Five things about ... Jared 'The Subway Guy' Fogle

Oprah couldn't keep it off. Neither could Kirstie Alley. And even Al Roker looks to have reverted back to bad carbs. So who is one to take it off and keep it off?

Jared Fogle is one example.

He's NASCAR's favorite sandwich-eating pitchman for Subway restaurants and is celebrating nearly a decade of weight loss success.

The Indianapolis native was forced to leave fellow Hoosier and pal Tony Stewart to sponsor the more "Fresh Fit" Carl Edwards, but still says he is having the time of his life and has enjoyed being grand marshal of at least 10 NASCAR races, the most recent being Saturday's Nationwide event at Daytona International Speedway.

Jared with Will Ferrell at "Land of the Lost" premiere.

So after losing 245 pounds and becoming one of the longest-running commercial spokesmen next to the Verizon guy, Jared reflects back on his successful run after starting his program back in 1999 as a college student at Indiana University.

Here are five things about "Jared the Subway Guy."

1. Keeping it off...

"I never thought we would be working on 10 years, but it is going as strong as it ever has. Bottom line, obesity is still a huge issue and everyone is looking for unique and successful ways to lose weight and they are intrigued with my ability to keep it off. So now that is more of the focal point for us -- the fact that I've kept the weight off. Although it's tough because I love food and I love to eat. It's something I will struggle with my entire life and I try to get in the gym for an hour at a time in order to get my metabolism raised. I'm in the gym about three times a week. Besides that, I try to eat in moderation but it's hard because I travel so much. I have good days and bad days but just try to make good selections on the menu."

2. What's for dinner ...?

"I still eat Subway occasionally, but for that first year of trying to lose weight I ate it twice a day [a six-inch turkey sandwich and a foot-long veggie sandwich]. Since then, I now eat Subway two or three times a week. One of the great perks is that I don't have to pay for it, so that is nice."

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Jared hanging out with the Boston Celtics and Michael Phelps.

3. Motivating factors ...

"For me I know how hard it was to lose the weight and the sacrifice I made that first year. I want to make sure I never put myself in that position again. It's easy to go down that slippery slope, but I'm human. I will gain a few pounds and then have to try and quickly get it back off. You try to find your balance and remember where you came from."

4. The pants ...

"When I go to schools, TV interviews and things like that, I take the pants I used to wear when I was overweight. It is such a crazy visual aid. I used to weigh over 400 pounds, but it is hard to visualize how big that actually is. They were Levi. That was one of the few brands that I could buy when I was that heavy. Anytime I would find them, I would buy more than one pair because finding pants was difficult. I'd have to say those pants have become more famous than I have."

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Jared was pit crew member of Tony Stewart's team last year at Fontana.

5. Friendly intervention ...

"J.L. Lou was a good friend in high school and we roomed together at Indiana University. He was a pre-med major and really concerned about me as I continued to gain more and more weight. One night, he slid a tape recorder into my bedroom to record the horrendous sounds of my snoring and sleep apnea. I would stop breathing because I had so much fat around my neck. I would wake up gasping for air. Everyone confronted me about me weight -- family, friends, etc. -- but it was nothing I wanted to deal with until I was finally scared into doing something about it. Hearing that tape recording was the catalyst for my weight loss. It brought to my attention how bad the problem was and got me pointed in a more positive direction."