Actor Ethan Suplee has opened up about the key lifestyle changes that helped him lose an incredible 300 pounds after years of struggle. The 49-year-old, known for roles in film and television, revealed that at his heaviest he weighed 536 lbs and had to order a special scale because his doctor's only went up to 350 lbs.
Speaking to the Post, Suplee admitted he was in denial about his weight, telling himself he was around 360 lbs. He also spent time in and out of rehab, but realised his breaking point came when he started dating his now-wife. He said: 'There were a lot of things in life she wanted to do that I was like, just physically incapable of doing, like going to the beach or on a hike. I have to also confront my weight, and I have more problems to fix.'
By 2005, after trial and error with food choices, he adopted a keto diet and consistent trainer-led workouts, losing an impressive 250 pounds. However, he still struggled with food and mental health issues. He explained: 'Once I’d lost some weight, I didn’t feel any better about myself. I would get on the scale and see I’ve lost 100 pounds. And then the next day I’d still feel shitty… and my sense of shame would come back and my low self-confidence.'
Suplee eventually addressed his relationship with food directly, realising he couldn't apply the same abstinence method as with drugs and alcohol. He said: 'I had to get rid of the idea that food was the culprit and work more heavily on concentrating or thinking about what behaviors of mine were contributing to this condition. I had to think about the condition as a chronic condition versus an acute condition, because all of these diets were acute solutions.'
He added that once he focused on his behaviours, he was finally able to lose weight and maintain it. Suplee acknowledges his health journey is ongoing, but is in a better place. He noted that like sobriety, it takes effort forever but gets easier with time.
