Fitness Matters: In battle with obesity, he does what it takes

The past four years have been anything but easy for Tom Hartert.

A sedentary lifestyle and poor nutritional habits caused the 5 foot, 7 inch Hartert to tip the scale at 350 pounds, and left him feeling sluggish and exhausted most days.

Tired of not fitting into a restaurant booth or airplane seat, having to order clothes to fit, and not sleeping well at night due to sleep apnea, he decided it was time for a change.

His first workout in years was a quarter-mile walk that left him so winded he couldn't go any farther. It was a slow pace, but he continued to increase his distance a little at a time. After joining a gym, he made a lot of mistakes at first.

"First of all, ask for help from a trainer, so you know what to do. I spent over a year not knowing appropriate exercises or having a plan of what to do when I got there. My attendance was sporadic, and I didn't see any results."

Then he met a trainer who listened to him and told him what he needed to do. "Having the help of somebody that knows what they are doing, and giving me a daily plan was the key to staying motivated and progressing," he said.

Tom's first workouts consisted of 10 to 15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise on a stationary recumbent bike (to protect his creaky knees), a full body strength training program, followed by another 30-minute cardio session at an easy level.

He was getting stronger and increasing endurance, but the real progress for him began after reading "Body For Life," by Bill Phillips, and a subscription to Men's Health magazine. With the help of these information sources, he was able to get his diet in order and make lifestyle changes.

"Nobody ever knew I was on a diet because I wasn't ... I just changed what I ate."

Thanks to his six-day a week workouts and improved diet, he now weighs 190 pounds, and he's still dropping. His resting heart rate has fallen from 88 beats per minute four years ago to 46 now.

Tom has had his share of frustrations in this process as well.

"When you have a great week, eating clean and getting your workouts in, and you still don't lose any weight, it's really tough mentally to keep going. But you just do. Plateaus last more than a week, but sooner or later it will come off. It's really important to set realistic goals to keep it all in perspective."

Tom Hartert, 53
Issue: Overcoming Obesity
Current workout routine: 6 days a week, he works out on a stationary recumbent bike and lifts weights.
Quote:"Make a schedule and stick to it, even if you don't feel like going to the gym, make it happen."
Results: He's dropped 160 pounds in four years.


taken from Post Bulletin


Below...Tom Hartert, who has lost about 160 pounds in the last five years, works out at the Rochester Athletic Club on Saturday.