Recently I was invited to speak at the largest Pharmaceutical Company in the world-Abbott Laboratories.  Abbott owns EAS/Body-for-Life, the nutrition/sports supplement company and the BFL 12 week physique transformation program of exercise and nutrition, made popular by its founder and creator Bill Phillips, had over 5000 of its employees enter the Abbott employee Body-for-Life Challenge, and I was their guest speaker.   I was very excited and pumped up for this event!

Having won the 2004 overall Body-for Life Challenge and continuing to sustain the program while improving with age, I was excited to share some of my fitness success strategies with their employees.  The topic was one I felt passionate about and was entitled:  Keep it Up!  Life After the Challenge.   

Like any exercise or diet program that you follow for a prescribed number of weeks, after it is over, the real question becomes, what’s next?  So now that you lost some weight, gained some lean muscle mass, got in better shape, fit into those jeans you always wanted to squeeze into, now what? How do you maintain the results or better yet, continue to improve with age?  How do you stay motivated to keep it up and how do you keep it going for Life?

Although I gave a 60 minute presentation on this topic, Ill give you the short version.  Basically, you have only three choices to make after you finish a Challenge or any exercise program.

1.  You could revert back to your before shape.
2.  You could maintain your accomplishments or results or
3.  You drive forward with new goals and continue to improve!

Unfortunately, some revert to slowly eating their way back to their before status. If this is allowed to happen, then Body-for-LIFE is reduced to nothing more than just another diet.

In order to make Body-for-LIFE a lasting and successful lifestyle, you must commit to the 80/20  rule. In other words, its what you do “right” most of the time, for a period of time that matters most. Straying from the Program occasionally wont make a major difference in your overall level of fitness. However, straying from the Program most of the time will surely result in negative impacts on your health and fitness.  So, which 80/20 rule do you follow?  Do you do the right things 80% of the time or the wrong things 80% of the time?

This brings me to my new program Rapidly Ripped-The Ultimate Fat Burning System for Life!  I would hope you realize that the Rapidly Ripped Program is more than just an eight week program, it’s a lifestyle!  It is simply marketed as an eight week program to help kick start you moving in the right direction to achieving your goals.  Don’t get me wrong you will achieve outstanding results in eight weeks; you will lose body fat, get lean and muscular and feel great, but then what?

There is no better approach to nutrition, training, and health then thinking of fitness as a way of life, a lifestyle!  Programs and goals are just stepping stones; the Rapidly Ripped lifestyle program is a continuous journey of self-improvement and self-discovery!  So enjoy it, have fun with it, live it, love it and learn it…

If the only plans you make were to complete the eight week program to getting lean and ripped or for looking good for your beach vacation in 30 days, what is going to keep you going after that?  Even 5, 10 or 20 year goals have an ending point.  What than?  That’s were VISION comes into play.  A vision is the big picture of what you want for your body and your health, but unlike a goal, a vision has no end point.  You do not arrive there or get it, you live it!

My vision is to be a health and fitness role model to my family, kids and friends, and inspire thousands of people to achieve there health and fitness goals with my fitness success story as I continue to “improve with age”!

Vision, the never-ending pursuit of new goals and personal improvement will be the driving forces that inspire, motivate, and energize you for the rest of your life!

What’s your vision?

By Charles Damiano
Nutrition and Fitness Expert
Bestselling author of “Rapidly Ripped”
The Ultimate Fat Burning System for Life!
Body-for-Life 2004 Grand Master Champion Winner