was so insecure — saying ‘I’m so fat. I look so horrible,’ constantly complaining about how he looks,” she said.
Manning says he didn’t realize the effects of his weight gain would be more than physical. It altered his relationships and his self-confidence. Returning to the gym after the Fit2Fat portion of his journey made him nervous. The fact that he had to do push-ups on his knees was almost humiliating.
“The biggest thing [I learned] is that it’s not just about the physical. It’s not just about the meal plan and the workouts and those things. The key is the mental and the emotional issues. I realized those issues are real.”
Of course, Manning had his critics. Experts said that his stunt was dangerous. His blood pressure and cholesterol shot up with such dramatic weight gain. But Manning has no regrets. The followers on his website have encouraged him with their own tales of weight loss.
Overheard on CNN.com: Do Americans take enough personal responsibility?[4]
“We see the success stories of people losing all this weight, but it’s more common now,” he says. “To see someone do it in reverse on purpose — it’s mind blowing. A balance of craziness and inspiration.”
Manning suffered through soda deprivation headaches and food cravings on his way back to fit. The journey was easier for him than for most, he’ll admit, but he’s eager now to provide tips for others to follow in his footsteps.
Lynn is just glad to have her husband back, maybe a bit better than he was before. Before Fit2Fat2Fit, the self-described foodie wife would make treats, and Manning wouldn’t even look at them.
“Now he craves them,” she says with a laugh. “It might be cruel, but I like that. I like that he’s humanized.”
Overheard on CNN.com: Fitness trainer’s intentional weight rollercoaster[5]
CNN’s Ashley Strickland contributed to this story.
References
- ^ Good Morning America (www.youtube.com)
- ^ Fit2Fat2Fit (fit2fat2fit.com)
- ^ Defining the new male body ideal (www.cnn.com)
- ^ Overheard on CNN.com: Do Americans take enough personal responsibility? (news.blogs.cnn.com)
- ^ Overheard on CNN.com: Fitness trainer’s intentional weight rollercoaster (www.cnn.com)
Resources:
Easy Fitness Tips Volume 2 (Kindle Edition) tagged “fitness tips” 2 times
Thu, 7 Jun 2012 15:33:06 GMT
Easy Fitness Tips Volume 2 (Kindle Edition)By Lisa Jeffreys Buy new: $0.99 Customer Rating:
Easy Fitness Tips Volume 2 (Kindle Edition)By Lisa Jeffreys Buy new: $0.99 Customer Rating: 
Customer tags: fitness tips(2), exercise tips, exercise program, female fitness, gym working out, easy recipes, fitness, exercise and fitness, fitness and diet Fitness Tips: Obtain Your Ideal Body Quickly | ApostolicCM.com …
Something that focuses on accurate actions leaving no place for fault is what makes health and fitness this kind of preferred process. That could seem a little overwhelming to someone unskilled, this is why they must browse … http://answers.apostoliccm.com/2012/06/fitness-tips-obtain-your-ideal-body-quickly/
Fantastic Physical fitness Tips To Help You Get to Your Possible …
Our fitness tips provides you with the most up-to-date and finest information, help you stay in the know or higher to speed on what you need to do. Our tips will help you achieve the health and fitness aim you may have always … http://answers.apostoliccm.com/2012/06/fantastic-physical-fitness-tips-to-help-you-get-to-your-possible/
Replacement silicone earphone earbud replacement tips covers fit over 50 types
7 Jun 2012 17:12:09 GMT-07:00
End Date: Thursday Jul-5-2012 20:53:14 PDT
Buy It Now for only: $5.99
Buy It Now | Add to watch list
3.345″ TIP SILENCER WILL FIT 3.50″ ROUND TIP MUFFLER
7 Jun 2012 17:12:09 GMT-07:00
End Date: Thursday Jun-7-2012 18:58:46 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list
Health & Vitality: the Way to Good Health
Start living a healthy life now: Here is your 7-day plan ==> Having sworn to yourself that you’ll go to the gym in the morning, how many times have you changed your mind after you woke up and did not feel like working out? We all have days when we lose our motivation to get […]
Science-based Suggestions for self-confidence
A recent study shows your perception of your own image has a profound effect on how you present yourself to the rest of the world. Those findings could be empowering since even small changes to your self-care routine can significantly boost your self-confidence. The study by researchers at the Stanford Graduate School of Business found […]
5 Ways to Feel Good While Getting Fit
Setting intentions is a powerful thing. Then when you have that shiny new gym membership in hand, you feel like nothing stands between you and your goals to get in shape once and for all. Trouble is, lack of motivation, unpreparedness and busy schedules have a way of interfering with our plans. If you find […]
5 ways to feel good while getting fit
(BPT) – Setting intentions is a powerful thing. Then when you have that shiny new gym membership in hand, you feel like nothing stands between you and your goals to get in shape once and for all. Trouble is, lack of motivation, unpreparedness and busy schedules have a way of interfering with our plans. If […]
