One of the advantages to tracking body fat percentage is that it will tell you how much you SHOULD weigh- sort of.
Currently, I weigh 249 pounds. 24.8% of that is lard (61.76lbs). For men, 15% body fat and under is considered "fit". There are some made up categories now too like "average" and "acceptable" that are higher. I don't care about those. My current goal is 13%. Assuming the same lean mass, what would I weigh if I was 13% body fat and technically "fit"?
Algebra. Who said it isn't useful?
I know my lean mass is 187.24 lbs. If my body fat was 13%, my lean mass would be 87% right? SO, in order to find my goal weight:
X*.87=187.24
187.24/.87 = X
X = 215.22lbs
Let's check our work!
215.22 * .87 = 187.24 YAY!
More Math:
215.22 * .13 = 27.98
My current bodyfat in pounds is 61.76. At 13% body fat it would be 27.98 pounds. Therefore, I have 33.78 more fat pounds to lose to get to my goal.
In summary, when I reach 215 pounds, I should be at my goal.
WAIT A SECOND!
215 pounds!!!?? That's WAAAAY to heavy RIGHT??!
Wrong. This is exactly what I should weigh.
What about the BMI Charts?
If you look up my height (5'9") on the body mass index then it appears for me to be in the middle of the "healthy" BMI zone that I should weigh about 150 pounds. Excuse me? That's 65 pounds less!!!!!!!!!!
BMI is a load of garbage. Maybe if I was a starving refugee that weight would make sense. With my current make-up, it's not even possible. In fact, if I had ZERO fat- NOT EVEN AN OUNCE, I would weigh 187 pounds. That puts me in the middle of the overweight category moving toward obese.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime was something like 240 pounds when he competed. He was also about 6'1". That puts the former multi-Mr. Olympia into the obese category.
See a pattern?
BMI is STUPID. It's a height-weight calculation and nothing more. It doesn't take into consideration bones, muscle, fitness, or genetics. IGNORE IT ALWAYS. It has no value at all.
Body fat measurement owns BMI all day long every day. Focus on that.
Fatty out.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Monthly Measurements (July)
Weight: 249 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 24.8
-Fat weight: 61.76 lbs
-Lean weight: 187.24 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of June: 113 miles
Total monthly fat loss: -2.98 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -1.02lb
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.69%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 25.65 pounds of fat since the first of December. This one isn't looking too great right now. Is it possible? Yes. Likely... no. But, I'll get as close as I can.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
This one is straight up DONE. No prob.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I feel like this one is pretty much done too. I'm not worried at all.
Time Left to acheive goals: 0.5 months. WOW!
Body Fat %: 24.8
-Fat weight: 61.76 lbs
-Lean weight: 187.24 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of June: 113 miles
Total monthly fat loss: -2.98 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -1.02lb
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.69%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 25.65 pounds of fat since the first of December. This one isn't looking too great right now. Is it possible? Yes. Likely... no. But, I'll get as close as I can.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
This one is straight up DONE. No prob.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I feel like this one is pretty much done too. I'm not worried at all.
Time Left to acheive goals: 0.5 months. WOW!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
P90X may be my new BFF
Okay, so I've been doing the P90X workouts for a week and two days. Since I've begun, there has not been a time when I wasn't sore somewhere.
I'm a little hesitant to say that it's going to change my life... But, it seems like it's heading that way.
If you don't know what it is, P90X is a series of hardcore exercise videos. (the "X" stands for extreme) It's a system designed to be done for 90 days in multiple phases. The idea is to keep your body guessing, not adapting. When you do that, you get more results.
Well, my specs after week one were promising. I lost about 3 pounds. BUT, the biggest thing is that I lost almost a full % of body fat. That's amazing. It hasn't yo-yo'd back during the last few days either which means those are real results. I'll be checking in on the body fat and weight thing once a week (Sunday mornings).
Ok, this is the really weird thing. I've still been running while doing this, which is beyond what it calls for. But, my speed has increased, even at distance. I did a 7.5 mile last week. Normally my pace for that distance is going to average out to like a 10:30 per mile. I beat that by a full minute per mile. Other runs I've done show similarish increases. I can't really explain that. The only thing I've really changed is adding P90X. But, theoretically it shouldn't help with endurance running. I'm a little stumped. But, I like it. I'm pumped to see what will happen after another week or two!
Lastly, the great thing about these videos is that my wife can do them. Even better- she HAS been doing them. She's not quite as consistant, but she's starting to see changes already too. Sweet.
I'm a little hesitant to say that it's going to change my life... But, it seems like it's heading that way.
If you don't know what it is, P90X is a series of hardcore exercise videos. (the "X" stands for extreme) It's a system designed to be done for 90 days in multiple phases. The idea is to keep your body guessing, not adapting. When you do that, you get more results.
Well, my specs after week one were promising. I lost about 3 pounds. BUT, the biggest thing is that I lost almost a full % of body fat. That's amazing. It hasn't yo-yo'd back during the last few days either which means those are real results. I'll be checking in on the body fat and weight thing once a week (Sunday mornings).
Ok, this is the really weird thing. I've still been running while doing this, which is beyond what it calls for. But, my speed has increased, even at distance. I did a 7.5 mile last week. Normally my pace for that distance is going to average out to like a 10:30 per mile. I beat that by a full minute per mile. Other runs I've done show similarish increases. I can't really explain that. The only thing I've really changed is adding P90X. But, theoretically it shouldn't help with endurance running. I'm a little stumped. But, I like it. I'm pumped to see what will happen after another week or two!
Lastly, the great thing about these videos is that my wife can do them. Even better- she HAS been doing them. She's not quite as consistant, but she's starting to see changes already too. Sweet.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
NEW GEAR and a SECRET WEAPON
I've been measuring my body fat using a tape measure and a formula. It works. It's a great and cheap way of tracking progress. However, I secretly wanted a body fat tester for a long time. There are lots you can use. The easiest is bioelectrical impedance. It's pretty accurate too. More so than a tape measure probably.
In honor of my pursuit of fitness and as bribary to shave the goatee thing I was sporting for a while, my wife let me buy a few things.
1.) A body fat tester. It's only about $30. You put your info in, hold it, and push a button. Easy. Now, it does measure me about 1.75% higher than the measuring tape. But, that's pretty good for a $3 piece of vinyl with inches printed on it. (Actually, I always used centimeters to get a closer measurement)
2.) A heart rate monitor. My handy heart rate watch thing died. To be most efficient in your running training, a heart monitor is super helpful. You wear a strap that watches your rate and transmits to a watch. You know right where you are at all times. This JUST arrived like 20 mins ago. I haven't even opened it. But I am pumped.. Get it?
3.) My secret weapon. For those that know me, the fact that it came from an infomercial should be no suprise. One word: P90X. This is what's going to help me shred the rest of my lard. I was a little skeptical too. But what put me over the fence is a strong endorsement from my uncle. He's done marathons, Ironman Triathalons, Ultramarathons, and now does crazy adventure races like Ecochallenge (look it up- think EXTREME). He said P90X has him in the best shape of his life. Sold. I have high expectations for this bad boy. So far, it's really good. Plus, Natalie and I have been doing it together! Bonus!
Thanks Honey!!! :)
In honor of my pursuit of fitness and as bribary to shave the goatee thing I was sporting for a while, my wife let me buy a few things.
