Unfortunately, this has become an easy out for far too many dads to get comfortable on the couch, polish off another bag of chips, or push off the gym for yet another week. It’s time to ditch the dadbod not just for your own sake, but also to honor God and your family.

Why You Need To Kick Your Dadbod To The Curve

Being a dad is hard work. It takes a lot of physical, mental and emotional energy to train up a child according to the bible. It can be easy to use your busy life as an excuse for letting your health and physical appearance fall by the waist side. You might think that trading a workout for more playtime with your kids is honorable. You might even feel its objectively the right thing to do for your kids. This is understandable, though a bit misguided. 

Do It For Yourself

All too often one of the first things new dads abandon is their own self care, specifically anything having to do with improving their own personal health and wellness. Time becomes scarce and the kids become the main priority. 

This happens with the best of intentions. The problem arises when doing what’s best for your family trumps your own mental and physical wellbeing. Abandoning your own needs for the needs of your loved ones is an honorable gesture, but one that will eventually have you feeling very negatively about yourself.

You can turn this around by focusing on a couple of things. Commiting to exercise regularly and eat healthier provides dads with numerous benefits, like those shared below. 

Making the decision to stop using your kids as the excuse for your slipping health and wellness is step one. Step two is taking action to get rid of your dadbod and keep it away for good. 

Do It To Honor God

Part of following Jesus includes taking your health seriously. One of the more well-known bible verses that speaks to this is when the apostle Paul talks about our body as the temple of the holy spirit. 

For the Israelites the temple was God’s original dwelling place. It was His sacred, holy home until Jesus was crucified. The temple was treated with reverence, respect, and honor. We are to mimic this attitude with our own bodies. This means, among other things, being careful about what we put into our bodies and refusing to use excuses for why we slowly let our bodies atrophy as we get older. It is our duty to honor God with our bodies by eating right, engaging in physical activity, as well as being intentional about prayer and meditation to keep our minds and hearts in alignment with the purpose He has for our lives. 

At the same time, we need to be cautious not to take this to the extreme. Is there anything wrong with getting ripped? No, unless your physical appearance starts to become more important to you than investing in your relationship with Jesus, or spending time with your family. You need to find the right balance that will allow you to keep your temple holy, while also not turning this type of activity, or lifestyle into an idolatrous act.

Your health is a key factor in honoring God, but you must remember that Satan can twist your mindset into focusing on insecurities about your weight, beauty, or age to distract you from sharing your faith. As you ramp up your physical activity you may or may not be able to get your body back to the peak physical condition you were once in.

That’s okay. That isn’t your goal. Your goal should be to invest in your physical and spiritual health, without sacrificing other important aspects of your life. You can find peace in knowing that we’re all created in the image of God no matter what type of body we possess. 

Do It To Put Your Family First

Like most dads, you’d do anything for your family. You’re committed to giving your kids the best life possible. You want to be there for them for years to come. This is why you shouldn’t be okay with “rocking the dadbod.” 

Ironically enough, by putting your children first you’re doing a disservice to them. When you neglect your physcial well-being for the sake of you children, you aren’t giving them the best version of yourself. Even worse, you may eventually rob them of years they could have spent with you due to your poor physical, mental and spiritual health. 

If you’re like me, you all too often use your kids as an excuse for why you “deserve” that heaping bowl of ice cream at night, or time to veg out on the couch and stream the latest netflix series instead of foregoing dessert or hopping on the exercise bike. This thinking is flawed. 

Firstly, these unhealthy habits will just make you feel even worse about yourself and cause you to continue making unhealthy choices. It’s a vicious loop. A little t.v. or dessert now and then is okay, but the problem arises when these behaviors become a mindless daily pattern. 

Stop using your kids as an excuse to prop up unhealthy habits and instead use them as motivation to do better. Think of your kids when you’re making decisions that affect your body. After all, doesn’t your wife deserve her spouse to be by her side into old-age? Don’t your kids deserve to have their dad around for graduations, wedding celebrations and the birth of their children? 

How You can Get Started Right Now

Once you’ve made the decision to ditch your dadbod you might be tempted to sign up for that half marathon, tough mudder, or start a 48-hour fast. These are lofty and difficult goals to start off with. If you chase after challenges like these too soon you’re more likely to fail and head right back to the couch. 

1. Start Small

Its best to focus on one thing and develop a consistent habit. You could decide to do daily walks, jogs, hikes, or bike rides. Pick something that you can stick with for the long haul. It may take anywhere from 21 to 60 days to develop a solid habit.

2. Take Control of Your Diet 

An obvious starting point is altering your diet to include less sugar and processed food. Eat three good meals a day that include generous servings of fruits and veggies, and drink lots and lots of water. There are lots of popular diet options out there, but if you want these habits to be sustainable you need to find something that works for you. Focus on changing your lifestyle rather than following a short-term diet. 

This is particularly difficult for me as I enjoy a sweet bite after dinner. Breaking that habit has proven to be a challenge. If you’re in the same boat do what I do and focus on stacking small wins.

• Resisted dessert this evening. Win!
• Choose a salad for lunch over pizza. Win!
• Have a smoothie for breakfast rather than a doughnut. Win!

Over time these little wins start really piling up and contribute to your success in a big way. 

3. Incorporate Your Kids

Physical activity doesn’t have to be boring. Include your kids when you can, and make it fun! The options are endless. Also, be sure to take advantage of little moments throughout the day. 

