Welcome everyone, to another addition of A.P Writing. Although this post will only be a short one, I’ll look to keep it informative and interesting, as the title suggests it’ll detail my progress through Ditching the Dad Body. I’ve been following the initiative for five days now and I’ll be completely honest, it’s been difficult.
So, I guess what you’re all wondering is what kind of programme I’m following? Well, to be truthful I’m not following any particular programme, instead I’m running or doing weights one day and resting on the next, alternating this day on day off pattern. I did seriously consider starting a professional programme like Insanity or Transform 20, for those of you who don’t know, these are programmes run by a company called Beachbody and they’re extremely effective. The main problem I have with these kind of programmes however, is that they’re quite restrictive, it’s everyday for 6 to 8 weeks, from my point of view I simply couldn’t commit to that rigid routine. When I run, I go straight from work after the day’s finished, I’m home by 18-30pm ready to be dad again. As much as I’d love to commit to a strategic 2 month programme it’s not fair on Ezra or Chantelle, they still need me to be dad, I can’t push my responsibilities aside every night to complete a workout. I wouldn’t have it any other way either, for those expecting parents out there, all those new dads, it really is the best feeling in the world knowing you get to leave work and come home to your beautiful baby. You’ll find that the time you have to spare becomes precious, of course, there is time for things like running but it’s about being practical, fitting those things around your responsibilities as a parent.
One thing I’ve really concentrated hard on though is my diet, I’m almost embarrassed to admit that my diet before starting Ditching the Dad Body was absolutely atrocious. I’ve cut out crisps and chocolate completely, instead replacing them for healthier alternatives. I’ve switched to more meals throughout the day, these meals being healthier. I think to give you some perspective I should probably run you through what my daily food intake used to look like. So, I’d have some kind of cereal in the morning, normally coco pops, I’d get to work and eat my lunch which would be some kind of sandwich, crisps, chocolate bars and fruit that I’d end up leaving. Later in the day I’d get hungry again, go to Subway or Greggs and order a baguette and more crisps, upon arriving home I’d drink a mug of coffee and order us a takeaway. Now, it’s no excuse but when you’re a new parent your time is often limited, that style of living is something I fell into because it was comfortable, to make a change you really have to want to. I make sure that all my lunches and dinners now contain some form of fruit or vegetable, I don’t snack on junk food like I used to either. It does take some sacrificing and will power, I’d actually go as far as to say that the eating healthy part of Ditching the Dad Body is 100% harder than the physical working out part. Being strict must come with some rewards however, every two weeks I will allow myself a cheat day. This is something I’ve learned from previous experience, I can’t eat this way indefinitely, but in order to make it a way of life I need to allow for a blowout every now and again. This’ll allow me to re-energise, re-focus and move forward full of new motivation.
Again, being truthful, the first time I went for a run nearly killed me, my legs felt like they might fall off and I had to walk for a little while. The second time wasn’t any easier either, believe me I’ve wanted to pack it all in, but this isn’t about me anymore. If I give up it’s not just me I’m letting down, it’s Ezra as well, I want him to see me setting an example, what kind of example would I be setting if I just gave up when things get hard? He doesn’t always make it easy, long nights with disrupted sleep don’t mix particulary well with healthy living but as I keep saying, things will get easier. I’m going to end this post by letting you know a little secret, the more you prove to yourself you can do something, the less daunting it becomes, I’ve never felt so motivated to Ditch the Dad Body. You can use that positive energy in everything you do, our little ones won’t always make things easy but with a tiny bit of determination we’ll see results.
As always everyone, thanks for taking the time to read through my post, I really do appreciate all the support. Please feel free to leave a comment and like, you can also find me on Facebook at A.P Writing, catch you all real soon.
Adam
A.P Writing 