Yesterday me and Monica were really hungry for lunch so we drove 75 minutes north for some Subway.
Randomly we ran into Bobbi from NHerShoes.
And then we saw Rose and her sweatiness there too. Everyone just wants a 5. 5 dollar. 5 dollar footloooooooong.
Just kidding. We went up there for a blogger event. but seriously, me and Monica were hungry.
Leah from Mamavation and her husband, Bobbie and Monica
And the guest of the hour: Jared the Subway guy.
Let me just say this: Jared is the nicest, most down-to-earth, Midwest boy around. Seriously, so easy to talk to and open and humble. Amazing spokesperson.
His story in a nutshell:
He weighed 420 pounds at 20 years old and finally one day had enough; he wanted to change his life and so in 1998 he started eating 2 Subway sandwiches a day, a bag of baked potato chips, and water – about 1600-1700 calories.
In 3 months he lost 94 pounds.
In less than a year, he lost 245 pounds.
Jared’s college newspaper wrote an article about him and it took off. Before he knew it, Jared was in his first Subway commercial, on Oprah at 22 years old, The Today Show, etc. For the past 13 years, he’s worked with Subway and travels over 200 days a year!
I loved that he was so real – he said he absolutely loves food (“I’d still eat 10,000 calories a day if I could!”) and he still struggles with maintaining his weight. He has his ups and downs like anyone else, he said.
While we ate our subs, he gave some tips that have worked for him over the years.
*Don’t splurge everyday; splurge every now and then. And don’t let your “now and then” become everyday.
*Once you reach your goal weight, you have to continually re-evaluate where you are. Jared said that he’s noticed as he gets older, it takes more work and more exercise to maintain his weight.
*When he’s at home, he exercises every day. He has a personal trainer and says it’s completely worth the investment because his trainer pushes him harder than he would on his own.
*Jared’s New Year’s Resolution is to work out more regularly while on the road and traveling; it’s more of a struggle to work out while traveling instead of being in a routine at home.
*When eating out, “be smarter than the menu” meaning avoid the deep fried foods, ask for all sauces on the sides, ask for things that might not be on the menu.
*He still eats Subway multiple times a week when traveling because he knows it’s healthy and knows exactly what’s going on it and he can customize it to what he wants.
My turkey on wheat, no cheese, all veggies, extra pickles and mustard
Jared’s favorite sandwich is the Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki with no cheese.
Rose and Bobbi: NHerShoes, more like NHisPants
And yes, he brought along his old 58” pants. They’re the only pair of clothing he kept but he even got up to a 60” size! Jared speaks at a lot of elementary schools and said these were a great visual aid for kids. and dumb blonde bloggers…
If you follow on twitter, you’ve seen this picture already.
When asked his motivation for losing all the weight, Jared said that for the first time in his life he began eating to live instead of living to eat and that he wanted a second chance at life, at real living. How inspiring is that? Jared is the original Biggest Loser!
Monica’s picture. totally stole but I don’t feel bad because I let her ride in the smartcar yesterday. yes, let.
What do you order at Subway?
I normally get turkey on wheat hold the cheese with extra pickles but sometimes I get the veggie. And yeah, I can put down 12” NBD.
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{ 74 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s cool to hear that he’s a nice guy because his story always seemed genuine. Super cool post
How fun! a blogger meet-up and meeting jared in one!
6″ oven roasted chicken breast on flat bread with provolone, toasted. Spinach, a little bit of onion, tomato, a tiny bit of light mayo (I tried w/out once and it was too dry for me but I’m trying to learn to do without!), and oregano. Yum!!
Thanks, now I’m hungry.
I’m all about the Buffalo Chicken, no cheese, toasted with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. And ranch too!
I’m also a turkey honey mustard fan too. I like the FF dressing because I don’t feel guilty asking for a little extra when I’m craving some flavor.
