I'm getting a dad bod

[0uTkAsT]

I'm the OP in the previously mentioned thread. One thing I didn't mention because it was years ago and I recovered was I gained a significant amount of weight (I weighed 185+) when I spent a year at home with my daughter when she was born. I ate whatever and whenever I could, and didn't leave the house much because I had a kid that required constant care her first year. I went back to work at a new corporate job where I was at a desk 3 weeks a month. Previously I was an automotive technician, always moving and always lifting weight (for work). I had to buy all new dress clothes for my job and it was visibly obvious I was much heavier. I started with a full physical and blood work, and once I verified I was pretty good there(elecated LDL cholesterol and obviously overweight) I began by nothing more than portion control and calorie counting. I had to eat out because I traveled 30% of the time but I ate smarter. Booze was still a bit of an issue for me so I cut down. No more than one drink a day and whatever I ate, I didn't finish on purpose. An empty plate invites refills in my family. I walked on my lunch break, which was helped when I met an older lady there that did laps around the campus daily. Those mall walker types are serious about their steps. In 6 months I shed the 35 pounds I gained and had to buy all new dress clothes again. Then a month later we went business casual...... but I was within 5 lbs of my pre wedding weight and I felt much better. I would start with that and see what the Dr says.

Thanks for that, it sounds similar to my situation in many ways. Wife gets pregnant, quits her job. I had to make a career change to a desk job where I sat 90% of the time and traveled the other 10%. Food and boozing are huge in my industry (construction) dominated by 50+ year old fat guys... every work function has copious amounts of junk food and beer involved. I tried to keep it in moderation... ok, the junk food part I kept in decent moderation. I eventually started travelling more and they let me work remotely (i.e. from home). Wife stayed home for over 3 years, which I initially supported. She was spending money left and right and we only had one (modest) income so it was really taxing us financially and she wasn't actually doing anything with the time spent at home, so I had to work even more / harder at my job and come home and take care of the house/kid/dogs/cook/clean, etc. Well, then the wife just recently got a job and I thought things were going to get better, but then she just started disappearing all the time because she doesn't really want anything to do with me or the kid (in a responsible kind of way, she only wants in if there's something fun going on). She essentially took our savings and ran with it, and racked up $12,000 in debt in 9 months. Between a rock and a hard place financially right now, and trying to sort all that shit out has little to do with my fitness level but helps paint a picture of the kind of lifestyle situation I have going on - basically Mister Mom with no free time and no money.

I will add one more thing about the defaults to chips and cheese and stuff like that. I read a post once by Will Brink. He mentioned he can eat a box of Cheezits without even thinking about it. I'm kind of the same. I can eat and eat and boom, I've ate 5000 calories. I learned that if I don't want to do that, we can't have that food in the house. A supportive spouse helps to keep that out of the pantry too. Otherwise it's like having a harem of naked women in a room that are at your disposal. You will lose self control. Don't have the junk food around you and that will be a HUGE help in your journey.

This is a great point and I started doing this a while ago. The hard part is, I have the little one and she is constantly hungry. I have to have relatively decent snacks stocked up by the ton in order to keep her happy and fed while I work. So we try to eat good but again, we end up defaulting to peanut butter and banana sandwiches, cheese and (baked) crackers, etc. Stuff that I can slap together in between phone calls and so on. We've been eating a lot of breakfast cereals also lately, sweetened with honey vs. sugar or artificial sweeteners. I'm trying to not only make "decent" dietary decisions for myself, but her also. It's not easy sometimes.

On that topic, if any of you have suggestions for quick, inexpensive meals and snacks that support my diet and that a 3-year-old will actually eat, I'd love to hear them!

When I medically retired from the military a few years ago I was at 210 lbs, then I stopped doing any physical exercise and ate what ever. I use to drink a monster energy every day and drink lots of soda daily.

Last Jan I was 265 lbs, felt like crap.

