Chef reveals recipe for scraping obesity off the plate
By Sandra Jordan Of the St. Louis American
For the past few years, Marlon McCoy has been losing weight, cooking healthier and exercising to ward off what he could see on the horizon – morbid obesity, diabetes, heart problems and possibly a shorter life span.
Weight gain due to years of repeated tasting, eating and preparing food for a living caught up with McCoy. When he started pushing the pound-limits for some high-capacity scales, the Holiday Inn chef cooked up a new attitude about food and his career.
“About four years ago, I got so big I was weighing about 400 pounds. Then I was kind of scared because diabetes and high blood pressure run in my family,” McCoy said. “I decided to just eat healthy, bake my food and get away from the greasy foods.”
McCoy’s 5-foot-11-inch frame packed on pounds despite the fact that he exercised regularly.
“Back then I was exercising, lifting weights and jogging around the Normandy Senior High track. I continued doing that and I continued to watch my weight also,” he said.
It took awhile for McCoy to see results of his lifestyle changes.
Two years ago, by the time he turned 34, McCoy could really see the difference.
“After that, then I felt kind of good and I continued to eat baked foods and eat healthy,” McCoy recalled.
Today, “soul food” takes its place on a menu of healthier selections.
“I was raised up on greens, pork steaks, fried chicken, and macaroni and cheese,” McCoy said.
“What I do is bake my food. And I use Mrs. Dash to season my food and it gives it the same flavor instead of using seasoned salt. I cook with a lot of garlic too.”
McCoy still “eats good.” The chef shared his preparation methods to allow foods to be more nourishing than fattening.
Mac and cheese: “I take my macaroni and cheese and I use two percent milk and I use fat-free cheese, I mix everything together, then I bake it.”
Pork steaks: “I season them with garlic powder, pepper and then I use minced fresh garlic in the seasoning. I take flour or sometimes I put it in the oven like that. I cut up bell peppers and onions to put over it as it bakes.”
Greens: “I just cook my greens regularly and I don’t use salt pork. I put my garlic in there, my black pepper, just a tad bit of salt, not that much. Some people put bacon in theirs. I put turkey bacon in mine.”
Chicken: “I bake it with black pepper, and cut up me some onions and bell peppers as a base and then use garlic powder, and I take fresh garlic I cut it in half and I put it in there. I use regular or boneless chicken breasts. I punch holes in the aluminum foil, I let it cook. Then I take the aluminum foil off of it to bake it to get it crisp.”
McCoy made another important move. He left the culinary profession and now does physical work striping wax from floors. His exercise on the job is supplemented by running during lunch breaks.
“I lost a total of 70 pounds. I am down to 330. I want to get down to at least 200,” McCoy said breathily during one of his lunch-time jogs.
Marlon continues undaunted on his healthy living and weight-loss journey. He is hoping that family and friends will make healthier choices for themselves.
“I try to get them to eat healthy also, but they kind of go their own way because they can’t stay away from the fried foods.”
McCoy realizes making such steps may not be easy at first – but goals worth acquiring seldom are.
“If you got a goal that you want to set, you got to have discipline and you have to make your mind up what you want to do – if you want to eat healthy or if you want to have health problems down the line.”
