6 Tips on How to Set Realistic Fitness Goals
By Dr. Anthony Balduzzi, Men’s Health Coach & Founder, The Fit Father Project
But despite the sacrifices, getting fit is one of the best things you could ever do for yourself, your partner and your family.
Here’s why: overall fitness is the key to living a long, fulfilling life.
It is as simple as that.
The car you drive and how much money you make aren’t nearly as important as your physical health.
We wanted to change tact a little in this article and reach out to all the ladies out there to show you how you can get your man fit & healthy…
…in ways so sneaky he won’t even know it 🙂
Specifically, in this article, I’m going to give you 10 top tips of how you can help your husband, boyfriend, fiancé, or long term partner get on-track to better health and fitness.
If you want to get your man moving more and eating better, these suggestions can help you approach the subject without coming across as a nag or starting an argument.
Before we dive in, let us introduce ourselves to you…
We’re incredibly proud of the fact that we’ve helped over 22,000 men and their families lose over 90,000lbs.
Special Note: You can see our best-selling weight loss program for busy men, showing you what it contains and how it can help the man in your life, by clicking the link below.
Click Here to Read Our Fit Father 30X Weight Loss Program Overview Letter.
I’m incredibly excited to help you get YOUR MAN healthy and see these results too.
First: Helping your partner get into great shape will be beneficial for both of you – romantically, financially, and emotionally.
In fact, Studies have shown that couples engaging in a physical activity together report feeling more satisfied with their relationships and more in love with their partner. (Aron, Norman, Aron, & Heyman, 2000).
Fit men tend to have more energy, work harder, earn more money, and report higher levels of confidence. Do you like any of those traits in your man?
Plus, if you have children, you’ll be acting as excellent role-models for your kids too.
As we all know: Children tend to copy the behaviors they see in their parents, so watching you and your partner engage in healthy eating & exercise will put your kids on the right path to a fitter future.
Anyways, without any more ado, I want to share with you my 10 best ways to get your man fit & healthy.
There’s nothing like the motivation of working out together to encourage weight loss and improved health for both your partner and you.
Encouraging your man to join you in a physical activity like hiking, jogging or even salsa dancing will be a big step to getting him into the ‘healthier lifestyle’.
If you both need to lose weight and get healthier, you can suggest making it a regular joint effort and use exercising as a way to spend time together, outside of watching the TV or going for dinner.
It’s a great way to keep each other motivated and brings another commonality to your relationship that you can discuss and share.
Guys can be competitive, so let’s use that to your advantage.
Once you have your man doing regular physical exercise, sign him up to an athletic challenge like a 5km run or charity biking race.
Pro Tip: You can even sign up for the event yourself and playfully lay down a challenge of who can get the fastest time.
Men are generally competitive creatures, so having a challenge that he needs to prepare himself for will increase the likelihood of him sticking to his training.
And that brings us to Tip #3…
For most men, nothing will get him to do something quicker than if you put the offer of sex on the table (if we’re being honest).
Although you can’t force someone to do something they aren’t motivated to do, the thought of a better and more regular sex life with you will definitely get your man thinking it could be worth the extra effort.
According to author Napoleon Hill, the desire of sex is one of the 7 major positive emotions, alongside Desire, Faith, Love, Enthusiasm, Romance, and Hope.
If you put the positive thought of sex into your partner’s mind, you’ll be surprised at how quickly he gets off the sofa and into the gym.
If this works, you need to keep up your end of the bargain though. There’s nothing that deflates a man’s ego more than a promise that’s not upheld. (Especially THAT promise)
Making a man think it was his idea to lose weight and get in shape will be your sure-fire way to getting him in line with healthy eating and exercise.
As we mentioned above, us men are still very proud creatures, so if we think we’ve thought up the “golden idea of losing a few pounds” all by ourselves, we’re likely to go along with it until it’s done.
…even if you’re the one “masterminding” behind the scenes.
If we’re being honest, it probably (usually) works out this way anyways 🙂
If you want to employ this strategy, it’ll need to be a carefully trodden path, but if you make subtle suggestions of how good you think your man would look with a flatter stomach and bigger arms, he’ll know where you’re coming from.
On the flip side, if you’re as subtle as a sledgehammer, you’ll likely rock his self-esteem and push him further towards the Krispy Kreme’s. If you tend to fall on this end of the communication spectrum, skip this tip and move onto Tip #5…
Following on from the point above, you need to be positive and encouraging when you approach the subject of losing weight and getting healthy.
Men can be just as sensitive as women when it comes to how we look and how attracted our better half is to us. It’s true. Impressing our partner is hugely important to the male ego.
Show some excitement when we tell you we’ve beaten our personal best for 5km and congratulate us when we brag to you that we can see that vein in our bicep. These little words of encouragement can have a huge impact.
Men like to be congratulated and encouraged by the women that matter to us, and if we think we’re impressing you and keeping you happy, we’ll be glad to continue pushing ourselves to be fitter and better.
Meal planning is a key part of our proven healthy family eating plan that we teach in our Fit Father 30 Day Program, so I would suggest making the time each week to schedule your meals and plan what you’ll eat.