I like the 6″ flatbread w/turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, sweet pickles, mustard… yummy!!! http://www.dashingdiva.net
The sweet onion chicken teriyaki is also my fav from Subway. I just got done with a tiny baby run (3 mi.) and am now craving a sub after reading this post! I think I’ll grab one on my way to work:)
That is such a great blogger meet up! I love Jared. So fun, and so inspiring.
I love me a 6” veggie on honey oat with pepper jack cheese and jalapenos (just don’t make out with me after!)
I’m impressed with Jared’s weight loss and his outlook on food and life seems very balances, but to call Subway “healthy” is just ridiculous. There is nothing healthy about processed bread full of high fructose corn syrup, lunch meats with nitrates and a day’s worth of sodium topped with sauces, cheese and more salt in the form of pickles, etc. Its fine for once in a while, but calling Subway a health food, and promoting it as something people should eat to obtain a healthy lifestyle is going along with the propaganda that Subway and people like Jared promote.
i think subway markets itself as a healthier alternative to fast food and lets be honest: so your bread has sugar in it. still healthier than a big mac, fries and a coke.
you dont have to get cheese or any sauces on it; jared doesnt. you dont have to have meat. i think the point being that in this day and age, people are busy, people are going to eat out multiple times a week and they’re going to frequent fast food joints and subway CAN BE a healthier choice. thats my opinion on it.
Unfortunately nearly all bread is made with corn syrup or a derivative of such. It is even difficult to find in a “health food store” unless you like the limited “sprouted seed versions” in the freezer/fridge section (available at limited places)- cold cuts are salted and cured, that is the nature of those meats. I agree with SR, subway offers a great alternative to a 35gm fat burgar with >1000mg of sodium per serving.
Alternative, yes, but healthy, no. I agree with you that its better than a big mac, but its still not healthy. I have a problem with someone marketing his weight loss off food that just isn’t good for you. Jared has made millions off of telling people to eat Subway because its “healthy.” This is a bold faced lie. Subway is not healthy- it is, as you said, a good alternative to fast food.
Maybe you should email Subway about their marketing efforts.
Agree. But since when does the winded phrasology alternative verbage to “healthy” catch someone’s ear and make millions. We can thank marketing and advertisement for the “power” words that sell products; “natural, organic, healthy”, but we can also thank our consumer selves for always seeking the easy way out to generalized good health, heck pretty labels sell, pretty words sell. I get peeved at the weight loss ads that continuously use the word “easy” – it it never easy to lose weight. And using so-called celebrities to sell brands is the high point…if I got paid 100K (or whatever the salary) you bet your bottom I would hire someone to slap those french fries away from my mouth and get me outside everyday.
ok slow your roll: you nor i know what jared makes so we can’t claim he makes millions. and even if he does, his w2 has no being on the conversation of whether you quantify subway as healthy or not. he said yesterday he still pays for his own subs except for at his one local store where he knows the owner.
and one other thing: “healthy” is somewhat of a subjective term. how you define healthy might be different from how joe schmoe defines healthy. so if joe who weighed 300 lbs and had 200+ cholesterol levels, is now eating vegetables, low fats meats and heaven forbid, wheat bread with sugar in it, that is “healthy” to him. maybe not to vegan dietician or dr but to him, its a step in a healthier direction and isnt that the whole process that we’re all on? making daily small choices to be healthier?
“The 33-year-old has been married, divorced, and married again. His net worth is estimated as high as $15 million”
http://franchisetimes.com/content/story.php?article=02193
He absolutely has made millions off this gig. I’m not going to argue with you about the definition of “healthy”.
Turkey on wheat no cheese, toasted (makes ALL the difference) most veggies (spinach instead of iceburg) and spicy mustard. Good call, Kathryn, on the Oregano. My hubs usually has then put Parmesan cheese on the top right at the end, and it’s soooo good!
I’m a vegetarian so I love the veggie sub! Spinach, lettuce, tomato, red onion, banana peppers, pickles, s&P and vinegar and oil. When I want to splurge, I get it with some shredded cheese then toasted.
