Team Beachbody ¡preestreno!Español Guest

Hello and welcome to my website. I’m so glad you took a moment to check out my profile.

My name is Tom and I am 61 years old. Now many of you may want to stop reading now as you are “much” younger than that so what could this old guy have to say that is of interest to you!

For those of you still here, let me continue…

I’m married to my lovely wife Mary for 37 years and we have two beautiful

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Hello and welcome to my website. I’m so glad you took a moment to check out my profile.

My name is Tom and I am 61 years old. Now many of you may want to stop reading now as you are “much” younger than that so what could this old guy have to say that is of interest to you!

For those of you still here, let me continue…

I’m married to my lovely wife Mary for 37 years and we have two beautiful daughters. They are both married to great guys and one has blessed us with two adorable granddaughters. My wife, our two daughters and sons-in-law are also coaches. So this is kind of a family adventure.

As a business executive I lead a rushed life with no time for exercise. My routine consisted of rising early, getting ready for work, eating a quick (fat filled) breakfast and sitting at a desk or on an airplane and attending meetings. Lunch was huge and always rushed full of ham sandwiches and a soda (usually a root beer). Back to meetings or on the phone… except for the airports, my exercise consisted to 200 to 500 steps/day. Then came dinner, Mary is a GREAT COOK and we had it all, even dessert (healthy portions – and I mean healthy as in huge). After dinner, I had the energy of a coach potato. Come to think of it, I was a coach potato.

My stats in September of 2004:
• Cholesterol 228 (normal is 125 - 200)
• Triglycerides 189 (normal is < 150)
• HDL Cholesterol 32 (normal is >= 40
• LDL 158 (optimal < 100)
• Weight 223
• Height 6’
• Waist 44”

“Oh well, not bad for an old guy – after all I was 57 and I remember my grandfather was old at 57… when I was a young guy.”

Then in March 2005 I remember that I was no longer “running” through the airports and had to stop to rest from the gate to the concourse. I even had a little “discomfort” in my left arm and shoulder. When I started to mow the lawn that spring, I had to “rest” after only one round trip (and my lawn is not that big) as the “discomfort” had turned into a sharp pain in my left arm and pressure in my left shoulder. Being a “man” I ignored it!

Then in June 2005 I was taking a walk with my wife and daughter, who was expecting our second grandchild that month. For some reason our daughter had a “walk” craving that I couldn’t quite understand. But I digress… after we had walked about 2 blocks the pain and pressure were quite strong and fortunately I saw a park bench and told my wife and daughter that I was “tired and needed to rest”. Remember, “I’m a guy and we feel no pain”!

Well, I couldn’t hide it any longer from Mary so she said “we’re going back to Denver and you’re going to see a doctor”. This was after I declined to immediately “go to the emergency room”.

We arrived home late and the next morning I called my doctor and was told “call an ambulance immediately”. Of course I didn’t so they said they would make room for me later that morning.

We had been gone for several days and the lawn needed mowing. So being a “guy” I felt I needed to mow the lawn before my appointment, having to stop after “each” swath from one end of the yard to the other so the pain in my arm and shoulder would subside.

When I arrived for my doctor’s appointment they hooked me up to an EKG. He said “good news, from the results of the test you aren’t having a heart attack and it doesn’t appear that you have had one”. So why am I having the pain? He answered, “”probably some blockage in your heart. After all, you lead a “coach potato” life style.””

My next step was a Nuclear Stress Test. I started the test and was asked to tell the doctor when I felt the symptoms that lead me to this test. That was about 45 seconds into the test. I said “I feel them now”. He looked at the readings on the screen and immediately stopped the test asking me to sit in the chair. Needless to say, I failed the test!

They scheduled a Cardiac Catheterization for the next day. Results (LAD) Left Anterior Descending Artery 95% - 98% blocked. My wife later read this is called the “widow maker”. Treatment, stent, popular statin drug and get off my hind end and exercise.

That was June 2005. Since then I have worked out almost every day. After 12 weeks of rehab at my cardiologist, I gradually worked up to 40 to 45 minutes of an exercise routine in my home exercise room. Today I spend 20 minutes on the stationary bike and 20 minutes on the treadmill. In addition, I warm up, lift weights, stretch and cool down.

Additionally I drink about 90 oz of water every day, and that is all, no soft drinks or coffee. I do occasionally have a glass of wine with my wife and maybe once a month a beer with my friends.

I eat healthy meals (and now I mean healthy, not hearty) with the right portions. If I have any dessert, it is only a very small portion which I share with another.
So, if you haven’t quit reading my story by now, you may ask why did I share it with you?

Well first I feel better at 61 that I did at 40. I have a lot of energy and my numbers are GREAT!

My stats in October of 2008:
• Cholesterol 137 (normal is 125 - 200)
• Triglycerides 54 (normal is < 150)
• HDL Cholesterol 67 (normal is >= 40
• LDL 59 (optimal < 100)
• Weight 189 (down from 228 lbs)
• Height 6’
• Waist 36” (that is a loss of 8” to my waist)

Second, no matter what age you are, I want to encourage you to get with it before you develop serious health problems.

Dr. Mehmet Oz says, “Of the key factors that influence aging and health, 70 percent are lifestyle-related, not genetic”. WOW 70%, I like those numbers. (Source, The Denver Post Monday, November 10, 2008)

Today I read a news article by Marilynn Marchione from The Associated Press that stated; “Obese children as young as 10 have arteries of 45-year-olds and other heart abnormalities”. (Source, The Denver Post Wednesday, November 12, 2008)

We can live better and my goal is to encourage you to join with me! It's never too late.

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