Drew Manning is the NY Times bestselling author of Fit2Fat2Fit and creator of the hit TV show, Fit To Fat To Fit! He has appeared on many TV shows such as Dr. Oz, The View, GMA, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and many more!
Where are you from? What is your upbringing?
I was born and raised in California and lived there until I was 13. I then moved to Virginia where I went to middle school, high school and college. I served a 2 year mission in Brazil when I was 19-21 years old. I was raised in a family of 11 brothers and sisters all from the same Mom and Dad. I was number 7 of 11 siblings.
How did you get into fitness?
My older brothers played football and wrestled in high school so I followed them and did the same as a kid. So I was always in shape and fit because of my active lifestyle. I knew I always wanted to be strong and fit ever since I was young, especially growing up watching movies like Conan and Predator!
What is your workout routine?
My current workout routine is a mix of lifting heavy weights, some HIIT cardio, lots of core work and mostly functional movements. Occasionally I will do some “bro lifts” like curls and bench press! Haha
What is your diet?
I currently don’t follow a strict diet, but I focus on mostly whole foods and tend to gravitate towards a high protein/low carb diet. Sometimes I’m strict keto and other times I’m mostly paleo. I’m a big believer in experimenting with what feels best for your body…whether that’s keto, vegan, paleo, etc.
Did you ever work in the entertainment industry?
I have only worked in the financial industry, the medical industry and now the fitness/health industry. I’ve never been in entertainment although I did have two seasons of my TV show on A&E and Lifetime, so I guess that technically counts as the entertainment industry.
Tell us about your Fit2Fat2Fit experience:
So back in 2011 I came up with this crazy idea to gain a better understanding of what it was like to be overweight so that I could better relate to my clients. I decided to gain over 75 lbs in 6 months eating the standard american diet (processed foods like sugary cereals, sugary sodas, juices, granola bars, chips, cookies, crackers, etc.) and zero exercise. I felt like I needed to better understand my clients because I couldn’t understand why it was so hard for them to just be healthy…until I did this journey and was truly humbled at how hard it was.
I realized how wrong I was in my approach to help people. I didn’t understand the mental/emotional side of weight loss, until I did this journey. It’s WAY more mental/emotional than we fit people think. The emotional connection to food is WAY more powerful than we think it is and most people don’t struggle with the physical side of weight loss as much as they do their broken mindsets about themselves, about change, about transformation and about how this needs to be come a part of their lifestyle and no just a quick fad diet that they do short term.
It requires a complete rewiring of your brain to be successful. Plus the fitness industry lacks empathy and “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” This is what Fit2Fat2Fit is all about…bringing more empathy to the fitness industry and helping people overcome their mental and emotional hurdles.
At 41, how do you stay so fit?
For me it’s more of a mindset than anything else. I’ve trained my mind to become comfortable doing the uncomfortable things like working out and staying consistent. Over time it becomes easier to do the uncomfortable things in life. So I work out around 5 days per week doing lifting/cardio and almost every day I try and move my body as much as possible…parking far away from the stores so I have to walk more, always taking the stairs instead of the escalator/elevator, going for long walks, yoga, etc.
How do you achieve higher consciousness?
This is a good question and it looks different for each person. For me, I meditate daily, I journal every day, I write down 3 things I’m grateful for every day without fail, I say 5 positive affirmations to myself every day, I do breathwork, etc. All of these things help me stay grounded and stay present. As we become more present, it’s easier to navigate through life. It’s when we are stuck in the past or always worried about the future that causes most of our suffering. So these things help me stay in the present moment and help me achieve a higher level of consciousness.
Why is gratitude so important?
A daily practice of gratitude helps to rewire your brain to look for things in your life to be grateful for. So it helps you to be fulfilled with your life now as imperfect as it may be. If you can learn to be grateful NOW for everything you have, then you won’t have to wait until “one day” to be happy….”one day when I have the perfect body” or “one day when I have x amount of money” or “one day when everything is perfect, then I’ll be happy. Then I’ll love myself”. This helps you be happy, fulfilled, and grateful for everything you have now.
One’s reality is achieved through the thoughts one believes in their head. How do you take a thought and manifest it into your dreams? – Manifestation is real and definitely can be achieved. It’s kind of like that old Bible quote, “Faith without works is dead”. Manifesting and wishing is one thing, but hoping for something helps you to do the work required to achieve this goal. Writing down your goals, hiring an accountability coach of some type, being a part of a support group, etc.
Everyone has a past…sometimes, it can be quite dark. How would you suggest letting go of your past so that you can achieve great results for the future?
Learning how to detach from our past is a long and hard process and takes continual ongoing work. It’s more about unlearning than anything else. I think most people go through life
What is the best way of connecting with someone?
The best way to connect with someone is to listen to them and make sure they feel heard and understood and that’s really what we all want. We all want to be understood and heard and that makes all the difference in helping someone transform. So to truly connect with someone empathy play an important role and so does vulnerability. Vulnerability breeds vulnerability meaning that if we are vulnerable with others it makes it easier for them to be vulnerable with us, which leads to deeper more meaningful relationships.
Do you have any biohacking practices that you do?
Sleep is the ultimate biohack. On top of that I do meditate, journal, do breath work, infrared sauna, cryotherapy, IV’s and cold water therapy as well.
Who inspires you?
Those who truly love themselves and don’t care what others think of them.
What projects are you working on now?
I just started a new keto meal prep company called F2Meals, which I’m really excited about.
What is your skincare regimen?
Mine is simple. I use an all natural face wash (currently loving Bulldog’s face wash) and an all natural lotion (once again Bulldog works really well for my face).
What does beauty mean to you?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is something that creates a sense of awe, takes your breath away and creates a feeling of ecstasy when viewing it.
How would you describe success?
Success, for me, is loving who you are, what you do and truly knowing yourself. Success also inspires me to be the best version of myself, which is why everyone’s definition of success is so individual. What one person deems “better” though is highly individual.
For example, for me, I want to be a better Father to my daughters and so if I see someone that I think is a good Dad that inspires me to be more successful in that area of my life, then, to me, that is success, but to someone else who may not be a Father or doesn’t have the desire to be one then that might not seem “successful” to them.
Where can we find you?
It’s very simple…all of my social media handles are @fit2fat2fit and my website is fit2fat2fit.com and my books are Fit2Fat2Fit and Complete Keto and my podcast is called The Fit2Fat2Fit Experience.
