From this…

*October, 2022. The heaviest I have been in my life.*

To this in 2.5 years

*May 2025. Feeling better than I have since I was in high school.*

Background

In the Spring of 2018, when we found out my wife Emily was pregnant with Winston, we both started eating more. Emily, because doctors had told her she was too thin, and it was affecting her immune system. I, because I wanted to support her emotionally. And eat, we did!. Emily had the craziest cravings for all kinds of foods during her pregnancy. I joined her when she ate, and let my eating habits slide.

As you can see from the graph below, from March 2018, when we found out Emily was pregnant, until October 20, 2022, when I posted the highest weight of my entire life, my weight went from 94.4 kg (208 lbs) to 109.5 kg (241 lbs), or an increase of 15.1 kg (33 lbs) in roughly 4.5 years. That is 3.36 kg (7 lbs) per year on average.

Below is what that looks like graphed. The top line is weight, the middle line is fat mass percentage and the third line is BMI. It is not rapid. But it is a steady increase.

The importance of trajectory

So the thing with weight and most things in life is not where you are now but the TRAJECTORY you are on. So just before my 57th birthday in 2022, not only was I the heaviest I had ever weighed in my life, but I was also clearly on the wrong trajectory.

This time, for myself, and more importantly for me to be here longer for my wife and son, I resolved to change my trajectory.

From October 11, 2022 until now (June 2, 2025), I have DONE the following things without fail:

Ate less food and less frequently (eating no more than two small meals a day). I don't really obsess much about what I eat or how much but I do log it all and try to stay in a slight caloric deficit each day. This app has been a godsend. You take a picture of the food with the app, and the AI counts your calories for you and monitors the protein, carb, and fat content. (see the tech section below for more info) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cal-ai-calorie-tracker/id6480417616
Ate more home-cooked meals (4-5 days per week)
Walked 15,000 steps EVERY day (wind, rain, snow, cold, hot, no matter what. If it’s hot, I walk in the early morning, if it’s cold, I bundle up, if it is raining or snowing, I wear rain gear)
Consciously ate less sugar, bread and carbohydrates, and ate more animal and plant protein.
Consciously drank more water (I tracked it) and had one electrolyte drink (no sugar: LMNT) per day to maintain adequate hydration.
Designated my "snack food" to be healthy (no sugar added) yogurt and nuts, and stuck with that.
I get a full-body, 2-hour massage once a week to work the soreness from daily walking out of my body and to improve blood circulation.
In the Summer of 2023, after I had already lost nearly 10 kg, I started taking Wegovy (per my heart doctor's advice). While I feel it has helped curb my appetite, it certainly didn't help me lose weight any faster (in fact, my weight spiked up a bit when I started taking it). After about 1 year of taking it, I stopped, Cold Turkey.

The things I DID NOT DO were:

Miss a day of exercise (I could count the days I didn’t get at least 10,000 steps done in the last 3 years on both hands)
Count calories or obsess over the food I ate/didn't eat
Avoid eating things I enjoy, starving myself, or anything that involves a serious amount of willpower to be unsustainable
Avoid eating with my family at the dinner table, or eating different things than they were eating (this is unsustainable and would have been uncomfortable for others if I had done so).

The things I consciously worked on increasing were Water Mass (you need to be hydrated to effectively lose weight), Bone Mass, and Muscle Mass (these two tend to decline as you age, so you need to work to increase them). I bought a weight scale (Withings) that measures body composition, and this is the trajectory upwards I have experienced on those three things.

Four year water, bone and muscle mass trend

The results

I don't ever get tired playing with Winston anymore (this is the best result by the way!)
Lost 22.5 kg (50 lbs)
Increased muscle mass and bone density significantly.
My blood pressure is down to the normal range
My resting heartbeat is down from 100 to 75 BPM
I have more energy throughout the day
My body fat mass is down from 34% to 19.2%
My BMI went down from 34.3 to 27.5
I don't have mood swings or feel "hangry" anymore

Can you do this?

Yes, you can. And you don't need any medicine, my use of Wegovy halfway through the journey hasn't swayed my results one way or the other (I took it for exactly 1 year in 2023-24). If anything, its been a non-factor. Yes I use a lot of tech to monitor my progress (see below) and I take a lot of supplements (see below) but I don't believe any of these are absolutely necessary. Diet and amount/type of food consumed is the #1 priority and when combined with regular, consistent walking over time, the results will come. Oh, and get properly hydrated!

What you need:

Commitment from your family to support you
Commitment to cook good healthy food (eat out no more than 1-2 times a week if you can)
Commitment to walking or some form of exercise that will put you in fat-burning mode without exhausting you on a DAILY basis (no exceptions)
A way to measure the data given above with a smart scale (a must IMHO), a smart watch, a smart phone, or some combination thereof. The AI calorie-counting App is great, but I didn't start using one until very recently because typing food in was a hassle. Now I point and click, and the AI-powered App does the rest.

Tell people:

Last but not least, you need to tell everyone you are on this journey. Keeping it to yourself guarantees failure. Tell people what you are doing to become healthier and live longer on this planet.

Supplements I take regularly (one tablet/serving daily):

Fratelli Mantova Apple Cider Vinegar (drink a tablespoon with water upon awakening and before bed )

Raw, unfiltered ACV may support digestion, gut health, and blood sugar regulation due to beneficial bacteria (“the mother”) and acetic acid content. Seems to really promote fat burning.

