Manuel Uribe: Zone Diet's Biggest Success Story
Manuel Uribe, of Mexico, was the heaviest man in the world. He weighed an astonishing 1232 pounds. He just celebrated his 43rd birthday - with a 400 pound weight loss.
The numbers are ridiculous and difficult to comprehend - but Uribe's determination is inspiring. Despite many failed weight loss attempts (including a botched liposuction that almost killed him), Uribe is losing weight the old-fashioned way. He is eating a good diet and (believe it or not) exercising.
Although he is confined to his bed - a specially-tailored machine has been used to help Uribe engage in hand-biking and sit-ups.
Uribe has been assisted by Zone diet specialists (including Dr. Barry Sears) in his diet. Here is what he eats (about 2000 kcal per day):
Breakfast:
6 egg white scrambled eggs
¾ cup melon, ½ grapefruit, and 1 cup strawberries
3 tablespoons guacamole
Lunch:
3 ounces tuna salad with avocado and cucumber
½ grapefruit
3 cups vegetables
Snack:
Protein Shake (3 scoops Zone Protein Powder in water, 18 peanuts, 3 peaches or 1 cup mandarin oranges, blended)
Dinner:
Chicken Fajitas (3 oz. chicken, onions, peppers, and 1 6" tortilla)
2 cups vegetables
2nd Dinner:
Fish Filet in Green Salad (4 oz. white fish, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, pumpkin, green beans, squash, and cucumbers)
3 tablespoons avocado
1 apple
Snack:
Protein Shake (1 cup 2% milk, 3 scoops Zone Protein Powder, 9 almonds, Splenda, ½ cup strawberries, and 1 cup melon)
Where to now?
Uribe has another 400lbs to go until reaching a goal weight of 265lbs.
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WOW! That is an amazing amount of weight to lose. I was watching a documentry a few nights ago and it was about a man that was under similar treatment. He had to be cut out of his room and hadnt left his bed for four years! He was using the bike for exercise and a calorie controlled diet. Its amazing how much can be achieved when a person wants it enough.
ReplyI have just linked to one of Diet Blog's old articles in my latest blog:
http://goodbyetoallfat.blogspot.com/2008/06/addiction-overeating-part-2.html
The old Diet Blog entry that I linked to is:
http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2008/06/03/shame_on_you_weight_loss_tactics_that_dont_work.php
I have referenced the quote and Diet Blog.
Hope this is OK.
Best wishes,
ReplySharon
Yes it certainly is inspiring. I guess when the alternative is a premature death, there is a fair bit of incentive.
ReplyThat's pretty awesome. He certainly deserves a party! How many people can say they've reached the halfway point where the halfway point is losing 400 pounds?
ReplyI recently saw a special on Manuel where he was able to leave his room for the first time in years - they actually rolled his bed outside somehow so that he could participate in a celebration. I would say losing this much weight is certainly something to celebrate! How was his body still able to function with that much extra weight? Keep it up, Manuel!
ReplyGo Uribe!! i'm very proud of a person with this much of a challange who is still facing it head on. you see so many who haven't gotten as big as Uribe and still dont have the motivation to lose the weight; its amazing to see so much accomplishment!
ReplyIt's great that he's losing weight but I'm more fascinated by how on earth someone can get that fat in the first place.
Clearly there's some sort of disconnect between the brain and the stomach, coupled with a metabolism slower than molasses.
Reply...and enablers. At some point, he had become unable to feed himself. Those around him are culpable too.
Still, what an amazing story. Like Ali said - it shows that it is never too late.
ReplyThis is indeed an impressive success story -- but like Barry, I'm surprised (and disconcerted) it's possible to become so overweight in the first place. Why weren't this man's family and friends encouraging him to seek medical help long, long before he became so obese?
Still, it's definitely a testament that it's never too late to change your diet!
ReplyIt's sad that he got to be that overweight, but even more impressive is his ability to change his lifestyle and commit to losing the weight. It's amazing that he is able to reverse his ways after many years of eating poorly. I cannot fathom trying to lose 400 pounds. I'm really happy for him, and I hope that he reaches his goal.
ReplyWow, that is good for him. It almost seems unbelievable to think a human could weigh over 1200lbs.
