Charles Damiano's Week-by-Week Transformation Guide
Week 1   |   Week 2   |   Week 3   |   Week 4

Q: Describe your life before the Body-for-LIFE Challenge?
My life before the Body-for-LIFE challenge, which I completed in March of 2004, was filled the stresses of life that come at you at a very fast pace. At times I felt I could not keep up and felt I was reacting to what ever life threw my way. I would get up about 5:20 AM and weight train about 2 times a week on Monday and Thursday on a split routine, with no real goal in mind outside of staying kind of fit. I was doing no cardiovascular exercise and about once a week I would take a Martial arts class in Jeet Kune Do – Bruce Lee’s fighting art. That was it as far as my exercise routine goes. As far as my eating plan goes I more or less fell into the traditional 3 large whole meals a day routine with maybe one Myplex shake taken in the morning. I was not where I wanted to be physically, was carrying almost 20 percent body fat, my clothes were beginning to fit snug around my waist and I was low on energy most of the time. Being in the fitness industry by profession I was not leading by example and not truly walking the walk. This did not sit well with me since most of the employees I supervised looked up to me for inspiration and motivation.

With 3 kids, Jessica now 13, Brandon now 11 and my littlest son Aidan now 5, my life was at times running on overdrive. With a full time job as Executive VP of a major Health Club Chain, a part time internet based business I did from home (www.bruceleecollection.com –visit my site!), and between juggling my kids soccer, basketball and baseball games throughout the week and on weekends, bathing my little one, reading my kids books at night, playing all sorts games with them and trying to be the best Dad and husband I can be, I felt at times that it was hard to keep up. When I found myself telling my kids I was to tired to play with them, with games like wrestling, blanket swing, hide and seek or magic closet, and it began to happen more than I liked, I knew I had to do something about my health and fitness level not only for myself but to give my kids the best of who I am as well!

Q: What made you finally decide to take that first step and enter the Challenge?
As Executive Vice President of a major New York City Health Club Chain at that time and being in the fitness industry for over 25 years, I have always been an advocate of Fitness and Health by not only talking the talk but I strongly believe you should also walk the walk. When you can walk the walk and talk the talk, it gives you power to inspire people and touch the lives of those around you in a very profound and effective way.

What made me finally decide to take the challenge was not only being frustrated that I was not physically leading by example anymore at work, where employees and members looked up to me for inspiration and insight as to getting in shape and becoming the best that you can be in your life, but more important was the fact that I felt I was not giving my kids the best of me by putting off playing with them because I was too tired, low on energy and sluggish most to the time. Realizing that I was not only letting myself down but more importantly letting my kids down, by not being in the kind of health and conditioning I knew I could be in, motivated me to decide to do something about it! So, at that point I simply made up my mind and I decided to enter the Body-for-LIFE challenge.

Q: What were your very first impressions of the program? Did you struggle or was it liberating?
My very first impression of the Body-for-LIFE program, after reading Bill Philips Book Body-for-LIFE for the second time was discovering once again how very simple and easy the program was. I was not only impressed, but also inspired by how many people actually got outstanding results on the program. My initial thought was - Hey I have tried numerous fitness routines and programs throughout my life so why not try one more that is simple to follow, only takes 4.5 hour a week to complete, incorporates an eating plan that is balanced with whole foods, allows you to eat more and still burn body fat and utilizes great tasting meal replacement bars and nutrition shakes that makes it easy to fit in your meals on the run. Why not give this a try!

I found the program not to be a struggle but a liberating experience. I think the key was to figure out and mentally envision myself going through the program. Figuring out when my start date was, when I was going to take my before pictures, when I was going to start my first workout and how was I going to fit six meals into my hectic schedule. Once I began to plan this out in my mind I was able to see that this can work and once you actually take action and start doing it, you say to yourself - Hey this is really very easy, fun and simple to follow. I feel the program was liberating to me because it laid out everything I needed to do and took the guess work out of me thinking about what's the best routine to follow, how many days should I train, how should I eat etc. Instead I accepted the program, believed in the program after seeing how it benefited so many others and I felt free in following something that has a very successful track record. Once that takes place and after a few weeks on the program it became a habit that I couldn’t live without. I was beginning to feel more vibrant, healthy and strong and my energy level was going through the roof.