1.) A body fat tester. It's only about $30. You put your info in, hold it, and push a button. Easy. Now, it does measure me about 1.75% higher than the measuring tape. But, that's pretty good for a $3 piece of vinyl with inches printed on it. (Actually, I always used centimeters to get a closer measurement)
2.) A heart rate monitor. My handy heart rate watch thing died. To be most efficient in your running training, a heart monitor is super helpful. You wear a strap that watches your rate and transmits to a watch. You know right where you are at all times. This JUST arrived like 20 mins ago. I haven't even opened it. But I am pumped.. Get it?
3.) My secret weapon. For those that know me, the fact that it came from an infomercial should be no suprise. One word: P90X. This is what's going to help me shred the rest of my lard. I was a little skeptical too. But what put me over the fence is a strong endorsement from my uncle. He's done marathons, Ironman Triathalons, Ultramarathons, and now does crazy adventure races like Ecochallenge (look it up- think EXTREME). He said P90X has him in the best shape of his life. Sold. I have high expectations for this bad boy. So far, it's really good. Plus, Natalie and I have been doing it together! Bonus!
Thanks Honey!!! :)
Stuck Between a Run and a Fat Place
Fatty's progress is stagnating. Last month I ran well over 100 miles but only dropped a HALF pound of fat. Pathetic.
I know exactly what my problems are.
1.) I now have conflicting goals. Improving at running and losing fat are fighting against each other. The reason is simple. I do too much running. When focusing on losing fat, you are supposed to switch up your exercise every 6 weeks or so. Otherwise your body adapts and you burn fewer calories overall. Well, let's see. I've been focusing on jogging/running since December. That's 30 weeks!! I'm adapted. Since, I've been training to run a race, I have been hesitant to move away from running too much.
2.) I'm losing a little muscle. Now some muscle loss is totally normal when losing a lot of weight. But, I'm having a hard time keeping up my protein. Also, the longer runs burn protein. It's a tricky balance. I'm not maintaining it very well right now. So, I HAVE to add some resistance training. I started that this month. I know I said you don't need this prior to 35 years old. I stand by that generally. However, my inconsistent protein intake mixed with my longer runs and my body adapting to running... It's a recipie that results in burning the good stuff too. Not acceptable. Weights, here I come. :)
PLAN:
Keep running about 4 times a week (less than I have) in order to MAINTAIN. Meanwhile, add resistance training. Unfortunately, this means more exercise overall and therefore more time spent. After Hood to Coast I can cut back on the running. Until then- forget it.
I know exactly what my problems are.
1.) I now have conflicting goals. Improving at running and losing fat are fighting against each other. The reason is simple. I do too much running. When focusing on losing fat, you are supposed to switch up your exercise every 6 weeks or so. Otherwise your body adapts and you burn fewer calories overall. Well, let's see. I've been focusing on jogging/running since December. That's 30 weeks!! I'm adapted. Since, I've been training to run a race, I have been hesitant to move away from running too much.
2.) I'm losing a little muscle. Now some muscle loss is totally normal when losing a lot of weight. But, I'm having a hard time keeping up my protein. Also, the longer runs burn protein. It's a tricky balance. I'm not maintaining it very well right now. So, I HAVE to add some resistance training. I started that this month. I know I said you don't need this prior to 35 years old. I stand by that generally. However, my inconsistent protein intake mixed with my longer runs and my body adapting to running... It's a recipie that results in burning the good stuff too. Not acceptable. Weights, here I come. :)
PLAN:
Keep running about 4 times a week (less than I have) in order to MAINTAIN. Meanwhile, add resistance training. Unfortunately, this means more exercise overall and therefore more time spent. After Hood to Coast I can cut back on the running. Until then- forget it.
Monthly Measurements (June)
Weight: 252 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 25.49
-Fat weight: 64.74 lbs
-Lean weight: 188.26 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of June: 113 miles
Total monthly fat loss: -0.5 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -0.5lb
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.10%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 22.67 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm behind now. But I have a secret weapon. Details to come.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
I can do this. It's not my most comfortable pace. But, I can do it.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I haven't done this yet. But, I think I'll be there without a prob.
Time Left to acheive goals: 1.5 months. YIKES!
Body Fat %: 25.49
-Fat weight: 64.74 lbs
-Lean weight: 188.26 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of June: 113 miles
Total monthly fat loss: -0.5 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -0.5lb
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.10%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 22.67 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm behind now. But I have a secret weapon. Details to come.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
I can do this. It's not my most comfortable pace. But, I can do it.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I haven't done this yet. But, I think I'll be there without a prob.
Time Left to acheive goals: 1.5 months. YIKES!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
HALF MARATHON
So, I've been interested in signing up for a half marathon. There's this one on 4th of July that's pretty flat. BUT, it's like $60 to sign up and another $22 if you want the t-shirt. I really don't want to shell out that kind of dough. So, I figure I'll see what happens. Maybe I can do one on my own.
Well today I went running with a couple of guys from church. We plan out a route of 8.7 miles and hit it this morning. Now, my previous milage high in one session was 10.5 miles set when I was like 18. I've been meaning to beat that.
I'm doing the 8.7 with the guys today and I'm feeling good. So, I tell them goodbye at the end so I can get to 11 miles- a new high. But, why stop at 11 when 13.1 is a half marathon right? So, I didn't. I did ALL 13.1 miles on the flat Springwater Trail.
Granted, it took me a full 2 hours and 25 minutes. That translates to a pace of about 11:05 a mile or about 5.5 mph average. I was pretty tired at the end. I'm pretty sure I was out of glycogen (suger for muscles) which is what it means to "hit the wall". If I had planned it better, I would have some more stuff to eat and drink to maintain the suger. If so, my time would have been better. In any case, I can now say that I've completed a half marathon. Picture a fat, short-legged dude busting out over 13 miles. It's okay to laugh. I mean.. I would.
Lastly, I want to give props to my new jogging partner Eric Moffat. He's joining me at 5:30am 4 days a week to bust out 6-7 miles. It's speaking to me. He's a big part of why my total milage this week is 37.77- also a new record for me. Thanks Eric!
Fatty Out.
Well today I went running with a couple of guys from church. We plan out a route of 8.7 miles and hit it this morning. Now, my previous milage high in one session was 10.5 miles set when I was like 18. I've been meaning to beat that.
I'm doing the 8.7 with the guys today and I'm feeling good. So, I tell them goodbye at the end so I can get to 11 miles- a new high. But, why stop at 11 when 13.1 is a half marathon right? So, I didn't. I did ALL 13.1 miles on the flat Springwater Trail.
Granted, it took me a full 2 hours and 25 minutes. That translates to a pace of about 11:05 a mile or about 5.5 mph average. I was pretty tired at the end. I'm pretty sure I was out of glycogen (suger for muscles) which is what it means to "hit the wall". If I had planned it better, I would have some more stuff to eat and drink to maintain the suger. If so, my time would have been better. In any case, I can now say that I've completed a half marathon. Picture a fat, short-legged dude busting out over 13 miles. It's okay to laugh. I mean.. I would.
Lastly, I want to give props to my new jogging partner Eric Moffat. He's joining me at 5:30am 4 days a week to bust out 6-7 miles. It's speaking to me. He's a big part of why my total milage this week is 37.77- also a new record for me. Thanks Eric!
Fatty Out.
