Happy Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads who are there for their kids.  The guys who stuck around and did their duty to their children.

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.  But when I got to twenty one, I was astonished how much he had learned in seven years!" -Mark Twain

"I don't care how poor a man is, if he has a family he is RICH." -Colonel Potter (M*A*S*H)

My dad taught me everything I need to know about hard work, living well, and being a quality human being.  He lead by example and at times growing up we most definitely butted heads.  As I matured and grew up though I began to realize how much he truly influenced my life.

I see a similar quote to this online a fair amount but it rings true here... I just can't believe it some days when I open my mouth and my father comes out!

Happy Fathers Day Dad, wish I could be at the lake fishing with you today instead of working a 12 hour shift.

Eat this not..umm, that?

Watching Noah develop over the past year into the amazing little toddler he is now has been an eye opening experience.  One of the major milestones for him in the past few months has been switching from pureed food to whole form foods.  Once he started getting teeth we really began to progress into more and more variety for his meals.  What was once mushy and easily mashed foods (bananas, sweet potatoes, cheeses, yogurts) has worked it's way to crunchier and more tricky foods (cheerios, crackers, cookies, and meats).

Along with Noah's culinary experiences has come a propensity to use his pincer grasp to pick up any and all tiny objects he can find.  Usually those tiny objects, regardless of nutritional content will end up in his mouth only to be chewed to a pulp and swallowed.  We do our best to keep the house clean and prevent him from getting anything dangerous in his mouth but how long until I am asking, is my kid the one that ate the penny?

Just the other day I was sitting on the floor and playing with Noah, he meandered into the dining room and began to use the dining room table and chairs as an underground tunnel system to escape capture from the dad monster.  The giggling and chasing went on for a few minutes until he took up shop under one of the chairs.  I laid on the floor ten feet away and pretended to be exhausted.  I took my eyes off of him for about 5 seconds only to open them to see him chewing away on something he had picked up along the way.  I immediately ran over and put my hand out for him to spit it out.  But instead there was a gulp, a gag, a cough, and a swallow.  Whatever piece of magic carpet fuzz, spider, or crumb he had found had become a snack.  I was definitely freaked out, but knowing how much we vacuum and clean I doubt it was anything too dangerous.

Noah has a complete disregard for portion control, he will stuff his mouth until there is no more room, smile a toothy grin and then chew until everything is swallowed.  He had a chance to experience cheerios for the first time the other day and we had put 10 or 12 of them on his high chair tray.  He picked one up, nibbled, chewed, and smiled.  Suddenly he had a great idea and put another cheerio in his mouth.  He followed that up with a third, fourth, and then I grabbed his hand to slow him down.  But like buddy the elf eating cotton balls in the doctors office as soon as I let go, another cheerio went in his mouth.  I couldn't help but laugh on the inside watching Noah's delight at my panic as he chomped away on his cheerios.

This has become the norm with meals, so we have taken to portion control ourselves by only allowing a small amount of food on his tray at a time.  Unless it's watermelon, because Noah eats watermelon like a wood chipper.  He picks up one piece moves his jaw up and down and begins to feed the machine with sweet and juicy pieces.  There is a repetitive and constant sound of crunching and slurping as he devours the fleshy red meat of the defenseless watermelon.

I guess we should consider ourselves as pretty lucky because many kids struggle with feeding time.  Many don't eat that well.  Noah is easy in the sense that he will eat or at least try just about anything you put in front of him.  He eats a great variety of fruits and vegetables (sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, avocado, peas, carrots, corn, bananas, mandarin oranges, watermelon, canteloupe, honeydew, mango, peaches...I could go on..).  He eats macaroni, pasta, cheeses, yogurt, crackers, cookies, cheese curls, chicken, kosher all beef hotdogs, spaghetti o's, cheerios, and more.  I hope as he grows up he continues to develop his palette for good foods.  I know there is going to be a time where he rebels and only wants his favorites like mac and cheese or chicken nuggets but I am hoping his experiences now will prevent that some.  Christine and I love to experience new and delicious foods and that is something I would love to be able to share with my children.  I would like for them to be able to enjoy healthy foods the way we do some day so that we can share in their delight when they try new and adventurous things.

I just pray my kid isn't the one that eats pennies.

Smash Cake!

We celebrated Noah's first birthday this past weekend surrounded by family and friends.  While we don't plan on having such a ridiculously large party every year for his birthday, how could we say no to a huge soiree for his first birthday?  Noah had the requisite 1st birthday smash cake, my mom made AMAZING cupcakes, and Christine impressed with her party for our little boy.

