Enjoy these “Before” and “Current” Photos! And check back – I’ll be adding more occasionally!
Pictures with Richard Simmons – the man who changed my life and got me started on this weight loss journey. “Before” pic taken in January 2010. The middle pic is from October 2010. The “Current” pic is from September 2011:
Two photos from two different appearances on national television. “Before” pic is from September 2007, when I was a contestant on “Merv Griffin’s Crosswords” (watch it here). “After” pic is from when I was a guest on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (watch it here):
“Before” pic is from March 2008. “Current” pic is from April, 2012:
“Before” pic is under the Brooklyn Bridge in June 2008. “Current” pic is from the same location, in May 2012:
“Before” pic is from a cruise to Alaska in the summer of 2007. “Current” pic is from a Caribbean cruise in December 2011:
“Before” pic is from Summer 2009, in the gardens at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. “Current” pic is from January 2012, in the same location in the gardens:
“Before” pic is from July 2009, with my friend Heather. “Current” pic is from June 2011 (I’ve lost 165 pounds, and Heather’s lost 50!):
My friend Steve took the above “Before” picture, and overlaid it with a silhouette of me from April 2012. Look, it’s a “Before” and “Current” picture all rolled into one!
“Before” pic is from July 2009. “Current” pic is from September 2011. That’s my friend Katherine, and, in the “Current” pic, her son Kai:
“Before” is with my friend Judie’s puppy, Cleo, in October 2007. “Current” is with Judie’s new puppies, Rosie and Lucy, in June 2012:
“Before” pic is from my junior year in high school (Spring 1996), with Emily, a dear friend and my Sadie Hawkins date. “Current” pic is when I saw Emily in September 2010:
Enough “Before” and “Currents”! Here are some photos taken by an amazing photographer – my friend Mike Rozman – in March 2011. They’re probably the best photos I’ve ever seen of myself.
Keep It Up, David! 
Hello David
I am so happy for you. I want to lose 64 pounds and I am having a very hard time. I force myself to exercise, but then I get depressed about being in so much pain from my arthritis and I go on a eating binge. I feel like there is 2 people that both want something different. I am not giving up. I am very proud of you.
Now you are my ideal inspiration along with my Mental Motivator Maxwell. I think I need to get out my Richard Simmons tapes!!!
Hello,I haven’t seen the Ellen Show yet, but she just posted something on my FB page about you. Congratulations on the weight loss – you look much healthier now. I too need to lose about 50 lbs…wish me luck.! and Keep it Up!!
Hello Carol Have you tried working out in water; deep water work-outs can work for those with arthritus. Go slow and steady, being mindful of your body. Best wishes, Molly
Just seeing your picture is inspiring. I just replaced an old VCR tape “sweating to the oldies 2” with a DVD. I also moved my treadmill to the living room in front of the TV. It was out of site, out of mind. De-core is not as important as health. I have a lot of pain but know that if I start moving again the pain will be less. I also will eat less if I move more. At 65, you begin to think how short your life is and I want to extend mine as much as I can.
jonnie snow i would like to get a DVD of “sweating to the oldies 2” but don’t know where to get it, if you can help me please i would be so happy. thank you
Hello David. I just finished watching the Ellen Show segment of you online. I am very inspired by you. You look amazing! Keep up all the hard work.
Hello there, David. I’m sure you get a lot of emails or messages about people with their weight issues and how you inspire them and it kind of blurs together after a while so I’ll spare you. I don’t even know what I was really going to say besides the fact that it’s amazing to see such a transformation when you really put forth effort. I wouldn’t say I’m inspired as much as I am impressed by your accomplishments. I’ve been struggling for a while to attempt to get the weight off and succeeded in going from a 290 pound teen to a 230 pound teen only to come back to 270 pounds. I hope the best for you, David.
Keep slim.
Hi there!
I just wanted to let you know that I am very proud of you for doing this. I too have been losing weight and so far I have lost 40 pounds. I have a really stressful life with my husband deployed and a beautiful little girl with autism and food was my comfort. I ate when I was stressed and ate when I felt lonely. But I decided to change all of that. I was tired of feeling tired all the time and I decided to eat healthier and listen to my body. I went from a size 24 to a size 18 and I can now excersise without feeling like I’m going to collapse. Keep up the good work!
Sincerely
Crystal pierce
Hi David,
Way to go! Your story sure is very inspiring! My ultimate target is to lose 77 pounds! I hope that I can one day be just like the way you are! 😉
Cheers!
