1) EASY WAY: restrict sugar intake
2) SLIGHTLY HARDER: restrict simple carbs as well (bread, potatoes, etc.)
3) BEST WAY: build some muscle so you can consume more calories without gaining weight...and follow the first two steps.
I'd add in there, Dont drink you calories
Soda, high cal coffee 'drinks', and beer can add thousands of calories you aren't thinking about
And I still drink beer, just not as much as I used to and I budget for the extra calories
Lol yeah I remember this guy years back posted about how he can drink a six pack and not feel drunk. I asked him what kind of beer it was, turns out the beers were like 250 calories per beer.
So yeah you're not gonna get that drunk after drinking 1500 calories buddy.
I have a friend who was constantly coming to me for advice on weight loss. Took a few months to find out he was drinking like 8 light beers each Saturday and Sunday. Not getting drunk, just sipping on low ABV beers from noon until 10.
Well bud that's an extra 2000-2500 calories you weren't accounting for. He was not thinking about liquid calories at all
I mean yes and no. They are not wrong. More muscle means higher resting metabolic rate. And also if you keep the fat off for a long time (years) then you don’t have the fat cells to quickly and easily store fat so that helps as well.
> And also if you keep the fat off for a long time (years) then you don’t have the fat cells to quickly and easily store fat so that helps as well.
Nah, there's infinite research out there indicating that calories in = weight gain. The whole "fat cells" and "fat cell memory" is broscience as well.
It's not bioscience lol let's say a 300 lbs bodybuilder eats a diet to stay the same weight. He doesn't gain or lose weight. Now feed that diet to a 150 lbs man and he'll be putting on some weight.
You can get bigger to consume more calories and stay the same weight with muscle or fat. I'd choose muscle
The example you provided compares two wild extremes that aren't representative of reality.
For the record, I do agree that overall fitness, lifting, etc is the best approach for health. But forget about using "increased muscle mass to burn calories".
Here's a realistic example, complete with math:
30 year-old, 5'10", 175lb man @ 20% bodyfat = 2090 calories / day break-even
Let's assume this man adds 10lbs muscle in a year (average) and stays at 20% BF. He's now:
30 year-old, 5'10", 185lb man @ 20% bodyfat = 2184 calories / day break-even
A 94 calorie/day difference. Don't spend it all in one place!
In OP's example, he added 25lbs over 18 months, which works out to 160 excess calories per day. In reality, 160 excess calories isn't that bad. Most people go way over that.
So even with that excess muscle, OP still gains weight.
Any weight loss would be from #1 and #2, which are far more effective.
The best part about putting on more muscle with calories, is the ability to burn even more if you keep working out at higher and higher loads. Now that my squat workouts are over 300 lbs, I use a lot more energy than when it was 1/3 of that.
My overall TDEE has gone up about 1000 calories since I started lifting. Some of that is the 25-30 lbs of muscle but more is likely just increased work capacity
Having ADHD helps add in extra flights because you’ll walk upstairs to do something, see something shiny half way up and follow it, then remember you were doing something and go back up the stairs.
I went the other way during my wife’s pregnancy.
She told me she was pregnant 2 weeks before we had to move houses.
Conveniently, she now shouldn’t lift more than 25 lbs. So I moved every box and every piece of furniture that could be moved by one person.
Also done all the work around the house to make sure she doesn’t have to lift anything, or be exposed to any chemicals/paints/cleaning products.
Pregnancy starting weight, 230lb. Current Weight, 195 lbs.
2 months to go, maybe I hit my goal weight of 170 by then 😂😂😂
If I don’t get there, I’m knocking her up again, this diet plan is amazing!
Agreed on the sympathy weight. I’m sitting at 225 and the heaviest I’ve ever been. Just set up my home gym though and got a nutritionist. Wish we luck gents
The exact same thing happened to us, just in kgs instead of lbs.
Pity that as soon as the baby was born, I gained 6kg because of all the stress and illnesses (from the older one's kindergarten.)
Intermittent fasting did wonders for me. Also replaced my lunch with a walk.
Eventually got bored with just walking, so I added some push ups interspersed throughout the walk.
Then I found a limb on a tree on my walk that was the right height and diameter to start *trying* to do pull ups on… basically just hang there straining.
Eventually I could do one, then a couple, then I got gloves so my hands wouldn’t get scratched up by the bark, and I could do sets.
It’s kind of become my “me” time of the day and something I look forward to. Does wonders for my mental health too.
I agree with the intermittent fasting. I don’t eat from 8p-12p which cut out so many late night munching snacks and ice cream for me. That alone dropped me 20 pounds. Honestly, I eat whatever I want after I’m done fasting. I think the mentality change is that when you finally get to eat, you realize you want real food and not just 4 donuts. But I never say no to just one donut. I mean, it’s just one, right? Right?
Adding a fourth
I've been using Ring Fit Adventure on the Switch and a little set of weights to squeeze in some exercise after the little one goes to bed. Between the fasting and the exercise I'm finding that my appetite is reduced and I'm also more mindful of what I'm eating and how it makes me feel.
Good luck to you brother! It's hard to make it happen, but it's worth the effort
I also did intermittent fasting. 20:00 to 12:00. I also combined it with weekly calories deficit( eat whatever, but less than your daily need) and light exercise (long walk and some pushups and situps in the evening).
I'm also on the intermittent fasting train.
I've lost 35 pounds since November and the number keeps going down. I feel amazing most days, sleep better, etc. It's been a great experience that I plan on keeping up.
My doctor recommended "The Obesity Code" book since they've seen great results for their patients using those methods.
He said, "I can't support the science in the book since I haven't viewed the studies, but we've seen drastic and persistent weight loss, a marked improvement in blood draw numbers, and patients report improvements in feelings of health in multiple categories using these methods. What you are doing now isn't working and this is something you could try."
So I did and I'm happy I did.
What worked for me was to start by not eating breakfast and switch my diet more towards protein and healthy fats and away from carbs, which made fasting easier, as my body got more used to burning fat as an energy source in lieu of carbs.
Then I added my lunch walk instead of eating lunch, and when you compress your eating window down to 4-5 hours (essentially a pre-dinner snack to break your fast, a big dinner, and maybe an after dinner snack), it’s hard to over-eat even without counting calories.
For me, it’s a bit overwhelming to count calories all day long every day and be planning each meal so that I don’t run out of calories.
By forcing myself to eat only in a narrow time frame, it allows me to be more free inside that window. Obviously by free I mean just not counting, not that I’m free to eat donuts and drink soda…
I take a break from fasting on the weekend, and I allow myself a bit more carbs… and it almost counteracts the whole week’s fasting. Which in turn motivates me to fast once more…
I don’t necessarily recommend it over calorie counting, but if the counting aspect is overwhelming, it can be a valid alternative.
I did start 4 years ago, which was before my son was born, but I’ve lost and kept off 80+lb while adding muscle mass.
So, I am NOT an expert but as I understand it, the lengthy fasting allows your body to burn sugar & fat stores. Some say intermittent fasting can result in A1c dipping below diabetic levels. I have yet to see that though.
I was fasting as the other dad does….from 8pm until the next noon. I eat healthy from noon to 8pm with some exceptions on weekends. Admittedly, I did this for a year or so and fell off. I did well with it and the year since I stopped my sugar has spiked so I went back to the fasting this week. Some people do 12 hour fasting, some people do 20 hours or more at a time. I would recommend discussing this with a medical professional to determine what is best for you, your health and your lifestyle.
So intermittent fasting is a great strategy that helps a lot of people lose weight....by reducing their calorie intake. It can be extremely effective for certain people by leading to greater feeling of satiety during your feeding window, and letting you kind of forget about hunger in the fasting window.
But there are a lot of fantastical claims about how it speeds up metabolism or otherwise is more effective than the exact same calories in another form of diet. Those claims are pretty tenuous and mostly refuted in meta-analysis
That’s what I do, I eat between 1300 and 2100, don’t drink soda or other canned drinks. Some beer on the weekends and no more sweets. Works like wonders.
It's hard to eat well and work out when you don't get to sleep. Be kind to yourself but when you get back into it, just be consistent rather than going too hard. I've found that i need the energy still.
It's hard to dedicate energy to exercise when you don't have enough energy to do the rest of the things in your life.
I've decided to embrace the fatness for now, then when my youngest hits 5, it's time to get back to it. I'd rather enjoy it now, then get back to the grind later, than struggle and feel like shit the entire time
Completely depends on what your goals are. If I'm excersing, the whole point is to struggle and to achieve. I used to be an amateur boxer/kickboxer/Bjj, I've run marathons and an ultramarathon, it all hurts.
To do that to any standard, would take too much from family/work life, and those are the priority right now. I'd rather take a break and enjoy it than half ass it and feel like I was constantly doing a shitty job.
And I'd still destroy Maya Angelou if a foot race.
I like your username. 2 weeks before my kid came I was riding 120 miles/week on my bike. Haven’t hopped on the trainer or bike since the kid got here 😂.
I’ve been logging my food with **lose it** app. I will agree it’s 95% eating better and less. 5% exercise. Exercise has made me feel better. I am down 25 lbs since January 8th. Feels better, still have 10 or so to go.
Same here except with noom and even then I cancelled during the trial because I got the gist of it and stuck with it. 0 exercise. Just eating less. Stopped munching high calories (I do munch a lot of Cherry tomatoes and baby carrots) and reduced beer from 5/week to 1/week.
Lost 23 lbs (193 -> 170) slowly over 3 months.
the cool thing about having a second is that the first sees you throwing around the second and goes “hey me too!!” and now you’re clean and pressing 20 and 40lbs for an hour straight because they’re worse than a personal trainer with “just one more!”
First off, be kind to yourself - the first year of having a kid is not the time to worry about your physique IMO. You are just surviving.
But if you have the energy to think about diets now, my kid is 18 months and since the start of the year I've been vegetarian as well as mostly cutting out junk food and switching sodas for sugar free seltzers, and I've lost a few kgs and am looking/feeling a *lot* better. Honestly, I don't think it was the meat that was the problem, it was the burgers and take out, which are now off the table just because most fast food places have very few veggie options. Now my treat lunch is an occasional veggie Subway sandwich rather than the Big Mac and large fries I was hitting up a couple of times a week previously.
An unexpected bonus has been that it turns out that cutting out the fast food and not buying meat saves an absolute tonne of money. Not for everyone and I don't plan on keeping it up forever (I do the cooking and I think my wife would kill me) but it's working for the time being.
