Actor-comedian Tom Arnold has enthralled audiences with his comedy over the years. However, it was James Cameron’s action blockbuster True Lies that took his fame to new heights. He also found a friend in Arnold Schwarzenegger during the course of shooting the film—someone whose acquaintance would help Tom Arnold get through his serious health issues later on in life. Let’s find out more.

In an interview, Tom Arnold revealed how meeting a motivational and weight-loss coach at Schwarzenegger’s house changed his life forever. This chance meeting happened at a critical juncture in Arnold’s life and it all started with a weird pain in his brain. Let’s find out what happened to Arnold and how this coach helped him.

A serious health scare caused Tom Arnold to alter his lifestyle

Tom Arnold found himself having a fresh perspective on his life and health after a major scare to his well-being last year. The Roseanne actor suffered from a stroke in January 2022 and it put him in a dark place. He got himself diagnosed at the UCLA medical center after sensing pain in his brain. The doctors said that he suffered an ischemic attack, blocking blood to part of his brain, often categorized as Level 1 on the NIH Stroke Scale.

Arnold said to Men’s Health magazine, “What have I done to myself? I’ve let myself go,” worrying about his two children as a single father. Tom changed his life around in the next nine months and all with the help of a man named Charles D’Angelo. D’Angelo, who had met Arnold at Schwarzenegger’s house, worked closely with the comedian to burn approximately 1000 calories every day. Workouts covered everything from cardio to elliptical training to a recumbent bike.

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At the end of it, Arnold said he felt a “renewed sense of awareness, accountability, and affirmation”. He lost 80 pounds and transformed from a 285 pounds heavy man to a lean person of 205 pounds. In fact, he had a calorie-restricted diet for those nine months. It mainly comprised of protein shakes in the morning and eating every three hours either turkey-on-whole wheat sandwiches or 8–10 ounces of skinless grilled chicken breast with steamed broccoli.

The discipline and mantra Tom Arnold followed to achieve his goal

Arnold could not identify himself at all after his transformation. He recalled, “I’m like, ‘Holy hell, who’s that guy?'” His friend and True Lies co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger was equally stunned at his remarkable turnaround. The Terminator actor said to Arnold, “You look amazing. We are doing a bike ride tomorrow.”

Tom Arnold’s unflinching focus and determination throughout his weight-loss journey is truly a celebration of human willpower. Confirming the fact that Arnold was doing this for himself before anyone else, he said to himself, “I’m not doing this for anyone – I’m doing this for me. Me, number one. I deserve this”.

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While there’s no denying that it was a monumental feat in fitness that Tom Arnold pulled off, it would not have been possible without the efforts of coach Charles D’Angelo. Let’s hope the comedian continues to entertain us for many more years to come.