In this honest and practical episode, we break down our biggest diet mistakes and wins - from the dark days of Hot Pockets and vegan experiments to finding sustainable approaches that actually work for busy fathers.

What You'll Learn:

• Why the 90s food pyramid era set us up for failure
• Our embarrassing diet phases
• Why protein should be your North Star (and how to actually get 150-200g daily)
• Simple principles: avoid foods that weren't around 75-100 years ago
• When tracking macros helps vs. when it becomes a job
• The carnivore experiment: what worked and what didn't
• How emotional eating sabotages progress

Why This Matters for Dads: Your kids are watching and learning from your food choices. In a world where laboratories design ultra-palatable foods to hook children, giving them a framework for healthy eating isn't optional - it's one of the highest stakes areas where you're setting an example.

We share our current daily eating routines, discuss the psychological aspects of food addiction, and explain why this generation of parents can't just "wing it" like previous generations.

Key Takeaway: There's no one-size-fits-all approach, but there are foundational principles that work. Whether you go high-protein flexible or strict carnivore, the goal is finding what's sustainable for your life while modeling healthy choices for your children.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Growing up in the 90s food wasteland

06:00 - Our vegetarian/vegan phase disasters

13:00 - The bodybuilding supplement era

19:00 - What actually works: protein and whole foods

28:00 - Emotional eating and food addiction

33:00 - Why this matters for your kids

40:00 - Daily eating routines that work

Resources Mentioned:

• MyFitnessPal for macro tracking
• David Protein Bars
• Equip Beef Protein Powder
• Dr. Sean O'Mara's carnivore protocol

In this episode we break down exactly how to build a home gym that works for busy dads - and becomes a family fitness playground your kids will love.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The 3-tier home gym progression (from $100 starter kit to full setup)
• Why dumbbells + resistance bands might be all you need to start
• How to turn your garage gym into family bonding time
• Which expensive equipment to avoid (spoiler: skip the treadmill)
• Real budget breakdowns from $200 to $2,000+ setups

Whether you're a lifting veteran getting back into it or a complete beginner, this episode gives you the exact roadmap to build a home gym that you'll actually use - and that grows with your fitness journey.

Perfect for dads who want to stay strong, set an example for their kids, and never miss a workout because of logistics again.

Sam and Cole explore one of the most crucial yet overlooked parenting skills: emotional communication. Cole, an expert in grief recovery, explains why most dads default to intellectual responses when their kids and spouses desperately need emotional validation.

What You'll Learn:

• The difference between emotional and intellectual communication - and why most dads miss emotional cues entirely
• Real examples of how intellectual responses leave family members feeling unheard
• Two practical techniques: nonverbal paraphrasing and emotional paraphrasing
• The hidden cost of always "fixing" instead of listening

Your Challenge: Practice identifying whether communications are emotional or intellectual "fastballs vs. curveballs." Before offering solutions, ask: does this person need to feel heard first?

Emotional communication is a practical skill that can save marriages, strengthen father-child bonds, and raise emotionally healthy kids.

Perfect for dads who excel at logic and problem-solving but struggle with the emotional side of parenting and marriage.