Charles Henry: 'I haven't felt this good since I was in my 20s'

Who: Charles Henry, 57
Town: Kew Gardens Hills
Occupation: Entertainer, professional disc jockey and pianist, owner of Charles Henry Professional DJ Entertainment in Kew Gardens Hills

Height: 5'1"
Weight before: 178 (May 2009)
Current weight: 138 (May 2010)

His story: A comment to his wife that he didn't "feel right" placed Charles Henry on the road to good health. His wife, Josephine Flink, 56, a cardiac nurse, took his blood pressure. "It was like 190 over 110," says Henry.

There were other telltale signs, including fatigue and being easily winded. This wasn't a good thing for Henry, who spends 95 percent of his time entertaining brides and grooms on Long Island.

"My whole business is physical," Henry says. "We're moving equipment, moving around, dancing, getting in front of a microphone. As you put on the weight, even going up and down stairs is a chore. I haven't felt this good since I was in my 20s. I feel like I'm reborn."

His diet: "I only eat fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and chicken," Henry  says. He also has a magic bullet: "Whenever I eat a meal, I have fresh salad in front of me," says Henry, who has cut out salad dressing in favor of balsamic vinegar. Proteins and other vegetables are encircling it, but a bit farther away. "I have to reach to get to them.''

Another trick: He removes part of the meal before he even starts eating. "I cut the portion in half and ask the waitress to remove the portion I'm not eating. It isn't even in my sight."

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He has changed his eating habits dramatically, but he doesn't feel he is dieting or denying himself. "Once in a while, if others are having ice cream, I'll have an Italian ice. I don't miss anything.''

His exercise: Henry has worked his way up from three laps a day in a 25-meter pool to 96 laps, about 1 1/2 miles, three days a week. He bikes 20 to 25 miles a day the other days. "I was advised by personal trainers, lifeguards and swim instructors to do it that way to give my upper body a rest," says Henry, who takes a break each 20 laps to do push-ups and abdominal extensions before returning to the water. This speeded-up metabolism has enabled him to go from a 38-inch waist to a 32. "I'm so strong now. I've really built muscle mass.''

Advice: "I really think it comes down to portion control," Henry says. And exercise. "I've reinstated recess in my life."