“Although it never gets easier and showing up is still the hardest part, I know this journey will only empower me to be the father and husband I want to be for my family for hopefully a really long time!”
— RF Warrior Dom
WAIT… I HAVE A DAD BOD?
About two years ago right before turning 36, I decided to join Results Fitness. My very near-term goal was to lose 15 pounds before my second son was born. With a pending arrival of late July, this meant I had just about 3 months, which translated into 5 lbs./month or 1 lbs./week.
But for me, it wasn’t exclusively about weight loss. My long-term goal was about improving my overall well-being and becoming stronger for my family; that was most important. Bottom line – I didn’t want to be an out-of-shape dad of two so it was time to make changes.
The hardest thing in this process was making the first visit. It had been over 15 years since I set foot in a gym or did any exercise. I was active when I was younger, playing hockey, basketball, etc., but after graduating college, I put my career first and subsequently, it consumed all my time.
Working in finance, I began my career as an equity analyst and quickly found myself working early mornings into late evenings. As I became more successful, the days grew even longer. Before I knew it, working all day and entertaining clients, prospects and referral sources all night became the theme of my 20’s. Luckily, I didn’t gain any weight so there wasn’t a desire to work out.
Enter my 30’s. At age 31, my first son, Henri, was born in December 2011. Things couldn’t have been better, except for when I started noticing the client entertainment was sticking to what started taking shape as my dad bod…WTF? I have a dad bod?
Yep, in just a few short years, I was living in the glory of a full-on dad bod. In 2015, after finding out our family would be growing with the addition of another baby boy, I experienced my “holy shit moment” thinking “How can I be a great dad if I keep on this path?” “But when will I find the time to exercise?”. Luckily, I rediscovered my desire to exercise in 2016 and from that moment on, became adamant about getting back into shape before my second son was born.
THE FIRST STEP IS THE HARDEST
I chose to pursue my goals at Results Fitness since I met Coach Josh through mutual friends years before and some of my family were current members. Full disclosure: I was initially skeptical because I thought Josh was a little off kilter… just kidding! In the beginning, Results Fitness appeared to be a great fit because the only time I could work out was going to be during lunch and its proximity to my office guaranteed no excuses.
I took the hardest step and met with Coach Josh on April 28, 2016 for my Strategy Session (initial assessment). During the session, I weighed 188 lbs. and had an average body fat of 28.6%. Also, just to be clear, I don’t like to call it a dad bod– I prefer father figure. Upon completing the Strategy Session, it was time to start training.
Spoiler alert -I lied about the first visit being the hardest part. It was actually the first 25 visits! During the Group Training Sessions, there were times when I thought death was imminent. This feeling was paired with days I distinctly remember wondering if I’d be able to tie my shoes. But as Coach Josh always says “Showing up is the hardest part.” So, that’s what I did, every day, while staying mindful of why I started and always thinking about my family.
“I met with Coach Josh after 3 months of training for my second assessment after. I had lost 12 lbs. and saw a 22.6% improvement in my BMI”
On July 19, 2016, just about 3 months after first starting, I met with Coach Josh for my second assessment, this time weighing 176.8 lbs. with an average body fat of 22.15%.
Overall, I had lost 12 lbs. and saw a 22.6% improvement in my BMI. We welcomed our second son, Sonny, a week later and although I didn’t achieve my short-term goal of losing those 15 lbs., I was well on my way towards achieving my long-term goal of improving my overall health and becoming stronger for my family, which was much more important. Fast forward to August, 2016, and I had lost a total of 21 lbs. in five months.
LIFE LESSONS
Two years later, I am still working out almost five days per week and am happy to share I feel great and have the energy I need to balance all my commitments, both personally and professionally. Currently, my weight is in the low 160’s and my average body fat in the high teens.
Are you ready to take the first step like Dom and schedule a FREE Strategy Session to get started on your own health + fitness adventure?
Whatever your goal, it’s about finding a balance that fits your life and empowers you to be the best version of yourself for you and your loved ones.
What’s holding you back? Call or email the RF team today!