Monthly Measurements (May)
Weight: 253 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 25.59
-Fat weight: 64.74 lbs
-Lean weight: 188.26 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of April: 94.32 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 2.3 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -3.7lb (BAD NEWS)
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.88%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 22.17 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm slipping a little. But, I'm thinking June will make this look better.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
As long as the terrain is flat, I can pretty much do this now. But, I'm not sure the "consistent" part has been acheived. And by "I'm not sure" I mean it hasn't.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I haven't done this yet. But, I think I'll be there without a prob.
Time Left to acheive goals: 2.5 months.
Body Fat %: 25.59
-Fat weight: 64.74 lbs
-Lean weight: 188.26 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of April: 94.32 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 2.3 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -3.7lb (BAD NEWS)
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.88%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 22.17 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm slipping a little. But, I'm thinking June will make this look better.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
As long as the terrain is flat, I can pretty much do this now. But, I'm not sure the "consistent" part has been acheived. And by "I'm not sure" I mean it hasn't.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I haven't done this yet. But, I think I'll be there without a prob.
Time Left to acheive goals: 2.5 months.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Nice Day in May Means 9.5 Miles of Play
Today I actually went out to my first leg in Hood to Coast that I will be running (leg #7). The leg is 5.65 miles and rated "Hard" because of hills. It starts out at Sandy Fred Meyers. Because I wanted a little more than 5.65 miles today, I also ran the following leg (#8) which was rated as "Easy" and was about 4.5 miles.
I parked my car a little from the end of leg #8 and had my wife drop me off at the beginning of #7. It was a pretty nice run. It's all country roads, nurseries, and big houses I'll never be able to afford.
Knowing it would be dog territory, I carried some pepper spray. I was right. I came a little close to having to use it on a German Shepherd behind a fence that had a sign on it saying "Beware of Security Dog." What's that you say? "Big deal, he was behind a fence?" Well, as I was going by, the owner was driving away through an automatic gate- this left no fence between me and Mr. Security Dog. Had I kept going or not noticed, it could have been interesting. Instead, I waited for the gate to close again before I went back to running. The dog didn't notice the gate was open because it was further along down the fence. So, I stood there staring at him through the fence while the gate closed. The kicker- he didn't bark. Nor did he wag his tail. Instead, he just stared at me with a sociopathic look that said, "if you come over here, I will eat you."
In the end, I felt fine except my legs were stiff from the pounding on the cement. I did a cold bath when I got home. That should help.
I parked my car a little from the end of leg #8 and had my wife drop me off at the beginning of #7. It was a pretty nice run. It's all country roads, nurseries, and big houses I'll never be able to afford.
Knowing it would be dog territory, I carried some pepper spray. I was right. I came a little close to having to use it on a German Shepherd behind a fence that had a sign on it saying "Beware of Security Dog." What's that you say? "Big deal, he was behind a fence?" Well, as I was going by, the owner was driving away through an automatic gate- this left no fence between me and Mr. Security Dog. Had I kept going or not noticed, it could have been interesting. Instead, I waited for the gate to close again before I went back to running. The dog didn't notice the gate was open because it was further along down the fence. So, I stood there staring at him through the fence while the gate closed. The kicker- he didn't bark. Nor did he wag his tail. Instead, he just stared at me with a sociopathic look that said, "if you come over here, I will eat you."
In the end, I felt fine except my legs were stiff from the pounding on the cement. I did a cold bath when I got home. That should help.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
MONTHLY MEASUREMENTS (APRIL)
Well, this month comes with good and bad news. My weight has not changed. That is a little discouraging. My milage was down for half of the month and my eating was up. I went from slow and steady to- holding steady. BUT, the news is not all bad. The goods are: Better body composition (less fat, more muscle), better paces, on track for fat loss, fitter, and I'm just a better runner. So, I shouldn't complain. This is why I track all these factors. You see, if I look at the scale alone, I miss all the good stuff. Bottom line: fat loss NOT weight loss is what I'm after. My pants are little looser now than they were a month ago. Nuff said.
Weight: 259 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 25.89
-Fat weight: 67.04 lbs
-Lean weight: 191.96 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of April: 102 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 2.3 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: +2.3lb
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.88%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 19.87 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm pretty much on track here.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
I thought I would be there by now- or close. I'm not. The speed increases are coming slowly. That said, I've become a little faster in the last month. I'm under 10 min miles and getting close to 9:45. I'm confident that I'll acheive this goal by the race.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I'm pretty sure I'll get there. As it is, I can do 6.2 miles at 9:55ish pace 5 times a week.
Time Left to acheive goals: 3.5 months.
Weight: 259 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 25.89
-Fat weight: 67.04 lbs
-Lean weight: 191.96 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of April: 102 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 2.3 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: +2.3lb
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.88%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 19.87 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm pretty much on track here.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
I thought I would be there by now- or close. I'm not. The speed increases are coming slowly. That said, I've become a little faster in the last month. I'm under 10 min miles and getting close to 9:45. I'm confident that I'll acheive this goal by the race.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I'm pretty sure I'll get there. As it is, I can do 6.2 miles at 9:55ish pace 5 times a week.
Time Left to acheive goals: 3.5 months.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
HOLY MUSCLE LOSS BATMAN!
So, I'm looking at my latest goal check-up and seeing that I lost more muscle than I did fat. That is NOT good. Here is the problem with the scale. If I just look at weight lost, I did better than usual for the month. But my measurements are showing me that the weight is the wrong kind. Now, it may be that I didn't really lose that much muscle. The measurements aren't perfect. We'll know if there is a little bounce-back next month. However, this is a good opportunity to reflect on muscle loss.
There are a couple of reasons people lose muscle mass:
1. Natural part of aging. Past the age of 35 or so.
2. Inadequate protein consumption.
3. Inadequate overall calorie consumption.
Muscle mass is expensive tissue to keep around. So, when nutrients lack, the body will break down muscle for two reasons. First, it can convert the protein that muscle is made of into energy. Second, by reducing muscle mass the body reduces overall energy demand. Those muscle tissues no longer need to be fed.
Doing this Biggest Loser competition at church, I've noticed many of the guys really reduce calories a lot. They end up losing a lot of weight. But some of that weight HAS to be muscle. We're talking just a salad or just a subway 6" for lunch. On days when there is multiple hours of exercise. That's ballpark 500 calories for someone who should be taking in around 3000ish on days like that. If the other meals are like this, the body cannot hold on to that muscle mass. It is not possible. It needs more energy. It will use both muscle and fat for energy reserves when it has to make up large defecits.
Keep in mind, muscle pounds are EASIER to lose than fat pounds. Why? Fat pounds are composed of around 3500 calories. Muscle is around half of that. The rest of that pound is primarily water. So, your body goes through muscle pounds faster than fat pounds when it's starving for energy.
Why did I lose so much muscle this month? Because I did a hard-core weight loss week like some of the other guys at church. Remember than 9.5 pounds? Some of that was muscle. Yuck! There is no real benefit to dropping pounds of the scale if it comes from muscle. It makes you lose strength AND it lowers your overall metabolism. This is why I've focused on body fat% and fat pounds.
In any case, Fatty will be back to the slow and steady plan this month. No more starvation.
WAYS TO BUILD/KEEP muscle:
1. Eat protein (.6-1 gram per pound of body weight per day for active people)
2. Keep weight loss at 2lbs per week or less.
3. Lift weights. Even if you are not gaining muscle mass (requires calorie surplus) lifting weights can help prevent muscle loss.