• While the kids are playing do some pushups. 
• Do some jumping jacks as you push them on the swings. 
• Give them a ride using a running stroller 
• Play tag with them, or make an obstacle course

4. Call For Backup

Don’t go it alone. Like a wolfpack, you’re more likely to succeed if you have others surrounding you, encouraging you, and watching your back as you go down this road. 

If you’re having a rough day, or make a bad decision, don’t beat yourself up. It happens. Reach out to a friend, co-worker, or family member who’ll give you the support you need. You may also want to consider joining a mastermind, or support group of like minded people going through the same experience as you. 

5. Be prayerful

It goes without saying that you should be prayerful as you begin this journey. 

Seek God’s wisdom and strength as you strive to honor him with your body, mind and spirit. Ask for grace as you hit bumps in the road and become discouraged. Thank God for His direction and encouragement as you celebrate your wins. Finally, pray for the resolve and courage to resist temptation and make sound choices that will not only benefit you and your family but will be pleasing to God. 

Conclusion

It’s time to stop making excuses and get rid of your dadbod. Doing this will not only benefit you but your spouse and children also stand to gain from your decision. In addition, doing what you can to take care of your body honors and pleases God. Start small by choosing to eat healthier foods. Take advantage of little moments throughout the day to squeeze in some exercise and try to make it fun by incorporating your kids. Be prayerful throughout, and seek God’s wisdom and strength as you make the commitment to honor him with your body. 

The post Ditch Your Dadbod To Honor God And Your Family appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

SHOW YOUR KIDS WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT

The bible talks about training up your children in the way they should go so that when they become parents someday they can teach the same things to their children. What would you rather have for your children and grandchildren, a life where happiness is defined by the closeness of the relationships around them or the “stuff” that they accumulate? The answer to most is obvious, but the way you live doesn’t always reflect that.

Dads need to lead the way and start teaching their kids what’s truly important. It’s incumbent upon us, as dads, to follow the path that God laid out and show our children that true joy comes from the closeness of the relationships in their life and not from the amount of stuff that they have.

THINKING INSIDE THE BOX

I have 4 children, three toddlers and a newborn, and they’re all under 5. It was only recently that I started to realize, appreciate and apply to my life that giving them more toys, books and dress-up clothes isn’t something that brings them more joy. Let me explain, One night as I was driving home I found myself racking my mind trying to think of something fun and exciting to do with my kids. 

• What game could I invent? 
• What toy could we play with?
• Maybe we could dress up and “go on an adventure” 

Then after dinner cleanup, it was playtime. I was still working through ideas I could try out when I saw my kids all piled in an empty box in the kitchen. We played in that box for the rest of the evening and they loved it. I pushed them around and closed the box flaps on them (per their request). They thought it’d be fun to do the same to me. I realized that what my kids really need isn’t a new adventure, new toys, or well-thought-out games. All they really need is me. As long as I’m fully present and engaged with them they can be happy doing almost anything.

GIVE YOUR KIDS MEMORIES NOT STUFF

Experiencing this moment encouraged me to examine my heart and what’s truly important. Jesus tells us that the condition of our hearts will be obvious, and can be discovered simply by looking at the things we treasure in our life. It’s easy to say that we don’t value material things, but it’s another to actually live that out. Here are some strategies to help make the shift.

• Be intentional about spending time in reflection and prayer. Allow God to realign your heart. 
• Find a mentor. Allow other godly people you trust to offer wisdom, guidance and encouragement. 
• Journal. Sometimes the act of journaling can be a great place to interact with God. Jot down some notes on where you feel He is leading you. 

Being fully present is one of the pillars for leaving behind a powerful legacy for your kids. Click here to check out the rest. It doesn’t matter what age they are. All they really need is time with you. In order to be fully present, you’ll need to put down your phone, turn off the tv and engage. That’ll get you started. Let God show you how you can build on these essential first steps and experience lasting memories and connection with your kids. Here’s a few fun ideas to try.

• Chase them. 
• Play monster. 
• Go for a walk.
• Have a conversation. 

You can even invite them into helping with the things on your to-do list. Let them cook dinner with you. Create a space for them to help you wash the dishes. Show them how to do the laundry. Maybe even give them a role in assisting in your next remodeling project around the house. All they want is your time.

Kids spell love T-I-M-E. It doesn’t have to be an exorbitant amount of your day. What matters the most is the quality of the time that you’re spending with them. It may only be 15 minutes, but if you’re fully present and engaged your kids will notice and remember that time.

If you’re caught in the same “material” trap that I was, I’d encourage you to examine your heart to see what’s truly important to you. I would challenge you to limit the amount of material things you allow in your children’s lives. Teaching them that true joy comes from the closeness of our relationships stands to set them on a much better path to success in their relationship with God, friends, and family.

HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION RIGHT NOW

• Be prayerful about what material items you might be able to cut out of your own life. Set the example for your kids to follow. 
• Commit daily to investing in real quality time with your children. Set aside at least 20 minutes to be fully present with them.
• Think about encouraging your kids to prayerfully consider what toys/games they may be able to donate to a worthy cause or a child in need. Remind them of how you’ve done this in your own life. 

Learn more about how you can build a powerful legacy your kids will be proud of. Connect with the Hero Dad Mission on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

You can also subscribe to get weekly tips on how to break free from being just an ordinary dad and start living as the hero your kids deserve. 

The post The Best “Present” You Can Ever Give Your Kids appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.