Adam Richman Weight Loss: How ‘Man Finds Food’ Star Lost 70 Pounds

Adam Richman developed a reputation for being able to take on gluttonous amounts of chow on Travel Channel’s “Man vs. Food,” but the “glory” of consuming pounds of food in one sitting not only began to enlarge the 40-year-old’s waistline but also impacted his self-esteem.

Now, Richman weighs 70 pounds lighter and opened up to Cosmopolitan UK about his new healthy life style and what he did to shed the unwanted pounds after "Man vs. Food" ended in 2012. Since the foodie credited soccer as one of his weight loss secrets, Richman appeared nude in a photo shoot with only a soccer ball to cover his most intimate parts.

[Click here to see Richman’s Cosmo centerfold]

"If you're a guy who's always been the fun-to-be-around teddy bear, then all of a sudden people are viewing you as sexy, it's nice," he explained to British Cosmo via Us Weekly. "It's great not having to be the plucky best friend, or the comic relief anymore—I love that. Who wouldn't rather hear, 'Wow, you look great,' than, 'Ewww…'?"

"To go from hating the way I looked to being a Cosmo centerfold is a profound honor," he added about the cheeky photo.

In an essay he penned to Men’s Health in December, Richman said he new something needed to change when he felt cramped in airplane seats, felt energy loss, and even shocked his own doctor with his weight gain. "It was depressing," he said.

With the help of a doctor, nutritionist and some good old-fashioned soccer, Richman was able to lose 70 pounds in 10 months. "My soccer training includes squats, pushups, resistance-band work, and sprints,” the former Travel Channel star said. “Ninety minutes of running became part of my love of the game rather than a chore."

Richman said he misses the food, but now he’s happier to indulge in the benefits of a healthy weight.

His new show, "Man Finds Food," airs on the Travel Channel Wednesday, July 2, at 9/8c.

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