Get that gorgeous Summer Body with the Weightloss Champion – Chuck Carroll!
His Top Tips for Success
We are fast approaching the summer season 2016 and we all want that ideal bathing suit body. Naluda editors were thrilled to speak to one of the nation’s top weightless champions.
Chuck Carroll is truly The Weight Loss Champion. Just a few short years ago Chuck weighed 420 pounds and stands only 5” 6” tall before he decided he did not want to continue his life in such an unhealthy and unhappy way.
Like many others Chuck tried and failed countless times to lose weight. Any success he achieved was short-lived as the weight came pouring back on and more. The weight kept increasing and increasing.
Out of desperation, he decided to undergo gastric bypass surgery on Sept. 1, 2009. However, prior to the procedure he was convinced that the surgery would become like all the other failed attempts to lose weight. He thought at least he would go to his grave saying he tried everything.
Chuck Before and After His Weightloss
Chuck was just 27 years old at the time and was sure he would not be alive to 30 yrs of age. But then the unexpected happened… he woke up from the surgery and never looked back. Although a critical component, the surgery proved only to be the first step in his journey. In fact, he only attributes 10 percent of his weight loss success to the procedure.
Success began and in just over a year Chuck shed 64% of his entire body weight by conquering food addiction and devoting himself to a healthier lifestyle! Yet he never stepped foot into a gym.
Chuck became a student of nutrition and health and is a living testimony that there is a difference between dieting and changing your diet.
Chuck gained great confidence from his new body which allowed him to pursue his dream of becoming a sports reporter. He has hosted a number of radio shows with NFL players, including ‘4th & Pain’ with Adam Carriker where he was first given the title of “Weight Loss Champion.”
Chuck’s journey took a twist a few years later when he became a news reporter for CBS Radio station WNEW. He gave live reports from Baltimore as unrest swept through the city. He trailed the Pope during his historic visit to the nation’s capital and made numerous appearances on the Nancy Grace Show.
Indeed, news was a passion. But it wasn’t his true passion.
When the station folded in December 2015 Chuck decided that it was time to pay it forward. So, he is embarking on a new journey to share his story and follow his true passion — to inspire people everywhere from all walks of life to achieve their dreams by leading a healthier lifestyle.
Chuck now coaches people to achieve their best body and to be in top health and appears in media nationwide.
Below is a Q and A with Chuck how you can achieve that sexy body!
What is the healthy way to lose 10 pounds to get ready for summer?
In this particular case we’re on a bit of a time crunch because summer is right around the corner. So, if you’re determined to be swimsuit ready by Memorial Day you’re going to have to be prepared to step up and put in the work.
The first thing you should do is also the hardest and that’s cutting out added sugar from your diet. It’s tough because it’s in almost everything — not just candy and drinks. We’re talking about bread, sauces, yogurt… it’s everywhere.
You even have to be careful with the type of salad dressing you use. Many of them are surprisingly full of sugar. So, when you think you’re eating healthy you’re really setting yourself back.
Of course there are also the obvious sugar traps you’ll need to avoid like juice, soda and the daily Starbucks habit. A lot of smoothies also have a ton of added sweetness. You really have to be mindful of what you’re putting in your body.
Then you need to think about getting up and moving. We spend so much time reading about fitness fads and celebrity workouts but we don’t actually do them ourselves.
Keep in mind you don’t have to go crazy at first. Really, you shouldn’t go from zero to spending hours a day sweating off the pounds. Start by doing 30 minutes of cardio each day. It doesn’t matter if you’re running outside, doing the elliptical or climbing stairs… just get your heart rate up. That along with cutting out the sugar will pay huge dividends. You should see results pretty quickly.
I’m also a huge advocate of walking. Go for a 30-45 minute walk on your off days from the gym or running to keep your momentum going. It’s about staying active because it’s so hard to get going again if you break from your exercise routine.
The great thing about getting in shape is there are literally thousands of ways you can do it. It’s just about finding what works for you.
What are your feelings on fad diets such as the military diet, lemon diet, grapefruit diets?
