¶ Getting in Shape for Busy Dads
So the question is how do busy dads get into great shape with limited time , space and equipment , all while enjoying the process and without sacrificing family time ? If you want to know the secrets to dialing in your nutrition , being consistent and staying motivated to achieve your fitness goals once and for all , then this is the podcast for you .
I'm Kevin Torres and this is the DadBodWod Podcast .
Alright , what's up ? Legacy makers , welcome to another episode of the number one podcast for busy dads who want to go from DadBod to FitDad and lose your first 20 plus pounds without fasting and without sacrificing family time , so that you can create a legacy of health and fitness , not only for yourself but for generations to come .
And on this show and inside of my program , we're teaching busy dads , just like you had to do just that . So hit that subscribe button if you haven't already . And on today's episode I'm joined by a super special guest , carol Reed , who's a member inside of the Forging Lead Fathers . He's also a teacher , so we have a lot in common already .
We were just talking about all that whole teaching life , and I'm just super excited to have him on the show because I know that his transformation , his story , his experience is going to inspire so many of you to take action . So , without further ado , carol , what is up ? Man ? How are you ?
I'm well , man , we're in some rake , so I'm chilling .
I know , Are you still catching up on sleep ? I know you got a little six month old at home , but like you getting any sleep now that school's over , oh yeah , a lot more than I'm used to .
So , yeah , I'm excited about that .
I actually check on my sleep cycle recently .
I'm doing that on my app . I'm like 50% to like 90% .
The school year is so tough , man , especially . You know everyone's like you know , but you get to summer's off . Or you know what is , but it's like no , it's really really you know . It's like full on and you teach third grade .
So it's like you got little kids there and all their emotions and all their needs and all their hungers and everything else that in between you know , just like dealing with a bunch of like you know all you know . What is it ? Seven year ?
No , like nine eight going on yeah .
Yeah , man , that's a crazy age . You know , I did middle school , which was also a crazy age , but so give us like a little like 30 second spiel Like who's Carol Reed ?
Sure , so I'm a teacher , husband , father , also am a musician , nice , I'm a Christian . I have many sort of I guess aspects about myself , but I guess just for this podcast . I am definitely a proud member of this Forge and the Reed Fathers group and it's definitely changed the way I view health , nutrition working out and myself .
So oh yeah , dude , and I didn't know you were a musician . What do you play ?
Oh , organ and keyboard . So my dad is actually a minister and around the time of the pandemic we were short musicians and so he kind of just brought me along saying , hey , like can you help me out ? I didn't mind . I didn't mind so like since I mean , I've learned how to play for years , but around that time when I really like , fully took on the role .
So it's like part-time musician , full-time teacher and yeah that's awesome .
And are you still ? Are you still playing with the church now ?
Oh , yeah , yeah . So , like every Sunday , which also like ties into like the beauty of what we do in Forge and the Reed Fathers , is like I love that my Sundays are my days off with my workouts , cause I go focus on , like , preparation for service and music .
So that works for me and you guys meet any other days of the week or you just meet on Sunday .
Oh , friday afternoons is when we do our rehearsals . So a good thing about our schedule is that we work out early in the morning , so that way , like I go through my day and I'm able to , like , handle everything I have to handle , come home and I'm available for my wife and my daughter .
So Cool man , good for you . That's awesome . Awesome musician I play . I play guitar . I wouldn't class myself as a musician , but I've been playing since I was like 11 years old , so I know a thing or two , but I wouldn't say I'm like great , but you know enough .
You all start somewhere .
Yeah , I could . I could probably play in a church band , for sure .
There you go .
So like what was your , your , your fitness , like before you joined the Forge and Reed Fathers program ? All ?
right . So for me with fitness , I'm just kind of when I could and for me my mindset was like well , if I don't get it in the evenings , I don't get it at all . And I've tried so different programs . I know your podcast . You mentioned P9X .
Before I had like a free account for Beachbody , so I tried that and , of course , like watching Tony Horne and all of those guys beat it out and I'm just like sweating and huffing and puffing and this is not for me .
And then I've tried like different programs , like through other trainers on Instagram , seeing their regiments , and for me the main thing was like accountability . If no one was shaking from me , if no one was asking me like how I'm doing or modifying workouts , for me I just end up quitting . So it was a lot of like the stopping and starting .
Yo , yo , I guess regiments , as you would say , even with the diet , same thing , like just stop and start .
