A man in the United States has managed to shed 85 pounds (approximately 38.6 kilograms) in just 13 months after changing his lifestyle in prison. Filippo Cardone, 48 years old, used to be able to finish a whole pizza by himself and hardly did any exercise. However, after being imprisoned, he adjusted his diet, started exercising, and successfully dropped his weight from 278 pounds to 193 pounds. His transformation and unique weight loss journey inside the prison have recently caught attention.
Cardone was formerly a trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, responsible for futures trading of the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indexes. He later shifted his focus to real estate, acquiring shopping centers and other commercial properties, as well as engaging in residential acquisitions, renovations, and resales across the United States, building a successful investment business.
However, his enviable career took a turn due to the temptation of money. In 2023, Cardone was arrested and prosecuted for involvement in a Bitcoin telecom fraud case. He eventually pleaded guilty and started serving his sentence in 2025. He mentioned in an interview with the New York Post that entering prison not only meant losing his freedom but also made him confront his health conditions.
Upon entering prison, Cardone recalled the moment when they first recorded his name and assigned a number to him. He weighed 278 pounds (about 126 kilograms) with a blood pressure reading as high as 157/117 mmHg, feeling utterly defeated at that moment.
Determined to undergo a complete transformation, Cardone devised an extreme and high-intensity workout regimen inspired by boxer Mike Tyson during his time in the Tucson Federal Prison. He strictly controlled his diet and exercised, resulting in a muscular physique and the healthiest state he had ever been in upon his release.
Cardone mentioned relying on the prison commissary for his meals, where he would have two ounces of lean beef stripped of fat and a packet of tuna for $1.95 per day. The tuna provided was not top-quality but came in soft packaging to prevent the cans from being used as weapons.
He would mix the tuna with salt, pepper, and chili in a bowl to enhance the taste, and sometimes his fellow inmates working in the kitchen would prepare a special salad for him with bell peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
To supplement his nutrition, every morning he mixed protein powder, milk, and peanut butter to make a whey protein shake. Occasionally, when available at the commissary, his weight loss menu would include bananas, oranges, oats, peanuts, and clams.
Furthermore, what surprised many was his strict implementation of intermittent fasting: all meals had to be consumed within a two-hour window from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., without exception. He mentioned, “I exercised from 5:30 to 7:30 in the morning, followed by doing laundry, taking a shower, and having my meal within the time limit. The rest of the time, I would drink a lot of water to fill my stomach.”
Overall, he believed he consumed about 600 calories daily. However, he emphasized that his health check results in prison were remarkable.
Before incarceration, Cardone’s exercise routine mainly involved casual walks on the treadmill or symbolically lifting dumbbells. In prison, he met a fellow inmate who became his fitness coach.
He began exercising at 5 a.m. every day, conducting high-intensity interval training (HIIT) targeting multiple muscle groups, including exercises like burpees, push-ups, bear crawls, planks, Superman holds, jumping jacks, pull-ups, and lunges, all completed under the scorching Arizona heat. The most intense training was Mike Tyson’s grueling regimen, where he would do 2,000 push-ups, 2,000 bodyweight squats, 500 arm curls, and 2,500 sit-ups consecutively.
He improvised dumbbells using small rocks filled in laundry bags as fitness equipment. Additionally, he would walk and later jog around the yard during recreation time.
Cardone weighed himself daily on the prison’s worn-out scale. Within just four months, he noticed his weight had dropped from 278 pounds to 238 pounds. He explained that the initial 40 pounds were usually easier to lose, mainly excess water weight. When six months remained until his release, his coach decided to intensify the training further.
He expressed, “My body transformed into muscles, and I had developed strong shoulders and a solid core.”
Upon his release from federal prison, Cardone weighed 193 pounds, having shed a remarkable 85 pounds since entering prison.
He reflected that his time behind bars taught him a valuable lesson: “You must maintain inner peace and balance, which makes your inner self strong. This is something I often reminisce about, and my fitness routine always brings me back to that state. It changed my life; in a way, it even saved my life.”
“I did have some money, and for someone like me, I could have easily chosen to indulge while in prison, living each day eating and drinking like a pig, continuing to act tough and put on a show. But instead, I chose to work hard, quietly blending in with all the inmates.”
“Before stumbling into this, I had authority, power, and wealth, and no one dared to say ‘no’ to me. But now, every time I start my daily workout, the muscle soreness and sweat remind me to learn humility,” he added.
This article was referenced from reports by the New York Post.