Hey there! Welcome to our second installment in A Plan for Success! In this series, I want to show you how everyday people can lose weight and get in shape with personalized strategies and custom meal planning. Using the example of familiar (albeit fictional) faces, you’ll see that with a SMART goal and solid action plan, change is possible for anyone, no matter their circumstances. Whether your goal is to lose the gut and get in shape or improve your health and wellness, you can reach your goal!

Today we’re going to meet Chuck, a husband and father of two who’s had a bit of a reality check. Trying to recapture the glory days at a recent reunion, he made the startling discovery that the ole’ bod ain’t what it used to be. Let’s take a closer look at Chuck’s experience.

Meet our Busy Dad

Rude Awakening

Chuck’s a hardworking family man who woke up one morning and realized he’s pushing forty and has gained as much in pounds since his bachelor days. Working a hectic office job and keeping up with his family hasn’t left much time for hitting the gym and he knows his eating habits are nothing to brag about.

What meal pattern?

Chuck’s never been big on breakfast, relying instead on coffee to get him through the day. And what about lunch? Definitely hit or miss. With looming deadlines, Chuck will often work right through his lunch hour, though he does end up eating out a couple times each week with clients.

Naturally by the time he gets home, Chuck is ravenous and dinner is the main event. He loves a big steak with all the fixings. Never been much for vegetables, though he’ll take a few if only to avoid a scolding from his 4-year-old. Dinner is always followed up with some sort of treat. Perhaps a big bowl of ice cream or a few cookies and a big glass of milk. After a stressful day at work, it’s hard to beat dessert with his favorite people.

Workin’ for the Weekend

Chuck lives for the weekend and weekends are all about family, friends, football, and lots of great food! Ever a sports fan, he loves watching the big game, be it one of his kids’ little league matches or his favorite team on the big screen. And what’s a game without some snacks? Chuck loves a good spread with some good brew. Chips and dip, hot wings, bar mix, sliders–you name it.

Wake-up Call

Chuck used to play a variety of sports in high school and would love to join one of the local clubs, but a recent alumni game at his 20 year reunion proved he is way out of shape and useless on the field. Coming to grips with the trajectory of his weight and fitness level, Chuck’s decided it’s time to make some changes…even if it means eating vegetables.

When it comes down to it, Chuck knows he needs to lose weight and start exercising again. Though he doesn’t feel like he needs to get back down to his ‘fighting weight’ of days gone by, dropping 30 wouldn’t be a bad idea. Ultimately, he’d just like to lose the gut and be able to spend an hour on the field without keeling over.

Ready to Lose the Gut

Chuck has seen the writing on the wall and is ready to make some changes, but he’s definitely got some obstacles ahead of him. How many can you spot? Let’s go through them.

• To begin with, Chuck’s time and energy are stretched to the max. The demands of work and home life leave him with little wiggle room in his schedule. As a result, penciling in exercise will be a real challenge.
• Chuck’s eating habits are erratic, to say the least. He tends to skip meals–sometimes both breakfast AND lunch–only to indulge in huge portions later in the day.
• Chuck eats out at least twice per week, likely a huge source of extra calories.
• Chuck tends to graze all weekend long on high-calorie, high-fat snacks with reckless abandon. It’s something he associates with friends and family and not a habit he’ll be eager to give up.
• Though not a binge drinker, he does put down quite a few beers over the course of a weekend and could definitely cut back.

Fortunately, Chuck doesn’t have to try and change everything overnight. By tackling a few things at a time, he can begin to reshape his habits and that midsection. No doubt, it will take commitment and a willingness to do things differently, but with a solid and realistic action plan, he can lose the gut and reclaim his fitness.

In our next post, we’ll start to formulate Chuck’s battle plan and who knows? Maybe you’ll discover a few helpful strategies to work into your own battle plan!

The post A Plan for Success: Meet Chuck appeared first on The Diet Oracle.

Happy New Year and welcome back to The Diet Oracle! I hope you had a blessed holiday season wherever you call home. We had a wonderful Christmas and even managed to get out NYE, so I’d call that a roaring success! With four boys between the ages of 2 and 10, life continues to be full to overflowing and the years just seem to be whipping by at an astonishing rate. I don’t know about you, but I can hardly believe we’ve just jumped into 2020!

For a lot of folks, a new year means new resolutions. We all need a fresh start now and then and it’s hard to beat January 1, no? So what’s on your list? Do you have any big goals for the new year? The new DECADE? Yikes. That makes it sound serious, now doesn’t it?

While the new year can seem like the perfect time to shake things up and make some worthwhile changes, just remember that everyday is an opportunity for a fresh start. Heck, if you’re trying to lose weight, each MEAL is a chance to make better choices! Though embracing the hope and enthusiasm a new year brings can give you a powerful kickstart, know that everyday offers you the chance to make changes and get closer to reaching your goals. If your goal is worth it, don’t give up! When you fall and take a header off that horse (and trust me, at some point you will), don’t wait for a new year to grab those reins and get back in the saddle. Don’t even wait until next month or next week! Seize the day and chase down your goals. You can do it!

Whatever your goals may be for 2020, I wish you a year of success and look forward to sharing with you some solid strategies and practical tips to help you along the way! As always, thanks for reading and happy New Year!

The post Welcome to 2020! appeared first on The Diet Oracle.