Actor Ethan Suplee has been open about his own weight loss and management journey over the years, and is sharing some words of wisdom for others looking to do the same.
The 50-year-old star, best known for TV shows like My Name is Earl and Boy Meets World, and movies like Remember the The Titans and The Wolf of Wall Street, has been on a weight management journey since he was a child.
© InstagramHe'd initially been started on a diet when he was just five years old, although started taking it seriously at the age of 24. "And I kind of spun my wheels for 15 years on these yo-yo diets simply because I didn't communicate," he told Fox News Digital. "And when I didn't communicate to anyone else, I didn't actually figure out what I really wanted."
At his heaviest, Ethan weighed as much as 530 lbs, although with significant progress in both diet and fitness, he has lost nearly 300 lbs over the years, and has also undergone multiple skin graft surgeries to remove loose skin.
The star acknowledged in his new interview the appeal of weight loss drugs like Ozempic and other GLP-1s, but issued a warning to those indulging in them that they weren't meant to be a "one stop shop" for one's ideal weight, rather more a management tool.
"As a kid, I wanted a magical diet drug so badly," he mused. "And now we have what is a magical diet drug. I think, unfortunately, it's also not a one-stop shop."
"I think you can hop on a GLP-1 and experience weight loss. You can see the scale go down week over week for a long time without having to do anything else."
© Getty ImagesHe continued: "I think when people imagine their ideal — I don't think the GLP-1s get anyone to their ideal," but made sure to note that the small weight loss spurts that come with using them can be beneficial, rather than a constant usage.
"So if you're just going into it, going like, 'I just want to be healthier. Let me hop on this GLP-1 agonist and improve my health.' Bravo to you. You're going to do that... I'm not criticizing those people," Ethan continued.
As for what he personally advised for those wanting to see lasting change: "I think for those people, just hopping on a GLP-1 is not enough."
© Getty Images"I think it also will require some resistance training to preserve lean tissue... maybe increase protein a bit... I just think [they] aren't a one-stop shop."
Recently, speaking with Men's Journal, Ethan noted that he still sees people wanting to find the "one trick" for weight loss, and in his experience, it's always been about making a concerted, and long, effort. "And the biggest thing in dieting that I want to talk about is, I spent decades looking for the trick, and the trick doesn't exist. There's no trick."
© Instagram"It's gonna be work every day for the rest of your life. That's the trick, coming to grips with that, accepting that, and I think it's kind of the same thing with [loose] skin. There's no trick. It's gonna be there if you're losing hundreds of pounds. And accepting that, too, I think, is necessary."
