At his heaviest, former NFL coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan weighed nearly 350 pounds. Simple tasks like climbing a few stairs had become difficult, and seeing that number staring back at him on a scale was a signal that he needed to make a change. He would lose over 100 of the extra weight after undergoing lap-band surgery in 2010—before regaining most of it back after removing the band in 2016. With the knowledge from that experience, Ryan will still enjoy some of his favorites, but only in moderation. 

Knowing himself better, he was able to whip himself into quick shape to compete in Season 34 of CBS’s The Amazing Race, where the NFL vet was felled by yodeling in Austria. Ahead of his appearance on the show, Ryan spoke with GQ about the preparation, how dieting now is all about being mindful and portion control, and his Sunday routine now that he's gone from coach to broadcaster. 

For Real-Life Diet, GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and other high performers about their diet, exercise routines, and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.

GQ: How did you even get involved in doing The Amazing Race? 

Rex Ryan: That was a crazy thing: I get a call and they wanted me and my twin brother [Las Vegas Raiders Senior Defensive Assistant Rob Ryan] to be on. We would have been out quick, I can assure you that. You think I’m slow? You should see him. He’s obviously coaching and couldn’t do it. I mentioned it to a few friends and a buddy of mine that I play golf with—Tim Mann. He’s a former powerlifting champion, and he still to this day runs marathons. He’s a probation officer and a great dude. His mother was recently diagnosed with ALS, and he told me it was her favorite show. 

I sat back and thought what the hell? I’ll do it with you. At first, I was hesitant because there’s a million steps. We weren’t given any preferential treatment either. I’m trying to get ready for this race and I hadn’t done anything and I’m about 300 pounds. I assumed that I could still run. We always assume that we’re the same guys that we were in our twenties. Trust me, we’re not. I’m 59 and I started running and it was a sobering experience. I get about a mile and I’m dying going up this hill. 

I stayed the course because I didn’t want to let my guy down since we were doing it. I started running three and a half miles a day. I lost 50 pounds, so I’m back down to 250 and I was ready to do it. I only had about a month and a half to get the weight down and I did it. I know it’s a deck chair off the Titanic, but it’s a lot of weight and I was serious about it. I didn’t want to go in there and totally embarrass myself. I probably still did but it was still a lot of fun. 

50 pounds is no small feat. What changes did you make to what you were eating?

I just dieted, because that’s really the key. I eliminated all the snacks. I tried to do it the right way and go more heavy on the protein and vegetables. Losing 50 pounds in a month and a half was no easy task. But for a guy that had lost 120 pounds before at one time, I was like I can do this! 

At your heaviest, you were basically 350 lbs. You had the Lap-Band in 2010 before removing it in 2016. Is it easier to manage your diet now

I think it is. I got down to about 215. It was weird because I never felt like me. It’s obviously a hell of a lot better than being 350 pounds. But I just wanted to take [the Lap-Band] out and try and be a normal person. At first, I gained a ton of weight right back and I knew I had to do something. It really is as easy as not snacking. I was a grazer. All day, it was like a cow. Oh, hey, there’s a candy bar. Let me eat that. When I was awake, I was basically always grabbing for something.

It’s just trying to get that under control, having normal portions and at the end, you try and cut back more a little bit. Exercising also. It’s always depressing because if you’re on a treadmill and you’re like, “Hey, I burned 500 calories.” You’ve just killed yourself on that treadmill, but it’s good in the long run. It’s the fact that you’re moving. I think that’s the healthier way of doing things than just the diet alone. 

There’s also the psychological part of dieting that’s difficult as well. What have you learned about that aspect of managing what you eat?

I think the big thing I’ve learned is you don’t want to deprive yourself. Like, why the hell shouldn’t I be able to eat a piece of cake or a cookie just because I’m heavier than somebody else? If someone else can eat it, it’s almost like it’s not fair. That can be a little depressing and then you’re like, “Oh, the hell with it! I’m going to eat the whole cake” [laughs]. Once you realize you need to portion control things, you can still have what everyone else does. But you have to do it in a sensible way. 