Vitassium Electrolyte Capsule

Help maintain electrolyte balance, support hydration, and reduce fatigue—especially useful during exercise or heat exposure.

Paleovalley Apple Cider Vinegar Complex

Combines ACV with turmeric, cinnamon, and lemon for enhanced metabolism, blood sugar control, and anti-inflammatory support.

Carlyle Tart Cherry Extract (10,500 mg) (take one of these on days I don't drink the juice)

Rich in antioxidants and melatonin, it supports muscle recovery, sleep, and joint health.

Cheribundi Tart Cherry Juice (Pure) (mix this with soday water when I get tired of drinking plain water)

Naturally helps reduce inflammation, aids post-workout recovery, and supports better sleep.

NOW Sports Beta Alanine (750 mg)

Buffers acid in muscles, delaying fatigue and enhancing endurance during high-intensity training.

NOW L-Glutamine (500 mg)

Supports muscle recovery, immune function, and gut health—especially after stress or workouts.

New Chapter Zyflamend

Herbal blend designed to reduce inflammation and promote joint mobility and flexibility.

Pure Encapsulations Chromium Picolinate (500 mcg)

Supports healthy blood sugar metabolism and may help reduce sugar cravings.

Pure Encapsulations L-Carnitine

Assists in energy production and fat metabolism, which is beneficial for cardiovascular and physical performance.

Sunergetic Berberine (1200 mg)

Natural compound known for regulating blood sugar, supporting metabolic and cardiovascular health.

Centrum Minis Men 50+

A multivitamin that supports heart, brain, eye, and muscle function in men over 50.

Himalaya LiverCare

Herbal formula that promotes liver detoxification, supports liver enzymes, and overall liver function. I have been taking this forever and my liver numbers went from bad to excellent.

Nutra Champs Biotin Gummies (10,000 mcg)

Supports healthy hair, skin, and nails by aiding keratin production and cell growth.

Andmino HMB + L-Leucine Gummies

HMB and Leucine work together to promote muscle mass, reduce breakdown, and improve recovery.

Animal Creatine Chew Tabs

It boosts strength, power, and muscle recovery by replenishing cellular energy stores (ATP). I take one to two of these per day. It's nice to pop one if you really need a mental boost as well.

Tech I use to track my progress:

"What gets measured gets managed" - Peter Drucker

It is vitally important to measure your progress daily. Having the right tech allows you to do that.

Besides the iPhone and Apple Health, by far the most important piece of tech is:

Withings Smart Scale - Full Body Scan

Go get one! https://amzn.to/4mNvyIc

Withings products are great, and they allow you to track all data in the cloud and support your whole family as users. If you want to go all in, just get all three:

*The Withings products I own and rely on*

Wearable Tech

You need a wearable to measure your daily steps. Now while you can do this at a basic level with your iPhone, I recommend using an Apple Watch, an Oura Ring or a WHOOP Band. Now I have all three but you really only need one. If I was just going to buy one I would get the Oura Ring as it is the smallest, packed with all the functionality you need including sleep and activity tracking and the software is amazing and keeps getting better. It also has integrations with the Stelo CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) device I wear.

*Oura Ring 4. I wear platinum color myself.*

Oura Ring https://amzn.to/3T4oYPD

WHOOP MG (Medical Grade) https://amzn.to/4kMphdS

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Device. By simply monitoring my glucose and post meal spikes I have learned to manage my meal portions and meal content to avoid glucose spikes. Basically when you eat something (carbs) or in a way (too fast) that makes your glucose spike your body goes into fat production mode. By holistically and naturally monitoring your glucose, you naturally find yourself eating better and avoiding spikes. This has been a real game changer for me. https://www.dexcom .com/

*Stelo CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring)*

Lumen Metabolism Tracker

The Lumen device is a handheld breath analyzer that assesses your body's current fuel utilization—whether you're burning fats or carbohydrates—by measuring the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in your breath.This insight aids in understanding your metabolic flexibility and tailoring nutrition plans accordingly. I have used this device to track whether my diet and exercise is getting me into the fat burning zone (i.e. using ketones for fuel versus glucose). Its really easy to use too. You just breath into it when you wake up, and any other time during the day if you want to see where your metabolism is. https://www.lumen.me/

Cal AI - Meal calorie and content tracking App

This app is easy and great and for the most part really accurate. Even if it gets it wrong you can “fix” the entry by just talking in the app and listing the ingredients. Being conscious of what you eat automatically solves the accidental overeating issue. You simply need to resolve to log everything you put in your mouth. Snap a picture, and the AI does the rest. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cal-ai-calorie-tracker/id6480417616

Disclaimer: This is my protocol and my toolkit. I has worked wonders for me, bringing the weightloss and the fitness levels I require as I age. All without hitting a gym or crazy dieting. Once you have the tools and the routine becomes a habit you will mostly likely have similar results. But what do I know? I got here by a ton of experimentation and learning. The one thing I will say is that if you follow this protocol you will understand your body in a way you never have before. Its enlightening, freeing and in the end confidence-building. Good luck on your journey!

Bye Bye Dad Bod

TO Be OR NOT TO BE.