A dessert-loving bodybuilder says abstaining from eating cake for 30 years has helped him maintain the toned physique of a man half his age. Derik Fay has stuck to a high-protein, low-carb diet since he was a teenager and while he admits it is “super boring”, the commitment helps him maintain an impressive physique.
The now 44-year-old, who does weight-training five to six times a week, has around just 7% body fat and shuns cardio. As for his cake rule, the entrepreneur was inspired by retired fellow bodybuilder, the ‘Terminator’ himself – Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Every once in a while I go and spoil myself, but I don't ever eat desserts,” he said. "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.”
Derik (@derikfay) lives with his two daughters Sophia 16, and Isabella, 14, and partner Shandra Phillips, 34. But while his family will happily munch on sweet treats like cheesecake, he resists any offers.
The dad said: "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."
As well as following a strict diet that consists mostly of protein shakes, lean meat, fish and veg, the dad, who is the CEO of venture capital firm 3F Management, wakes up early every morning to weight train. Derik 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."