Is there anything you avoid now, or do you just better manage the portions?

For me, I wasn’t a total stickler even when I had that Lap-Band. I can still drink a beer. I’m just not going to drink 12 of them. I can have a taco, but I’m not going to have 10 of them. It’s funny because as I say that I would literally have 10 tacos when I was at my heaviest. I just enjoyed the taste and I felt great. Sometimes, I think when you’re happy, you eat, and what made me happy was eating. I think once you start getting that under control, it helps a lot. 

What’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner look like now?

My wife of 35 years has always had this same breakfast. It’s two turkey sausages and one egg. I used to eat the house. At lunch, I’ll have a sandwich and maybe a tiny bag of chips. I know I’m not supposed to have it, but I still do. I try to cut back on the soda. In the evening, a typical meal would be some chicken with some vegetables. 

How difficult is avoiding snacking because I’m sure an appetizing spread is laid out any time you’re on set for work?

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It’s tough and I give in occasionally. I just don’t take the whole thing. With the guys on Sunday–there’s Randy Moss, Matt Hasselbeck, Teddy Bruschi, and Sam Ponder. They are fitness freaks. They all eat like little birds. Bruschi will kill a croissant from time to time and I can blame him if I have one. We’ll even come up with names for things. There’s this big croissant that has almonds and all this different stuff. I call it the Big Nasty. So, stay away from the Big Nasty because I don’t need to eat that thing [laughs]. It’s so tough because you have pizza around and you’re watching all of the games. I’ll have a slice of pizza. I just won’t have five slices. 

Say you did want to throw caution to the wind. What are you eating? 

Oh man. I would go hardcore Mexican food. Pizza, I can get under control but with Mexican food—by the time you have the chips, salsa and queso, here comes your meal and margaritas. Here is the crazy thing, I have one of those days a week, where I have one blow up. But you look forward to that. There’s a little guilt sometimes. Maybe, you don’t have as many chips as you want to, but I think it’s good that you have something that you can look forward to during the week. 

How busy is Sunday for you?

On Sunday, we’ll get up and [ESPN] will have a little spread for you. The show itself is three hours. It’s going from 10 to 1 p.m. Up until then, maybe I’ll have a tiny breakfast and one cup of coffee. Once you’re done with that, I have to watch all the games. All of the 1 o’clock games, I’ll watch every one of them. We have a large monitor with all of the games. I’m watching football for about six to seven hours after our show. In the meantime, you have food laid out for you. In the evening, you have the Sunday night games. That’s another three hours but on Sunday, it’s all football the entire day. 

I’m going to put you on the sport here. Give me two of your current favorite places to eat at right now.

Man on man! In New York, Il Postino. It’s an Italian spot that’s off the radar a bit, but that’s probably my favorite Italian place to eat. There’s a little Mexican restaurant in Elizabeth, New Jersey called Red Cadillac. That’s my go to for Mexican food. I know the owner there, so that’s how often I go. I would call up [owner Joe Montes] and tell him I’m coming in and he’ll stay open. That’s my spot.

You’re the newest brand ambassador for Dr. Scholl’s. How did that come about? 

 When Dr. Scholl’s was looking for someone to partner with, they figured this guy here is uniquely qualified. I’m in expert in two things. I know football and I know feet, so what the heck? At first, I laughed at it, but it kind of makes sense. They’re trying to prevent athlete’s foot. They have two new products, and one comes in a spray and the other is a wipe. When they told me this, I was like, “Hell yeah! Send me some of the products and we’ll see how it works.” 

It’s unbelievable, man. It cools immediately and it is clinically proven. I’ve coached for 30 years, head coach for eight years, and I’m known as the coach with the foot fetish [laughs]. I’m cool with it and when they called, I was like, “Let’s do this thing.”

With being in the locker rooms for all those years, do you think foot health is talked about enough?

I think anyone that has ever had athlete’s foot knows that you don’t want it—the burning, itching and all of that crap. 

This interview has been edited and condensed. 

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