Hello David,
Your journey is truly inspiring! As much as you are, I also do not believe in destructive diet pills or laxatives (though I once tried and got sick for a week). I am paranoid about my weight, though not “there” yet; but I am keeping my weight under a close watch after giving birth to 2 boys.
I admire your determination!! Keep it up, David! 🙂
Hello,
You are an inspiration to me. I have to lose 90 lbs I am at 55 off but am struggling with the last few. I have not exercised yet due to lack of motivation but I hope I csn remedy that soon. Keep up the good work!
Hi David,
Way to go!!!! You have made a truly amazing journey and it’s not over yet. Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration to everyone who thinks they can’t lose weight. Your heart, joints and entire body thanks you very much. Most importantly, your family and friends thank you because now you will be so much healthier and live so much longer. You should be so proud of yourself.
Hey david, I recently went from 287 to 217 myself. My sister went from 345 to 134 as well. You have done a great job and hope others are helped with your story.
hello cathy how did you guys did it????
David,
I saw you on the Ellen show and was inspired. I have many health issues and have ALOT of weight to loss. You are doing amazing. Keep it up and I hope to blog with you as I try to take off some of my pounds. Thanks for the inspiration.
David, I finally got on your blog and saw the clip of you on Ellen’s show…
How incredible you are, and handsome too. I’m so happy for you David, you are quite an inspiration for all of us. I’ve just lost 20 lbs. and seem to be slacking so now I have your blog for renewed determination. Keep up the great work. Glad you and Tavi are doing some hiking. I’ll be in town Saturday for his show, maybe we can get a walk in. You are amazing!!!!
Congratulations, David! How happy you must be! I know every day must still be challenging, but when you look back at your chart – you’ve got to be inspired to continue. Keep up the good work! You are such a GREAT inspiration to so many people. God bless you!
Hi David,
I am very inspired by your weight loss journey. I wish we could all have a little Richard Simmons with us lol. I, myself, have been steadily gaining weight since I was 10. After having my first child, I need to lose about 90 pounds to be in a good place. I have so much trouble getting motivated to exercise, and I can’t say no to bad foods. I know HOW to eat to lose weight, I just can’t get in the mindset to DO it. Any suggestions?
Hey Ashlea! I would suggest starting by beginning to remove the bad foods, and therefore the temptation, as much as you can. Get rid of junk food in your kitchen (and stop buying it!), start packing your lunch if you go to work. Start thinking of fun swaps to make – fruit as a snack instead of cookies; an english muffin instead of a big ol’ bagel. Take it SLOW – start one new healthy habit today, and after a few days, after it takes hold, add another one, then another one, and so on. As for exercise, you just gotta do it. Load up your iPod with 5 songs you LOVE, and go walking and listen to all 5 – Voila! You just walked for about 20 minutes! Then, KEEP IT UP! Hope this helps.
Wow you look amazing!!! Just watched you on ELLEN!! So proud of you…. Keep it up David 🙂 Have a wonderful day and CONGRATULATIONS on your success!!!
Love and Light
Jennifer
WOW!
Ur awsome !!! Greets from Norway
Thank you! Greetings from California!
Hi David… I met you this Mon. & walked away in tears! Your success is amazing & I want it so bad it hurts. I wish I had the support you did because I try & try to do it on my own & it doesn’t work. I was doing a fitness bootcamp program & lost about 50 lbs., then totally fell off the wagon & gained it all back & then some! Did you go throught depression? Thats what seems to get me. I know I can do it, I’ve seen myself accomplish things I never thought I could do while in my bootcamp, even quiting smoking after 20 years. I have the drive & determination if given the right support but I start out with a ton of support but it fades quickly. I hope to achieve even half of your success one day… hopefully sooner than later! I am scared for my life as I gain more weight but feel helpless at times to do anything about it. Sorry for the long rant, I just don’t feel I have a whole lot of people around me that truly understand. Thanks for sharing your story!!
It was great to meet you, Lisa. I too have dealt with depression, and it’s so hard and overwhelming at the beginning, but you can do it! Find some things tomorrow that you can do to be healthier. Go for a walk. Swap out some soda for water. Make a few changes, and after they catch on, keep adding more changes! And exercise! You’ll find your way. And once you do, KEEP IT UP! -D
Maybe I missed it somewhere…How Tall are you? You look REALLY tall in most of these photos. It’s a random curiousity lol.
Hi Tawny – thanks for stopping by! I’m 6’4″.
