Nathan Coleman still remembers the exact moment he vowed to lose weight — a “turning point” that led him to shed 70 pounds without GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.
It started with a horse.
Coleman works on camera as a video journalist for The Weather Network and the host of the travel show “Experiencing Canada.”
Last fall, an episode featured a horseback riding experience that required Coleman to submit his weight ahead of time.
He weighed 337 pounds, or more than 100 pounds over the limit permitted by the ranch for the animals’ health. The TV host ended up standing and walking next to a horse, while the rest of his crew was allowed to ride.
“It was then that I kind of made that decision, this is enough, I need to really lose weight,” Coleman, 43, who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, tells TODAY.com.
“I really changed my life, so I’m thankful I wasn’t allowed to get on that horse.”
Nathan Coleman before and after his weight loss.Courtesy Nathan Coleman
His doctor prescribed a GLP-1 drug, but his health insurance didn’t cover it because Coleman doesn’t have diabetes.
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.
He now weighs 266 pounds and continues to see progress.
“I could never go back to the way I used to eat, so I feel very happy about that,” Coleman says.
Nathan Coleman says the turning point was when he learned his weight would keep him from riding a horse.Courtesy Nathan ColemanWeight Gain
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 in 2019.
“That really hit me hard, and I feel like I began overeating, like emotional eating,” Coleman recalls.
Then the pandemic happened, bringing stay-at-home orders and more stress, which felt like “a license to overeat and not feel bad about it,” he adds.
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.
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.
Coleman was also worried about the potential side effects of the medication.
“I’m just going to go to the gym,” he recalls thinking. “I just wanted to do it kind of the old-fashioned way, and it worked.”
Nathan Coleman says he turned to food to soothe his emotions.Courtesy Nathan ColemanWeight Loss Success
His previous approach to losing weight relied on restrictive dieting, which never worked in the long term because it wasn’t sustainable — he’d ultimately give up and go back to overeating.
So Coleman started by intensely searching for diet advice online and began discovering other people’s weight-loss journeys on social media to inspire and motivate him.
His primary strategy was to be in a calorie deficit — burning more calories than he ate — and his “No. 1 game changer” became eating lots of protein, 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.
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.
Lunch and dinner both include either chicken breast, steak or another protein, plus vegetables like a salad, broccoli or carrots.
“Eating that protein, I feel full between meals, like I’m not itching to snack at all,” Coleman says. “If I do feel like snacking. I’ll have a protein bar.”
His Five Simple Rules for Losing Weight
Coleman’s top tips include:
Walk an Hour a Day
When the weather allows, he likes to walk outside on a trail near his home. Besides the physical benefits, being in nature also boosts mental health.
If it’s a gym day, he walks on a treadmill or uses the elliptical machine.
“The eating is definitely what I’ve learned is the most important thing for you, but exercise just really propels you to want to eat healthy,” he notes.
Strength Train
Coleman alternates walking days with gym days when he focuses on lifting weights.
“You’re building muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn,” he says.
“It’s been an education for me, and it’s working.”
Snack on Fruits and Vegetables
If he feels hungry, Coleman eats an apple, an orange or a banana.
He found that since he stopped eating chips, he no longer craves them.
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
Coleman’s excess weight meant he wasn’t sleeping properly, but a CPAP machine that keeps breathing airways open helped him sleep a full eight hours a night.
Studies have shown that CPAP treatment for sleep apnea can help people with obesity slim down because good sleep quality may improve weight control.
Treat Yourself a Few Times a Month
There are days when Coleman wants to order a pizza or have some fast food. He’s found it’s OK to indulge once in a while as long as he’s consistently eating healthy the rest of the time.
Inspired by influencers online, Coleman calls these moments a “pleasure day,” not a “cheat day.”
“I have nights where I want to eat whatever I want to eat, and I do that. I enjoy that food, and I wake up the next day and I get back on track,” he says.
In addition to his diet and fitness, Nathan Coleman also focused on getting his sleep on track.Courtesy Nathan Coleman
“It’s so much about consistency and keeping going and not giving up just because you had a bad meal or you ate poorly for a weekend. On Monday, just get back at it because if you can keep going, it gets easier with time.”