This Italian Chef Says He Lost 100 Pounds Eating PIZZA

What would you say if someone told you they lost 100 pounds eating… pizza?!

Yea -- cue shocked expression here.

Well, one New York City chef says he did, so of course we had to talk to him!

Pasquale Cozzolino is the executive chef and co-owner of Ribalta Pizza, and says when he came here from Italy, he gained a lot of weight -- at his heaviest he weighed 370 pounds.

MAKE: Pizza Masters’ Vodka Pizza

It’s gotta be tough being a chef on a diet -- which is probably why he says every single one he tried didn’t work. “I was eating everything on the table,” says Cozzolino. “It was so difficult being around food!”

He decided it was time for a change -- one that would work for him.

“I need to have one food that makes me happy, that’s why I decided to put pizza on my diet,” says Cozzolino.

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Smart thinking! By the way, he also said that one 12-inch pizza pie is only 570 calories! Watch the video above to see how he makes it.

“When I wake up in the morning, I know I’m going to eat my favorite food and I’m the happiest man in the world,” says Cozzolino.

We’re happy for you, too, Cozzolino! But we’d be even happier if we had a pizza right now. Just sayin’.

MAKE: Chicken Pizza