Belly Off! Club: Alan Trotty

VITALS Alan Trotty, 28, Cherry Hill, NJ
WEIGHT BEFORE 271
WEIGHT AFTER 176
 OCCUPATION Special education teacher
HEIGHT 5'7"
REACHED HIS GOAL IN 1 year

THE SETBACK
I've been big for years. As a 200-pound 15-year-old, I'd hear my classmates call me "Cheeseburger." My oversized eating habits continued through college and grew even worse when my wife became pregnant. When she indulged in pizza, fries, and cheeseburgers, I felt like I had an excuse to chow down too. But then things changed shortly after my son was born—they had to.

THE WAKE-UP CALL
Three months after my son's birth, while watching The Biggest Loser, I dropped the remote control and had to turn on my side to reach it because my stomach was in the way. In that moment, I realized I was one of those people. I was 270 pounds, depressed, and on a path toward high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis. I couldn't raise my son that way. I wanted him to grow up with a happy and healthy father he could look up to.

THE FOOD
I used to have no idea how many calories I was eating. A calorie-counting app helped me realize how a dinner of wings, pizza, or burgers could add up. I set daily calorie goals, easing into a healthy range by knocking off about 100 calories a week. I learned that I couldn't do as well in restaurants, so my wife and I learned to cook at home. We grilled meats instead of ordering fried food, and roasted fibrous vegetables like brussels sprouts and squash.

THE FITNESS
On a whim and without any training, I signed up to run a 5-K. I ended up loving it. Consistent improvement fueled my motivation. To fight boredom as I ran, I took my son along, and soon I could run a 5-K with him in a jogging stroller. I also did kickboxing, lifted weights in my home gym, and played pickup basketball.

THE REWARD
On my son's first birthday, my wife announced to our guests that I had lost 83 pounds. I appreciated that, and it made me feel even better to learn that I'd inspired some of our friends to lose weight, too. On that day, I was able to fully celebrate the first year of my son's life knowing I'll be around longer as the father I want to be.

Running with strollers

Trotty is onto something. Pushing a stroller while running stimulates lactate production and increases your heart rate 10 beats per minute more than regular running does, according to a study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. Try the Jeep Overland Limited Jogging stroller ($220, kolcraft.com).

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