Father parodies body transformation photos by proudly baring his ‘dad-bod’

A father-of-two has shared before and after photos of his self-proclaimed ‘dad-bod’ to prove that neither parent goes unscathed when it comes to post-baby body.

Taking to Facebook, Sammy Baugh shared two photos of himself – one where he looks super-toned posing in a pair of shorts, and the other where he lays in bed with one of his children, presenting a bottle of beer and a far-from-sculpted silhouette.

Unlike most other side-by-side body transformation photos, Baugh’s message was a little different to what most would expect.

Instead, he hilariously parodied generic fitness transformations to reveal how fatherhood transformed his physically ripped physique into a ‘dadbod’, and why he was embracing it.

“145 lbs to 180 lbs married with two kids in four years! I've been asked, 'How did you do it?'” he wrote on the post which has since been likes more than 22,000 times.

“My answer is, 'A consistent diet of eating whatever your pregnant wife wants and copious amounts of beer!'”

Baugh goes on to explain that prior to pregnancy, he and his wife were very fitness orientated “so once her cravings hit, it was time to enjoy everything.”

He then declared that whether she had cravings for chicken wings at breakfast or Taco Bell at midnight he would wake up and get her what she wanted. But, he wasn’t going to let her eat alone because “that’s not what a good husband does.”

After both children, Baugh explains that his wife lost her pregnancy weight quickly “through the miracle of breastfeeding,” but that because the couple worked contrasting shifts there was little time for him to exercise.

Instead, he says that he has finally decided to own his dad-bod.

“My stomach is a symbol of how happy I am to be a father and a husband.

“I don't have a six pack? So what! I have two beautiful children and an amazing wife at home.“

Shared on the Love What Matters Facebook page, the post received an influx of supportive messages from men and women who agreed that their bodies weren’t the same after having kids while others insisted he looked better now than before.

“Maybe it's the mum in me but I think men with beards and a little chub around the mid section are pretty darn hot,” one person wrote.

Another added, “In my opinion, you rock the “after” just as much, if not more, than the 'before!' There’s nothing sexier than a man who is completely fulfilled loving his wife and children!”

However, while many praised him for embracing his ‘post-baby body’ others were quick to point out the hypocrisy of the positive responses.

“I'm noticing how there are so many positive comments but if a woman made this exact same post, she would be bashed to no end by men and women alike!” one woman said.

And, she’s right. The idea of a woman’s post-natal body, or a ‘mum-bod,’ is something that’s rarely celebrated in the media.

Instead we’re bombarded with unrealistic before-and-after shots of figures that bare almost no signs of recently giving birth.

That being said, it’s photos like Baugh’s that can help to change this. His light-hearted post plainly proves relatable to parents everywhere, and serves as a powerful reminder that sometimes life is about much more than having washboard abs.