MLB.COM - May 2008 - Sean Gallagher

Press > MLB.COM - May 2008 - Sean Gallagher

Slimmer Gallagher set for series finale

Sean Gallagher is hoping he has a reason to treat himself to an ice cream bar on Wednesday.

Gallagher has lost more than 30 pounds since last season by changing his eating habits and subscribing to Sunfare, a company which provides personalized, healthy, fresh meals. The company, which delivers meals in Los Angeles and Phoenix, also lists Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood and catcher Geovany Soto as happy clients.

Now that Gallagher has lost the weight, what's the difference?

"My energy level is through the roof," Gallagher said Tuesday. "I wake up in the morning, and feel better."

That should help as the young right-hander tries to keep a spot in the Cubs' rotation. He'll make his third big league start in the series finale against the Astros.

"It might not seem like anything, but my confidence level is up, too," Gallagher said. "I feel like I look so much better. When I left Chicago for the last time last year, and I stepped on the scale, I was embarrassed. Mentally, I said, 'I'm fine, it's not that bad.' But when I saw that, I said, 'It isn't me. This isn't what I want to be.'

"That's when I talked to Woody, and everybody else. I said, 'I have to make a drastic change.' I set my goal, and did it."

What's tough now is keeping the weight off. Gallagher is exploring other food services in the Chicago area. The last time he stepped on the scale, he weighed 208. His goal is to stay around 210-215, quite a drop from 250.

"I talked to Soto about eating right up here, and sometimes you want to go for the sweet stuff, but you have to have the willpower to just say no," Gallagher said.

Anyone who has tried to keep weight off can relate to that. They probably don't have as much free food available as Gallagher does. The dining room in clubhouses is overloaded with temptations.

"You walk in here and they all have the little snacks, the candy, the Yoo-hoo, the Twinkies, and it's like, 'I wish,'" Gallagher said. "Every now and then, I'm sure you could spoil yourself and do some extra cardio the next day. That's the hardest part -- keeping it off. But if I start eating bad again, and start picking up bad habits, I know I'll gain it back real quick."

He did skip the grilled chicken breast, and ate an ice cream bar to celebrate his first win in his second career start against Pittsburgh.

"If I do that every once in a while, I'll be fine," he said. "If I start picking it up, I'll be back to bad habits."