And yeah, I can polish off a 12″ no problem.
Starving now.
I was wondering if the closest Subway was over an hour away, but then I realized it was to get into some guys pants…well done!
I love the cold cut combo with cheese and lots of mayo! Not good for me, so I get the turkey with mustard, lettuce, black olives, and green chile!
I’ve been getting a veggie on Herb and Cheese bread with cheese lately. YUM!
I find it so funny that you had subway yesterday and so did I; before I even saw you tweet about it.
I had subway for lunch AND dinner yesterday because I knew I didn’t want to eat anything too heavy after aerobics.
I always get turkey on wheat bread, american cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and cucumbers (sometimes) and then regular mustard and that’s it.
My favourite is probably the 6 inch meatball on whole wheat with lots of green peppers and lettuce. Or the veggie, all the veggies, with Southwest Chipotle dressing. So. Good. (Had the meatball yesterday for lunch!)
We used to do that trick in my cousin-in-law’s pants. You know each stand in one side, but he was a mean guy — not like nicey nice Jared — and probably would have hurt us if he caught us. And he never gave us free sandwiches either. Stupid!
I don’t love subway so I have no idea what my favorite sandwich would be. Not that subway isn’t great- I’m sure it is- I just don’t love bread. Pizza and sandwiches are just too much bread to excite me. Anyways, how awesome that you got some time with Jared. I think he would be fantastically inspiring!
6 inch turkey on wheat with provolone, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, pickles, and honey mustard. Yum!
Veggie patty! It’s SO yummy and filling – especially piled high with veggies and banana peppers and pickles
Veggie patty? I wonder if that’s a regional option? I don’t think I’ve seen it at a Subway here. =(
Funnnnnn! Veggie on wheat, no cheese please
ahhh that onion chicken teriyaki is my fave too!!! omgshhh I really thought you were pulling my leg AGAIN when you showed a picture of Jared (It seems like I constantly have to be on my toes reading your posts)
. I thought he was pasted onto the picture, haha! But it’s so cool that you guys met him and he does seem like a genuine guy…genuine-ness is so awesome. 
how fun!!! that must’ve been a great time for you guys getting to chat it up with jared. i pretty much get the same exact thing you do at subway: turkey on wheat, no cheese, extra veggies, heavy on the mustard. now i’m craving subway!
Was that a rooster purse on the table? I think so!
Very cool, though I can’t imagine traveling over 200 days a year. That sounds miserable. Also, how would you get your mail?!
I get the veggie if I go to subway, but I only go around twice a year.
I get turkey w/ veggies or just a straight veggie on wheat, no cheese, no sauce w/ S&P. And yes, I too, can put down a 12 inch. 6 inches are such a tease.
This is awesome, lucky lucky you! Is Jared married or have kids? Just wondering! Roasted chicken breast all the way for me. I haven’t eaten at Subway in so long, I need to give it a go again. In college during tennis season we ate it on very single away match, it got tiring!
he is married and has a 4 month old son brady. i asked him if he gained any sympathy weight and he said actually that he was at home for a month waiting for the baby and was in the gym every single day so he maintained or maybe even lost a couple lbs!
i think i would have had way too much fun at this outing. I really adore jared, weirdly adore!
So true about being smarter than the menu. I used to be super afraid to ask for any modifications. Now, I realize that I am the customer and its ok to ask for steamed veggies instead of fries. As long as I’m nice about it
How fun! I love seeing ispiring before/after pictures like his, I have plenty of befores…gotta work on those afters…
I like a turkey with lots of veggies on wheat. Would be nice if they didn’t sell this chocolate chip cookies at the register….
Foot long Veggie on wheat with lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, banana pepper, jalapeño (they’re so hot at subway), olives, spinach, pickles, mustard, vinegar, pepper, avocado and no cheese. So good.