I’m generally not a fan. I can’t tell you how many times I would have initial success with them only to put all the weight back on and then some. I’m not alone in yo-yo dieting… that’s for sure.
The appeal of these diets is that they typically offer a quick way to slim down for a red carpet event or wedding or look your best in a swimsuit. And when you hear about the success a celebrity is having with it you think it’s a can’t miss program.
But the thing I find with these types of diets is that they’re not sustainable long-term. Very few are able to stay committed to these programs for the rest of their life and that’s key.
So, while you may hear about the fantastic program Khloe Kardashian used to land the cover of Shape Magazine, I doubt we’ll be talking about the same routine in a year or two. I do hope, however, she sticks with the hard work and finds something sustainable because she looks and probably feels great.
People tend to think the “t” in “diet” stands for temporary. We think of dieting as this short-term torturous process when in reality it’s about making realistic changes that you can stick with.
How does exercise affect the way you lose weight or is it majority eating properly?
What I found is that weight loss is 85% nutrition. When they say ‘you are what you eat’ they’re not lying. Food is so critical not only for losing weight, but keeping it off for good.
Here’s the thing… you can exercise for hours and hours and burn thousands of calories. When you’re doing that obviously you can get away with indulging your food demons. You know you’re going to be able to burn off the evil.
But at some point you are going to stop exercising or cut way back. It’s bound to happen. We all live ridiculously busy lives and for one reason or another this just happens. And that’s where these food demons start to rear their ugly head.
While the training sessions, hot yoga — whatever exercise — has been cut way back, the calories have not. The next thing you know you’re right back to where you started.
This is so hard for so many of us because our lives pretty much revolve around food. Even John Goodman, who just lost a ton of weight, said he expects to put it back on. I suspect it’s for a similar reason.
If you conquer your food demons you can win the battle of the bulge once and for all.
How many calories do we consume at Starbucks when ordering their Fraps, Cappuccino’s and more?
Ha! I love this question.
Starbucks can be double trouble. Not only because we need our caffeine fix, but we crave the sugar in these drinks. Literally crave it. Studies are now showing that sugar is as addictive as cocaine. That’s why those fraps and cappuccinos are so damn comforting! Calories and sugar can feel like a warm blanket.
But that warm blanket isn’t exactly going to have you looking fab — especially if you sip away every day.
The problem is we look at these things in terms of a single serving and not how many calories we’re drinking over time. When they see just how much their daily habit adds up to over a year they’re jaws hit the floor!
When you look at a single grande Caramel Frappuccino you’ll see that it has 410 calories and 64 grams of sugar. No, you’re not going to have to buy a new wardrobe because you have one. The problem is because this is a daily habit you’re really in a hard way. Over the course of a week that adds up to almost 2,900 calories or more than a full day’s worth! And over a year it’s almost 150,000 calories! It’s crazy!
My weakness was the Caramel Macchiato. That thing set me back 240 calories each time and almost 90,000 in a year. Not to mention the mountain of sugar that comes with it.
I really encourage people to do their own math and see just how many calories they’re drinking.
Try sticking with just black coffee. It may take some getting used to, but you should come around after a while. If you’re in need of a strong pick me up try their Café Americano. That’s an espresso cut with hot water. It’s smooth and only has 15 calories and no sugar.
Or you make the switch to plain green tea, which can actually help you lose weight.
But ladies… and gentlemen… the bloat is real. You need to be careful with caffeine because it can cause bloating. That’s about the last thing you want when you’re in your swimsuit. So it’s best to stick with water before having your fun in the sun.
How has losing weight affected your life?
Losing weight didn’t just affect my life it saved it.
I joke about Chuck version 1.0 and Chuck version 2.0. The new me is a completely different man.
At 420 pounds it was a struggle to even walk across the street. I was in my mid-20’s with a 66-inch waist and could feel my chest tighten after just a few steps. It was scary. I really didn’t think I was going to live to see 30. And I’m sure that some of my family felt the same way.
I actually had a group of friends try to organize an intervention for me after I lost 70 pounds and put 100 back on. That was humiliating and angered me beyond belief. They clearly saw that I was in far more trouble than I knew.
