JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Drew Carey Weight Loss: How the “Price Is Right” Host Reduced 80 Pounds
Drew Carey’s weight loss didn’t depend on any shortcuts or diet fads! He shed 80 pounds through healthy changes in his diet and exercise, and kept it off!
The weight loss transformation of the “Price Is Right” longtime host Drew Carey shows that while one always pays the price of falling prey to junk food addiction, it’s never too late to recover from a sedentary lifestyle and get in shape. Drew Carey’s weight loss has been a massive personal achievement for him and a great inspiration for his fans to get on a healthier path.
While his hard work and dedication to health improvement have been immense — especially considering that he even claims to have lost about 100 pounds over his whole life — Carey never relied on weight loss shortcuts, such as using Ozempic, surgeries, smoking, etc., which is further inspiring! Let’s learn more about Drew Carey and his remarkable transformation.
Who Is Drew Carey?
Drew Carey is an American actor, comedian, and popular TV personality who gained immense stardom for hosting the CBS game show, “The Price Is Right” — a game show that required contestants to win by closely estimating the prices of merchandise.
Formerly serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Carey kickstarted his career in the entertainment industry by gaining popularity through stand-up comedy. He had also previously worked as an emcee at the Cleveland Comedy Club.
By leveraging this recognition, Carey managed to air his own sitcom “The Drew Carey Show” as well as the American version of the popular improv comedy show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” on ABC.
His works in the comedy genre received immense appreciation, and he wrote his own stand-up comedy special “Drew Carey: Human Cartoon”, which even won a CableACE award for Best Writing.
Drew Carey Profile:
Profession: Comedian, actor, and TV Host
Age: 66
Birth Date: May 23, 1958
Birth Place: Old Brooklyn, Cleveland, Ohio
Why Did Drew Carey Lose Weight?
Drew Carey has confessed to several media channels that for the longest time, he was tired of being fat. He had type 2 diabetes, which was worsened by poor eating habits and lifestyle choices. Besides, he knew he needed to change his entire lifestyle as he had already lost his father and brother to heart attacks caused by weight-related issues.
In the first year of hosting, “Price Is Right”, at the show’s cafeteria, he would frequently order unhealthy items such as grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, beef stroganoff, fries, etc.
Carey would head to the Swingers diner and order a plate of pasta, iced tea, or some other form of caffeine, cupcake, and a couple of lemons right after work — it had almost become his post-game show ritual. Then, before bedtime, he would grab a bag of Doritos with ranch, Oreos, or a couple of Pepsis before bedtime, and take an Ambien to go to sleep.
This lifestyle had troubled him severely. Soft drinks such as cola are associated with weight gain and health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes, owing to the large quantities of added sugar in them (1).
Moreover, junk food such as pasta, cupcakes, and sweetened beverages are closely linked to health problems such as heart disease, obesity, tooth decay, cardiometabolic issues, and high blood pressure (2).
Read More: Post Malone Weight Loss: How Shedding 55 lbs Impacted His Career And Life
Witnessing this, Carey’s doctor had warned him, back in 2010, to reconsider his dietary and other lifestyle choices, saying that his life would be shorter and there would be bad things to look forward to if he kept at it. This urged him to take his health seriously, strive for a balanced lifestyle, and kickstart his transformative journey.
After making some much-needed improvements in his diet and following a healthier lifestyle, Carey managed to melt off 80 pounds from his body weight. Through his hard work and dedication to fitness, he overcame his diabetes issue, so much so that he stopped taking those pills and had optimal levels of everything on his blood tests.
Drew Carey’s Strict Diet:
When he embarked on his weight loss journey, Drew decided to kick off carbohydrates from his diet as much as possible. He cut out major sources of carbohydrates such as bread and crackers entirely. This meant that he also had to refrain from eating common junk foods such as pizza.
While most celebrities end things by cutting out grains and refined carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, Carey took things much further and avoided all types of starches — even corn and beans, which also have some health benefits.
Studies have proven the benefits of having a low-carbohydrate diet on weight loss. However, severely cutting out carbohydrates, and that too for a long period, may have numerous side effects such as fluid loss, mineral loss, gastronomical discomfort, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, increased hunger, etc. (3). Moreover, cutting out healthy foods with starch, such as beans, Carey prevented his body from their benefits such as protein, folate, fiber, vitamins, and minerals (4).
Hence, while it is good to reduce an unhealthy carbohydrate intake and prioritize protein, fats, and fiber more, one should also understand that carbohydrates aren’t the ultimate enemy, and making drastic dietary restrictions can cause adverse health effects.
A good step that Carey did take for his diet was cutting back on snacking and opting for fresh fruits and vegetables as healthier snack alternatives. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, electrolytes, and carotenoids that boost one’s health and well-being in multiple ways (5).
In addition, Carey incorporated superfoods such as egg whites and Greek yogurt into his diet, which are excellent sources of protein, calcium, and micronutrients, and offer numerous health benefits (6), (7).
On most days, he only has grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, and water for dinner. Moreover, Drew Carey only consumes water as a beverage and say “no” to tea, coffee, soda, and similar common drinks.
Drew Carey Workout Routine:
Unlike several celebrities who emphasize more on cutting back on their diets than on exercising, Drew Carey believes that physical activity is “equally important” in weight loss and health improvement.
In his own fitness routine, Carey focuses the most on cardio and incorporates 40 minutes of cardio workout in his routine, at least 6 times a week soon.
In cardio, Carey really likes running, and started by doing the same on the treadmill for 40 minutes, when he began his weight loss journey. He also likes using the elliptical to enhance his cardio workout. Somewhere around August 2010, he participated in a 10K, for which his running practice came in handy.
Drew Carey Before And After Weight Loss Photos:
Before:
(Image Source: Getty Images)
After:
(Image Source: Getty Images)
By looking at Drew Carey’s weight loss journey, we can derive the importance of reducing the intake of excess carbohydrates in our diets and prioritizing fruits, vegetables, yogurt, protein, and whole foods. Those who cannot take the extreme measure of bidding adieu to carbohydrates can start their journey by avoiding fast food and packaged snacks, which were the initial culprits in Carey’s life too.
Moreover, one can also learn the importance of cardiovascular exercises from Carey’s regime, which he greatly prioritized when losing weight. Drew Carey’s physical transformation proves that to age gracefully, without crippling health problems such as diabetes and blood pressure, one should reconsider their diet and physical activity and improve it gradually.
Sources:
1. Effects of Soft Drink Consumption on Nutrition and Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1829363/
2. Junk food-induced obesity- a growing threat to youngsters during the pandemic
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8459649/
3. Clinical Evidence of Low-Carbohydrate Diets against Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9962697/
4. Health Benefits of Plant-Based Nutrition: Focus on Beans in Cardiometabolic Diseases
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7915747/
5. Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3649719/
6. Health Functions of Egg Protein
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9368041/
7. Exploring the Effects of Greek Yogurt Supplementation and Exercise Training on Serum Lithium and Its Relationship With Musculoskeletal Outcomes in Men
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8729320/
ALSO READ: Chef Graham Elliot’s Weight Loss Journey: How He Shed 150 Lb
Al Sharpton’s Weight Loss: How the Civil Rights Leader Shed the Pounds
Sara Rue Weight Loss: How Jeggy Craig Helped Her Shed 50 lbs