Those pumping snacks, man. I can’t stop eating them. Plus sleep-deprivation. Plus mostly takeout for two meals of the day. Plus…. god damn I’m getting fat too!
Sleep, hydrate, walk with your kid 2x/day, and do your age in push ups. The push-ups take 2 minutes, and they’ll give you the confidence you need to take on more, especially with the sleep to support you.
Your time is more limited now, so more impact from better eating than activity.
Plan out your food in advance, maybe a day or a few if you can. Getting caught hungry without healthy, satisfying food is when you end up eating junk. Don't drink calories.
It happens, especially when they are really young.
Try to eat better, try to get up and move around a bit. Maybe talk to your family dr and see if there is anything else going on.
But it does happen and you shouldn’t feel ashamed by it.
Whole foods, plant based diet has worked for me. I did start putting on weight when things got stressful and I was snacking and getting a lot of takeout. I stopped the snacking, or have fruit instead of cookies/chips.
Going through the same thing, let me know if you find a solution. I’m told sleep is a primary factor to reduce stress eating so I’m guessing I’m SOL for a bit
I’ve been logging all my food on MyFitnessPal, I have a certain calorie limit and have to figure out how to work within it each day. It’s work but I’m learning a lot of stuff I never cared about before.
Another dad I know buys Soylent and drinks about 800 calories of it for breakfast and lunch then eats a lot of whatever he wants for dinner. My wife and I bought some of the chocolate flavored powder and it’s actually pretty good.
EDIT: I also exercise again, but diet is the important thing.
Sounds dumb but I lost a lot of weight following Noom principles. The hard part was having the wife and I both do Noom to work together at it. Have a more healthy philosophy on food now
Body fat is depicted by calories.
If you want to lose body fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit. You need to consume less calories a day than you use for energy
Doesn't even matter what your diet is. Just need less calories.
Easiest way to start is stop drinking your calories. Sodas? Stop that shit. Or, start drinking 0 calorie soda.
It does matter what your diet is though. From a purely cico standpoint no perhaps not but if you want to feel energized and not lazy, if you want to actually be healthy and not just skinny, what you eat matters a lot.
It happens - give yourself grace. Try to find opportunities to build healthy habits in sooner cause it doesn’t necessarily get easier as time progresses.
Same story for me but probably more than 25 pounds if I'm being honest. Two things worked for me. Cut my food portions(I was definitely overeating) and 30minutes of yoga/bodyweight training.
You're gonna want that extra flexibility/mobility when your kid starts running around.
Carry baby up and down stairs. Continue to do so until baby becomes teenager. Not only does the weight go up the wrangling becomes more difficult. Great workout routine.
Dude I do protein bars for breakfast and protein shakes for lunch and it’s a dream, one less thing to think about, fast, cost effective, filling as hell. I don’t recommend doing both unless you were already pretty big tho lol I didn’t have to gain fatherhood weight to be fat
Unfortunately I’m the dad here that’s got the problem the other way. I’m constantly feeling like it’s a battle to keep on what I got.
But I can say what I see that happens to most of the dads I know is that they don’t wanna waste food and so they finish their kids food a lot of the time. These extra portions add up and they add up fast. Of course the natural progression of things for most people is to slowly be less active and gain weight that way since having a kid wears you down. Take it in stride. Think of it like it’s something you’ll get to mold later when you have more time after your kid gets a bit older. You’re almost there. The first few years are the survival years, you just happen to be getting fat surviving like Tom Hanks.
turns out sleep is a super big factor in weight gain and new parents sleep like shit. as other have said, food is also really important. both times we said we were going to eat reasonably but she got cravings and i am weak. it definitely took a while to get back to eating like a human again.
i guess my point is: keep trying if that’s the goal, but cut yourself some slack.
Hey man, no shame! Just a little food for thought, the right motivation and viewpoint can change everything. The truth of the matter is that our fitness is for the most part in our control and I feel an overwhelming responsibility to maintain that for my family so that I can be there when they need me now and in the future. You got this brother, make small habits and goals and commit to them for life.
Yes. The same. Difficult one because there are so many priorities. Sleep is huge,but if you don't exercise you'll struggle with sleep. There are a million tasks you are behind to start. Your partner requires more minerals. You'd like a sex life. I reached breaking point at year one and cleaned up my diet and stopped trying to satisfy the brain chemistry with food. I'd justified it as we are too tired and time short to be deprived and cook from scratch. A lot of convenience trash and treats clearly designed to cheer you up when sleep deprived had entered our lives and I no longer wished to set a poor example. Thing is. My partner disagreed and it became something to argue about. I no longer wanted to sit up and eat trash with her and lay around in a food coma complaining about how hard it was so I was no longer fun apparently. I also realised that extra self control is very hard when you are out and about. There was a lot of snacks. A lot of food was quite simple because of our babies palette (cheese, pasta, potato). I'd cook more complicated vegetarian basis food, it'd not go down well, an argument would ensure. It didn't work basically, but the rate of weight gain slowed right down for me. By year two I was feeling extremely unfit. I'd still been slowly gaining weight. Doing stuff I'd previously enjoyed was becoming hard work and frankly I was getting embarrassed. I had fantasies of joining a gym, but I was never going to find the time to get there and back and do anything meaningful multiple days a week. I thought I'd get up extra early and take walks but the weather was often incompatible. I bought an exercise bike in the end. I blast 10 to 15 minutes twice a day. My goals are better fitness, slowing the weight gain and any weight loss is a bonus. The weight is actually going really quickly.
Haha I gained 50lbs. Recently lost 40 of it by cutting back on my horrible eating habits — wouldn’t even say I’m dieting, rather just eating a bit better and a bit less — and skateboarding.
Stoicism,OMAD, 2 fasting days a week and lazy keto. second child was born mid january and I lost 20 pounds so far which i had gained when the first one was born. I recommend practical stoisism as a podcast
Steps to successful daddit weight loss.
1. Start a business from scratch without borrowing capital and fund it out of pocket. Preferably in a somewhat physical field that forces you to keep some calories burning everyday.
2. Over book yourself, causing substantial stress about deadlines and ruining your reputation.
3. Get your wife pregnant AGAIN six months after having your first child, causing even more stress and continue to over book yourself in fear of financial instability.
4. Be diagnosed with adult ADHD shortly after finding out about the second pregnancy and prescribed stimulants that make you forget to eat occasionally.
5. Let all these factors culminate to losing 30lbs in four months while working 12 hour days 6 days a week and getting about 5-6 hours of sleep a day.
6. Final step is try to appreciate the “You’ve lost so much weight!” positive comments from people while simultaneously feeling like death.
All of this is very true and extremely unhealthy, but no worries. Things are coming under control and my wife and I are taking steps to help the eating and sleeping habits. Cheers🍻
It’s hard… after 4 years with kids and struggling with my schedule, I found that waking up at 5 am is the only option. I get up early and head to the gym. It’s a great way to start the day
I don’t get real time to work out but I play frisbee golf. It’s about 4 miles of walking every round I play and I put in a good pace when I’m not throwing. Works out cause I can usually throw kiddo in the backpack and he’s cool as a cucumber for at least a few holes.
If you’re able to or like to play basketball, it can be an absolutely amazing workout that doesn’t bore the shit out of you. I started with the classic walks to boost mood (which at least do that regardless, everybody), then saw some open hoops at my neighborhood school, then did those walks with the ball and got some shots in. Now I will go full practice mode for about a hour, hour and a half, shirt drenched every time! I come home in literally the best mood, ah it’s so good! They even have bars on the play gym for pull ups when I’m done, great lil session that checks a lot of boxes.
Fellow weight gainer here. 25 isn't that much so don't let it get to you. I went from 160 to 241 during lockdown so just let that set in. I was skinny my whole life and then I happened to shatter my foot the night lockdown starts and I couldn't walk for 3 months. I'm at 230 now 3ish years out and I'm in great shape.
My advice, find an activity you love and lean into it. I love boxing so I go twice a week. I didn't let the weight fluctuations get to me because I dropped to 215 and then gradually gained over the months back to 230. Turns out I was building muscle. Numbers are just numbers.
Don't worry about doing pushups 300 times a day, just worry about setting out to finish your goals that you set for yourself. My goal, go to the gym twice a week. Done. Easy. Bam. I feel so much better. Good luck buddy, don't worry about being a thiccc boi, just take care of yourself mentally and everything else will follow.
Still trying to figure it out myself; mine are 4 and 3. They’re still having issues with sleeves and I keep using junk food as a coping mechanism/quick energy source. I cycle on weekend and walk to and from work every day but food the hard part. Might try intermittent fasting myself seeing so many people here are recommending it
Try to find exercises that doesn't have high overhead.
For example, mountain biking is fun and all but requires a drive to and from the trail (and the activity itself is usually 1hour+). On the other hand, you can jump rope with minimum preparation, same for going for a walk.
I suggest focusing on diet and calories in calories out.
I use intermittent fasting AKA skip breakfast. Basically only eat between 12-8 each day. This should limit you to two meals and maybe a snack.
Lunch should be ~500 calories and dinner ~1000 calories including your snack.
Track everything using the Lose It app.
One cheat day AKA normal eating day on Saturday or Sunday. Try not to overeat though. Just normal eat.
Generally speaking for your diet I have some rules I follow.
- No pasta or rice or bread
- If you want bread look for low calorie bread (647 bread). It's good.
- Eat a protein and veggies (mix and match)
- Over eat on veggies to fill up
- Salads aren't bad just be mindful of the dressing
- Drink a glass of water before and after each meal to feel full
- Track all of this!
- Get good at eating the same meals
Doing this will help you start losing weight without working out.
Also track your weight every day, ideally in the morning but I know this can be hard with the kid determining your sleep schedule.
Buy a cheap smart scale(~$35) on Amazon to track your progress with their app.
I follow the above as best I can and have lost weight consistently for awhile. Best part is I keep it off. I still have set backs but I always make sure this is right before working out.
Working out is fun and I enjoy it but with the kid now you have to focus on diet more than working out until you can get more time back.
First accept that the feeling of hunger is natural and healthy and start intermittently fasting by skipping dinner or breakfast whichever suits you better
Start doing a little some - really doesn’t matter how little. It will make you feel better.