ReplyThere's an article about him on Wikipedia. For those who are curious how he got this big - check out what he was eating. What's with all those meat and cheese tortillas?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Uribe#Diet_Before
ReplyI would point a finger at the people who paid his bills and brought him food as well as at him. He didn't get this way without help.
ReplyBarry
ReplyPeople get that big mostly due to eating disorders some doctors believe binge eating disorders can be a form of bulimia and not all bulimics purge.
Wow, way to go Manuel!! I saw a special on him on TV once and they showed what he eats on his diet and in comparison to what he USED to eat, it's no wonder he's 400 lbs lighter. I sort of don't get how people can get to those extreme levels of obesity, but they do...some of those documentaries about the super morbidly obese show people that eat close to 30,000 calories a day. So yeah, that'd be enough to make you gain weight pretty quickly.
On another note, what sane doctor would perform liposuction on such an obese person?? The risks for that sort of operation are huge. I'm glad that he's deciding to lose weight the "old fashioned" way. Wonder if he'll opt for gastric bypass when he gets down to about 300-400 lbs.
Reply"Uribe has another 400lbs to go until reaching a goal weight of 265lbs."
He lost 400 so far according to the above. That puts him at 832 lbs.
If his goal weight is 265 and he has to lose another 400, that means he lost 167 lbs somewhere in between?
So that means he is looking to lose almost 1000 lbs.
ReplyThat's pretty amazing that he was able to mentally turn himself away from whatever mindset got him there to the determination to turn things around. What surprises me actually is that he is only on a 2000 cal diet. I thought that was what they recommended for an average person to consume. Going from whatever he was previously eating to maintain that fantastic weight to a mere 2000 must mean the man is starving half the time (in his head at least)
ReplyHi,
Here's a little insight into how Manuel does so well on his calorie restricted Zone diet. I highly doubt he's starving (neither in the brain nor the body). I've been eating the Zone diet for over 13 years, and have not been starving, not even hungry! I lost 100 pounds during the first 2 years and I've kept it off (at my ideal weight and body fat % now). The Zone diet is very satisfying. You don't starve on the Zone diet, even though it's a calorie restricted way of eating, because you always eat the amount of protein your body requires to maintain and build your LBM , and you balance that with a moderate amount fruits and veggies plus some monounsaturated fat. The result is that you gain control of your blood sugar, your insulin stays at lower levels, and you're literally never hungry. At the same time you have tons of energy and you're at peak mental performance. Being "in the Zone" is an awesome experience. The reason you can function so well on fewer calories when eating the Zone diet, is that with insulin at the lower level, your body switches to burning fat to produce the ATP for all its energy needs, instead of burning carb to make ATP. More ATP can be made from a calorie of fat than from a calorie of carbohydrate. When burning fat to produce ATP vs burning carb to produce ATP, the result is more energy produced from fewer calories.
Replywould you like a wafer thin mint Mr Creosote?
ReplyThis if after all those tacos, fajitas, tortillas, guacamole... in a bucket? with an egg on top?
ReplyThis is awesome and and impressed with his motivation to drop the weight. I don't put all blame on obese people because most of them just gain weight easier then others. I can eat junk food all day and every day and still maintain 195 pounds and im 6-1. People that gain weight like this have to watch there diet more then others.
ReplyThere's a show on TV called "Inside the Brookhaven Obesity Clinic" which documents a clinic specifically for the super morbidly obese. These people don't just eat "more than the average person"; they eat something like 20,000 calories a day. It's truly a disease where they just have no boundaries in their heads or stomachs or both as to what normal eating is like anymore. They eat entire pizzas and wash it down with a gallon of milk or order 3 or 4 value meals from fast food places. Just giving them the amount of food that a normal person eats (most of them get around 2500 calories per day) lets them lose weight fairly quickly so they can start moving around more on their own.
Replygood point. i don't really buy that those who are obese are likely to gain weight at a faster rate than others. it may be partially true for some but i believe the bigger issue at hand is their food, mindset and lifestyle choices. not everybody with a slower metabolism or body designed to store fat more easily is obese; many actively watch what they eat and/or exercise, imo.
ReplyIt's easy to comment on one's opinion. To use logic and facts is another issue. Clinical and scientific evidence shows that genes and stress may have more to do with obesity than people think. http://record.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/4242.html
The analysis of identical twins separated at birth, where one developed in a home where nutritious food was served and the other in a home where junk food was the main meal, showed that both had an insignificant difference in weight. Although one did show to have better cardio and heart health.