There are a couple of reasons people lose muscle mass:
1. Natural part of aging. Past the age of 35 or so.
2. Inadequate protein consumption.
3. Inadequate overall calorie consumption.
Muscle mass is expensive tissue to keep around. So, when nutrients lack, the body will break down muscle for two reasons. First, it can convert the protein that muscle is made of into energy. Second, by reducing muscle mass the body reduces overall energy demand. Those muscle tissues no longer need to be fed.
Doing this Biggest Loser competition at church, I've noticed many of the guys really reduce calories a lot. They end up losing a lot of weight. But some of that weight HAS to be muscle. We're talking just a salad or just a subway 6" for lunch. On days when there is multiple hours of exercise. That's ballpark 500 calories for someone who should be taking in around 3000ish on days like that. If the other meals are like this, the body cannot hold on to that muscle mass. It is not possible. It needs more energy. It will use both muscle and fat for energy reserves when it has to make up large defecits.
Keep in mind, muscle pounds are EASIER to lose than fat pounds. Why? Fat pounds are composed of around 3500 calories. Muscle is around half of that. The rest of that pound is primarily water. So, your body goes through muscle pounds faster than fat pounds when it's starving for energy.
Why did I lose so much muscle this month? Because I did a hard-core weight loss week like some of the other guys at church. Remember than 9.5 pounds? Some of that was muscle. Yuck! There is no real benefit to dropping pounds of the scale if it comes from muscle. It makes you lose strength AND it lowers your overall metabolism. This is why I've focused on body fat% and fat pounds.
In any case, Fatty will be back to the slow and steady plan this month. No more starvation.
WAYS TO BUILD/KEEP muscle:
1. Eat protein (.6-1 gram per pound of body weight per day for active people)
2. Keep weight loss at 2lbs per week or less.
3. Lift weights. Even if you are not gaining muscle mass (requires calorie surplus) lifting weights can help prevent muscle loss.
Friday, April 2, 2010
MONTHLY MEASUREMENTS (MARCH)
Weight: 259 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 26.77
-Fat weight: 69.34 lbs
-Lean weight: 189.66 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of March: 123 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 3.44 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -3.56lb YIKES!
Total monthly body fat % change: -0.59%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 17.57 pounds of fat since the first of December. I'm a little over half way to my goal with a little over half of my timeframe left. Looks like I may exceed this goal slightly.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
I broke into the 10 min/mile and under. I think I'm a month or two out from acheiving this goal.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
I'm actually more optimistic about this goal now than I ever have been. I think I'll be able to do it by race time. I MAY even be faster.
Time Left to acheive goals: 4.5 months.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
2 BIG NUMBERS
First of all, I have a new saturday high-mileage. I did 10 full miles on the Sandy nature trails by the high school yesterday. The last mile was a little ugly, but I did it. That's an acheived goal right there baby. My goal was to get to 10 miles on Saturdays. Boom. I'm there.
Second, I'm pretty sure I won the weekly contest for our biggest loser competition at church. Final results were a whopping 9.5 pounds. Now, your instinctual reaction might be to be amazed. DON'T BE. Instead, as an informed Fatty reader, you should be skeptical. Or at least ask, "9.5 pounds of WHAT?"
Good question. If I'm lucky, there were 3 pounds lost of fat. The rest is water and maybe some muscle. Like I said, I just wanted to do this one week to show it could be done. How'd I do it? Exercise and fewer calories. Then I ate very little on Saturday AND I drank very very little on Saturday and Sunday morning. I slept in extra clothing to try to sweat a little. I normally drink a ton of water. So, I was just craving H2O. At church I was trying not to stare at a full water bottle on the floor that my friend's wife had brought.
By now you should know that no one loses 9.5 pounds of fat in a week unless it's through liposuction. Water loss will always be involved in big negative number weigh-ins. The majority of a pound of muscle is water also.
Bottom line, when I got home today I drank a ton of water and ate a piece of cake before a big breakfast. From now on, Fatty is back to the slow and steady plan.
Second, I'm pretty sure I won the weekly contest for our biggest loser competition at church. Final results were a whopping 9.5 pounds. Now, your instinctual reaction might be to be amazed. DON'T BE. Instead, as an informed Fatty reader, you should be skeptical. Or at least ask, "9.5 pounds of WHAT?"
Good question. If I'm lucky, there were 3 pounds lost of fat. The rest is water and maybe some muscle. Like I said, I just wanted to do this one week to show it could be done. How'd I do it? Exercise and fewer calories. Then I ate very little on Saturday AND I drank very very little on Saturday and Sunday morning. I slept in extra clothing to try to sweat a little. I normally drink a ton of water. So, I was just craving H2O. At church I was trying not to stare at a full water bottle on the floor that my friend's wife had brought.
By now you should know that no one loses 9.5 pounds of fat in a week unless it's through liposuction. Water loss will always be involved in big negative number weigh-ins. The majority of a pound of muscle is water also.
Bottom line, when I got home today I drank a ton of water and ate a piece of cake before a big breakfast. From now on, Fatty is back to the slow and steady plan.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Let's Learn About Lard Loss
As I've mentioned before, "weight loss" is really simple in theory. You just expend more calories than you take in. Since I'm really going for it this week, I thought I'd explain with some examples.
First, it's helpful to know your caloric needs for the day. This is basically your Basal/Resting metabolic rate (how many calories you burn just sitting there) times a multiplier for activity level. Here's an easy calculator to give you an idea.
I've done many calculators like this. I usually get something like 3600-4200 calories. For the sake of the math, I'll go with 3700.
So, here are my caloric intakes over the last few days:
SUNDAY: 2100
MONDAY: 2580
TUESDAY: 3275
WEDNESDAY: 2735
Total Intake: 10690
Total Needed: 14800
Total deficit: 4110
Total deficit in fat pounds: 1.174 lbs.
Notice, that's a caloric deficit of like 28%. I'm cutting well over a quarter of my "break even" calories per day.
Now some of you are looking at a day of 3200 calories and thinking, what a PIG! Believe me, my body was not feeling like a pig. First of all, on Tuesday when I took in that amount of calories, I also burned around 1225 through exercise. The only way you can sustain that kind of exercise is by fueling your body. In fact, I've noticed my energy level dropping as the week goes on. I'm cutting back more than usual on the calories and I can feel my body have less energy. When I ran yesterday and today, I felt especially tired. That's unusual for me. I'm not sure how I'll survive my long jog on Saturday yet. In any case, I need to even reel in the caloric intake further if I want to make it to 5 pounds. Saturday will be big. The amount of calories I burn doing 9 miles is a lot. I lose a half of pound of fat at least.
Is anyone noticing how difficult it is to lose more than 2 pounds a week? To burn 5 pounds of FAT in a week, you have to have to be at a 17500 calorie deficit. My entire weekly calorie needs are around 25900. That includes all the calories needed to jog 25-30 miles in that week! If I want to create a deficit of 17500 calories, I have to cut my intake by TWO-THIRDS! That's mild starvation. Instead, I'm going to try to increase the exercise while moderately reducing calories. We'll see how I do.
Again, when you hear of 5+ pounds lost in a week, remember this. The only way you get that is through extreme calorie deficits. Think hours and hours of exercise a day with little to eat. OR, through water and muscle loss. Either one is NOT pretty.