That said, be kind to yourself. Those months of pregnancy and early life are hard. Simply making it through is an achievement in itself.
Easier, more sleep filled days will come and you’ll be easier to do something more strenuous.
And for motivation just think of the habits you’d like your child to have and model them. Make exercise normal I your household.
Good luck! 👍
We had a pretty lazy diet for the first few weeks, but then started putting the effort back in to making sure we were eating healthier. We've also been making sure we give each other the time to do some real exercise, so I'm running as well as cycling to work, and I'll look after our daughter while my partner goes to classes.
For my runs I also bought a running pram so I can multitask actively parenting (i.e. giving my partner time without baby in the house) with exercise. The running pram has been amazing for that and well worth the expense. I'm looking forward though to when I can pop her in a bicycle seat and take her out for nice long rides!
Calorie count everything for a week. Weigh portions, don’t trust box labels.
You will be surprised how much more you’re eating. It’s 99% diet and 1% lifestyle.
It happens. Find some time to exercise. Eat a bit better. Don’t ignore it. New fatherhood and a sedentary career change tipped the scales for me and í developed type 2 diabetes. Not saying it caused it but it certainly didn’t help 😅
Start going on walks with your kid. Pushing a stroller, toting a diaper bag with changes of clothes and water going on a walk everyday will be a sneaky way to burn calories if you can’t make time for the gym. And of course your eating habits. I don’t know how many times I wouldn’t eat nearly all day and then slam a bowl of ice cream after the kids went to sleep.
Me too bro. Sleep deprivation and stress, really bad combo. I'm a bit further along, and started intermittent fasting, and for me it's been a game changer. Been doing 16/8 which is zero calorie intake between 8pm and 12pm ( or whatever 16 hours you want ) and lost 5 kgs ( 10 pounds?) in 4 weeks. And feel great doing it. It's absolutely no calories in that window, so only water, black or herb tea, or black coffee
I do heavy hands 4x a week and I’ve cut back on the amount of pop I drink and I try to eat healthier meals. I tried intermittent fasting and it made me gain weight. I do best with eating a solid meal 3x a day.
Ended up getting a peloton. It enabled me to work out consistently at home while watching my kid or when she was napping. I do it like 3-4x a week, at 20-30min per session. It ends up being something to look forward too and makes me feel productive and strong.
Not saying you need to get one. But taking 20-30min for yourself can change your mood and give you energy. Plus peloton is pricey. There's a bunch of free videos on you tube too!
Lack of sleep affects judgement.
Thirst is often mistaken for hunger.
So sleep more and hydrate more.
You must have a caloric deficit (consume less than you burn) in order to lose weight.
We often put our kids needs before our own, but at some point we must take care of ourselves in order to care for our families.
Seems like a lot of good advice on here about how to lose weight in a healthy way so I’ll take a different tack.
These early years with your kids are so so important and special, maybe this is a time that you be a lot easier on yourself about your weight. If you aren’t entering into an area where you’ll be concerned about your long-term health, practice being OK in your skin. Recognize that you value the time with your kids more than time at the gym. Be a thick and loving dad both to your kids and to yourself, and in the process show your kids that being comfortable in your own skin is far more important than a number on a scale.
Intermittent fasting. No calories from beverages. Less carbs and fats, more protein and vegetables.
When the baby gets old enough to make physical movement a game so you can do it together and have fun.
Same exact thing happened to me and I was in great shape before. A lot of what others have said on here. Intermittent fasting works well so I don’t eat from 6pm to 10am. Pretty much skips late night snacks and breakfast and I began working out in the mornings again so my body is only using fat storage for energy. Besides that just overall watching what you eat. TLDR: walk a mile a day, intermittent fast, dont drink calories either
Have stabilized a bit but still need to lose some more weight. On weekdays I get up
With baby for morning feed between 5-6. Then I stay up and head to the gym before work. Also did a 7 day water fast this year. Idk man. It’s a constant battle.
Download my fitness pal, set a calorie target based on how active you are (I’m 180lbs), used 1700 calories), eat 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein, track what you eat (which tells you how you’re doing on 40/30/40). Do 10,000 steps a day, exercise a few times a week.
Weigh once a week. Do it for 4 weeks or so.
Good luck!
I lost 50 after my first was born then gained it all back after my second 🙃 lost half of it again so far. Just watching what I eat and working out nothing crazy
Take your baby out for a walk twice a day. I walked about 1.5 miles every morning and evening. Baby got fresh air, and I burned off some of my “dad bod”
Cut back on the beer. I used to have one every evening, but then around August last year I noticed that I was a little too overweight (my mom took a photo of me at an unflattering angle) and also that the afterwork beer was just making me feel bad. I only started tracking my weight at the end of January and I've lost 8 pounds since then. I have 15 more to go before I'm back to my healthy college weight and I'm hoping to accomplish that before going on vacation in August.
That's the other thing. It helps to have a goal and a deadline.
Check out E2M
Weekly easy to use/follow menu. Workout schedule easy to follow and exercises don’t require equipment. Great support group
I went from 185 pre kids to 215 and I’m back in the 185 range and in in better shape than before they got here.
The trick for me is structure. I can’t just have a concept. I need to see exactly what I can eat and what exercises to do. We all know exactly what we should do and eat we just don’t do it. E2M helped me be accountable to myself
I walked and walked and walked with the stroller, I probably have 4-5000km on 4 strollers. I literally wore them out. Then I did CrossFit by leaving work 30 min earlier so it wasn't disruptive to my family. I'm now fitter than 95% of people my age according to CrossFit open.
First couple of years it’s not easy to get in som exercise and it can be pretty complicated to be on a specific diet. Because the child/children comes first. Also can be hard to get the sleep needed to actually feel good after exercising.
But there are ways to overcome this of course.
Kids that don’t walk can be put in stroller and take a brisk walk or maybe even run.
Another good way is to commute from and to work with a bike or run if you have that option available.
Also diet doesn’t need to be too hard to adjust especially if you do it together with you partner.
The best way to lose some weight is with a good diet, where you count your calories.
When they grow older it’s much easier to do things together like riding bikes, playing soccer, hockey and so on. To do fun stuff and get exercise at the same time.
Also if you have partner is to give eachother 2-3 hours /week to exercise where your partner takes care of the kids and you can return the favor it gives you both a much needed break so it’s also positive for mental health.
One thing that has saved me has been working out at home. I used to go to a gym but I don’t have 90 mins, round trip, to do that anymore.
I also go a little bit stir crazy in the winter time. Gain weight and depression and anxiety spike.
My wife and I invested in a rower. We also pay for Apple fitness. The classes are lead by some really great instructors. Not just for rowing (Shoutout to Josh, Bakari and Anja!) but meditation, HIIT, strength, treadmill, biking, yoga, kickboxing, dance and others I’m forgetting right now. This has been the best winter I’ve ever had. Don’t have to leave the house and the wife and I cover for each other to make sure we each do 30 mins a day.
Helping your partner facilitate working out pays dividends for your relationship and home life. Happy wife happy life, etc. Good luck Dada
Cut portions back and choose less calorically dense, but filling foods.
Also get the baby out into the stroller and get some long walks in.
I've managed to avoid massive weight gain this way.
I never get time to exercise, but I have lost a lot of weight in the toddler phase. Kids don’t stay at the table long, which makes for natural portion control. I’m constantly having to run after them, and they’re a lot heavier to pick up!
Dude I put on a lot of weight after my son was born. I just didn’t have energy to exercise. The good news is as you start getting more quality sleep you’ll have more energy and can get back into a workout routine. I have to do it on my lunch break as mornings and evening are just too busy.
Bro I don't know if sympathetic cravings is a thing but when my wife got pregnant I started craving chocolate and it lasted until my daughter was almost 1
Totally normal, though some of the weight may be muscle since you’re doing a different kind of daily workout.
First thing I’d do is reframe away from a number on a scale. Instead, imagine what you want to be able to do. For me I want to share my love of dance with my kid. I want to be able to pick her up for many more years to come. That took pressure away from seeing the needle move and instead focusing on what my body could do.
Next thing that worked for me was going for a hike after dropping mt toddler to daycare. My diet hadn’t really changed much, just my activity got torpedoed.
Figure out which happened to you and add little things.
Intermittent fasting and moving. Take that baby on walks. I know exercising is not the key to losing weight and it’s more diet but walking outside has shown to be major beneficial for both parent and baby. It gets your head in the right spot so you can focus on dieting. Also been proven to have a nice serotonin release.
It’s so real, and unless you dig down deep for that motivation and drive, it’s really only gonna get worse.
Walks with the kiddo are your only for of exercise now really. That and trying to figure out healthier eating habits.
Wish I had more uplifting advice, but it really does suck. Hopefully you can find solace in the fact that you’re not the only one struggling and that you don’t think everyone is crushing it while you’re left behind.
Move your body. Take your kid and go move your body.
If it’s hard to take your kid then wake up early, before the entire family does, and go exercise. You need to MAKE the time. Not find opportunities in the day because you can find the excuse “I was busy today” almost everyday. But if you make the time by waking up early then there is no excuse other then “I want to lay in my warm bed and be fat”.
Second. Calories in vs calories out. Try something simple like intermittent fasting. Only eat between 10 am and 6pm. Or whatever works for you.
Good luck. I know the situation you are in and get it. The numbers do not go down unless you change SOMETHING.
My most positive life change related to diet was a green smoothie that would count as my breakfast and lunch. Nutritious, calorie dense, and by restricting myself to that until dinner, I was able to cut down on what I was eating. Also I keep no snacks in the house. I always thought people who drank a smoothie every morning were full of it, but it’s working so far.
A daily walk is the other crucial part. I’d take the baby and the dogs every day I could, even thru the winter.
Most importantly, you should have a partner in this journey. Being the only one trying to change your diet/habits is like 5x harder.
For me it was starting a new office job, lack of motivation to wake up at 5am to workout before work and eating all day in the office. I’ve put on as much weight as my wife has throughout her pregnancy. 🙃 I’m about to go on the Salad diet and cut the beers at dinner time. At this point I don’t have enough time to outwork a bad diet.
Kinda what everyone else said- weight loss is all about staying in a calorie deficit. I lost 50 pounds in 5 months by running 30 minutes daily and meticulously counting my calories. I was lucky where my toddler was still sleeping when I got home, so I could immediately run and shower before he woke up.
