LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — One Lansing man is sharing his weight loss story with the public – through podcasting.
He tells 6 News he wanted to remove the stigma surrounding men and bariatric surgery, and his efforts have landed him some awards.
Chris Murphy, 41, shed nearly 300 pounds, and wanted to help others understand his journey – so he launched the podcast “The Weighting Table.”
“I had bariatric surgery about 2 years ago,” he says. “My highest recorded weigh-in was 464 pounds. Men only make up about 20 percent of the bariatric community and so we wanted to address some of these issues that men were facing.”
With his co-hosts Rob Rafanan and Shea Quinn, the group talks with guests about bariatric surgery.
murphy recalls what life was like being over 400 pounds.
“Herniated discs in my back,” he says. “I was in a wheelchair, walking with a cane. My doctor said if I didn’t do something — I was 38 at the time — he said you’re not going to make it to your 40th birthday. I turned 41 this year.”
The group’s hard work has paid off. They were honored with the Best Live Social Media Series and Best Bariatric Podcast at the 2023 Be Your Bariatric Award Show in Washington, D.C.
“We’ve created a bariatric family and it was an amazing experience.”
“The whole idea was to give back to the community who gave back to us. and so to be recognized and to win from that same community is a blessing to us for sure,” says co-host Rob Rafanan.
“Clearly I’m doing something right in sharing my story,” says Murphy. “And I’ve grown to understand the power of sharing your story. “
He said the awards are great – but what drives him is creating a safe space to help people.