All the time and when you started you were around like 255, . Was that the heaviest you were at ?
I was actually 258 . I fabricated that Cause like the first time we talked . It was like okay , put your data inside the app and so we're in the airport . I think I was talking to you around the same time . Yeah , you guys are about to fly . Yeah , we're about to fly home from our vacation . So I'm putting in 255 and I actually gave them a scale .
I was like 238 . I'm like , wow , you know we'll be there . So , yeah , that's where it all started . And I don't work out making like two , three times a week and it really wasn't like the best I can do because , you know , coming from a long day of work , I only have about like what , half an hour , I'd say , of energy left .
So we were like something on the pellet time maybe , or a quick , you know high impact circuit or whatever Like whatever I could remember from whatever work I did in the previous months .
Yeah , and I remember that conversation that you and I had when you were at the airport and I remember like I was thinking like how cool it was .
Cause I remember that so well , cause I was like sitting right here in the living room while you and I were and I sent you a couple of voice notes and we were trying to figure everything out and I was just like man he's , you know , I knew we were a teacher and .
I was like , and you were like really trying to make it work , you're like , you're like I really want to do this , let's . You know , let me just think , let me talk to my you know , my wife , whatever , and I'm about to fly and I was like , man , this guy's really really really like about to take action . That's awesome .
So I remember that like so well , cause , like you were about to fly you know , I sent you like the information and then we worked everything out and you were also teachers , I remember . So that's really funny . So we've come full circle now .
But so like you know , like I guess , what inspired you Like of all you know you said Beachbody , tony Horn , who I love , tony Horn too , but you know , like of all the programs and out there and everything else like I guess , like what inspired you to join the Forging Lead Fathers program .
Well , I'll start first off with you and like just the way that we connected over education and seeing like you were able to do what you've done and accomplished .
And then you have three daughters I only have one , I'm saying be able to like , make the time to , like , be this , you know awesome family man and husband , and also like get it in and work out and help other guys work out too . Then I have no excuses .
And then , plus , when we , when we talked about like what do you think of the things you have to adjust to make these changes ? And a lot of the things that I said like , yep , exactly that cause I was like , you know , I guess I could work out early in the morning . I'm like , yeah , I guess I'll just try to be better .
Yeah , but don't worry , it's not going to be like something where I'm just going to kind of give you the tools and then leave you be , but we're going to help you get along that path , and you know dietary stuff in the way . So for me , that's what .
That's what the difference making was was like you offering tell me also being introduced to the group and seeing the app and seeing other people like also on board too . And then even you know guys , coach Ryan as well , his insight and information and inspiration the folks and helping me make my goals .
So it was just like , yeah , this , this is exactly what I need to get to . What I want to get to , yeah .
Coach Ryan's awesome man . He'll , you know , with goal setting and like , really , why are you saying that word versus this word ? You know , like , why do you think that tried ? Try saying it this way instead . He has like a lot of a lot of cool , like little insights and tricks .
And you know also , like you said , you know , kind of what everybody to hear is like there's nothing . There's nothing secret right Behind the , behind the paywall , so to speak . It's like , hey , you have to work out , you have to eat a little bit better . You know you have to maybe wake up a little earlier .
The thing is is , it's what's gonna work for you as a busy dad , right , it's like , you know , doing the P90X for 90 minutes , 60 minutes a day might not work , for it might have worked in your 20 , but it just might not work for you now as a busy dad .
So it doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with it or you same thing with bodybuilding splits or any of that stuff . So you know , thanks for pointing that out . And I guess , like , so , like , since being in the program , like what's like your biggest takeaway so far ? Like what have you learned ?
Like I don't know , you guys , like what's the most important thing you've learned ? Oh , definitely the mindset , like once you set your mind to like what you wanna accomplish , like that's the main thing that's ever gonna like push you forward or hold you back .
And for me , I felt like once we talked about like the non-negotiables , about this group and the things I have to start like doing and thinking about , and as soon as I move the barriers of like oh , that's gonna be hard , or I can't do that , or that's gonna take too much time , I was like okay .
I'm gonna commit to this , I'm gonna make it work , I'm gonna find a way and once I was able to do that and then see like how that mindset shift changed
¶ Mindset Shift and Weight Loss Success
for me . Like looking at my phone and I'm realizing , yo , it's like five o'clock and I'm up , like I'm not like trying to hit this news button . I'm actually thinking about , okay , cool , I'm doing a hundred today , let's get it . You know what I'm saying . Like things like that .
