Drew Manning, a trainer from Salt Lake City, is going one step further to help people get in shape – he’s making himself fat to better understand what it’s like to be overweight, and how tough it is to lose weight. Drew is dedicating 6 months to eating unhealthy foods and not exercising, with 4 weeks left to go. He will then spend the next 6 months getting himself back into shape. He calls this journey Fit 2 Fat 2 Fit – “The story of how I plan on going from being obsessed with being fit, to fat
in 6 months and how I plan on showing everyone how to get back to fit again in 6 more months.”
It hasn’t been easy, and Drew’s had a lot to deal with, explaining:
“It’s been very tough physically, mentally and emotionally to let myself go like this. The first couple of months were the hardest. I felt like I was going through withdrawals, just like any other addiction. I was jealous seeing people running, going to the gym, and being in shape.”
He gained 21 pounds in the first month alone, and another 50 pounds in the following 4 months. While he is concerned about his declining health (with blood pressure shooting through the roof at 161/113), he’s determined to show people that no matter how unhealthy you are, you can turn it around with a healthy lifestyle.
So how in the world does someone gain 70 pounds in 5 months? By sitting on your butt and eating lots and lots of crap – “sugary cereals, granola bars, juices, white breads, white pastas, sodas, crackers, chips, frozen dinners, mac n cheese, etc.” His new unhealthy lifestyle is starting to really take a toll on the trainer, both physically and mentally. He explains:
“I’m to the point where I feel lethargic and uncomfortable. I definitely feel ‘addicted’ to these foods. In the beginning, I did not like soda, but now I can’t go a day without, otherwise I’ll get the headaches, bad mood, etc. Emotionally, it’s taken a toll on my confidence level, even in my marriage. I don’t like the way I look in public; nothing fits right; bending over to tie my shoes or clip my toe nails has become so difficult. I’ve definitely taken those things for granted.”
Drew says the biggest thing he’s learned is how intense and real food cravings are, and believes that food addiction is very real. He only has a few weeks left before he can get himself back on track. He hopes to learn a lot more in the second half of his journey.
It hasn’t been an easy journey, nor will it get any easier in the months to come, but in the end Drew believes he will be a better trainer for it! You can follow his journey online – even vote for what fatty foods he’ll eat next (this makes it seem less of an educational research project and more of a publicity stunt, but I do think his intentions are pure). In just a few weeks Drew will be switching it up once again, from Fat to Fit! Join him on his journey at fit2fat2fit.com!
