Fatherhood Friday: Mealtime Maladies

I know I've mentioned before that I love food...It is the biggest reason I continue to struggle with my weight. I grew up in a house with a picky mother and because of that I thought I was picky for a very long time. Once I was old enough to spread my wings, I found out that most food is good. The revelation led me to another, if most food is good, I should eat as much as I can for as long as I can to make up for the food embargo I suffered through as a kid.

Before you stop reading I promise it's not another "I'm fat so here's what I'm doing about it' post like my last one. This one is a call for help. I am the father of a picky daughter. For months she ate whatever we put in front of her, but now it's all on her terms and if she doesn't want something she creates an impenetrable force field of flailing arms, lock jaw, and head swings that defies logic.

She eats an amazing breakfast. It's definitely her favorite meal of the day, but lunch and dinner rarely go smoothly. We've tried everything: vegetables in all manner of styles, fruits in every color and flavor, proteins that would make a five star chef applaud (OK so that last one was an exaggeration, but I do put the effort in), purees squeezed into the tightest of recipes, and we end up with nothing.

She will readily eat Lima beans, peas, berries, & yogurt but anything else is a struggle. So I ask you, how do I get this girl to enjoy food without developing the unholy attachment I had to it? I just want lunch or dinner each day to go well...It's a struggle and it's exhausting.

So please, if you have tips leave them in the comments...I will take every one of them seriously.


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Fatherhood Friday: Run, Fatboy, Run...

At the end of June 2010, my pants were too tight, I had to buy a larger size shirts, my knee started bothering me again, and I was tired...Too tired. I knew I had been gaining weight for sometime but I sort of ignored it because I was in the throws of my first year as a father. It was a very good year, I've had so much fun watching my daughter grow and going on adventures with her and my wife. That said, I got fat and I had to do something about it.

Me before...

The plan was simple lose about 40-45lbs by the holiday season, get back into those smaller pants, and work on getting my fitness back up. The only way that I have ever been successful losing weight in the past was on Weight Watchers. Now, when I followed the program before, my wife would go to the meetings and I would steal her books and tips so that I didn't have to pay. But this time, I thought maybe I could actually stick to it better if I my wallet were held accountable too. So off to the meetings I went.

I started following the program religiously, I tracked my points, I exercised, and I the weight started to come off. I've done really well and I am 34lbs lighter now than I was when I started. Sure watching what I eat has helped (my problem has always been portion control), but the biggest thing that I've done is become a full time runner.

For the first month I hated every minute I was out there plodding along my neighborhood streets. However, one morning in late August, as I pushed my daughter in her stroller around town, I actually have begun to enjoy the runs. It's fun to watch my daughter look at all the trees, talking and pointing along the way. She does get a little bored on longer runs, but generally we have a good time out there...We've put a lot of miles on that stroller.

Me so far...

My running started out as a slow 2 mile loop, but in the last month I've worked my way up to 5 miles at a decent pace. I'm working full time again so I really only get to run with my daughter on the weekends, but I've come to enjoy running at night after she's asleep.

My main goal in all of this is to be healthier for my family. It's hard to set a good example when you never leave the couch or eat food that are terrible for you (I save all the junk until after my daughter is in bed). I hope this time I can keep the weight off, not just for me, but for my wife and little girl. I want to be strong and healthy if it means I never eat at McDonald's again, I can live with that.


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