Inheriting a legacy.

I grew up with a buff dad.  It was even his nickname among my friends.  Buff Dad.  Every morning my father would go to the gym before work, and to this day he still keeps himself in excellent shape.  It shaped my perception of what a father looks like; a big, strong man who takes care of himself and his family.  Now that I’m a dad, I want to be a big strong father figure for my son, just as my father was for me.  Problem is, I’m an out-of-shape writer who stays home to watch the baby and has lived on a vegan diet for close to twenty years.  Not exactly the greatest combination of circumstances for getting big strong muscles, but… challenge accepted.

I’m three weeks in to my quest to inherit the legacy of my buff dad, and things are going pretty well.  For my exercises I’ve decided to use resistance bands at home.  This lets me get some much-needed activity without having to join a gym.  It saves me some money, I’m getting accustomed to the forms of certain exercises, and my infant son likes to watch his dad play with the strange rubber bands.  I’m keeping to the workout routine my dad taught me during an earlier (and failed) attempt to get in shape, working certain areas of my body on certain days of the week.  Leg day is only once a week, and weekends are for resting.

The biggest challenge has not been the physical work, but the change in diet.  I’ve been a “junk food vegan” for decades thanks to my sweet tooth.  Cutting sweets and other treats from my daily routine was the biggest hurdle.  Stupid sweet tooth.  Now I’m snacking primarily on fruits and vegetables instead of cookies and chips.  I’m slowly removing processed foods and frozen dinners and switching to whole foods and homemade meals.  This is a slow process because I want to go through my existing groceries instead of simply throwing them away.  Finally, I purchased a copy of “Thrive” by Brendan Brazier and will implement his diet plan once I’m done with his book (and go through my existing groceries).  If I’m going to listen to anyone’s advice on how to use a vegan diet to build muscle, it’s going to be the professional triathlete who did just that.

So that’s my quest.  I’m sick of being out-of-shape and having a dad-bod.  I want to be a big strong father figure for my son.  I want to set a good example for him.  I want to look better for my wife.  I want to feel better.  Like a superhero inheriting the mantle of the costumed crusader who came before him… I will be Buff Dad.