The simple habit of meal prepping ahead of time will make it much less likely that you’ll resort to junk food as your meal of choice later in the week.
If you know what you’ll eat throughout the week, you’ll be able to prepare your grocery list and head to the supermarket knowing just what you need.
Having the list prepared will mean no second guessing or “Oh, I’ll just pick this up, just in case” as you walk along the cookie aisle.
Plus, doing the shopping together will mean both of you can keep an eye on what’s going in the grocery cart. If it’s not on the agreed list, it shouldn’t be going in.
In general, men who have let themselves get out of shape will make every excuse under the sun not to start exercising and eating healthier.
If this sounds a bit like your man, you need to do everything you can to drop the barriers of resistance and limit the excuses he can make.
If it’s because he’s injured, offer to go to physical therapy with him to get the injury checked out and fixed.
If it’s a time issue, encourage him to wake up a bit earlier or get his gym bag prepared for him for when he gets home from work.
If he can’t get to the gym, and you have the space at home, do what my wife has just done for me and buy him a weight bench and weights for Father’s Day.
If it’s because he “doesn’t know what to do”, check out our Fit Father 30X Overview Letter, to see how our program can fill in the blanks and get your man in shape…pronto!
This will run alongside my earlier suggestion of planning your meals and shopping together. Checking that neither of you are smuggling Chocolate Digestives into the cart will be a key part of this little strategy.
If you do go shopping alone however, make sure you keep away from junk food, so you don’t give your man the temptation when he’s foraging in the fridge for a snack.
You can make sure there are healthier alternatives there for him, like vegetable slices, protein flapjacks, or meal replacement bars.
Pro Tip: Grocery stores are laid out in a very strategic way to maximize the amount you spend – NOT to necessarily keep you healthy.
The outside perimeter of almost all grocery stores has the fruits, veggies, and meats that should ideally make up the bulk of your family’s diet.
The middle aisles contain all the high calorie “high temptation” junk foods. The stores want you to “get lost” moving up and down these internal aisles – throwing all sorts of things into your cart.
Shop the perimeter. Stay out of the middle aisles as much as possible.
Sometimes, the simple approach of suggesting you want him to stay healthy so he’s around for longer for the family will help your partner think more deeply about his health.
Most guys who have gotten out of shape don’t really “connect” the idea that having belly fat, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol is literally turning their bodies into a ticking time bomb.
Many guys just think, “Ah… I have this belly fat. It’s no big deal. Just a part of getting older.”
But, helping your man “reframe” what his health and physical shape actually means in terms of his ability to provide for your family… may finally get him motivated.
It may be that a close family friend has had health problems related to poor diet and lack of exercise and you know it’s been in the back of his mind.
Although you don’t want to wade in with a comment like “You should get in shape or you’ll end up like …”, a thoughtful comment about how you want him around longer will go a long way.
If you have kids, you could approach the subject of him being around to watch them grow up and even suggest more active pursuits with them to lead by example and be a good role-model of health and well-being.
This is probably the most important point on this list.
From helping over 22,000 men lose over 90,000lbs, our team can tell you this fact with 100% certainty.
Any of the good suggestions I’ve made for you above will be for nothing if your partner feels like you’re forcing him to lose weight, eat healthy, or exercise more.
Men are stubborn and we like to do things in our own time, when we feel ready.
Forcing your man to start dieting will only make him resist and dig his heels in like a 5-year old child. (I’ll admit… we are basically the same in most cases).
If you try to force healthier living on your man, he’ll feel like you’re nagging him and it will become a fight that (even if you do win) will make him do things half-heartedly and with resentment.
That’s not the way to get your man in shape.
Encourage him, make suggestions, support him or join him, and you’ll notice he’ll be more than happy to try a healthy snack or start pumping some iron.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these tips and hope they work for you to get your man fit & healthy.
With a little encouragement and support, men are generally happy to do anything to make their wives and girlfriends happy – including getting fit.
If you think these helpful hints will be beneficial to friends that want to get their other half in shape too, feel free to share it or forward a link with your friends & family.
Here at the Fit Father Project, we believe more men and their families deserve the gift of health, and we’re on a mission to make that happen. We’d love for you to join us.
Also, if you want to get your man a PROVEN eating & workout program that will help him get the weight off and eat healthier – with expert guidance from our team…
If you want to support your man in living healthier, make sure you get him a proven program to get started on…TODAY. We can help.
How to Master these Top 5 Reasons for Losing Weight Loss Motivation
By Stuart Carter, Head Training Staff, The Fit Father Project
Then there’s the last notch on your belt, the media and maybe even your wife putting the pressure on.
But before you make any progress, you must accept that there is no “get fit quick” solution that will be sustainable or healthy for you in the long run.
What you’ll find here in this article are proven methods that are backed by science and brought to you by a team that wants to support you.
If you’re ready to find the motivation you need to lose weight, don’t waste any more time on fads.
Read the truth here!
First of all, you need to set a goal for weight loss.
It’s just like a goal that you set for yourself at work. For example, if you want to close 15 more transactions within the month, you must identify the smaller steps that will help you get there.
One of our favorite goal-setting tools at the Fit Father Project is SMART goals.
