Something Lost and Something Gained

By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

May 10 -- People are noticing. Council member Kevin McKeown is a changed man.

A one-time ardent supporter of the Green party, his license plate “GRNVTR,” changed with his party affiliation earlier this year. He is now a Democrat.

His wardrobe has undergone an update. He is biking more. He even styles his hair differently.

While worthy of a quip, these visceral changes do not water-cooler worthy gossip make. So why, from plan checkers to human resource administrators, is McKeown such a big topic around City Hall?

Before	After

A hint: it has to do with something he lost.

“I weigh now what I used to weigh when I attended Yale,” said McKeown, the 58-year-old one-time radio personality turned local politico, who, since returning from a European jaunt abroad last summer, has trimmed a whooping 16 inches from his waistline.

Six feet, 3 inches, 320 pounds. Those are the measurements of a linebacker, not a politician. There is an exception, but your name must be Lyndon B. Johnson.

Yet there he was, less than a year ago, weighing in at a size that was imposing, not only in his stature, but in his life, he said.

“I’m still amazed I can sit comfortably in an airplane seat now,” said the 8-year council member, who has been gradually shedding his old threads from Big and Tall stores for a newer, thinner wardrobe in recent months.

His trademark green shirts are still present, though fewer, but this time they are several sizes smaller and are no longer a political statement.

More than 120 pounds were shed in the past 10 months, by McKeown’s estimates, down from 320 to less than 200 pounds.

“I feel so much better,” said McKeown of the change. “I’m having a ball.”

So what gives?

Stomach stapled? Diet Pills? Intense three-hour tae-bo workouts with his own personal John Basedow-type infomercial celebrity?

“I’m actually just eating less and exercising more,” said McKeown, eschewing rumors that he may have been kidnapped a more radical splinter cell of the Jenny Craig Corporation as an experiment.

However it took a trip to Northern Europe to get it started.

While visiting Amsterdam and Copenhagen, McKeown followed in the bike paths of those around him.

“Everybody over there rides a bike, even in the rain,” he said.

The increased exercise, combined with the fact that in Europe vegetarian is not always a word which translates well into an actual eating option, meant he ate less.

“When I got home I noticed that I had lost some weight,” he said. “So I decided to keep it up.”

And so he has.

While his work with computers prevents him from riding his burgundy-colored 30-year-old bike to work – it’s hard steer with a monitor, even a flatscreen, in your arms – he does use it for his daily errands now, he said.

And now, instead of eating until he feels full, he eats what he should.

“I was just shoveling out of habit,” said McKeown of his old eating habits. “I’m not weighing portions… I’m just asking, what does my body really want?”

After eating a regular portion -- vegetables and tofu usually -- McKeown said he now sits back and waits 15 minutes to see if his body wants more. Usually, though, he’s full.

There have been some sacrifices though. While not a drinker, he does have a sweet tooth. For ice cream, no less.

“That’s my weakness,” McKeown said, adding that he hasn’t had any significant scoops in a while.

It was a guilty pleasure he would turn to in the last five years, when he began adding the weight, adjusting to the busy life in Santa Monica politics while still holding down a full-time job.

Through the years, the weight just piled on, until one day, he changed it, he said.

Now months after his trip abroad, his daily lifestyle change is paying off, he said.

“I still see myself as a big guy…but there’s no question, there’s a change in how people see me,” he said.

From his daily interactions to those around him, to his personal life, the change has been dramatic, McKeown said.

“It’s almost been embarrassing,” he said, noting that some have even said he looks between five and 20 years younger.

And by losing the weight, McKeown has actually gained a whole new perspective and introspection, he said. “I see growth in myself,” he said.

“In some ways, the weight was a way of distancing myself,” he said. “It makes me wonder what’s really different with me.”

With his new confidence, McKeown said he is “more engaging” with those around him and “more emotionally open,” traits he said he hopes will help him relate more closely with his constituents and, quite possibly, win him more voters.

“I guess I’ve decided to not carry around the stress anymore.”

McKeown says he is still an avid environmentalist, still an advocate for good policy in Santa Monica, but there is something he won’t be able to do after his change.

“I guess I no longer have as much weight to throw around politically,” he said. “But that was never my style anyway.”