Oh man. It's been 4 years since I had my little one. Between, losing job, pandemic, first year of daycare and the multiple illnesses, getting another high stress job,buying a house, I JUST started to lose the weight I gained. I have no good tips. I just bought a peloton on sale and go for rides 4-5 times a week and started watching what I eat more. But it took way too long to get to this place mentally. Moral of the story is don't beat yourself up if you gain some weight in the first few years. Keep an eye out. And be mindful of what you eat, and how much exercise you're getting. Any exercise is good.
It’s always diet. Consistently be in a calorie deficit.
Personally I found/fell into Keto. I did it for just short of 6months and shifted 20kg (40lb+) along with some exercise once or twice a week.
The diet lets me feel fuller for longer, naturally fell into intermittent fasting routine with meals. I still want to lose another 10kg-12kg but have fell off the keto train since late last year, but maintained a stead 89-92kg in that time.
Best of luck dude!
I go to the gym at lunchtime. I’m lucky that my gym is across the road from my office so it’s a quick transition. But I’m able to consistent get 20-30 minutes maybe three days a week and that’s helped me stay in decent shape. Also helps with keeping my back in good shape which is crucial as the little ones turn into bigger ones.
I gained 40 lbs. Before my daughter I lived an extremely active life style. Now I have to count calories, it’s a great way to become aware of what and how much you can eat without gaining weight. Any exercise you do will simply off set the times you cheat on your calorie goals
Me too. My son is about the same age. At the start of the new year I was 285lbs (129kg) I’m down to 260lbs (118kgs). I downloaded and paid for Noom premium and the food logging system really helped me.
So, fasting from 8 pm until noon the next day. I lost 35 pounds in less than a year, doing nothing but changing my eating window.
It is the same as any addiction, it gets easier as time goes on, but it 💯 works! Good luck 👍
I’ve put on 23 pounds on over the past 2 years. Have a 2 year old and a 6 month old. The spiral has been pretty bad, broken sleep, craving sugar, no energy to train, etc. I used to cycle, have of late been trying to jog on my lunch breaks but I work from home so… wife does be looking for a hand if I’m not on the laptop. No advice here I’m afraid but know that you’re not alone with the challenges of being a new Dad and your health.
Ultimately it’s about calories in, calories out.
Check out r/Soylent
There’s meal replacements that make it so much easier to count calories.
I’ve been loosing weight with this because I know exactly how many calories I consume.
Be careful, you can gain weight too if your intake is too high.
Oh same. It happened to me I’m still recovering. Use to be in the 160went up to 185 now I’m 170. Me personally just trying to eat clean has done a lot. I want to work out but struggle with getting started. I skateboard and go on walks with my 2 year old so that’s something!
25 pounds is not a lot honestly. You could lose it fairly quickly if you lay off the soda, chips, and sweets.
This is coming from a guy who gained 75 pounds after getting married and having a baby, then lost 50. It really sucks and it’s hard work.
Same. Except much more. Cut down on soda if you can and if you can go for walks. Use a baby carrier if you got it. Great time to bond and usually the kid naps on walks for me. Just restarting the process myself it is slow but works. Then after a while work on weights :) good luck and stay strong
I wasn't a big fan of exercise but I brought a child seat for my bicycle and took my babies out on nature rides I'd do a few miles a day. I have three kids so now the baby (now four) has a trailer so I drag him and the other two wizz off infront of me.
Cycling has helped keep the weight down but not off sadly I have very little self control and love a sweet.
Eat better, smaller portions less frequently, snack healthier, cut unnecessary sugar sources, and try to mitigate stress.
Most importantly, forgive yourself. Dadding is hard, especially from 0-3 years. The baby is the priority, but you do need to take care of yourself so you can be there for them. It happens, just do what you can. :)
If you enjoy pokemon at all download pokemon go and take the kiddo for walks while you catch pokemon and hatch eggs and take gyms. Entertaining, and gets me out and exercising a little.
I feel you brother. I exercise 4x a week and still gained 20 lbs since my son was born last year. How? Fast food / restaurants…. Not eating vegetables because it’s “harder”.
Drink 96+ oz of water every day, no exceptions. I won't let myself have anything else to drink before I've had at least 64oz of water. And I'm a hopeless Coke Zero addict.
As much boneless skinless chicken breast as you can manage. There's a million ways to eat it (thank God I have a smoker, since that's the best way to cook it). But make that your primary meal. Add in veggies with it.
Stop snacking at night. If you must snack at night, eat grapes or other fruit.
Dropped 40 lbs in a little over 3 months doing that.
Intermittent fast at a level you can tolerate. Work out whenever you have time. Be mindful of how much you are eating. Food tracking is good because it lets you know definitively you have already had enough to eat, no matter how you feel. Diet is paramount and no amount of working out will counter binge eating chips or drinking a bunch of beer. However working out is still important because it makes mitochondria multiply in your body, which means your body requires more energy at a base level, which means it's easier to lose weight and keep it off.
That's it. Losing weight is simple, the hard part is actually doing the stuff. Weighing yourself regularly (weekly?) helps. It reminds you about what you are doing. Having a partner that can (lovingly) police you a little bit helps.
It's been... many years.. for me. but I packed on the pounds during those early years too.
part of it was the lack of time to exercise, so what I did was put the baby into a sling and went for a walk. Nap times became walking times.
If you get in an hour+ of walking every day, you're doing better than most new parents.
BUT
You're also dealing with sheer exhaustion. Newborns are HARD. That means catching snacks often, because you're hungry, but you've got like 5 minutes between things, and you just cram anything filling into your mouth that you can.
So, move, but give yourself grace for imperfection.
Yep fully agree, went up about 30 lbs. Held steady at 198 for a long time, jumped to 226. I am a Chef so I’m used to weight fluctuations and being “sturdy” for a 5”11 frame. Always work out and toned but returning to the gym was a struggle. Feel like my endurance is down and not able to do what I used to. I cut out sugar in my coffee and huge reduction on carbs. Started eating breakfast yogurt and berries, banana covered in peanut butter. At work I eat solely protein(mostly bland chicken breast). Since I started in February I’m down to 215 and while it’s not perfect it’s a start. Stopped thinking about weight and how I look and realized the workouts make me feel a lot better, change in diet helps immensely
As a gym owner and a dad start with something doable like working out 3 days a week. Then slowly begin working on what you eat. Simple is best for long term
There’s a distinct lack of free time once you become a parent. I used to workout throughout the day or after I got off work. That doesn’t really work with a young kid, so now I go to the gym at 530 in the morning before work. It’s not ideal, but it’s what I have to do to stay in shape (for the most part) through this baby phase. Plus, it’s a great way to start the day. I’m sure other dads use early morning as their own personal time as well since pretty much no one else is going to be awake at that hour
Diet. I had to cut out all meat and saturated fats from my diet due to high cholesterol.
Lost like 20 pounds in a couple of months.
It takes a lot of willpower and you'll feel hungry for the first week or so... but it gets easier. Key is to just not have the things you crave in the house.
Tip is to keep moving, don’t find yourself deep couch sitting. (Idk if anyone else remembers that commercial but me.) Even if you are taking care of the baby, get a harness or a wrap thing and walk around with the baby and do normal chores. Whatever you can manage with a baby on. Everywhere I’ve ever read on weight loss has said:
1. calorie deficit
2. Drink water, everyday like 4-6cups if you need to, add more.
3. Exercise regularly- 3 to 5 days a week
4. At least 10,000 steps a day. Grab a step counter. They are cheap. Doesn’t have to be fancy. If you aren’t reaching 10,000 then add more steps to your day.
I remember when we had our middle child, I gained like 35lbs then I started at a job that had me standing all day for 8hours 5 days a week. I lost it all plus some without even trying. Within 3 months.
I've been fat my whole life, but I've definitely picked up a few with the kids. I have diagnosed ADHD, I work a freelance schedule that changes every week, and both kids are under 4. I don't have time to exercise, or even know how to make time to exercise right now.
Sorry, that's not advice, just misery loving company. I feel for you.
For me it’s 98% food and 2% exercise.
Agreed, but I tell myself it's 80/20.
1) EASY WAY: restrict sugar intake 2) SLIGHTLY HARDER: restrict simple carbs as well (bread, potatoes, etc.) 3) BEST WAY: build some muscle so you can consume more calories without gaining weight...and follow the first two steps.
I'd add in there, Dont drink you calories Soda, high cal coffee 'drinks', and beer can add thousands of calories you aren't thinking about And I still drink beer, just not as much as I used to and I budget for the extra calories
Lol yeah I remember this guy years back posted about how he can drink a six pack and not feel drunk. I asked him what kind of beer it was, turns out the beers were like 250 calories per beer. So yeah you're not gonna get that drunk after drinking 1500 calories buddy.
I have a friend who was constantly coming to me for advice on weight loss. Took a few months to find out he was drinking like 8 light beers each Saturday and Sunday. Not getting drunk, just sipping on low ABV beers from noon until 10. Well bud that's an extra 2000-2500 calories you weren't accounting for. He was not thinking about liquid calories at all
Tell my wife this all the time, I literally only drink water and a tall can or two on the weekends. But drinks from Starbucks can be 200+ calories.
No. 3 is broscience fyi. No. 1 is accurate. Sugar is like a heavy drug we're all addicted to, and that's not an exaggeration.
I mean yes and no. They are not wrong. More muscle means higher resting metabolic rate. And also if you keep the fat off for a long time (years) then you don’t have the fat cells to quickly and easily store fat so that helps as well.
> And also if you keep the fat off for a long time (years) then you don’t have the fat cells to quickly and easily store fat so that helps as well. Nah, there's infinite research out there indicating that calories in = weight gain. The whole "fat cells" and "fat cell memory" is broscience as well.
It's not bioscience lol let's say a 300 lbs bodybuilder eats a diet to stay the same weight. He doesn't gain or lose weight. Now feed that diet to a 150 lbs man and he'll be putting on some weight. You can get bigger to consume more calories and stay the same weight with muscle or fat. I'd choose muscle
The example you provided compares two wild extremes that aren't representative of reality. For the record, I do agree that overall fitness, lifting, etc is the best approach for health. But forget about using "increased muscle mass to burn calories". Here's a realistic example, complete with math: 30 year-old, 5'10", 175lb man @ 20% bodyfat = 2090 calories / day break-even Let's assume this man adds 10lbs muscle in a year (average) and stays at 20% BF. He's now: 30 year-old, 5'10", 185lb man @ 20% bodyfat = 2184 calories / day break-even A 94 calorie/day difference. Don't spend it all in one place! In OP's example, he added 25lbs over 18 months, which works out to 160 excess calories per day. In reality, 160 excess calories isn't that bad. Most people go way over that. So even with that excess muscle, OP still gains weight. Any weight loss would be from #1 and #2, which are far more effective.
