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.

63 thoughts on “Why do dads get fat?”

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  1. Yup, packing on the β€œCOVID 19” as they say. This pandemic has been so hard dealing with it all and much less, no gyms! I guess one trick that works really is just watching what we eat and having certain meals be carb free and protein rich.

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  3. Time restrictive eating worked like magic for me… Similar to intermittent fasting but a bit less restrictive (pun intended)… Basically you give yourself an eating window (I would recommend starting with 12 hours and over time reducing it), during this time you eat what you want, when you want but once your window is closed you are only allowed water (no tea, no coffee nothing but plain water)… Also once per week you can ignore the restriction.

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  4. I found that the greatest time of peace to get that daily dose of physical activity in is at 3:30 when everyone is asleep. It works wonders, gets the blood moving for the day, and creates the means from which gratitude can be shown to those that are loved. It’s a journey!!! Thank you for sharing, and I look forward to reading more.

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    1. Our schedule was (and still is most of the time) fixed around the kid’s sleeping patern. Actually we just managed to put our litle warrior to sleep and now we have some time for ourselves. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts with us.

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  7. During covid I gained six kg , thanks to my dear dad’s oily cooking hehe. He thinks more the oil and butter, that shows more he loves us haha. Anyways, I followed an Ayurvedic diet for two months and for the first time in my life lost seven kgs so fast. Nityanand Ayurveda on you tube. You can check. He has two or three diet plans . See whatever fits you. Hope it helps.

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  9. This is actually refreshing to hear a father talk about this subject openly! At least in America, far more moms seem concerned with their weight and staying in shape, as if giving birth multiple times shouldn’t change their bodies at all. It’s simply not a realistic expectation! It’s interesting that you mention anger as a drive to stay in shape– that sounds like a good way of channeling frustration and stress. I often go work out when I’m angry about something, and it truly does hep release those negative chemicals. And I’m not even a dad! πŸ™‚

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  12. I have been on a slow diet for at least two years. I have no diet on major holidays. I didn’t want to look order with dieting, and I ate some fat along the way. Presently, I have lost over 30 pounds, and I don’t have many wrinkles. I like them on others. I am in my seventies, and my energy level is good. I tried to convince my son to get on the bench yesterday. He wants to lose weight. I get on the bench daily, and my goal is to go slower, but make it to 100 for while. Have for 6 days including today. Remarkable/? THE BENCH NEVER MOVES AROUND.

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  14. I am not a dad as yet, but did notice when I hit 33 this year that appetite and recovery times after exercise have changed. Definitely will be something I need to pay more attention to, and these tips you’ve given here will certainly come in handy. I love reading a bit of Isaac Asimov, funnily enough my dad was the one that got me into reading his books!

    Keep on keeping on being awesome. 😊

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    1. As we get older, I think (fast) walking is better suited for keeping the weight in check.

      I read some of the books back when I was around 10. Didn’t understand much back then but they were so well written I couldn’t stop turning the next page. To my amazement, they still have that effect on me at 40. Now if I could only get a bit of that magic and put it in my books πŸ™‚

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  15. Wow, I really appreciate a father’s perspective on weight and your thought process on how to lose the pounds. Thank you for being so open about it. It would be wonderful if more men would do this!

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  19. Cutting out carbs as much as possible did the trick for me. Low carb bread and rice, no more potatoes, etc. Dry wine or distilled instead of beer. And so on. So, I still eat plenty, just different. Lost at least 10 kg that way.

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      1. Heh, still does… πŸ™‚ Started eating like that in September 2019. Dropped from almost 80 to about 68 kg in less than three months. Came up a little after that, to 70. And that is where I am at since then. It’s not like doing a diet, I changed how I eat. This is it.

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  24. Yes, it’s harder to lose weight by the time you hit the 30’s and sedentary jobs don’t help.. add to that the lockdown and increased time spent on screens. To lose weight is an act of will and an intention that has to be consistently followed through. Thanks for sharing.

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  27. Thank you, we have similar practices.
    I’m a mum but the hours and the job stress gets me off track.

    I try to skip meals and walk thousands of steps too. Coffee help. Often my major key to weight loss is when I go off carbs

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  30. I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this site. I am hoping to see the same high-grade blog posts from you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own, personal blog now πŸ˜‰

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