The Diet That Changed My Life - Twice.
Michael Bronco
In the fall of 1989, I was a struggling pro triathlete looking to take my game to the next level. I had been working my butt off for four years, and had some pretty good results to show for it, but I wasn’t where I needed or wanted to be.
So, I walked into Diamond Gym, where I was doing my strength training at the time, and asked the owner, John Kemper, to take a look at my diet. I remember handing it over to him and watching him study it quietly. The sound of rock music blaring thought the speakers, and of metal plates slamming onto Olympic bars, gave the whole scene a certain punctuation. It was a moment that I still remember like it was yesterday, and it was a moment that was about to change my life.
The first thing he said when he handed it back to me was, “You can’t win with this diet.”
Now, I had been eating what I thought was a pretty darn good diet for an endurance athlete, and I was strict about it. No booze, lots of pasta, whole wheat bagels, a little chicken, yogurt, fruit, granola, and cereal. I had cut out all dairy other than the yogurt, and never drank any soda. But I did eat my fair share of energy bars, and drank a lot of energy drinks.
John told me I needed to cut just about everything out of my diet and replace it with foods that were more natural. He then gave me specifics that I incorporated immediately. A year and a half later I remember showing up at a race, and someone who hadn’t seen my in a while said, “Wow! You don’t look that same as I remember.” And she was right.
I was leaner, stronger, and a heck of a lot faster.
I won the first three races I entered that year. The first one I finished thirteen minutes ahead of the second place finisher, and I beat the first place relay team by over two minutes. I also finished second to the South African National Champion in a race that qualified me for the U.S. Amateur Duathlon Team; and second to Jeff Cuddeback, who is a three time world champion and Ironman record holder. It was also the year that I broke into the top 100 at the Hawaii Ironman.
But this isn’t the best part of the story.
Almost fifteen years later, I had long since been retired from triathlon and was now a professional trainer and father, when I went to my doctor for an annual checkup. I certainly wasn’t in my race shape from my younger days, but I ate pretty well, and I exercise a good bit, so I expected a good report from the doc. Why, wouldn’t I?
Well, I was wrong.
My cholesterol had climbed to 300, and I had other symptoms that included an enlarged prostate, slightly elevated blood pressure, and a sugar level that needed to be monitored. The doctor prescribed pills, and I actually filled the prescription. But before I even opened the bottle, I thought, Let me try something first. I headed over to the grocery store and loaded up on the exact same foods that helped my win those races years earlier. I figured I’d give it my best shot, and then I’d accept whatever happened.
Seven weeks later, I got a call from the doctor, who told me that my cholesterol was 132. “What about my LDL?” I asked. “132 is your TOTAL,” he said. My blood pressure also went down and my prostate is just fine these days.
So, is it a miracle diet? Some might say it is. I just think it’s the way we should be eating. At least, it’s the way I should be eating - I know that.
I have the results to prove it. And not just once, but twice in my life.