The Truth About The Subway Diet

So you want to get rid of a few unsightly pounds. Maybe you’ve even tried some of the traditional diets out there and they just don’t work. Maybe it’s because you don’t have the time to cook your own healthy meals, let alone time to weigh and measure ingredients and count calories.

Maybe your weight gain is due to the fact that you eat most of your meals either at work or on the go. If this describes you, then you may want to consider a diet that is considered non-traditional but certainly has worked for many people, including the man who invented it. Maybe the Subway diet would be right for you.

Before getting into what the Subway diet is, it is best to understand more about the creator of this diet, Jared Fogle. Jared Fogle around 1997 decided that he needed to lose weight. He weighed approximately 430 pounds, and was consuming approximately 10,000 calories per day.

It was when his roommate in college a pre-med student correctly diagnosed Jared with sleep apnea and edema. Jared went to the hospital for some tests. His father, a physician, told Jared the sobering news that if he continued on like this, he would most probably not live past 35.

Jared decided he was going to go on the Subway diet. Subway was his favorite place to eat, so he figured he wouldn’t really be sacrificing a lot. Every day for lunch he would have a 6 inch turkey sandwich and every night he would eat a 12 inch veggie sub. Within the span of 3 months, Jared lost 100 pounds.

Spurred by this success, he then started to walk everywhere. Instead of taking an elevator he would take stairs. The exercise, combined with eating the low fat low calorie Subway sandwiches, helped Jared to eventually lose 240 pounds. Jared now weighs 190 pounds. Eventually, Subway found out about him, and paid him to be their spokesperson.

1. So why exactly does the Subway diet work?

The subway diet worked for Jared and anyone else who goes on it, because of two factors: Portion control and caloric intake. If you stick with the subs that are low fat and are low calorie and avoid mayo, cheese, and oils, you are limiting the amount of fats and calories that you consume.

By sticking with a 6 inch and a 12 inch sandwich you are controlling how much you eat. Jared also walked a lot. Therefore, he was not only limiting how much he ate, his fat and caloric intake, but was exercising on top of it.

2. Was it strictly the Subway food?

Yes and no. Subway offers many healthier types of foods than most other fast food restaurants. It wasn’t specifically the Subway food; it was as mentioned above, the fact that Jared was not consuming high calorie, high fat foods. He was exercising regularly.

You could do what Jared did with just about any fast food restaurant. You just have to pick foods that are low fat and low calorie. Most fast food restaurants have their nutrition information available upon request.

3. Is the Subway diet right for me?

You should always consult a doctor before you begin any type of weight loss or exercise plan. It is suggested that if you decide to do the Subway diet that you include more vegetables and fruits into your diet. Jared skipped breakfast. This was a mistake. He could have easily prepared a low fat, low calorie, breakfast which included fruits. For example, a low fat fruit smoothie is a good option.

If you do eat on the go or a lot of fast food and you talk about it with your doctor then the Subway diet may be right for you. Though Subway offers more healthy choices, you don’t have to stick strictly with Subway. You just have to find the low fat, low calorie foods in other fast food restaurants. Be sure to get plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables too.