Al Roker‘s 150-lb weight loss is one of the most impressive A-list transformations of all. And one of the most inspirational, as the beloved TV personality and weatherman adopted a new diet and lifestyle to help him keep the pounds off after having gastric bypass surgery in 2002.
Roker was very open with the fact that he underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2002, after his weight had reached 340 lbs. And he has been open about his weight loss on so many occasions since then, telling fans all about the active lifestyle he now leads (hint: it includes lots and lots of walking!) as well as his diet and his new attitude towards food. Keep reading to find out more of what he has said over the years…
What Has Al Roker Said About Ozempic?
Although the 70-year-old Today host did not go down the weight loss injections route when he shed the pounds – nor is he taking them to maintain his weight loss – he said that he actually wouldn't judge anyone who uses medications such as Ozempic or Wegovy.
"I'm not gonna judge anybody," he told the Daily Mail in a new interview earlier this month, before explaining why he believes overcoming a food addiction is perhaps the most difficult addiction of all. "Listen, it's unlike any other addiction or dependence. You can live without alcohol, you can live without cigarettes, whatever that drug of choice is, but you've got to eat, and so for some people, it's just difficult."
"If this is what works for them, I mean, who are we to say, 'Oh, don't do that.' As long as it's safe and effective, good for you. I think everybody's journey is their journey," he continued, adding: "I am very loath to give people advice about that because it's like anything — you have good days and not-so-good days, you still have emotions, things like that. So I tend not to go down that road because it's tough and everybody's got to face that and they've got to figure out their path."
"And if that path is one of these drugs and that works for them, great," he added. "And if it helps you, if that's the thing that gets you over that point where you're able to be healthier and lead a more active lifestyle, that's great." And that's exactly what Roker appears to have done, as he apparently loves to walk over 10,000 steps on a regular basis – something we bet he wouldn't have been able to do before shedding the pounds!
Al Roker Credits Portion Control And Walking For Maintaining His 150-Lb Weight Loss
The Al Roker's Recipes to Live By: Easy, Memory-Making Family Dishes for Every Occasion author went on to tell the outlet that his relationship with food has changed over the years, with portion control being one of his most important lessons. "I guess what I've come to [realize with] my relationship with food, which has happened over a period of time, is that I've learned about portions," he confessed.
He also opened up about how walking has changed his health for the better in a candid interview with Woman's World earlier this year. "I wake up about 4 o'clock to do our weather stuff, so by 4:45 I've talked with my meteorologist, and we've gone over what we want to do, so then I do a couple miles on the treadmill before I get started," Roker said. He went on: "I try to get a half-hour to 45-minute walk in Central Park and back again. Some days I'll walk home from work. It's not like an active walk. It's more like a stroll or sashay, a promenade, if you would."
"I have now had 186 days in a row of 10,000-plus steps," he also explained at the time, before saying he has been counting his steps for a while. "With the advent of the Fitbit and the Apple Watch, it became much easier. I've been doing it for a while, but this is probably the longest stretch of 10,000-plus steps I've ever done," he confessed. "There have been articles that say you need 10,000 steps and now there have been others that said you don't really need 10,000. You can do 8,000 or 5,000. I like the number 10,000. It feels like you've done something."
What Does Al Roker Eat To Maintain His 150-Lb Weight Loss?
According to Today, Roker tends to adopt a keto-inspired diet, and is currently eating a low-carb Mediterranean-style diet. This reportedly consists of keeping red meat to a minimum, and including more whole grains and vegetables such as brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts.
"I eat a lot of fish, a lot of chicken, and just olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Just good-quality proteins, lots of great veggies and herbs to elevate the flavor," he previously told AARP, as per Today. He and his wife Deborah Roberts will usually go for a short walk after dinner, which no doubt has aided in his weight loss maintenance.
He also reportedly prefers sourcing his food from local farmers markets as opposed to grocery stores, and has reportedly been a loyal customer at the farmers market in Hudson, New York, for more than 20 years. "The great thing about a farmers market is that it takes care of the whole you," he said, according to a 2023 Today article, adding: "You get clean, organic food that's been brought to you by the people who grow it and produce it."
