I have
followed Sean Mulroney on Instagram for a a few months now and
he is one of the most inspiring people on social media. Sean's
heaviest weight was 687 pounds, his current weight is an impressive
583 pounds and his ultimate goal is 250 pounds. There are very few
men sharing their weight loss struggles so openly on social media,
and it is refreshing. He has been featured on FoxNew2, Forbes and ITV. He is likable,
relatable, and genuine. After I spoke with him on the phone, I
quickly realized that this one blog isn't going to cover everything
I want to because it would be as long as a novel, which
incidentally Sean is working on. He has so many things in the works
that will blow your mind. I actually took TEN pages of notes while
we were talking. With the help of his trainers, doctors, and other
professionals he is hoping to smash the stigmas and stereotypes of
people who are obese and get people the help they need and deserve.
He knows how poorly some obese people have been treated, even in
the medical field because he has been treated the same way. The
stories he shared with me had me speechless.
Sean is
very active on social media and he told me straight away that he
will answer every message and email he gets right off the bat. He
thinks that it is vital to respond to his followers who are looking
for encouragement and support. He has a podcast that is set to
launch later this month with his trainer Brandon. He has a reality
show in the works called "Sean Mulroney's Weight Loss Adventures"
that he hopes will kill the stigmas of obesity with compassion and
humor.
 |
| Image: Sean Mulroney |
I'm just
scratching the surface on what Sean hopes to accomplish. After
talking with him, I have no doubt that he will be changing lives
all over the world with his mission. He is thankful to have a
platform where he now has the opportunity to encourage and help
others. He said multiple times during our conversation that he has
turned his greatest pain into the greatest platform. You can sign
up for Sean Mulroney's Obesity Revolution here for free. You will have
access to meal planning, exercise videos and so much more!
Tell us
about yourself
I am a
husband, a father, a radio personality, and a guy with the battle
scars of life. My father died when I was six and that trauma was
never dealt with appropriately. It manifested in very destructive
behavior at a very young age. By Gods grace, I am here and I have a
mission to educate, edify, and to assist folks like me that are
dealing with morbid obesity.
What made
you decide to share your story on social media?
I knew
that my situation was not unique, morbid obesity afflicts millions
around the world and I believed it was time to put a face to Morbid
Obesity, my face, so that we could tackle it as a group and create
a meaningful, life changing movement. I needed to create awareness
that would cause action – we all know someone who is obese, and
when a person’s size is brought into the forefront of a situation
or conversation, everyone gets uneasy, embarrassed. . . the time to
ignore the subject is over – people are dying because folks are too
embarrassed and aren’t comfortable with saying it out loud.
Morbid obesity is a condition that is reversible.
Tell us
about The Obesity Revolution and how it started
It
started with a simple statement of fact that diets don’t work.
Additionally, gyms are not prepared to have a clientele whose
weight exceeds 300 pounds individually. The morbidly obese are
invisible, ignored, and not considered. From clothing sizing, to
seats in a movie theatre, to shoes, to adequate healthcare. I am
sick of seeing people rejected, refused health care, dying because
they are obese.
When did
you realize that you needed to get healthy and lose weight?
On some
level, I always knew – I was a big kid, a big guy, but I was
active. I was a jock all throughout school, and I was active as an
adult too. Weight has a way of creeping up on you when you don’t
stay cognizant of your overall health. I was hospitalized back in
2000. I went in believing my weight to be around 350 pounds. They
put me on the scale and I was actually over 500 pounds – that news
hit me hard. I felt like I had been punched.
Was there
anything that triggered the weight gain?
When I
was in first grade, my father died. My sweet mother lovingly
prepared feasts in an attempt to make me feel better. Comfort food. My teen years saw me substitute food with drugs and alcohol, but
when I was 21, I kicked those habits and went back to what I knew:
food. I am not at all blaming my mother, she was a loving, giving,
caring mom. She was the best. In dealing with my father’s death, we
coped as best we knew how. Grief counseling had not been invented
yet.