I've realized like that's what needed to be adjusted was my mindset and like , from that point on , it was knowing that I could do it . And not only could I do it , but I'm seeing other people do it too . That's why I'm also like enjoying being a proud group , because it's not just like my progress that I'm looking at and celebrating .
It's like the progress of other people , other guys who are losing weight , other guys who are achieving their goals and killing it .
Right . Yeah , dude , the group aspect is always really cool too . I just took a picture because I'm gonna post it in our group chat now when we're done , like just hanging out , carol . But it's because it's like , once you see like especially with like the burpees or the 100s , you start seeing , like you know , people's wake up times in the morning .
It's like , oh man , I guess I better do mine . You know , you start seeing sweaty selfies . You start seeing like people putting posting their nutrition totals at the end of the day , you're like , oh yeah , I gotta do mine . You know , it's like you see everybody else doing it . It's like hard not to . It's like a good peer pressure . You know what I mean .
It is it is .
It is so mindset has been the biggest thing for you and you know , I guess , like when you were at 258 , like what was it like for you ? I guess , like , how are you feeling ? Like , was it impacting your health , was it impacting your energy ? Like , what was life like ?
Yeah , well , I mean , it's interesting because I would always think well , I'm tired because I have . What am I doing because of my job ?
Right , I'm tired because I work with my I had like what 27 , 28 kids in my class , yeah , so like I'm thinking like , okay , the reason why I'm so fatigued and I can't move around or do whatever I gotta do is because I'm tired from my job .
I mean it does play a role , don't get me wrong .
But I'm also realizing like , okay , it's also what you're like stuffing in your face in the morning . It's also what you're eating at night . It's also what you know how you're approaching like things with your schedule and your routine . And that's throwing me off because , you know , I wake up , I drive to McDonald's , which is like a block away from my house .
I order like a bacon , egg and cheese and a hash brown thing oh , this is healthy , you know , or something like that and then , of course , like , if I don't meal prep right , there's a Popeye's conveniently across from my job , so I'll go buy some food . So I'm filling myself with all this stuff .
Meanwhile , working one of the most stressful jobs in the world , you know is just kind of compounding things . So I'd say like , once I started making that shift about , you know , meal prep , about Do do it , like changing the things that you would obviously Advises to do , that's when I started seeing the change .
So before that I was just kind of like going with it , thinking , okay , I'm this weight because of how things have to be right , feeling a victim of my circumstance versus All right . Now there is something I could do about this , you know , by changing a few things with my , my day-to-day routine .
Oh yeah , man , I love that and I love that perspective . Like you know , like you mentioned , like being a victim of sort of , like your Circumstances , like a passive recipient , like you know , I guess this is just what happens .
You know , when you hit a certain age or you become a dad , or when you become a teacher for so long , or you know you're just in the grind to work is so busy , and then there's fast food here , fast food there , picking up things here and there , and it's suddenly you're like 258 , being like I guess this is just it right , then having that awareness be
like wait , you know , like I can still turn this ship around . You know , like I'm not quite in my 60s yet where I have to like accept this , I can still turn this boat around , and so , and you did . You know , like I said , we were chatting right before you hopped on that plane . You just committed to the program .
You're like I'm in , let's do this , and so like what kind of results have you gotten so far ? Because you joined in the middle of April , so it's like it's not even the middle of July yet , so like less than three months , what kind of results have you gotten so far ?
Hey , that's weird to say Alright . So I'm down to at this point two thirty six , right , and that's not with like a drink , like I'm leaving cauliflower first of my life , kind of died . I definitely enjoy like good food like we talked about .
Like my youngest brother's wedding like I went to and I did enjoy a cake , but yeah , it's just like this is like since that time , I've seen like the way was , like I could see my ass like the first time , like Wow , and like , like I said before , like I've established a new routine that I'm going to or hope to continue for the rest of my life .
Right , because I know like whatever I do now is gonna be setting me up for success down the road , along with my wife because , like she's also started doing like a workouts too . So I'm mostly okay . I'm like either my home when it comes to health and fitness and nutrition , like whatever I do is going to set this , this precedent for everybody else .
Probably go to my daughter , you know , when she gets old enough .
So that's been the main thing is just like seeing that change in my , my weight , the clothes that I have I posted on the other day too , like I'm noticing that I had like buying new clothes my jeans don't fit what I used to and even like , even like , like last Sunday I'm going into service .
