Chris Christie Loses 100 Pounds — Prepping For 2016 Presidential Race?
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has reportedly lost at least 100 pounds as a result of Lap-Band surgery he had last February. Is his slim-down part of his plan to get fit prior to announcing a run for president in the 2016 election?
Christie was reportedly at least 200 pounds overweight before his surgery last year. Dr. Jaime Ponce, former president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, tells the Record that he thinks the Governor of New Jersey has lost “at least half of those excess pounds.”
When asked about 2016, Gov. Christie says what he’s really worried about “is a nap.” http://t.co/VBystC6mIH pic.twitter.com/2XcStCuW5z
— ABC News (@ABC) November 5, 2014
There are conflicting reports that as to why Christie underwent gastric bypass surgery. Is it because he wants to get in shape before making a bid for the White House or simply because he wants better overall health?
The New York Times reports that when Christie spoke at an event hosted by billionaire David Koch in September, he told attendees that he “needed to shed a few pounds” if he wanted to move beyond his position as Governor of New Jersey.
However, months before the Koch event, Christie revealed that he had surgery because he found himself getting angry about his ongoing struggle with his weight. The Record reports that the governor was very open about his frustrations and spoke about it at an event in Princeton, NJ, in May.
“The things that really got me down, the moments where I would say to myself, ‘Why can’t I beat this? Why can’t I do better?’… it would be when I’d be going out with [wife] Mary Pat on a Friday night or Saturday night. I’d be changing out of my professional clothes… and would go to casual clothes that I didn’t wear a lot, and then something wouldn’t fit. That’s when I’d really be angry with myself.”
Governor Chris Christie‘s ongoing battle with weight loss is a work in progress. USA Today reports that in addition to his Lap-Band surgery, he has adopted a healthier lifestyle that includes a fitness regimen and a better diet.
Will Chris Christie run for president in 2016? There is plenty of speculation but the governor has stated that he won’t make the decision until next year. Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, tells NJ.com that the announcement should come between January and April.
Aside from planning his path to better physical health, Sabato states that if Christie does run, he will need to make his announcement “when no one else is” — preferably during a week when there are no major holidays.
Do you think Governor Chris Christie will run for president in 2016?
[Images: Philly.com]
