David Pollack, a former NFL player and now an analyst for the NFL Network, provides a compelling example of how dietary habits can drastically change after leaving the world of professional football. His journey reflects a broader trend among former players who once had to consume massive amounts of calories to maintain their playing weight.
The "See Food" Diet: Fueling a Football Career
During his football career, Pollack adhered to what he jokingly calls a "see food" diet. This meant consuming anything and everything in sight to maintain his size and strength. His diet included items such as triple fast-food hamburgers and huge shakes, which helped him reach a playing weight of over 290 lbs. For offensive linemen and other positions requiring significant size, this type of high-calorie intake is often encouraged, leading to potentially dangerous eating habits and even disordered eating. Thomas, another former player, told ESPN that a typical day of eating during his playing days might have included eight eggs, three pancakes, pasta, meatballs, two protein shakes, an entire pizza, a sleeve of cookies, and a bowl of ice cream.
Pollack himself recalled his eating habits during his college days at the University of Georgia. He reminisced about his love for Chick-fil-A, where he would order two sandwiches with cheese and two fries and his Wendy's order was my pregame (order) - I got two triple stacks with two orders of fries and put them on the burger and had a frosty. He also mentioned a Japanese restaurant where he would order triple-fried rice, double filet, and double chicken. “Anybody wondering why I was 292 pounds, this is exactly why."
The Turning Point: A Focus on Nutrition
After his NFL career was cut short, Pollack no longer needed to maintain such a high caloric intake. He met with a nutritionist and began paying close attention to food labels. This marked a significant shift in his approach to food. By making relatively simple changes, he managed to lose almost 50 lbs. These days, Pollack maintains a weight of around 220 lbs.
Principles of Pollack's Current Diet
Pollack now prioritizes whole, natural, wild-caught foods. A key principle of his current diet is avoiding foods with more than four ingredients. This approach emphasizes simplicity and focuses on minimally processed options.
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The Broader Trend: Weight Loss After Football
Pollack's story is not unique. Many former football players experience a significant weight loss journey after retiring from the sport. The intense pressure to maintain a high weight for performance reasons disappears, allowing them to adopt healthier eating habits.
Other Players' Experiences
- Vince Wilfork: Wilfork estimated that he has lost about 80 pounds since retiring. "The only change to my diet really is the amount that I eat," Wilfork told Insider, estimating that he has lost about 80 pounds since retiring. "After football, I get full a lot quicker. He also mentioned that he would drink gallons and gallons and gallons of water while watching his son's little league baseball teams practice in the Houston heat, which contributed to his weight loss.
- Joe Gross: Gross told ESPN he lost the weight by trying different diets including paelo and being a vegetarian, to the point where he believes he became a little obsessed with losing weight. In an interview with ESPN, Gross called his playing size "artificial," noting people are not meant to be that big.
- Antone Davis:
- Nate Newton:
- Mark Bergstrom: "I have the diet plan already written out," Bergstrom told the Washington Post. "Offensive linemen go one of two ways: You either balloon up or you shrink to nothing. I'd rather shrink to nothing. Three months later, you'll see a whole different person.
- Russell Okung: Okung last played in 2020. Okung said. "Trophies, accolades, I wanted it all," Okung said. "I would soon find out it was all empty. It didn't matter. It was nothing. I didn't have a relationship with my wife, with my children. I didn't even know who I was. So I prayed. I asked for guidance, for wisdom. And it came to me. I knew at that very moment, there was one answer: fasting. Long-term, water-only fasting.
The Dangers of Extreme Diets
While many players find success in adopting healthier diets after football, some methods can be controversial. Okung's embrace of long-term, water-only fasting, for example, has raised concerns among nutrition experts. Krista Varady, a nutrition professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, cautioned against such extreme practices, noting the potential risks involved. "It's scary when people (with large platforms) share this stuff and then everyone's like, 'I'm going to do it,'" Krista Varady, a nutrition professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, told USA Today.
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