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Carson Daly Got Real About His Recent Weight Gain in a Twitter Post
You may know Carson Daly as the host of the The Voice, Last Call with Carson Daly, Today, or if we’re really going back, MTV’s Total Request Live. The ubiquitous TV presenter has recently tacked on another role: mental health advocate.
Last month, Daly opened up about his struggle with generalized anxiety disorder and how its affected his life—including his weight.
“Fun fact: I assumed recent weight gain was a side effect from an anti-anxiety drug I started,” he wrote on Twitter. “Turns out it’s just working. The calmer/happier me is in a better mood & appetite increases.”
Fun fact: I assumed recent weight gain was a side effect from an anti-anxiety drug I started (& am getting amazing results from btw..) turns out it’s just working. The calmer/happier me is in a better mood & appetite increases. 😬#ThatsOneToGrowOn #Literally #AnxietySociety
The frank admission about two rarely discussed topics struck a chord with his followers, both people with anxiety and without. It’s not the first time Daly has used his public platform to reduce the stigmatization of mental illness.
He also spoke up on Today in a special segment last year. In the clip, the host shared that he’s dealt with anxiety his whole life — his first panic attack happened when he worked at MTV—but talking to a friend inspired him to seek help. He found a cognitive behavioral therapist, learned different coping strategies like muscle relaxation and deep breathing, and found a medication that works for him.
So when Daly recently gained some weight, he asked his doctor whether the prescription was behind it. “She goes, ‘No, there’s not really a weight side effect. Officially, what’s happening is that for the past seven, eight months, you’re experiencing a new, calmer, less anxious version of yourself. Actually, it means the drug’s working,'” Carson said on Today, according to MSN. “She was right. When I look back, I found I have a whole new happiness and lease on life. I can do anything. I feel like Superman.”
“What happens is you end up celebrating life, which means you eat and drink like a king,” he added. Daly shared that he planned on losing some pounds for health reasons, but by going to the gym—not with any crazy fad diets.
“I’m tackling one of these things at a time,” he said. “I’m no longer going to be scared about any of it, and I’m going to put my best foot forward.”
After experiencing the deaths of his mom and stepfather a year and a half ago, Daly has committed to living in the moment instead of focusing on the scale. He told Today co-host Hoda Kotb in January that losing his parents inspired him to change his outlook for 2019.
“I think bigger than just the weight, the food. All that stuff is everyday, we all struggle with that, we all do the best we can,” he said. “Now I wake up and I’m like, thank you God, I got a new day, a fresh day. How can I be the best husband, the best father, the best coworker, the best fellow citizen? I’ve got today. I’ve got right now, in this moment.”
From: Good Housekeeping US
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