Will: “Dad, I know opposites.”

Me: “Really pal? Then tell me, are mom and I opposites?”

Will: “Yes. Mom is skinny and you are — “

Me: “Yeah I get it bud, thanks.”

At first, this made-for-TV-sitcom moment had me laughing. A 5-year-old kid innocently uses his newfound knowledge to inadvertently make a fat guy crack about his dad? That’s funny. It’s always been funny. I even tweeted it and recounted across my other social media channels. Because, well — I am fat. I’ve always been kind of fat. And as most fat guys will tell you, being jolly and self-deprecating about your weight is the first rule of being a fat guy.

But after 24 hours of thinking on it and letting my son’s comments bounce around in my head, I’m no longer laughing. Because it’s not funny.

And now I’m pissed at myself.

In 2012 I worked my ass off and lost 60 lbs. Now, two years later, I’ve put 30 of it back on. That’s something I swore I wouldn’t do, especially since I was running half marathons, eating right, and generally living healthier. To throw that all away is just criminal on my part, but the only thing worse would be if I just give up now.

A few months ago I took the Little Remedies “Say Yes to Less” pledge, wherein I pledged to eat better — specifically vowing to cut down dramatically on sugar. Needless to say, I failed. Miserably. I was sick the entire month of December, recovered slightly in early January, and then got sick again for a few weeks. I let that serve as an excuse to eat like garbage and stop exercising completely. Normally I run anywhere between 45-55 miles a month, but this month has seen me run 2. Two miles.

Unacceptable.

I feel ashamed. I feel ashamed because my son — one of the most important people in my life and the person who is supposed to look at me as a role model — sees me as fat. As unhealthy. He views me as a cautionary tale instead of an example to which he should aspire.

Although it’s a little far afield of the “Say Yes to Less” pledge parameters, I’m harnessing its spirit to make a pledge of my own. I’m going to lose this weight. I’m going to do it by tracking what I eat, engaging in portion control, and getting back to running. No fad diets, no $200 workout DVD sets, no service where they deliver the food to you — just the basics.

Be smarter, eat less, exercise more. Simple. But also, not so simple.

When it comes to weight loss and being healthy, I’ve succeeded and I’ve failed. But the only real failure would be choosing not to get back up when I’ve fallen flat. This won’t be easy, but I’ll get it done because it’s important. Because I care about my son, and all the complications from obesity are a surefire way to make sure I rob him of time with a father.

The next time I ask my son about how my wife and I are opposites, the only option I want to leave him with is “mom is a girl and dad is a boy.”

***I was compensated by Little Remedies for this post, but as always, all opinions contained in this post are my own. Also, please watch this great video about one teen’s special “Say Yes to Less” pledge.



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If your househould has been ravaged by sickness like ours has this winter, you’ll love this month’s featured Little Remedies product, which is Little Remedies’ Soothing Cough Syrup.

This product is an all-natural product for soothing coughs and sore throats. It is designed specifically for kids ages 12 months to four years. It contains no artificial flavors or colors, and has no saccharin, alcohol, dyes, or gluten.

For more information, check out Little Remedies and its list of products for children of all ages.