From puff dad to buff dad

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Ah, the heartbreak of weight gain for new dads.

While weight gain during pregnancy is a pesky problem, it’s usually associated with the maternal side of the equation. But dads need a fitness plan, too, says Mike Levinson, a personal trainer and nutritionist who went from buff dad to puff dad when he gained 50 pounds after the birth of his son. Levinson details his journey back to health in his new book, ‘Buff Dad.’

In Levinson’s case, after the birth of his first child, workout equipment was slowly relegated to the back of the closet, and good nutrition was replaced with handfuls of Goldfish crackers and baby cookies. Every time the baby took a bite, he took a bite of his own. When it came down to the choice of an extra hour of undisturbed sleep at 6 a.m., or going to the gym, sleep won.

The former amateur bodybuilding champ fought back though and lost 60 pounds by adopting a diet and fitness plan designed to increase naturally occurring testosterone levels in the body. The plan is based on the premise that testosterone helps build muscle, which burns more calories than fat.

Levinson adopted a diet rich in what he says are testosterone-boosting foods, including lean beef, beans, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, and supplemented that with daily 30-minute cardio and strength-training sessions. Judging from the photos in the book, the plan certainly worked for him. Whether it will work for other new dads or end up in the back of the closet along with the unused exercise equipment is anyone’s guess. The book is available at amazon.com.

--Janet Cromley