ReplyI'm torn on a story like this as:
- It's great and inspiring to see someone who can go lose a good amount of weight and make themselves healthier
- It's disturbing to know that this person got that way in the first place...and this in particular is an extreme example
Good for him, hope it inspires many...but would rather see inspiring stories on people who have either always chose a healthy life or people who have kept the weight off for a long time with a commitment to a healthy lifestyle....not a fan of promoting quick weight loss and diets....rather see more focus given to long term success and lifestyle changes.
ReplyI think he's an inspiration, period. Is 2000 calories per day really a quick weight loss plan? What he's eating seems like a pretty healthy plan to me. Losing the weight is actually the easy part (IMHO), keeping it off is harder. We'll see how he does. I'm betting he'll become a Jared.
ReplyI tend to agree with you, Mike...I remember once on TV they had a guy who used to weigh 800+ pounds and he got himself down to 200ish lbs with the help of Richard Simmons and following a healthy diet. Then he REGAINED almost ALL the weight back by going back to his old habits. To me, it just seemed like he wasn't ready to make the commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
ReplyI'm glad you can predict the future Spectra. But like I said, losing the weight is easier than keeping it off, and that will be the true test.
ReplyThe guy that lost all the weight and then regained it wasn't Manuel...it was a different guy. I'm just saying I hope the same thing doesn't happen to Manuel. I hope he is a success and manages to keep his weight in check when he reaches his goal.
ReplyManuel has changed his lifestyle. He had surrounded himself with an excellent team of doctors and is committed to his healthy lifestyle change. I applaud him. Incidentally, the Discovery Channel, which is documenting Manuel's weight loss journey, recently offered him the opportunity to have gastric bypass surgery. He turned it down saying he'd prefer to stick with his team of doctors and continue to lose the weight with the Zone diet.
Replywow that is amazing, I hope he will reach his goal it is really an inspiration to the people who really want to lose weight.
ReplyHow is it even possible to eat 30,000 calories a day? Even a whole pizza only has like 2,000. I agree that he had enablers, because at some point he became unable to walk and someone still must have been bringing him food all day for him to get that big.
ReplyI hope he keeps it off - I imagine he'll have to have tons of loose skin removed.
Hi Claire!
Here's the calorie info. for 1/2 a Chicago style pizza.
http://www.dietfacts.com/html/nutrition-facts/pizzeria-uno-chicago-bar-and-grill-chicago-classic-deep-dish-pizza-regular-size-with-crumbled48070.htm
This is an example of why things are, well, like they are.
ReplyOh, it's possible to eat 30,000 calories a day. Some of these people will eat a half pan of brownies, whole pizzas, gallons of soda or milk, huge amounts of french fries, ice cream, etc. Some of them don't realize just HOW much they are eating. Heck, when I was consuming roughly 4500 calories a day, I thought I was eating close to 2500. So if these people think they're "not eating all that much", it's because they're grossly underestimating how many calories they're getting.
ReplyThis is a phenomenal amount of weight for the body to gain and then lose. Also phenomenal is the emotional healing and therapy Manuel will need so that he can gain control over his eating patterns.
It is true that the enabler's should also receive counseling as it is clear that there are some very deep rooted issues here. Manuel will need their support too if he is to reach his weight loss goal and most importantly, keep the weight off afterwards.
ReplyWell, I went to his website because I too didn't understand the calculation above but he states that he now weighs about 828lbs (376 kg) as of May 2008.
Great inspiration!!
It's in spanish but here's his site if anyone's interested http://www.manueluribe.com/manuel/
ReplyI have a cat that got extremely obese when we were feeding him with the other cats. He just would never stop eating. Before he hit internet fame as world's fattest cat, we got him to the vet, figured out how to feed him while the other cats got their food all the time and gave him a diet.
He lost half his body weight and he eats a restricted diet now. But he is always hungry and he'd eat all the time if we'd let him. I assume some people (and animals) have an appetite that just doesn't shut off. The cat just had his dinner and he's actually crying for more (he usually doesn't do that right away.)
