Weight Loss and Your Golf Game (without giving up BBQ and beer)

During the past 10 weeks, I’ve been on what the kids these days call a “weight loss journey.” It all started back in February when I went to Bandon Dunes.

On day one, we played the Bandon Dunes course — and it was everything I imagined it would be. As you probably know, you have to walk the course there. You can hire a caddy to carry your clubs, but I opted for a pull cart. You’d think that wouldn’t be a big deal, but I wasn’t walking courses back then, and by the end of the round, I was surprisingly tired.

The next morning, I woke up with a stiff lower back. We played Bandon Trails that day, and it took me six holes just to loosen up. By the end of that round, I was completely spent. That’s when I decided: if I’m ever going to do another golf trip like this, I need to do something about my fitness and my back.

Starting the Program Not long after, I saw an ad for a golf fitness trainer. I decided to give it a shot and booked a Zoom call. After a great conversation, I signed up for his 12-week program.

One thing I realized right away — my slow weight gain over the past 12 years was definitely not helping my lower back. I’ve lost weight before, but each time, I did it with no real plan. I’d push hard, burn out, and gain it all back (plus some).

This time, I wanted something sustainable.

What I Refused to Do

1. Adhere to some strict diet regimen that I can’t maintain. I constantly see people eating things that look totally random and unpractical like cottage cheese, egg whites, a piece of fruit and some peanut butter for breakfast. That’s not going to work for me.
2. The diet needs to be easy to find and/or prepare.
3. I cannot be the guy that eats something different than my family.
4. I have to enjoy the food. Again, it must be maintainable and not something that burns me out.
5. I can’t spend an hour a day at the gym.
6. I can’t be the guy that goes out to a restaurant with everyone and can’t eat anything there because of my diet.
7. I love bbq and the occasional beer and am not willing to give it up.
8. It must be simple! I can’t meal prep for the week with random ingredients that nobody else in my family eats. I actually don’t know what is healthy and what is not.

Well, my list of demands actually didn’t turn out to be that unreasonable. In about a week or two, I figured it out and simplified everything.

The goal here is very simple: 1. hit a maximum daily calorie goal and 2. a minimum protein goal.
That’s it.

If you just starve yourself, you’ll lose muscle and end up skinny fat — not what you want. You need enough protein to preserve muscle while losing fat.

All you really need are two tools: 1. ChatGPT (yes, really) — to check calorie and protein counts. 2.A food logging app — to track what you eat.

It’s so much easier than I thought. I ask ChatGPT questions like, “What should I order at In-N-Out for healthy macros?” Turns out, a Double-Double with no cheese is a protein bomb and not terrible calorie-wise. The fries aren’t great, but you can have a few or share a serving.

Or at Panda Express — order half white rice, half super greens, teriyaki chicken, and string bean chicken breast. Another protein win.

Once you start seeing results, it becomes fun to find these little hacks in your favorite foods.

10 Weeks Later
It’s been about ten weeks, and I’m down 17 pounds. My clothes fit looser, my energy is better, and I’ve been barbequing a ton (great for protein).

If I go over my calorie goal one day, no big deal — I just balance it out over the week. I still enjoy a beer every Saturday after my round of 18 holes (that I now walk).

As far as exercise goes, it’s pretty simple too.

• I don’t do anything extreme.
• I walk at least 8,000 steps a day.
• I stretch regularly as part of the program.
• I hit the gym 2–3 times a week, mostly to strengthen my back and supporting muscles.

The goal isn’t to be shredded — it’s to feel better, move better, and play better golf.

If you’re thinking about losing weight, you can do it too. You don’t need to give up the food you love or live at the gym.

For me, the formula was simple: calories + protein + consistency.

If I can do it, you can do it. Got questions? Drop a comment — I’d love to help.