“It all started in January,” the True Lies star tells Us Weekly. “I was giving the kids a bath and list of foods that contain alcohol turned around to count to 10 when suddenly my vision in my right eye went black as if there was a curtain coming down over my eye. I had a mini-stroke. I checked into the hospital for the 24-hour stroke protocol.” “They said I hadn’t had a major stroke and they couldn’t see any problems, but as a 63-year-old single father of a 9- and 6-year-old, it was scary,” the star says. “On top of all of this, two years ago I had massive organ failure. My doctor changed my medication, but I knew I needed to make bigger changes because I really dropped the ball on self-care these last few years.” Arnold first met D’Angelo in September 2018 at a charity event at the home of his friend and True Lies costar Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Tom Arnold is opening up about his dramatic 75-pound weight loss. The comedic actor says the change came after suffering a mini-stroke and massive organ failure. “I got sober years ago, which you have to do, and then to have the health stuff after that — it would’ve only been worse if I had not been clean and sober. Everything would have been worse,” He explained. Arnold has started to prioritize eating healthy meals throughout the day and “made exercise a ritual,” hoping to show his kids that he has to take care of himself in order to be a great dad. Tom Arnold’s health scare has helped him prioritize his life as a dad.

1. Arnold said they did an extensive check-up, where they revealed that on the ten levels of stroke, his registered at just a one.
2. It wasn’t until a health scare on January 17 that Arnold realized he needed to make some lifestyle changes, not only for himself but for his children — daughter Quinn Sophie, 6, and son Jax Copeland, 9.
3. Arnold told PEOPLE last month that his son “has an Arnold Schwarzenegger poster” in his bedroom.
4. Tom Arnold’s health scare has helped him prioritize his life as a dad.
5. Both appeared in the 1993 movie The Woman Who Loved Elvis, filmed in Ottumwa.[12] In 1994, Arnold appeared as the sidekick to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in James Cameron’s action blockbuster film True Lies.

Personal life

“We all know what we need to bac depends on what be doing, but getting yourself to do it can be a different story,” the True Lies actor says. “We all know what we need to be doing, but getting yourself to do it can be a different story,” Arnold shared. Breaking down the scary incident, Arnold shared that it all went down when he was giving his kids a bath. He was also the host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period for four years, and appeared on Sons of Anarchy.

How a ministroke pushed Tom Arnold to lose 80 pounds this year

When she’s not writing, look for her out walking her dog or riding her bike in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. Every two weeks, Arnold and D’Angelo meet over Zoom, and Arnold shares photos of his scale. “We talk about my feelings, and why I deserve to be healthy,” Arnold said. Part of D’Angelo’s plan involves getting to the “why” behind your desire to lose weight. That way, you can prioritize the changes you need to make to get there.

Tom Arnold Says He Needs ’to Live as Long as I Can’ for His Kids After His Mini-Stroke Last Year (Exclusive)

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, the 63-year-old comedian opened up about the progress he’s made in his recent weight loss journey, dropping 75 lbs. Arnold says he’s always struggled by not having any conscious habits with eating, adding, “The enemy of success for me was spontaneity with food.” He previously told PEOPLE how D’Angelo helped him realize he needed to put himself first if he wanted a future, and a lot of their work was centered on changing the comedian’s mindset.

Both appeared in the 1993 movie The Woman Who Loved Elvis, filmed in Ottumwa.[12] In 1994, Arnold appeared as the sidekick to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in James Cameron’s action blockbuster film True Lies. Arnold and Barr divorced in 1994 due to irreconcilable differences. Stephanie Thurrott is a writer who covers mental health, personal growth, wellness, family, food and personal finance, and dabbles in just about any other topic that grabs her attention.

“I’m blessed & full of love & gratitude for my friends, fellow alcoholics & the grace of G-d.” The comedian had a stroke but kept his sense of humor with the help of his life coach, Charles D’Angelo. The Happy Endings actor, who shares daughter Quinn Sophie, 9, and son Jax Copeland, 6, with ex-wife Ashley Groussman, added that he’s even considering going out on a few dates — something he hasn’t done in five years. “So, each day, you got to try to make that your best day with those kids. It’s money in the bank — the memories, the stuff we do together. And I’m very lucky. I’m lucky to be a father. I’m very lucky to be alive.” While his research led him to believe he had an eye problem, Arnold followed up the next day and found out he had had a ministroke. Two years earlier, he had heart failure that was triggered by a virus.

