Comedian Jim Gaffigan is the first to admit his weight has fluctuated over the years.
After reaching 270 lbs., he decided to try medication — and has since lost 50 lbs. “I feel good,” he tells PEOPLE. “I’m just grateful because it’s such a better life.”
Gaffigan slimmed down using Mounjaro, which is a brand name for tirzepatide, a prescription drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. It also helps people lose weight.
Initially, Gaffigan had doubts about whether or not the medication would help him. “I had very low expectations because I did know someone that had tried it and they were like, ‘Oh no, I was just nauseous for a week,'” he explains. “And then I thought my true joy of eating would overpower anything.”
But once he started seeing the number on the scale go down, he was sold.
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Gaffigan has struggled with weight gain for most of his adult life. He recalls being in his 20s, when he “would work out twice a day just to be thin so I could eat,” he says. “And then as my metabolism slowed down, it became harder and harder, and then my knees started giving out, and then fatigue set in.”
Over the years he continued to gain weight. Then last year his doctor asked if he’d considered medication. “She was like, ‘Well, some people are against it.’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t care, I’ll try it.’ My knees hurt and my cholesterol was kind of not great,” Gaffigan says.
“And that’s some of why I wanted to talk about it, because I almost thought it was kind of odd that people were resistant to talking about it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. There’s people walking around that obviously do not have blonde hair — yet they do. I don’t think that’s weird, either. It’s just whatever gets you through.”
Gaffigan’s new stand-up special, The Skinnywhich airs on Nov. 22 on Hulu, includes more thoughts on his weight loss. “It is something that you can take a strong point of view on, there’s a couple different sides on it,” he says, adding that he also talks about his kids in the special. “I had some strong points of view on parenting teenagers too. So the name ‘Skinny’ just seemed perfect.”
As far as maintaining his health, Gaffigan says he’s not trying to lose more weight and has yet to decide how long he will continue the medication. He stays active by walking around New York City, where he lives with his wife, Jeannie, and their 5 kids. “I’m not exercising as much but it’s very much a walking city,” he adds. “And I have the Apple Watch so I make a point of closing all my rings [for step counts] every day.”
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The comedian says Jeannie also seems to appreciate his improved health. “I mean, she’s one of these people that just genetically is thin. It’s annoying,” he explains. “But yeah, I think she likes [his weight loss]. It’s like living with a glutton versus living with a former glutton. It’s a healthier lifestyle.”
As he looks forward to his upcoming North American tour with comedian Jerry Seinfeld next year — which will stop at 10 arenas in Canada and the U.S. — Gaffigan is excited to try different foods in each city. “Jerry has different pre- and post-show rituals,” he says. “I cannot look at a map without figuring out where I’m going to eat.”
The Skinny premieres Nov. 22 on Hulu.
Tickets for his tour can be purchased on JerrySeinfeld.com and JimGaffigan.com.