I decided to make a few changes, stopped the energy drinks all together and no soda or beer. Didn't change anything else, now I'm at 245 lbs.

I'm still heavy but now that I know changing my diet a little can help quite a bit, I'm slowly starting to keep out of the junk food cabinet and keep fresh fruit and veggies in the crisper. When I get the munchies now it's raw carrots or an apple, I'll give it a couple months to see if I lose any more weight.

I experienced a very similar thing when I dropped soda and energy drinks about 8 months ago. I seemed to slim down a little and felt less "bloated" although I didn't notice any appreciable change in my actual weight. Truth be told, I didn't drink that much soda or energy drinks to begin with though. I had maybe 3 total a week. When I did have a Coke though, it was usually at a restaurant and sometimes I'd go through 2-3 refills at a time without even thinking about it. So I'm sure it helped me, but I think I need to cut back on the booze more so. I'm drinking 2-3 beers a day 3-4 days a week now, sometimes more sometimes less, but about two six packs a week on average. That was nothing in my college days, but it's a different story now.

Another bad thing I do is eat steak with grilled veggies and mashed potatoes about twice a week with a glass or three of bourbon. And, shamefully, I'm not talking little steaks with a half a cup of mashed potatoes either... that's kind of my "me time" and I tend to go nuts. I know that hurts me. Especially since I usually have to eat my "dad dinner" late at night, about an hour before I hit the sack usually, because I have to do it after the kid is in bed at 8pm. It's like a date night with myself, and it's relaxing but I'm sure it also un-does most of the good I do during the rest of the week. I know damn well I need to find something else to unwind at home, and also cut my portions by about 2/3rds when I do. But I'll be damned if those giant steaks don't follow me home just about every time I leave the grocery store.

[Gabriel556]

We have 2 kids at home, 4 and 6. They eat clean, due to some medical issues and therefore so do we. Portion control sucks for the first week. After that, it gets easier but honestly you HAVE to cut down on the booze too. Those are empty calories and if you are like me, 1 becomes 2 becomes 3. Look at it like this, one shot may be 200 calories, and it goes down smooth and easy. But the second and third are the same and that is an additional 400 calories per day if you do 3 vs 1. A 16oz steak should easily feed you and the little one, steam veggies, and limit starches! Eat with your kid. It's good bonding time as well as it forces you to eat the way you want them to eat because you HAVE to be a good example for them, especially in your situation.

I understand your work situation too. I may now have a desk job but as an automotive technician before, booze was a near staple of survival. Especially as a technician for a German car company. Now I believe everyone uses booze as a crutch because I see it in the white collar life too so it seems to be a poor excuse. I don't mind a beer or wine, but moderation is key. I have learned that dinner and bath time for the kids is first, then I do the house chores when they are in bed. It keeps me active, burning off dinner, and once done I MAY have a glass of wine with the wife if she wants one.

I have also switched to black coffee instead of soda and may have a diet soda once or twice a week instead of 6-8 a day.

As for recipes, look up clean food crush via google. Kids don't need a massive amount of food if well portioned and balanced. We still grill a lot but use clean seasonings without sugar, anti-caking agents, or preservatives. Look for ketchup and mustard without sugar or sugar additives added. Meijer if you have them around you has a "True Goodness" line that is reasonably priced(like most name brand groceries) and doesn't use additives. We buy Ezekiel bread because it doesn't have sugar added and is like a whole grain bread. They make English muffins, buns, and regular bread. Trader Joe's is reasonable if you don't buy produce or meat there. We buy juice only if it doesn't have sugar or preservatives. V8 healthy greens taste pretty good and satisfies the kids cravings for juice without making us feel guilty about it. Of course, this is only if you have these stores near you but a little google-fu may yield some results.

