Drew Carey revealed that he lost 80 lbs. in 2010
NEED TO KNOW
The comedian and host of The Price Is Right said he was motivated to lose weight after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, along with a heart attack that took place in 2001
He has relied on a low-carb diet and cardio workouts to sustain his weight loss
Drew Careyhas always been open about his weight loss and health journey, which began more than a decade ago.
"I was sick of being fat on the camera. Really, I just got sick of it,"The Price Is Righthost told PEOPLE in 2010. "Once I started losing weight, again, like once I started dropping a couple pant sizes, then it was easy 'cause once you see the results, then you don't wanna stop."
Though it's been 16 years since the longtime comedian dropped 80 lbs. and went from a size 44 to a size 33, he's been able to keep it off using his tried-and-true method of diet and exercise. Carey does "lots of cardio" and keeps most of his meals carb-free.
During a March 2026 appearance onTed Danson's podcast,Where Everybody Knows Your Name, Carey said he had a heart attack in 2001 but didn't realize what it was at first.
The day after he said his "heart rate went upto something really crazy" during a jog. At first, Carey brushed his symptoms off, but when he went to the hospital the following day, he learned that he'd had a heart attack and felt motivated to work on his health.
Here's everythingThe Price Is Righthost Drew Carey has said about his health and weight loss journey.
He prioritized his health after a diabetes diagnosis
During his first year as host ofThe Price Is Right, Carey told PEOPLE in March 2024 he would go out to a diner after filming and order pasta, a cupcake and an iced tea "with a bunch of lemons." Then he'd go home and eat Doritos, drink "several Pepsis" and take an Ambien before heading to bed.
"It wasmiserable to live like that," he explained, adding that his doctor gave him a wakeup call when he diagnosed him with type 2 diabetes. Carey said his doctor warned him that if he didn't change his lifestyle, his life was "going to be shorter" and that he would have "bad things to look forward to."
The formerWhose Line Is It Anyway?star was also diagnosed with heart disease in 2001 and had to undergo an angioplasty, perParade. He also had a stent inserted into one of his arteries.
He lost 80 lbs. in 2010
The warning from his doctor gave Carey the push he needed to change his lifestyle. He toldParadethat in November 2009, he had set a goal to go from 262 lbs. to 170 lbs. by the following year — and almost succeeded, losing 80 of the 92 lbs. he wanted to shed.
"I look in the mirror and I feel like I'm in my 20s again," he told the outlet in September 2010. "I feel like I have my whole life back. I could live to be 100 now."
Advertisement
He does cardio workouts multiple times a week
Carey also credits his choice of exercise for helping him maintain his weight loss. The comedian told PEOPLE he does 45-minute cardio workouts several times a week. Though those workouts began on the elliptical, he took up running after he lost weight.
"I knew having a running goal or a race coming up would give me a little more motivation," Carey toldRunner's Worldin August 2011. "I actually was worried about the pounding, but I actually love running more than working out on the elliptical. Now if I get on the elliptical, I feel like I'm trapped."
In August 2010, he ran his first 10K in nearly 25 years.
He joked he's lost "1,000 lbs." over his lifetime
As the host ofThe Price Is Rightcan attest, keeping the weight off year after year is no easy feat. He joked with PEOPLE that he's lost somewhere around "1,000 lbs." over his "whole life."
Though Carey has noted that weight loss left him feeling great, the best reward was the improvement in his health. In addition to shedding the lbs., the comedian reported that he had reversed his type 2 diabetes and no longer needed medication.
"I always thought I was going to die before I was 60," he toldParade."My father died of a heart attack in his 40s. I'm not an idiot. The writing was on the wall."
He said he mostly avoids carbs
As for his nutrition, Carey has kept the weight off by eating "no carbs." The former host ofThe Drew Carey Showtold PEOPLE that he stays away from "starches of any kind" and opts for protein like grilled chicken and snacks like vegetables and fruit.
Per theMayo Clinic, carbohydrates are part of a healthy diet and are needed to provide a source of energy for the body, particularly the brain.
He called his weight loss "freeing"
Carey has been able to maintain his 80-lb. weight loss "more or less" for over a decade. For him, the real victory isn't physical, but emotional.
"It's better being like this," he explained to PEOPLE. "I love myself enough now to want that for myself and desire that for myself. It's a whole kind of change of mindset that you have to have about your whole life. ... but once you do, it's so freeing."
Read the original article onPeople
Drew Carey revealed that he lost 80 lbs. in 2010 NEED TO KNOW The comedian and host of The Price Is Right sa...