Ethan Suplee has faced a lifelong battle with his weight, but he recently shared how he managed to achieve enduring success after shedding 300lbs.
With over twenty years in the entertainment industry, Ethan Suplee is a familiar face in film and television. Though his name may not be immediately recognized, his appearance certainly is.
The actor has candidly discussed his weight loss challenges and recently opened up about the significant lifestyle adjustments he’s made over the years. In a conversation with the Post, Suplee, now 49, revealed that at his peak weight, he tipped the scales at 536 lbs. He even needed a special scale since the ones available at his doctor’s office capped at 350 lbs.
He admitted that for a long time, he was in denial about his weight gain, convincing himself he was around 360 lbs.
Suplee also experienced periods of rehabilitation but eventually hit a turning point, realizing the necessity for change. His relationship with his now-wife was a catalyst, as he understood sobriety wasn’t his only challenge.
He explained: “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, through trial and error, he adopted a keto diet and regular trainer-led workouts, leading to a remarkable 250-pound weight loss. Nevertheless, he continued to grapple with food-related issues and mental health struggles, which kept him from fully embracing himself despite the weight reduction.
He noted: “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.”
Establishing ambitious physical and health targets proved ineffective in the long run.
He eventually realized he needed to confront his relationship with food directly. Unlike substances like drugs and alcohol, abstaining from food wasn’t an option.
He explained: “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.
“When I got super dialed into that, I was finally able to have some success with dieting where I would lose weight and I was able to maintain it.”
While Suplee acknowledges that his health journey is ongoing, he feels he is in a much better place than before. He likens it to sobriety, recognizing that it requires continuous effort but becomes easier with time.