Reset: Preseason Planning for Fat Pants Season

Lists, texts, and low expectations… my secret weapons for surviving November.

Every November, the weight shows up early…

and not just on the scale.

First, there’s the food…

Halloween candy is my gateway snack. My four boys rake it in with a weeklong celebration of Trunk or Treats, class parties, and neighborhood hauls that would make Willy Wonka proud.

Those fun-size candy bars? Too easy to justify. They’re fun, right? Until the wrapper trail leads back to me and I have to admit to my kids that yes, Dad was the late-night candy bandit.

At my peak of dad denial, I convinced myself I was carb-loading for Thanksgiving…

where I’d fill my belly to the point that a nap was a medical necessity and Joey Tribbiani’s fat pants made their annual comeback.

Then comes the calendar weight…

The early darkness. The nonsense that is Daylight Savings Time. The depressing slide into leaving for work in the dark and coming home in the dark. Michigan turns into a gray-scale painting: no leaves, no sun, no color, just gray.

Then comes the inbox weight…

the to-dos, the events, the new sports season destroying the rhythm you fought all fall to build. There’s the turkey trot sign-up, the school concert, the Sign-Up Genius for snacks, supplies, and whatever else parents are guilt-tripped into bringing.

My shoulders feel it before my schedule does.

So this year, I started training earlier.

Not for a race or a PR…

just for the holidays.

A quiet preseason for my body, my mind, and my patience.

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The Reflection

Last week, I started my preseason with ten minutes (read more about hit here) of movement…

no headphones,

no multitasking,

just walking and thanking God for three things. Gratitude in motion.

This week, I added something new: intention.

Before I dive into work or school drop-offs, I check my calendar,

glance at our family schedule,

and send my wife a quick text about anything we both need to know.

Then I write down the top three things I have to do, in order.

Some mornings it’s a neat list. Other days it’s typed in the car while a kid argues over who farted. Either way, it helps me start with intention, not reaction.

On good weeks, my wife and I talk through the next day the night before,

but with four boys,

impromptu wrestling matches,

and the new smells of puberty forcing someone to shower, that doesn’t always happen. A quick text keeps us aligned; a short list keeps me grounded.

These small steps don’t look impressive, but they’re training my mind to slow down and move with purpose before the day has a chance to run away.

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The Scripture

God calls us to move and plan with Him, not just for Him, tying gratitude and daily intention together as one act of faith.

“In Him we live and move and have our being.” — Acts 17:28

Movement and mindfulness were never meant to be separate.

God designed rhythm,

physical and spiritual,

as the daily training plan for peace.

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The Reset Reminder

This is your preseason…

the calm before the casserole,

the warm-up before the holiday hustle.

Start your day with rhythm, not rush.
Take a short walk, thank God for three things, then check your calendar and send that quick text so the day doesn’t surprise you before the coffee kicks in.

Or do them at different times

Or later in the day

Time doesn’t matter, completion does

Consider it your focus plan. A plan that helps reduce stress which will help you feel better, normalize your hormones, and make it easier to lose weight.

Because before Thanksgiving dinner has you wondering how many dishes one human can wash...

Before the kids start their annual indoor demolition derby thanks to Michigan weather...

Before you realize your fat pants have somehow shrunk since last year...

Remember: preseason is about finding your rhythm before the holidays make it impossible to find it.

Find it now, so when the real craziness hits, you’re already in shape where it matters most

in heart,

humor,

and presence.