Florida CEO Diets

Stacie Kress Booker | 2/1/2009

CEO Diets

When Alfred Sanchez, head of the YMCA of Greater Miami, was about to launch an employee fitness program called “Healthy Lives Under Construction,” he decided he would have to “walk the walk and talk the talk” to lead the program successfully.

Alfred Sanchez in a spinning class [Photo: Joshua Prezant]

Sanchez has struggled with weight all his life, dieting to shed pounds, but then ballooning back up. South Beach, Atkins, you name it, he had tried them all and dreaded the prospect of another diet challenge. But by starting with nutrition first and taking a hard look at the portions he ate, Sanchez and his family “literally changed our approach to food.” He says they learned to measure what they ate, eating less but more frequently so they never felt hungry. Not having to forego a glass of wine with dinner or a piece of cake at an office party meant Sanchez didn’t feel restricted or that he was missing out. It made it much easier to stay on the new healthy eating regimen.

Says Sanchez: “Americans don’t understand portion control.”

Alfred Sanchez
president/CEO, Miami-Dade YMCA

Age: 50
Height: 5-foot-10
Before: 236 pounds
After: 170 pounds
Lost: 66 pounds
At weigh-in: Cholesterol: 306; blood sugar 110-115; taking medication for both.
After weight loss: Off his cholesterol and blood sugar medications.
How he did it: Portion control; more meals a day; four months into his weight-loss program, he began exercising. Now takes a spin cycling class six times a week. “I’ve become a fanatical spinner.”

Tags: Healthcare