St. Pete man creates the 30-Day Pizza Diet

Matt McClellan, 34, St. Petersburg

GOAL: To change the image of pizza from a "junk" food to a "health" food.

WHY I DID IT: I moved to St. Petersburg in January 2008 and opened Tour De Pizza, a cycling themed pizzeria. I was trying to market my new restaurant with very little operating capital in the worst economy since the Great Depression. I was a member of Gold's Gym, and the staff let me give away free pizza and coupons on customer appreciation nights.

This was a great opportunity for people to try my food and for me to get to know potential customers. It didn't take long, though, before the verbal assault on pizza began. I heard, "Pizza is junk food" or "I can't eat that, I'm on a diet."

I told them pizza is the healthiest fast food; it's baked, not fried, and contains all of the components of a well-rounded nutritional meal. The only problem was that I wasn't living what I preached. I was working insane hours, eating at odd times and trying to save money by eating value meals.

In July 2009, Publix was offering free cholesterol, blood pressure and body fat tests. When I received my results, I knew I needed to make a lifestyle change, so I created the 30-Day Pizza Diet.

HOW I DID IT: I wanted to ensure my safety, so I contacted nutritionist Andrea Crouch with the Hungry Heart program and Dr. Chris Jackson with A Path to Wellness. Together we developed a nutritional game plan: I would eat one slice every three hours, and each slice would be assigned a different nutritional value.

In addition to portion control and a variety of vegetables, fruits and meats, I also exercised one hour a day, five days a week. My workouts consisted of 30 minutes of basic exercise (running, swimming, biking) and 30 minutes of weight training with personal trainer Pedro Redding. Please note: I already had been working out for an hour a day before starting the pizza diet. The major difference was the portion control and the variety of nutrition.

During my 30-Day Pizza Diet, I went from 203 pounds to 179 pounds. My cholesterol dropped from 243 to 157, and my blood pressure went from 140/90 to 118/80. My body fat dropped from 19.8 percent to 9 percent, and my waist went from 38 inches to 33 inches.

Once the results came back, I searched for similar success stories. The only one that came to mind was Jared Fogle's Subway diet. Although his was an amazing accomplishment, Fogle never released his blood work to the public. Unfortunately, people who don't have a weight issue die every day from heart disease, stroke and hypertension.

At this point, I had a serious decision to make: Should I write a book and hope to profit from my success, or maybe contact a national pizzeria chain about becoming the spokesman? I decided to take a higher road, to make a difference in the world and become an inspiration.

HURDLES: My largest hurdle has been convincing nutritionists and doctors that the pizza diet is real. I am not claiming that pizza is the healthiest food available and everyone should eat only pizza. My stance is that in order for someone to make a lifestyle change, it must be fast, inexpensive and convenient.

The reason most fad diets fail is they deprive you of the things you love to eat, and the foods you can eat aren't convenient or cheap. The pizza diet teaches adults how to survive in the real world, and they can educate their children to prevent childhood obesity.

GOING THE DISTANCE: My career goal was to change the image of pizza, inspire people to get healthy and give the pizza industry a voice. My personal goal was to ride my bike to New York City to get the word out.

I had 30 days, 22 cities and 1,300 miles to deliver my message. I envisioned crossing the finish line in Times Square on the Fourth of July and watching the fireworks display as my personal celebration.

Not only did my dreams come true, but my message was delivered to the world at the "World's Largest Pizza Party." Sbarro Pizza Co. donated 500,000 slices to celebrate the completion of the Tour De Pizza 2010.

It has been a humbling experience to become the face of a $30 billion industry. As I set new goals, I am grateful to be a part of this wonderful community and thankful that I have my family and friends for support.

BEST ADVICE: Dedicate one hour each day to making yourself healthier, whether you're exercising, controlling food portions or stopping bad habits.

I did an extreme diet to prove that the only nutrition that entered my body for 30 days was pizza. I do not encourage anyone to attempt the same diet, but I do teach people how to incorporate pizza into a balanced, healthy lifestyle. If I had eaten salad for lunch and chicken for dinner, the critics would have given the attention to those foods, which are perceived as healthy, and not to pizza.

I Made It is a regular feature highlighting individual fitness success stories and does not reflect the opinions of 4you, which encourages you to work with a trainer or research ahead of time any new fitness plans. To share your story, visit TBO.com, Keyword: Made It, or send it to mshedden@tampatrib.com or Mary Shedden, The Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St., Tampa FL 33606.