Some time ago, I took Connie on a little outing into town to get her a handful of these little 2.5” sonic action figures she’s become enamoured with.
Her behaviour has been beyond stellar of late, genuinely helping me and Jess with Lily which is mighty impressive considering that she is four – well deserving of a generous reward.
The two of us stopped for a spot of lunch, Connie opting for KFC because she wanted some chicken nuggets (which were terrible, far worse than I remember, but that is an email for another time).
Anyway, as we were eating I couldn’t help but notice another dad out with his son enjoying some lunch.
Well, I say “some”, but that is a gross understatement. Their tray was piled high with two burgers each, a bucket of chicken each, plus fries, and drinks. (I am not being hyperbolic for dramatic effect, this is actually what I saw them putting away.)
You will not be surprised to learn that they were both very fat indeed.
Given their condition, I suspect this sort of dietary degeneracy was a regular occurrence. Something I think is sad, as it suggests the dad’s primary and perhaps only way of expressing love for his son is to fill his stomach with ultra-processed slop.
Yes, I am aware that I was also feeding Connie ultra-processed slop that day. But the difference is, this was the first time she’d eaten fast food in a year (if you’re wondering how it is that she knows what chicken nuggets are, it’s because Jess makes them from scratch occasionally), and my daughter is strong and in shape.
More:
She is strong and in shape because I lead by example.
That doesn’t involve obsessing over my fitness, training for dozens of hours per week, being weird about food, or whatever.
I just get on with the needful, which generally consists of lifting a few times per week, doing cardio a few times per week, taking a short daily walk, and eating sensibly. (Admittedly, my training differs from that now as I’ve had enough of the gym for now after fifteen years of going week in, week out, planned breaks aside, but what I described is plenty sufficient to get outstanding results and perfectly manageable for any serious person.)
The net result is that Connie asks me (and sometimes demands) to come with me to the park to train, eats whatever is put in front of her, sleeps soundly through the night every night, and so on.
It’s almost like children are a mirror of their parents in all things.
Almost.
Appropriately, if you would like to set a better example to your kids (or spouse or anyone who matters to you), my biased recommendation is that you start by reading and then putting into action the material inside my problematic book:
“The Weight Loss Manifesto”
I’ve priced it so that anyone who needs it can get a copy. Indeed, it probably costs less than eating at KFC if you’re buying food for more than one person.
Here’s more information about the book:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/manifesto
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman