The Tradeoffs That Build DadBods
Why rebuilding your DadBod isn't about finding more time — it’s about being brutally honest with how you’re spending the 24 hours that you have (and we all have a different 24 hours).
Bottom Line UP Front (BLUF)
Rebuilding your body doesn’t require more time — it requires a reallocation of your existing time.
Most men have plenty of time buried in low-return habits like scrolling, streaming, or snacking — they just haven’t audited it.
You make 35,000+ decisions per day; by evening your brain is drained, and defaulting to comfort is neurologically normal (not a moral failure).
Reallocating even 30 minutes a day can be a tipping point — enough for a workout, meal prep, or walk.
Dr. Neil Fiore’s "unscheduling" flips the calendar and empowers you to make the changes that you want.
Your health must become a non-negotiable appointment, not an afterthought squeezed between errands and emails.
Tradeoffs aren't sacrifices — they're strategic swaps that make your goals actually achievable.
Alignment beats willpower. When your time and energy match your priorities, consistency becomes easier.
Before We Get Started
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The Real Cost of Getting Fit (And Why It’s Not What You Think)
Rebuilding your Dadbod into something strong, lean, and healthy doesn't just take effort. It takes something even more valuable — a tradeoff of time.
Now, before your brain hits the “I’m too busy for this” trapdoor — hold up.
I’m not here to sell you a fake hustle culture fantasy. You don’t need to wake up at 4:30 a.m., cook egg whites in a monk’s robe, or train like a Navy SEAL. What you do need is to understand this one truth:
Every “yes” to your Dadbod goals is a “no” to something else in your life.
That’s not a guilt trip. There is no other truth. To do what you want to do (or what you are currently doing) there is a tradeoff. And once you see it for what it is, the whole game changes.
The Real Problem Isn’t Time — Its Priorities
Most guys trying to get fit think they just need more time. But here’s the truth: you already have enough time. You’re just spending chunks of it on stuff that doesn’t move the needle.
Wait…Wait…Wait
I also need to emphasize here that this is not that “we all have the same 24 hours” b.s.
I get it. I have 4 wonderful kids, an incredible wife, a stealth healthcare tech start-up that I’m building, a supplement company, nutrition certification AND my 24 hours are different from my buddy who is a prestigious surgeon with 2 little little kids, etc, etc.
All of us live different experiences with different draws on our time. But at some level, it doesn’t matter because if you want to rebuild your Dadbod, the work needs to get done. What is that work and how does it fit in your life? That’s the journey that I want to ride shotgun with you on.
And this is where the real work begins — with being brutally honest about what’s truly important to you. Not what sounds good. Not what you think you should prioritize. But what actually matters.
A Real Example: Meet Steve
Steve’s 42. Two kids. Busy job. Likes sports, Reddit thread rabbit holes, and doesn’t want to give up beer entirely (because drinking socials is a key part of his job in finance).
When we first connected, he told me he couldn’t find time to work out or prep meals consistently. So we took inventory.
Here’s what we found:
60-90 minutes a night watching YouTube or sports
30 minutes scrolling Instagram at lunch
30-45 minutes on Reddit before bed
That’s nearly 17 hours a week — gone.
We didn’t cut it all. We just reallocated part of it. We identified that initially we needed 6 hours a week. This would give Steve the time to complete three workouts and two meal prep sessions. Steve gave up two YouTube nights and cut Reddit time in half. That freed up the 6 hours a week — enough for three workouts and two prep sessions.
Six months later, Steve’s down 28 pounds, stronger than he’s been in a decade, and doesn’t get winded running around with his kids (the real win).
Reallocation = Brutal Clarity
This process isn’t about working harder — it’s about working aligned.
Reallocating time forces you to ask hard questions:
Where am I spending energy that isn’t aligned with the man I want to become?
What small sacrifices am I actually willing to make?
What would I need to say “no” to in order to say “yes” to myself?
This kind of clarity takes guts. But it also gives you back control.
