Jared Lorenzen breaks down his quest to be healthy
It's been nearly a week since a trailer for The Jared Lorenzen Project was posted on Facebook, and former Kentucky and New York Giants quarterback Jared Lorenzen can count on one hand the number of negative responses he's received among the thousands of comments he's gotten.
Actually, it's just one finger.
That's how much people - family, friends he hasn't heard from in a while, and fans - have thrown their support behind the man known for being one of the bigger quarterbacks ever to suit up in the NFL as he tries to lose weight and live a healthier life.
Lorenzen spoke to For The Win on Thursday afternoon in an edited and condensed interview to break down his attempt to lose weight after reaching over 500 pounds, what his goals are, and how he's going on a nationwide tour to help others combat obesity.
You're someone on social media who jokes about your weight and puts your nicknames on t-shirts. Is that in a different light now that you have this project to get healthy?
I'm still me. The process itself is not going to change. What will change is nutrition and helping kids. What it won't change is … how can I put it? I'm a smartass! Some of the stuff on Twitter is me just being a smart aleck and having fun with fans. I could weight 110 pounds and I am still going to give Louisville as much grief as I can because that's our rival. Some of the stuff won't change. What you'll see, especially on my Facebook side, is more of what I'm doing, where people can meet up with me, the kids I'm helping. The Twitter side? You'll see some of that, but I'll still be me.
What's your day-to-day now with the project?
I'll quote Anthony: It's OTAs right now. Right now, we're getting all geared up. I have to continue to walk around and start the minor process of changing. West Coast Customs is sending over a mobile gym, a trailer with a gymnasium in it. That's when the workouts will start taking place and we can really start ramping up.
It's not like this is the first time you're ever working out.
You work out during the offseason and season when you're playing. But people will notice this. There are some deep, dark times you go through when what you loved and what you did was gone. Mine was football. Once football's gone, you go through some spots and it was something I had to learn to deal with. I was done with working out, there was nobody there to tell me I couldn't do anything. Now, it's so sick, but I miss being sore. I miss sweated through t-shirts. I'm excited to get it going.
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Have you lost weight so far or noticed anything different?
I noticed that I feel a thousand times better than I have the last two years, especially now that this has been out.
But have you noticed any weight loss?
I am waiting for the gym to get out here and then the reveal. It's not about the weight loss. That's the thing. It's not about, "Jared's gonna lose 200 pounds." It's about finding the weight I can live at healthy and stay there. It could be 450 pounds. Well, if that's where I am where I don't need blood pressure medication, then great. But it's whatever it is. We're just going to get to it and find it.
What's the charity side to this?
Now Let's Get Fit is a non-profit focused on childhood obesity. It's about fitness and nutrition. We're going to be taking the mobile gym with Gunnar and myself and tour across the country. And we'll work with schools and speak to the kids about making healthier choices, including after school. That was always the problem for me, I'd eat whatever at school and come home and eat cookies.
With what's happening now, do you ever feel that this was your calling?
You could call it a calling, but I just think it's what's natural to do. I'm a guy who loves to give back anyway. I consider myself a 36-year-old kid, I coach football, so I love being around kids and I think it's what people need to do. Someone needs to be out there telling them: This is good, this is bad. Not every parent can be in the household at all times, so they need to make good choices on their own.