Weatherman Al Roker recently opened up about his fitness journey, sharing the secret behind his 45-lb weight loss.
The longtime “Today” show weatherman shocked many people with his before and after photos on social media.
As a fitness trainer, I always approach celebrity fitness loss stories with an analytic mind to determine whether my clients can see them as inspiration and benefit from their fat loss principles.
So, I teamed up with a dietician and spent a full day analyzing Al Roker’s transformation by closely studying his interviews and social media posts.
Here’s what we found.
Al Roker’s Weight Loss Battle
Roker’s weight loss journey began over two decades ago when he underwent surgery.
The results were very noticeable; he lost considerable weight at the end of that same year.
However, he faced setbacks and struggles every day trying to maintain his fat loss and lose more weight.
So, when the COVID pandemic hit, he decided to take things more seriously and invest in his health.
He decided to incorporate cardio and a healthy diet into his fitness regimen.
To get a better understanding of his fitness progress, we need to understand the two phases of Al Roker’s fat loss.
Two Phases of Al’s Weight Loss Journey
Al Roker lost weight at two different points in his life in two different ways.
Let’s take a look at both.
Phase I: Surgery
Al underwent gastric bypass surgery around 20 years ago.
This is a surgical procedure where your stomach is shrunk. As a result, you end up eating fewer calories and losing weight at a rapid rate.
After undergoing gastric bypass surgery, Roker dropped around 100 pounds.
But, he didn’t seem to take workouts or dieting seriously during this time, which is why his weight fluctuated.
“Hard to believe it was 20 years ago today, I wore these size 54 Levi jeans to my #gastricbypass at 340 lbs and here I am today.”
- Al Roker
Phase II: Post-Pandemic
After the pandemic, Al lost about 45 pounds from exercise by following a strict diet and doing daily cardio.
Losing all that extra weight now allows him to perform full-fledged workouts like weight training and HIIT cardio workout.
Al Roker’s Stats
- Date of Birth: August 20, 1954
- Age: 69 years old
- Height: 5’8” (173 cm)
- Weight: 172 lbs (78 kgs)
Workout Routine and Principles
Al Roker follows a moderate workout routine. He does an assortment of various ground exercises and works with a medicine ball and battling rope exercises.
You can check out his Instagram posts to get a decent idea of how exactly he spaces his workouts.
Al is also a huge promoter of brisk walking to burn more fat. He walked every single day as part of his weight loss cardio routine.
View this post on Instagram
He promoted a 30-day walking program during a morning NBC show and even ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon earlier this year.
We found that Roker believes that exercise — and not extreme exercise — is good for the mental health and physical well-being.
And the science backs this up: research from Mayo Clinic shows that moderate-level intensity exercises can help alleviate symptoms of depression [1].
Diet Routine and Principles
When it came to his diet, Roker kept things quite simple: an easy-to-follow low-carb diet to lose weight.
Al shared that he ate only 100 grams of carbs every day, but he didn’t share anything more, so our educated guess is that he follows a keto diet — a diet high in protein and fats and low in carbs.
”Combined with a low-carb diet, I've lost about 45 pounds in the last several months. I do about 100 grams of carbs a day and I walk.”
- Al Roker
He also mentioned that his battle with food was met with setbacks and struggles every day, but he was able to overcome the hurdles.
Post-surgery, especially after having his gallbladder removed, Roker has been focusing on eating more protein and good fats. His meals include foods like salmon, quinoa, roasted brussels sprouts, and occasionally treats like a scoop of ice cream.
Thoughts on Al Roker’s Fat Loss
The way we see it, Al’s fat loss was most effective when he followed good old-fashioned cardio and dieting. While he initially lost a lot of weight after he underwent gastric bypass surgery, it didn’t give him the same motivation.
More often than not, the best ways to lose weight are simple.
Here are five easy ways:
- Healthy diet: The easiest way to lose fat is to burn more calories than you consume. According to ScienceDirect, you should aim for foods that are rich in protein and fats to keep you satiated [2].
- Staying hydrated: According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), regular hydration throughout the day can increase your feelings of satiety, thereby helping you avoid unnecessary cravings [3].
- Cardio: As NIH put it, to lose fat quickly, you should aim for a total of 150 minutes of cardio per week [4]. You can opt for low-impact options like brisk walking and the elliptical or high-impact options like running and jumping rope to lose belly fat.
- Weight training: Adding weight training to your cardio routine is an excellent way to build muscle, burn extra calories, and reduce your weight.
- Taking natural fat burners: Natural fat burners are a safe and effective way to enhance and maintain your fat loss. They use natural ingredients to curb cravings, burn stubborn fat, and boost energy levels.
FAQs
When Did Al Roker Have Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Al Roker had gastric bypass surgery in March 2002. Undergoing this procedure allowed him to drop 100 pounds (45 kgs) by the end of that same year.
What Was Al Roker’s Heaviest Weight?
Al Roker’s heaviest weight was 340 pounds (154 kgs). Given his height, Al Roker had a BMI of 51.7, which is considered severely obese.
How Much Does Al Roker Walk Daily?
Al Roker walks 10,000 steps daily. At least, that’s how much he walked every day when trying to get in shape. It’s hard to say whether he still walks the same number of steps today.
References:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise/art-20046495
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0268005X1630340X
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6209729/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3925973/
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