Mike Ditka

Well, after I had the heart attack, it was a very simple choice. What the doctor told me I did and I did it religiously. I ate nothing but lean turkey breast or chicken breast or a piece of fish that was very lean. I mean I stayed away from everything.

Basically, my problem was attributed to stress more than anything. I don't know what that does and I guess doctors can tell you that there's chemicals that build up in your system when you go through a lot of stress and constant stress.

I think it's important to stretch as you get older, but I try to do basically all the things I did when I played, except I can't do them as well and as much.

I don't know how to put it, but yet you know we have so many people who the way they look at life, the way they work depends on what happens, us winning or losing. It's kind of crazy. So, I kind of got caught up in that, I'm gonna try to stay away from that.

If God had wanted man to play soccer, he wouldn't have given us arms.

Success isn’t permanent and failure isn’t fatal.

Success isn't permanent and failure isn't fatal.

You’re never a loser until you quit trying.

Some people are willing to pay the price and it's the same with staying healthy or eating healthy. There's some discipline involved. There's some sacrifices.

When I get my heart rate up, I get good exercise and I think it's good for a lot of things, plus it's not hurting my hips right now.

Really, if I'm gonna eat a meat, I'd rather eat venison than anything and I do like it a little on the rare side. That's probably my favorite meat and I've had some awfully good venison in some of the great restaurants.

I really believe the only way to stay healthy is to eat properly, get your rest and exercise. If you don't exercise and do the other two, I still don't think it's going to help you that much.

Eating properly is great. I mean you cut the fat down, cut the cholesterol out, but still you got to get your rest and you got to have some form of exercise.

Here's what I tell anybody and this is what I believe. The greatest gift we have is the gift of life. We understand that. That comes from our Creator. We're given a body. Now you may not like it, but you can maximize that body the best it can be maximized.

I do like beer, but lately I've started drinking non-alcoholic beer and I like the taste of it and I don't get the alcohol, so that's a good alternative also.

Success isn't measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.

If you are determined enough and willing to pay the price, you can get it done.

Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.

You're never a loser until you quit trying.

I'm not going to make it the all - everything. Our (the Saints) goal is to get better, make the playoffs and win the Super Bowl, but I'm not gonna anguish over it like I have in the past.

Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.

People want a cop-out, listen I'm a realist and I talk about motivation, talk about all the things it takes to be greater or are important to win and people want to use excuses all the time.

If you're not in the parade, you watch the parade. That's life.

Before you can win you have to believe you are worthy.

It's your body and you're going to have a much better life, you are going to have a quality life, better lifestyle, you're going to be healthier, you're going to be happier, you're going to enjoy the people around you and they're going to enjoy you more.

I've been into the habit of freezing white grapes and using them as a snack. Instead of eating peanuts or popcorn or something like that or pretzels, I just eat the white grapes.

I think your alcohol intake has to change. You know, usually a big person feels they can drink anything they want to and as much as they want to and I've cut that way back.

There's just me and my wife and a dog and we feed him Healthy Choice also.

Losers quit when they're tired. Winners quit when they've won.

You see people who have been very heavy in their life who have taken that body, trimmed it down, firmed it up through discipline, exercise and being able to say no. Eating properly, that all comes into it.

The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves.

We have a strange and wonderful relationship - he's strange and I'm wonderful.

Before you can win, you have to believe you are worthy.

So, when it comes to eating healthy, it's just doing the right thing. And it's not something you have to do 365 days a year, but I think it's something you have to do 25 days a month. Let's put it that way.

When I put some Tabasco on things, and there's really nothing in Tabasco, it's not bad for you in any way, so that's kind of become my substitute. Now you got to get used to a hot mouth, but that's okay.

If you are determined enough and willing to pay the price, you can get it done.

I do some weights and I do a lot of stretching.

What you feel spiritually. I think a lot of that has to do with it. If you have no spiritual life, chances are everything is going to aggravate you, you're going to fly off the handle at everything and that's what I did in the past. I've kind of got that under control now.

If things came easy, then everybody would be great at what they did, let's face it.

Not really, and actually my cholesterol was 190 when I had the heart attack. 190, which isn't that high. I took it down to about 130 and it's probably about 140 or 145 now.

I always tell people I want to live to be 150 and they say why would you want to do that. I say, well there's a few people I haven't made mad yet, I want to get them.

Just because you liked something as a youngster doesn't mean you have to like it as an adult. You can change your taste a little bit on the sweets and things like that.

I mean, when you've had a problem in your past, whether it's attributed directly to high cholesterol or not, you want to lower your cholesterol. You want to eat healthy. You want to feel healthy. You want to have a little more energy.

Effort without talent is a depressing situation... but talent without effort is a tragedy.

Some people are willing to pay the price and its the same with staying healthy or eating healthy. Theres some discipline involved. Theres some sacrifices.

One of my favorite things is mayonnaise and I have to tell you that. I love mayonnaise, but I don't eat it any more. If I do I put light mayonnaise on it, which I know is still not good but it's a lot better than the other one and I don't eat it that much.