A new dad who reached out with a big fitness goal.

His question inspired these 10 Tips to Stay Strong Through the Chaos. They apply to new parents – and to anyone juggling time and responsibilities. Turns out, Shane applied a lot of it – with incredible results.

Shane’s daughter was born at the beginning of 2023. And he wasn’t content to hang on for dear life through this challenging change. He wanted to get into the best shape of his life.

He buckled down, set a target, and made a plan:

• He tracked all his food and stayed within his macros using our free calculator

• He consumed little to no alcohol

• He did Functional Bodybuilding, running, or bodyweight movement 6-7 days per week

Six months later, he was thrilled to share his story and update me on his progress.

The results speak for themselves!

He lost 28 pounds, getting to an all-time low of 155, and says, “I look the most cut I’ve ever looked in my life.” Here’s Shane:

“One powerful lesson is that it just takes time to learn how to macro count.

Instead of penalizing myself for missing macros, I tried my best to allow each day I missed to be an opportunity to get 1% better.

Whether that was learning how to swap foods in to hit macro numbers. Or planning big calorie meals the morning of so I don’t accidentally eat more than I have room for earlier in the day. It’s a constant learning curve and by even tracking and doing this, you are getting so much better vs guessing and not tracking.

As a new father, what is Shane’s advice for our new dads in the community?

1. Don’t forget about you: It’s so easy to feel bad about taking care of yourself and feeling like you need to be with the kid all of the time.

   I tried to remember the famous flight attendant quote, “You must put your mask on before helping those around you.” It speaks to the fact that if you do not set an example and take care of yourself, you can’t expect your kids to grow up with understanding to take care of themselves.

2. Accept the Chaos: I was a guy who was super regimented and I’ve had to learn and accept that some days I don’t control what happens. The sooner new dads accept that their perfect morning may not always be perfect, the more you can be present, enjoy that time with your little guys (they grow so fast!) and you will find a way to get yours in at some point during the day. Consistency > Perfection

Thank you Shane!

And thank you to all of you who work to put your health and fitness towards the top of your life’s most important things list. If you continue to do this, then your kids, family, loved ones, co-workers, and friends will all benefit right along side of you.