Carl Daikeler says two simple meal swaps wiped out 15 stubborn pounds after age 50, and he still eats pizza and doughnuts on his own terms.
The Los Angeles-based CEO and co-founder of BODi, the health brand formerly known as Beachbody, told Fox News Digital he is in the best shape of his life at 63 after making two straightforward changes and refusing to ban the foods he likes.
When Daikeler turned 57, he found himself stuck with 15 extra pounds around his waistline that would not budge. He did not want extreme fasting or a total lifestyle overhaul. He wanted a plan he could keep.
So he reworked breakfast and lunch, kept dinner free, watched the alcohol, and practiced portion control on favorites. The weight came off and stayed off.
Daikeler replaced his usual breakfast with a Shakeology nutrient shake he puts at roughly 250 calories. He adds spinach and a banana, along with protein, fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, and greens.
He described the switch in plain terms.
"I got rid of breakfast, or I changed my breakfast to this shake that we've got called Shakeology," he said. "I put some spinach in there and I put a banana in there."
Lunch became a large salad built to feel like a real meal, not a punishment bowl. Baby spinach and carrots form the base. He adds chicken, cheese, nuts, and sliced strawberries.
"I hide it with some cheese, some nuts, some sliced strawberries, and it's delicious, and I put chicken in there... I don't feel like I'm eating a bowl of vegetables, but I am."
Dinner stayed open. He eats what he wants. He stays careful with alcohol. That combination, he said, did the work.
"Once I did that, Shakeology for breakfast, a big salad for lunch, total freedom for dinner, limited alcohol, the 15 pounds just got wiped out. And it stayed off."
Daikeler has led the company for 28 years and makes no claim to monk-like discipline. He still likes the foods most people actually eat.
"I eat like a third-grader, okay? Pizza's a food group."
The difference is portion control, not prohibition. He enjoys pizza without finishing the whole pie. He will take a quarter of a doughnut and stop there.
"I love pizza. But I've learned that I can enjoy pizza without eating the whole pizza," he said. On doughnuts: "I've learned that I can have literally a quarter of a doughnut and be like, that was delicious. But I get no additional satisfaction by eating the whole doughnut."
He frames the approach as a practical hack, not a conversion into hardcore fitness culture.
"I'm just constantly trying to figure out how can I hack my way without having to overturn my life to become one of those diehard health and fitness people, because I'm never going to become that."
Daikeler’s warning is simple: rules that feel like a prison do not last.
"If you're trying to be too restrictive, I don't think that's life. The whole point is living... So if it's too restrictive, it's going to break."
He cares more about “health span” than chasing lifespan alone, quality of daily life balanced with staying capable longer.
"Health span versus lifespan is all about quality of life," he said. "I'm all for longevity, but it's really about quality of life, a way to live and enjoy life that is balanced with maximizing your time on earth."
Fox News Digital noted guidance associated with the National Institutes of Health: different eating plans can support weight loss, but the best approach depends on a person’s health needs, preferences, and ability to stick with the habits. People are generally advised to check with a doctor or registered dietitian before major changes.
Daikeler’s account is his own. No independent weigh-ins or lab results appear in the reporting. The calendar dates of the loss and the interview are not given. What is clear is the method he describes and the result he claims after age 57: two structured meals, freedom at dinner, limited alcohol, and smaller servings of the treats he refuses to outlaw.
Common sense still works when the plan leaves room for a real life, and a slice of pizza.