Belly Off: Rock-Climbing Weight Loss Success Story  

Name: Todd Hoyt

Age: 37

Home: Grand Junction, CO

Occupation: Marketing and media director

Height: 5'9"

Time Required to Reach Goal: 12 months

Weight Before: 188

Weight After: 136

 

The Gain

Hoyt was lured into a sedentary lifestyle in his late 20s, after landing a good job and a great marriage. "When you’re happy with your job and your spouse, health feels like it can go on the back burner," he says. Feasting on fast food and abandoning exercise put a lot of strain on his belt.

The Change

Hoyt’s happiness was shattered when his wife died of complications from kidney stones in June 2003. "When you lose someone you love, either you go down a bad path, or you go down the harder path and tell yourself, ‘Life is short. I had a great time with my wife, and I’m going to make myself into an even better person than I was before,’" he says. Hoyt chose the latter, overhauling his diet, hitting the gym, and dropping 50 pounds in a year.

The Lifestyle

Hoyt front-loads his diet, often eating dinner for breakfast and tapering his meals throughout the day. A recent morning meal included steak, beans, rice, oatmeal, and spinach salad -- followed by four or five snacks the rest of the day. "I’m not even hungry when I go out with my friends for dinner," Hoyt says. He lifts weights three times a week, runs on the off days, and hits his abs hard with a 20-minute workout on weekends.

The Reward

Hoyt’s success in slimming down helped him cope with the loss of his wife, gave him focus, and helped him create a new life for himself. He completed his first triathlon last June and has several planned for the future. "Summer is great for me now," he says. "It’s cool to notice people noticing me at the beach for a change."

Todd's Tips

Take the hard path. "You can get through some of the hardest things in life by focusing and setting goals. You have to take it 1 day at a time."

 

Fresh food is better. "If a food has a long shelf life, it’s going to find a home around your waist for a long time, too."

 

Feast early, snack late. "If you put a lot of food in your stomach at the end of the day, it’s just going to sit there throughout the night and slowly turn into fat."

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