Ex-sumo wrestler drops more than 100 pounds
Former champion ‘Tiny’ Yarbrough’s still weighs over 600
 | This April 12, 2002 file photo shows sumo world champion Emanuel Yarbrough eating lunch at the dining hall during a visit to an elementary school in Vrchlabi, North Bohemia, Czech Republic, after visiting with school children. 'Tiny' has dropped more than 100 pounds, but still weighs over 600. |
Alexandra Mlejnkova / AP |
MARTINSVILLE, N.J. - Emanuel “Tiny” Yarbrough’s nickname still doesn’t really fit, but he’s getting closer.
The New Jersey man is a former sumo wrestling champion and nationally ranked judo competitor who at one point weighed more than 800 pounds. Over the last five months, Yarbrough has lost more than 100 pounds, although it hasn’t been done without difficulties.
“It’s a day-by-day process ... it’s a matter of trying to have more good days than bad,” the 43-year-old said.
In July, the 6-foot-7-inch Yarbrough went to Leah Solomon, a doctor who specializes in treating obesity. Yarbrough weighed about 780 pounds, and after being hospitalized for a week for heart failure earlier this year, knew it was time to lose weight.
The goal was to eventually weigh 550 pounds, improve his health and compete again in sports.
Solomon recommended a combination of pre-made shakes and nutrition bars during the day and an evening meal of vegetables, starch and protein. In between, he was supposed to drink plenty of water.
Slowly — sometimes too slowly for Yarbrough — the weight has come off, and he’s now about 670 pounds. In the process, he’s lowered his blood pressure, eased his joint pain and improved his sleep.
But he’s had setbacks, too.
After dropping to around 700, the weight began creeping back as Yarbrough deviated a bit from his eating plan. After recommitting to the shakes and nutrition bars, Yarbrough hit his lowest weight of about 663 pounds — a little less than 661 without his size 19 shoes — on Oct. 17.
“He was so happy, that he wanted to see if he could get it down any further, and he took off his shoes,” Solomon said.
Many people erroneously believe that Yarbrough packed on the pounds to be more competitive as a sumo wrestler.
At the age of 14, he already weighed about 320 pounds owing to a diet of fried foods. He never developed good eating habits and would often eat large amounts of fast food.
He has a specially outfitted SUV to accommodate his weight, and he has to make sure that seats at restaurants are strong enough to hold him. When flying to India, he needed two seats.
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An invitation to the amateur World Sumo Championships in 1992 in Tokyo led to a love affair with the culture and rituals of the traditional Japanese sport, and he eventually captured the world amateur title in 1995.
A return to competitive sports may seem like a long shot, but Yarbrough is trying to incorporate more exercise into his life. He recently began working out with trainer Skip Fuller.
Fuller has Yarbrough on an hour-long workout consisting of walking on a treadmill, lifting weights and stretching.
“I’m sore. I’m going to feel it a lot tomorrow,” Yarbrough said after a recent workout. “But right now, I have a spring in my step.”
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