Have you
tried losing weight before?
Sure,
hundreds of times. Each attempt was a failure, because I didn’t
know that what I needed (what everyone needs). To look at weight
loss as a permanent lifestyle change. Diets are inadequate – they
are short term – they don’t work.
Was there
an "Ah-Ha" moment when you realized that you needed to take your
health seriously?
The
hospital incident scared me, but what sealed it for me was watching
my first daughter being born. That hit me right between the eyes
and I thought to myself, “If I don’t face this, she will lose me
and I can’t let her grow up without a daddy.” You see, I know,
first hand, what that life is like and I will not let that happen
to my girls.
What was
your initial plan to get started?
Once I
realized that I could not do this job alone, the plan was to make a
phone call. That was my first step. I called Oakville Fitbody Boot
Camp and left a message. A trainer named Brandon Glore called me
back. Brandon was different that any trainer I had ever encountered
before. Brandon wasn’t interested in vanity, or numbers. His goal
was and is to train me to get healthy and stay healthy.
 |
| Image: Sean Mulroney |
 |
| Image: Sean Mulroney |
What was
your biggest obstacle when you first started to lose weight?
Mentally,
my biggest obstacle was to throw away all that I thought I knew
about weight loss – everything we have been told, taught, and sold.
Most everything out there is a gimmick and their purpose is to
appeal to the people who want to lose weight for vanity sake, not
for their overall, long-term health. Physically, my biggeste
obstacle was the health industry. Doctors dismiss – they tell you
to eat less and move more. They tell you to go see a dietician.
Gyms don’t have equipment that most morbidly obese people can use.
I could go on – but basically the biggest obstacle for me,
physically, was and is the lack of access to necessary equipment
and the lack of interest from those whose vocations it is to help
people.
What is
your biggest obstacle now?
My
biggest obstacle now is my stage 4 lymphedema and the water
retention that comes with it. I am doing all I am supposed to, but
there is no way to control when the lymphedema flares up. The water
weight gain is real weight, but its just water.
What has
surprised you the most while losing the weight?
How
quickly the weight can come off and then climb back on again. For
me, water retention is a huge issue due to the lymphedema in my
lower right leg. Additionally, the combination of food choices and
how they react, chemically in the body is fascinating – I never
realized there was so much science involved in human
digestion.
What
keeps motivated you to keep going?
My wife
and daughters – they are my life and I fight for them. They deserve
my absolute best and I am giving it to them every single day. The
next powerful motivator is all the people who I have come to know
on this journey, we hold each other accountable and I can NOT let
them down.
Have you
hit any plateaus? If so, how did you handle them?
I have
hit plateaus. They aren’t the same for everyone, and mine happens
to be the lymphedema. Some days, I can barely walk and that affects
my workouts. Brandon is an amazing trainer and an amazing person –
he tailors my workouts to my physical limitations and those
limitations can change daily. Brandon changes my meal plan and
workout routines up regularly so that plateaus don’t happen as
often, this confuses the body which has been life changing!
Who have
been your biggest supporters?
Besides
my family, my supporters are the folks who I’ve come into contact
with via social media. They have joined me on this journey, and we
are traveling together. We encourage, we complain, we congratulate,
we share. There is a genuine camaraderie because we are sharing the
common goal of getting healthy and staying healthy. I have met some
phenomenal people and had I not made my journey public, I would
never have been blessed to know them.
What was
the best advice you received while losing weight and getting
healthy?
Stay
focused and be patient with myself. That’s hard to do for almost
anyone. We humans are hardest on ourselves – we get impatient, we
get flustered. This is a journey, not a sprint.
What is
the best part so far of getting healthy?
Besides
coming into contact with some truly amazing, brave, strong people,
I’d say the best part is proving to everyone that it can be done.
