Charlie Manuel has a message for anyone looking to lose weight.
“If you don’t have good health it makes it hard to do anything, to work,” said the Phillies manager.
He knows the good that a little diet and exercise can do to make someone feel better.
Charlie tipped the scales at 286 pounds last winter before going on a Nutrisystem diet and exercise routine.
More than 55 pounds lost later Manuel has a newfound energy and he hopes that his physical fitness will extend on to the baseball diamond in the coming season, he said from his off-season home in Florida. He also hopes that his weight loss story might help others lose weight.
“If I can do it, anyone can do it,” he said.
Manuel explained why his current diet worked for him.
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Manuel needed everything to be laid out for him since he lives in the tempting food world of the clubhouse.
“There is food everywhere in a Major League clubhouse -- candy bars, snack, meals,” he said.
After years of eating plenty of junk unmonitored that contributed to Manuel’s Type-2 diabetes worsening, the skipper decided he needed a change. He began eating on the program and actually quickly dropped a lot of weight, he said.
But, he wanted to keep that weight off -- no easy task while on the road. Manuel, though, was dedicated to keeping it off so the meals went on the road with him.
“It’s really important that I have my Nutrisystem stuff,” he said.
Manuel actually loved the Nutrisystem approach so much that he began acting as a spokesman for the company.
“I can’t say enough about the plan,” Manuel said. “It was organized and really easy.”
But, what does he really think about how the meals taste?
“Some of them are actually pretty good,” he said.
And, since he has gotten his weight to a manageable level Manuel even treats himself to real person food.
“If I stay on the diet, once a week I get a full-fledged meal,” Manuel said.
But, Manuel isn’t done losing the pounds. He still wants to get below 225 pounds, he said.
Will he? Time will tell. But, we did find out what Manuel thinks of his new weight-loss celebrity status and also his thoughts on the upcoming season. Check in throughout the week for more.