SMART goals are…
• Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
• Achievable (agreed, attainable).
• Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
• Time-bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
When you decide on your goal weight to lose every month, use SMART goals to help you manage your target.
To learn more about creating a winning long-term goal, read our blog here.
A goal won’t be achieved if you don’t have a proper reason why you want to achieve it.
When you think about your reasons why you want to become more fit, perhaps some of these factors come to mind:
All of these reasons are valid for weight loss motivation.
However, there is something to keep in mind on this journey. While outside pressures like your kids, coworkers or wife may inspire you to get fit, the desire for self-progress must emanate from within.
Read about what motivated me to start a career in helping busy fathers and becoming fit myself.
Once you identify your main goal and the motivation to help you achieve it, you need the building blocks.
Good habits will keep you on the path of progress.
You might be thinking– “I think I have more bad habits than I do good habits…”
If that’s you, this is the perfect time to address that fear!
Habits are actions that we repeat until they become second nature. All you have to do to create a good habit is to repeat good behaviors.
In terms of weight loss, there are 3 key habits that you will need.
For more good habits that you should practice to be more resolute and goal-oriented, read our blog.
If you’re bored of the workouts you’ve planned to lose weight, have no fear!
We have compiled a list of the most effective workouts for men wanting to lose weight.
All of these workout plans have the goal of keeping you in shape with the least amount of time needed. After all, fatherhood does not come with ample extra time.
For a teaser, here are the 3 best ways to workout. If you’re in a rut in your current exercise regimen, give one of these tested methods a try.
Take some time to read about and try these methods to see what works best for you.
By this point in your life, past injuries or fear of injuries may be holding you back from training thoroughly.
However, you cannot strengthen your injured muscles or body parts without exercising them.
Even if our injuries are real, often times we use these injuries as excuses to not work out.
Don’t let this be you!
Injury is just one excuse that can keep you from achieving your fitness goals.
Tiredness, lack of time, boredom and lack of money are all FAKE excuses that men use to shirk their fitness regimens.
Read how every single one of these excuses is fabricated and is not worth wasting time over.
Now that you’ve found the motivation you need to lose weight and achieve sustainable health, DO NOT STOP HERE.
This is just the beginning.
The next step to crushing your fitness goals is right here at your fingertips.
This longer post gives you all the tools that you will need to keep your motivation to lose weight at an all time high.
With the support of your team here at Fit Father Project, there is no goal that you cannot crush.
Your new coach and friend,
Stuart Carter
Head Training Staff, The Fit Father Project
Conquer the Day with This Morning Ritual for Success
By Dr. Anthony Balduzzi, Men’s Health Coach & Founder, The Fit Father Project
Let’s talk specifics.
Raise your hand if you generally…
Hit the snooze button in the morning (again, and again)If this sounds like you, then this article on the best morning ritual for success is exactly what you need right now!
Committing to a morning ritual for success isn’t just about being the early bird.
It’s about the small actions you can practice in the morning to radically change your attitude, physicality, and aptitude for success.
After all, if you can conquer your morning, you can conquer just about anything.
Read on for the 7 steps that make a successful morning routine.
I understand that “meditation” can sound a little challenging and foreign to some, so let’s define what it is and how to do it.
Meditation is any period of time that you dedicate solely to prayer, or to thoughts, or to clearing your mind.
No matter what route you choose, all you need in order to meditate is time for you to be alone and concentrate.
Mornings are the perfect time to meditate because if you get up early enough, the cool morning light will be shining, birds will be chirping, and (most importantly) your wife and kids probably won’t be up.
You only need 5 to 10 minutes of concentrated, comfortable “me” time to feel meditation’s effects.
Morning meditations allow you to set your intentions for the day and de-stress before it all begins.
Apps like Calm or Headspace are excellent tools to help.
Did you know? Oprah Winfrey practices meditation every day. “I walked away feeling fuller than when I’d come in.”
Adding gratefulness to your morning routine is a surefire way to increase your happiness and success as the day goes on.
Why is gratefulness so powerful, you ask? Gratitude can…
Clearly, practicing gratefulness pays off in dividends. All you have to do is find the time.
Take 5 minutes at the end of your meditation to be thankful for all the good things you have in life.
Once you make this a habit, you’ll notice yourself being grateful throughout your whole day, not just when you’ve planned for it.
Tools like Happify can also help you achieve this.
Did you know? John Paul DeJoria (co-founder of Paul Mitchell) practices gratefulness. “For the most part, I can’t tell you how important it is to take those first five minutes of the day and be thankful for life.”
Visualisation is the practice of seeing your goals and living as if you have already achieved them.
While that may sound a little backward, it really does work!
Visualization allows you to have the confidence and mental belief that you can achieve your goals.
This confidence leads to your success.
Sound too simple? Try it for yourself.
Think about your goals– personally, physically or professionally– and pick one to visualize.
Can you picture yourself getting that raise? If yes, you’re already halfway there.
If not, what are the steps that you need to take in order to deserve and achieve that raise?
This is how visualization empowers you. It provides you the confidence that you’re ready to achieve, or the jolt you need to make needed changes.