First, it's helpful to know your caloric needs for the day. This is basically your Basal/Resting metabolic rate (how many calories you burn just sitting there) times a multiplier for activity level. Here's an easy calculator to give you an idea.
I've done many calculators like this. I usually get something like 3600-4200 calories. For the sake of the math, I'll go with 3700.
So, here are my caloric intakes over the last few days:
SUNDAY: 2100
MONDAY: 2580
TUESDAY: 3275
WEDNESDAY: 2735
Total Intake: 10690
Total Needed: 14800
Total deficit: 4110
Total deficit in fat pounds: 1.174 lbs.
Notice, that's a caloric deficit of like 28%. I'm cutting well over a quarter of my "break even" calories per day.
Now some of you are looking at a day of 3200 calories and thinking, what a PIG! Believe me, my body was not feeling like a pig. First of all, on Tuesday when I took in that amount of calories, I also burned around 1225 through exercise. The only way you can sustain that kind of exercise is by fueling your body. In fact, I've noticed my energy level dropping as the week goes on. I'm cutting back more than usual on the calories and I can feel my body have less energy. When I ran yesterday and today, I felt especially tired. That's unusual for me. I'm not sure how I'll survive my long jog on Saturday yet. In any case, I need to even reel in the caloric intake further if I want to make it to 5 pounds. Saturday will be big. The amount of calories I burn doing 9 miles is a lot. I lose a half of pound of fat at least.
Is anyone noticing how difficult it is to lose more than 2 pounds a week? To burn 5 pounds of FAT in a week, you have to have to be at a 17500 calorie deficit. My entire weekly calorie needs are around 25900. That includes all the calories needed to jog 25-30 miles in that week! If I want to create a deficit of 17500 calories, I have to cut my intake by TWO-THIRDS! That's mild starvation. Instead, I'm going to try to increase the exercise while moderately reducing calories. We'll see how I do.
Again, when you hear of 5+ pounds lost in a week, remember this. The only way you get that is through extreme calorie deficits. Think hours and hours of exercise a day with little to eat. OR, through water and muscle loss. Either one is NOT pretty.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Fatty RAN!
Ladies and Gentlemen- Boys and Girls,
I did it. Normally on Mondays I do intervals. Last week I went between 5.8 and 6.2 mph. Today, I decided I should go for the run. Actually, it's called a tempo run. Tempo runs are done at a pace that is basically the fastest that you can go for a long distance. Run too fast and your legs will build up lactic acid. That makes you tire quickly and forces you to stop. Run too slow and there is no lactic build up. But, if you run right at that border, you can train your body to deal more efficiently with the lactic acid. That way you can push that border for a faster and faster pace.
Anyway, I figured I could do 6 mph today (10 min mile) for a while. My goal was 6 miles, but I wasn't going to kill myself to get there. Well, I did better than I thought. Why do 6 miles when you can do a 10k (6.2 miles)? So, I did a 10k RUN today. The first 5 miles I was right at 6mph on the treadmill. But, I realized that I actually wasn't quite at my border yet. So, I turned it up to 6.2mph for the last 1.2 miles.
Bottom line: FATTY RAN TODAY.
This is a new pace and non-saturday distance for me. It didn't even kill me. I had some more fuel in the tank at the end. I'm pumped to see what I can do this week. I'm thinking another 10k tomorrow at 6mph. We'll see. My goal, though is to break my weekly mileage record of 29.9 miles. I should be able to at least hit 30 this week.
Lastly, for those of you who follow the biggest loser thing at church: I haven't won the weekly competition yet. All these other jokers have been dropping the easy weight the first several weeks. But, now everyone is slowing down. It's time for Fatty to strike. This is my week to win most weight lost by percentage. Now, normally I just go for the 1-2 pound thing. This week only I'm going to make an exception just to show these fools who's boss. I'm carefully tracking my calorie intake and calories spent on exercise. I figure I'll shoot for 5ish pounds. Who knows, maybe I'll throw in an extra 1 or 2 water pounds for fun. I may burn a little muscle, but one week won't kill me.
Just over a week till I do the monthly weigh-in and measurements.
Fatty OUT.
I did it. Normally on Mondays I do intervals. Last week I went between 5.8 and 6.2 mph. Today, I decided I should go for the run. Actually, it's called a tempo run. Tempo runs are done at a pace that is basically the fastest that you can go for a long distance. Run too fast and your legs will build up lactic acid. That makes you tire quickly and forces you to stop. Run too slow and there is no lactic build up. But, if you run right at that border, you can train your body to deal more efficiently with the lactic acid. That way you can push that border for a faster and faster pace.
Anyway, I figured I could do 6 mph today (10 min mile) for a while. My goal was 6 miles, but I wasn't going to kill myself to get there. Well, I did better than I thought. Why do 6 miles when you can do a 10k (6.2 miles)? So, I did a 10k RUN today. The first 5 miles I was right at 6mph on the treadmill. But, I realized that I actually wasn't quite at my border yet. So, I turned it up to 6.2mph for the last 1.2 miles.
Bottom line: FATTY RAN TODAY.
This is a new pace and non-saturday distance for me. It didn't even kill me. I had some more fuel in the tank at the end. I'm pumped to see what I can do this week. I'm thinking another 10k tomorrow at 6mph. We'll see. My goal, though is to break my weekly mileage record of 29.9 miles. I should be able to at least hit 30 this week.
Lastly, for those of you who follow the biggest loser thing at church: I haven't won the weekly competition yet. All these other jokers have been dropping the easy weight the first several weeks. But, now everyone is slowing down. It's time for Fatty to strike. This is my week to win most weight lost by percentage. Now, normally I just go for the 1-2 pound thing. This week only I'm going to make an exception just to show these fools who's boss. I'm carefully tracking my calorie intake and calories spent on exercise. I figure I'll shoot for 5ish pounds. Who knows, maybe I'll throw in an extra 1 or 2 water pounds for fun. I may burn a little muscle, but one week won't kill me.
Just over a week till I do the monthly weigh-in and measurements.
Fatty OUT.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
8 miles? Puh-leeeeze!
The highlight for this week? Mileage. First off, the total for the week is right about 29.9 miles. Most people would round that to "30", but I dislike exaggeration.
I did cap off the week with a 9 mile jog today. That is a new single-session distance. If you remember, my Saturday goal was to get to 10 miles. I'll do that by the beginning of summer I figure.
Why? Well, two reasons: First, I want to build endurance. When I do 9 miles, I have to slow down to finish. Since I'm already slow, I end up in a slow jog- about 5.2 mph today. So, it takes me an hour and 45 minutes ish. That long in a cardio heartrate training zone and you get.. endurance. The second reason is calories. Including warm-up and cool-down, I'm doing over 2 hours of sweat-producing exercise. That translates to around 2000 calories. Most of that is fat. In other words, I lose 1/2 pound of lard on Saturdays alone. Not bad.
Now, I have a friend who began recently to encourage me to do more intensity rather than volume of training. There is research to back that up. I'm assuming he doesn't read the blog. Otherwise, he'd see my entry on HIITs that I wrote months ago. So, why do I smile and nod and continue to up my Saturday mileage? You can't do interval training everyday. I do intervals once or twice a week and high mileage once. I think my approach is more well-rounded and appropriate for my goals.
Especially if you are working your legs with weights during the week, too many sessions of interval training may put you at risk for overtraining. That's a bad thing.
For now, Fatty is on track.