[Marshal5]

Welcome to the club man, at least you are willing to do something about it. When I hit thirty, I experienced changes in metabolism and starting putting on weight. I can only speak to my own experiences. For me, finding a program that keeps me interested and motivated is very important. My work and family schedule takes up the majority of my time, I like working out at home for a variety of reasons. It is the most time and cost effective solution for me. I'll spend a small amount of money every month on more equipment for my garage gym. (a kettle bell here some other equipment there), I get to keep the equipment for the rest of my life and I'm not dumping my money into a gym. It does depend on what your goals are.

I found that all programs aside, shedding weight is done in the kitchen, I personally see far more dramatic results when I eat clean and in good portions. I avoid foods/drinks that are high in sugar like the plague ( I play with intermittent fasting as well.) Try keeping a food journal to hold yourself accountable and to study your eating habits. I use an free app called myfitness pal to log meals/snacks or sometimes just a notebook.
I count calories as a baseline, there are too many variables for that to be an accurate method. Listen to your body, when I try to shred out, I go down to about 1200-1500 cals per day. (again this is what works for me) I read the Wild Diet by Able James and my diet is influenced by that book.

As far as programs, Bodybuilding.com is a good resource for weight lifting, I'm currently doing a body weight program by Frank Medrano, The Beachbody catalog has some good stuff too: (just press play on a DVD) I have done P90X, X3, Insanity and T25 in the past. I cycle through them to vary my routine.

Find other people to connect with and to assist in keeping you motivated/accountable.

I feel your pain, there is a ton of information out there and much of it is contradictory.

Good luck man, PM me if you have any specific questions about the programs.

[0uTkAsT]

We have 2 kids at home, 4 and 6. They eat clean, due to some medical issues and therefore so do we. Portion control sucks for the first week. After that, it gets easier but honestly you HAVE to cut down on the booze too. Those are empty calories and if you are like me, 1 becomes 2 becomes 3. Look at it like this, one shot may be 200 calories, and it goes down smooth and easy. But the second and third are the same and that is an additional 400 calories per day if you do 3 vs 1. A 16oz steak should easily feed you and the little one, steam veggies, and limit starches! Eat with your kid. It's good bonding time as well as it forces you to eat the way you want them to eat because you HAVE to be a good example for them, especially in your situation.

I understand your work situation too. I may now have a desk job but as an automotive technician before, booze was a near staple of survival. Especially as a technician for a German car company. Now I believe everyone uses booze as a crutch because I see it in the white collar life too so it seems to be a poor excuse. I don't mind a beer or wine, but moderation is key. I have learned that dinner and bath time for the kids is first, then I do the house chores when they are in bed. It keeps me active, burning off dinner, and once done I MAY have a glass of wine with the wife if she wants one.

I have also switched to black coffee instead of soda and may have a diet soda once or twice a week instead of 6-8 a day.

As for recipes, look up clean food crush via google. Kids don't need a massive amount of food if well portioned and balanced. We still grill a lot but use clean seasonings without sugar, anti-caking agents, or preservatives. Look for ketchup and mustard without sugar or sugar additives added. Meijer if you have them around you has a "True Goodness" line that is reasonably priced(like most name brand groceries) and doesn't use additives. We buy Ezekiel bread because it doesn't have sugar added and is like a whole grain bread. They make English muffins, buns, and regular bread. Trader Joe's is reasonable if you don't buy produce or meat there. We buy juice only if it doesn't have sugar or preservatives. V8 healthy greens taste pretty good and satisfies the kids cravings for juice without making us feel guilty about it. Of course, this is only if you have these stores near you but a little google-fu may yield some results.

So much truth and helpful advice here - seriously, thanks for that!

First, I had to Google about my hard liquor based on what you said because I had no idea there was 100-200 calories per shot of bourbon of course I knew it wasn't doing my gut any good, but holy crap... That's 3-4x what I expected it would be.

