Walking his weight off

Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano has lost 43 pounds over the last three months

  Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano said he knew he had to take some drastic steps back in early summer when he stepped up on the scale and he didn’t like what he saw.

  “At my surgery on June 3rd I was 258 lbs and was quite alarmed by that and knew I needed to make some changes – and fast,” Cogliano recalled as he contemplated some serious health problems he might be facing.

  His blood pressure was 150 over 100. He had a 42-inch waist. He was tired and very out of shape.

  Then he took up walking and began eating more healthily.  “I started walking a mile a day and did intermittent fasting…basically eating chicken or fish for dinner and that’s it,” Cogliano said.

  “After dropping 10 pounds in the first two weeks, I started walking more and more – now 10 miles feels like nothing. Since my shoulder has healed, I’m back in the gym lifting weights again. I’ll never regain the strength I once had, but that’s fine,” he said.

  “I feel better than I have in a very long time and I thank my family for pushing me to work on my health. Ideally I’ll gain muscle back and get to 225. Yes, I’m on the weights but very light. With two shoulder replacements, I have to go easy,” he said.

  And his granddaughter – two-year-old Luciana Cross (daughter of Mike and Gabriela Cross) has become his big walking buddy as he hikes all over town. “She sure is. I’ll walk her from her house on Oak Point Road to Donna Russo to get her hair done, then off to the Hammersmith for breakfast…then to Bristow Park to go on the swings then back home.

  “Now that I’m back to work, I’m walking at 3:30 a.m. before getting to Flex Fitness at six,” Cogliano said.

  So, how does he feel? “I’m off the four blood pressure pills I was taking, and my BP is perfect. If I can do it…so can you!” he said.