From the Olympic Village to Leisure Village

BRICK — Jeb Wofford knows a thing or two about nutrition and fitness.

As a wrestler and an equestrian, Wofford has had to maintain his weight in order to participate in both sports. Now 72, Wofford still competes in triathlons, and maintains a strict dietary and exercise lifestyle. In fact, he is still about the same weight as he was more than 40 years ago, when he won a bronze medal at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki in equestrian competition.

About 30 people came to get advice from the former Olympian when he gave a lecture at the Brick Branch of the Ocean County Library on June 18.

Wofford, now a resident of Leisure Village in Lakewood, offered these tips to help with weight loss and achieving a healthy lifestyle:

No smoking: According to Wofford, a healthy lifestyle begins with this "iron" rule.

"Oxygen is an essential nutrient your body needs, and smoking deprives your body of this," he said.

It is never too late to quit, and there are many different methods available now to break the habit. Your physician can help you choose one that is right for you.

Start the day off right: Eating a hearty and healthy breakfast will keep you from bingeing on unhealthy foods throughout the day. Wofford recommends a homemade porridge consisting of apple­sauce, a cereal such as grape nuts, skim milk and flax seed oil, heated in the mi­crowave.

"A breakfast like this stays with you, and you won’t be looking for the donut cart later on in the morning," Wofford said.

Get into the swim of things: "Swimming should be everyone’s second sport," Wofford said.

Working out in the water can be a great way to gain cardiovascular stamina, im­prove strength and flexibility, enhance body contours, increase circulation, reha­bilitate healing muscles, and control weight. Because it’s low impact and can easily be tailored to match your abilities, everyone from athletes to seniors can ben­efit from water exercise.

Quick fixes don’t work: Advertise­ments and info-mercials that guarantee ex­treme weight losses in a short period of time are gimmicks.

"It’s impossible to do and it’s un­healthy also," Wofford said. It’s best to develop healthy eating habits with portion control, which will guarantee long-term success.

Calories in, calories out: It doesn’t matter how many meals you eat a day or when you eat. But if you’re eating more than you’re burning off through exercise, weight gain is inevitable.

Listen to your body: If you’re hungry before bed, you may need to try eating four or five smaller meals throughout the day.

"Going 12 hours or more without eat­ing, even if it’s overnight, is a long time without food," Wofford said. Going from three large meals to several smaller meals –– even one at 10 p.m. — might curb late-night munchies.

For specific questions regarding health, nutrition and exercise, Wofford recom­mended consulting your personal physi­cian. In addition, the Medical Center of Ocean County has a general fitness and wellness program with registered dieti­tians that can design programs geared to individual needs.