Buddy Valastro, the beloved star of "Cake Boss," has recently captured attention not just for his incredible cake creations but also for his remarkable weight loss transformation. This article explores Valastro's journey, from the lifestyle changes he implemented to the challenges he overcame, offering an insightful look into his path to a healthier life.
The Turning Point: Injury and Reflection
One year ago, the TV personality opened up about why he decided to make some lifestyle changes that ultimately led to his weight loss. Buddy injured his right hand in a bowling accident, causing him to undergo five surgeries. The journey began amid his recovery from a severe hand injury sustained in a bowling accident in September 2020. As Valastro was fixing the pinsetter in his home bowling alley, his right hand became lodged in the machine, and a metal rod impaled his hand multiple times between his ring finger and middle finger. This accident not only threatened his career as a baker but also prompted a period of reflection on his overall health and well-being. "It really touches my heart," says Valastro. Viewers have watched the Valastro family for years on their hit show Cake Boss. Now they will get another look at his home life along with his journey to healing for the upcoming two-hour TLC special, Buddy Valastro: Road to Recovery, premiering Dec.
Acknowledging the Need for Change
"During COVID, I gained so much weight," he told Fox News Digital in November 2023. "I woke up one day and … I didn’t feel right. I was just too heavy." During the COVID-19 pandemic, like many others, Valastro found himself spending more time at home. This led to increased eating and weight gain. In March 2022, he realized he was at his heaviest and decided it was time to make a change. He woke up one day and was like, 'This is almost the heaviest I've ever been.
The Weight Loss Strategy: Intermittent Fasting and Portion Control
At the time, he revealed that he had lost 40 pounds. Valastro adopted a sustainable approach to weight loss, focusing on intermittent fasting and portion control. "It took me nine months to lose weight, and I've been maintaining it now because I lost it nice and slow. It wasn't a crash diet or anything like that," the New Jersey native explained. "I just tried to be more disciplined during the week." This involved limiting his eating window and being mindful of the amount of food he consumed.
- Intermittent Fasting: Valastro incorporated intermittent fasting into his daily routine. This eating pattern involves cycling between periods of eating and voluntary fasting on a regular schedule.
- Portion Control: He also emphasized the importance of portion control, eating smaller amounts of his favorite foods.
Lifestyle Adjustments: Discipline and Hydration
Buddy also opened up about his weight loss journey in an April 2023 interview with People. Valastro attributed his success to being more disciplined during the week and making conscious food choices. "Growing up in an old-fashioned Italian house, you didn't eat until you were full, you eat until you couldn't even move. And you were gorged," Buddy added. "And that's the way I would eat all the time.
Read also: Weight Loss Guide Andalusia, AL
- Hydration: Valastro highlighted the importance of staying hydrated, drinking seven or eight bottles of water a day. This helped him feel full and reduced his overall food intake. "I try to pound seven or eight bottles of water a day. You’re always peeing! But it is good for your skin, too…If you drink a lot of water, you can’t eat as much. So it’s kind of just changing your habits, and you make it your job," he said.
Indulging in Moderation: A Balanced Approach
Buddy, who shares kids Sofia, Buddy Jr., Marco and Carlo, admitted that he indulges in a treat every once in a while. Valastro emphasized that he doesn't deprive himself of his favorite treats but enjoys them in moderation. "Listen, I’m never going to live in a world where I’m not going to have a cookie or a slice of pizza," he told the outlet. "I mean, that’s just not living to me. But I don’t have to eat a pie. So if I order a pizza at lunchtime, it’s a slice. It would not be more."
- Weekends and Travel: He allows himself to "cheat" on the weekends or when traveling, gaining a few pounds but quickly taking them off.
The Role of Support: Lisa Valastro's Influence
"My wife has been amazing. She's been a trooper," the Buddy vs. Christmas star, 43, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. Valastro credits his wife, Lisa, for her unwavering support throughout his weight loss journey. Her encouragement and understanding played a significant role in his ability to stay on track.
Maintaining the Weight Loss: A Constant Battle
Valastro acknowledged that maintaining his weight is an ongoing effort. Valastro is pretty dedicated to his new lifestyle but he knows weight will always be a "constant battle" for him. "It’s always going to be there. It’s not like it’s going to go away… I feel like I’m in a pretty good place now. So I’m happy. He remains committed to his healthy lifestyle and feels good about his progress.
From Bakery to TV: The Rise of Buddy Valastro
Fans of the Cake Boss icon know that he chefs up some delicious treats in his bakeries. We know Buddy Valastro as the hilarious baker from the hit TLC show Cake Boss, and as the owner of Carlo’s Bakery. The show followed the bakery’s requests to make unique cakes and had a little bit of family drama in there as well. Since the show, Valastro has opened up 17 more bakeries thanks to the show, with seven locations in New Jersey and the rest throughout the United States. He even opened his own restaurant in Las Vegas called Buddy V’s. When Buddy Valastro first stepped into Carlo's Bakery - the location of his popular show "Cake Boss" - he was six years old (via Guideposts). Watching his dad work the dough, to him, seemed like magic. Ever since, Valastro's life has revolved around cannolis, cakes, and cookies.
