Subway Jared's 'Fat' Commercial Made Me Think

Jared Fogle rips off his "fat" face in new Subway commercial

Have you seen the new television commercial for Subway restaurants that is currently running? No, not the one featuring Jon Lovitz in a bath robe barking the phrase "Eat Fresh!" in an obnoxious voice that drives my wife crazy.

This one shows a man who has lost a whole lot of weight and has amazingly kept it off since the early part of the new century -- it's Jared Fogle, of course!

What's not to like about Jared? He's likeable, inspiring, and articulate as a national spokesperson for Subway. The man went from being the poster child for fast food to literally becaming the poster child for low-fat eating. You know what, I say good for him. There's nothing more gratifying than to overcome a lifetime of obesity and Jared has taken full advantage of this for himself.

We have seen Jared appear in a whole lotta commercials over the years and you would think people would get tired of seeing him by now. But apparently they haven't quite yet. Even still, this new commercial he did literally stopped me dead in my tracks when I saw it for the first time.

It starts off with Jared in a full body shot and he's...well, he's FAT! JARED IS FAT, oh my gosh! Did he gain back all of his 250-pound weight loss?! If so, then why is Subway stupid enough to show him? Nevertheless, I kept watching the ad.

Then, Jared looked right into the camera and admitted that when he was eating all those burgers and fries before losing his weight, this is what he looked like. Fat face, fat stomach, fat legs -- HE WAS A BIG BOY in that shot! EEEK! It was a powerful visual reminder and probably even freaked him out to see himself that big again. I know it would me.

Then, they showed the REAL Jared again (whew!) ripping off the prosthetic "fat" mask he was wearing like the one Ryan Reynolds wore in the movie "Just Friends." It was JUST a fat suit! Ah, they had me going there for just a bit, which is the essence of good marketing. The Subway commercial left an indelible mark on me that got me to thinking about my own weight situation.

The more I have thought about that commercial, I can't help but think about this whole notion of gaining back your weight again. As frightening as it sounds to think that I would ever put 180 pounds back on this body again, I admit that it is certainly possible. Now it would happen over my dead body because I am doing everything I can to keep on livin' la vida low-carb so as to prevent that from happening. Even still, the possibility is there even if the probability is very unlikely.

With that said, one of my readers had an interesting observation about people who have lost an extraordinary amount of weight in the past and was sincerely interested in hearing if other people who have the same experience that she has.

She lost a significant amount of weight on the low-carb lifestyle and is still low-carbing today. She even had her tummy tuck (LUCKY DOG!) surgery, but has gone through a sudden 20-pound weight gain after losing triple-digits.

When she noted one of my recent blog posts about my current dilemma with my weight going up just a tad, here is what she wrote to me in an e-mail:

"I admit I've had some real struggles with my weight in spite of my commitment. I've bounced up about 20 pounds and even though my diet has remained virtually the same and I'm back up to exercising at my normal level, I cannot get the scales to budge. I've noticed the same basic thing occuring with many of my low-carb cohorts. They lose a significant amount of weight and then kind of settle back in at a 10-20 pounds level above their lowest. I wonder if this is some kind of low carb diet phenomenon. Have you encountered many people with the same problem?"

I can't speak for others, but I know that has been my experience so far. Most of it has been of my own doing, though -- not eating quite as well as I should, stopping that workout just a little too prematurely, taking one bite of something with a whole lotta carbs in it. It all adds up over time and can have an impact on your weight and even your health. It has become a little harder to eat the way I did when I was losing weight because I am not that man anymore. I realize it may be time for me to adjust my eating again to fit my new body.

My dad and I spoke on the telephone last night and one of the questions he always asks me when we talk now that I have lost weight is, "How's the weight?" He's seen me go up and down, up and down for most of my life, so obviously he is still skeptical I will be able to keep the weight off. But I appreciate the accountability he and others show me by asking that question because it helps keep you in the right frame of mind to stick with your low-carb plan and, as we say in the South, "get 'er done!"

What about any of you? Have you noticed a weight "bounce" after losing weight? It doesn't have to be much, but have you run into a difficult time shedding those pesky pounds that seemed to creep up on you all at once? Most nutritionists and diet doctors will tell you that you need to stay within 5 pounds of your lowest point and get the weight back down before it goes above that level. That's a whole lot easier than it sounds.

It only takes a one-pound weight gain a week over four months to gain an astonishing 15 pounds, but it happens. What do you do? Well, as incrementally as that weight comes on, you set your sights on LOSING 1 pound a week over the next four months to get rid of that 15 pounds. That's manageable, right? The important thing is that you CARE about wanting to lose weight, which is what I think surprised my dad more than anything when I was talking to him about my weight. It's the first time in my life I REALLY DO care about wanting to keep my weight under control. That's evidence that this lifestyle change has taken hold. :)

One pound a week for the next 3-4 months will get me back to where I need to be. Is that unreasonable? Heck no! When I was losing weight, I was shedding pounds at an average of 3-4 pounds a week. It can be done and it MUST be done. I will settle for nothing less. I'm eating more greens, consuming more nutrient-dense berries, exercising just a few minutes longer, and making my low-carb lifestyle everything it was meant to be and more. I will overcome and claim victory over this once and for all!

There's no doubt in my mind that Jared Fogle has gone through this exact same thing at some point. Low-fat is working for him and I am so proud of him for sticking to his plan. He changed his life forever and has now become a part of Americana -- an icon in the history of the United States. Keep up the great work, Jared, and never forget what it took to get you where you are today. Just stay away from the chargrilled chicken! :D

Besides, he has a "fat" suit commercial to help remind him where he NEVER wants to be again. I say burn it, Jared! BURN IT! LOL! THANKS for the reminder that being that big is something I don't ever want to experience again. And I won't because I'm livin' la vida low-carb, baby. Chow chow!