ATTENTION: Retired Firefighters Struggling With Post-Career Fat Gain
How I Dropped 67 Pounds After Retirement (Without Giving Up Beer, Ice Cream, or My Sanity)
Even If You've Tried Other Fat Loss Programs And Failed...
From The Home Gym of Steve Dooley
Forever Fit For Duty Headquarters
Tucson, Arizona
Dear Fellow Retired Firefighter,
Three months after I hung up my helmet, I caught myself in the mirror getting out of the shower.
And for the first time in 20 years, I thought, "Who the hell is that guy?"
The guy staring back at me had my face... but nothing else looked familiar.
My station pants from last year? Couldn't even button them.
I was getting winded just coaching my son's youth football team.
My wife stopped asking me to help do chores, because we both knew I'd pull something.
Where did that gut come from? When did my shoulders start rounding forward like that? And why did I feel like I was still carrying around 60 pounds of turnout gear... except now it was just me?
Look, if you're a retired firefighter reading this, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about.
The job changes you. And not just mentally.
Here's What Nobody Tells You About Retirement
Your body gets used to a certain rhythm for decades.
Crazy 24-hour shifts. Adrenaline rushes that burn calories like a furnace. Eating massive meals whenever you can grab food because you never know when the next call's coming.
Then one day, you retire.
The routine's gone. The brotherhood's gone. The purpose that got you out of bed every morning? Gone.
But those eating habits? The ones that kept you fueled during back-to-back structure fires?
They stick around.
And suddenly you're dealing with something no academy ever prepared you for: The Firehouse Fat Trap.
It's this weird cycle where you're eating the same way you always did, but now instead of burning it off carrying hose up four flights of stairs, you're sitting on the couch watching TV.
The scale keeps climbing. Your knees start aching. Your back's killing you.
And worst of all? You feel like you've lost yourself.
The Night My Wife Said What We Were Both Thinking
Six months into retirement, as we were looking at old photos of us from when I was still on the job. In the photo, we were on one of our many family scuba diving excursions.
The difference was undeniable.
I'd become a stranger in my own body, and she was watching the man she married disappear one pound at a time. As we flipped through the images reminiscing the good times we had, she kept giving me this look.
You know. It's that look we call the "look of impending doom" that patients get when they're about ready to code.
She didn't need to actually "say" anything.
It was unmistakable. I've seen in hundreds of times.
It said, "Steve, I'm worried about you."
That look wasn't about my mood (though that sucked too). I quickly realized it was about my health.
I'd gained 40 pounds. I was getting gassed doing simple tasks and light workouts. I was afraid to go to get my annual check-ups knowing all my labs would be out-of-whack.
And, I'd been drinking more than before. Mostly due to boredom and lack of purpose.
Daily drinking is never a good thing. We all know that, yet it was happening.
As we viewed more diving pics, I thought uneasily to myself...
"You gave 25 years to everyone else. When are you going to start taking care of yourself?"
That's when it hit me.
I'd spent my entire career running into burning buildings, mitigating MVA's, working codes, and caring for patients...
But I couldn't figure out how to save myself from a damn donut.
Something had to change.
What I Discovered (And Why Everything You've Tried Probably Failed)
Here's the thing about us firefighters: We're not built like regular people.
Our bodies are different. Our schedules were different. Our relationship with food is different.
So why the hell would we use the same diet and workout plans as some 25-year-old office worker?
That's when I figured out what I call The Tactical Trio:
Muscle - Building strength & muscle without destroying joints that have already been through hell
Movement - Getting your body moving again without feeling like you're back in recruit school
Macros - Eating in a way that actually fits your life (yes, you can still have pizza & beer on Fridays)
The Three Things That Finally Worked (After Everything Else Failed)
Look, I know what you're thinking.
"Steve, I'm not some 25-yr old gym rat. My knees are achy, my back's been through hell, and I sure as hell don't have time to meal prep like some fitness influencer."
Good. Because that's exactly who this is FOR.
This isn't about becoming some Instagram fitness model. It's about getting back to being the guy who could count on his body when it mattered.
It took me about 18 months of trial and error, but I eventually dropped 67 pounds using this approach.
And, for full transparency, I had setbacks and failures. Lots of them.
But that's what we fucking do.
We adapt and overcome.
We never fucking quit.
We risked our lives all the time for the public's safety and that of our brothers and sisters. And we live and die by those principles.
I just applied "adapt and overcome" and "never fucking quit" to my own health.
It's not rocket science or some fad bullshit...
No starvation. No punishment workouts. No giving up everything I actually enjoyed eating.