Referring back to the lessons taught by his dad in his childhood, and leaning on the support given by his entire family - who are also the staff at the bakery - including Valastro's mother, four sisters, two brothers-in-law, and his wife, Valastro succeeded in turning an ancient bake shop (started in 1910) into a hot Hoboken hub. His life has been largely an open book. Everything from his fourth child's delivery to a holiday trip with family - and the serious hand injury that threatened Valastro's career - have been recorded and available on television. Those who have followed his journey know that it's peppered with some controversies and heart-aching losses, but is largely a cluster of sweet celebrations.
Read also: Beef jerky: A high-protein option for shedding pounds?
Valastro was quick to apologize to the LGBT community. "… Just two years later, in 2014, Valastro had another mustard stain on his name - this time, an arrest for DWI. According to ABC News, Valastro resisted the arrest by playing the "Cake Boss" card: "I had a couple drinks. You can't arrest me! I'm the Cake Boss." Of course, it didn't matter to the policemen how neatly he layered cakes. Traveling with four kids in one RV for three weeks can seem daunting. Add to it the prospect of a TV crew filming the entire journey and most would likely pass, but not the Cake Boss. In fact, what he saw was an opportunity for a show. "… you put four kids and my wife in an RV and it is just TV magic," he told Life Of Dad of "Buddy's Family Vacation." Their little vacation to the Southern States of Alabama, New Orleans, and South Carolina among others was filmed and cast on Food Network. Of course, there was "fighting and screaming and some craziness," but as Valastro told Life Of Dad, "… For Valastro, his kids are his best friends. When the series was shot in 2016, Sofia and Buddy Jr. were around 13 and 11 respectively, Marco was 9, and Carlo was 5.
Valastro, as reported, would often take his kids along on his travels to different countries, and used his time off from the bakery to go fishing or bake chocolate chip cookies with them. He said, "I have a lot of accomplishments. Buddy Valastro's "Cake Boss" had introduced his entire family to the public, and fans had grown to love Valastro's mom, Mary Valastro, enough to fill the front of Carlo's Bakery with a heap of bouquets at the news of her passing in 2017 (via The Delish). Following her death, Valastro could not, however, make himself go back to the store for at least a month. "I haven't been back to Hoboken since she died and I know that when I go there, I'll definitely break down. … Mary Valastro, who had been a regular in TLC's "Cake Boss" since its launch, took a backseat in 2012 after she was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease - a degenerative disorder that would affect her motor skills and eventually render her incapable of walking.
Buddy, seeing first-hand the effect ALS can have on a person's health, set up a foundation in his mother's name to raise funds for research about the fatal disease (via Delish). Though Buddy Valastro's fans were shut away from the goings-on at Carlo's Bakery for two years, they rested knowing that the Cake Boss was taking care of his health. Photos that surfaced on social media showed Valastro in a slimmer and fitter version. In September 2020, Buddy Valastro's right hand got stuck in the bowling pin machine at his home in New Jersey (via USA Today). A one-and-a-half-inch metal rod reportedly impaled his palm in the region between his ring and middle fingers. It remained stuck for close to five minutes, until his sons sawed through the metal rod and freed his hand.
This was Valastro's worst nightmare turning real. As per his 2010-published book, "Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia," he truly believed that his "hands were touched by God." He wrote, "I also developed a phobia, which I still have, that something would happen to them. Around the time of the ghastly accident, Valastro's new season of "Cake Boss" had just released, and he had just won the second season of the reality show on Food Network "Buddy vs. Duff." Everything had to be put on hold, as the accident had rendered him incapable of even folding his fist. It took at least five surgeries for him to feel some sensation in his hand. Buddy Valastro has come a long way from not being able to hold a knife steady in December 2020 (via Delish) to winning the Season 3 of "Buddy vs.
Duff" in 2021 (via Food Network). Sun). While those who saw him in the "Buddy vs. Meanwhile, Carlo's bakery made its first foray north of the United States in January 2022. The bakery opened its first location in Canada, a 3,200-square-foot store in Port Credit, Ontario (via Narcity).
Read also: Inspiring Health Transformation
A New Photo With Wife
Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro is looking great these days! The baker showed off his weight loss transformation in a new photo with his wife, Lisa Valastro.“Celebrating my father-in-law’s 70th Birthday,” Buddy, 47, captioned the photo on his Instagram on Monday, November 18. “You’ve been such a cornerstone of our family, always leading with love, wisdom, and strength. Here’s to celebrating seven incredible decades and many more to come. We love you! #HappyBirthday #MilestoneBirthday #70YearsYoung.” Buddy Valastro Shows Off Weight Loss in New Photo With Wife.