Did you know? Arnold Schwarzenegger practices visualisation. “What you do is create a vision of who you want to be — and then live that picture as if it were already true.”
Have you ever visualised and meditated over goals.. but then lost track of them?
You can practice journaling every morning to center yourself, or you can practice journaling when you need to process a larger goal or bigger problem.
While you can use apps and keep online journals, sometimes pen and paper is the best method.
We’re not accustomed to writing with pens and paper anymore in this digital world.
By forcing yourself to use these tools, you automatically have to slow yourself down.
This “slowing down” often helps to narrow down your issues and help you to process.
Actually getting up and out of your house to exercise can be one of the most challenging parts of a morning routine.
But it can also be one of the most rewarding.
Exercising is important for anyone trying to be healthy– both physically and mentally.
Exercise can help you to blow off steam, center yourself, and clear your head.
Sounds perfect for a morning!
Whether it’s yoga, a jog around the neighborhood or a light circuit in your living room, exercise is an important part of your morning routine.
Did you know? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, an extremely busy man, makes sure he works out 3 times a week and in the mornings. “Doing anything well requires energy, and you just have a lot more energy when you’re fit.”
Planning to achieve your goals is something that we’d all agree is important, but that very few do successfully.
But if you’re not planning to be successful, you never will be.
Planning can be as simple as making a prioritised to-do list for the day, that lists the tasks you must complete and then the tasks you’d like to complete.
Taking time in the morning to write a to-do list can centre you for your day.
Alternatively, writing your to-do list at night can help you sleep better and clear your mind.
For more tips on how to create a long-term plan, read this blog.
That sounds a little gross… but “eat the frog” is just a term that means you do the task that you don’t want to do first.
Keep this tactic in mind when you plan your day and name one to-do the “frog.”
This could be prepping tax forms or even exercising. Whatever you want to do the least!
Completing the task you loathe will help you to breathe easier once it’s out of the way.
Not to mention, all your other tasks will seem easy in comparison.
By the way, there’s a whole book called “Eat the Frog” by Brian Tracy.
Pick up a copy if you’d like more tips on prioritisation and how it can drastically improve your day.
ACHIEVE!
The hardest part about these 7 steps is committing to them. The rest comes naturally.
It can help to have a community supporting you, and that’s where we come in.
The Fit Father Project is a program and a community of busy fathers who are trying to better their lives and their committed coaches.
Take a minute to check out the rest of our site, especially my letter to you all.
We would be honoured to support you on your journey.
Your new friend & health coach,
Dr. Anthony Balduzzi
Founder, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “Mr. Results”
Bragging Rights: Has helped over 22,000 fathers lose over 90,000lbs and rebuild lean muscle
*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info.
Overcome Any Slump and Charge Toward Success
By Dr. Anthony Balduzzi, Men’s Health Coach & Founder, The Fit Father Project
You see, reaching success is not about being successful every step of the way.
You may endure many failures or set backs before you reach your goal, but that doesn’t mean you will fail!
Failing and being a failure are two very different things.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at what some very successful people endured along their path to success.
Walt Disney was told he “lacked imagination” before his first hit, Snow White, came to theaters.
Oprah Winfrey was fired from her reporting gig in Baltimore for getting too emotionally invested in her stories. Now, her media empire is worth $3 billion.
Thomas Edison was told by a teacher he was too dumb to learn. We all know we have him to thank for our light bulbs now.
There are so many other inspirational people who were rejected or endured major setbacks before they ever became successful.
This blog will show you some of the best ways I’ve found to overcome any slump- large or small.
Like most things in life, you have to own up to your shortcomings in order to overcome any slump.
Perfectionism has infected many of us. Many of us believe that in order to be successful, we have to be perfect.
In reality, there is not a single person who is perfect or has a perfect life.
Take the pressure off of yourself right now and acknowledge your shortcomings– all your faults, your failed goals and your dreams that fell by the wayside.
It is a painful process to reflect on your shortcomings. But a foundation of self-awareness and truth is the key to setting goals you will actually achieve.
Once you have acknowledged your shortcomings, it’s time for an even more challenging feat– telling someone.
Sometimes it seems that if we don’t tell anyone about our faults, they don’t exist.
We’ve all heard the saying, “If a tree falls in a forest and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?”
Handling your shortcomings this way just isn’t conducive for personal growth.
In order to overcome any slump, you need friends, mentors or family members that you trust.
When you tell someone something you failed on, it becomes more real. They can offer you advice or just be a good listener.
The next piece of advice to overcome any slump is to start small.
As the saying goes, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
Create small tasks for yourself that you will definitely be able to achieve. The point here is not to achieve your entire goal, but to create good habits.
Once you are able to achieve small tasks, update your friend with your success so that they can share in your accomplishments.
This approach will prepare your mindset to achieve whatever goal you set your mind to without fail.
Now that you have trained your brain to adhere to good habits, you are ready to make a plan that can help you overcome any slump.
There are 5 elements to a foolproof plan that are outlined in SMART Goals.
Your plans should be:
• Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
• Achievable (agreed, attainable).
• Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
• Time-bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
Overall, you want to plan for SUCCESS! A poorly-made plan will set you up for failure.
