Starting January 4th, 2026, I’m doing a focused weight loss cut and running it through Saturday, March 28th. The goal is to lose 15 pounds while still living a normal life as a dad of three, with a fourth on the way in March, working a full-time job, and actively running and growing my own business. No extreme dieting. No cutting out entire food groups. And definitely no pretending life gets put on pause just because you’re trying to lose weight. This 15 pound weight loss cut is something I’m doing intentionally and documenting in real time.
Because I’ve been in pretty good shape for most of my adult life, some people may be skeptical about whether I really understand what they’re going through while trying to lose weight. I get it. I’ve coached many clients over the past decade on a similar path, but I’ve also gone through a focused 25 to 30 pound cut before myself. But over the past couple of years my focus has been more on strength and longevity, especially after going through two hip surgeries. This time around, I want to document the process and show that fat loss is still very doable, even when you don’t have a lot of weight to lose.
Losing weight when you’re closer to a healthy range is actually harder, not easier. There’s a lot less margin for error. So instead of just talking about it, I’m documenting it. Every day I’ll log my calories, steps, workouts, protein, and morning bodyweight. I’ll also add a short note about how the day actually went. This article will be updated daily, so if you want to follow along, everything will live right here in one place.
Day 9: January 12th, 2026
Day 9: January 12th, 2026
Bodyweight: 169.8 lbs
Total Lost: 4.4 lbs
Waist Measurement: 34.5 inches
Calories: ~2,680
Steps: 6,038
Workout: Yes, upper body and treadmill run
Yesterday felt like getting back into a groove. I got an upper body workout in and also did a treadmill run. Mondays are usually pretty busy for me, so there was a lot of sitting throughout the day. Steps were decent, but not as high as I would have liked.
My mother in law was in town, so we went out to dinner, which pushed calories a little higher. I still tracked everything and stayed aware of what I was eating. Weighing in this morning, the scale was still down, so the trend is heading in the right direction.
After the first week, I’m down roughly 4.5 pounds. Some of that is likely water weight, and some of it could be that day one was a little higher than normal. I’m not under the impression that five pounds of fat disappeared in a week. But the scale is moving the right way, and my waist measurement is down as well, which is what really matters.
Day 8: January 11th, 2026
Bodyweight: N/A
Total Lost: N/A
Calories: Did not track
Steps: 5,741
Workout: No
Since my son and I stayed at my parents’ house last night, I wasn’t able to weigh myself this morning. I didn’t track food today either. The focus was just eating as normally as possible.
I had planned on getting a workout in once we got home, but with the travel and weekend schedule, I decided to push it to Monday instead. Nothing fancy here. Just getting through the weekend and setting things up to get back into a routine.
Day 7: January 10th, 2026
Bodyweight: 170.4 lbs
Total Lost: 3.8 lbs
Calories: Did not track
Steps: 5,749
Workout: No
Saturday was a travel day. I went out of town with my son to Monster Jam, and we stayed the night at my parents’ house.
I did a good job eating normally before we left, kept dinner lighter, and had something small later in the evening. Nothing tracked, but overall it felt controlled and reasonable given the circumstances. One of those days where the goal is just not letting things spiral.
Day 6: January 9th, 2026
Bodyweight: 170.6 lbs
Total Lost: 3.6 lbs
Calories: ~2,462
Steps: 7,114
Workout: Yes, treadmill run
Calories were still a little higher yesterday, but nothing crazy. I did a treadmill run at a much slower pace and tried to be smart with it to give my hip flexor a bit of a break. The goal right now isn’t pushing speed or distance, just easing back into running conditioning so I can build on it later in the year.
Nutrition went well overall. My wife made an unreal chocolate cake, and I had two pieces. Still tracked everything and stayed aware of what I was eating. Protein was solid, and that makes a big difference. When you hit protein earlier in the day, it gives you more flexibility later on without things getting out of control.
Weight was down again this morning, which is a good sign. Even with slightly higher calorie days mixed in, things are still moving in the right direction.
