For most of his life, Sidney Hayakawa fought crime, from drug dealers to terrorists. But 2 1/2 years ago, he stared down his biggest foe.

Ice cream.

The fight surfaced in a doctor's office, during the first physical Hayakawa had been given in seven years. He had come down with a sudden and painful case of gout. A blood workup determined he was in danger of a heart attack or becoming diabetic.

Hayakawa thought he was in tune with his body, yet didn't even realize how much he weighed — 230 pounds.

The whole thing scared him so much, he changed his lifestyle.

Six months later, he was 60 pounds lighter.

"I feel so much better," Hayakawa said. "I lost six inches off my waist without doing one sit-up. I was a size 38 waist, and I am down to a 32."

Before his epiphany, Hayakawa was a dedicated weightlifter. He even took supplements to increase his strength, but they also increased his body weight.

He measured his success in bench presses and rewarded himself with ice cream. Every weekend, he'd take a self-imposed break and head for a Cold Stone Creamery. He would order a Mud Pie Mojo — a small bucket of ice cream, Oreos, peanuts, peanut butter and whipped cream — and dig in.

"I ate the whole thing by myself," he said. "That was my cheat day, and I cheated a lot."

So Hayakawa added aerobic workouts, spending a half-hour on an elliptical trainer before lifting lighter weights.

And he dramatically changed his diet, eating smaller portions and including more fruits and vegetables with each meal. He doesn't drink coffee, liquor, soda or juices. Instead, he favors lots of water and some tea.

"It wasn't that I just ate no desserts," he said. "I changed my whole lifestyle."

His new reward arrived in the first month: He had lost 30 pounds. It gave him the incentive to stick with his program.

"I haven't had a single scoop of ice cream or dessert in 2 1/2 years," he said. "My wife calls me a samurai. She says I am stubborn, but I say, 'Honey, this is my health. I don't need desserts.' "

The 58-year-old Hayakawa retired this summer after 39 years in law enforcement. The Hawai'i Kai resident had worked for the Honolulu Police Department, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the state Department of Public Safety and finally, as the Transportation Security Administration's Honolulu security director.

Now he has more time to work out and starts his day at 5:30 a.m. with exercise. He still schedules training breaks and goes out to dinner, but said he doesn't get "carried away about food."

And if he can help someone change an unhealthy lifestyle, he won't hesitate to sing the praises of his new lifestyle.

"I tell them that I know it is fun to eat and talk about how strong you are, but there comes a time in life when you have to take yourself seriously," he said. "What am I alive for? My family and friends. You need to maintain your health."

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com.