Just curious if you don’t like cheese or want to lower the cals and fat. This girl just can’t quit the cheese! lol.
cheese is delicious but its an easy way for me to lower the fat/cals. some people might leave a bite on the plate or not eat as much bread; id just rather pass on the cheese.
I find that, on sandwiches at least, I can’t really tell if there is cheese on it or not. Some things are just so much better with cheese…like paninis, pizza, french onion soup, but I usually can’t even tell on a sandwich.
this is a good point, maybe I should ditch the cheese on sandwiches and just enjoy it on pizza. and cheese fries LOL.
Definitely holding the cheese is a great way to trim the fat. I think I just like saying the term trim the fat though.
So cool you got to meet him!
One thing I do if I really want cheese but want to be all slim and trim is I go home and add some light laughing cow cheese to my 6 inch turkey on wheat. I’ve found that having alternatives always helps.
I agree that a trainer is totally worth the investment. It has to be the right one, but there’s nothing like having someone push you harder than you would push yourself to get results you never thought you’d see.
I usually get turkey with lettuce and green peppers or the chicken and bacon ranch. But I could probably eat anything with meat and green peppers
I always get a veggie and I have to beg them on bent knee to add enough veggies on the darn thing. Seriously, its a veggie, there is NOTHING else on it…LOAD them veggies up! I get oil/vinegar on it and no cheese.
I felt the same! But now I get a foot-long and transfer the veggies to one 6-inch. Try it! Oh, and I also give the extra 6-in to my friends’ chickens.
OMG! I feel the same way! It’s so annoying to order a veggie sandwich and end up with 3 pickles, 6 olives, 4 spinach leaves, 2 tomatoes, 5 red onions and 1 cucumber. That’s not a sandwich, that’s bread with accessories!
I can’t believe Jared has been with Subway for that long — 13 years, wow! Subway was actually my first job when I was in high school. I perfected my favorite sub while I worked there: 6″ veggie on wheat with extra brown mustard, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, extra pickles and extra banana peppers. And another streak of brown mustard for good luck.
No way! This is awesome! I’m not gonna lie, I don’t love subway, but i do love the FebruANY $5 footlong deal. I might have to get one this month…
I love subway! I order a foot-long veggie on wheat (usually with cheese) and then transfer all the veggies (but not the extra cheese) to one 6-inch . This makes a huge, filling (& messy) sammy! I get all veggies except olives, and a little bit of regular mustard. For a while I was just ordering a 6-inch but it was like I was asking to get it gold-plated to get more spinach and peppers. I personally love the added salt that comes with pickles and jalapenos, etc, because I sweat buckets when I work out. When I was traveling the country for my research for 6 weeks – headed to mostly rural areas all over – i could always find a subway and know i was getting a good healthy meal with a dose of veggies.
My typical sub is the 6″ veggie pattie, on an italian herbs and cheese bread with provolne or american cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions and lettuce with some olive oil and salt and pepper (507 calories). I need to cut back on the cheese though.
Girl-that is SOOO cool!! WHat an inspiring guy!
I too am like you–I order pretty much the same as you (and YES to the 12″!!) But I hate olives-so no olives, and extra peppers and spinach and pickles. YUMM
I used to eat Subway a lot playing college basketball! I haven’t been there in a while because I got so tired of it. Very cool to have met Jared himself!
I love to get either the veggie or turkey….with practically EVERY single veggie on earth (except green peppers.)
I’m a Subway kinda gal. I don’t do any of the meats but love the veggie with everything plus extra pickles. I actually will get a foot long, eat half, and save the remainder for the next day. Day old Subway is much better! But most of the time I will eat a whole foot long cause it’s just that good!
More specifically I heard that Jared ate a veggie sub for lunch and turkey for dinner. Every day. If that is true, I can’t imagine how he didn’t die of food boredom.
I got burned out on Subway b/c there was one by my old office and it was a crutch. I do love the Italian BMT, but it’s probably just about the unhealthiest one.
