END EMOTION-DRIVEN EATING: HE’S NO LONGER THE BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Filed under Weight Loss by admin

As the head certified athletic trainer at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Stephen R. Nemes Jr. has made a career out of getting student athletes into top shape for their respective sports. Sometimes, that means helping them lose a few pounds, an assignment with which Steve has had plenty of personal experience.

In 1975, Steve, then a college sophomore, reached his top weight of 247 pounds. “I had been heavy even as a child, but I really let myself go once I got to high school,” he says. “I ate a lot of junk, and I didn’t exercise nearly enough.”

At 5 foot 5, he couldn’t conceal his girth. Yet he remained un-fazed by his portliness until one of his professors confronted him about it. “He told me that I might have a hard time finding a job as an athletic trainer because I was so overweight,” Steve says. “Employers wouldn’t view me as a credible candidate.” The professor’s comments left Steve shaken. His dream was to train athletes. He wasn’t about to let his weight get in the way.

Of course, slimming down in a college environment, where junk food is plentiful and watching TV is a popular pastime, presented its own challenges. “My problem was that whenever I had some downtime, I’d sit in front of the tube stuffing myself with whatever I could | 3 get my hands on,” Steve says. “I was overeating and underexercising.”

He made an effort to fill his free time with other activities, like working out, shopping for healthy foods, and studying. “As my weight went down, my grades went up,” Steve says. By the time he j § graduated in 1977, he was 82 pounds lighter.

In the years since, Steve’s weight has fluctuated between 165 and 175 pounds. He tries to stay fit to set a good example not only for the student athletes he trains but also for his family. “I have a little girl whom I want to see grow up,” he says. “She has become my biggest motivator.”

WINNING ACTION

Fill up your downtime. All of us have moments when we just want to lie back and watch the world go back. That’s fine… once in a while. There are plenty of ways to relax without even thinking about food. Get a facial. Play fetch with your dog. Take a class in wreath making or bird-watching. Buy a telescope and watch the stars. You get the idea. Eating is often a response to boredom. If you aren’t bored, you won’t eat.

*75\89\8*

Share and Enjoy: