Father's Day is this Sunday and I've been thinking about my dad.

He passed away almost six years ago, but I still feel his presence on days like this. I thought I'd share a bit of this 21 page little handmade book I made him when I was a kid...the writing bug started early with me!

Poems and sayings, hand-drawn pictures, signed "From: Cheryl Schnellenberger (classic, writing out my full name since I thought of myself as an author event then), To: Daddy." He kept it all those years, tucked carefully in a plastic bag in his desk like it was something worth protecting.

I don't know exactly how old I was when I made it. But I know he kept it his whole life and that should tell you everything about what actually matters.

If your dad is still here, call or spend time with him this weekend. If he's not, I hope you find a moment to feel grateful for whatever he gave you. And if Father's Day is complicated for you in any way, I see you too.

The truth is, the men worth celebrating this weekend don't all share your last name or your DNA. So many of us have bonus dads, stepfathers, mentors, coaches or friends who shaped us just as deeply as any birth father could. Father's Day is really just a good excuse to reach out to any man who showed up for you and let him know it mattered.

Now, on to this week, because I have some things I think will help you.

I wanted to do something a little different and answer a few of the questions that come up again and again in email replies, coaching conversations and DMs.

These are the kinds of questions that seem simple on the surface but usually point to something bigger: confusion from too much varying health information (have you seen some of this goofy junk on TikTok?!?), frustration from not seeing progress, or the feeling that you need to overhaul your entire life to get results.

You don't. Most of the time the answer is getting back to the basics and doing them consistently enough to matter. So let's get into it.

Question 1: What should focus on if I want to feel better?

Start with protein. And we're only picking one to start with because trying to change everything at once is a sure fire way to impede your progress.

I start with protein not because it's trendy, but because it affects so many things at once: muscle, metabolism, blood sugar, satiety and recovery. Most people I talk to aren't eating enough of it, especially at breakfast. They're having coffee, a light snack, a smoothie with very little protein, or waiting until lunch to eat. Then later in the day cravings hit, energy dips and it becomes much harder to make good choices.

A simple place to start: try to get a real serving of protein at your first meal of the day. Eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, leftover meat, smoked salmon, a protein smoothie, whatever works for your preferences and lifestyle. You don't have to make it complicated. You just have to make it consistent.

Question 2: Why am I doing "everything right" and still not seeing progress?

This is a tough one and maybe the one I hear the most. Usually when someone tells me they're doing everything right, I like to gently ask what "everything" actually means.

Often it means they're doing a lot, but not always the things that move the needle most. Maybe they're exercising hard but not eating enough protein. Maybe they're eating clean but portions and calories are all over the place. Maybe they're doing random workouts every once in a while, but not following a progressive strength plan. Maybe they're trying to fix everything at once and burning out after two weeks.

Progress usually comes from boring consistency, not constant intensity.

Before you change everything, look at the foundations: Are you getting enough protein? Are you strength training consistently? Are you sleeping enough to recover? Are you repeating the basics long enough to actually see the result? Are you drinking too much alcohol too often (very unpopular opinion, but any alcohol can really impede weight loss and body composition changes)?

It's not always about doing more. Sometimes it's about doing fewer things better.

Question 3: How do I stay consistent when life gets busy?

You make the habit smaller. And you get the habit so ingrained that it's more mentally painful to skip it than it is to just do it.

When life gets busy the answer isn't to abandon the habit. The answer is to shrink it until it fits.

Your usual 45-minute workout can become 10 minutes...something is always better than nothing! A perfect meal plan can become protein at breakfast. A long walk can become 10 minutes after dinner. A complicated morning routine can become five quiet breaths before you check your phone.

Small doesn't mean useless. Small is how you keep promises to yourself and your health when life is not ideal. The longer you keep that promise, the more your identity starts to shift. You become the kind of person who doesn't quit just because the day was messy. You become the kind of person who chooses healthy habits on autopilot. These habits become who you are.

That's where real change starts.

Want help making your habits actually stick? Do it with a friend.

This is exactly why I created the 30 Day Healthy Habits Challenge. It's free, it's self-paced and it's built around simple, foundational habits that feel doable even when life is full, just 15 minutes a day.

Here's something I'd gently encourage you to do: don't start it alone. A 2025 study in Healthcare following adults over 50 found that perceived social support was one of the strongest predictors of exercise adherence and that having a social connection specifically helped people push through the psychological barriers that normally cause them to quit.

In other words, working on healthy habits with someone else isn't just more fun. It actually works better.

So if someone in your life has been meaning to get back on track, send them this email. They can sign up here to join the newsletter and start the challenge alongside you. That shared commitment is often the thing that makes the difference between starting and actually finishing.

Happy Father's Day to everyone celebrating this weekend.

As always, hit reply and let me know which of these questions hit closest to home. I read everything and I always write back.

Have a great weekend,
Cheryl

P.S. If protein is the piece you most want to nail down first, the protein calculator on the site gives you a personalized daily range in about 30 seconds. Free, no email required...works for men too since it's based on ideal body weight/muscle, not gender.