Most people don’t try to lose 15 pounds in 12 weeks with a newborn at home.
Sleep is unpredictable, schedules change daily, and work doesn’t slow down. And you’ve got three other kids who still need your time and attention.
That’s exactly why I’m doing this. To show that your health doesn’t need to take a backseat just because life is busy. As a dad, you’re always going to be busy.
Starting April 6, 2026, I’m beginning a 12-week weight loss phase and running it through Sunday, June 28th. The goal is to lose 15 pounds while still living a normal life as a dad of four, working a full-time job, and actively running and growing my 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.
Back in January, my goal was to lose 15 lbs over the course of 12 weeks. That stretch didn’t go as planned. I was sick, had a vasectomy, and then our son was born three weeks early on March 12th. Weight loss wasn’t the priority during that time, and it shouldn’t have been. But now it’s time to reset, lock back in, and go again. This phase is going to look different with more adjustments.
Over the next 12 weeks, I’ll track my calories, steps, workouts, and morning bodyweight, along with a short note about how each day actually went. If you’re a busy dad trying to get back in shape while juggling work, family, and everything else, this will show you what it actually looks like in real time.
And if you’re looking for more individualized help and want a plan that actually works with your schedule, you can learn more here.
Day 7: April 12th, 2026
Bodyweight: N/A
Total Lost: N/A
Calories: N/A
Steps: 12,091
Workout: Yes, treadmill sprints
Sunday was a really good day overall. Movement was solid, got over 12,000 steps.
Sleep was pretty rough. All four kids were up at different points during the night, one of my daughters was throwing up, the baby was up, and my son had trouble sleeping too. We were all up around 4 am, so we ended up watching church online together that morning.
My wife was able to get a nap in later, and I worked on a project at the house. I went to Home Depot and replaced a faucet we’ve been having issues with for a long time, which felt good to finally get done. We also went on a short walk as a family, just up the street to get outside for a bit.
Later in the day, I did some treadmill sprints. I’m working on building my sprint capacity back up, so that was a good addition. I also mowed the grass in the evening, which helped get steps up.
Nutrition was okay. I didn’t track, but had quite a bit of quiche that my wife made and some leftover baked ziti. Probably a little more than I needed, but nothing too crazy.
Overall, a really good day. Tired, but stayed active and got some things done.
Day 6: April 11th, 2026
Bodyweight: N/A
Total Lost: N/A
Calories: N/A
Steps: 8,353
Workout: No
Saturday was another busy day. Movement was pretty solid overall. I took my daughter to soccer in the morning, and while my wife took her to a birthday party later on, I stayed back with the other kids.
In the afternoon, I took my oldest son to the football field and we kicked the soccer ball around, threw the football, and tossed a baseball. Just a lot of time outside being active. I also watered the grass in the evening, so I stayed on my feet quite a bit.
I didn’t get a workout in, but that was planned. Food-wise, someone made us a meal, baked ziti, which was really good. I still haven’t been tracking consistently, and I know that’s an area I can tighten up.
Overall, a really good day. Good movement, time with the kids, just need to dial in nutrition a bit more.
Day 5: April 10th, 2026
Bodyweight: N/A
Total Lost: N/A
Calories: N/A
Steps: 4,578
Workout: Yes, upper body
Friday was a very busy day. I was a little sore from softball the night before, but still got an upper body workout in.
I was home most of the day because we had a plumber working on a leak in the house, so movement was pretty limited. Steps ended up being low because of that. I probably could have done a better job getting on the walking pad, but that’s something I’ll improve on moving forward.
In the evening, we had dinner with my in-laws and my sister-in-law, then went to my son’s soccer game. Overall, a good day, just a lot going on.
Day 4: April 9th, 2026
Bodyweight: N/A
Total Lost: N/A
Calories: N/A
Steps: 10,408
Workout: Yes, lower body
It was a pretty packed day. Steps were solid, and I had two men’s softball games in the evening, which helped with overall movement.
Thursdays are usually when I do my lower body rehab work since I have softball and don’t want to overdo it. I didn’t get the full workout in, just a couple sets of a few exercises, but that’s okay. That’s not the norm, and I’ll likely make it up on Saturday.
Nutrition was pretty good overall. Still a few areas to tighten up, but heading in the right direction.
Day 3: April 8th, 2026
Bodyweight: 168 lbs
Total Lost: 1.6 lbs
Calories: N/A
Steps: 13,296
Workout: Yes, upper body and run
Wednesday was a really good day. I had an early client in the morning like I usually do, so I got to the gym early, trained them, then went on a run, and followed that up with my upper body workout.
It ended up being a really busy day overall, but I was able to get a lot done and still get my training in, which was a big win.
I still haven’t been tracking calories much this week. I’ve been doing okay, but I’ve probably gone over a bit. That’s going to be the main focus next week, just tightening things up a little more. Right now, I’m easing back into things and making sure workouts and movement are consistent first.
Day 2: April 7th, 2026
Bodyweight: 166.8 lbs
Total Lost: N/A
Calories: N/A
Steps: 8,263
Workout: Yes, lower body
Today was pretty straightforward. I got my lower body workout in, and while I didn’t track calories, I kept things mostly on point. Steps were a little lower than I’d like, but it was a busy day with everything going on.
Honestly, it felt good to keep momentum after starting this cut. The key is just stacking these days and keeping things consistent as I go.
Day 1: April 6th, 2026
Bodyweight: 169.6 lbs
Waist: 34.5 inches
Calories: N/A
Steps: 12,390
Workout: Yes, upper body
Overall, I did pretty well throughout the day. Got an upper body workout in and kept things fairly simple with meals, had some chicken breasts for lunch and just a typical day overall.
The one area I slipped a bit was in the evening. My wife had made cookies for Easter and we still had some leftover, and I definitely had more than I should have. They were really good, but that’s something I’ll need to tighten up moving forward.
It still felt good to get started again. Excited to lock back in over the next 12 weeks and see where this takes me.