Just a simple system built specifically for guys like us.
I was my own test subject, and I used a scientific method finding what did and didn't work.
Over time, I figured it out and transformed my body and health.
Here's the before and after proof it worked for me.
That photo on the left? That's me at my heaviest - 226 pounds and miserable.
The one on the right?
That's me today, 67 pounds lighter at 159 lbs, and feeling like myself again.
And here's the crazy part: I showed this system to Martinez from Engine 7 - he dropped 34 pounds in 10 weeks.
Johnson from Ladder 12 lost 28 pounds and his wife said it's like getting her husband back.
Captain Rodriguez? Down 41 pounds and coaching his son's baseball team again.
Between the four of us, we've dropped over 200 pounds combined.
That's when I knew I was onto something.
Picture This Transformation...
Walking into your old station house six months from now and watching the guys do double-takes.
Not because you look different, but because you look like yourself again.
The confident guy who could handle anything.
The one they respected.
The one you remember being.
Your grandkids asking you to play catch because they know you won't get winded after five minutes.
Your wife looking at you the way she did when you were still wearing the badge.
Easily donning that turnout coat that's been hanging in your closet like a reminder of who you used to be.
Here's What I Want to Do for You
I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I've decided to work with a small group of retired firefighters to help them get their lives back.
Not 100 guys. Not 50. Just 20.
Why only 20?
Because I'm still figuring this coaching thing out.
I've got my own life to live, and honestly, 20 guys is about all I can handle while still giving everyone the attention they deserve.
After these 20, I might never do this again.
Here's what you get when you join the Founders' Crew:
1:1 Kick-off Call - We gather intel, set goals and expectations, answer questions
12 weeks of personal coaching with me (not some random trainer who's never donned a SCBA)
Weekly Training Call - Easy-to implement training on the Tactical Trio Protocol
Weekly Group Coaching Call - Strategy & tactics to overcome challenges you'll face
Weekly check-ins - Progress & accountability reporting via the fitness app (5 min)
Custom workout design - We create the program, tailored to YOUR unique situation.
Fitness App - We deliver your workout program here so it's easy to follow.
The Flexible Fuel system - I'll teach you how to eat for fat loss and create a healthy life
Access to our private brotherhood of guys going through the same thing
Normally, personal coaching like this runs about $1,500.
Custom workout design is another $300.
Weekly coaching calls? That's easily another $800.
Total value: $2,600
But for the first 20 guys who want to try this, I'm doing something I've never done before.
Everything I just mentioned: $297 One time. That's it.
Why so low? Because I need to prove this works as well for everyone else as it did for me and my station buddies.
My Personal Guarantee to You
Implement the complete Tactical Trio system for 12 weeks.
If you don't drop at least 20 pounds AND feel more confident than you have since your rookie year, I'll keep working with you for FREE until you drop that 20 lbs.
Remember, we adapt and overcome, and we NEVER fucking quit.
Like you, I would have sacrificed my life for any of the guys on my crew.
I know this protocol works. But, we need to do it together.
Join our crew.
Put in the work, and I will NEVER fucking quit on YOU.
Why would I make a guarantee like that?
Because I've been where you are. I know this shit works.
And I know that if you follow what I show you, you're going to get results.
The Choice Is Yours
You can keep doing what you're doing. Keep feeling frustrated every time you look in the mirror. Keep watching the scale climb and your energy tank.
Or you can try something different.
Something built specifically for guys like us.
Something that actually works.
But here's the thing: I'm only accepting 20 guys for this first group.
Why? Because frankly, I need to see if this works as well for everyone else as it did for me and my station buddies.
Once these 20 spots are filled, the next group won't start until January 2026. That's about six months from now.
I'm not trying to build some massive program here. I just want to help 20 good men get their lives back.
So if this sounds like something you want to try, click the button below.
If not, no worries. I get it.
But if you do click it, I promise you this: In 12 weeks, you're either going to feel like yourself again, 20 lbs lighter, or I'll stick with you until you drop the weight as promised.
Fair enough?
RESERVE MY SPOT - ONLY 20 AVAILABLE
Get Instant Access To The
Firehouse Tactical Trio Protocol Now!
To Your Success,
Steve Dooley
Forever Fit For Duty
The guy who figured out how to drop 67 pounds without giving up pizza
P.S. Remember, this isn't just about losing weight. It's about getting yourself back. The guy you were before retirement. The guy who could handle anything. He's still in there. Let's find him again.
P.P.S. Only 20 spots available. When they're gone, that's it. No exceptions.
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