I’m not a big fan of football, but when I heard that one former player not only lost over a 100 pounds, but also finished a marathon run, I had to learn more! Enter Alan Faneca’s story and how he did it.
Before he retired in 2011, Alan was a VERY big individual. He weighted over 300 pounds and consumed foods which to the average person would seem unmanageable, but for football players, it’s just the way it is. But when he finished playing the game, he said he could no longer maintain the same eating habits as when he played, so he had to change things up.
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How he lost over 100 pounds:
When asked how he did it, Alan said he would focus on cardio workouts nearly all week and ate less than 2,000 calories a day. Though he didn’t go into specifics as to which food/s he ate, it’s not exactly rocket science to figure out that he focused on eating healthier.
More specifically if he was doing cardio workouts so often, he would probably have to consume a combination of healthy carbs and protein before and after each workout. Though there is debate on what you should/shouldn’t eat if you workout, an almost certain consensus is that these foods are GREAT for pre/post workout meals:
Fruits, nuts, lean meat, ham, vegetables, fruit juices, honey, eggs, whole grains.
Speaking from personal experience, I do martial arts several times a week. Each session is anywhere from 2-3 hours of basically non-stop work. Needless to say, it can get VERY exhausting. So at least 2 hours before a workout, I’ll make myself an omelet mixed with french fries (not the fast food type!) and ham. I will also eat whole bread at the same time.
This meal gives me an immense amount of energy that fully fuels me for the entire workout session. Afterwards, I’ll drink a freshly squeezed juice and eat walnuts. This regiment has GREATLY helped supplement my results.
Obviously I’ve moved away from the main subject of Alan, but this was just to give you an example of what he may have also done. Note: He did complete an entire marathon so when he did cardio workouts, it’s safe to say it was jogging for the most part and a jogger’s diet mostly consists of the foods I’ve indicated above.
As with many lifestyle changes, results do NOT come quickly. In Alan’s case, this process took about 3 years to do. Certainly there are much faster ways to lose weight, if that’s the only thing you’re going for, but stable, gradual weight loss is probably the best weight loss. Alan’s focus from I’ve gathered was to maintain an athletic life and a diet that supplemented it. Well ladies and gentlemen, he’s certainly shown us what can be done!
A recent celebrity who also was on the spotlight for losing a lot of weight was Tom Arnold, a famous comedian/movie star. He lost almost a 100 pounds in a nearly a year by sticking to some very basic things as well as eating chia seeds.
What to take from these cases:
Though it doesn’t happen as often as we like, Alan and Tom’s cases are examples of what people can do if they just put their will power to a goal and stick to it. It can be VERY difficult for many people to do the kinds of things these celebs do and surprisingly a lot of it has to do with “quick fix” diets.
Above all if you’re looking to change your ways, stick to the typical eat healthy & exercise advice. It’s a cliche, but it’s still the most accurate way to get results. If your goal is to change your life and lose weight permanently, stick to this. More importantly:
- Eat lower calorie foods. Try high satiety meals as they’ll help you feel fuller while having less calories.
- Eat whole and organic foods.
- Avoid processed/fast foods.
- Get at least some exercise on a daily basis. Even walking is great!
There certainly are extra ways you can improve results or even get a head start. One such way is to follow 5 very simple, yet unusual rules in the get started section. Either way, if you should take anything from this story, it’s that Alan Faneca is an inspiration to dieters and athletes everywhere. Well done sir! You are the man!