That’s why you should take special care to formulate your plan along SMART Goals.
For more tips on how to create a winning plan for any goal, check out our blog.
So you’ve created a plan. Now what?
You need to make sure that you are staying accountable. A plan is useless if you don’t stick to it!
There are several ways to stay on top of your plan.
First, you can continue updating the friend you’ve chosen to take along through this journey with you. They can be a great source of support.
Second, you can make full use of your calendar. Enter in your daily goals and benchmarks so that you have full view into your plan.
Third, you can journal nightly. From reflecting on your day to writing out goals for the next, journaling at night is a fantastic way to clear your head from the day and go to bed with a positive outlook.
No matter how you choose to do it, holding yourself accountable will keep you on track.
Even more importantly, holding yourself accountable will make you feel in charge of your actions, plans and life.
Here at the Fit Father Project, we train and counsel busy fathers all day and all night.
We’ve heard so many success stories bred from what were “slump stories.”
The advice above and the brotherhood of the Fit Father Project can truly take you to new heights.
Check out the progress from our Fit Father brothers who have fallen down– but most importantly– have gotten back up again. These men got our free 1-day weight loss meal plan. Now, they’re stronger than ever.
We would love to be a part of your journey too.
Your new friend & health coach,
Dr. Anthony Balduzzi
Founder, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “Mr. Results”
Bragging Rights: Has helped over 22,000 fathers lose over 90,000lbs and rebuild lean muscle
*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched.
No More Failed Resolutions– Crush Your Goals with This Guide
By Dr. Anthony Balduzzi, Men’s Health Doc & Founder, The Fit Father Project
While it’s important to set goals, it’s more important to set achievable goals for ourselves.
An achievable goal is one that plans to be successful.
Planning for success is what makes success possible! This blog on creating a winning 90-day plan for any goal will help you succeed in your health goals, relationship goals, work goals and more.
First off, you need to understand the big picture.
What is the ultimate result that you would consider “success”?
Is it losing 30 pounds? Getting a $10k pay raise by the end of the year? Or is it helping your son score a goal during his next soccer game?
Whatever your big picture of success is, you need to visualize it. See it happening before your eyes. Imagine how you’ll feel when you achieve it.
Now, buckle up to do the work.
Now that you’ve visualized your goal, it’s time to break the big picture down into smaller chunks.
Often times, our BIG GOALS can seem so far off into the future (or so unattainable) that it’s hard to even take the first action step.
This is where “chunking” our goals fown into smaller components come into play.
It can to think that you’ll lose that 30 pounds in a week, or that you’ll convince your boss to give you a raise tomorrow.
And you know what—that’s OK!
The key to achieving your long-term goals is simply a process of creating and executing on short-term goals.
Action Step: Try breaking down your larger goals into smaller, quarterly (or monthly) chunks.
For example, instead of focusing on the goal of losing 60lbs this year, set the target to lose 20lbs in the next 90 days – or just shy of 7 pounds this month.
7 pounds sounds a lot more do-able than 60, doesn’t it?
But the thing is, you will lose those 60 pounds. You’re just taking it 7 pounds at a time.
How do you eat an elephant?
As the famous saying goes: one bite at a time, of course.
That’s we’re going to break down our 90-day goals even further.
Once you have your 90-day goal, you can break this down into even smaller daily or weekly tasks that will help you chip away at your overall goal.
For example, a few bite-sized weekly tasks that can help you achieve your 90-day goal of losing 20 pounds could be:
1. Do weight training workouts 3x per week
2. Do High-intensity cardio 2x per week
3. Follow a healthy diet (like our Free 1-Day Meal Plan)
4. Drink 2 liters of water daily
5. Weigh yourself daily
The best part about these smaller tasks is that they make the big picture goal seem a lot easier.
Plus: Achieving small goals along the way builds motivation, momentum, and confidence.
All you have to do is take small steps to climb the mountain of your goal.
Architecting proper goals like we just covered is essential to get started on the right foot.
Yet, we all know that keeping ourselves accountable is one of the most important parts of actually following through on your goals.
On that note, I have a few bonus “Pro Tips” for you to make goal setting (and tracking) much more sustainable and successful. I’ll cover are a few techniques that you can try, because one method doesn’t work for everyone.
Setting “SMART” goals is all about planning upfront. There are 5 tenets that make up a SMART goal.
• Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
• Achievable (agreed, attainable).
• Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
• Time-bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
The thought process here is, if you structure your goal to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, then nothing but your own motivation is missing from checking this goal off your list.
Journaling is a great way to keep yourself personally motivated and accountable.
When you write about your days, keep track of the small tasks you did that lead up to your big picture goal.
Ask yourself—did you finish your tasks today? If you did or didn’t, how do you feel? How will you make an effort to do even better the next day?
Putting your goals right on your calendar is a great way to schedule out your tasks and work incrementally.
Whether your calendar is digital or printed, there’s something about writing down your goals and creating benchmarks that feels official.
Keeping track of tasks on your calendar is also very helpful for those with busy schedules.
It will force you to find time slots that you can carve out for yourself, and even help you create a routine of self-care.
Thousands of men have found the structure, motivation and support they need to conquer their fitness goals right here at the Fit Father Project.
