Last fall, an episode featured a horseback riding experience that required Coleman to submit his weight ahead of time. <\/p>\n
He weighed 337 pounds, or more than 100 pounds over the limit permitted by the ranch for the animals\u2019 health. The TV host ended up standing and walking next to a horse, while the rest of his crew was allowed to ride.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was then that I kind of made that decision, this is enough, I need to really lose weight,\u201d Coleman, 43, who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, tells TODAY.com.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really changed my life, so I\u2019m thankful I wasn\u2019t allowed to get on that horse.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nathan-coleman-weight-loss-as05272026-86b5d4.png\")
Nathan Coleman before and after his weight loss.Courtesy Nathan Coleman<\/p>\n
His doctor prescribed a GLP-1 drug<\/a>, but his health insurance didn\u2019t cover it because Coleman doesn\u2019t have diabetes.<\/p>\n So he decided to lose the weight by changing his diet, adding exercise such as walking and strength training into his routine, and making simple lifestyle changes that helped him feel better and become slimmer.<\/p>\n He now weighs 266 pounds and continues to see progress. <\/p>\n \u201cI could never go back to the way I used to eat, so I feel very happy about that,\u201d Coleman says.<\/p>\n His biggest problem foods were fast food meals, potato chips and other salty snacks. But his weight gain accelerated when his mom suddenly died of cancer<\/a> in 2019.<\/p>\n \u201cThat really hit me hard, and I feel like I began overeating, like emotional eating,\u201d Coleman recalls.<\/p>\n Then the pandemic happened, bringing stay-at-home orders and more stress, which felt like \u201ca license to overeat and not feel bad about it,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n Coleman believes his weight may have exceeded 360 pounds at one point, but knows it was 337 pounds for sure at the end of September 2025 when he had to weigh himself ahead of that horseback riding experience. At 6 feet, 2 inches tall, his BMI was firmly in the obese category.<\/p>\n Without his insurance to cover it, the GLP-1 drug prescribed to him would cost $500 a month, while a membership at a local gym costs $15 a month.<\/p>\n Coleman was also worried about the potential side effects<\/a> of the medication.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just going to go to the gym,\u201d he recalls thinking. \u201cI just wanted to do it kind of the old-fashioned way, and it worked.\u201d<\/p>\n His previous approach to losing weight relied on restrictive dieting, which never worked in the long term because it wasn\u2019t sustainable \u2014 he\u2019d ultimately give up and go back to overeating.<\/p>\n So Coleman started by intensely searching for diet advice online and began discovering other people\u2019s weight-loss journeys<\/a> on social media to inspire and motivate him.<\/p>\n His primary strategy was to be in a calorie deficit \u2014 burning more calories than he ate \u2014 and his \u201cNo. 1 game changer\u201d became eating lots of protein<\/a>, plus lots of fruits and vegetables, which allowed him to feel full. He now eats whole foods, including meat and eggs, and avoids ultra-processed foods, including chips.<\/p>\n His go-to breakfast is a protein shake with blueberries, a banana and some spinach; two eggs fried in butter and one slice of whole wheat toast.<\/p>\n Lunch and dinner both include either chicken breast, steak or another protein, plus vegetables like a salad, broccoli or carrots.<\/p>\n \u201cEating that protein<\/a>, I feel full between meals, like I\u2019m not itching to snack at all,\u201d Coleman says. \u201cIf I do feel like snacking. I\u2019ll have a protein bar.\u201d<\/p>\n His Five Simple Rules for Losing Weight<\/p>\n Coleman\u2019s top tips include:<\/p>\n Walk an Hour a Day<\/p>\n When the weather allows, he likes to walk outside on a trail near his home. Besides the physical benefits<\/a>, being in nature also boosts mental health.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s a gym day, he walks on a treadmill or uses the elliptical machine.<\/p>\n \u201cThe eating is definitely what I\u2019ve learned is the most important thing<\/a> for you, but exercise just really propels you to want to eat healthy,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n Strength Train<\/p>\n Coleman alternates walking days with gym days when he focuses on lifting weights<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re building muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been an education for me, and it\u2019s working.\u201d<\/p>\n Snack on Fruits and Vegetables<\/p>\n![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nathan-coleman-as05272026-2-42074d.jpg\")
Nathan Coleman says the turning point was when he learned his weight would keep him from riding a horse.Courtesy Nathan ColemanWeight Gain<\/p>\n![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nathan-coleman-as05272026-5-a7d1ce.jpg\")
Nathan Coleman says he turned to food to soothe his emotions.Courtesy Nathan ColemanWeight Loss Success<\/p>\n
![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nathan-coleman-as05272026-3-d89724.jpg\")
Nathan Coleman, seen here with his daughters, makes time for both walking and strength training in his workout routine.Courtesy Nathan ColemanPrioritize 8 Hours of Sleep<\/p>\n![\"In](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nathan-coleman-as05272026-dea929.jpg\")
In addition to his diet and fitness, Nathan Coleman also focused on getting his sleep on track.Courtesy Nathan Coleman<\/p>\n