I did cap off the week with a 9 mile jog today. That is a new single-session distance. If you remember, my Saturday goal was to get to 10 miles. I'll do that by the beginning of summer I figure.
Why? Well, two reasons: First, I want to build endurance. When I do 9 miles, I have to slow down to finish. Since I'm already slow, I end up in a slow jog- about 5.2 mph today. So, it takes me an hour and 45 minutes ish. That long in a cardio heartrate training zone and you get.. endurance. The second reason is calories. Including warm-up and cool-down, I'm doing over 2 hours of sweat-producing exercise. That translates to around 2000 calories. Most of that is fat. In other words, I lose 1/2 pound of lard on Saturdays alone. Not bad.
Now, I have a friend who began recently to encourage me to do more intensity rather than volume of training. There is research to back that up. I'm assuming he doesn't read the blog. Otherwise, he'd see my entry on HIITs that I wrote months ago. So, why do I smile and nod and continue to up my Saturday mileage? You can't do interval training everyday. I do intervals once or twice a week and high mileage once. I think my approach is more well-rounded and appropriate for my goals.
Especially if you are working your legs with weights during the week, too many sessions of interval training may put you at risk for overtraining. That's a bad thing.
For now, Fatty is on track.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Montly Goal Check Update
Okay, I'm a little behind on this. But, I have the data from the beginning of the month. So, I'll update it now.
Weight: 266 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 27.36
-Fat weight: 72.78 lbs
-Lean weight: 193.22 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of January: 84 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 4.53 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -1.27lb (hmm.. Not so good. I'll watch this)
Total monthly body fat % change: -1.08%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 12.1 pounds of fat since the first of December. Looks like I'm right on track for my 35 pounds.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
Right now I can do 6 miles at about 10.5 mins/mile without dying. We'll see how that improves. 9:45 min/mile is at about 6.15 mph. I can do that for a mile or two. But, I need to extend that pace out to 6 miles. I think I'm on track to do that. It'll be easier as I get lighter too.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
This goal will be the most difficult to attain. This goal is why I do a long jog once a week. I figure if I can get to 10 miles in a single session that I can get to 12 miles between two. Keeping that pace though will be tough. We'll see.
Time Left to acheive goals: 5.5 months.
Weight: 266 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 27.36
-Fat weight: 72.78 lbs
-Lean weight: 193.22 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of January: 84 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 4.53 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: -1.27lb (hmm.. Not so good. I'll watch this)
Total monthly body fat % change: -1.08%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down about 12.1 pounds of fat since the first of December. Looks like I'm right on track for my 35 pounds.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
Right now I can do 6 miles at about 10.5 mins/mile without dying. We'll see how that improves. 9:45 min/mile is at about 6.15 mph. I can do that for a mile or two. But, I need to extend that pace out to 6 miles. I think I'm on track to do that. It'll be easier as I get lighter too.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
This goal will be the most difficult to attain. This goal is why I do a long jog once a week. I figure if I can get to 10 miles in a single session that I can get to 12 miles between two. Keeping that pace though will be tough. We'll see.
Time Left to acheive goals: 5.5 months.
The Myth of "Toning"
How many times have you heard of people "toning"? How many exercise videos advertise that this workout will get you that "toned" look. Usually, these commercials and this term is directed at women. Why? Because may women fear "bulking up". They would rather be lean and "toned".
First, let me just say that "toning" is a big stinking pile of bull dung. There is NO such thing.
So... what's the deal? Let me explain.
Muscles do three things: Get bigger (hypertrophy), get smaller (atrophy), and stay the same. The rest of how "toned" you look is purely a function of how much lard is in and around those muscles. Period. Okay, if you REALLY want to split hairs, how much water is retained in those muscles will also affect how they look. But, by the time water is making a difference you are talking about people in the 10% body fat land and lower. For the rest of us real people, let's go with fat.
Want to look more muscular? First lose fat, second build more muscle. It's really that simple. The classic example is people doing crunches hoping to get washboard abs. There might be a washboard in there. But, if there is a pile of laundry on top (fat), you'll never see it.
Ladies have weird fears of looking like a she-hulk and so many avoid weight lifting. Silliness. First off, most MEN can't look like Mr. Olympia ever. It's genetics people. Well, genetics, a million gym hours, and a ton of 'roids. Females don't have that kind of muscle-gain potential without artificially pumping themselves with testosterone. Ladies, don't worry. 99% of you can lift weights all day. You will not look like (S)He-Man. The ones that might start looking like that can stop lifting and it will go away quickly.
Back to "toning". The only thing those aerobic videos are doing that make you look more "toned" is helping you burn calories which gets rid of some of that fat already in and around your muscles. Now you can see what you got a little better. You'll look more "toned". Want to see your abs? Jog regularly to lose fat. Sure, throw some crunches in here and there just to maintain those muscles. Once you lose enough fat in your whole body, boom- abs. There's no magic.
Here's another important piece- Often you will NOT see any significant difference in the mirror if you have been sedentary for some time but begin exercising regularly. Why? Because the first place your body goes to burn the fat is WITHIN the muscles. Picture a nice marbled streak. That's lard in the muscle. That's how we get. Once your body has most of that intramuscular fat burned (think numerous pounds), then it will go to that fat under the skin that you see jigglin' around. Be patient.
Bottom line: If you want to look "toned" then lose fat. If you did that but want to look a little more muscular, build some muscle (remember you have to be at a calorie surplus to do this). Next time you see a commercial about "toning"- throw your twinkie at the t.v.!! :)
First, let me just say that "toning" is a big stinking pile of bull dung. There is NO such thing.
So... what's the deal? Let me explain.
Muscles do three things: Get bigger (hypertrophy), get smaller (atrophy), and stay the same. The rest of how "toned" you look is purely a function of how much lard is in and around those muscles. Period. Okay, if you REALLY want to split hairs, how much water is retained in those muscles will also affect how they look. But, by the time water is making a difference you are talking about people in the 10% body fat land and lower. For the rest of us real people, let's go with fat.
Want to look more muscular? First lose fat, second build more muscle. It's really that simple. The classic example is people doing crunches hoping to get washboard abs. There might be a washboard in there. But, if there is a pile of laundry on top (fat), you'll never see it.
Ladies have weird fears of looking like a she-hulk and so many avoid weight lifting. Silliness. First off, most MEN can't look like Mr. Olympia ever. It's genetics people. Well, genetics, a million gym hours, and a ton of 'roids. Females don't have that kind of muscle-gain potential without artificially pumping themselves with testosterone. Ladies, don't worry. 99% of you can lift weights all day. You will not look like (S)He-Man. The ones that might start looking like that can stop lifting and it will go away quickly.
Back to "toning". The only thing those aerobic videos are doing that make you look more "toned" is helping you burn calories which gets rid of some of that fat already in and around your muscles. Now you can see what you got a little better. You'll look more "toned". Want to see your abs? Jog regularly to lose fat. Sure, throw some crunches in here and there just to maintain those muscles. Once you lose enough fat in your whole body, boom- abs. There's no magic.
Here's another important piece- Often you will NOT see any significant difference in the mirror if you have been sedentary for some time but begin exercising regularly. Why? Because the first place your body goes to burn the fat is WITHIN the muscles. Picture a nice marbled streak. That's lard in the muscle. That's how we get. Once your body has most of that intramuscular fat burned (think numerous pounds), then it will go to that fat under the skin that you see jigglin' around. Be patient.