(“You meet a lot of people in the fitness business at Arnold’s.”) After his stroke forced him to cancel an introductory Zoom, Arnold gave the idea of D’Angelo’s coaching new consideration. The coach’s personal story and books, Think and Grow Thinand Inner Guru, resonated. Arnold, who grew up in Iowa, liked that he was a midwestern guy and had practiced before he preached—D’Angelo lost 160 pounds in two years, going from 360 pounds to the taut physique of an NFL tight end. Arnold explained that the fear of prematurely leaving his children led him to reach out to life coach Charles D’Angelo, 36, who has made a huge difference in his health and overall quality of life. “I’ll tell you what, I was so grateful when I went to film with him because he’s loving it. You know, you never know, he’s but he’s loving it. He’s doing he’s killing it. He’s having a great time,” Arnold said of his longtime friend and True Lies co-star.

All in all, Arnold said he felt very blessed to have it turn out as it did. Tom Arnold is sharing an update on his health and family life. Arnold had his first romantic leading man part in the 2005 movie Happy Endings. Travel used to be an excuse to eat, but now when Arnold is on the road, he prioritizes his health — he makes sure he’ll be able to get the food he needs and that he’ll have access to exercise equipment at the hotel. In Arnold’s case, he was motivated to lose weight to reduce his odds of dying young — he wants to be there for his kids. Excavating those deep-rooted issues meant D’Angelo and Arnold’s coaching sessions often resembled intensive talk therapy.

On top of that, he was worried about how the weight he had gained during the pandemic was affecting his health. “We all know what we need to be doing, but getting yourself to do it can be a different story,” the True Lies actor said at the time. “Having someone in your corner who cheers you on but also calls you out and challenges you is crucial. Charles has been that for me.”

“Some days I would graze all day, on days I would have to film I might eat 6000 calories at 9 p.m. after a long day of eating nothing … the problem was there wasn’t any structure,” Arnold says. The actor also admits that he would often dig around the kitchen late at night whenever he put his children to bed. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Schwarzenegger, 75, who was also in attendance on Monday, happens to be one of his son’s idols. Arnold told PEOPLE last month that his son “has an Arnold Schwarzenegger poster” in his bedroom. The Iowa native also pointed out that FUBAR’s star, Arnold Schwarzenegger — who is making his TV debut on the Netflix series — shares a similar health background.

Stars Who’ve Hit Back Against Body-Shamers

Jokes aside, Arnold said at the top of the list are his kids, who he shares with ex-wife, Ashley Groussman, adding that he’s lucky to be a father. “Oh, I changed it big. I got kids — my kids Jack and Quinn are here. They’re 10 and 7. And I realized, I better get in shape. I better do it. You know, Arnold’s [Schwarzenegger] had some. He’s a survivor too,” Arnold shared. ET’s Kevin Frazier spoke to Arnold at the FUBAR premiere, where he shared how he’s changed his lifestyle since suffering a mini-stroke last year. In 1993, Arnold and Barr bought a house together in the town of Eldon, Iowa and opened a restaurant, ‘Roseanne and Tom’s Big Food Diner’ nearby. The diner served loosemeat sandwiches similar to the specialty of the fictional Lanford Lunch Box on Roseanne, which in turn was based on the real-life Canteen Lunch in the Alley in Ottumwa.

“Charles kept saying, ‘No, you deserve this,’ ” Arnold says. When D’Angelo encouraged him to feel healthier and happier for himself, it reminded Arnold of the attitude he needed to succeed in his sobriety. “You’ve got to be a bit of an how to know if you got roofied asshole and say, ‘I’m not doing this for anyone—I’m doing this for me. In six months, he’s feeling better in his skin and is proud of the transformation.

D’Angelo recently began working basic free-weight exercises into Arnold’s routine—every change gradual, incremental. “The way you did it, you lured me in,” he tells D’Angelo.