A bodybuilder has revealed the food he avoids in order to maintain the body of a man half his age. Derik Fay says a high-protein, low-carb diet has helped him maintain his youthful look.
Despite admitting to having a sweet tooth, Derik, 44, says abstaining from eating cake for 30 years is his number one rule, inspired by retired fellow bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. He said: “Every once in a while I go and spoil myself, but I don't ever eat desserts. Other than on my birthday – when I might have a tiny slice, to be polite – I haven't eaten cake in more than 30 years.
"That's not to say that you can't eat cake and stay in shape. But when I was a kid, I remember Arnold Schwarzenegger talking about never eating a dessert, and that locked into my head.”
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Derik, who says he has around just 7 per cent body fat, lives with his two teenage daughters, Sophia and Isabella, and partner Shandra Phillips, 34. But while his family will happily munch on sweet treats like cheesecake, he resists any offers.
The dad, who is the CEO of venture capital firm 3F Management, added: "That's not to say I don't have a sweet tooth. I love cheesecake but I just don't give it to myself. Even now, when I sit with my daughters and they have cheesecake, I say no and stay away. I'm a very much a nothing-or-a-million type of guy. There is no in-between, and that is the same with every endeavor in my life."
Derik says he follows a strict diet that consists mostly of protein shakes, lean meat, fish and veg and wakes up early every morning to weight train. He has never been into cardio but is reluctantly doing some as of late to prepare for a celebrity basketball match with Floyd Mayweather.
He said: "My diet is so regimented that I haven't had to do a lot of cardio to stay lean. My personality is that I like to always compete at an equal level, so I am stepping up the cardio purely for that reason."
The bodybuilder doesn’t just compete in fitness; he’s launched a number of successful companies, has employed over 20,000 people and assists other businesses in negotiations, mergers, hostile takeovers and board deadlocks. Eager to give back, Derik also works as a mentor for up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
The dad said: "I came from an impoverished and abusive childhood and had no assistance any step of the way. I did not finish college and I'm 100 percent self-taught.
“I learned through trial and error, failure and persistence. This gave me a foundation of appreciation for what I have and the drive to help as many people as possible, so no one has to feel hopeless or poor."
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