tion itself. Quarterbacks usually, historically, play longer. And also it’s the fact of just
taking care of your body the best you possibly can and understanding in the offseason you have to work at your craft. And the
other thing is just being very good at what
you do. Usually if you’re very good at what
you do, you last longer than most.
CC: Of all your many accomplishments,
is there any one that really surprised you?
DM: Getting in the Hall of Fame is
something that you never think about. When
you leave the game, getting in the Hall of
Fame is pretty special, and no one ever, when
they start playing in the league, says, “Oh, I’m
going be a Hall of Famer.”
CC: When you were playing, what was
your daily routine for staying in shape?
DM: We’d have offseason programs where
we’d go in and work with our exercise people.
Sometimes it was lifting, sometimes it was cardio, and we would do that at least five days a
week. Then there were practices involved.
Then, during the season, you’d be practicing,
and it really was more maintaining—maintain
your strength, what you built up, and trying to
stay in as good a shape as you can because you
do get beat up a little in the season.
CC: What was your diet like when you
were playing?
DM: It was different than it is today.
There are times when you were playing, you
kind of just ate what you wanted to. But at the
same time, [you] make sure your weight doesn’t
get out of control. There was a certain amount
of fluctuation. But you tried to stay within a
certain range.
CC: What has your post-retirement life
been like, in physical activity as well as diet?
DM: As far as working out is concerned,
now I do elliptical [workouts]. I try to lift a
little bit, not much, because of my knees and
my ankle. I’ve had issues with that, so I don’t
run. I’ll walk a little bit on a treadmill.
CC: What led to the weight gain that
prompted you to want to get on Nutrisystem?
DM: Probably not working out as much
as I should. You know, get off the couch and
get going. I wasn’t doing enough of that. I was
doing TV then, and going back and forth to
New York and probably just not taking care of
myself the way I should.
CC: Is that a common problem with athletes after they retire?
DM: I think it is, to a certain extent. Not
everybody, but after you’re working all those
years—you’re working out and playing hard—
and then when you retire, sometimes you just
want to take a break and not work as hard as
you were in the past, and that’s how you tend
to put a few pounds on here and there.
CC: How did you get involved with
Nutrisystem?
DM: I got introduced to Nutrisystem from
a guy named Jim Stuckey, who played for the
San Francisco 49ers [and the New York Jets].
I saw him at a golf tournament, and he had
lost all this weight, and I asked, “How did you
do it?” And he said he did it on Nutrisystem.
So I said I had to try it. And I ended up losing
22 pounds on it. The CEO back then, Michael
Hagan, asked me if I wanted to help him start
the men’s program, and we’re still doing it, 10
years later.
CC: How does the men’s Nutrisystem
program differ from the women’s program?
DM: You get to eat more: six times a day.
[The men’s and women’s plans are both based
on the 2013 American College of Cardiology/
American Heart Association/The Obesity
Society Guidelines for the Management of
Overweight and Obesity in adults, which
prescribes 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day for
women and 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day
for men.]
CC: What is it about Nutrisystem that
you find most effective?
DM: For me, it’s the easiness of it. You
pick out what you want. They send you the
food. If you follow it and you’re diligent about
it, you’re going to lose the weight that you
want. I think that’s the main thing. Especially
for men, ’cause men just want to get the stuff:
“Tell me what to do, and I’m going to eat it,
and I’m going to lose weight.” Plus, the food’s
good. And there’s no counting calories and
measuring things. It’s pretty simple to follow.
And that’s why I, and I think other men, like
it so much. C
The Costco Connection
Costco warehouses and Costco.com
offer gift cards toward any Nutrisystem
program (Item #618594). The 28-day meal
plan (Item #618597) is also available.
Left: Playing for the Miami
Dophins. Right: On the field
as a CBS broadcaster.
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In our digital editions
Click here to see a short
interview with Dan Marino.
(See page 14 for details.)