I'm realizing , oh my goodness , like my , my , my , my belt is like over my pants , like , like the way it has to be folded in like folding yeah , yeah , like I'm like , oh my goodness , and I'm like buy clothes like this too . So , yeah , it's a good problem to have you know , yeah so down over 20 pounds in less than 12 weeks .
Your wife is now working out with you in the morning and you mentioned like it's you're gonna like , your daughter's gonna she's six months now , but she's gonna see you guys . She's gonna see you and your wife working out first thing in the morning . Like , of course that's gonna sink in even you don't have to force it on her .
She just gonna like see that and then remember when she grows up she'd be like man . I remember mommy and daddy would always just work out like . So when it becomes like her chance to like when she's in college or something , she's like man . I'm gonna go for a run to decompress instead of like get drunk to decompress .
You know what I mean yeah so , so down 20 pounds . Clothes don't fit anymore . Have people noticed ? We like when you went to the wedding , the people noticed oh yeah , oh yeah big time .
And then my brother did . My brother was like you look so skinny . I was like , well , I don't know about skinny , but , um , I feel like it's more muscle and that's what I was discouraged by . Like , as the progress was going on , I realized there were certain weeks when I feel like I was going back up in weight right , what's going on ?
But then , like I look into the details of it's , like , oh , I'm gaining muscle and then losing body fat . So that's how , when I get the muscle , it kind of looks like I'm gaining weight back yeah , so yeah .
I dig a lot of compliments and I was nervous because I got a fitted tux for the wedding and so I was like , okay , let's make sure we get this adjusted , just in case .
I'm sure enough , I needed to get it adjusted when I went to my brother um two weeks prior to the wedding , so got the adjustments made fit real well , and , yeah , it was a good time and I didn't feel guilty about eating cake that's what I think so and we talked about it so that I said , okay , I can enjoy this good food by no Monday morning I'm back at
it again . Right , yeah , and that's the thing .
Like I was initially nervous not think I would be this , this confident , like months prior I would be like , okay , I'm a fall off the wagon , I'm just continuing to do what I always do , waking back , whatever but now it's like a matter of no , like I can enjoy this weekend , come back home and I'm back at what I would normally do , yeah , and that's the
thing right , like you're gonna have weddings , your kids are gonna have birthday parties that you're gonna go to Right , like your wife , you're gonna take your wife out like you're just , you're still a human being .
You can't just walk around being keto all day long and eating chicken and broccoli and out of Tupperwares and stuff like that . So I remember you were you and I were messaging about going to to the wedding and I was like , dude , there are a couple ways , or no ? I think was one of the group calls . I was there's a couple of ways you could approach it .
You could either tell yourself you're gonna be really good and be really good the whole weekend . You can tell yourself you're gonna be really good and then not be good and then feel bad about it . Or you can tell yourself you're gonna enjoy it and enjoy it and then come back and just fix it , type of thing .
You know what I mean and so , like those are the three approaches that everybody can take and you know a lot of people , unfortunately , they tell themselves they're gonna be really good and then they're not , and then they just feel bad about it for the next six months and they go off their diet , off the deep end , and they just spiral out of control .
You know what I mean .
¶ Fitness Program for Achieving Results
Yeah , and , and when did you go ? What weekend was it ? Was it the weekend like the 26th store ?
Yeah , last month Weekend is the third weekend of June .
Yeah , and even that , like you're still like . I'm looking at your week graph now , it was , like you know , june mid-June is like 238 and then down to 40 and so like you're still down down to 234 , right .
So it's like Like , even with that , like there , maybe it was like a blip , maybe there was like a one-day little spike or something like that , but it's like , yeah , dude , super stoked for you and and the progress that you've made so far and the clothes aren't fitting and all that stuff , like you said there's a good problem to have .
This is where , like Jim , I'm sorry .
I don't know .
I just wear like Jim clothes for the rest of this summer . I'll be good , I'll figure out the attire in the I know , but that's fine .
You get to go back to , like back to school shopping too . You're just like the kids , you know , but a j crew or whatever . Yeah for me it's American Eagle .
They're pretty .
Nice , nice , nice .
Um , so , like , what would you say to somebody who's like on the fence ? Maybe they're like , they're thinking about joining . They've been listening to the podcast for a while , or they , you know , they've been following on Instagram . They're like man , I don't know if I should do it . I don't know if it's worth it .