Our team of experts is trained to give you personalized attention, making sure your workouts and meal plans reflect the life you lead.
You’ll find countless blogs on this site that can help you manage your time, find a workout that’s right for you, understand how your body functions when you age, and much more.
Our Free 1-Day Weight Loss Meal Plan is a solid starting point for any fitness goal.
As we preach here at “The FFP:” good nutrition accounts for 80% of the health & fitness battle.
Even further, our Fit Father 30X Program is the ultimate guide for your fitness goals—be that losing weight, regaining muscle, or strengthening from an injury.
Fit Father 30X is a scheduled nutrition and exercise program that breaks out your daily tasks for you. Along the way, you’ll have support from our team of experts.
No matter what your goals are, it’s time to solidify them and achieve them. With the tools and methods outlined above, there is nothing stopping you from creating lasting change in your life.
Your new friend & health coach,
Dr. Anthony Balduzzi
Founder, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “Mr. Results”
Bragging Rights: Has helped over 22,000 fathers lose over 90,000lbs and rebuild lean muscle
*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info.
Excuses Men Make to Avoid Exercise and How to Leave Them in the Dust
By Dr. Anthony Balduzzi, Men’s Health Doc & Founder, The Fit Father Project
Throughout my career as a men’s health doctor, I’ve noticed that even more important than a man’s physical health is his mental health.
It is your passion for life and determination to be healthy that ensures you’ll be around fo
r our grandkids, and even for that around-the-world trip you’re planning with your partner for retirement.
As you read my list of the top excuses men make to avoid exercising, know that there is expert advice and tools like the Fit Father 30-day workout plan and free meal plan to help you along the way.
My goal for you after reading this list is to take our advice and commit to a LIFE (not a week, not a couple months) of healthiness.
“Time” gets a bad rap. We wish for more time in the day, curse it for moving so quickly or too slowly. It seems like “time” can never win.
However, the excuse that we can’t work out right now because “we don’t have the time” really falls flat. And here’s why.
The problem isn’t a lack of time—it’s a lack of preparation and prioritization.
The Fit Father Program founded a principle called the “3Ps,” which are pre-planning, prepare and pack.
If you take time to plan, prepare and pack, you can be free from making guilty eating decisions or from skipping the gym.
My friends. Before I say anything on the topic of the price of healthy foods vs unhealthy foods, let’s take a look at this graphic that’s straight from the New York Times.
As you can see, healthy food can be CHEAPER than unhealthy food at times!
Overall, the ultimate cost is that unhealthy food = an unhealthy body.
The delicious and filling meals on our free meal plan will help you plan and buy good foods that will keep you slim.
The good news: you don’t have to rival Michael Jordan to get fit. Heck, you don’t even have to play a single group sport.
The even BETTER news: we have the exact workouts you should be doing, fully explained, in our proven 30-day program.
We based our workouts on real results and created them for busy men like yourself.
So, the Fit Father 30X Program is full of fat loss workouts– that you can do at home, or in the gym– in less than 120 minutes per week.
We’ve tried it and it works: you can boost your metabolism and get INCREDIBLE RESULTS from exercises that don’t require you pick up a basketball or a racket.
Because we’ve outlined everything you need to know about these routines, you can complete them confidently.
The thing is, a proper diet is what builds your health. Exercise is secondary.
You can start climbing the ladder to optimal health with our free 1-day meal plan.
We’ve outlined a meal plan that shows you exactly what you should eat, when you should eat it, and why it will help you lose weight.
When you’re ready to tack on exercising, we’ve compiled the most effective workout routines for men over 40.
You may be tired, overweight, self-conscious and even old.
But NOT ONE of those statements is an excuse not to TRY.
No matter where you are in your health journey, now is the time to commit.
The motivation may not come from you, but what about your kids, grandchildren, and partner? They all deserve the most energetic, fittest form of you.
How will you ever achieve will you get to a point where you are happy to start if you don’t take the first step?
Newsflash– you don’t need a gym membership or a flashy home fitness center to get fit.
All you need to complete the exercise plans in the Fit Father 30X program is bodyweight, simple dumbbells and 5 feet of floor space.
You can work out in your garage, in your back yard, in your living room or your bedroom!
Wherever you feel comfortable and motivated is the right spot.
If there’s one thing you need to become fit, it’s the proper mindset.
It can be hard to stay motivated when your busy schedule makes it seem impossible to find time for yourself.
Sometimes, it may seem like you take one step forward and one step back.
But there are tactics to set goals for yourself that you can actually achieve.
Remember, you can reach out to the Fit Father experts or to a fellow Fit Father for support.
Here’s a question for you.
Do you really believe that your partner wouldn’t want you to look, feel and be your best?
For most of us, we know that our partners truly want the best for us and would support our effort to get fit.
If you are embarrassed to confront your partner, approach the conversation in steps.
You can tell your partner the type of food that you’re hoping to eat now, and let them know that you’ll be making time to work out at the house or in the gym.
Getting fit is one of the best things you can do for you and your partner’s future together.
And who knows, maybe they’ll even join you in the crusade!
