October 11, 2008

We have the Oprah diet, the Pritikin diet, the Jenny Craig diet. Now, enters the Jerry Sanders diet . . .
 

Along with the city's budget, San Diego's mayor has become noticeably slimmer since the first of the year. In fact, he has lost more than six inches in his waist and between 40 and 50 pounds (he's not exactly sure because he doesn't weigh himself) in the past 10 months. He didn't have his stomach stapled or cinched. Nor did he switch to NutriSystem prefab food.

Sanders says he simply took the sensible approach. We'll call it the WWW diet – walk, work-out and watch calories.

He walks 40 to 60 minutes every weekday beginning at 5:30 a.m. (1½ hours on weekend days). He works out with a trainer two days a week at his neighborhood gym.
 

Sanders doesn't actually count calories, but he has sworn off sweets and bread, and he cut carbohydrates. Lettuce has become his new best friend.

 

“I had to give up Mexican food,” laments the 5-foot-11 mayor, although he allows himself to cheat on his diet once a month.
 

The mayor also gave up his favorite treat – vanilla ice cream. “I don't even remember what it tastes like,” he says.