John Daly's Weight Loss: Is It a Good Thing?
Normally I don't get too caught up in celebrity weight fluctuations. But, one man who I never thought I'd see under 200 Ibs, is golfer John Daly, who has lost over 100 lbs through lap-band surgery and "allegedly" changing his eating habits.
Let's take a look...
Now, if you're not familiar with John Daly's laundry list of problems, he has succumbed to just about every possible addiction from booze, cigarettes, food, dice and women.
On the latter, he is 4-times divorced, and the last wife was indicted for selling drugs. He's made a country album that would make Ashlee Simpson cringe, and to top it all off, he has arguably the worst barber on the planet.
Surgery is not a "fix"
Daly was hoping to parlay his lighter frame into a comeback. Alas, he shot a deplorable 88 at the Buick Open over the summer - many people blaming it on his inability to generate the power he once had as a heavier golfer. Very recently, however he made the cut at the Australian Open, shooting a much better 72.
Whether or not his weight loss will help his comeback bid, Mr. Daly has bigger fish to fry, namely his health. According to witnesses, he still has a penchant for cigarettes and diet coke.
Further, his coach Rick Smith, said this about him after shooting an 88;
I saw a guy I didn't know existed... What I saw today was scary. It was a literal disconnect. He hasn't eaten or slept in a week. His body needs food, and it's going to the muscle, and the muscle is breaking down to the point he's in a toxic state.
The moral here is that surgery won't "fix" everything.
I'm sure there's a good number of people who think they'll just be able to rid themselves of all their health issues by having surgery. You still need to eat well and exercise. Daly was once quoted as saying he doesn't lift weights because gym's don't allow smoking.
In John Daly's case, I sincerely hope he comes around to the idea of eating well, kicking the cigarettes, and at least cutting back on the copious amounts of Diet Coke he reportedly consumes.
I see a man who has a new lease on life. It's up to him whether he conquers his demons. I'm pulling for you, John!
Sources:
Golf Fanhouse
Huffington Post
13 Comments
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Created / Updated: April 3, 2010
Well now that Tiger is out of the way, maybe he will win one.
ReplyI have seen many of of my football player friends who have had the lap band or gastric bypass procedure performed exhibit the same loss of power & strength. Anytime their is such a weight loss their is a great loss of lean muscle mass. Chances are if Daly can adopt a high protein diet, with a performance based strength training routine that he will regain much of his power.
ReplyI don't follow the golf world, so I've never heard of John Daly, but I do know a few people who've had gastric bypass and have almost ended up worse off than they were before the operation. One of my aunt's friends lost nearly 100 lbs, but has regained 60 lbs because she figured out how to "out-eat" the surgery. She eats lots of high-calorie liquids and things like ice cream and milkshakes that move very quickly through her pouch. Bottom line: it's stomach surgery; not brain surgery, so you have to make sure you deal with your own issues before getting an operation that will permanently alter how you can eat.
Replyactually they say the stomach acts like a separate brain, so maybe it is brain surgery.
ReplyOk im 12 and im 5"4 and i weigh 97 punds my mom says im not over weight but i donno if i am
ReplyNo, you are not overweight. Listen to your mother, she's telling you the truth...why would she not? At your height and for your age, your weight is just fine. Tone up if necessary, but your weight as a number itself is just fine; right where you need to be.
ReplyMy feeling, John is a destructive personality with himself. I have seen all these ups & downs with him thru the years. You still have to learn to eat well, exercise & more after this surgery & alcohol & cigarettes sure ain't gonna help.
ReplySurgery is not the easy way out, you HAVE to watch what and how you eat, you HAVE to exercise. I had sleeve gastronomy in 2002, WAS 5 FEET 2 INCHES AND WEIGHED 270. Now I weigh 120, eat sensible meals, lots of veggies and protein (more like the Atkins diet) not too much carb-mostly brown rice and whole grain. I go to the gym 5 times a week or more for about 45 minutes to an hour. I watch my weight and try to stay within 5 pounds. I visit my doctor (GP) at least three times a year and have blood work twice a year. You HAVE to take care of yourself! And I am turning 51 next April!