Q: Talk about the moment you first began to see changes in your body and/or outlook?
I think it was after about 3-4 weeks that I first began to really start seeing not only some physical changes in my body but a new outlook and confidence on life as well. Physically after 4 weeks my body fat went down from 19.2% to 15%, my weight went from 186 lbs. to 183 lbs., my waist went down for 37.5 inches to 35 inches, I was gaining muscle, my strength was going up in all my weight training exercises and my energy level was beginning to sky rocket! I was beginning to feel great about myself. My confidence and outlook on life was improving, I was playing more with my kids, feeling more confident at work, began taking martial art classes (which before that I have been putting off) and was taking on more of a can do attitude! I was beginning to feel like I could accomplish anything I put my mind to. What a great experience it was to start feeling that I was in control of who I am and what I want to become. I was not longer letting circumstances control me but instead I felt like I was in the driver’s seat to not only my body and health but also my life.

Q: How did you feel on the very last day of your Challenge?
On the very last day of the Challenge I had a number of positive emotions running through my mind. I felt excited, confident, invigorated, energized and was experiencing a sense of pride and accomplishment like I never felt except when I witness the birth of my 3 wonderful kids and when I got married to my beautiful and incredible wife! I felt that with my new body, mindset and life I could take on the world and every challenge thrown my way. I was so anxious to take my after pictures that I got my entire family up at 6:30 AM to share in my excitement and accomplishment and catch the early morning sun rise just in time for my photo shoot. We all hopped into the car and drove to the beach just about a mile from my home. With know one around at that hour we all hoped out of the car, I began to pump up by doing some push ups and stood on some rocks with the ocean and sky in the background. I had this spot all planned out in my mind way before hand and new it would be an incredible backdrop for the pictures. At that moment my wife began to take the after pictures as my kids looked on. I must give my wife credit for capturing the winning pictures. She was very patient, supportive and encouraging as she snapped away. That very last day of the Challenge will be a day to remember for the rest of my life. I felt like the Winner of the challenge before even getting the actual results because you already won just for finishing and the health rewards benefits and results are priceless! The incredible sense of pride, joy and accomplishment on that day is something everyone should experience once in their lifetime.

Q: What was the reaction of your friends and family to the amazing changes you made?
The reaction from friends and family was almost one of disbelief. The first person I shared my incredible results with besides my wife and kids was my neighbor who saw me coming back from my “after picture” photo shoot, all tanned and looking healthy. He asked where I got the tan and explained to him t the Body-for-LIFE Physique transformation program that I was just involved with over the last 12 weeks and that I just came back from taking my after pictures. At that point I proceeded to show him some benefits of the program by lifting up my shirt and giving him a peek at my new six pack of rock hard abs. He was floored and began to ask all sorts of question about the program and how it works. That is generally how I introduce people to the program. In general, the first reaction is always one of skepticism and disbelief because it is hard to grasp that you can accomplish so much in only 12 weeks. So I got comments like “is that really you?” “How did you do that?” “Were you on anything?” “Did you mock the pictures up in photo shop?” “What is the program all about and how does it work?” For the most part my family and friends were very excited for me and my new body, life and energy level and were congratulating me on the accomplishment of finishing the Body-for-LIFE Challenge.

Q: Do you still follow the Body-for-LIFE program?
I still follow the Body-for-LIFE program and will continue to follow the Body-for-LIFE program for the rest of my life. I find it is one of the easiest, most balanced and sensible fitness programs around and I have been in the fitness industry experimenting with and trying different fitness programs for over 25 years! Even after winning the Challenge in 2004, I am still maintaining my body weight of 180 pounds at almost 5 feet 10 inches and my body fat is always around 9-10 percent. I see it as a very effective, fun, easy and simple program to follow! How can anyone say they cannot find the time to fit 4.5 hours of exercise a week into improving their life, their health, turning their life around and feeling and looking their best. After 21 days most things become habit and the same goes with the Body-for-LIFE program. I wake up in the morning at 5:20 AM start my day with a strawberry deluxe Myoplex shake, get to the gym about 6:30 work out for about 1 hour and am ready for my second meal which is usually either a myoplex creamy Dutch chocolate RTD shake or bar. My third meal is generally a salad with sliced chicken breast with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. My fourth meal is another RTD myoplex shake or bar, my fifth meal is either a turkey burger with a yam (sprinkled with cinnamon and honey) or Filet Mignon and a baked potato and my sixth meal is generally a cup of cottage cheese mixed with a vanilla Yoplait yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon. This is one of my typical days in the Body-for-LIFE lifestyle and it feels great to have structure and a game plan in mind for the start of each new day. It allows you to take control of your life instead of falling into the trap and fast pace of life controlling you. The Body-for-LIFE lifestyle becomes a continuous journey of self-improvement and self-discovery and when you feel like your are progressing day to day you wake up each day with a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Q: If someone were to ask your advice about starting—and finishing—the Challenge, what would you tell them?
I tend to get this a lot since I have been working it the Health Club industry for the past 25 years and generally have pictures of my results handy to show to people who ask about getting into shape. After showing people my before and after pictures, people generally want to know all about the program and how they can get those kind of results. When they ask me about starting and finishing the Challenge I have told people that it would be the most rewarding, prideful, confidence building and positive life changing experience imaginable. I would than proceed to share with them how effective, simple and easy the program is to follow. I have explained to people that the challenge is set up to motivate people to take the 12 week Challenge, which will keep the focused for that time and will help kick start their fitness and health program. I tell them by the end of it they not only will be in the best shape of their life but they will see that by talking control of the fitness they all will learn about taking control of different areas of their life as well. I generally have copies of literature I give out from The Eating for life Book and other articles on the Body-for-LIFE program. I have given the Body for Life Book to people or have suggested purchasing it and I also direct people to the Body for Life website. I have been enhancing the lives of individuals and friends over the last 25 years and now have the pleasure of continuing to enhance the lives of people by introducing them to the Body-for-LIFE lifestyle that I truly believe can enhance their lives for the better both physically, mentally and emotionally. I have learned that life is all about helping and giving and when you can touch and inspire the lives of people for the better it makes you feel great knowing that you have made a difference in their life!