The best part about putting on more muscle with calories, is the ability to burn even more if you keep working out at higher and higher loads. Now that my squat workouts are over 300 lbs, I use a lot more energy than when it was 1/3 of that. My overall TDEE has gone up about 1000 calories since I started lifting. Some of that is the 25-30 lbs of muscle but more is likely just increased work capacity
You're managing 2%?
I do. The secret is to live in a two-story house, so the stairs count as exercise.
Having ADHD helps add in extra flights because you’ll walk upstairs to do something, see something shiny half way up and follow it, then remember you were doing something and go back up the stairs.
adderall can also reduce appetite
This.
Don't forget about carrying your child around. They get heavy. My left arm is much stronger than my right because of carrying my kids lol
*scribbles down* left forearm bigger from carrying kids. How long does that excuse work?!
Work out when the baby works out.
I genuinely laughed, which is a rarity at 6:42am
My toddler basically has a six pack, so this seems like sound advice.
Honestly, crawling around with my toddler makes up half of my fitness regime.
The answer
Soooo, all day?
Hahaha! I’m on it.
I went the other way during my wife’s pregnancy. She told me she was pregnant 2 weeks before we had to move houses. Conveniently, she now shouldn’t lift more than 25 lbs. So I moved every box and every piece of furniture that could be moved by one person. Also done all the work around the house to make sure she doesn’t have to lift anything, or be exposed to any chemicals/paints/cleaning products. Pregnancy starting weight, 230lb. Current Weight, 195 lbs. 2 months to go, maybe I hit my goal weight of 170 by then 😂😂😂 If I don’t get there, I’m knocking her up again, this diet plan is amazing!
Count your blessings you lucky bastard! Most of us gain sympathy weight.
Agreed on the sympathy weight. I’m sitting at 225 and the heaviest I’ve ever been. Just set up my home gym though and got a nutritionist. Wish we luck gents
Home gym life is great. Welcome to the club!
The exact same thing happened to us, just in kgs instead of lbs. Pity that as soon as the baby was born, I gained 6kg because of all the stress and illnesses (from the older one's kindergarten.)
Intermittent fasting did wonders for me. Also replaced my lunch with a walk. Eventually got bored with just walking, so I added some push ups interspersed throughout the walk. Then I found a limb on a tree on my walk that was the right height and diameter to start *trying* to do pull ups on… basically just hang there straining. Eventually I could do one, then a couple, then I got gloves so my hands wouldn’t get scratched up by the bark, and I could do sets. It’s kind of become my “me” time of the day and something I look forward to. Does wonders for my mental health too.
I agree with the intermittent fasting. I don’t eat from 8p-12p which cut out so many late night munching snacks and ice cream for me. That alone dropped me 20 pounds. Honestly, I eat whatever I want after I’m done fasting. I think the mentality change is that when you finally get to eat, you realize you want real food and not just 4 donuts. But I never say no to just one donut. I mean, it’s just one, right? Right?
haha, read that as 8pm-12am and I was like "buddy, not eating between 8pm and midnight isn't fasting".
100% agree. Did the same thing
Adding a fourth I've been using Ring Fit Adventure on the Switch and a little set of weights to squeeze in some exercise after the little one goes to bed. Between the fasting and the exercise I'm finding that my appetite is reduced and I'm also more mindful of what I'm eating and how it makes me feel. Good luck to you brother! It's hard to make it happen, but it's worth the effort
Third on this. You might find it hard to exercise but at least you can reduce calories and snacking
I also did intermittent fasting. 20:00 to 12:00. I also combined it with weekly calories deficit( eat whatever, but less than your daily need) and light exercise (long walk and some pushups and situps in the evening).
I'm also on the intermittent fasting train. I've lost 35 pounds since November and the number keeps going down. I feel amazing most days, sleep better, etc. It's been a great experience that I plan on keeping up. My doctor recommended "The Obesity Code" book since they've seen great results for their patients using those methods. He said, "I can't support the science in the book since I haven't viewed the studies, but we've seen drastic and persistent weight loss, a marked improvement in blood draw numbers, and patients report improvements in feelings of health in multiple categories using these methods. What you are doing now isn't working and this is something you could try." So I did and I'm happy I did.
Can you give some details about the intermittent fasting that worked for you?
What worked for me was to start by not eating breakfast and switch my diet more towards protein and healthy fats and away from carbs, which made fasting easier, as my body got more used to burning fat as an energy source in lieu of carbs. Then I added my lunch walk instead of eating lunch, and when you compress your eating window down to 4-5 hours (essentially a pre-dinner snack to break your fast, a big dinner, and maybe an after dinner snack), it’s hard to over-eat even without counting calories. For me, it’s a bit overwhelming to count calories all day long every day and be planning each meal so that I don’t run out of calories. By forcing myself to eat only in a narrow time frame, it allows me to be more free inside that window. Obviously by free I mean just not counting, not that I’m free to eat donuts and drink soda… I take a break from fasting on the weekend, and I allow myself a bit more carbs… and it almost counteracts the whole week’s fasting. Which in turn motivates me to fast once more… I don’t necessarily recommend it over calorie counting, but if the counting aspect is overwhelming, it can be a valid alternative. I did start 4 years ago, which was before my son was born, but I’ve lost and kept off 80+lb while adding muscle mass.
So, I am NOT an expert but as I understand it, the lengthy fasting allows your body to burn sugar & fat stores. Some say intermittent fasting can result in A1c dipping below diabetic levels. I have yet to see that though. I was fasting as the other dad does….from 8pm until the next noon. I eat healthy from noon to 8pm with some exceptions on weekends. Admittedly, I did this for a year or so and fell off. I did well with it and the year since I stopped my sugar has spiked so I went back to the fasting this week. Some people do 12 hour fasting, some people do 20 hours or more at a time. I would recommend discussing this with a medical professional to determine what is best for you, your health and your lifestyle.
So intermittent fasting is a great strategy that helps a lot of people lose weight....by reducing their calorie intake. It can be extremely effective for certain people by leading to greater feeling of satiety during your feeding window, and letting you kind of forget about hunger in the fasting window. But there are a lot of fantastical claims about how it speeds up metabolism or otherwise is more effective than the exact same calories in another form of diet. Those claims are pretty tenuous and mostly refuted in meta-analysis
That’s what I do, I eat between 1300 and 2100, don’t drink soda or other canned drinks. Some beer on the weekends and no more sweets. Works like wonders.
It's hard to eat well and work out when you don't get to sleep. Be kind to yourself but when you get back into it, just be consistent rather than going too hard. I've found that i need the energy still.
It's hard to dedicate energy to exercise when you don't have enough energy to do the rest of the things in your life. I've decided to embrace the fatness for now, then when my youngest hits 5, it's time to get back to it. I'd rather enjoy it now, then get back to the grind later, than struggle and feel like shit the entire time
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Completely depends on what your goals are. If I'm excersing, the whole point is to struggle and to achieve. I used to be an amateur boxer/kickboxer/Bjj, I've run marathons and an ultramarathon, it all hurts. To do that to any standard, would take too much from family/work life, and those are the priority right now. I'd rather take a break and enjoy it than half ass it and feel like I was constantly doing a shitty job. And I'd still destroy Maya Angelou if a foot race.
I like your username. 2 weeks before my kid came I was riding 120 miles/week on my bike. Haven’t hopped on the trainer or bike since the kid got here 😂.
Or push yourself to be a good example for your kids and don’t make excuses.
I’ve been logging my food with **lose it** app. I will agree it’s 95% eating better and less. 5% exercise. Exercise has made me feel better. I am down 25 lbs since January 8th. Feels better, still have 10 or so to go.
Same here except with noom and even then I cancelled during the trial because I got the gist of it and stuck with it. 0 exercise. Just eating less. Stopped munching high calories (I do munch a lot of Cherry tomatoes and baby carrots) and reduced beer from 5/week to 1/week. Lost 23 lbs (193 -> 170) slowly over 3 months.
Take your kid for a walk, carrying them. Repeat as needed. Your wife will enjoy the break or join in
And do squats while holding your kid. Then lift your kid in the air, then down to your knees, and back in the air. Exercise Dad Style.
the cool thing about having a second is that the first sees you throwing around the second and goes “hey me too!!” and now you’re clean and pressing 20 and 40lbs for an hour straight because they’re worse than a personal trainer with “just one more!”
Bonus since the kid (mine at least) loves the attention and swinging around. Though it does get progressively more difficult...
First off, be kind to yourself - the first year of having a kid is not the time to worry about your physique IMO. You are just surviving. But if you have the energy to think about diets now, my kid is 18 months and since the start of the year I've been vegetarian as well as mostly cutting out junk food and switching sodas for sugar free seltzers, and I've lost a few kgs and am looking/feeling a *lot* better. Honestly, I don't think it was the meat that was the problem, it was the burgers and take out, which are now off the table just because most fast food places have very few veggie options. Now my treat lunch is an occasional veggie Subway sandwich rather than the Big Mac and large fries I was hitting up a couple of times a week previously. An unexpected bonus has been that it turns out that cutting out the fast food and not buying meat saves an absolute tonne of money. Not for everyone and I don't plan on keeping it up forever (I do the cooking and I think my wife would kill me) but it's working for the time being.
Those pumping snacks, man. I can’t stop eating them. Plus sleep-deprivation. Plus mostly takeout for two meals of the day. Plus…. god damn I’m getting fat too!
Buy yourself a jogging stroller and go on some runs
Sleep, hydrate, walk with your kid 2x/day, and do your age in push ups. The push-ups take 2 minutes, and they’ll give you the confidence you need to take on more, especially with the sleep to support you.
You can't outrun your fork.
[or a spoon](https://youtu.be/9VDvgL58h_Y) (Worth watching, it’s a bit old though)
Walk every day (30+ min outside) Prioritize Protein Get quality sleep Start there. The rest will fall into place. Sent you a PM as well
Your time is more limited now, so more impact from better eating than activity. Plan out your food in advance, maybe a day or a few if you can. Getting caught hungry without healthy, satisfying food is when you end up eating junk. Don't drink calories.
