Back in October 2011, personal trainer Drew Manning announced he would be embarking on the adventure of his life: he would become fat so that he could slim down again, just so he would better understand all those struggling with their weight. Mission accomplished.
The other day, Manning and his wife stopped by ABC's Good Morning America to speak of his journey from fit to fat and then to fit again, which is also documented in the book aptly called “Fit 2 Fat 2 Fit.”
Video of the interview is below.
Both say that the mission was a difficult when it came to gaining the weight, as well as when the time had come to start shedding it.
It's hard to change lifestyles overnight but, ironically enough, it's very easy to fall into a pattern that can affect your health, well-being and family life, as it happened to him when he stopped eating healthily and working out.
In time, he hadn't changed just by gaining weight: he was also acting differently.
Manning recalls that his self-esteem took a turn for the worse, was often lacking energy for the most basic tasks and would get depressed more easily.
His wife Lynn also noticed these changes, though she hadn't expected to see them.
“I was shocked because I really thought this was only going to be a physical transformation, that Drew was going to pack on the weight and lose it because it was 'on purpose',” she says on GMA.
“The changes that happened in him and him becoming lazy, not helping around the house, being a great father like he used to be... It was hard, it was really hard on our marriage to see that happen,” Lynn adds.
“People joke around but it wasn't about his man boobs or that he stopped manscaping, that really wasn't what it was about. It was about the emotional changes, him becoming a different person,” she explains.
Drew agrees: the changes in him were all for the worse and they were all noticeable, affecting his family in ways he hadn't imagined possible.
Getting back in shape was very difficult, Drew recalls; for the first time since he could remember, he was ashamed of heading into the gym and wasn't looking forward to working out.
Now that he's toned again, Manning wants to use his own experience of slimming down to show everybody out there than getting in shape is only a question of will power.
Having lived it himself, he is now better suited to help his clients.
I have been on both sides of the fence as well. There is more to it than will power although that is critical. Due to hormonal changes in the body when one is in the fat gaining or retaining stage people DO have less energy and their body signals them to eat, eat, eat (read leptin resistence). What I tell people wanting to make the change from fat to slimmer and fit is that it will be very hard at first due to many factors. It will be difficult exercising at first and it will take great effort and you will hurt. In addition, you will be hungry for awhile. Keep with it! This stage of exhaustion and hunger pass quicker than you might think and then you gain more and more momentum. The key is staying the course. Another little know fact is that long before a person sees the physical results of their efforts their bodies are reaping tremendous rewards in health. It is a journey but the rewards are priceless.
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