Q: How has your life changed since doing the Challenge?
My life has changed in many ways since doing the Challenge in 2004. Here is a list of events that took place that would have never happened in my life, right after being announced the 2004 Grand Master Body-forLIFE Champion:

1. Physically I got into the best shape of my life at 45 and now at 47 feel I am in even better shape and keep “improving with age.”
2. I have more energy and feel like I can live life to the fullest with more vitality, more confidence, more enthusiasm and more balance.
3. I feel I have been able to give more of myself to my wife and kids, more time, more energy, more fun and more love.
4. Better role model to my kids and family.
5. I got a chance to fulfill one of my dreams, which was to visit the EAS/Body-for-LIFE Company and workout in the infamous EAS gym during the 2005 Champions weekend. That was a lot of fun!
6. Shortly after winning I was able to speak on the WB11 NYC morning show and did the weather and talked up Body-for-LIFE, appeared on NY1 TV show and was interviewed on the air about my success with Body-for-LIFE, was the main event on a 1 hour radio show in Florida while visiting my sister-in-law and spoke on the air about the Body-for-LIFE program, did many corporate health fairs talking about and giving out samples of EAS products throughout NYC, I was invited to attend, contribute, and help with the first Body-for-LIFE/EAS fitness expo in February of 2006, I have made more friends and contacts all interested in the Body-for-LIFE program than I thought possible and I am looking forward to continue to help out Body-for-LIFE and inspire and enhance the lives of others in any way I can.
7. After17 years with my previous company, I decided to part ways and I am now involved with a new company, have started my own Management/ Consulting Company – J.A.B. Fitness inc., and a started personal training business.
8. Decided and started to write a book on fitness. (subject and title to be announced at a later date)
9. My life is more focused and goal oriented than ever before. I am more disciplined with my approach to exercise and eating correctly that just makes me feel great all the time!
10. I made friends with a whole new extended family of 2004 winners, past Body-for-LIFE winners, Porter Freeman and the team at EAS and many others. It has just been an incredible journey that I will continue for the rest of my life. Thank you once again Body-for-LIFE/EAS and Bill Philips for enhancing and changing my life through the Body-for-LIFE program, your books and inspiring words.

Q: Where do you think you’d be if you had never done the Challenge?
I guess physically I would still be battling with my weight and body fat, always hovering around 19-20%, which is not a body fat percentage I feel healthy and vibrant at. I guess I would be eating my 3 normal meals a day with not much focus on watching what I eat and feeling sluggish most of the time. And lastly I probably would not be doing cardio training and only working out 2 times a week. I would still be looking into the mirror saying I guess I look OK. That was my routine before getting involved with the challenge. I realize now that OK is not what I want from life and is not my standard to live by because I want to now be better than average and feel I deserve that and I owe it to myself, my family, my kids and my wife. I learned that if you are living with a body and health that is just OK than that is the kind of life you live as well. An OK life! I want more than that now and we all deserve to live life to our full potential. And since we only have one body and one life why not live it to the fullest every day and take the best care of the only body your will ever have. I am now after super health and a super body and when you have that your begin developing a super life. And isn’t that what we all deserve?

