Building a Healthy Foundation: How Fit Father Michael Rewired His Brain To Change His Body

Written by: Dr. Anthony Balduzzi,

NMD
Men's Health Doctor & Founder
The Fit Father Project & Fit Mother Project

Written by: Dr. Anthony Balduzzi,

NMD
Men's Health Doctor & Founder
The Fit Father Project & Fit Mother Project

building a healthy foundation

Building a healthy foundation is the key to any endeavor — health, fitness, or otherwise.

Do you want to be fit but feel stuck in a rut?

Is there an inner voice telling you to strive harder, but life comes in the way? 

It's never too late to try again.

Just ask Fit Father Michael!

He was able to find a way to rewire his brain and build a true foundation for healthy living.

And Michael has changed and transformed his life in ways far beyond the physical.

Michael, like so many of us, went from an active, athletic young man to a man in his 40s sitting at a desk most of the day.

And as his job became more sedentary, Michael found it harder and harder to keep up with his sons, despite regularly lifting and working out with them.

He was gaining weight, no matter how hard he worked.

Sound familiar?

Listen to Michael's Story on the Fit Father Project Podcast:

Fitness-Conscious, But Never Truly Healthy

Michael was always athletic; he played football and loved to work out.

But once he hit 40, things began to change.

He wasn't satisfied with his appearance and was gaining weight.

“I worked out, but I never looked how I wanted it to look. No matter how hard I worked in the gym, I gained weight.”

He was also fed up with being told what old age had in store for him and wanted to be in good shape regardless of age. 

“My uncles were telling me, wait till you get to 40, but now as I'm in my 40s, they're saying, wait till you get to 50. I didn't want to have that in front of me anymore. I was tired and sick of it.”

He felt that his health and physique kept him from keeping up with his growing children.

“As I got into my 40s and my teenage boys became men, I started recognizing that I'm having trouble sticking up with these boys.”

Michael came across his friend, John, in the gym, who suggested checking out the Fit Father Project and spoke very highly of it.

Soon after, Michael signed up for the program.

“I heard you say iron sharpens iron, which means one man sharpens another. It was almost like a God thing. So I looked into it and immediately joined.”

He started the program with deep commitment, hoping to stick to his schedule and show up for himself every day.

He found the program thoroughly informative and flexible.

“One thing that the program does very well is that it does not leave you wondering what to do. The videos are great. The short snippets give you a visual of the process. The nutrition plan is delicious. I also loved that your program is flexible for the ones who have to travel a lot.”

However, Michael was forced to pause his efforts when he contracted COVID-19 in early 2020.

Being sick led to him falling back into his old bad habits.

He would often drink alcohol and felt no motivation to work out.

“You knew the principles that work. A series of things happened in life, including sickness, losing some motivation, and getting busy at work. So, I slipped back to the point where I knew this is not what I should be doing, but I did it anyway.”

The Fit Father Project Transformation Contest brought Michael back to his quest for fitness, and he decided to recommit to the program and take charge of his life. 

Find out how re-wiring your brain and establishing a healthy foundation can help you transform your life and body!

Building a Healthy Foundation

Michael believes shame had bogged him down, but his fear of shame propelled him.

“Many men will relate that shame will keep you in this vicious cycle of eating and not doing right with your body. You're not doing the right things with sleep and alcohol abuse and things like that. Shame will keep you in that place. This and many things that happened spiritually and physically made me rework my life.”

He started feeling good right after returning to the program. 

He and his family now live a healthier lifestyle, including eating clean.

Michael's relationship with his 13-year-old son has also improved.

“Now, my relationship with my 13-year-old extends beyond a good old dad on the couch. I can work out, and he can reap the benefits at an early age that I didn't get to have with my father. So, I'm building a legacy for my kids.”

So what would Michael say to someone looking to join the Fit Father Project?

“There may never be a tomorrow. So, don't wait for tomorrow because that mentality only leads to disappointments, failures, vicious cycles, and ups. It's not a big deal if you mess up one day, one week, or even a month. You can always come back. Tell yourself that one day or a week will not take this away from me. It's never too late. Don't beat yourself up. Don't get discouraged. You don't have to do it exactly perfectly. Every moment is an opportunity, so seize it and make a call.” 

building a healthy foundation

3 Key Takeaways From Michael's Journey

To summarize, here are three key lessons you can learn from Michael’s successful health and fitness journey:

Lesson 1: Don’t Wait For Tomorrow

Michael said his procrastination habit earned him 24 years of disappointments and failures.

