What do you get when you combine the forces of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Dairy Council (NDC) and the National Football League (NFL)? A powerhouse team of knowledge, muscles and nutrition.
On September 17, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA will partner with the NDC and the NFL on their new youth-led health and wellness program, Fuel Up to Play 60. The program, launching to more than 60,000 schools nationwide this fall, will empower youth to take charge of their own health by being more active and eating healthier foods as well as improve the overall health of their school environment and community.
The program is open to all children and participation is quite simple:
Rex Ryan on left with Jets' Kerry Rhodes. Photo via Flickr user bkrieger02.
It used to be that celebrity women were known for the diets they followed. However, with the recent likes of Rush Limbaugh and his success with Quick Weight Loss Centers, NFL’s Mike Golic on NutriSystem, and now New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan on a quest to lose some of the 340 pounds he has been carrying around, diets for men are becoming more interesting.
Since the NFL is known for its large players – the average NFL player weighs 245 pounds, 25 pounds heavier than their average weight in 1970 – it is no wonder that their coaches’ size is no different.
What do professional football and NutriSystem have in common? The weight loss giant has helped a small army of NFL players and coaches lose weight. From Dan Marino to Don Shula, Steve Beuerlein and now Mike Golic, these rough and tumble athletes are putting a new spin on diets for men. 
The most recent success story is Mike Golic. Golic, who is co-host of ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike in the morning and a former defensive line player, topped the scales at 300 pounds just a few years ago. Even at 6 feet, 5 inches tall, the realization that he was 45 pounds over his NFL weight of 265 stopped him in his tracks. He thought about this family and decided to change.
“Ultimately, I needed to lose weight because I’m a real family guy. I have three kids and a beautiful wife, and I just love spending time with them and being involved with their lives. I want to be around them, and the way things were going, it wasn’t going to happen.”
What do NFL superstars do for their in-season workouts? Do they lift hard or do they skip workouts during the season? Well, Terrell Owens, a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, is a firm believer in discipline and making working out a priority in his life regardless of whether his team is in-season or not. Terrell was traded to Dallas from the Philadelphia Eagles a few years ago and has made a significant impact on the team’s success.
Terrell believes that success all comes down to three things: eating right, sleeping right, and maintaining healthy workouts. Low carb, high protein meals and six to eight hours of sleep each night are a few of the keys to his success.
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