Like , what would you tell somebody who's like on the fence about joining ? I was , I was .
Especially when it came to pain , that I'm that and I'd say this , like the guys that ford newly will work with you . Um , so it is affordable , so don't worry about that . For one number two , it will take time , but it's time that's invested in your health and your wellness and your family in the sense , and in your future .
So think about , like , how , how much are you willing to like invest in it now to get like a long-term benefit , versus like still continue to pass up on this opportunity and still feel the same that you're like you know , gaining weight , not feeling healthy , you know , not feelings if you're in control of your health and fitness , pretty much like I See this ,
this program has been a game changer for my life in general and , yeah , I like , definitely appreciate all the guys in this group because they've definitely changed how I view Again my life and how I view nutrition and health and fitness . And definitely a part of this group , proud to be part of this group .
Now , to urge anybody else who wants to be a part of it , don't hesitate , just do it .
Hi man , don't hesitate , just do it . From Carol himself . And yeah , like there's like a whole bunch of you guys who like sign up in April also , like like run you Gary , like a lot of you guys just like are just nailing it . It's just so freaking awesome to see and you know I can't thank you enough .
I'm so impressed and I cannot wait to see how much more we could accomplish together . In fact , you just signed up for another what ? Four months or something right . So so you're still in it . We're gonna take you through the summer break into the fall and Get you rocking and rolling for the next week . Do your kids students now ? Students are noticed .
They don't notice , they're too young .
We have a very transparent relationship . My students and I think that that's part of what makes great Users is that like the only to see this persona but it's no who you are so like when I came From my return paternity leave at the end of January . you know where you been , I'm not gonna lie .
Okay , I just had a baby , like I got a child , so in the pictures , all that , yeah . And then when I came back from vacation in April I was telling I listen , guys , if you see Mr Reed come in here witha Box of Popeyes or McDonald's , you have my permission to take it and throw it away . No questions asked , you take it and throw it away .
Oh really .
Yes , yes anything and so there'll be times when they have parties and kids for like their you know kind of spiky pizza cupcakes , and then you know it's like they'll see me like , oh no worry , mr E can't have this , I'm gonna have this for him . Like just pull it from my hands or like give it to somebody else .
So they were my accountability partners during the year . That's awesome , man .
Good for you , Dude . That's hysterical . And is there anything else you wanted to say before we hop off ?
Well , I mean , obviously , thank you . I know this is a labor that you have put your everything into and I realized , like what it is that you do is not just like obviously , in fact , in my life , but so many other fathers and you know we couldn't make this happen without you and Ryan .
So I wanted to publicly thank you both for making this move and just taking the time to improve our lives . So that's , that's what I'm saying .
That means a lot . I really appreciate it , dude . That seriously , that means a lot . And yeah , man , I thank you so much . And thank you too , man , You're , you're still . You're out there educating our kids . You know like I , you know you always .
I remember when I was first starting as teaching people , people burn out after five years and this sound like not me , I'm going to do it forever . And then here , I am .
So you're still yeah , this is your , this is your none yeah .
Yeah , dude . Well , good for you , man , that's awesome . Well , legacy makers , you heard it from Carol himself man , down over 20 pounds in less than 12 weeks , still able to go to the wedding , still able to eat cake , still able to enjoy
¶ Join FortunesEatFathers.com and Get Personalized Support
himself . He's working out with his wife in the mornings now . His clothes don't fit in a good way and he's just , like you know , has more energy and you know so much more .
And so if you're curious about like learning more about the Fortunes Eat Fathers and you're like , all right , I think this is it , I think I'm ready to join , even if you're not ready to join , but you just want to like ask a couple of more questions and pick my brain , I would love for you to go to FortunesEatFatherscom forward slash , apply and click on that
apply button and I'll personally be in touch to work out if and how my program could help you hit your goals . And I'll answer all your questions , like it'll literally be me texting you and then yeah , sending you voice notes .
So , like it's literally me on my phone , you'll have my phone number , so I'll text you and then we'll just text back and forth and then you're an adult . There's no hard sales . I'm not going to be twisting your arm . You're making an adult decision for yourself and I'll just give you all the information you need . So again , go to fordlingfatherscom .
Forward , slash , apply and let's freaking do this . So until I see you next time , legacy makers , let's keep creating a legacy of health and fitness , not only for ourselves but for generations to come . Let's go . Thanks so much , carol Mann . I really appreciate it .