Q: What have you been up to since first joining BFL?
Since first joining body for life, I have been involved with inspiring many peoples’ lives and helping them live a healthier, happier and balanced lifestyle. I have been training some clients on the body for life strategies and they are getting incredible results. I have remained consistent with my training and eating and always manage to keep my body fat around 10%. I have been reading more fitness, health and books on nutrition so that I can continue to act as a resource of knowledge and inspiration to everyone I meet, to my family, wife, kids and all my friends as well. I continually give out articles to people I meet, which I made copies of, that go over the eating, training and supplement strategies behind the body for life program. I have made many friends, contacts and acquaintances along the way who all share the Body-for-LIFE mentality, passion and belief in the program. The whole experience has just been incredible! I have done a few TV appearances and corporate health fairs where I have given out numerous Body-for-LIFE information, products and giveaways and continually share my passion for the program with whom ever will listen. Finally, I have been spending more time working on a book project and an abdominal course. These are past times that I seriously doubt that I would be involved in if it weren’t for the Body-for-LIFE program.

Q: After going through the 12 weeks, how was your mindset different than it was before? Were you able to face challenges in your life with more confidence?
After going through the 12 week Body-for-LIFE challenge my mindset became more confident, with a more positive attitude and I thought with a lot more clarity. What I have discovered is that when you take control of your body and life by deciding to take action to improve who you are physically you also become stronger mentally and your whole life starts to improve. You feel so good about yourself when you get in the kind of shape you always wanted to be in and with your energy level skyrocketing, you begin to feel like you can take on the world! You start seeing challenges that you once thought were big as little set backs that can easily be overcome. I was able to face challenges in my life with more confidence and clarity. I recently parted ways with my old employer of 17 years, started my own Consulting company called JAB Fitness Management Group specializing in helping Health Clubs who need to improve their revenue and bottom line by utilizing my 25 years of Health Club experience in Sales, Marketing, Advertising and Customer service. I also went out with my new level of confidence and marketed to a few close friends who I have noticed their health had taken a turn for the worst and started training them and showing them ways to improve their health by following the Body-for-LIFE strategies. I also began to spend more quality time with my wife and kids where in the past I was tired most of the time now I am exploding with energy and rarely tired. I have discovered that by first helping yourself only than can you truly begin to help and inspire others.

Q: What is your favorite free day meal?
My favorite free meal is breakfast. I wake up on Sunday, which is usually my free day and take my wife and kids to IHOP. (International House of Pancakes) There I usually look forward to an order of Harvest grain and nut pancakes smothered in hot syrup and a side of crispy bacon and a piping hot cup of coffee. My 13-year-old daughter, Jessica will usually order the Apple Cinnamon pancakes, which she never finishes, and I always leave room for the one she gives her dad. What a treat! Or I may skip IHOP and go get my favorite Cranberry walnut muffin from a local bakery with a hot cup of coffee and smother it with Almond butter. I love a good early morning breakfast with my wife and kids. Other favorite foods on my free day include pizza, chicken cutlet parmigan with a side of ziti and hot Italian bread with butter, Mexican escalades filled with chicken, beef and cheese and many others! Of course there is my favorite Pralines and Cream Ice cream from Baskin Robbins, which my kids and I may frequent to cap off our Sunday dinner.

Q: How have you spread the word of Body-for-LIFE to other folks?
I have spread the word about Body-fir-Life to other folks in many ways. Being in the health club industry for the last 25 years I have had the pleasure of helping to enhance the lives of many people along the way by introducing them to a lifestyle of health and fitness. Since entering the Body-for-LIFE challenge 4 times since 1997 and now being the 2004 Grand Champion winner, spreading the word has become as easy as the Body-for-LIFE program itself. The Body-for-LIFE program has become such a way of life for me that I continually talk to everybody I meet about the Body-for-LIFE program and its’ easy to follow strategies of success. My wife, my kids, my friends, my co-workers and all the members I come in contact with not only see me live the lifestyle and following the Body-for-LIFE principles but I share it with them as well. I feel I have become a role model for other to be inspired by. We all need role models in our lives who can offer us hope and inspiration and who can show us that anything is possible if you just believe it can be done.

