SAATCHI & Saatchi carries a lot of weight in the advertising world — but not among its employees.
Its staff has lost over 150 pounds collectively over the last four months.
“We’ve slimmed down to become more efficient,” jokes Judi Schipani, director of the Wellness Program at the chi-chi advertising firm.
Over 40 Saatchi & Saatchi men and women have been losing weight since February on the 90/10 diet plan, which allows them to have their favorite junk food everyday.
The weight loss plan, a nutrition program designed by registered dietitian Joy Bauer, has developed a cult following among the Gucci clad advertising elite.
The average weight loss so far at Saatchi and Saatchi is 15 pounds — with most dieters keeping it off.
“It’s the best diet I’ve ever been on,” raved 28-year-old traffic supervisor Ed Pagan, who’s whittled 16 pounds from his now 5-foot-10, 150-pound frame.
“I’ve tried low carbohydrate diets like the Zone before, but I always gave them up because I couldn’t resist junk food. Now that I know I can have my fries everyday, it’s much easier to stick to a diet program.”
The 90/10 Weight-Loss Plan offers three different options: the 1,200-calorie plan, the 1,400-calorie plan and the 1,600-calorie plan.
But all of the plans follow the same theme: while 90 percent of the food is healthy, nutritious, low-fat fare, 10 percent of your daily calories can come from small amounts of “fun food” — junk food such as cookies, potato chips and pizza.
Surprisingly, many die-hard Saatchi & Saatchi dieters say they don’t eat their daily junk food quota.
Irene Sullivan, 46 — who’s lost 11 pounds on the diet — said she hasn’t had an urge to munch on her two weaknesses, chocolate candy bars and peanut butter frozen yogurt, for weeks.
“I stopped craving those foods once I knew I could eat them everyday,” confessed the accounts supervisor.
“Before, when I’d been on diets such as SlimFast, I’d actually end up gaining weight. I’d start obsessing about sweets, go off the diet after a month, and end up on a major eating binge.”
While most of the meals are easy to follow, it certainly helps Saatchi & Saatchi employees that their gourmet cafeteria serves many of Bauer’s delicious “90/10 meals” such as spinach lasagna, vegetable couscous and Mexican wraps.
And dieting employees can also duck into the luxurious company gym for a quick afternoon workout.
The program became so popular, even non-Saatchi & Saatchi employees ended up joining it.
Rick Nayer, a 47-year-old vice president at Penguin Books, signed on because he works in the same building — and he’s lost 20 pounds.
“Our company has Weight Watchers, but I thought that the 90/10 program was much better suited to me,” said Nayer, who was thrilled that he could still eat his chocolate Milanos every night.
Perhaps the best thing about the program, Saatchi & Saatchi dieters say, is that helps avoid obsession about food.
“I followed the basic principals of the diet — eating healthfully most of the time and allowing myself a little bit of junk food everyday — and I lost eight pounds without even counting calories,” admitted Schipani, who, at 5-foot-9, now is a svelte 130 pounds.
“Before, I used to deny myself sweets until I would cave in and eat a whole bag of Hershey’s Kisses when I only really wanted a handful,” she said.
“Now, there are no “good’ foods or “bad’ foods — I eat everything in moderation.”