Chuck at 420 Pounds
And then everything finally turned around.
My confidence shot through the roof and I just decided to go live the life I wanted to live. I followed my dreams and it has been so rewarding.
I’m all about experiencing everything life has to offer. I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish professionally. I always wanted to cover sports so I started my own sports media company and covered the NFL. I wound up hosting a couple of radio shows with players.
Then I transitioned into hard news and wound up covering everything from the Pope’s visit to the U.S. to the riots in Baltimore. Now, I really want to help people realize that they’re not hopeless when it comes to weight loss. Everyone has the ability to do it and I just want to inspire people and help them reach their potential.
Outside of that, people really do treat you differently and maybe a lot of that is also in my head. But I remember being 420 pounds and having to walk down the aisle of the airplane carrying a seatbelt extender and seeing the looks on people’s faces. They were literally praying I wasn’t sitting next to them. That was brutal and I have all the sympathy in the world for anyone who has to go through that.
Of course I’m also way more active and still get a kick out of being able to run a single mile. I can go a lot longer, but I was always overweight… even as a kid and couldn’t run more than a half lap without running out of steam. So, every time I run a mile I smile.
Do you need to join a gym to get into shape?
No! You absolutely do not need to join a gym to get in shape. In fact, I didn’t join one until I lost all of my weight. I was already skinny when I became a member.
After I had gastric bypass surgery I wanted to do things differently. I know of a ton of people who had the procedure and still put the weight back on and I wanted to give myself the best chance possible to succeed. Plus, all of my failed diets before this included a gym membership.
So, I took the simple approach and just started walking. First it was across the street. Then it was around the block. Then it was two blocks and it kept building up to the point where I was walking five miles a day during my lunch break.
The best approach to getting in shape and losing weight is to get into a routine that you can stick with and walking is something we can all do.
On top of that, I’m a big proponent of the little tips that often get dismissed. But I’m telling you, taking the stairs and not the elevator will help you not only tone up, but burn a ton of calories. If you walk just 10 flights of stairs a day you’ll burn 50 calories. And it doesn’t have to be all at once. Over the course of a year that’s more than 18,000 calories! Not too bad.
And when you want to kick it into high gear you’re going to get a much better workout by running outside than you will on the treadmill. This will shed not just those vanity pounds, but will get you all the way down to your healthiest weight. And the fact that you’ll be running in the sun doesn’t hurt either. A little vitamin D goes a long way to having you look and feel your best.
What are a few easy tips we can do each day to cut back on calories?
It starts with accountability. Start a food journal and write down everything you eat and drink each day. You’ll probably surprise yourself with just how many calories you’re taking in. Then as you begin to make changes you’ll be able to really track how much healthier your diet is becoming. You can see these numbers before the scale starts moving so it gives a sense of immediate gratification.
One of the easiest ways to cut back on calories is by making sure you don’t skip breakfast. Grab a bowl of oatmeal and add some fresh fruit to it. The fiber in the oatmeal is going to keep you feeling full throughout the morning. That way when lunchtime rolls around you won’t be inclined to gorge because you’re starving.
I believe in the “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy. So, why tempt yourself by having candy and chips around? You may be able to walk by them once or twice but eventually you’re going to cave and dig in. Willpower is funny like that. It’s best to just not have that stuff around so you’re not tempted.
And then the big thing again is sugar. Whether it’s a soda or a drink from Starbucks a lot of us are getting the bulk of our calories from a liquid diet we’re not even catching a buzz from.
If your habit is really bad try replacing one of those drinks with water. Over time, the calories you save will really add up. Plus, you’ll actually burn more calories by drinking ice water. That’s actually a negative-calorie drink meaning you’ll burn more calories by drinking it than it contains.
The other big thing is to cut back on processed foods. These tend to be loaded with sugar and the body loves to store the fat from them. It’s so much easier for our bodies to digest whole foods than anything refined. It kind of gives your body the green light to let go of the calories and not store them.
You can learn more tips from Chuck at:
Twitter: @ChuckCarrollWLC
Facebook.com/weightlosschampion