Bottom line: If you want to look "toned" then lose fat. If you did that but want to look a little more muscular, build some muscle (remember you have to be at a calorie surplus to do this). Next time you see a commercial about "toning"- throw your twinkie at the t.v.!! :)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Treadmill
That's right-- it arrived. So I ended up working all day on Thursday and Friday (as in 7:30-Midnight). Thus, I ended up skipping the long trail jog on Saturday in order to sleep in. BUT, I got the treadmill set up today in the late morning and tried it out.
In summary, I liked it. Initially, I pulled a 10k (6.2 miles) jog. The treadmill has a small built-in t.v. So, I hooked it up to a DVD player and was watching a movie. That made it go pretty quickly. I took a few hours break. Then I came back and did another 3 miles. Now, those numbers include warm-up and cool downs. But, I figure I at least got about 8.5 miles in today.
I think the treadmill is gonna work out just fine.
In summary, I liked it. Initially, I pulled a 10k (6.2 miles) jog. The treadmill has a small built-in t.v. So, I hooked it up to a DVD player and was watching a movie. That made it go pretty quickly. I took a few hours break. Then I came back and did another 3 miles. Now, those numbers include warm-up and cool downs. But, I figure I at least got about 8.5 miles in today.
I think the treadmill is gonna work out just fine.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
8-Mile Part Deux
Fatty reached the 8-mile mark today outside on the Sandy nature trails. This is a new distance outdoors. 10 miles is the eventual Saturday goal. This time my 8 miles was not downhill on the treadmill at the gym.
Oh, and the nap later... that was awesome too. :)
Oh, and the nap later... that was awesome too. :)
Friday, February 12, 2010
Coping with no gym membership
I don't pay for a gym membership.. But I've had one for almost two years. The long and short is that I got it free through work. However, that is coming to an end. So now what? It's winter and I have kids, so I can't just jog outside.
After some research, a cost-benefit analysis, and a discussion with my penny-pinching wife, I ordered a treadmill from Costco.
I already have a nice weight set in the garage. The only thing I need a gym for is a treadmill and a stairmaster. I use a stairmaster once a week for cardio crosstraining. If you take a gym membership plus gym childcare costs (which I do currently pay for) and add the ability of my wife to use the same, you pay for a good treadmill in less than 2 years. As is happens, I just got to my 70+ pounds lost in the last 2 years ish (1 year 7.5 months). I figure it'll take another year or two to really get to where I want to be.
Having the treadmill means no packing kids back and forth, no transit time/costs to and from the gym, and no chance of my machine being taken at peak times.
Most people don't end up using their equipment much. But, that's because they buy it hoping that they will start using it. I have a year and a half of good habits that say that that treadmill is gonna get worked.
And now, I'm off to the gym to use that stairmaster for perhaps the last time. In the future, I'll be doing walks at 12% incline on my new treadmill instead. Works for me.
After some research, a cost-benefit analysis, and a discussion with my penny-pinching wife, I ordered a treadmill from Costco.
I already have a nice weight set in the garage. The only thing I need a gym for is a treadmill and a stairmaster. I use a stairmaster once a week for cardio crosstraining. If you take a gym membership plus gym childcare costs (which I do currently pay for) and add the ability of my wife to use the same, you pay for a good treadmill in less than 2 years. As is happens, I just got to my 70+ pounds lost in the last 2 years ish (1 year 7.5 months). I figure it'll take another year or two to really get to where I want to be.
Having the treadmill means no packing kids back and forth, no transit time/costs to and from the gym, and no chance of my machine being taken at peak times.
Most people don't end up using their equipment much. But, that's because they buy it hoping that they will start using it. I have a year and a half of good habits that say that that treadmill is gonna get worked.
And now, I'm off to the gym to use that stairmaster for perhaps the last time. In the future, I'll be doing walks at 12% incline on my new treadmill instead. Works for me.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Why I don't lift weights much
In short, it's a waste of my time. Now, let me unpack that a bit. So many people don't seem to understand this much.
When you are losing weight (fat), you HAVE to be at a caloric deficit. That means you are taking in (eating) fewer calories than your body is burning in a given period. In other words, your body needs X amount of calories. You are giving it less than X. Therefore, it has to break down tissue in your body to get the rest. Tada- weight loss. It's actually REALLY simple.
Now, in order to build muscle you HAVE to be at a caloric surplus. That means you are taking in (eating) more calories than your body is burning in a given period. In other words, your body needs X amount of calories. You are giving it more than X. Therefore, it has to create new tissue in your body to deal with the rest. Tada- weight gain. Now, assuming you are lifting weights and stimulating your muscles, that extra tissue will largely be muscle mass.
Anyone see why you really can't gain muscle and lose fat at the same time? They are basically mutually exclusive. It's quite simple.
Now there ARE arguments for lifting weights during a period you are trying to lose weight:
1. Weightlifting burns calories (helping toward that deficit).
2. Building muscle helps you burn more calories even when you are not exercising because muscle burns more calories than fat all the time just to sustain itself. So it increases your metabolism.
3. Losing weight can mean you lose muscle too. Lifting helps prevent muscle loss.
My responses to these arguments:
1. Yes, but good cardio burns a lot more in any extended session.
2. Yes, but you aren't building muscle if you are working on a caloric deficit.
3. Yes, but not if you generally keep your weight loss slow (around 2 lbs a week) and keep the protein intake up. If your caloric deficit gets too large, your body will take other tissues out to make up for it. Think muscle andbone. Now, if you are past 35 or so, it may make more sense to lift in order to prevent muscle loss. You will normally lose some over time if you don't use it as you age. However, I'm 29.. So, this doesn't apply to me yet.
Right now I'm trying to both lose fat AND increase my jogging/running ability. That means lots of cardio. I don't have a million hours to be in the gym. So, the most efficient way to accomplish these goals is to do plenty of cardio and eat sensibly. So, exactly what I've been doing. Sweet.
The above is the rule. Here are a couple exceptions:
1. When you first begin to lift weights, you gain some muscle as your body adapts. But, if you remain in a caloric deficit, you will stop building quickly. Maybe a couple weeks, if you are lucky.
2. Lifting weights, even when trying to lose weight, WILL increase your strength for a while too. However, you are not building muscle. You are training what you already have to be better. You'll continue to lift heavier weights for a while. That increase in strength is a result of muscles getting used to exercises, being more efficient in supplying themselves with energy, and the strengthening of tendons and connective tissues. Still, this strength gain will plateau relatively soon. Your gains will level out because you have no new tissue to work with.
3. You can cycle weight loss and muscle gain. Say week to week or month to month you switch modes. It'll work. However, it'll be way inefficient. One at a time makes much more sense.
Finally, I am NOT anti-weightlifting. That would be ridiculous. However, for me and my current goals, it is literally a waste of time. When I get down to a reasonable amount of body fat, you better believe I'll be switching things up and hitting the weights. But, that'll be a year or something from now. So in the near future, you will not be reading about "Liftin' With Fatty". :)
When you are losing weight (fat), you HAVE to be at a caloric deficit. That means you are taking in (eating) fewer calories than your body is burning in a given period. In other words, your body needs X amount of calories. You are giving it less than X. Therefore, it has to break down tissue in your body to get the rest. Tada- weight loss. It's actually REALLY simple.