I also spread the word at corporate health fairs, corporate event, and Health club events where I work. I have to say that the team at EAS has been tremendously accommodating in supplying Body-for-LIFE/EAS items, literature and product samples to give out at these events. (Thank you especially to Porter Freeman.) I always have Body-for-LIFE material ready to give out. I have also set up tables at these events to sample Body-for-LIFE bars and shakes. I have given out countless number of books and literature, tapes and videos to a countless number of interested relatives and friends. I have also acted as the featured guest and 2004 Body-for-LIFE Champion winner at the pre-sale and opening of Health clubs that friends of mine are involved with. Recently another friend Eric Bang whom I just met and entered the 2006 Challenge started the first NYC Body-for-LIFE meet up and support group where other Body for lifers communicate and share success stories to help keep each other motivated. I am featured on the site and try to give as much support as I can as a past champion. Visit the site at http://Body-for-LIFE.meetup.com/272/?gj=sj10. Working these events and many others gives me the opportunity to get in front of many people that I can talk to about the program. It has been a lot of fun and very rewarding when you can offer help and encouragement to people who never thought it was possible to improve not only their health and fitness but their life as well.

Current goals:
My new outlook in life with regard to my health and fitness as I am approaching 48 years of age is to “improve with age”! With this as my chief goal and with all the scientific evidence that suggests that exercise is the closest thing to the fountain of youth, I look forward to each workout knowing that each workout is bringing me one step closer to improving my health and fitness level. Besides, feeling like a million dollars after a great workout also helps me stay motivated.

I also live the belief system or philosophy of “CANI,” which stands for Constant and Never Ending Improvement. I borrowed this philosophy from one of my role models, Anthony Robbins. I have adapted the belief that in order to succeed and be happy, we’ve got to be constantly improving the quality of our lives, constantly growing, learning and expanding. I focus on CANI in all areas of my life, in my career, in my family and relationships with my kids, in my emotional and mental area through continuing to learn and read, and of course, in my health and fitness goals. When you are committed to make improvements in different areas of your life and assign goals to these areas than life becomes an incredible adventure in which you are always looking forward to the next level. And this is why I am always motivated to train even harder as time goes on. Everything starts with your health and the better I feel about myself the more I can contribute to helping others. I also see myself as a role model to my family, my kids and my friends and feel that the better condition I am in the more inspiration and hope I can give to others. I realized over time and learned that the only way to help others is by first helping yourself. I don’t worry about maintaining the quality of my life because everyday I work on improving it! And it all starts with improving your health and fitness. Here are some of my Current Goals broken down by category. Family Goals:

• To continue to be a positive role model and inspiration in my kids lives.
• To continue to put my family first before any of my other goals.
• To spend quality time with my wife and Kids.
• For my wife and I to live a long, happy, healthy and passionate life together.

• To improve my health and fitness level and keep my body fat below 10 percent at all times.
• Work on improving my flexibility by stretching 10 minutes after each workout.
• To work on more muscularity in my arms, shoulders, and Legs.
• To reduce my waist to a ripped 32 inches.
• To get back into training in the martial arts, specifically JKD or Bruce Lee’s art: Jeet Kune Do. And to continue to “improve with age”

• To continue to save for my kids college education
• To continue to save at least 10% of my income.
• To continue to write a little every day on my book projects.
• To continue to enhance and take my Bruce Lee web-site to new levels of customer satisfaction and revenue. Come visit – www.bruceleecollection.com
• To continue to excel in my new career and continue to give my personal training clients the best service possible.

• To continue to read a book a month, attend 1 learning seminar a year and listen to personal development audio tapes in my car.
• To continue to inspire, motivate and spread the Body-for-LIFE way to family, friends and everyone I meet so that I can help and continue to enhance people’s lives!
• To live, love, learn and laugh every day!
• To live with passion!
• And continue to live life to the fullest every moment of every day!

Quotes that Inspire:
“What a disgrace it would be for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
-Socrates

“Some men see things as they are, and say, “Why?” I dream of things that never were, and say, “Why Not?””
-George Bernard Shaw

“Nothing happens unless first a dream”
-Carl Sandburg

“Winning starts with Beginning”
-Anonymous

“Achieving goals by themselves will never make us happy in the long term; it’s who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goal, that can give you the deepest and most long-lasting sense of fulfillment.”
-Anthony Robbins

“If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”
-Thomas A. Edison

“The human body is the best picture of the human soul.”
-Ludwig Wittgenstein

“It is the mind that maketh good or ill, that maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor”
-Edmond Spenser

“The great man is he that does not lose his child’s heart.”
-Mencius

“It concerns us to know the purpose we seek in life, for then, like archers aiming at a definite mark, we shall be more likely to attain what we want.”
-Aristotle

“Make your Life a masterpiece: Step beyond the demands of the moment and begin right now to design and live the life you deserve.”
-Anthony Robins

Success:
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.”
-Michael Landon