Actor Ethan Suplee once weighed 536 pounds but now has just 11 percent body fat. He even showed off a toned physique in a recent photoshoot. Yet his journey to this transformation was long and filled with struggle and self-discovery.
Suplee’s weight problems began when he was five years old. His grandparents put him on a strict diet to protect his health. Though well-meaning, this sparked years of secretive eating and shame. Suplee often hid food and binged in private. This difficult relationship with food stayed with him into adulthood, affecting his life even while acting in popular shows like *My Name Is Earl*.
Over time, Suplee tried many diets such as Atkins, keto, and anti-inflammatory plans. He lost large amounts of weight but repeatedly gained it back. He estimates he has lost and regained over 1,000 pounds. Each failure deepened his frustration.
The real change came in 2018 after watching a TED Talk by sports scientist Mike Israetel. The talk taught him that weight gain is about energy balance, not cutting out carbs or fat. Suplee learned to track what he ate and reintroduced carbohydrates in reasonable amounts. He stopped fearing bread, rice, and pasta and focused instead on portion control and nutrient-rich foods like lean proteins and vegetables.
Suplee now follows a high-protein, moderate-carb, low-fat diet with structured but flexible eating. Alongside this, he committed to strength training, lifting weights six days a week. Cardio is minimal, but lifting helps him build muscle and confidence. With help from a professional trainer, he once reached 9 percent body fat, showing a strong, sculpted body.
Still, Suplee knows the hardest part is not losing weight but maintaining it. He is learning to be content with stability rather than constantly chasing lower numbers. This means enjoying meals with family, eating out without tracking every bite, and even sharing fast food without guilt.
This mental shift is key to lasting change. Suplee has replaced dieting obsession with awareness and balance.
He now shares his experience through his podcast, *American Glutton*, and a 30-day support group on the Marco Polo app. He aims to show others that weight loss is about knowledge, patience, and kindness to oneself—not willpower alone.
Suplee refuses to call his approach a “diet.” He eats like a normal person, with flexibility and no food guilt. His journey shows that lasting weight loss comes from ditching diet culture, understanding energy balance, and rebuilding a healthy relationship with food.
Most importantly, he no longer chases a number on the scale. He is chasing a life he enjoys living.
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