Kent Austin sick of losing but he isn’t sick

Kent Austin may be sick of losing football games but he isn’t physically ill – far from it.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats head coach has lost a significant amount of weight recently, dropping from 215 pounds to 180 in just a few months. The change, which is visible in his face, has led some to speculate on the state of the 54-year-olds’ health.

But the reason for transformation is much simpler.

“Because I was fat,” Austin said Monday, with a laugh.

A former CFL quarterback, Austin had a partial hip replacement done 14 years ago and the joint had recently begun to bother him. Concerned he would need a second procedure – and potentially a third, depending on his lifespan – Austin decided to make a lifestyle change.

“It kind of worried me,” Austin said. “I’m not that old and I need this one to last a little bit longer so the easiest way to do that is to shed the weight, get as lean as you can, to put less stress on the joint.”

Austin has done it by “intermittent fasting,” which essentially stretches out the time between meals to between 12 and 36 hours. He also eliminated processed foods and sugars from his diet until he reached his target weight.

“I’ll eat a couple of times a day now and just watch it,” he said. “I feel great.”

Notes: Ticats defensive lineman Ted Laurent did not practice on Monday after leaving last Saturday’s loss to Winnipeg and Austin said “it doesn’t look good” for the all-star to suit up Friday against the Ottawa Redblacks. Defensive back Emanuel Davis, who was a late scratch due to food poisoning, was also absent Monday. Canadian defensive tackle Evan Gill left practice with an undisclosed lower body injury.