Paul Zent: 'You can't lose weight ... without making a commitment'
Who: Paul Zent, 54
Town: Floral Park
Occupation: Superintendent, New York City Transit
Weight before: 272 (May 2010)
Weight after: 230 (Oct. 2010)
His story: Paul Zent says he always had a weight problem. "I was a heavy child from a heavy family. When I was younger, it didn't bother me so much - I was just a big guy." But as he got older, he had health issues and some back problems. "And I had to get serious, but it was an uphill battle. I was on and off diets all the time." Zent says losing weight has made a real difference. It is easier for him to climb stairs and walk any distance.
His diet: Zent says he does not like to call his eating behavior a diet but a change in lifestyle. "I've given up most carbohydrates; I don't eat glutens or sugar [very much]. I miss pastas, but there are replacements. My wife makes spaghetti squash, and I have that with sauce. I eat a lot of chicken and beef, but if there's something I really want to have - a cookie - I'll have it. If my wife and I are on vacation, and she has a dessert, I might have a forkful, which is enough to satisfy my cravings."
His lunch: Zent eats some chicken breast, coleslaw, fruit, maybe grilled vegetables. "I cut out sugary sodas - it's diet or water. I'm a Diet Coke drinker. The toughest thing for me is coffee: I like my coffee sweet, and I haven't been able to find a sweetener I like. I have sugar, but I've cut my coffee intake."
His advice: "You can't lose weight without wanting to - without making a commitment. It has to be something you want to do. One of the hardest things for me is watching TV - all the food commercials, from hamburgers to cookies to pizza. So I try to watch TV without commercials."
'It's personal to me' The law would require businesses to have proper state licensing, prove that their employees are paid and ban staff from living at the spas or sleeping there overnight. Repeat offenders could face penalties up to $25,000. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn has more.
'It's personal to me' The law would require businesses to have proper state licensing, prove that their employees are paid and ban staff from living at the spas or sleeping there overnight. Repeat offenders could face penalties up to $25,000. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn has more.