Of course, there are always reasons and excuses not to take action.

There will always be obstacles between you and your vision.

Putting something off for the next day is never helpful because it becomes a vicious cycle, a pattern that only keeps you from achieving your goals. 

Lesson 2: Stay Kind to Yourself

It is very likely that along the fitness journey, you will have disappointments.

So don't let them get the better of you.

Understand that you are making progress each day by showing up for yourself.

Don't beat yourself up for not achieving extreme feats within a short period.

Instead, push yourself to do better each day and stay positive. 

Lesson 3: Step Out of the Shame Loop

The shame loop is destructive.

You indulge in negative tendencies and then shame yourself for doing so.

This is a recurring cycle that eats away at your self-esteem and motivation to do better.

Being kind to yourself also involves allowing a few deflections from your path without letting shame and guilt creep in.

What is FF30X?

FF30X is a simple, sustainable, and specific weight loss program that is designed especially for busy men over 40.

With short metabolic training workouts, an easy-to-follow meal plan, and an accountability team that is there for you at every step, FF30X can help you lose 30, 40, or even 50+ lbs — even if you’ve never picked up a weight in your life. 

Click here to see what you get when you join the FF30X program today!

Check out the Fit Father Project Podcast on:

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Dr. Anthony Balduzzi, NMD
Men's Health Doctor & Founder
The Fit Father Project & Fit Mother Project

Founder Fit Father Project, Founder Fit Mother Project

After watching his own Dad lose his health and pass away at the young age of 42, Dr. Balduzzi founded The Fit Father Project and Fit Mother Project to help busy dads and moms get and stay healthy for their families.

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi holds dual degrees in Psychology & Nutrition from the University of Pennsylvania, a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine, and is also a former national champion bodybuilder. He’s is most proud of the fact that he’s helped over 40,000 families in over 100 countries lose weight and get healthy for life.

*Please know that weight loss results and health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on building a healthy foundation.

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Written by: Dr. Anthony Balduzzi,

NMD
Men's Health Doctor & Founder
The Fit Father Project & Fit Mother Project

GET STARTED FOR FREE

Join the #1 Health & Fitness Program
for Busy Women 40+
Trusted by over 50,972 Busy Dads 40+

Lose weight. Keep it off.

See & feel results before you buy.

Limited Time Offer

Fit Father Project Fact-Checking Standards

Our Fit Father Project Team’s deepest commitment is to helping you live healthier for both yourself and your family. And when it comes to online content, integrity and trust is everything. That’s why our Fit Father Project staff-writers are all trained professionals in the field of health and wellness (registered dieticians, licensed personal trainers, and licensed physicians) – see the full team here. We rigorously run all of our articles through a rigorous editorial process to ensure the accuracy, simplicity, and utility of the information. And we aren’t just a team of “academics” sitting in an ivory tower. We are real people – with jobs, responsibilities, and families – working hard in the trenches and testing our tips & methods out to make sure you can stay healthy for family.

Here is what you can expect from us on our Fit Father Blog and YouTube channel:

  1. All of our content is written and reviewed by licensed health professionals (dieticians, personal trainers, doctors).
  2. In nearly all of our articles, we link to published research studies from the most respected peer-reviewed medical & health journals.
  3. We include research-based videos to accompany our articles to make it easier for you to consume our content, put it into action, and see results.
  4. Inside our articles & videos, we do promote our free meal plans, workouts, and/or paid programs, because we know they have the potential to change your life.
  5. We openly take feedback here on our contact page. We welcome your content suggestions… and even feedback on grammar (we’d like to thing that we’re pretty OK at spelling and “stuff”).
  6. Above all, we are a community of likeminded men and women committed to living healthier. We do not advocate any health advice that we wouldn’t personally implement with our families. Because as far as we’re concerned, you’re our family too.

Thanks for checking out the blog. We can’t wait to support you toward greater health, energy, and vitality. – The Fit Father Project Team

 

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