“A Second Chance at Life”: How Tom Arnold Dropped 75 Pounds and Found Happiness
Tom Arnold is a comedian and actor. Arnold is most known for his roles in the television series ‘Roseanne,’ ‘The Jackie Thomas Show,’ and ‘The Tom Show.’
Throughout his career, he has appeared in a variety of films, including ‘True Lies,’ ‘Nine Months,’ ‘McHale’s Navy,’ ‘Animal Factory,’ ‘Cradle 2 the Grave,’ ‘Mr. 3000,’ ‘Happy Endings,’ ‘The Great Buck Howard,’ and ‘Madea’s Witness Protection.
After having a health scare six months ago, Tom Arnold said that he has lost 75 pounds. In an interview with People magazine, the 63-year-old former Roseanne star talked about how he lost weight after having a mini-stroke in January.
Tom Arnold’s Weight Loss Journey
Tom Arnold is showing his fans how he lost 80 pounds and “cheated death” to get healthy.
In an in-depth interview with Men’s Health for its January/February cover story, the comedian told the magazine everything. Arnold told everyone about the mini-stroke he had in January 2022 and how it made him change his life.
The 63-year-old actor could no longer see out of his right eye, so he drove himself to the doctor’s office the next morning to get it checked out. Arnold thought back to the time and said that his head hurt in a “weird” way. Arnold was told right away by the UCLA medical center to sign up for the 24-hour stroke protocol.
“When you hear, ‘You had a stroke,’ it makes you feel bad,” Arnold said. “It shook me.”
Doctors did a number of tests and came to the conclusion that Arnold “suffered an ischemic attack, which cut off blood flow to part of his brain. This is a level 1 stroke on the NIH Stroke Scale.” Arnold changed the way he lived because of the health problem he was told about.
“What on earth have I done? I’ve let myself go, “He thought back. Arnold said that he also wanted to change his health routine because he is a single father with two young children.
View this post on Instagram
Arnold worked with weight-loss and motivational coach Charles D’Angelo for the next nine months. He met D’Angelo through his friend and “True Lies” co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
After he worked with D’Angelo, he had a regular plan for his health. Arnold said that he burned about 1,000 calories a day by being active. The news source said that he did cardio, used an elliptical trainer, and rode a recumbent bike.
He also started a low-calorie diet that includes a protein shake in the morning and a meal every three hours, such as “turkey on whole wheat sandwiches” or “eight to ten ounces of skinless grilled chicken breast with steamed broccoli.”
Arnold slimmed down from 285 pounds to 205 pounds.
Also Read: “Comedy and Calories”: Jimmy Kimmel’s Inspiring Weight Loss Story
Working with A Coach Was Beneficial
Charles D’Angelo is a life coach. Arnold and D’Angelo met for the first time at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s house in 2018. Arnold said, “At that time, he offered to work with me, and I just said ‘thank you’ and didn’t do anything.” “I had all kinds of stupid reasons.”
When he was in high school, D’Angelo weighed 360 pounds. He was able to lose the weight and keep it off. As a coach, he tells his clients about the method that worked for him. “A lot of people come to me, and it’s not because they don’t know what to do.
“The problem is that they can’t get themselves to do what they know they should,” D’Angelo said. “How do you emotionally separate yourself from food so you don’t use it as a way to distract yourself or feel better? Food really is the fuel that keeps you going. It’s not about your life. You’ll need the plan to do that.”
Arnold kept in touch with D’Angelo, and after his ministroke, they started working together through Zoom. Arnold said, “I thought it was impossible when he told me in February that I would lose all this weight by the summer. But he was sure of it, and I finally started to believe him in the spring.”
As part of D’Angelo’s plan, you have to figure out “why” you want to lose weight. So, you can figure out what changes you need to make and in what order. “Many of my clients, especially those who are parents, find it hard to put themselves first. They almost feel like it’s selfish. But I say it’s the most selfless thing they can do because you can give so much more of yourself,” D’Angelo said.
Arnold wanted to lose weight because he didn’t want to die too soon. He wants to be around for his kids.
He Executed a Clear Strategy
Arnold was on D’Angelo’s plan, which started with a half-hour of cardio and eating six times a day. Doing it first thing in the morning makes it more likely to happen. If you wait until the end of the day, life can get in the way. And eating on a set schedule helps you get into the habit of eating well. D’Angelo said, “Food becomes like brushing your teeth, filling up your car, or getting dressed.”
Arnold said, “I didn’t realize I was eating so much before. When I went out to clear the table in the morning, I would think, “Did I really eat all that?”
As part of his plan to lose weight, he ate the following every day:
- After his cardio workout, he eats a protein shake with strawberries for breakfast.
- Raw almonds as a snack.
- Fish or chicken with lots of vegetables for lunch.
- Low-fat yogurt as a snack.
- Fish or chicken with vegetables for dinner.
- Fruit popsicles as a snack.
“At first, I didn’t think I needed that popsicle, but I noticed that when I woke up in the middle of the night, I was really hungry. He said, “You can’t skip any of these things.”
He’ll get a treat every now and then. “We have a party when the kids have a birthday or a half-birthday. I have ice cream, and when you don’t eat it every day, it’s delicious.” He’s up to an hour a day on the elliptical, but instead of adding more time, he’s making the workouts harder. “I’m challenging myself,” he said. “I’m amazed by what I can do with my body.”
He has also noticed that exercise is good for his mental health: “It’s good for my head. I don’t have enough energy to fight all the battles in my head. It calms you down.”
His kids are also learning how important exercise is for him: “My daughter came out one day when I was on the elliptical and said, ‘Dad, I’ve got to…’ and my son came out and said, ‘Dad needs to do this for his mental health.'” I really like what he said.”
Also Read: Mindy Kaling’s Weight Loss Journey: How She Shed Pounds And Found Confidence?
He Feels Like He’s in A Good Spot
Arnold can be there for his kids if he takes care of his health. He said, “I can’t be selfish. I’m a single 63-year-old dad with a 9-year-old and a 6-year-old. I’ve been married four times before. People ask, “Did you get married too often?” Most likely, but that’s how we got here. I’ve always wanted to be where I am now. I’ve had a lot more money and done a lot of fun things, but every day with these kids is just as much fun. I really appreciate it.”