The Neuroscience of Change That Gives You Back Control
It is estimated that people make over 35,000 decisions a day. Every single one drains a little mental energy — especially the ones tied to self-control and discipline.
By the time 7 p.m. rolls around, your brain is basically in power-save mode. That’s why scrolling Instagram or grabbing a handful of chips feels automatic. Your prefrontal cortex — the decision-making, goal-setting, plan-ahead part of your brain — is running on fumes. Unless you’ve pre-allocated energy and time earlier in the day, you’re not set up to win.
That’s where reallocation comes in — not just of time, but of attention and energy. Rebuilding your body means protecting your high-energy blocks and putting them toward movement, meal prep, and real recovery… not just emails, errands, and everyone else’s emergencies.
But here’s a subtle trap: most guys build their day around obligations first. Then they try to “fit in” health behaviors around the leftovers.
It rarely works. And that’s where Dr. Neil Fiore’s concept of unscheduling becomes a game-changer.
How ‘Unscheduling’ Flips the Script
Dr. Fiore is a psychologist who worked with high-performing but overwhelmed professionals — many of whom struggled with procrastination, burnout, or chronic guilt about time. His antidote? A productivity framework called the Unschedule.
Here’s the big idea:
Instead of building your schedule around work or obligations — you flip it.
You schedule your nutrition, fun, recovery, and workouts first. Then you add everything else.
Why does this work?
Because when your brain sees committed time for rest and rewards, it shifts out of threat mode. The stress response downshifts. And that gives you better access to focus, discipline, and follow-through.
When your brain expects nothing but grind all day, it resists taking the time to prepare healthy foods. It procrastinates getting in that workout at lunch. It drags its feet. But when it sees that there’s space for what feels good, it cooperates.
This isn’t just theory. It’s grounded in how your nervous system and dopamine circuits work. Scheduled breaks and movement actually prime the brain to handle harder tasks later — including sticking to a training session or passing on that late-night DoorDash impulse.
So what does this look like in real life?
Your Brain-Friendly Reallocation Plan
Instead of asking, “When can I fit in a workout?”
Flip it to: “When during my highest-energy block can I move my body — even for 15 minutes?”
Instead of saying, “I’ll eat healthy if I have time,”
Flip it to: “Where in my day can I insert a 20-minute prep window that I protect like a meeting?”
Start your weekly calendar with non-negotiables like:
2-3 workouts
1-2 meal prep blocks
One walk
A legit break to decompress
Then fill in the rest. That’s unscheduling in action. That’s how you train your brain to see health as foundational — not optional.
You’ll feel less overwhelmed. You’ll resist less. And you’ll follow through more — because your nervous system isn’t rebelling.
Want a Fit Body? Make a Tradeoff
You don’t get to do everything. But you can do what matters.
This doesn’t mean quitting your job or saying goodbye to watching football. It means asking, “What am I willing to trade?” Even 30 minutes reallocated from passive screen time to meal prep can change your trajectory.
You’re not just chasing a better body. You’re designing a better life.
Your 3-Step Action Plan
Audit Your Time
For 48 hours, log how you spend your day — hour by hour. You don’t need an app. Just brutal honesty. You can’t improve what you won’t confront.Choose One Tradeoff
Find one time-drain and reallocate it. Just 30 minutes. That’s one workout. One prep block. One walk. One investment in yourself.Commit to a 4-Week Block
Don’t go all-in and burn out. Commit to this one change for 4 weeks. Then reassess. Small shifts lead to massive momentum.
You Don’t Need More Time — You Need Better Alignment
Remember this isn’t about trying to be a fitness monk or doing everything perfectly. It’s about being honest with yourself about what you want, and being bold enough to make space for it.
Every decision is a vote for the kind of life — and body — you’re building.
So, here are your final questions:
What’s one thing I’m willing to trade to become a stronger version of me?
Where am I leaking time that could be redirected to fuel my goals?
What does my future self need me to stop doing — starting now?
You already have what it takes. Now you just need to spend it wisely.