ReplyLove these comments about how inspiring this man is. For Pete's sake, he depends on everybody around him to do everything for him, cook his meals, cut his hair, bathe him, and I'd imagine toileting as well. He's not losing the weight alone, 90% of the effort is being done by others.
The fiancee taking care of him is a freaking saint. She does a lot for him, but I can't for the life of me figure out what he does for her. Seems like a one-sided relationship.
If he truly loved those around him, he'd get the bypass and lose the weight faster. No way I would put my loved ones through what he puts them through for any longer than completely necessary.
Oh, and his doctors (who I'm sure are helping him for the publicity) claim that he's super healthy, but keep in mind his heart has to perfuse 800 lbs worth of tissue. It's working overtime. Just a nice little infection here or there and the guy will go into pulmonary edema before he can say "I'm drowning to death".
Sorry to be a hater, but it's not quite as rosy as everybody paints things. The Zone doctors have a huge ulterior motive in recommending he not undergo the surgery. And it's disturbing to watch the discovery special and actually watch them do it.
ReplyRicardo-
Saw the show tonight. I don't think the girlfriend is a saint, I think she's another enabler. Did you catch the fried chicken takeout meal, and him saying "this is my protein for the day." I did go to Wilki and saw what he ate before. I feel sorry for his mom who had to help him with bathroom duties.
ReplyI'm not a hater, either. But the man blames everything for his weight gain but himself. Is he getting counseling for handeling emotional eating/issue problems? Something just seemed terribly "off" to me about the whole story. I'm glad he's getting healthy, without the aid of surgery. I think he needs more supportive people in his life. I think the family views this as a diet and not a lifestyle. Keeping it off is harder than losing it.
......I had gastric bypass surgery in 1990. It was not recognized nor done here in New York proper. I had to go upstate to Tuxedo, NY. Dr. Rafael Capella did my surgery. He saved my live. I weighed approx. 270 pounds. Prior to that I had my mouth wired. Nothing worked. The bypass saved my like. I now weigh 120 pounds. Gained a few cause I stopped smoking. I do not believe that the vast amout of weight Manuel has left to lose will be lost by diet.
ReplyThis is a whole new way of life. I cannot say how much I loved having the gastric bypass - It saved my life and Manuel it can save yours. You are only fooling yourself. Do the bypass surgery, do it now before you start gaining back the weight.
Mouth wired? Stomach stabled? Dear god...
ReplyI think it is great he has lost so much weight. But seriously that menu for a day seems like alot now that he has lost the intial weight. No wonder he hasnt been losing much more weight!
ReplyI agree he needs gastric to lose more weight! My step-dad had it a few years ago and it helped him alot.
Well I was watching the show on TLC and I was surprised he chose diet over surgery. Diet can only help with so much he needs the help of surgery to finish the duty. I cannot believe he is getting offered sugery and choosing diet. It is a foolish decsion. He is eventually gonna need surgery to remove the excess skin left on his body after the extreme weight loss.
These diet people must be very convincing, becuase if it was me I would be ready for the surgery. Manuel Should really consider the surgery. My uncle was 600 pounds and is now down to 300 in just 1 year and a half. The surgery is very outstanding. CONSIDER IT !
ReplyJust want to tell everyone there is hope in all of us that need to lose weight and it is wonderful that you manuel are a strong person to do this good luck and keep it up,I want to see you walk again GOD BLESS ALWAYS !!!
Replyi need manuel e-mail to comuncation with him.
ReplyPlease. I am so sick of hearing people say that he NEEDS surgery. The reason that people think that Manuel can not lose weight without surgery is because they did not have the patience to lose weight the slow and healthy way. If surgery helped you then that's great but don't assume that everyone should run to the nearest hospital to have the fat chopped of of them just because YOU or someone YOU KNOW lost 800 pounds in three days by having surgery. I truly believe that Manuel can lose weight through diet and physical activity. Before a doctor came up with the uncanny idea of wiring mouths shut and stapling people's stomachs people lost weight by DIETING and EXERCISING!! Keep it up Manuel!!!
ReplyHe doesn't want the surgery because of the risks involved to his health. He almost died once before due to surgery. At his weight, he is a horrible candidate for any kind of surgery and it would pose incredible risks to his health.
Eventually he is going to need surgery to remove tumors and extra skin, but I think he's smart to wait until he is in better health before having any surgery.
Reply