Diet Detective: On those days when you’re not motivated to work out, but you know you have to, what’s the one thought that gets you going?

Tom: Working out is a habit. I know how great it will feel once I get started.

Diet Detective: If you had to choose a specific song or band to get you psyched for your workout, what would it be?

Tom: Any rock music from the 70’s — The album “Who’s Next” by the Who.

Diet Detective: If you could eat one forbidden food whenever you wanted without gaining weight, what would it be?

Tom: I eat anything I want any time I want, but I just eat less of the calorically dense foods like donuts.

Diet Detective: What dessert do you dream about?

Tom: I don’t dream about them, I just eat them.

Diet Detective: If there was one healthy food item (something you love) that you had to eat every day, what would it be?

Tom: Oatmeal.

Diet Detective: What is the one food or meal you always eat before an event? What about before training?

Tom: Water.

Diet Detective: What’s the best book about health that you’ve read?

Tom: “The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Great Abs” — I can’t be modest!

Diet Detective: What are your two favorite health magazines?

Tom: Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness.

Diet Detective: What do you consider the world’s most perfect food?

Tom: Oatmeal.

Diet Detective: Do you have any sports superstitions or rituals?

Tom: I make sure to do some sort of workout daily.

Diet Detective: How do you take total control of your mind and body to achieve the focus you need during pivotal sports moments?

Tom: Two components — I make sure to relax, and secondly I think of only one thing (e.g. watching the ball in tennis).

Diet Detective: What do you think is the best training location in the world?

Tom: Colorado.

Diet Detective: What do you do to reduce stress/relax/center your mind?

Tom: I combine meditation and prayer daily.

Diet Detective: Are there healthy restaurants that you enjoy and would recommend?

Tom: I rarely eat out, but when I do (since I’m Italian) I love The Olive Garden.

Diet Detective: Do you have a favorite healthy recipe or cooking tip?

Tom: If you crave sweets, add some raisins to your meal.

Diet Detective: Do you have a Calorie Bargain?

Tom: All God-given, natural, whole foods are on my “to eat” list. No bargains are necessary.

Diet Detective: Tell us how you got to where you are now.

Tom: Love! I love my job — teaching people how to be fit!!

Diet Detective: Define and discuss failure.

Tom: Failure is simply finding another goal.

Diet Detective: Is there anything about yourself that you’ve changed your mind about in the last 20 years?

Tom: Not really, except that with my wife of 20 years and 5 kids I have to be more responsible.

Diet Detective: What’s the next major item on your “to-do” list?

Tom: Find an exciting new project to dive into.

Diet Detective: How do you react to adverse situations?

Tom: I look forward to adverse situations because they’re about to happen. You always have a choice, try to make the right one.

Diet Detective: Was there a defining moment in your life when you made a decision that changed the course of the rest of your life forever?

Tom: Yes, at the age of 13 I decided to devote my life to health and wellness and to try to help others along the way.

Diet Detective: What’s the most bodacious chance you’ve ever taken?

Tom: Doing an infomercial.

Diet Detective: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about yourself?

Tom: I’m selfish.

Diet Detective: What’s the biggest lesson you haven’t learned?

Tom: I need to be less selfish.

Diet Detective: What keeps you going?

Tom: My family.

Diet Detective: What’s your favorite saying?

Tom: “The supple willow does not contend against the storm, yet it survives.”