For years, NFL offensive linemen maintained a massive frame to compete at the highest level. But what happens after retirement when the grueling practices end, and the need for a 7,000-calorie diet vanishes? Many retired players face weight-related health problems, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and joint and back pain. This article explores the strategies employed by former NFL players to shed excess weight and transition to a healthier lifestyle after their playing days.
The Challenge of Transitioning from the Gridiron
The transition from the demanding physical regimen of the NFL to retirement often presents unique challenges. During their careers, offensive linemen require a substantial caloric intake to fuel their bodies for intense practices and games. Marques Ogden, who played six years in the NFL, recalls that every training table offered unlimited high-calorie options, which helped him control his weight due to burning so many calories. However, this lifestyle becomes detrimental upon retirement.
Joe Thomas's Holistic Approach
Joe Thomas, known for his remarkable career with the Cleveland Browns, provides an inspiring example of a successful post-retirement weight loss journey. After retiring, the NFL legend embarked on changes to his diet and fitness routines, shedding 50 to 60 pounds. His transformation has inspired many fans and athletes alike.
1. Diet Adjustments
One of the first major changes Joe made was adjusting his diet. Joe Thomas spent years as a professional football player maintaining a massive frame to compete at the highest level. As an NFL lineman, he had grown accustomed to consuming massive amounts of food to keep his weight up.
Joe reduced his intake to about 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day. Joe also made a conscious effort to reduce his intake of processed foods, sugary snacks, and junk food, which had been a regular part of his diet during his playing days. One of the key elements of Joe’s weight loss was incorporating a low-carb approach.
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2. Embracing a Sustainable Exercise Routine
While Joe Thomas didn’t need to maintain the same level of athleticism as when he was playing, he still needed to stay active to support his weight loss goals. However, he didn’t dive straight into intense gym sessions. One of the first types of exercise Joe added to his routine was swimming. As an excellent full-body workout, swimming provided Joe with a low-impact way to burn calories and improve his cardiovascular health. Along with swimming, Joe incorporated bicycling and weightlifting into his fitness routine. Weightlifting helped him maintain muscle mass and boosted his metabolism, which was crucial as he lost fat. Joe’s focus was on regular, consistent exercise rather than pushing himself too hard too quickly. Joe incorporated swimming, bicycling, and strength training into his routine.
3. Mental Fortitude and Motivation
Alongside his diet and exercise routine, Joe Thomas also paid attention to his mental health and motivation. Losing weight is as much about the mind as it is about the body. Joe also used positive reinforcement to stay motivated. Joe advises others to focus on small, sustainable changes and to stay consistent with their routine.
Debunking Weight Loss Myths
As with many celebrities and athletes who undergo dramatic transformations, rumors began circulating about whether Joe Thomas used weight loss pills or underwent surgery. It was all about working hard and making changes that I could maintain for the long run,” Joe clarified. No, Joe did not use weight loss medication.
Marques Ogden's Lifestyle Transformation
Marques Ogden's experience further illustrates the importance of lifestyle changes. After retiring, he gained weight, reaching over 370 pounds at age 34. Ogden emphasizes that the key to his 100-pound weight loss was a holistic approach encompassing diet and exercise.
Dietary Changes
Ogden made significant dietary changes, including cutting back tremendously on sodas, for sure. Sugar, in my opinion, from what I've seen, is the number one cause of storing fat.” He also cut back on how much meat he ate, added more vegetables and drank more water.
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Consistent Exercise
Now at age 34, Ogden exercises daily, at least 30 to 45 minutes, lifting weights, playing basketball and running through football-style drills at home.
Ogden stresses that maintaining a healthy weight is not a sprint, but a marathon. "Don't approach it like a diet that begins and ends when you reach your weight goal. Make it a lifestyle," Mask added.
Expert Advice
WRAL Health Team physician Dr. Allen Mask supports Ogden's approach, emphasizing that effective exercise doesn't require intense weightlifting. He suggests that at least half your grains should be whole grains.
Russell Okung's Radical Approach: A 40-Day Water Fast
Russell Okung, who weighed over 330 pounds during his NFL career, took a more radical approach to weight loss. After retiring, he shed over 100 pounds by embarking on a 40-day fast, during which he consumed nothing but water.
The Rationale Behind Fasting
Okung's decision wasn't solely about weight loss; it was about regaining vitality and addressing health issues. Okung: I’ve been trying to tell people that this pursuit cannot be about weight loss alone. For me, as I reflect back on my career, there were a couple of issues. I went through a pulmonary embolism, I had lacerated lungs, a series of surgeries, ligament and tendon damage-getting up every day was hard! I thought, magically, that when I finished playing it would be easier. But it actually got harder. I had completely depleted testosterone. I have two kids, a wife, and a life which has demands. I couldn’t meet those demands. When I was playing, I didn’t think of these things. When I took a step back, I could see the reality. I was in my youth, but I didn’t feel vitality. That’s what led to the change. I felt very desperate and I needed to make a strong, powerful decision in order for things to feel different.
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He drew inspiration from historical and cultural practices of fasting. Fasting was a very integral part of those societies. Not only was it commanded-sometimes it was voluntary-but more importantly, it was ritualized. This has been a large part of the formation of the world and antiquity. So, could this make sense for me now? The answer was absolutely yes.
The Fasting Experience
Okung clarifies that the fourth day is the hardest. After the fourth day, it all gets easier. People have this assumption that you’ll be dealing with hunger and insatiable desire every single day. That’s not so. The body adapts. It’s very primal, and natural to me, in a sense. The larger issue is that we were dealing with addiction-an addiction where a person cannot function without coffee. When you don’t have your coffee, you get sick and your head hurts. You’re irritable and have no control over yourself. [Okung clarifies that he has never had coffee in his life, but others who did the fast struggled with this.] The problem is over consumption.
He emphasizes the communal aspect of food and missed eating with his family.
Positive Impact and Encouragement
Okung feels alive and more connected with nature. When I say alive, I feel detached from my body. Detached in a sense, that my essence runs through the birds, the trees, and all of nature. I feel more attached to that than my physical composition. There are a series of cultures that have learned about this experience. Hinduism, Buddhism, Canaanites, West African empires, these are ancient truths that I think are coming back into the consciousness.
Okung's Current Health Plan
Ultimately, there are three different components to my health and food value system. I’m prioritizing three things: soil, water, and air. The relationship I have with soil, from seed all the way to table, can it satisfy my needs? Is it all going through a sacred process? I’ve been developing this now for a good amount of time, testing it on myself and my wife and kids. It’s been amazing so far. I hope people like it too.
He now grows his own food and emphasizes the importance of local farmers and a deep relationship with the food he consumes. I deal with local farmers, I have a deep relationship with my food and the hands that prepare my food. Things that people spray in foods-most of these farms that say they’re organic are not organic. We have to look at alternatives.
Key Takeaways for Sustainable Weight Loss
The experiences of Joe Thomas, Marques Ogden, and Russell Okung offer valuable insights into sustainable weight loss strategies for NFL linemen and anyone seeking a healthier lifestyle:
- Holistic Approach: Focus on a combination of healthy eating, regular exercise, and mental well-being.
- Dietary Adjustments: Reduce calorie intake, limit processed foods and sugary drinks, and prioritize whole foods.
- Consistent Exercise: Incorporate regular physical activity, even low-impact exercises like swimming and walking.
- Mental Resilience: Set realistic goals, celebrate milestones, and stay motivated through positive reinforcement.
- Lifestyle Changes: Adopt a long-term approach to health rather than a temporary diet.
- Debunking Myths: Avoid quick fixes like weight loss pills or surgery and focus on sustainable practices.
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