My wife gets all the credit for putting together and planning this party, she did a wonderful job from the catering, to the decorations, to the planning of the treat boxes for all the kids in attendance.  We had a party hat decorating table so the kids (and adults) could make their own party hat.  There were balloons, snacks, amazing food, and delicious cake.  As well as a broad assortment of libations for the adults and sugary sweet  drinks for the kids.

We can't begin to express our gratitude to everyone who came out to make that day so special.  I think Noah had a chance to make his rounds to everyone and wave hello, give a high five, or a sly smile.  It was wonderful seeing everyone, I just wish we would have had more time to spend chatting with everyone individually.  We are truly blessed to have such a large group of people who care enough about us and our son to come out and celebrate with us.  I hope Noah understands growing up just how lucky he really is.

Here are a selection of some of my favorite photos from the afternoon:

What A Year!

A year in our lives really is a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things as we know it.  A year in your life when it's your first with a child is monumental on a level that you really don't comprehend until you've been there.  I am not trying to over dramatize it either, if you sit back and think of everything that happens in the first year of that life it's an amazing and beautiful experience.

The birth process for first time parents is a scary, daunting, and ultimately beautiful experience.  The fact that two people come together to create this wonderful being is a miracle in itself.  At first you are exhausted, relieved, happy, overjoyed, elated, excited, and terrified.  Not to mention completely oblivious to the reality that is about to strike you in the face like Troy Polamalu on an opposing quarterback.

You get home unsure, unsteady, nervous, and completely unprepared for the first few weeks.  Sleep becomes a luxury best served in a chair, couch, or on the floor when you can get it.  You see people come and go from your house but really are oblivious to their presence because you are still shocked by the entire scenario unfolding in front of you.  You are changing diapers slowly and poorly leading to leaks, stains, and extra laundry.  You look at a clock and deny that time is actually moving because you don't really relate to the time anymore...you just know that when that baby cries they need changed, food, or mom and dad.

Those days and weeks begin to blend together into an incomprehensible blur until one morning you wake up and realize that your child just slept 6, 8, or 12 straight hours.  Suddenly you have your sanity back, your life back, your focus back.  You can change a diaper with one hand while replacing the pacifier with the other.  You know your babies cries and know when he is hungry, sad, scared, and when he is just crying because he is a baby.  Life is better, the child looks up to you and smiles, he knows who daddy and mommy are and there is nothing greater.

More weeks pass, and now the house is filled with laughter, giggling uncontrollably until hiccups overtake the belly laugh.  The child grows in weight, in length and begins to take on a personality all their own.  Mom sees dad in him and dad sees mom, both agree that he is amazing.  Suddenly one day he rolls over because being on his back must be boring.

Then the crawling begins, time to baby proof the house, protecting him from his own curiosity.  Mom and dad encourage him to pull to stand, to play, to grow.  Soon the child is motoring all over the house, end to end and getting into everything he can find.  Bumped heads and falls are accompanied by an unsure cry or a look to mommy and daddy to make sure he is ok.  Then one day he stands and holds on to nothing, staring back at you with the most excited smile a child can have.

Your child exudes pride on a level that you didn't think was possible.  Every small accomplishment is greeted with cheering and applause by us as parents.  He smiles uncontrollably waiting for your approval with each time he stands or figures out some simple puzzle that just yesterday confounded him.  You wait for the day when he walks on his own, ignoring the warnings of friends who tell you that it spawns a whole new curiosity and adventure.

What a difference a year makes.  From our humble beginnings as wide eyed first time parents to the confident but still sometimes unsure beings we've become Christine and I have grown as parents and as a couple.  Watching our son grow up has brought us a level of joy and satisfaction that can not be put into words.  He is everything wonderful that we see in each other, yet he is still his own amazing little being with a wonderful developing personality and soul.  His sense of humor never ceases to amaze us and we know that he find himself to be one of the funniest people he knows.  His endless babbling and yapping brings a smile to our faces, and he can melt your heart with a simple Ma Ma or Da Da.

In our first year together:

We have changed 2,200 diapers.
We have made and served 10,950 ounces of milk (breast or formula)
We have done well over 120 loads of laundry for one tiny little boy.
We have gone through countless numbers of AA and AAA batteries.
We have lost more sleep than we want to think about.
We have washed/sterilized 1800 bottles.
We have crawled on the floor
We have become cheerleaders for our son's smallest accomplishments.
We have realized a love that is present from birth.
We are no longer grossed out by dirty diapers.
We should have bought stock in Similac.
We learned that Sam's Club diapers are so much cheaper, and just as good.
We have consumed somewhere in the neighborhood of 4000 cups of coffee.
We have chased and played on a level that brings us back to our own childhood.
We have experienced illness, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and a few Dr. visits.
We have learned that daycare isn't a scary place.
We have loved every minute of it...ok maybe not loved every minute, but we wouldn't take any of them back.

