Todd Jeffries Goes the Distance for Himself and Family
by RunTex Staff, 7/31/2006

About six weeks ago, Todd Jeffries spent a lot more time on his couch than on the Town Lake hike and bike trail. Now, thanks to One Ton o' Fun, a fitness program created by RunTex CEO Paul Carozza and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas Executive Director Kenny Taylor, Jeffries walks and runs at least six miles a day. The program is made up of 10 teams, each with at least 10 members and captained by a local celebrity. Participants are challenged to lose a total of a ton, or 20 pounds each, over six months by incorporating exercise and nutritional changes into their lives. One Ton o' Fun benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas and the Neighborhood Longhorns Program.

"It's working and I feel good," Jeffries said. "I've lost 32 pounds so far." His goal is to lose 50 pounds by the end of the program, which wraps up at the ThunderCloud Subs Annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. The event is a five-mile run, one-mile walk and "Kids' K" walk that benefits Caritas of Austin.

Jeffries, news director at KLBJ 590 AM and captain of the One Ton o' Fun KLBJ team, said his father and father-in-law passed away last year as the result of "unhealthy lifestyles." This was his wake-up call; Jeffries now walks about four miles with his team on Saturday mornings and walks with the One Ton o' Fun group Tuesdays at noon. The rest of the week he walks and runs by himself.

Working out with the team makes getting fit easier, since everyone is accountable to one another, he explained. KLBJ's team includes Shawna Castellano, Christian Bove, Brianna Garza, Regina Massy, Sarah Smith, Tawanda Turner, Mike Steele, Chuck Loesh and Lasonya Holland. On July 22, Jeffries finished his first milestone, the STAR Flight 5K at Zilker Park, along with about 30 other program members and five people from his team.

"I really enjoyed participating in the STAR Flight 5K. It was my first race. I do think my training since June 3 prepared me for the race, but I do want to improve my time in future events. The STAR Flight 5K and created a new racer in Austin," Jeffries said.

The STAR Flight 5K raised funds for the STAR Flight Fund, which is used for the flight team's continuing education. Seton Hospitals, Turbomeca, Miller Uniforms and Emblems, RunTex, Viasys Healthcare and Pulmonetic Systems sponsored the race, which 236 participants finished. Jeffries said the race was a good event for beginners because it was family oriented and a charity benefit.

"I was better prepared than I thought," Jeffries said. He ran about two miles of the race, and walked the rest.

In addition to increasing his level of activity, One Ton o' Fun has changed Jeffries' approach to his diet. He attends sessions taught by the group's nutritionist and has cut down on the amount of calories, carbohydrates and fats he eats, while increasing the amount of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables.

Jeffries explained that it is hard to lose weight while working in radio because of all the free food available at the station. When a local pizza company recently sent a pizza along with a press release to KLBJ, the One Ton o' Fun team members "gave it to the skinny people in the office." Jeffries said it is also challenging to stay on track with his diet while at social and family events. Jeffries' family eats out less often than before the program began and he has found new, healthy recipes on the Internet and from friends. He includes some of the recipes he finds on his One Ton o' Fun blog on KLBJ's Web site, www.590KLBJ.com. Jeffries and his wife split cooking duties at home, and he said since he started the program, she is cooking healthier too.

After the first few weeks of working out and eating healthier foods, Jeffries noticed that he was sleeping better and without sleep apnea, his heartburn disappeared and he had more energy. He said he "has a high" when he finishes working out.

"I don't have that sinking feeling anymore," he said, explaining that before losing weight with One Ton o' Fun, he felt groggy in the afternoons, when he came from work.

Another benefit of Jeffries' healthy lifestyle is that he can pass it on to his children, who are 10 and five years old. His son does some of the workouts with him, which motivates him. Jeffries said he wants to teach his children how to live healthily by setting a good example.

"You can leave your kids with money, but leaving them with the knowledge of a healthy lifestyle is more valuable," he said.

Jeffries is beginning to enjoy running and walking, and is increasing his miles. Last weekend, he totaled more than 20 miles.

"Over the next several weeks I hope to continue dropping pounds. We will also look for more races to compete in, and the big milestone, the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day," he said.

One Ton o' Fun is sponsored by the RunTex Foundation, KTBC Fox7 Austin, Austin Fit Magazine, FitCity, the Livestrong Challenge, Ironsmith, O2 Austin, New Balance and Tonyia Cone Communications. For more information on the program, which benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas and the Neighborhood Longhorns Program, visit www.onetonofun.com.

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