🏢WorkLife Wednesday: This is why I eat.

Welcome to WorkLife Wednesday, where we take a look into best-practice leadership methods to make your WorkLife awesome.

Good morning. I’ve always been a skinny guy. My family and friends often laugh because of my slender build, consistently feeding me comments like, “Bailey man, you’re sooo skinny, put some more food on your plate,” or, “Are you sure I can’t get you another plate? You could use it.” I often laugh and thank them for offering, but I had enough to eat. The truth is, I don’t see myself as a skinny person. In my head, I’m physically big enough to take on any challenge, so why change up how I eat?

I weighed 137 pounds one month ago when, out of the blue, I thought, “Wait… I just got married… we might start a family soon… are our kids really going to have a father who weighs 137 pounds?” I'm being vain, you say? Maybe I am, but I honestly was up for the challenge. “Heck no!” I said. “Let’s change it up and see what this gut is made of.”

I turned to ChatGPT as my nutritionist, prompting it to provide a Daily Meal Plan based on my goal of gaining 23 pounds by the year 2025, in an effort to weigh 160 pounds. I also prompted ChatGPT to provide a Weekly Workout Plan following the same weight gaining goal. The results:

Daily Meal Plan
Breakfast:
3 eggs with spinach and cheese.
2 slices whole wheat toast with avocado
Greek Yogurt
Oatmeal
Mid-Morning Snack:
Protein Shake
Mixed nuts
Lunch:
Grilled chicken breast with quinoa and steamed veggies
Sweet potato
Salad
Afternoon Snack:
Cottage Cheese
Whole grain crackers with hummus
Dinner:
Salmon or lean beef
Brown rice or whole grain pasta
Roasted veggies
Avocado salad
Evening Snack:
Protein shake or Greek yogurt
Fruit

Weekly Workout Plan
Day 1: Chest & Triceps
1. Bench Press - 4 sets of 6-8 reps
2. Incline Dumbbell Press - 3 sets of 8-10 reps
3. Chest Flyes - 3 sets of 8-10 reps
4. Triceps Dips - 3 sets of 8-10 reps
5. Overhead Triceps Extension - 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 2: Back & Biceps
1. Pull-Ups - 4 sets of 6-8 reps
2. Bent-Over Barbell Rows - 3 sets of 8-10 reps
3. Lat Pulldowns - 3 sets of 10-12 reps
4. Barbell Curls - 3 sets of 8-10 reps
5. Hammer Curls - 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3: Rest or Light Cardio
Day 4: Legs & Shoulders
1. Squats - 4 sets of 6-8 reps
2. Lunges - 3 sets of 8-10 reps per leg
3. Leg Press - 3 sets of 10-12 reps
4. Military Press - 4 sets of 6-8 reps
5. Lateral Raises - 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 5: Rest or Light Cardio
Day 6: Full Body
1. Deadlifts - 4 sets of 6-8 reps
2. Push-Ups - 3 sets of 10-15 reps
3. One-Arm Dumbbell Rows - 3 sets of 8-10 reps each side
4. Planks - 3 sets of 1-minute holds
5. Bicycle Crunches - 3 sets of 15-20 reps

Around week 2, I noticed something was off with this plan. It’s not enough. Not enough food, and definitely not enough lifting. I decided to add an extra chicken breast to lunch and dinner while also adding an extra set to each workout, aaand might as well tack on 2 new exercises every day to the plan with 15 minutes of core work and 130 pushups, constant.

After a month of following the new plan, I’m now weighing in at 147 pounds and climbing.

The gratification of weighing in every week and seeing results is amazing. I haven’t seen significant body transformation yet, mainly because it’s just a ton of food sitting in my stomach, but I like to think my sore body is applying that weight to the right places.

Self-Care & Leadership

In the realm of leadership, nurturing one's physical and mental well-being is important. A leader's physical and mental well-being directly impacts their ability to inspire and guide others effectively. When a leader prioritizes self-care, they set a positive example for their team, demonstrating the importance of work-life balance, stress management, and overall health. A healthy leader is more resilient, adaptable, and better equipped to handle the challenges and pressures that leadership roles often entail. Moreover, good health fosters clarity of mind, creativity, and the energy needed to make informed decisions and inspire others to follow suit. In essence, taking care of one's body is not just a personal choice; it's an essential investment in becoming a role model and a source of strength for those they lead.

In short, your self-care is important to your leadership style because:
- You cultivate a healthy environment by showing your team how to lead by example.
- You’re more equipped to handle pressure.
- You have a clear mind to make informed decisions.

_{Written by Bailey Hepler}

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