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Fisher's steady diet of play has roots in his diet

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 *Body by Fisher: Jake Fisher thinks his solid play is tied to his diet. *

One of the keys to the return of The Jungle just might be the animal grazing on Jake Fisher's menu that has fed his career revival.

Bison. And plenty of it.

That's been Fisher's favorite since he decided to re-invent his body after last season. "Lean, quality," he says. It's also his lunch as gets ready for Thursday's practice, already cooked and delivered by his personal chef.

 Bison. Potato. Corn. There's an avocado on top of the take-home box. A steak waits for after practice. Then there'll be a delivery some time Thursday to load him up for next week.

"The avocado is for electrolytes. It's a science, man," Fisher says.

You don't have to exactly be a scientist to realize that Fisher, one of those two young tackles taking over for departed left tackle Andrew Whitworth and transitioning right tackle turned right guard Andre Smith, is under enormous pressure. Yet he has quietly emerged during the first week of training camp. If you listen to enough camp scuttlebutt, it tells you Fisher is the most consistent offensive lineman of the first week of work.

As much as he's getting raves for his play, he's raving about his diet that has not only beefed him up to 310 pounds but has purged his psyche. He says he hasn't taken any medications since October in an effort to avoid post-career side effects. He says even his immune system is stronger and he rarely gets sick.  

"I feel way better. More healthy. Mentally and physically," Fisher says. "Guys get soaked up a lot of times in what a coach wants them to be at weight-wise that they sacrifice. I  just didn't sacrifice ... Everyone has their own way of doing things. Fine tuning.  It takes effort. In my third year I have it down pretty well."

Now ensconced at right tackle after two years of playing everywhere but where they drafted him to play, Fisher has re-made his body. At one point last season as he fought nagging injuries and moved around while Cedric Ogbuehi tried right tackle, Fisher slid to 279 pounds at his lightest. As soon as the season ended with Fisher playing the last three games at right tackle, he recruited a South Florida nutritionist.

"Multi positions. Not being consistent. Playing tight end, KOR (kick-off return). All kinds of different things," says Fisher of the reasons for his weight loss. "Now that I'm at a spot where I earned a spot on the line … I can really keep my weight up and really focus on what specific things I'm doing."

One of the reasons the Bengals drafted Fisher two years ago is because of how conscientious he is. That was the scouting report on him coming out of Oregon it was obvious when they brought him to Paul Brown Stadium for a pre-draft visit. Now it's come to the forefront.

"It's hard, but it's what I want to do. To be great," Fisher says. "It's not what I'm eating. It's when I'm eating, how I'm eating. Portions. Timing. Morning and night. It's really just a matter of realizing that everyone's body is different. It's not if it's more or less, but its quality. I'm not sacrificing quality to eat more quantity. I'm eating more often. Never allowing myself to be hungry. Eat more often. Always have your body pumping Insulin."

Fisher says he "crushed,' weights in the offseason on the road to a happy and healthy 310. But he also says, "It's what you eat."

Thursday dinner after practice? A rib-eye steak. Some potatoes. Carrots. A little shake. Then before bed, pasta. And when he gets up, more pasta. The week-long reserve is stashed in a locker room refrigerator.

"Keep the Insulin level high throughout the night when I sleep," Fisher says.

But it looks like no one is sleeping on Fisher during this steady diet of solid play.

Cincinnati Bengals host Training Camp at Paul Brown Stadium Practice Fields 8/4/2017

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