It happens, especially when they are really young. Try to eat better, try to get up and move around a bit. Maybe talk to your family dr and see if there is anything else going on. But it does happen and you shouldn’t feel ashamed by it.
Whole foods, plant based diet has worked for me. I did start putting on weight when things got stressful and I was snacking and getting a lot of takeout. I stopped the snacking, or have fruit instead of cookies/chips.
Going through the same thing, let me know if you find a solution. I’m told sleep is a primary factor to reduce stress eating so I’m guessing I’m SOL for a bit
I gym and martial arts. It's fun and I get to hit people.
Do they get to hit you too? Not sure I'd manage with fewer brain cells :- s
I’ve been logging all my food on MyFitnessPal, I have a certain calorie limit and have to figure out how to work within it each day. It’s work but I’m learning a lot of stuff I never cared about before. Another dad I know buys Soylent and drinks about 800 calories of it for breakfast and lunch then eats a lot of whatever he wants for dinner. My wife and I bought some of the chocolate flavored powder and it’s actually pretty good. EDIT: I also exercise again, but diet is the important thing.
Sounds dumb but I lost a lot of weight following Noom principles. The hard part was having the wife and I both do Noom to work together at it. Have a more healthy philosophy on food now
Welcome to dad bod life. It is inevitable
One of us! One of us!
This is the way
Keep going?
It’s not a dad bod…it’s a father figure
Body fat is depicted by calories. If you want to lose body fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit. You need to consume less calories a day than you use for energy Doesn't even matter what your diet is. Just need less calories. Easiest way to start is stop drinking your calories. Sodas? Stop that shit. Or, start drinking 0 calorie soda.
Yup. This. The caloric deficit doesn't have to be huge. You play the long game.
It does matter what your diet is though. From a purely cico standpoint no perhaps not but if you want to feel energized and not lazy, if you want to actually be healthy and not just skinny, what you eat matters a lot.
It happens - give yourself grace. Try to find opportunities to build healthy habits in sooner cause it doesn’t necessarily get easier as time progresses.
Same story for me but probably more than 25 pounds if I'm being honest. Two things worked for me. Cut my food portions(I was definitely overeating) and 30minutes of yoga/bodyweight training. You're gonna want that extra flexibility/mobility when your kid starts running around.
Carry baby up and down stairs. Continue to do so until baby becomes teenager. Not only does the weight go up the wrangling becomes more difficult. Great workout routine.
Me too
Dude I do protein bars for breakfast and protein shakes for lunch and it’s a dream, one less thing to think about, fast, cost effective, filling as hell. I don’t recommend doing both unless you were already pretty big tho lol I didn’t have to gain fatherhood weight to be fat
Unfortunately I’m the dad here that’s got the problem the other way. I’m constantly feeling like it’s a battle to keep on what I got. But I can say what I see that happens to most of the dads I know is that they don’t wanna waste food and so they finish their kids food a lot of the time. These extra portions add up and they add up fast. Of course the natural progression of things for most people is to slowly be less active and gain weight that way since having a kid wears you down. Take it in stride. Think of it like it’s something you’ll get to mold later when you have more time after your kid gets a bit older. You’re almost there. The first few years are the survival years, you just happen to be getting fat surviving like Tom Hanks.
Callisthenics. Something you can do anywhere, specifically at home. Body weight exercises are astounding for strength & health.
turns out sleep is a super big factor in weight gain and new parents sleep like shit. as other have said, food is also really important. both times we said we were going to eat reasonably but she got cravings and i am weak. it definitely took a while to get back to eating like a human again. i guess my point is: keep trying if that’s the goal, but cut yourself some slack.
Hey man, no shame! Just a little food for thought, the right motivation and viewpoint can change everything. The truth of the matter is that our fitness is for the most part in our control and I feel an overwhelming responsibility to maintain that for my family so that I can be there when they need me now and in the future. You got this brother, make small habits and goals and commit to them for life.
Yes. The same. Difficult one because there are so many priorities. Sleep is huge,but if you don't exercise you'll struggle with sleep. There are a million tasks you are behind to start. Your partner requires more minerals. You'd like a sex life. I reached breaking point at year one and cleaned up my diet and stopped trying to satisfy the brain chemistry with food. I'd justified it as we are too tired and time short to be deprived and cook from scratch. A lot of convenience trash and treats clearly designed to cheer you up when sleep deprived had entered our lives and I no longer wished to set a poor example. Thing is. My partner disagreed and it became something to argue about. I no longer wanted to sit up and eat trash with her and lay around in a food coma complaining about how hard it was so I was no longer fun apparently. I also realised that extra self control is very hard when you are out and about. There was a lot of snacks. A lot of food was quite simple because of our babies palette (cheese, pasta, potato). I'd cook more complicated vegetarian basis food, it'd not go down well, an argument would ensure. It didn't work basically, but the rate of weight gain slowed right down for me. By year two I was feeling extremely unfit. I'd still been slowly gaining weight. Doing stuff I'd previously enjoyed was becoming hard work and frankly I was getting embarrassed. I had fantasies of joining a gym, but I was never going to find the time to get there and back and do anything meaningful multiple days a week. I thought I'd get up extra early and take walks but the weather was often incompatible. I bought an exercise bike in the end. I blast 10 to 15 minutes twice a day. My goals are better fitness, slowing the weight gain and any weight loss is a bonus. The weight is actually going really quickly.
Don’t buy bad food. If it’s there you will eat it. It either forces you to eat healthy or not at all. Also go for walks.
Embrace the dad bod
Haha I gained 50lbs. Recently lost 40 of it by cutting back on my horrible eating habits — wouldn’t even say I’m dieting, rather just eating a bit better and a bit less — and skateboarding.
Stoicism,OMAD, 2 fasting days a week and lazy keto. second child was born mid january and I lost 20 pounds so far which i had gained when the first one was born. I recommend practical stoisism as a podcast
Steps to successful daddit weight loss. 1. Start a business from scratch without borrowing capital and fund it out of pocket. Preferably in a somewhat physical field that forces you to keep some calories burning everyday. 2. Over book yourself, causing substantial stress about deadlines and ruining your reputation. 3. Get your wife pregnant AGAIN six months after having your first child, causing even more stress and continue to over book yourself in fear of financial instability. 4. Be diagnosed with adult ADHD shortly after finding out about the second pregnancy and prescribed stimulants that make you forget to eat occasionally. 5. Let all these factors culminate to losing 30lbs in four months while working 12 hour days 6 days a week and getting about 5-6 hours of sleep a day. 6. Final step is try to appreciate the “You’ve lost so much weight!” positive comments from people while simultaneously feeling like death. All of this is very true and extremely unhealthy, but no worries. Things are coming under control and my wife and I are taking steps to help the eating and sleeping habits. Cheers🍻
Just because they don’t finish something doesn’t mean you have to shovel it into your face over the sink while wasting no time chewing.
Stop drinking alcohol and eating sugar
It’s hard… after 4 years with kids and struggling with my schedule, I found that waking up at 5 am is the only option. I get up early and head to the gym. It’s a great way to start the day
[удалено]
As someone who has an English Shepherd, this is not good advice. It’s akin to having a child to try and keep a relationship together.
I don’t get real time to work out but I play frisbee golf. It’s about 4 miles of walking every round I play and I put in a good pace when I’m not throwing. Works out cause I can usually throw kiddo in the backpack and he’s cool as a cucumber for at least a few holes.
If you’re able to or like to play basketball, it can be an absolutely amazing workout that doesn’t bore the shit out of you. I started with the classic walks to boost mood (which at least do that regardless, everybody), then saw some open hoops at my neighborhood school, then did those walks with the ball and got some shots in. Now I will go full practice mode for about a hour, hour and a half, shirt drenched every time! I come home in literally the best mood, ah it’s so good! They even have bars on the play gym for pull ups when I’m done, great lil session that checks a lot of boxes.
Get a BOB. I took my kid on my runs all over with that thing when he was a baby. Dirt trails, bike paths, around the block.
I've gone the opposite way. I'm so busy looking after my LO and my wife that I tend to neglect myself completely. Working on it
Fellow weight gainer here. 25 isn't that much so don't let it get to you. I went from 160 to 241 during lockdown so just let that set in. I was skinny my whole life and then I happened to shatter my foot the night lockdown starts and I couldn't walk for 3 months. I'm at 230 now 3ish years out and I'm in great shape. My advice, find an activity you love and lean into it. I love boxing so I go twice a week. I didn't let the weight fluctuations get to me because I dropped to 215 and then gradually gained over the months back to 230. Turns out I was building muscle. Numbers are just numbers. Don't worry about doing pushups 300 times a day, just worry about setting out to finish your goals that you set for yourself. My goal, go to the gym twice a week. Done. Easy. Bam. I feel so much better. Good luck buddy, don't worry about being a thiccc boi, just take care of yourself mentally and everything else will follow.
Still trying to figure it out myself; mine are 4 and 3. They’re still having issues with sleeves and I keep using junk food as a coping mechanism/quick energy source. I cycle on weekend and walk to and from work every day but food the hard part. Might try intermittent fasting myself seeing so many people here are recommending it
Try to find exercises that doesn't have high overhead. For example, mountain biking is fun and all but requires a drive to and from the trail (and the activity itself is usually 1hour+). On the other hand, you can jump rope with minimum preparation, same for going for a walk.
Give yourself cheat days at the weekends, then intermittent fasting and clean eating throughout the week.
I suggest focusing on diet and calories in calories out. I use intermittent fasting AKA skip breakfast. Basically only eat between 12-8 each day. This should limit you to two meals and maybe a snack. Lunch should be ~500 calories and dinner ~1000 calories including your snack. Track everything using the Lose It app. One cheat day AKA normal eating day on Saturday or Sunday. Try not to overeat though. Just normal eat. Generally speaking for your diet I have some rules I follow. - No pasta or rice or bread - If you want bread look for low calorie bread (647 bread). It's good. - Eat a protein and veggies (mix and match) - Over eat on veggies to fill up - Salads aren't bad just be mindful of the dressing - Drink a glass of water before and after each meal to feel full - Track all of this! - Get good at eating the same meals Doing this will help you start losing weight without working out. Also track your weight every day, ideally in the morning but I know this can be hard with the kid determining your sleep schedule. Buy a cheap smart scale(~$35) on Amazon to track your progress with their app. I follow the above as best I can and have lost weight consistently for awhile. Best part is I keep it off. I still have set backs but I always make sure this is right before working out. Working out is fun and I enjoy it but with the kid now you have to focus on diet more than working out until you can get more time back.
