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Success Stories
See how these men and women changed their bodies and minds, plus discover their nutrition and exercise tips.
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Doug DeRuyter: From Skinny To Hunky
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Doug DeRuyter first heard of the Body-for-LIFE Challenge (a 12-week training, nutrition and supplementation program) back in 1998 during his college days. A friend who had entered the Challenge told DeRuyter highlights of his experience. DeRuyter was interested in the program—and impressed by the amazing results. But he had college exams and lots of other stuff on his mind, so the topic of the Challenge quickly slipped his mind.
Fast forward a few years later. DeRuyter had finished college and moved back to the Grand Rapids area. One day, while working out at the gym, something caught his attention. He noticed a large bulletin board posted nearby, with numerous pictures of people he recognized from the gym, so he wandered over to check it out. He soon discovered the display featured success stories of people who had taken the Challenge. "I was amazed that these people had changed so much in only 12 weeks," DeRuyter recalls. "Lately I had been very frustrated with my workouts because I was no longer making any gains. So it was the bulletin board that inspired me to enter the Challenge."
This time, he didn’t put it off. He went home and discussed it with his wife, Tracy, who also wanted to give her fitness routine a jumpstart. In the year 2000, DeRuyter and his wife both entered the Challenge. "It was time to put my goals into action, and I was going to do whatever I had to do to reach these goals," DeRuyter says. "I was totally dedicated to this Challenge."
DeRuyter gives this self-evaluation of his physical condition prior to starting the Challenge: "I was very thin, with not much muscle definition, even though I had been working out." Although his primary goal was simply to finish the Challenge, DeRuyter also really wanted to gain lean muscle.
Immediately after starting the Challenge, DeRuyter made an important discovery about one of his major diet mistakes. Like many people, he would either skip meals, or would eat a few large meals—plus too many high-calorie snacks—throughout the day. "I learned that the reason I was not gaining any size or strength for that matter was because I was not eating properly. I would say that was my biggest mistake coming into the Challenge. The Challenge taught me the importance of eating five to six small meals during the day, and the importance of a pre-/post-workout meal."
After making a few critical adjustments to his diet, DeRuyter made noticeable strides within two weeks. He felt much better physically, but more importantly, the immediate results provided a valuable psychological boost. "Because the changes were so rapid, I knew my first goal of finishing the Challenge would be easy," DeRuyter says. "Seeing the improvements was motivation itself."
In addition to changing his diet, DeRuyter also realized the importance of supplements. He believes these supplements played a major role in his success in the Challenge, and continues taking these and other supplements faithfully to this day.
And his success was, indeed, inspiring. In fact, DeRuyter even surprised himself. Prior to starting the BFL Challenge, DeRuyter was 187 pounds, with 12.2 percent body fat. At the end of the Challenge, he weighed in at 201 pounds, with 6.4 percent body fat. Overall, he gained 24 pounds of lean mass—allowing him to achieve his second goal, and far exceed his expectations. DeRuyter was named second runner-up in his age group for the Body-for-LIFE competition. He insists this was no fad diet or temporary phase. "Not only had I reached my goals, I also knew this was going to be a life changing experience," he says.
And DeRuyter, now 27, has lived up to his vow of making permanent changes in his life. He has a new passion for health, fitness and bodybuilding. He says the Challenge also taught him the importance of setting and reaching goals, even those that seem impossible. (For her part, Tracy DeRuyter lost 13 inches. After having two kids, she is currently looking forward to participating in the 2004 Challenge.)
Since his success with the Challenge, DeRuyter has entered and won some local natural bodybuilding contests. In addition to his full-time job as an elementary physical education teacher, DeRuyter has also become a part-time personal trainer. He now uses the valuable health and fitness lessons he learned through the Challenge to help clients adopt healthier habits and transform their bodies.
DeRuyter and his wife have faithfully maintained the good new habits they learned from Body-for-LIFE. He eats six to eight meals a day and continues to try to add lean mass, which he successfully has done since the end of his Challenge.
Although she accomplished some impressive fitness goals herself, Tracy DeRuyter focuses on being her husband’s biggest cheerleader, and happily spreads the word about his new physique. In the fall of 2003, she entered Doug into the "Hunky Husband Contest" sponsored by the morning TV show Live with Regis and Kelly. Doug DeRuyter recalls feeling flattered—and perhaps a tad embarrassed—upon learning his wife had nominated him for the "hunky" title.
Tracy submitted her husband’s picture, accompanied by a poem she’d written as to why she thought Doug was the Hunkiest Husband. The couple really didn’t think anything would come of it, since the odds were pretty intimidating (they would later learn that there were more than 30,000 entries). So they were shocked to get a phone call from a producer of the show. "The show called us back and told us to watch the Friday show because I might be one the 10 semi-finalists," DeRuyter recalls.
The family watched the show on that Friday, and sure enough Doug had made the Top 10. The show flew Doug and Tracy out to New York that Sunday, and the couple appeared on the show Monday and Tuesday. During that period, all of America could vote online for their favorite "Hunky Husband."
On Tuesday, the show announced the Top 5 finalists—which America had voted for—and Doug was shocked to learn he was one of the five finalists. He and his fellow finalists participated in a fun pageant, in which they modeled formal wear, performed in a talent competition and even strutted around in a bathing suit. Then the winners were announced, and DeRuyter was named first runner-up.
Doug DeRuyter had definitely accomplished his goals, and then some.
Workout Schedule:
Monday: Chest
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Shoulders and traps
Thursday: Back
Friday: Biceps and triceps
Saturday: Off
Doug DeRuyter’s Diet:
8:00 a.m.
•6 egg whites, 1 yolk
•½ cup oatmeal with 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
•1 whole-wheat bagel with all-natural peanut butter
10:15 a.m.
•Nutrition shake
•1 banana
12:30 p.m.
•Two tuna fish sandwiches on whole-wheat
•1 apple
•Green pepper slices
3:30 p.m.
•1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
•1 yogurt
5:30 p.m. (post-workout)
•Nutrition shake
7:00 p.m.
•1 chicken breast
•1 sweet potato
•11/2 cups broccoli
10:00 p.m.
•Nutrition shake
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