WALKING and eating sandwiches successful diet for one man

Thursday, June 14th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Golfers were not the only celebrities in Tulsa Thursday. Jared Fogle, the University of Indiana student who lost 245 pounds eating low fat sandwiches from Subway and walking, told his story to some area youngsters.

KOTV's Glenda Silvey was there and says Jared Fogle says the first day he walked into Subway, he just wanted to lose weight. He never dreamed he'd end up on Oprah, in commercials, then traveling the country, encouraging people to eat healthy and exercise. But he's thrilled to take that message on the road in rallies like this one, called "Jared Jamboree." About a thousand Tulsa area YWCA campers and day care youngsters paid close attention as Jared told them how he started gaining weight at about their age. He blames too much fast food, video games and TV.

By the time he was in college, he weighed 425 pounds, and showed them his 60-inch weight pants to prove it. Jared says snapping out of denial and the encouragement of friends helped him succeed. He offered this advice to others who're struggling. "You know, the bottom line is you've got to want it deep, deep within you. You've got to have that fire burning deep deep within your gut that's going to propel you through it, because it's probably going to be some of the hardest times of your life while you're losing weight. At least it was for me."

Jared says he's thrilled to be able to help others this way. At around 190 pounds, he's kept the weight off for more than two years. He graduated from college, and is engaged to be married.