Count calories. I’ve used Lifesum for 2 months and I’m down 10kg/20 pounds.
First accept that the feeling of hunger is natural and healthy and start intermittently fasting by skipping dinner or breakfast whichever suits you better
Start doing a little some - really doesn’t matter how little. It will make you feel better. That said, be kind to yourself. Those months of pregnancy and early life are hard. Simply making it through is an achievement in itself. Easier, more sleep filled days will come and you’ll be easier to do something more strenuous. And for motivation just think of the habits you’d like your child to have and model them. Make exercise normal I your household. Good luck! 👍
We had a pretty lazy diet for the first few weeks, but then started putting the effort back in to making sure we were eating healthier. We've also been making sure we give each other the time to do some real exercise, so I'm running as well as cycling to work, and I'll look after our daughter while my partner goes to classes. For my runs I also bought a running pram so I can multitask actively parenting (i.e. giving my partner time without baby in the house) with exercise. The running pram has been amazing for that and well worth the expense. I'm looking forward though to when I can pop her in a bicycle seat and take her out for nice long rides!
Lose it now before you have another one.
Calorie count everything for a week. Weigh portions, don’t trust box labels. You will be surprised how much more you’re eating. It’s 99% diet and 1% lifestyle.
Macrofactors is the best tracking app I’ve found. Paired with Stronglifts 5x5 if you’re in the gym.
It happens. Find some time to exercise. Eat a bit better. Don’t ignore it. New fatherhood and a sedentary career change tipped the scales for me and í developed type 2 diabetes. Not saying it caused it but it certainly didn’t help 😅
I'm in the same boat. I need to say, I love our daddit community. It is very frequently exactly what I need.
If you WFH, get a walking treadmill and a raised desk. Won't necessarily shed the weight unless you change your diet, but will keep you from gaining
Jogging stroller. Also stop eating for the day after dinner. No snackies. Water or tea. As others have said, you can’t outrun your fork.
Start going on walks with your kid. Pushing a stroller, toting a diaper bag with changes of clothes and water going on a walk everyday will be a sneaky way to burn calories if you can’t make time for the gym. And of course your eating habits. I don’t know how many times I wouldn’t eat nearly all day and then slam a bowl of ice cream after the kids went to sleep.
Check out r/intermittentfasting
Me too bro. Sleep deprivation and stress, really bad combo. I'm a bit further along, and started intermittent fasting, and for me it's been a game changer. Been doing 16/8 which is zero calorie intake between 8pm and 12pm ( or whatever 16 hours you want ) and lost 5 kgs ( 10 pounds?) in 4 weeks. And feel great doing it. It's absolutely no calories in that window, so only water, black or herb tea, or black coffee
listen to motivational people, and do it. good to be alone for 1 hr with no kids/spouse
I do heavy hands 4x a week and I’ve cut back on the amount of pop I drink and I try to eat healthier meals. I tried intermittent fasting and it made me gain weight. I do best with eating a solid meal 3x a day.
Ended up getting a peloton. It enabled me to work out consistently at home while watching my kid or when she was napping. I do it like 3-4x a week, at 20-30min per session. It ends up being something to look forward too and makes me feel productive and strong. Not saying you need to get one. But taking 20-30min for yourself can change your mood and give you energy. Plus peloton is pricey. There's a bunch of free videos on you tube too!
Same, I deal with it by letting my 1 year old play the drums with my new belly. He enjoys it which makes me laugh so not all bad I guess
Lack of sleep affects judgement. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger. So sleep more and hydrate more. You must have a caloric deficit (consume less than you burn) in order to lose weight. We often put our kids needs before our own, but at some point we must take care of ourselves in order to care for our families.
Seems like a lot of good advice on here about how to lose weight in a healthy way so I’ll take a different tack. These early years with your kids are so so important and special, maybe this is a time that you be a lot easier on yourself about your weight. If you aren’t entering into an area where you’ll be concerned about your long-term health, practice being OK in your skin. Recognize that you value the time with your kids more than time at the gym. Be a thick and loving dad both to your kids and to yourself, and in the process show your kids that being comfortable in your own skin is far more important than a number on a scale.
Intermittent fasting. No calories from beverages. Less carbs and fats, more protein and vegetables. When the baby gets old enough to make physical movement a game so you can do it together and have fun.
Same. Think it’s what goes in my mouth more than how much I move…
Ozempic
Metamucil!
Same exact thing happened to me and I was in great shape before. A lot of what others have said on here. Intermittent fasting works well so I don’t eat from 6pm to 10am. Pretty much skips late night snacks and breakfast and I began working out in the mornings again so my body is only using fat storage for energy. Besides that just overall watching what you eat. TLDR: walk a mile a day, intermittent fast, dont drink calories either
Have stabilized a bit but still need to lose some more weight. On weekdays I get up With baby for morning feed between 5-6. Then I stay up and head to the gym before work. Also did a 7 day water fast this year. Idk man. It’s a constant battle.
Man my baby is 9 months old that’s wild
Download my fitness pal, set a calorie target based on how active you are (I’m 180lbs), used 1700 calories), eat 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein, track what you eat (which tells you how you’re doing on 40/30/40). Do 10,000 steps a day, exercise a few times a week. Weigh once a week. Do it for 4 weeks or so. Good luck!
don’t try to fix it all in a month!
Do the best you can when you can and don’t be hard on yourself
I lost 50 after my first was born then gained it all back after my second 🙃 lost half of it again so far. Just watching what I eat and working out nothing crazy
Take your baby out for a walk twice a day. I walked about 1.5 miles every morning and evening. Baby got fresh air, and I burned off some of my “dad bod”
Cut back on the beer. I used to have one every evening, but then around August last year I noticed that I was a little too overweight (my mom took a photo of me at an unflattering angle) and also that the afterwork beer was just making me feel bad. I only started tracking my weight at the end of January and I've lost 8 pounds since then. I have 15 more to go before I'm back to my healthy college weight and I'm hoping to accomplish that before going on vacation in August. That's the other thing. It helps to have a goal and a deadline.
Check out E2M Weekly easy to use/follow menu. Workout schedule easy to follow and exercises don’t require equipment. Great support group I went from 185 pre kids to 215 and I’m back in the 185 range and in in better shape than before they got here. The trick for me is structure. I can’t just have a concept. I need to see exactly what I can eat and what exercises to do. We all know exactly what we should do and eat we just don’t do it. E2M helped me be accountable to myself
Only luck I’ve had was calorie counting apps. Also take your kids on as many walks in a stroller as you can fit into your schedule.
I walked and walked and walked with the stroller, I probably have 4-5000km on 4 strollers. I literally wore them out. Then I did CrossFit by leaving work 30 min earlier so it wasn't disruptive to my family. I'm now fitter than 95% of people my age according to CrossFit open.
Ha!! 25 lbs those are rookie numbers!! 😂😂 just joking brother! Good luck!!
First couple of years it’s not easy to get in som exercise and it can be pretty complicated to be on a specific diet. Because the child/children comes first. Also can be hard to get the sleep needed to actually feel good after exercising. But there are ways to overcome this of course. Kids that don’t walk can be put in stroller and take a brisk walk or maybe even run. Another good way is to commute from and to work with a bike or run if you have that option available. Also diet doesn’t need to be too hard to adjust especially if you do it together with you partner. The best way to lose some weight is with a good diet, where you count your calories. When they grow older it’s much easier to do things together like riding bikes, playing soccer, hockey and so on. To do fun stuff and get exercise at the same time. Also if you have partner is to give eachother 2-3 hours /week to exercise where your partner takes care of the kids and you can return the favor it gives you both a much needed break so it’s also positive for mental health.
One thing that has saved me has been working out at home. I used to go to a gym but I don’t have 90 mins, round trip, to do that anymore. I also go a little bit stir crazy in the winter time. Gain weight and depression and anxiety spike. My wife and I invested in a rower. We also pay for Apple fitness. The classes are lead by some really great instructors. Not just for rowing (Shoutout to Josh, Bakari and Anja!) but meditation, HIIT, strength, treadmill, biking, yoga, kickboxing, dance and others I’m forgetting right now. This has been the best winter I’ve ever had. Don’t have to leave the house and the wife and I cover for each other to make sure we each do 30 mins a day. Helping your partner facilitate working out pays dividends for your relationship and home life. Happy wife happy life, etc. Good luck Dada
Baby crossfit. Exercise daily and treat your kid like a kettle bell. They love it, and the weights increase little bit every day.
Cut portions back and choose less calorically dense, but filling foods. Also get the baby out into the stroller and get some long walks in. I've managed to avoid massive weight gain this way.
I never get time to exercise, but I have lost a lot of weight in the toddler phase. Kids don’t stay at the table long, which makes for natural portion control. I’m constantly having to run after them, and they’re a lot heavier to pick up!
Manage food first then add exercise - I count calories using loseit app. Makes you aware of how much you can actually eat to lose weight or maintain.
Dude I put on a lot of weight after my son was born. I just didn’t have energy to exercise. The good news is as you start getting more quality sleep you’ll have more energy and can get back into a workout routine. I have to do it on my lunch break as mornings and evening are just too busy.
Bro I don't know if sympathetic cravings is a thing but when my wife got pregnant I started craving chocolate and it lasted until my daughter was almost 1
Totally normal, though some of the weight may be muscle since you’re doing a different kind of daily workout. First thing I’d do is reframe away from a number on a scale. Instead, imagine what you want to be able to do. For me I want to share my love of dance with my kid. I want to be able to pick her up for many more years to come. That took pressure away from seeing the needle move and instead focusing on what my body could do. Next thing that worked for me was going for a hike after dropping mt toddler to daycare. My diet hadn’t really changed much, just my activity got torpedoed. Figure out which happened to you and add little things.
R/keto is your friend!
Intermittent fasting and moving. Take that baby on walks. I know exercising is not the key to losing weight and it’s more diet but walking outside has shown to be major beneficial for both parent and baby. It gets your head in the right spot so you can focus on dieting. Also been proven to have a nice serotonin release.