I’ve finally become a ‘regular’ at the Subway across the street from where I work since I go so often. I’m cheap so I stick to the $3 6inch veggie … on wheat, toasted, with provolone cheese, spinach, onions, pickles, olives, banana peppers, and honey mustard. Delicious!
I never get the same meat but I load it up with every topping and extra on the pickles and pepper rings. Yum!
Love those Mid West boys! Good Stock.
Jared is SO NICE!! I worked for women’s basketball in college and the team and I met him at the airport once. We took a team photo with him, and everything and he was sooo sweet, humble and down to earth!! Great guy with an awesome story!!
I love Subway! I could probably eat it at least 4 times a week and not get tired of it. I get the veggie sub loaded with everything except olives or jalepeno peppers. I get pepperjack cheese and a little bitof light ranch on honey oat bread. Yummy! I also LOVE THE FLATBREAD. U should try it instead of the. Bread. Subway bfast is super yummy as well. I remember in h.s. I would get the meatball sub with extra Mayo…wow! How my taste has changed.
That’s neat that you meet jared! I love subway veggie subs. I eat them all the time.
Subway is pretty popular in Aus as well. I don’t eat it all that often when I’m at home, but when we were in the US we ate it a bit because it was something that we recognised and knew what we could get! Plus it was always a good opportunity to load up on veggies.
American bread is very different to Australian bread – I was amazed at how sweet it is!
That is so cool!!!
Pretty cool to know tht he was a real guy – a nice guy – so often I think stories like Jared’s are fake or contrived to TV or Ad purposes. Glad to hear that this one’s legit, and inspiring!
Very cool! I had no idea Jared has been with Subway with 13 years now. Time flies!
I always get the veggie on wheat, all veggies except the peppers, with mayo, salt and pepper. I eat there probably once every two weeks. Good stuff!
He is so inspiring! I love subway, I always go for the turkey on wheat (but I can’t forget the cheese!)
So cool that you got to meet him! Glad he is keeping it off, it’s a great success story!
I think my most common subway sandwich is the 12″ veggie, with cheese, but light or no mayo.
subway = nyc medical student dreams. $5 footlong = lunch and dinner! ha. but not a joke sometimes.
Always the same – turkey, cheese (well sometimes without), lettuce, bell pepper, cucumber, a lot of vinegar, more vinegar.
woah. tell me about this secret of yours. Is that a footlong cut into thirds?? and they”ll just do that?? like if you ask?? mind blown.
What an awesome way to
budget-stretchportion control with a piece of fruit or some veggies!! This is why i NEED this blog. I would never think up such brilliance on my own.i actually had never seen a sub cut this way. so i dont know if they did it for us or its a new thing or what but it wasnt my brilliance. ill take credit for it though
Veggie patty with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers in a wrap. Sauces are usually honey mustard and sweet onion.
Wow, what an inspiring post. I always thought Jared was a great role model but hearing his story again, along with some wise words, was really great.
As for what I like to order at Subway-I have ALWAYS gotten the same thing: 6 inch turkey on wheat, with provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, black olives and lots of spicy mustard.
well that in case, let’s hate him! i hate people who are rich, i hate people who lose weight, i hate millionaires, i hate people who have discipline and change their lives for the better and i really hate people whose jobs are their passions. jared, you suck!
better?
lol.
People are just so darn miserable. I hate to break it to the “healthy” folks but the only way you are guaranteed to eat real healthy foods is if you have your own farm and grow your own food. Every thing sold to us this day and age is loaded with sugars and other fun crap. A man has lost a substantial amount of weight, whatever the method, this has made him healthier and given him a better life. He did lose the weight eating subways and he did it on his own. He is not lying nor is subways. He deserves every penny he earned because that’s a big accomplishment, in my view I’d rather see a real person who put hard work into becoming healthier get the money rather then a celebrity or actor. Good for him and bless him.
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