Remember, every single one of us have made one of those excuses at one point.
The important thing is, you’ve made the effort to read this article, and you’re now motivated to take charge of your life!
Now is the time. All it takes is a decision.
Throughout the article, you saw me bring up the Fit Father 30X, or FF30X as the guys call it.
FF30X is a 30-day program that is a comprehensive guide to helping you lose weight, feel younger and steal back the energy of your youth.
Also, our free meal plan is the perfect complement to FF30X. This guide leaves no question about what foods you can eat while getting leaner every day.
I hope you enjoyed this article, my friend. Let us know how else we can help motivate and educate you on this journey.
Your new friend & health coach,
Dr. Anthony Balduzzi
Founder, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “Mr. Results”
Bragging Rights: Has helped over 22,000 fathers lose over 90,000lbs and rebuild lean muscle
*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info.
Throughout my 15 years as a men’s health trainer and doctor, I have met inspiring men first-hand who have put that theory to rest. I’m going to show you a few of those inspiring old warriors in this post.
It’s my hope that these guys will inspire you – like they do me – to get motivated and 100% back on track with healthy eating and exercise.
Here’s the interesting thing: The fitness regimens and diets of these 4 fittest men over 50 you’re about to see are all completely different.
Some of their methods could even be described as “peculiar.” But each of these powerful men have unwavering motivation that will inspire you to achieve the best body of your life. Are you ready to be inspired?
Herschel Walker is a former professional football player, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner, and (in his late 40s & 50s) a professional MMA fighter. But his athleticism doesn’t stop there.
He was an Olympic bobsledder, Taekwondo star with a 5th-degree black belt, and a dancer in the Fort Worth ballet, if you can believe it.
Still ripped at 55, Herschel is living proof that age is just a number.
In fact, Herschel still believes that he could still play professional football.
To our Fit Father Project Team, Herschel is the definition of a strong mind.
Surprisingly, Herschel has maintained his rock-solid physique with a body-weight only regimen workout.
Herschel claims to have done a combination of 2,000-3,000 pushups and situps every single day for 40 years. Even if the myth is 10% TRUE, that’s what I call dedication.
If you’d like a much more efficient workout than Walker’s approach of doing 2,000 pushups daily to burn belly fat and build muscle, then I recommend you get our Free 24-Min Metabolism Boost Workout Routine For Busy Men Over 40.
Herschel’s dedication is unrivaled, but his mantra is simple.
When you look up, you go up.”
Herschel’s success shows us that maintaining a healthy body truly shapes your attitude, which, in turn, transforms your relationships, wealth, work, and life.
Answer me this: does the man pictured look a day older than 40?
That’s Sonny Bryant, a 70-year-old bodybuilder who isn’t jacked for a movie deal or for a professional football career.
Here’s what floors me: Sonny’s a “regular Joe” who didn’t start working out until he was 44 (!!).
After 11 months of working out just to relieve stress, Sonny entered in his first bodybuilding competition just for fun. He won third place in novice, fourth place in master and was hooked ever since.
Sonny’s routine is all about a powerful state of mind.
He is a great of example of how the goals we set for ourselves manifest into our routines and change our lives.
Sonny didn’t diet or work out until his mid-40s, which is the turning point when many men abandon fitness altogether.
No matter where you are in your fitness journey, you can start today and achieve greatness.
Take Sonny’s approach.
Frank Zane is a three-time Mr. Olympia champion who is admired for his muscular symmetry and proportion.
Intimidating, right?
Here’s one thing I admire most about Zane: Even though he’s a bodybuilding champ, Zane actually struggled for years to find the best routine just like the rest of us do.
Zane is constantly learning & reinventing his workout approach – even in his 70s.
Frank began bodybuilding in an era when lifting heavy weights was considered the best way to build mass. He resisted training with heavy weights for fear of injury until a trainer convinced him otherwise.
Now at 74, he still stands with his preferred routine.
For a sneak peak into our safe & time-efficient workout approach we use here at the Fit Father Project, click here to get a FREE copy of our “24-Min Metabolism Boosting Workout For Men Over 40.”
One of the most amazing parts of Frank’s story is that he is still in immaculate shape at 74. His secret is consistency.
We agree, Frank. We agree.
Jack LaLanne is affectionately called the “godfather of fitness” even after his death in 2011.
The first-ever TV program dedicated to health, “The Jack LaLanne Show,” was a platform that Jack used to educate and inspire millions of Americans to live healthier for years to come.
Jack pursued workouts that were not recommended at the time. He preferred lifting lighter weights until he reached muscle fatigue, instead of pumping heavy weights. Each workout, Jack always tried to beat his previous best performance.
Today, this principle of increasing your effort (weight, reps, time) at each workout is called “progressive resistance,” and modern science has validated that it’s the #1 key to building muscle.
Outside of his expert knowledge of how the body “works,” Jack is also a great example of using your OWN personal goals to motivate yourself – instead of comparing your progress to other guys.
The man you were yesterday is your only true measuring stick.
If you want to be a BETTER MAN tomorrow, then one of the easiest tweaks we can make is to help you eat healthier. We all know that a healthy diet is important for energy, fat loss, and health. The problem is that most diets flat out suck.