Today we get to wish our son a Very Happy 1st Birthday!  We wish you all the successes, accomplishments, and joy that you deserve.  To the first of many happy birthdays, We love you Noah!

-Love

Mom and Dad
"May you always have...
A sunbeam to warm you.
Good Luck to charm you.
A sheltering angel
so nothing can harm you.
Laughter to cheer you,
and Faithful friends near you.
And, whenever you pray,
heaven to hear you."

Happy Father's Day

This is a blog I created for my company at the request of my boss.  He and I are both fathers and both have struggled with the constant battle of weight gain.  Both of us have committed to improving our lives for the sake of our children.  We want to be there for them and for their children long into the future.  I hope you enjoy the post! -Ron

First things first, to any fathers out there reading, Happy Father's Day! Hopefully you get to spend the day with your children or enjoying your favorite dad hobby whether it's fishing, golfing, or just relaxing.

I became a father on August 17^th, 2011. It was a very happy and momentous day. There is a lot of emotion that comes with being a first time father and it's also a very overwhelming time because your life rapidly gets thrown into a tail spin.

Flashback to December 2010, my wife approached me with a big smile on her face and pregnancy test in hand. After the initial joy of pregnancy we settled back into our routine preparing and getting ready to bring the little one home in 9 months. I had a moment of self reflection one day (in the mirror) and realized that I was no longer the fit, svelte, young man I used to be. I looked at my waistband in my jeans and saw a number over 40”. I looked at my closet and saw a lot of XL clothes and even some XXL's. I climbed on the scale and saw that my once lean frame was now carrying close to 235lbs! I am only 5'11” tall, so that put my BMI (body mass index) at a whopping 32.8, that qualified me as OBESE, something I never imagined ever being. My joints hurt, my feet hurt, and sometimes it even hurt to bend over and pull on socks. I made the decision at that point to get back in shape and be a good role model for our child. I signed up for Weight Watchers for men in January of 2011, and begin walking on a treadmill hoping to work my way up to running again soon.

On the day of Noah's birth I had lost 35lbs and was able to run 5 or more miles at a nice clip. I was slowly getting back into form. Flash forward to today and I am currently at 185lbs and a much healthier (but not perfect) BMI of 25.8. I recently ran the marathon relay with a few of my coworkers here and plan on running the Half Marathon again next year. I am also biking and training to do a sprint triathlon this year as well. I only have a few more pounds to go until my goal weight of 175lbs. My joints don't ache anymore and my feet don't hurt even after a 12 hour day at work. My clothes are getting too baggy now, and pretty soon I am going to need to go shopping to update my wardrobe.

Adam asked me to share my story with all the fathers (and mothers) out there because it doesn't take a special person to do this. I am not special, I am just a normal guy who decided he needed to take his life back from the grasp of obesity. Your kids look up to you everyday and they emulate and imitate their parents because they don't know any better. Setting a good example for your children is the best gift you can give them.

Healthy changes in your diet are as easy as putting down the chips and having an apple, substituting broccoli for fries, or skipping the second helping. I don't profess to be an expert or a dietician, but simple changes in how we eat can go a long way. Cutting your portions down can save you precious calories and exercising for 30 minutes a day 4 or 5 days a week can help speed your metabolism and help you lose those pounds.

Are you interested in losing weight? Do you struggle with making the right food choices? There are plenty of resources available to you, just ask your Doctor. Get a physical to make sure you are healthy enough to exercise. Join a program like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig, or download a calorie counting app for your smart phone. There is no magic pill that will make you healthier and there is no prescription that we can provide for you to lose weight without the will and motivation to do it yourself. Sure, there are prescription options available but unless you change your diet for good there is no pill that will ever totally fix the problem.

My father always set a good example for me growing up, he worked incredibly hard (now retired), he came home grumpy sometimes and as a kid I didn't understand why. But he didn't take out his frustration on us he took it out with weights and cardio. He religiously exercised after work for an hour to vent his frustration. He would spend hours outside in the yard chasing us kids around, playing run down, catching football, playing frisbee, or competing in obstacle course races that we created. I didn't have a lot growing up, my family was large and all our money went to food, clothes, and savings. What we did have was a lot of love, two parents that cared more for us than we could ever begin to imagine, and we had each other. We didn't have cable so my brothers, sister, and I spent a lot of our time outside playing until the streetlights came on. I want to be able to give that gift to my child too, I want him to grow up in a responsible family, and I want to teach him to make healthy choices. I won't be able to force him to do anything once he gets old enough to think for himself but I do hope that I can show him the mistakes I made so that he isn't destined to repeat them.