ReplyYou seem to have a definite bias against weight loss surgery. His "penchant for cigarettes and diet coke" have nothing to do with his weight loss surgery. You say he is "allegedly" changing his eating habits. Unless you are following him around, you don't know what he is doing. While I don't agree with his smoking habit, perhaps he is just trying to deal with one addiction at a time. I had gastric bypass surgery last year, November 2008. I have lost 110lbs so far and am feeling wonderful. I always ate a lot of healthy foods. However I also ate a lot of high calorie foods and had a great deal of problems with limiting my portions. Gastric bypass has helped me achieve what I needed to achieve which was to lose enough weight so that I could have double knee replacement surgery. Once I had that surgery and went through the physical therapy, I am now able to go to the gym and work with weights and cardio. In the past I could only swim because my knees were so bad. In addition, during my physical therapy for my knees I lost two sizes without losing a lot of weight. Yesterday, I walked about two miles when my husband and I visited Longwood Gardens. It's been a huge change for me. Hopefully it will be a big change for John Daly. By the way, one of the reasons that the weight loss has not made his game better could be because his body has to readjust to his weight loss.
ReplyWhy does everybody have to be so negative about everything? John is trying to change his life, and it looks like he's doing a pretty good job. I agree smoking is bad, let him deal with one bad habit at a time. If your not an overweight person, you don't know what it's like to have a constant hunger that consumes you. Maybe, not everybody in this world wants to spend time exercising. Is it possible someone can be healthy without exercising? Larraine, I liked your post, good for you!
ReplyI`m heading for Lap Band surgery next week myself because of John Dalys success ! Anyone thats a chain smoker, beer guzzler, 4 time divorcee, who was able to drop over 100 lbs in less then a year with the Lap Band tool in place is my hero. He even had his 18 year old daughter banded due to the fact it worked so well with him. I figure I have a lot less negative baggage going into surgery then John had or has, so I`m hoping that if I`m mostly compliant, I got a good shot of dropping some serious life long weight! Thanks John Daly for being my mentor!
ReplyI had the lap band about 7 months ago and prior to the surgery I drank 'copious' amounts of diet soda. I have had 3 since my surgery. You obviously haven't done any homework about this type of surgery or you would know that drinking soda are usually forbidden and can cause pain and stretch out your pouch. I really really doubt anyone having lapband surgery is able to consume large amounts of cola and lose over 100 pounds.
ReplyWhy are people so reluctant to exercise? Just build up to it slowly. Start with no weight, or 1 rep if that is what it takes to get off the starting blocks. Sure, you will not have six pack abs by summer, but you will get yourself into the routine of working out, which is the most important. About two years ago I was at nearly 250 lbs. Dropped to 232 lbs. without a change in diet; I do moderate workouts 5-6 times a week. Now, with a little cardio thrown in, and a slight lowering of food intake, I am down to 219 lbs. with more muscle than before.
M,W,F - pullups
T,R, Sat. - Pushups or dips.
Cardio - at least once a week of Tabata protocol. No more than twice right now.
Other leg strength exercises are thrown in, too.
My checklist:
1) Strength train. Build muscle using compound exercises.
2) Start as slow as you need to keep your motivation. It will snowball. It builds habits, and keeps stress low.
3) Do exercises you like. Ones that help you achieve a higher level in a favorite hobby are best.
4) Don't change your diet initially. Just build a fitness base, first.
5) Start cardio once you start feeling healthier. Start cardio in low frequency and volumes to avoid shin splints and other injuries.
6) Avoid injury. Pay attention to your body. If a muscle or joint doesn't feel better since the last time you worked out, cut back, or rest until you do feel better.
Reply