The War Against Dad Bod: 4 Simple Tips
I'll
never forget the warning I received from my boss at my first agency job. I was
23 and he was in his early 40s, and he marveled at my ability to eat
everything in sight throughout the day. One day he said to me in a thick
Irish accent, "enjoy it now - wait until you turn 27." It was one of
those insignificant statements that you hear and don't think too much about,
but man was it spot on!
Anyone that's ever worked at an agency knows about the "Agency 20." Like the "Freshman 15," the Agency 20 plagues everyone entering the workforce on the agency side. Agency life is riddled with opportunities to eat. Lunch meeting leftovers are the number one culprit...the joy one gets when they receive an email saying there are left-overs in the kitchen. If you're like me, you get tipped off 3 minutes before the email goes out so you can get first dibs. There are others: staying late = take-out; healthy food cart with not-so-healthy snacks; snack counters with mini candy bars and the occasional box of assorted chips. Agency life... fuels dad bod.
Layer in our mostly sedentary life-styles: we sit all day at work, come home and watch TV (or work more), eat dinner, go to sleep... rinse and repeat. Guys, this is a recipe for disaster...not just aesthetically, but from a health perspective as well. According to WebMD, heart disease is the number one killer of men aged 45-55, and those growing love handles are predictors of both heart disease and diabetes.
So
what can we do about it? Here are 4 tips to combat Dad Bod and live a healthier
life.
1. Get an annual check-up.
According to the CDC, men are 100 percent less likely to visit a doctor for annual exam than women. As guys, we tend to think that we're invincible - indestructible. I was the same way, but about 10 years ago, I got into the habit of scheduling my yearly physical and one of my 6-month dental cleanings on the same day. I'd take a personal day in January to take care of those things, and always get a good workout and a haircut on that day as well because it's one day out of the year that I can carve out for ME. Preventative health works because it helps catch issues before they get too serious, and unfortunately, in the last few years I've personally experienced the loss and illness of friends and family that I think may have been avoided had they been checked regularly. You don't want to Monday-morning-quarterback your health.
According to the CDC, men are 100 percent less likely to visit a doctor for annual exam than women. As guys, we tend to think that we're invincible - indestructible. I was the same way, but about 10 years ago, I got into the habit of scheduling my yearly physical and one of my 6-month dental cleanings on the same day. I'd take a personal day in January to take care of those things, and always get a good workout and a haircut on that day as well because it's one day out of the year that I can carve out for ME. Preventative health works because it helps catch issues before they get too serious, and unfortunately, in the last few years I've personally experienced the loss and illness of friends and family that I think may have been avoided had they been checked regularly. You don't want to Monday-morning-quarterback your health.
2. Work out.
This seems like a no-brainer, but I can almost guarantee that the majority of guys reading this are not active - or not active enough. Playing softball once a week does not an active guy make. Exercise helps you feel good AND look good. Nothing worth doing is easy, and working out is high on the "worth doing" list. At a minimum, work out an hour a day, three times per week. If you don't know where to start, there are countless resources available online with workout routines and tips. Running is the easiest since it requires no training or instruction, but a combination of weight lifting and cardio is best. In another post, I'll share some of my workouts in future posts.
This seems like a no-brainer, but I can almost guarantee that the majority of guys reading this are not active - or not active enough. Playing softball once a week does not an active guy make. Exercise helps you feel good AND look good. Nothing worth doing is easy, and working out is high on the "worth doing" list. At a minimum, work out an hour a day, three times per week. If you don't know where to start, there are countless resources available online with workout routines and tips. Running is the easiest since it requires no training or instruction, but a combination of weight lifting and cardio is best. In another post, I'll share some of my workouts in future posts.
3. Eat better.
One would think this is also a no brainer, but I'm the first one in the kitchen when those work emails go out. Dieting doesn't work...short-term solutions lead to unhealthy habits, binge-eating, and ultimately, failure. You need to change your game up, and it starts with making smart decisions every day. I'm not asking you to stop going to the kitchen when the email goes out, but when you get there, choose wisely. Pack lunches and snacks so you don't have to always rely on ordering food or eating office snacks. And finally, track your food using a tracker like MyFitnessPal. I use this as a tool that allows me to see just how bad I'm eating, then use it as a road map to get my calories and macro-nutrients (protein, carbs, fat, etc) in order. I'll dig deeper into how I use MyFitnessPal in another post.
One would think this is also a no brainer, but I'm the first one in the kitchen when those work emails go out. Dieting doesn't work...short-term solutions lead to unhealthy habits, binge-eating, and ultimately, failure. You need to change your game up, and it starts with making smart decisions every day. I'm not asking you to stop going to the kitchen when the email goes out, but when you get there, choose wisely. Pack lunches and snacks so you don't have to always rely on ordering food or eating office snacks. And finally, track your food using a tracker like MyFitnessPal. I use this as a tool that allows me to see just how bad I'm eating, then use it as a road map to get my calories and macro-nutrients (protein, carbs, fat, etc) in order. I'll dig deeper into how I use MyFitnessPal in another post.
4. Rest.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, men aged 26-64 need 7-9 hours of sleep. I've been living in the 6-hours average world for a log time, and when I get more than 7, it feels AMAZING. Getting the right amount of sleep helps both your mental and physical health, your quality of life, and keeps you safe. If you're falling asleep at work or school, or while driving, chances are you aren't giving your body the rest it needs. As you start working out, rest becomes even more important because of the bio-chemical processes that occur in your body to heal your muscles while you sleep.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, men aged 26-64 need 7-9 hours of sleep. I've been living in the 6-hours average world for a log time, and when I get more than 7, it feels AMAZING. Getting the right amount of sleep helps both your mental and physical health, your quality of life, and keeps you safe. If you're falling asleep at work or school, or while driving, chances are you aren't giving your body the rest it needs. As you start working out, rest becomes even more important because of the bio-chemical processes that occur in your body to heal your muscles while you sleep.
I
never did gain the Agency 20, but on my 27th birthday I remembered David's
warning with the official loss of visible abs. I've been chasing them ever
since, and I'm finally starting to feel like I'm making progress.
Comment below and share the ways you're combatting Dad-Bod and staying healthy.
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