Daymond John pre and post weight loss in front of a green background
Health

The Secrets Behind Shark Tank Daymond John’s Impressive Weight Loss

The People's Shark's new health habits are his latest power move.

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hark Tank investor Daymond John typically clocks in a dismal four hours of sleep each night. But he’s still prioritizing his health while running his men’s wear brand, FUBU.

John told Ebony his 2016 thyroid cancer diagnosis was a “wake up call.” He set short-term health goals to get back on his feet. Since June 2022, the 54-year-old has lost 40 pounds, going from 205 to 165 pounds. He’s maintained his new physique by sticking to a few key lifestyle changes.

If one of the world’s busiest men makes time to focus on his health, so can you. Here are four things John does to stay fit in his fifties on a tight schedule.

Cut Back On Alcohol

John says his business mindset aided in his decision to cut out alcohol. He thought of it  like “profit and loss”— drinking just wasn’t worth it anymore.

“I was making excuses to do everything but fully eliminate alcohol. I’d tell myself ‘I’m only going to have one shot,’ or ‘I’m only going to drink when I’m around people I hate so I can tolerate them,’” he tells Men’s Health. “Then it became ‘I’m only going to drink around people I love so I can have fun.’ And then I said ‘this is something you can no longer do.’”

But after axing alc completely, he says that 12 pounds “came right off.”

Take At-Home Tests Between Doctor’s Visits

After beating thyroid cancer, he’s extra cautious. John tells Ebony that he uses Viome, an at-home wellness test, to keep track of nutrients he’s missing in between doctor’s appointments for peace of mind. 

“They offer at-home tests to understand your cellular health, immune health, digestion, internal aging, and even your risk of oral and throat cancer,” he says. “The tests are clinically backed, easy to use, and give me an exhaustive list of food and nutrients that I should eat, avoid and moderate to feel my best.”

John hasn’t said whether he tests his hormones, but many men his age do. Testosterone levels start to drop around the age of 35. Around 12% of men in their fifties experience low T, according to the University of Wisconsin (1). If you’re wondering if your T levels are within a normal range for your age, Hone’s at-home testosterone test can help.

Hone’s testosterone assessment is the simplest way to uncover whether your levels are low. It’s fast, simple, and you can do it from home. And if low T is the problem, Hone can help you get you back on top of your game.

Walk Everyday

John tells Men’s Health that he travels around 250 days each year and expects to receive around 700 emails each day— this makes fitting in a gym session difficult, especially if hotel gyms aren’t open 24 hours. 

Instead, he makes an effort to walk everyday while he takes calls and answers messages. John averages around 23,000 to 32,000 steps per day— double the 10,000 minimum for adults recommended by the CDC.

A study in JAMA Neurology found that adults who hit the 10,000 daily step goal reduced their dementia risk. Even adults who only made it to 4,000 steps were able to reap 50% of the observed health benefits from walking daily (2).

Practice Intuitive Eating

While he used to practice intermittent fasting to lose weight, John says that it was a recipe for binging later when he ignored his hunger pangs. Now he opts for a low to no carb, high protein diet and intuitively schedules meals.

John pays attention to when he’s “actually hungry,” and avoids eating just because it’s a convenient time for a meal.

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