*This is a sample of the information provided in the private facebook group “Happier,healthier, fitter Dads.
The 3 ways busy Dads can lose their belly, come off medications and regain their health
Does this sound familiar?
You have spent the last 20 odd years working on your career, providing for your family but sacrificed your body and health in the process.
Then, one day you look in the mirror and you don’t like the guy reflected back to you.
Worse still, you might feel like you’re never going to get back to the shape you were in before kids and career took over.
So,with that said, here are three things that can completely change your body and health when implemented:
- Change your mindset
- Exercise differently to most
- Eat to reignite metabolism and reduce inflammation
1. Change your mindset
Mindset has a big impact on whether or not you achieve your goals. There are a number of things that can stop you from achieving something: Here are 3 big killers when it comes to achieving your goals: Procrastination, distraction and negative self talk .
Procrastination is one most of can relate to and if you’re reading this it’s likely you’ve told yourself at some point you would get in shape/lose weight etc We procrastinate for a number of reasons. Our mind tells us we can do it later or another time.
And you know what happens, you tell yourself you’ll do it later after work but you don’t because you’re tired. So, we need to recognise that procrastination is something we need to recognise in ourselves and shut it down. Next time you’re saying to yourself, i’ll workout later or i’ll start that program some other time, recognise that that is what’s going to keep you stuck.
Distraction is similar to procrastination. It’s caused by a lack of focus and clarity, which means that you can be easily thrown. Something good comes on the TV, and one hour later you’ve wasted when you could have been doing something more productive. Facebook, instagram are some other big distractions.
So, recognise that this is another one of them monsters like procrastination.
Next time you find yourself going to check facebook or sitting down to watch another netflix series, ask yourself is this serving me right now?
If you are out of shape, have low energy levels and on the verge of chronic disease, then question how you are using your time.
Negative self-talk is another one. Have you ever told yourself things like “Well, I’ll always be overweight so what’s the point”, or after you’ve failed a weight loss attempt, “See, I knew I wouldn’t lose the weight”.
These are all negative beliefs that can be harmful and stop us in our tracks before we’ve even started.
The solution is to have an awareness of these and recognise that it is a part of your brain that wants you to remain the same. Believe me, change and success in health and fitness is absolutely possible, no matter what your starting point is.
Another mindset exercise I found from a mentor Phil Kaplan is the “I am” exercise.
If you have depression you might say I am depressed…
Or a diabetic might say I am diabetic…
You have diabetes but that doesn’t mean it’s part of who you are indefinitely.
We can reverse chronic disease through diet and exercise. Don’t make it part of your identity.
The ‘I am’ exercise is about replacing the flawed label with an empowered thought that you chose to ingrain.
E.g I am powerful and in control of my own health. I am more than just a diabetic. I am living with a diabetic condition only because I haven’t learned how to overcome it but I will.
Come up with a power statement beginning with the words “I am.. that gives you power.
Clarity: Having clarity is also a big part of mindset. If you don’t know what you want to achieve then how will you get there?
So, what specifically do you want to achieve?
One of the things I do with my clients is help them connect with the outcome, and then set a clear path to get there.
Within a few weeks bellies start to shrink, energy improves and my clients realise for the first time in a long time they’re back in control.
This also brings excitement and motivation to the goal as you can use your mind to see a different future for yourself.
Finally, the biggest mindset question: Can you change the situation?
Some things are beyond our control (like the Irish weather!), but if you can change the situtation then you ultimately have power over it and you have to take 100% ownership of that fact .
- Exercise differently
It’s probably no surprise that exercise is part and parcel of making a significant change to your health and fitness.
However, it has to be done in the right way.
What most dads do is loads of sit ups and random machine exercises with no focus or goal. Or a lot of Dads think they don’t have time to exercise because they think it needs to be the espoused “one hour 3-4 times a week”.
Myself currently I am training 2-3 days a week for 30 minutes a time. That doesn’t sound like a lot but if you train at a good level of intensity, the body doesn’t need more.
You can exercise 5 days a week but if it’s too much and your body can’t recover you won’t see a positive response. This is the crucial balance when it comes to exercise that many people fail to get right. If you’re a busy dad, chances are you have some or a lot of stress at various times of your life!
Maybe you’re not sleeping, arguing with the wife or not communicating, the kids have you worried, your job is stressing you out..
What happens then when you add more stress from exercise?
Your body is in a state of stress and never returns to what we call parasympathetic recovery.
There’s a balance between enough exercise to stimulate a positive adaptation,and too much exercise which means the body stays in stress mode and never recovers.
What I recommend is 2-3 days a week of resistance training and some cardiovascular exercise.
During the 21 day reboot program you exercise every day but it’s gradual and something you can recover from.
For fat loss, some short duration all out bursts or sprints is what is required, not long duration cadio. If you’re a runner and you enjoy running, that’s fine, but it has to be balanced with resistance training workout that incorporates all the major muscle groups.
- Increase metabolism/reduce inflammation
When it comes to diet and nutrition, this is one many Dads find the hardest.
A lot of you will have tried various diets like keto or something, but ended up going off it because it wasn’t sustainable. These diets are fine short term but what we want is to find a way of eating that we can adhere to long term.
Circadian nutrition is a nutrition strategy which involves cycling the body through different phases to increase metabolism, burn fat, and improve digestion and gut microbiome.
In the 21 day metabolic reboot I do with clients, we incorporate the 3 phases- Supportive eating, carbohydrate depletion and cleansing of the gut and microbiome.
The goal is also to reduce inflammation and begin reversing disease. Inflammation is the root cause of all chronic disease. Now, you may not have a chronic disease yet but know that the more inflammation you have the higher your risk. If you are over-weight chances are you have inflammation or weight loss resistance. Earlier we talked anout stress and recovery. Without going into too much detail when stress load exceeds recovery we become weight loss resistant.
What are some things you can do from today?
- Reduce stress by using meditation, vitamin C and mindset strategies above.
- Avoid energy disruptors e.g sugars and sugary foods/drinks
- Balance blood sugar levels by having protein, protein sparing food and a fibrous carb. e.g Whole eggs, avocado and leafy greens
- Stop eating genetically modified foods and processed foods.
- Eat supportively and intuitively
- Eat organic where possible and try to make all your meat grass fed. (More oxygen/sunlight from grass fed eating cows)
- Invest in a good probiotic and digestive enzymes.
- Incorporate turmeric to reduce inflammation. Look up recipe for golden milk which is a great anti-inflammatory.
Now, note this doesn’t mean you have to be perfect 100% of the time. But you get to a point where you balance blood sugar levels, reduce cravings and can have a treat when you feel like it without it affecting your waist line.
If you are ready to finally make some changes contact me at info@theexecutiveedgecoach.com
or join the Facebook group below