I do generally eat with my kid and try to set an example of good eating habits, manners, cleaning up after yourself and quality family time. It's only once or twice a week when I may have a light snack while she's eating her dinner and then eat again later but I think I will drop that habit entirely. I know how bad it is so I just need to stop doing it. Great advice on cleaning, etc. after she hits the sack - I like that. Although her bedroom is upstairs and sound carries a lot so that will limit how much I can do.

I definitely appreciate the word on brands, recipes and that sort of thing as well. It helps give some direction. I live in the middle of the desert and the nearest town only has a Wal-Mart and a Fry's, but good alternatives can still be found... albeit more expensive. It's worth it though, as long as I can make it palatable...

Healthy cooking / eating is not in my DNA, my entire family is obese with the only exception being my father. I'm built like my dad physically, and although he struggles with weight a bit off and on from time to time, right now I think he's actually slimmer than I am at more than double my age. He doesn't eat much because he hates my mom's cooking. Ha! But when we do go out, he's very disciplined. Lots of salads, small portions, drinks unsweetened tea and nothing fried. I try to emulate his healthy habits but I am just not a salad eater. I am never satisfied after eating one and too much of any leafy greens always gives me some wicked shits (sorry for TMI but it's the truth).

Welcome to the club man, at least you are willing to do something about it. When I hit thirty, I experienced changes in metabolism and starting putting on weight. I can only speak to my own experiences. For me, finding a program that keeps me interested and motivated is very important. My work and family schedule takes up the majority of my time, I like working out at home for a variety of reasons. It is the most time and cost effective solution for me. I'll spend a small amount of money every month on more equipment for my garage gym. (a kettle bell here some other equipment there), I get to keep the equipment for the rest of my life and I'm not dumping my money into a gym. It does depend on what your goals are.

I found that all programs aside, shedding weight is done in the kitchen, I personally see far more dramatic results when I eat clean and in good portions. I avoid foods/drinks that are high in sugar like the plague ( I play with intermittent fasting as well.) Try keeping a food journal to hold yourself accountable and to study your eating habits. I use an free app called myfitness pal to log meals/snacks or sometimes just a notebook.
I count calories as a baseline, there are too many variables for that to be an accurate method. Listen to your body, when I try to shred out, I go down to about 1200-1500 cals per day. (again this is what works for me) I read the Wild Diet by Able James and my diet is influenced by that book.

As far as programs, Bodybuilding.com is a good resource for weight lifting, I'm currently doing a body weight program by Frank Medrano, The Beachbody catalog has some good stuff too: (just press play on a DVD) I have done P90X, X3, Insanity and T25 in the past. I cycle through them to vary my routine.

Find other people to connect with and to assist in keeping you motivated/accountable.

I feel your pain, there is a ton of information out there and much of it is contradictory.

Good luck man, PM me if you have any specific questions about the programs.

Thank you! I appreciate the info and the motivation.

You hit the nail on the head - finding a program that keeps me interested and motivated is critical and I have to be able to work out at home since the nearest gym is some 30+ miles away and insanely expensive.

When you say you buy a bit of equipment each month, what exactly should I start looking at getting, and where do you keep it? In other parts of the country people use their garages, but where I live my garage is 106+ degrees inside for about 6 months out of the year with no circulation, and I don't like the idea of scorpions and widows getting cozy in equipment I will be grabbing on a daily basis either. So, anything I buy has to be able to be put away in a normal sized coat closet or something, which is a bummer because I'd love to have a bench or a Bowflex or something along those lines. I find strength training to be the only fun part of an exercise routine - I'm practically allergic to cardio.

[Marshal5]

So much truth and helpful advice here - seriously, thanks for that!

First, I had to Google about my hard liquor based on what you said because I had no idea there was 100-200 calories per shot of bourbon of course I knew it wasn't doing my gut any good, but holy crap... That's 3-4x what I expected it would be.

