I Was an Overweight Pilot. I Had to Change My Shocking Physical Results

My fitness journey began in 2019 at age 40.

As an airline pilot flying for a major U.S. airline, I had never considered the hours of inactivity sitting on a flight deck, and the poor eating habits caused by the lack of healthy choices in airports—a real problem.

Airline pilots must visit an FAA-appointed doctor, called an Aviation Medical Examiner, or AME, every six months for a health check-up and approval to continue flying.

For 20 years, I had visited my AME, held a first-class medical with no limitations, and never worried about health and wellness.

That was until 2019. While renewing my medical certification, my AME shared a few stories about older pilots who had recently lost their ability to continue flying because of poor lifestyle choices.

The time, effort, and money it was taking these pilots to regain medical certification, all while not earning an income, was difficult.

After my visit, I decided to get a full physical workup, believing I was in great health, but just to make sure. I was shocked at the results.

I was considered overweight at 212 pounds.

My resting blood pressure, taken thrice daily, was 144/82, 157/104 and 155/88. High. Triglycerides were high at 165 mg/dl (normal was 4-149). HDL and LDL Cholesterol were low and high respectively.

Seeing these results, I knew that if I wanted to control my destiny and maintain my medical certification until retirement I needed to make lifestyle changes.

As a pilot, we pay Loss of License insurance. Losing your medical doesn't directly equate to losing your job but it does create a number of expensive hardships.

First, you would only collect the set amount available from insurance, potentially creating financial hardships. Second, the process to get your medical back is extremely time-consuming.

You have to, obviously, work to correct the issue that caused you to lose your medical and then, more importantly, you have to petition the FAA Aeromedical division in Oklahoma City to reinstate your medical certification. This process could take years.

Keeping your medical, by staying fit, ultimately allows you to not only work, but earn an income and avoid the massive bureaucracy required to get reinstated.

Not knowing much about health and wellness, and having never used a gym before, I turned to Life Time Gym and was linked up with personal trainer and nutrition coach Nehemiah Owusu.

Together, we developed a nutrition plan and a workout routine that I could fit into my busy lifestyle. For cardio, at Nehemiah's suggestion, I tried running, cycling, swimming, and tennis but discovered I really enjoy cycling.

Because I fly airplanes that move at 500mph, cycling was not boring and both a physical and mental challenge, like flying—timing turns, speed control, watching for traffic and obstacles make cycling a good way to exercise and develop better coordination.

When I first started, I pushed myself really hard and got cycling knee, so I pulled back and went on short routes and worked my way up to what I do today, which is 60 min a day on my days off.

I have set outdoor routes that range from 8 miles to 18 miles. If the weather is bad, and during the winter, I use Tacx by Garmin, which is a resistance trainer that has virtual routes all over the world.

I noticed significant changes after about four months. Specifically, my endurance increased and I would climb hills with less effort and not be out of breath. Over these months I also noticed my heart rate was staying lower throughout my rides.

I invested in a new bike and began exploring new outdoor trails, becoming a daily endeavor when the pandemic hit and COVID lockdowns were in place.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle, being consistent, and holding myself accountable, along with having a personal trainer in Nehemiah who also holds me accountable, allowed me to achieve great success.

I achieved great success within a year—early 2021—and maintained it ever since.

I've maintained a healthy weight between 178-182 pounds for a few years. I've received lots of comments from everyone from my parents, friends at work and even my physician for my medical. People even say I look younger since I lost all this weight.

My blood pressure is now in the normal range, taken multiple times over the past four years averaging 119/67, 120/69, and 126/73. What a difference!

My Triglycerides went from 165 mg/dL down to 70 mg/dL well into the normal range from being high. My HDL "good" Cholesterol went from being too low, 33 mg/dL to normal at 67 mg/dL, and my LDL "bad" cholesterol went down from high at 133 mg/dL to normal at 111 mg/dL.

Getting my blood work and blood pressure in line is the biggest accomplishment for me because it is confirmation that all this work paid off. It sets me up to be able to control what I can about my health and wellness and lowers my stress, as I don't have to worry about losing my FAA medical for things within my control.

Going forward, I'm continuing to be consistent and following the plan we created a few years ago to help me "age gracefully," maintain my muscle mass, and control what I can control to keep my FAA medical until I hit mandatory retirement at age 65.

Chris Cape is a pilot who's lost 30 pounds and 12 percent body fat while working with personal trainer and nutrition coach Nehemiah Owusu at Life Time Gym.

All views expressed in this article are the author's own.

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