Day 5: January 8th, 2026
Bodyweight: 171.2 lbs
Total Lost: 3.0 lbs
Calories: 2,763
Steps: 8,464
Workout: Yes, outdoor run
Yesterday was a pretty busy but normal work day. I did end up getting outside for a run, which was my first run in a couple of months. I’m still recovering from hip surgery, so I’ve been doing other forms of movement and intentionally holding off on running. This was more of a test than anything.
The run did flare up my hip flexor a bit, but it was helpful to at least see where I’m at right now. That gives me good information moving forward. I’ll be smart with it and adjust as needed.
Calorie wise, this was definitely my highest day so far. That’s not a bad thing. It’s good to have one or two days each week where calories are closer to maintenance, or even slightly above, depending on your long term goals. Overall, this was my highest calorie day of the week, and I’m completely fine with that.
Day 4: January 7th, 2026
Bodyweight: 171.6 lbs
Total Lost: 2.6 lbs
Calories: 2,104
Steps: 12,711
Workout: Yes, upper body
Wednesdays usually start early for me. I had an early client in the morning and was able to get a walk in before the kids were up, which helped a lot with steps right away. Wednesdays are typically my busiest day, and this one was no different. Lots of meetings and different things going on throughout the day.
I was also a guest on a podcast, which took up a chunk of time. After the kids went to bed, Wednesday nights are date night with my wife, and we spent some time watching a movie together. Even with a full day, I was able to get an upper body workout in and finished the day well over my 10,000 step goal. Busy day, but a solid one.
One thing to keep in mind when looking at weight loss is that the scale will move around from day to day. You’ll see that I actually gained weight compared to yesterday, but when you zoom out and look at the entire week, my weight is still down. That’s how this process usually works.
Daily weigh ins are influenced by a lot of things. Sleep, movement, stress, how much water your body is holding onto, and even when you last ate. Because of that, it’s completely normal to see these fluctuations, even when you’re doing everything right.
That’s one of the reasons I’m showing this in real time. I want you to see that progress isn’t perfectly linear and that the scale is often a lagging indicator. The day to day number matters a lot less than the overall trend over time.
Day 3: January 6th, 2026
Bodyweight: 170.8 lbs
Total Lost: 3.4 lbs
Calories: 2,333
Steps: 3,636
Workout: No
Today didn’t go as planned. A lot of unexpected meetings popped up, and most of the day was spent sitting and working on my computer. I didn’t get outside much, didn’t move a whole lot, and didn’t get a workout in.
We did take the kids to the park in the evening, which at least got us moving a bit, and that was a positive. Tuesdays are usually earlier nights for me since I’m up very early on Wednesdays for a client, so between the schedule and the workload, movement just ended up low today.
Day 2: January 5th, 2026
Bodyweight: 172.6 lbs
Total Lost: 1.6 lbs
Calories: 1,688
Steps: 6,755
Workout: No
Last night’s sleep wasn’t great, and I definitely felt it today. Energy was low pretty much all day. I had planned on getting a workout in, but it didn’t happen, and I was okay with that. Between being tired and the day getting away from me, forcing it didn’t make sense.
I made homemade grilled chicken nuggets and ate about half for lunch and the rest for dinner. Because of that, I ended up quite a bit under my calorie goal for the day. Protein was solid, but overall intake was lower than planned.
Day 1: January 4th, 2026
Bodyweight: 174.2 lbs
Waist: 35 inches
Calories: 1,950
Steps: 10,012
Workout: Yes, lower body
Today was a pretty relaxed day overall. We went to church in the morning, grabbed lunch afterward, and spent most of the afternoon together. Lunch was Chipotle, then we worked on a few things around the house before heading to the park. My wife, the kids, and I spent some time there, then came home and watched the Chiefs game.
After the kids went to bed, I got a lower body workout in. My wife and I usually try to do a simple date night, which usually means grabbing some food. Tonight it was McDonald’s. I had chicken strips and a Powerade. My wife got fries and I had a few of those.
I came in pretty close to my calorie target today. Protein was a little lower than planned, but nothing worth stressing over. I’ll tighten that up tomorrow.