I do generally eat with my kid and try to set an example of good eating habits, manners, cleaning up after yourself and quality family time. It's only once or twice a week when I may have a light snack while she's eating her dinner and then eat again later but I think I will drop that habit entirely. I know how bad it is so I just need to stop doing it. Great advice on cleaning, etc. after she hits the sack - I like that. Although her bedroom is upstairs and sound carries a lot so that will limit how much I can do.

I definitely appreciate the word on brands, recipes and that sort of thing as well. It helps give some direction. I live in the middle of the desert and the nearest town only has a Wal-Mart and a Fry's, but good alternatives can still be found... albeit more expensive. It's worth it though, as long as I can make it palatable...

Healthy cooking / eating is not in my DNA, my entire family is obese with the only exception being my father. I'm built like my dad physically, and although he struggles with weight a bit off and on from time to time, right now I think he's actually slimmer than I am at more than double my age. He doesn't eat much because he hates my mom's cooking. Ha! But when we do go out, he's very disciplined. Lots of salads, small portions, drinks unsweetened tea and nothing fried. I try to emulate his healthy habits but I am just not a salad eater. I am never satisfied after eating one and too much of any leafy greens always gives me some wicked shits (sorry for TMI but it's the truth).


Thank you! I appreciate the info and the motivation.

You hit the nail on the head - finding a program that keeps me interested and motivated is critical and I have to be able to work out at home since the nearest gym is some 30+ miles away and insanely expensive.

When you say you buy a bit of equipment each month, what exactly should I start looking at getting, and where do you keep it? In other parts of the country people use their garages, but where I live my garage is 106+ degrees inside for about 6 months out of the year with no circulation, and I don't like the idea of scorpions and widows getting cozy in equipment I will be grabbing on a daily basis either. So, anything I buy has to be able to be put away in a normal sized coat closet or something, which is a bummer because I'd love to have a bench or a Bowflex or something along those lines. I find strength training to be the only fun part of an exercise routine - I'm practically allergic to cardio.

Check craigslist for used fitness equipment. My current set up is in my garage. I have used basements and even living rooms in the past. Find something that works well for you and your environment. As far as Gear, depends on what your goals are, I'd say a good set of dumbbells and kettle bells are a good start point, and a place to do pull ups too.

Check out Frank Medrano at https://www.frankmedrano.com/
His programs are mostly body weight/no weight and are very challenging. Also check out http://scoobysworkshop.com/ as a resource, his stuff is free and there is useful information on his site. Also, to mix it up I'll go to https://crossfit.com and do the WOD. (Free)There are tons of things out there.


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[Evel Baldgui]

I started slacking a bit a few months back due to increased leisure time and basic indolence, gained about 8-10 lbs over a 2-3 month period, went from 32" to 34" waist, my simple solution, exercise more, eat less. When I lost the weight I made a decision to never get slothful again. I hit the gym 4-5 days/week for 30-45 minutes and cycle about twice a week in addition. Keep moving, increase protein intake, decrease carb intake.

[0uTkAsT]

Check craigslist for used fitness equipment. My current set up is in my garage. I have used basements and even living rooms in the past. Find something that works well for you and your environment. As far as Gear, depends on what your goals are, I'd say a good set of dumbbells and kettle bells are a good start point, and a place to do pull ups too.

Check out Frank Medrano at https://www.frankmedrano.com/
His programs are mostly body weight/no weight and are very challenging. Also check out http://scoobysworkshop.com/ as a resource, his stuff is free and there is useful information on his site. Also, to mix it up I'll go to https://crossfit.com and do the WOD. (Free)There are tons of things out there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the links, I'll check them out!

I started slacking a bit a few months back due to increased leisure time and basic indolence, gained about 8-10 lbs over a 2-3 month period, went from 32" to 34" waist, my simple solution, exercise more, eat less. When I lost the weight I made a decision to never get slothful again. I hit the gym 4-5 days/week for 30-45 minutes and cycle about twice a week in addition. Keep moving, increase protein intake, decrease carb intake.

Good sound advice, thank you!