Meet the Beachwood Trainer Behind 'Fat Chef'

The lack of realism in reality TV still weighs on Nate Miracle’s mind about six months after he received his first glimpse of spotlight. That glimpse was significantly smaller than the co-owner of Cleveland Fitness Revolution first anticipated, and that’s part of the problem.

Chefs Kimberly McCune Gibson and Mentor native Rocco Whalen trained at Revolution’s  and Westlake locations, respectively, but you might not have known that even if you tuned into the Food Network’s recent “Fat Chef” series. Miracle and his partner, Dan Bednar, led the culinary artists through an aggressive, 16-week training regimen in order to shed some pounds. They met with Miracle and Bednar four to five times per week, but were shown sparingly when the episode featuring Whalen and McCune Gibson aired in February.

“We did all the dirty work,” Miracle said of the training that helped Whalen and McCune Gibson drop a combined 110 pounds during filming.

“I’m very resentful.”

However, part of Miracle’s ire is directed at himself. He says the Food Network originally promised him prominent exposure and logo footage on the show instead of financial compensation. He received neither and instead was shown briefly shaking hands with a client. He was on the verge of filing a lawsuit until his lawyer exposed a clause deep in the contract that essentially gave the network the right to showcase trainers as much or little as it desired.

Miracle says he has no regrets, especially when he sees the slimmed-down frame of Whalen, who operates Fahrenheit Restaurant in Tremont and constantly plugs Revolution via social media. The Mentor-born Whalen lost 80 pounds under Bednar’s instruction, combined with another 40 or so pounds since filming, Miracle said. He once weighed nearly 400 pounds.

Miracle helped McCune Gibson lose about 30 pounds through circuit-style, metabolic strength training. Free weights, kettle bells and suspension training were among the components of the entrepreneur’s weight loss. As much as she appreciated Miracle’s workout, McCune Gibson, who owns Hungry Bee, a catering, delivery and cooking class service, said his interpersonal skills were just as good.

“Nate made me feel so comfortable,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re size 2 or a size 22, Nate is going to train you exactly the same way … That’s so huge because there’s so many people whose biggest complaint is, ‘I don’t go to the gym because I’m scared of how people are going to react to me.’

“(Miracle) has become one of my best friends through this process. He’s not only changed me physically, my appearance, he makes me want to be a better business citizen like he is. I love that guy.”

McCune Gibson and Whalen continue to use Revolution’s services. Miracle is glad to have helped with their results, but reminds his lower-profile clients that the TV show’s goal – to drop 25 percent of one’s total body fat in 16 weeks – is a bit unrealistic.

“It’s not a sprint, it’s almost like a marathon,” he said. “A lot of pressure was on us for them to lose weight fast because it’s TV, but realistically our goal was to teach them how to sustain it and to change their lifestyle and habits.

“It’s not just a quick fix.”