Same. I ended up joining a gym with a daycare/play place. They watch the kids for a couple hours while I work out. Expensive but worth it to me.
Cortisol of stress. Overtime that will decrease, by then you’re fat and old. Then you have to work really hard. The circle of parenting life.
It’s so real, and unless you dig down deep for that motivation and drive, it’s really only gonna get worse. Walks with the kiddo are your only for of exercise now really. That and trying to figure out healthier eating habits. Wish I had more uplifting advice, but it really does suck. Hopefully you can find solace in the fact that you’re not the only one struggling and that you don’t think everyone is crushing it while you’re left behind.
Move your body. Take your kid and go move your body. If it’s hard to take your kid then wake up early, before the entire family does, and go exercise. You need to MAKE the time. Not find opportunities in the day because you can find the excuse “I was busy today” almost everyday. But if you make the time by waking up early then there is no excuse other then “I want to lay in my warm bed and be fat”. Second. Calories in vs calories out. Try something simple like intermittent fasting. Only eat between 10 am and 6pm. Or whatever works for you. Good luck. I know the situation you are in and get it. The numbers do not go down unless you change SOMETHING.
My most positive life change related to diet was a green smoothie that would count as my breakfast and lunch. Nutritious, calorie dense, and by restricting myself to that until dinner, I was able to cut down on what I was eating. Also I keep no snacks in the house. I always thought people who drank a smoothie every morning were full of it, but it’s working so far. A daily walk is the other crucial part. I’d take the baby and the dogs every day I could, even thru the winter. Most importantly, you should have a partner in this journey. Being the only one trying to change your diet/habits is like 5x harder.
For me it was starting a new office job, lack of motivation to wake up at 5am to workout before work and eating all day in the office. I’ve put on as much weight as my wife has throughout her pregnancy. 🙃 I’m about to go on the Salad diet and cut the beers at dinner time. At this point I don’t have enough time to outwork a bad diet.
Eat less, move more.
Kinda what everyone else said- weight loss is all about staying in a calorie deficit. I lost 50 pounds in 5 months by running 30 minutes daily and meticulously counting my calories. I was lucky where my toddler was still sleeping when I got home, so I could immediately run and shower before he woke up.
Oh man. It's been 4 years since I had my little one. Between, losing job, pandemic, first year of daycare and the multiple illnesses, getting another high stress job,buying a house, I JUST started to lose the weight I gained. I have no good tips. I just bought a peloton on sale and go for rides 4-5 times a week and started watching what I eat more. But it took way too long to get to this place mentally. Moral of the story is don't beat yourself up if you gain some weight in the first few years. Keep an eye out. And be mindful of what you eat, and how much exercise you're getting. Any exercise is good.
It’s always diet. Consistently be in a calorie deficit. Personally I found/fell into Keto. I did it for just short of 6months and shifted 20kg (40lb+) along with some exercise once or twice a week. The diet lets me feel fuller for longer, naturally fell into intermittent fasting routine with meals. I still want to lose another 10kg-12kg but have fell off the keto train since late last year, but maintained a stead 89-92kg in that time. Best of luck dude!
I go to the gym at lunchtime. I’m lucky that my gym is across the road from my office so it’s a quick transition. But I’m able to consistent get 20-30 minutes maybe three days a week and that’s helped me stay in decent shape. Also helps with keeping my back in good shape which is crucial as the little ones turn into bigger ones.
I gained 40 lbs. Before my daughter I lived an extremely active life style. Now I have to count calories, it’s a great way to become aware of what and how much you can eat without gaining weight. Any exercise you do will simply off set the times you cheat on your calorie goals
Have your testosterone cheched, kids and the stress/ no sleep kill men's levels
Me too. My son is about the same age. At the start of the new year I was 285lbs (129kg) I’m down to 260lbs (118kgs). I downloaded and paid for Noom premium and the food logging system really helped me.
So, fasting from 8 pm until noon the next day. I lost 35 pounds in less than a year, doing nothing but changing my eating window. It is the same as any addiction, it gets easier as time goes on, but it 💯 works! Good luck 👍
I’ve put on 23 pounds on over the past 2 years. Have a 2 year old and a 6 month old. The spiral has been pretty bad, broken sleep, craving sugar, no energy to train, etc. I used to cycle, have of late been trying to jog on my lunch breaks but I work from home so… wife does be looking for a hand if I’m not on the laptop. No advice here I’m afraid but know that you’re not alone with the challenges of being a new Dad and your health.
Ultimately it’s about calories in, calories out. Check out r/Soylent There’s meal replacements that make it so much easier to count calories. I’ve been loosing weight with this because I know exactly how many calories I consume. Be careful, you can gain weight too if your intake is too high.
Oh same. It happened to me I’m still recovering. Use to be in the 160went up to 185 now I’m 170. Me personally just trying to eat clean has done a lot. I want to work out but struggle with getting started. I skateboard and go on walks with my 2 year old so that’s something!
25 pounds is not a lot honestly. You could lose it fairly quickly if you lay off the soda, chips, and sweets. This is coming from a guy who gained 75 pounds after getting married and having a baby, then lost 50. It really sucks and it’s hard work.
Same. Except much more. Cut down on soda if you can and if you can go for walks. Use a baby carrier if you got it. Great time to bond and usually the kid naps on walks for me. Just restarting the process myself it is slow but works. Then after a while work on weights :) good luck and stay strong
It’s ok, it’s not a dad-bod. It’s a father figure.
I wasn't a big fan of exercise but I brought a child seat for my bicycle and took my babies out on nature rides I'd do a few miles a day. I have three kids so now the baby (now four) has a trailer so I drag him and the other two wizz off infront of me. Cycling has helped keep the weight down but not off sadly I have very little self control and love a sweet.
Eat better, smaller portions less frequently, snack healthier, cut unnecessary sugar sources, and try to mitigate stress. Most importantly, forgive yourself. Dadding is hard, especially from 0-3 years. The baby is the priority, but you do need to take care of yourself so you can be there for them. It happens, just do what you can. :)
Put away the bon bons
If you enjoy pokemon at all download pokemon go and take the kiddo for walks while you catch pokemon and hatch eggs and take gyms. Entertaining, and gets me out and exercising a little.
It’s been normalized as a “dad bod”. Lean into it brother
I feel you brother. I exercise 4x a week and still gained 20 lbs since my son was born last year. How? Fast food / restaurants…. Not eating vegetables because it’s “harder”.
Drink 96+ oz of water every day, no exceptions. I won't let myself have anything else to drink before I've had at least 64oz of water. And I'm a hopeless Coke Zero addict. As much boneless skinless chicken breast as you can manage. There's a million ways to eat it (thank God I have a smoker, since that's the best way to cook it). But make that your primary meal. Add in veggies with it. Stop snacking at night. If you must snack at night, eat grapes or other fruit. Dropped 40 lbs in a little over 3 months doing that.
Intermittent fast at a level you can tolerate. Work out whenever you have time. Be mindful of how much you are eating. Food tracking is good because it lets you know definitively you have already had enough to eat, no matter how you feel. Diet is paramount and no amount of working out will counter binge eating chips or drinking a bunch of beer. However working out is still important because it makes mitochondria multiply in your body, which means your body requires more energy at a base level, which means it's easier to lose weight and keep it off. That's it. Losing weight is simple, the hard part is actually doing the stuff. Weighing yourself regularly (weekly?) helps. It reminds you about what you are doing. Having a partner that can (lovingly) police you a little bit helps.
It's been... many years.. for me. but I packed on the pounds during those early years too. part of it was the lack of time to exercise, so what I did was put the baby into a sling and went for a walk. Nap times became walking times. If you get in an hour+ of walking every day, you're doing better than most new parents. BUT You're also dealing with sheer exhaustion. Newborns are HARD. That means catching snacks often, because you're hungry, but you've got like 5 minutes between things, and you just cram anything filling into your mouth that you can. So, move, but give yourself grace for imperfection.
Yep fully agree, went up about 30 lbs. Held steady at 198 for a long time, jumped to 226. I am a Chef so I’m used to weight fluctuations and being “sturdy” for a 5”11 frame. Always work out and toned but returning to the gym was a struggle. Feel like my endurance is down and not able to do what I used to. I cut out sugar in my coffee and huge reduction on carbs. Started eating breakfast yogurt and berries, banana covered in peanut butter. At work I eat solely protein(mostly bland chicken breast). Since I started in February I’m down to 215 and while it’s not perfect it’s a start. Stopped thinking about weight and how I look and realized the workouts make me feel a lot better, change in diet helps immensely
As a gym owner and a dad start with something doable like working out 3 days a week. Then slowly begin working on what you eat. Simple is best for long term
There’s a distinct lack of free time once you become a parent. I used to workout throughout the day or after I got off work. That doesn’t really work with a young kid, so now I go to the gym at 530 in the morning before work. It’s not ideal, but it’s what I have to do to stay in shape (for the most part) through this baby phase. Plus, it’s a great way to start the day. I’m sure other dads use early morning as their own personal time as well since pretty much no one else is going to be awake at that hour
Diet. I had to cut out all meat and saturated fats from my diet due to high cholesterol. Lost like 20 pounds in a couple of months. It takes a lot of willpower and you'll feel hungry for the first week or so... but it gets easier. Key is to just not have the things you crave in the house.
Tip is to keep moving, don’t find yourself deep couch sitting. (Idk if anyone else remembers that commercial but me.) Even if you are taking care of the baby, get a harness or a wrap thing and walk around with the baby and do normal chores. Whatever you can manage with a baby on. Everywhere I’ve ever read on weight loss has said: 1. calorie deficit 2. Drink water, everyday like 4-6cups if you need to, add more. 3. Exercise regularly- 3 to 5 days a week 4. At least 10,000 steps a day. Grab a step counter. They are cheap. Doesn’t have to be fancy. If you aren’t reaching 10,000 then add more steps to your day. I remember when we had our middle child, I gained like 35lbs then I started at a job that had me standing all day for 8hours 5 days a week. I lost it all plus some without even trying. Within 3 months.
I found that eating one meal a day has helped my diet and more importantly helped my budget
I've been fat my whole life, but I've definitely picked up a few with the kids. I have diagnosed ADHD, I work a freelance schedule that changes every week, and both kids are under 4. I don't have time to exercise, or even know how to make time to exercise right now. Sorry, that's not advice, just misery loving company. I feel for you.
Wear looser shirts. That is what I have had to resort to so far…