The formula for healthy weight loss is not an exact science as each
person’s needs and circumstances need to be considered before they
decide on a plan of action. THEN the science kicks in!
What is
your current exercise routine?
I work
out 2-3 times a week at the gym and at home workouts daily. He
considers my leg as well as my physical health (I just recently had
a bout of the flu) He never intends to wear me down. He’s in this
with me for the long haul. I couldn’t ask for a better person to be
training me.
 |
| Image: Sean Mulroney |
Are you following a specific diet?
Diet is a
4-letter word. “Diet mentality” can make a person think that
they are depriving themselves of something delicious and decadent.
I am depriving myself of nothing, I am letting go of things that,
in excess, will harm me and will sabotage my journey. I am making
smart food choices, eating and drinking things that will benefit my
body, not satisfy a craving or a want. That’s not to say I don’t
indulge once in a while. I used to drink a few liters of soda in a
day – I drank it like water! Occasionally, I will allow myself a
soda, but 99% of the time, it’s water, water, water.
What are
your biggest temptations, how do you deal with them?
I really
don’t deal with cravings or uncontrollable urges regarding food.
Sometimes I justify eating something less than healthy for all the
good I’ve been doing, but I don’t treat myself to excess. My
mindset has changed considerably, so that I am strong enough to
weigh the benefit or consequence of a choice.
Do you
get treated differently now that you have lost weight? Is it
negative or positive?
Considering my starting weight of 687 pounds, it’s not as easy to
tell that I’ve lost 105 pounds. I share my successes and setbacks.
I learned that obese people are held to a different standard than
those who only are 10 – 30 pounds overweight. People who know me
cheer with me and my critics treat me the same as they always
have.
Proudest
moment so far?
The day I
lost the weight that was equivalent to the combined weight of all 3
of my daughters – we even had shirts made! THAT was a monumental
day! Maddie was 54 pounds, Livie was 30 pounds and Kenzie was 18
pounds… I had reached 102 pounds lost and I’m still going.
What are
your future goals?
My
greatest pain has become my greatest platform, and because of The
Obesity Revolution we are committed to reaching others who are in
the same situation I am in – It is our mission to mentor, to
educate, to encourage. I am committed to be the person I needed
when I was in my darkest time. We will provide access to medical
professionals and health & fitness and make it affordable for all.
Nobody should have to flounder because they can’t afford it.
What
advice do you have for people who are struggling to lose weight and
want to get healthy?
Don’t
give up on yourself. You may not be able to do this alone, and
that’s ok – when we have leaky pipes we call in a professional
because we don’t have their skills and training. Weight loss is no
different. Don’t be too proud to ask for help. Keep reaching out,
you will find someone to help you. This Revolution has gained so
much momentum and people are finally coming out into the light. We
are there for you and for each other.
Favorites
Healthy
snack: Cashews
Workout:
Battle ropes
Hobby:
Watching baseball
Way to
relax: Candy crush
Treat
meal: Pizza! Specifically pepperoni pizza Ferraro’s East Coast
Pizza
Drink:
Grape Propel (made by Gatorade)
TV show:
Shark Tank
Movie:
Tommy Boy!
Book:
Bible
Singer/Band: Chris Cornell – Lead Singer of Sound Garden … RUSH,
Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Alice in Chains
Sports
team: Pittsburgh Steelers & St. Louis Cardinals
Body
part: Eyes
Workout
song: Cheerleader by Omi
Mantra:
You don’t have to be perfect to inspire others, you just have
to show people how you deal with your imperfections
Guilty
pleasure: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Quote:
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you
care
Social
Media Links:
Website -
www.theobesityrevolution.com
Facebook –
facebook.com/iamseanmulroney
Instagram - @theobesityrevoution
Twitter - @iamseanmulroney
YouTube -
theobesityrevolution
Podcast –
Sean Mulroney’s Obesity Revolution (getting ready to launch)
0 comments :
Post a Comment