Al Roker's Dramatic 10-Year Weight Loss Journey Inspires Us All

Television | Celebrity

Al Roker's Dramatic 10-Year Weight Loss Journey Inspires Us All

Losing more than 100 pounds is next to impossible at any age, so it's seriously impressive to see how much weight Al Roker has lost at 58.

The Today Show weatherman has publicly battled the scale for the past decade, and he's sharing the highs and lows of his weight loss journey in a new book: Never Goin' Back: Winning the Weight Loss Battle for Good.

NBC

You may remember when Roker made headlines in 2003, after getting gastric bypass surgery. The procedure helped the TV host shrink from his heaviest weight of 340 pounds down to just 190.

People

Roker later revealed that a dramatic conversation with his father urged him to get the surgery. "[He] said, 'Look, I'm not going to be here for your kids. And you've got to be here for your kids. So I want you to promise me you're going to lose weight.'"

While the surgery was a major success, Roker struggled to keep the weight off. But a change of plan helped the weatherman get back in shape, and he looks incredible today.

Roker admits that despite his impressive weight loss, bariatric surgery is no "magic bullet."

Roker in 2006. Wikimedia

When his mother was hospitalized soon after the surgery, stress-eating junk food made Roker gain back 40 pounds. The TV host says the first step to losing weight for good was confronting the emotional issues behind his bad habits.

"It was one of those things where, to a certain extent, you don't feel worthy ...  you're going to be found out as a fraud, you're not as good as you think you are, all those different things combined," the host said. "And, I like food. But beyond having a good piece of steak or something like that, I'd have to have two steaks."

Roker today.Muzul

To slim down once again, Roker relied on a combination of dieting, cleanses, gentle exercise, and eating healthy, natural food.

"I know I need to exercise," Roker told his co-hosts. "For some people, exercise is like breathing; for others, like me, it takes effort." Instead, Roker has been cutting sugar, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, and gluten out of his diet.

Running Competitor

You can see the results for yourself. Roker is down 115 pounds from his all-time-high and feels better than ever. He says the most important quality to lose weight is determination not to let the pounds sneak back on.

"I weigh myself in the morning and at night," he says, "because this way I know where that number is. [My doctor] thinks I'm nuts."

Good for Al! We hope he can keep that weight off for good!

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