We all have our personal vices, and old habits definitely die hard. But Charlotte Hornets center Al Jeffersonknows that if he was getting paid well, and wants to remain healthy to extend his longevity in the NBA, he had to give up his love for fried chicken.
Jefferson made the sacrifice from fried chicken and lost a stellar 20 pounds this summer. A good move from making his coaches and Hornets boss Michael Jordan from breathing down his neck about helping his team become a playoff contender by decreasing his body fat percentage, and increasing his field goals-made percentage for the upcoming 2015-2016 campaign.
Jefferson mentioned in the following quote that his craving for fried chicken was so bad that he had to change television channels away from fried chicken ads. Yeah, I guess dude was that dedicated to kick his addiction:
"Every Popeye’s commercial I see, I have to turn the TV off."
When further asked by a Charlotte Observer reporter about how the weight-loss process went for him, Jefferson continued:
"Great. 20-plus. One thing about losing weight: It becomes a lot easier once you become disciplined about what you’re eating. Cutting out the sugar and the starch. Taking care of your body. Once I got into a routine it became pretty easy. And I knew what I was doing it for — to take some of the weight off my knees and getting my body into better shape than last year."
Good luck to Al in his quest to abstain from fried chicken in the South— the U.S. epicenter for fried food, where chicken and waffle houses are a way of life. I know it's got to be hard to not check Colonel Sanders for a "spicy or original" drumstick or two. Sometimes true love means simply letting go.
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.
[via Charlotte Observer]