Here at the Fit Father Project, we finally created a healthy diet plan that actually WORKS – without the restriction, hunger, and complication of normal diets. It’s called the Fit Father 1-Day Fat Loss Meal Plan. Click here to get a FREE COPY of this meal plan.
Jack’s passion for living the fullest is reflected in the body he maintained well into his 90s.
Every day is a gift that we can use to grow wiser, stronger, happier, and healthier. All we have to do is commit 100% to ourselves.”
No matter how old you are, we each have a choice of whether or not we want to continue working on improving our bodies and health, or letting ourselves slip into decline. The choice is always there.
Here’s the important question“How important is your health and body for you? What does your health enable you to do? Do you want to make some serious improvements and you’re looking for support?
Our Fit Father Project team can help. We’re the men’s health experts who have helped 22,000 busy fathers lose thousands of pounds and get back into incredible shape just like the guys who inspire us above.
Are you ready to claim your health from and live long and strong well into your 80s, 90s, and even 100s like these inspiring men?
If so, I want to invite you to start with our programs here at the Fit Father Project.
1. If you’re not on our private email list yet, click here to join and you’ll get a free copy of our 1-Day Fat Loss Diet Plan For Busy Fathers.
2. To jumpstart your results, read the Fit Father 30X Program letter here. It’s where we recommend 99% of guys start.
I hope you enjoyed this article, my friend. I can’t wait to help you get incredibly healthy well into your 50s, 60s, 70s, & beyond!
Your new friend & weight loss coach,
Dr. Anthony Balduzzi
Founder, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “Mr. Results”
Bragging Rights: Has helped over 22,000 fathers lose over 90,000lbs and rebuild lean muscle
*weight loss results & 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.
“Dr. A… I’m just not disciplined. I can’t get motivated to lose weight. I know it’s my fault that I’m eating junk and not exercising. I just can’t stay consistent.”
If you have had a similar thought to the one above, here’s the truth:
It is your fault.
But it’s not your fault in the way you probably “think.” Allow me to explain…
When it comes to losing weight and getting healthier, you have TWO (2) Primary Tools that you can rely on.
You can choose to rely on discipline… and “bet” on the fact that you’ll buy the salad for lunch instead of the burger.
OR… you can choose strategic planning and prepare healthy food ahead of time.
You can choose discipline and bet on the fact that you’ll “feel motivated” to exercise after work.
OR… you can choose strategic planning, pre-pack your gym clothes, and tell your friend you’ll text him an accountability picture after your workout.
Look, I’ve coached over 10,000 men through successful weight loss transformations. And I’ve seen guys take the “brute force approach” and try to rely on discipline to carry them to success.
Relying on discipline is a short-term strategy. Strategic planning always wins in the long run.
On that note, I have two questions for you…
Here’s the lesson I want to leave you with today…
Your issue is probably a lack of strategy and planning.
Please know that I don’t mean this in an accusatory way. Lack of strategy and planning is a huge issue that affects almost everybody who is struggling with their health and weight.
I am intentionally blunt in this article, because this is key distinction is powerful enough to change your life forever – so I want to communicate as clearly as possible.
Please stop focusing on discipline (or your supposed “lack thereof”).
You do not need to find discipline.
Start taking action on strategy. Discipline will find you.
Also, if this is your first time to the Fit Father Project website, I highly recommend you grab your free copy of our 1-Day Weight Loss Meal Plan For Men 40+.
In that free meal plan, I show you the best eating strategies to ensure you stay consistent.
Strategy ultimately makes you more consistent.
DISCIPLINE is a muscle that only grows with consistency.
You will never become more disciplined by failing at another crash diet or “workout kick.” You will become more disciplined by prioritizing strategic planning.
Make this a great week. Let’s get you strategic about this health stuff.
Your new friend & health coach,
Dr. Anthony Balduzzi
Founder, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “Mr. Results”
Bragging Rights: Has helped over 10,000 fathers lose over 75,000lbs and rebuild lean muscle
P.S. There are a few foundation “Monday Habits” that we teach you inside our Fit Father 30-Day Program.
Habit #1: Goal review – what is your target weight + WHY do you want to make the change.
Habit #2: 60 minutes meal prep ritual for the week.
Habit #3: Workout Scheduling – you need these 3 types of workouts (dumbbell circuits, HIIT, and strength training).
Habit #4: Daily accountability emails.
Is our Fit Father 30X Program simple? YES.
Is the program easy…?
Ask the thousands of guys using the program right now. With the proper strategic plan in place, losing weight and getting healthy will become easy for you.
If you’re ready to get the proper eating, exercise, and accountability strategy in place… I want to invite you to learn about FF30X.
Small note about research & case-studies cited in this article:
*Always remember: weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making decisions about your health. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info.
There are millions of confusing health websites out there. Here at the Fit Father Project, we only do ONE thing: help you as a busy father get and stay healthy for your family. If you're a man who wants to live healthier, we can help you lose fat, build muscle, and start feeling energetic again - faster and easier than you ever thought possible. Let us show you the proven path. Click here to get started with our FREE 1-Day Weight Meal Plan For Busy Fathers »