This father's day I would like to ask all the dad's out there that struggle with their weight or their fitness to take some time for yourself. Improve your life, take the steps necessary to make sure that you are healthy enough to be a good role model for your children, and someday your grandchildren. Getting up every day and exercising before work or finding time to squeeze in a walk instead of watching TV for an hour every night isn't glamorous, but the benefits it provides far outweigh the risk of doing nothing. I struggle sometimes to find the motivation to workout just like everyone else. But I also tell myself  that I will never regret a workout when it's completed...but I always regret the workout I skip.  Do you need some added motivation? Join me for a run sometime or if you mountain bike or cycle on the road stop by and visit me at the store maybe we can meet up in South Park. If I have time I would be happy to join anyone out there who is looking to improve their fitness. As a pharmacist I interact with the general public everyday, and I see the way being unhealthy and overweight is killing our society. If I can give back to help you out I would be happy to, just stop in and chat sometime with me. I would love to help motivate you to get out and change the path you are on.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” -Mahatma Ghandi

If you are interested in following me on my personal blog you can follow me at www.fitdadorfatdad.blogspot.com

Happy Father's Day,

Ron Obringer

Father, pharmacist, and reforming fat guy.  

10 MONTHS!

Run streak Day 19, set off for my brisk morning run, only to have my watch inform me that the batteries are low!  (Didn't I just charge this 2 days ago...arrrgghh!!).  I set out on my "off day" mile loop around the neighborhood.  Mad it about 2/3rds of the way through the run and the watch died...crud.  Made sure that I ran a little extra so that I could guarantee myself of the mile.   Off day run, dead watch, 1.0 mile.

Our little man is 10 month old this weekend!  I have to say that taking pictures of an infant is great, they just lay there and smile or coo.  Taking pictures of a mobile 10 month old on the other hand is a lesson in patience, timing, luck, and a whole mess of other words I can't say in front of him.

Things started off great, I sat Noah down and he just hung out there waiting for me to take his picture.  After about 3 shutter snaps he had had enough.  It was off to the races, see if I can grab dads camera, chase me over here dad, now over here, oh lets play with this ball, and so on.

Enjoy the disaster that was the 10 month photo shoot.  At least I got a few keepers.  (All kidding aside I actually like the pictures of him rocketing around the room because it's the perfect capture of the child he has become).

One of the few good ones:

Oh Hi dad, my personal jungle gym:

Dad, dad, dad, dad, look at me:

Yep, I can pull to stand:

I am pretty funny huh dad?:

I'm gonna go over here now:

Hey Dad! I'm over here!:

Did you see this ball?:

Can I touch that?:

Cute Crawling shot:

These hands are delicious:

Yep, still as tasty:

Jungle Gym daddy!:

This backdrop looks delicious, just a taste ok?:

(Yes those are my legs keeping him "contained")

No more pictures please:

Week in Photos.

I have been thinking that to be more consistent in my blogging one of the things that I need to do is have a rotating weekly or bi weekly article that I write or post to keep things more consistent.  So I am giving you the first (hopefully of many) Week in Photos.  Of course some will need captions some are self explanatory.

Thanks for reading!

I turned 33 a few weeks ago and I used some money that I received for my birthday to invest in some new training tools to be used at fitdad HQ.  I was in need of some new shoes so I picked up a pair of my favorite neutral trainers The Brooks Ghost.  (This is model #5).  I also ordered a new helmet for road riding from Cannondale.  Hopefully I only have to experience the helmet for its amazing cooling abilities and never for its ability to protect my overly large melon head.

Reviews of each to follow soon.

I threw down some mulch this week to make the house and yard look pretty.  Remind me next year to cut back to about 4 yards, because 6 was a bit of overkill this year!

One of my best friends, Brian Kelm married his beautiful and sweet fiance this weekend.  I spent the weekend with the wife at the rehearsal, the wedding, and the reception.  It was our first night away from Noah since he was born.  Thank you Trish and Omar for watching Noah for the rehearsal, and Thank you Nana and Grampa for taking good care of our little boy while we were away for the night.

Noah had a monumental week, he has been eating less pureed and more solid foods.  He is crawling around like a wild man, he is pulling himself to stand on furniture.  He started feeding himself his own bottles and he is becoming more and more vocal with sounds that slowly sound more and more like real words.

That's all for the first week in photos!! Have a fit week.

Ron