Tank Staying in Shape While in Jail

Apparantly, Tank Johnson is using his current jailtime to focus on his diet, get back into shape, straighten out his life, and be better devoted to his work and family life.

From the Chicago Sun Times

Records obtained by the Sun-Times show the Chicago Bear spent almost $700 buying assorted junk food during the 60 days he spent in the Cook County Jail.

While locked up for 60 days, Tank Johnson supplemented his jail diet with snacks including 162 beef sticks, 40 honey bun sweet rolls and 35 summer sausages.
(AP file)

TANK FUEL
Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson spent 60 days in the Cook County Jail. While he got three meals a day, he also spent $665 ordering mostly junk food through the jail commissary, according to records obtained through the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Among his orders:
Beef sticks 162
Honey buns 40
Summer sausage 35
Chips 35
Coffee 22
Fruit punch 10
Tuna fish 10
Jalapeno cheese spread 9
Tortillas 9
Refried beans 6
Cookies 6
Reese's cups 5
Lemonade 5
Swiss rolls 4
Dill pickles 3
Sugar 3
Cream 3
Oatmeal sandwiches 3
Bag of Jolly Ranchers 2
Butterfingers 2
Peanut butter bars 2
Cupcakes 1

And while the 6-foot-3, 300-pound lineman is built like a vending machine, the roster of items he ordered reads like he raided one, too:
• 162 beef sticks

• 40 honey bun sweet rolls

• 35 summer sausage blocks

• 35 bags of barbecue chips

While he and other inmates were given things like a scoop of grits for breakfast, a bologna sandwich for lunch and a chicken leg for dinner, that's hardly enough for a massive professional athlete.

Instead, Johnson supplemented his diet by relying on the commissary and all the treats it offers -- though nutritionists don't advise anyone follow Johnson's food choices.

"I think he was grasping at straws," said Lisa Dorfman, a Miami-based sports nutritionist who is a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and who spent nine years working in the federal prison system. "He was probably bored, hungry and trying to get whatever he could."

Hearing what Johnson ate, she said she has concerns not only about food quality, but also when he was eating and whether he was getting fluids. Records show Johnson ordered 10 small jugs of fruit punch, five lemonades and 22 cups of coffee, in addition to what he got with meals.

He also appeared to try to put together a Mexican dinner, ordering nine tortillas, six packs of refried beans and nine packages of jalapeno cheese spread during his stay.

Johnson, 25, spent 60 days in jail for violating his probation on gun charges and, records show, spent much of his time reading and visiting with friends and teammates.

He spent his time in isolation, away from other inmates and the weight room. He spent 23 hours a day in an 8-foot-by-10-foot cell.

Dorfman said while Johnson's diet may have been poor, he's got plenty of time to get back into shape. But whether he plays at all remains in question. He's awaiting word from the NFL on how long he'll be suspended.

Team officials say he's working out with teammates again and with team nutritionists.

Johnson's attorney and a Bears spokesman declined comment on his dietary habits while incarcerated.