Success Story: ‘This Is Not OK’

Tom Bass knew his wedding day would mark a new beginning.

But he wasn’t expecting it to become the turning point in his health and fitness.

“I was shocked when we got the photos back a few weeks later,” recalls Tom, 59, a retired chef. “I had no idea I had gotten so big. I said, ‘This is not OK.’”

Many people over 50 describe it as when they decide to exercise and eat right. For some, it’s a medical diagnosis. Others want to play with grandkids or fit into clothes.

For Tom, it was the 1-2 punch of the photos and the pandemic lockdown. He slimmed down and has kept the weight off for three years, a healthy 170 on his 6-foot, 3-inch frame.

“I was lazy,” he says now. “I would rather sit and watch TV. I thought I had other things to do and didn’t pay attention to what I was eating.”

His legs and arms were skinny, but his belly, neck, and face had become outsized.

‘A Better Way to Live’

That became painfully apparent in the photos from the Hawaii wedding in March 2020. He and his husband, Howard, had both grown obese, providing a “striking contrast” to friends in the pictures.

During the pandemic, Tom was housebound because of a congenital heart defect that had previously led doctors to advise him against lifting weights. Staying inside for weeks at a time, he grew increasingly lethargic.

“I didn’t feel good,” Tom says. “I knew there had to be a better way to live.”

In December 2020, Tom joined a weight-control service that gives a psychological focus and a new understanding of food. He began eating mindfully rather than haphazardly.

Daily walks followed. So did weekly Pilates and weightlifting.

His doctor coached him on appropriate resistance and repetitions. As a boy and young man, he had wanted to lift weights but was advised against it because of his heart condition, which led to his using a pacemaker.

Strong at Last

Now, he says it’s exhilarating, and so are the results. He has defined arms, a flat belly, and strong legs for the first time.

Howard, who still works full time, hasn’t joined a gym but also lost 70 pounds through better eating habits, walking the dog, and working in the yard.

People are often shocked to see Tom and praise his hard work, but he says it’s just as hard being overweight and sedentary. “You have to eat more and spend more on money… You might as well work hard and gain the health benefits of being at the right weight.

“I started because of the photos and the way I felt. But then the motivation became the fact that I felt better. And I wanted more of that.”

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