David,
i have to say, you are quite a handsome man 😉 my friend and I were both watching you on Ellen the other day and we literally could not stop ourselves!! I swear, if Elvis Presley and Adam Lambert had a baby, it’d look like you. I guess what I’m trying to say in a nutshell is: your hot 😉
Ha! You’re so sweet. Thank you, Robyn!
David – I found you from Kenlie’s blog alltheweigh.com. How absolute beautiful you are! Fantastic photos of the chicken curry dish, very motivating to see fresh vegetables and healthy portions. A reminder that dieting does not have to be about bowls of Special K day in and day out. I love seeing the success that you have had of taking control of your life – and all with such a wonderful smile. You were just the push I needed to get myself back on track!
From New York, Leah
Thanks, Leah, for stopping by, so glad you enjoyed what you read! I hope you come back again… keep it up! -D
Hi David – You must just look at those great new photos of yourself, and be so proud.
You’ve achieved so much. You deserve all the happiness that comes from hard work and dedication.
Cheers – “Lethal Astronaut” in New Zealand.
Very impressive david 🙂 you are an inspiration for many .
[…] addition to my little dinner party. I’d just have to seat him far away from David, since they already know each other. (Wouldn’t want them to start talking amongst themselves while ignoring the rest of us, now […]
Hi David…I stumbled across your website, but I remember seeing you on Ellen…you use to work for her, right? Anyway, I struggle with food daily, and you are a great inspiration! Thanx
Sonia
Hey Sonia – thanks for stopping by, and thanks for the kind words! Yep, I worked at “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” for a long time, and then, last year, they brought me back as a guest. You can see the video if you click on “Watch Me On Ellen” at the top of the page. Hope you enjoy the blog!
AWESOME!!!!! What an inspiration you are!
THANKS!
Hi David,
I’m a 38 year old mother of three who has been struggling with weight all my life. I’ve always been ‘chunkier’ than my friends, and have weighed over 200 lbs since I was in high school. I experienced the same sort of depression throughout high school and college. I am married to a wonderful man who loves me for who I am, but I still struggle every single day to motivate myself to lose weight. It goes up and down… I lost 40 but slowly gained back 30. Then I feel defeated and frustrated and have trouble getting back in shape. How do you stay motivated? What do you do when you only have 15 minutes to yourself in a day? I found you through Ellen’s site and am so glad I did… I will be a regular follower of your blogs (or as I call them, “inspiration pages”. Keep it up, David!
Thanks for stopping by, Samantha – glad you found my blog, and thanks for reaching out. Motivation is one of the hardest parts of losing weight, no doubt. I found, early on, that a great way to keep motivated was to track my progress. I created a weight loss chart (see it here) and update it regularly, so I can be reminded of what I’ve accomplished on a daily basis. I also try to focus on the little things I can do EVERY SINGLE DAY that make me feel good. I take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever I can. I pack my lunch and bring it to work instead of relying on nearby restaurants or markets. Those little things add up, and they’re so much easier to focus on than the big, daunting, overwhelming number of total pounds you want to lose. Another thing that’s really important is being accountable. Keep a food log and write down everything you eat. Track your exercise. Work with your husband and find things you can do together, like exercise, or going for an after-dinner walk together. Make a weekly date with a friend to exercise so it’s a commitment. I don’t like bailing on friends, so having an appointment to work out is a great way to get me off the couch!
Find some little things you can do, and then start doing them every day, and KEEP IT UP! You can do it, Samantha!
Hi David
I was so excited to se toy story and progress I am so impressed. I’ve also been working hard at loosing weight. I have lost 13kg and 66cm I’m very active and this year I’ve earned 3 medals for walking a great achievement for me at age 46 I’ve taken up cycling and swimming as well. Reading you’re story has inspired me please can you send me you’re news letters I live in South Africa and would love to share with my friends
God bless
Tammy
Congratulations….it’s such fight…I know how hard it is…I love your story and I will be reading and joining in from time to time…Very handsome and beautiful pictures David…
Wow, very inspirational to read your blogs and see your clips on Ellen. So amazing! Ps I love Richard Simmons, too 🙂
Welcome! Thanks for stopping by and reaching out!
Congratulations David! I saw you on Home & Family, one of my favorite TV shows. You are an inspiration. But what does one do if they don’t have Richard Simmons as a friend or few friends?
That’s an excellent question, Judy, and you’re not the only person that asked it. I’m going to focus on this question in my next post, which I’ll publish tomorrow (Friday, 1/3) – keep an eye out for it!