Why do dads get fat?

Is it the new responsibilities or the sleepless nights? The stress and tiredness?

I think it’s in our nature. Our nature to put others first. Our wife, our kids. But you are not like that. Or are you?

Instead of having six-pack abs, we drink a six-pack of cola to stay awake. Or maybe a six-pack of beer to forget and to fall asleep. 

And so the kilos sneak up on you. Day by day. Everyday. I used to have 75 kg, now I got dangerously close to 90 kg. That’s my upper limit where all my alarms start beeping.

Now I have a long road ahead of me. But it’s one I know very well. This has happened to me before. No more soft drinks. No more late snacks. No sweets. Just coffee and thousands of steps every day.

And the best way to do the steps – for me at least – is to read a book (on the phone) while walking. Lately, I rediscovered Asimov and the Foundation series. But any documentation will do. As long as it keeps my mind occupied. I think that’s the secret to walking as many steps as possible. 

Another secret is to skip a meal once in a while. After a while, you won’t even notice skipping them. But you will notice a smaller belly and a new source of energy.

The hard part is to keep your motivation. And even if temptation derails you from time to time, you need to get back to doing the things that work for you. But if that happens too often at some point anger will show its face. Enough it’s enough. Even if it’s a dark companion, I know it’s my best trainer. It will make me push harder and harder until the results start to appear.

What about you, what are your secrets to getting rid of the fat?

If you get a chance, check my book:

 Side by side is a book about the first years of parenting. Both the beauty and the hidden side of parenting. The long nights and troubled days. Parents who try and fail and then try again. And how your little one puts a smile on your face and you forget everything just in time to start a new challenging day.

 It follows the first 2 years of a new dad and his journey, side by side, along with his son.