It's been over 20 years Al Roker Gastric bypass surgery, but she still remembers what her father told her that inspired her weight loss journey.

"Honestly, I've struggled with my weight most of my adult life," Roker, 70, says people In an interview published on Monday, January 6. "And my dad got very sick, and at one point toward the end, he promised me that I was going to get in shape."

Promises and his father's blunt words changed today Show the life of a correspondent forever.

“He said, point blank, 'Look, we both know I'm not going to be here helping you raise your kids. You've got to be here for your kids,'' Roker recalls her father's final warning. "And that really stuck with me and it led me to gastric bypass."

Roker underwent gastric bypass surgery at that time in March 2002 Weight 340 lbs. By the end of that year, he had lost 100 pounds.

beloved today Cohost revealed in his 2013 memoir, Never Go Back: Winning the Weight Loss Battle for GoodThat she gained 40 pounds after her mother's death in 2011. However, he was able to Slim down to 205 pounds By 2012.

“I used to use travel as an excuse to eat badly. Now I never go anywhere without my scale; I literally pack it with me,” Roker said parade In December 2012. “It allows me to have a bad day or even a bad moment. In the old days it was, 'Well, I blew it; I might as well just go wild boar.' Now it's (like), 'OK, I made a mistake, let's get back on the wagon.'

Twenty years after the surgery, Roker is still celebrating her health journey. She shared a photo of her size 54 Levi's jeans that she was wearing when she arrived at the hospital. Posted via Instagram In March 2022, "It's still a struggle but I'll never go back."

Weatherman, who says he's now trying to stay close to the 190-pound mark, revealed, "I've had setbacks and struggles every day, but I never forget how far I've come."

Roker has also had a fitness journey Sometimes it fails Due to other health struggles. In September 2020, he was Diagnosed with prostate cancer. After surgery to remove his prostate, lymph nodes and some surrounding tissue, Roker was deemed cancer-free. The surgery dropped his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level below 1, meaning it was technically undetectable.

Two years later, the rocker suffered another health scare that caused him to miss three weeks of work today Show he explained in November 2022 that he was Hospitalized For blood clots in his legs. According to a social media post Roker shared at the time, "some clots" were sent to his lungs.

Rocker eventually required surgery to fix the blood clot and was readmitted to the hospital After several days As a result of complications. He later shared that surgeons found two bleeding ulcers and removed his gallbladder.

He remained at home recovering in late 2022. Roker returned to the NBC broadcast in January 2023.

“Al's recent hospitalization was very scary. (He) considers himself lucky to have received quick treatment and knows that he is ultimately lucky to be alive,” a source told exclusively our weekly In time “he became so brave, never complaining or feeling overly sorry for himself, always wanting to know how others were doing even when he was at his lowest. Right now, he is following all the doctor's advice.

Since his most recent health scare, Roker has refocused on his wellness journey. He became Chief Motivation Officer this month Start a fitness app todayProduced by today display

The app allows followers to get meal plans, daily motivation tips, fitness challenges and more wellness support in one place.