The Simple Habit That Helped Me Lower My Body Fat

A few months ago, I noticed my body fat creeping up. The frustrating part was that I was still working out.

I wasn’t skipping the gym.

I wasn’t eating terribly.

But I also wasn’t recovering particularly well. I’ve got kids and sleep isn’t always great, after all. My bedtime and wake-up times aren’t always as consistent as they should be.

Sound familiar?

My first thought was that I needed to do more. But what ended up helping wasn’t another workout.

It was a simple habit I wasn’t paying enough attention to.

I started moving more.
Not training more.
Moving more.
More steps.
More walks.

More opportunities to get up and move throughout the day. Nothing extreme. Nothing complicated. Just more movement.

And over time, my body fat started moving in the right direction.

That’s why a recent book talking about training frequency and Zone 2 cardio really stuck with me.

The biggest takeaway wasn’t that everyone needs to become a cardio athlete.

The takeaway was that frequency matters.

Consistency matters.

Doing something regularly matters.

For most busy parents (you included), one of the easiest ways to apply that lesson is through daily movement. Not another workout. Not another challenge.

Just moving more throughout the day.

Exercise & Movement Are Different Things

Maybe you think fitness is the hour you spend at the gym. That’s exercise.

Movement is everything else.

• Walking the dog
• Taking the stairs
• Parking farther away
• Walking while you’re on the phone
• Going for a walk after dinner
• Getting up from your desk more often

Those things don’t feel like workouts but they matter. A lot.

You can crush a workout in the morning and still spend most of your day sitting.

That’s the reality for many busy parents.

Why the Scale Isn’t the Best Scorecard

One mistake you’re probably making is judging you progress only by the scale.

Don’t get me wrong, the scale matters. It’s data after all.

But it’s not the whole story.

I’ve seen people feel better, move better, and look better while the scale stayed surprisingly similar. The scale is a tool. It’s not the scoreboard.

Debra’s Story

One of our members, who we’ll call Debra, recently reminded me of this.

She wasn’t perfect. She didn’t suddenly become a fitness machine.

What she did was become more consistent with her nutrition, with her activity, and with the basics.

The result?

She lost 8.5 pounds and lowered her body fat by 2.5% all over the course of about 2.5 months.

But the thing she was most excited about wasn’t the number.

She told us she kept having to pull up her leggings during workouts because they didn’t fit the same anymore.

That’s the kind of win I love hearing.

Most people don’t walk around talking about body fat percentages.

What do they talk about? How their clothes fit, maybe that they’re feeling more confident, or that they’re needing a new wardrobe.

That’s real life!

“I Don’t Have Time”

Whenever I talk about walking more or increasing daily movement, I hear the same thing: “I don’t have time.”

I get it. I do. You are a busy, career-oriented, parent. And your kid’s schedules don’t make things any easier.

The good news is that I’m not telling you to add another hour-long workout. I’m asking you to look for opportunities to move more inside the life you’re already living.

• Could you take a 10-minute walk?
• Could you walk while taking a phone call?
• Could you park farther away?
• Could you go for a short walk after dinner?

Those small choices add up. And unlike extreme fitness plans, they’re often sustainable.

The Real Goal

The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is to build habits that fit into your real life because fitness should fit in your life (not take it over).

Sometimes the biggest changes don’t come from doing more. They come from doing simple things more consistently.

That’s true for nutrition.
It’s true for strength training.
And it’s definitely true for movement.

If you’re working out consistently but still feel stuck, send me an email ([email protected]) with the word “MOVE.”

I’ll help you figure out a few simple ways to increase your daily movement without adding more stress to your schedule.