Success Stories – Paul Hamilton

Buffalo News 12/1/17:

WGR Sabres beat reporter loses 80 pounds to save his life

The breaking point came for Paul Hamilton on June 25, 2016, as he labored up a stairwell and to his car after the NHL draft came to a close in downtown Buffalo.

He was gassed physically, mentally and emotionally. Drained by excess weight, swollen legs and a back so sore he could barely stand for more than 5 minutes. So self-conscious by the way he looked that he chose to spend most of his off-work hours alone in his house.

“I was always out of breath,” said Hamilton, the veteran Buffalo Sabres beat reporter for WGR-AM 550 Sports Radio. “I was always in a complete and utter sweat. It was embarrassing to be quite honest. I’d walk from the press box to the locker room and I would have sweated through my suit by the time I got down there.

“These are warning signs before you have a heart attack or stroke. That’s how far gone I was.”

Hamilton also became much more acquainted in August 2016 with Jared Byer, a health coach and owner of Made 2 Move Fitness in Amherst, who he’d seen sporadically over more than 15 years. It was important that Hamilton lose about 20 pounds before surgery to get some of the fat off his liver, making the procedure more manageable to perform.

“When he came in, he was probably in the worst shape I’ve seen him, both physically and just down and out,” Byer said.

The two made arrangements to meet at least three times a week for 30- to 45-minute workouts in which Hamilton wore a heart monitor. The goal was to help Hamilton build endurance while he began to lose weight.

Here is a link to the full article from December 1st 2017: http://buffalonews.com/2017/12/01/wgr-sabres-beat-reporter-loses-80-pounds-to-save-his-life/