Frank Gotti, one of the teenaged TV stars of “Growing Up Gotti,” weighed over 250 pounds when he was only 13 years old. His problems worsened in high school because of increased stress related to his mobster/grandfather’s high-profile funeral and his parents’ divorce. He developed high blood pressure and other medical problems. He described his old eating habits as belonging to an era when one serving was never enough.
He would often have heavy meals of rich, sugar-laden foods like donuts and soda for breakfast; mashed potatoes with gravy, several helpings of pudding, rolls, and chocolate milk for lunch; and fried chicken, penne with sausage, corn on the cob, and three sodas for dinner. Between meals, he might consume half of a chicken, an entire carton of ice cream, and more cans of soda.
Frank said one day he got tired of being “the fat Gotti.” He took a middle-of-the-road approach to losing weight and has no diet as such. His plan involves cutting out second helpings, eating large quantities of low-calorie foods such as salad, giving up snacks, and increasing activity. He joined the lacrosse team and took up weight lifting. Gradually, he lost over 80 pounds.
Since he eats many of his meals in restaurants or at his school cafeteria, he learned to order foods marked “child size,” “junior,” “medium” or “small.” He advises you to order grilled, never fried, and not to use mayonnaise or other high-fat sauces. Frank’s main advice is to simply decide to lose weight.
“You don’t have to know how to lose weight,” he writes, “you simply have to determine that you are going to do it.”
See: Agnello, Frank Gotti. The Gotti Diet (New York: Regan Books) 2005.
Created:
2005
Categories:
Low Fat, Celebrity, Low Calorie
Website:
Meetings:
No
Books:
Yes
Expert Review:
Not really a diet book, more like a diet testimonial, because there isn't anything new here. If you make a firm mental commitment to health, cut calories, cut fat, eat more salads, and exercise you will lose weight.