Now, in order to build muscle you HAVE to be at a caloric surplus. That means you are taking in (eating) more calories than your body is burning in a given period. In other words, your body needs X amount of calories. You are giving it more than X. Therefore, it has to create new tissue in your body to deal with the rest. Tada- weight gain. Now, assuming you are lifting weights and stimulating your muscles, that extra tissue will largely be muscle mass.
Anyone see why you really can't gain muscle and lose fat at the same time? They are basically mutually exclusive. It's quite simple.
Now there ARE arguments for lifting weights during a period you are trying to lose weight:
1. Weightlifting burns calories (helping toward that deficit).
2. Building muscle helps you burn more calories even when you are not exercising because muscle burns more calories than fat all the time just to sustain itself. So it increases your metabolism.
3. Losing weight can mean you lose muscle too. Lifting helps prevent muscle loss.
My responses to these arguments:
1. Yes, but good cardio burns a lot more in any extended session.
2. Yes, but you aren't building muscle if you are working on a caloric deficit.
3. Yes, but not if you generally keep your weight loss slow (around 2 lbs a week) and keep the protein intake up. If your caloric deficit gets too large, your body will take other tissues out to make up for it. Think muscle and
Right now I'm trying to both lose fat AND increase my jogging/running ability. That means lots of cardio. I don't have a million hours to be in the gym. So, the most efficient way to accomplish these goals is to do plenty of cardio and eat sensibly. So, exactly what I've been doing. Sweet.
The above is the rule. Here are a couple exceptions:
1. When you first begin to lift weights, you gain some muscle as your body adapts. But, if you remain in a caloric deficit, you will stop building quickly. Maybe a couple weeks, if you are lucky.
2. Lifting weights, even when trying to lose weight, WILL increase your strength for a while too. However, you are not building muscle. You are training what you already have to be better. You'll continue to lift heavier weights for a while. That increase in strength is a result of muscles getting used to exercises, being more efficient in supplying themselves with energy, and the strengthening of tendons and connective tissues. Still, this strength gain will plateau relatively soon. Your gains will level out because you have no new tissue to work with.
3. You can cycle weight loss and muscle gain. Say week to week or month to month you switch modes. It'll work. However, it'll be way inefficient. One at a time makes much more sense.
Finally, I am NOT anti-weightlifting. That would be ridiculous. However, for me and my current goals, it is literally a waste of time. When I get down to a reasonable amount of body fat, you better believe I'll be switching things up and hitting the weights. But, that'll be a year or something from now. So in the near future, you will not be reading about "Liftin' With Fatty". :)
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Mother of All Relays
Well, I chose my legs for Hood to Coast on Saturday. I have legs #7, 19, and 31. Supposedly that's the 7th in difficulty (out of 12) and it carried a total mileage of 15.54. I'm pumped to know what I'm doing so that I can train more specifically.
Today I replicated my first leg on a treadmill at the gym. I planned out the elevation gains at the corresponding distances in order to get a feel for it. It worked out pretty well. The route is 5.65 miles with some hills. It's classified as "hard". I did the route at an average of around 5.3 mph. That's over 11 minutes. Once you throw in hills, that flat-pace you've been working on goes out the window... So, I'll continue to replicate it on the treadmill and do some hill work to increase my pace. Also, this leg is only a dozen miles from my house. I'm sure I'll get several practice runs on it before August.
My second leg is the tough one. In the first 2.5 miles, you gain 100 feet in elevation, then lose 200, and then gain back those 200. The remainder of the 5.89 mile total is a loss of 150 feet of elevation and then a gain of around 225 feet. It's classified "Very Hard". That'll take some prep to survive. Luckily the final leg isn't too bad and only about 4 miles.
Perhaps worth mentioning: I did 7.5 miles on the Sandy trails on Saturday. Also, according to the church biggest loser competition, I lost 3.2 pounds and am down to 268 flat. Interesting. I really didn't watch the calories as closely last week. Plus, I took an extra day off at the gym. It's possible I'm not eating enough. I think to be on track for 2 lbs a week I'm supposed to be eating around 3500 calories. Not exactly a strict diet. :)
Weight loss tip: If you eat too little, your body will compensate my lowering your BMR (base metabolic rate). In other words, during those 23+ hours a day you are not exercising, your body will conserve energy and burn less calories because it thinks it's beginning to starve. Weight loss can stall big time this way. Hence, by actually increasing calories you can lose more fat. It's a weird deal, but it's true. This seems to be what happened to me in the last two weeks. I've eaten a little more and my rate of loss has increased. 3.2 pounds is a little high. I don't want to lose more than that in a week for sure.
By the way, this BMR starvation adjustment is another reason why it's really difficult to lose more than around 2 lbs a week of fat. Your body will resist losing more, at least from fat. I may have even lost some muscle last week. Yuck. However, I'm heavy enough that 3 pounds of mostly lard is possible. Does that mean it pays to be a fatty? Well, not in the overall. Believe me.
Today I replicated my first leg on a treadmill at the gym. I planned out the elevation gains at the corresponding distances in order to get a feel for it. It worked out pretty well. The route is 5.65 miles with some hills. It's classified as "hard". I did the route at an average of around 5.3 mph. That's over 11 minutes. Once you throw in hills, that flat-pace you've been working on goes out the window... So, I'll continue to replicate it on the treadmill and do some hill work to increase my pace. Also, this leg is only a dozen miles from my house. I'm sure I'll get several practice runs on it before August.
My second leg is the tough one. In the first 2.5 miles, you gain 100 feet in elevation, then lose 200, and then gain back those 200. The remainder of the 5.89 mile total is a loss of 150 feet of elevation and then a gain of around 225 feet. It's classified "Very Hard". That'll take some prep to survive. Luckily the final leg isn't too bad and only about 4 miles.
Perhaps worth mentioning: I did 7.5 miles on the Sandy trails on Saturday. Also, according to the church biggest loser competition, I lost 3.2 pounds and am down to 268 flat. Interesting. I really didn't watch the calories as closely last week. Plus, I took an extra day off at the gym. It's possible I'm not eating enough. I think to be on track for 2 lbs a week I'm supposed to be eating around 3500 calories. Not exactly a strict diet. :)
Weight loss tip: If you eat too little, your body will compensate my lowering your BMR (base metabolic rate). In other words, during those 23+ hours a day you are not exercising, your body will conserve energy and burn less calories because it thinks it's beginning to starve. Weight loss can stall big time this way. Hence, by actually increasing calories you can lose more fat. It's a weird deal, but it's true. This seems to be what happened to me in the last two weeks. I've eaten a little more and my rate of loss has increased. 3.2 pounds is a little high. I don't want to lose more than that in a week for sure.
By the way, this BMR starvation adjustment is another reason why it's really difficult to lose more than around 2 lbs a week of fat. Your body will resist losing more, at least from fat. I may have even lost some muscle last week. Yuck. However, I'm heavy enough that 3 pounds of mostly lard is possible. Does that mean it pays to be a fatty? Well, not in the overall. Believe me.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Official February 1st Results and Measurements
When the alarm went off this morning, I was in measurement mode. Here's what I got:
Resting heart rate: 53
Weight: 271.8 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 28.44
-Fat weight: 77.31 lbs
-Lean weight: 194.49 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of January: 111.3 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 5.4 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: +0.32 (GOOD! I want this to stay the same or increase)
Total monthly body fat % change: -1.68%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down nearly 10 pounds of fat since the first of December. I may exceed this goal- bonus.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
I'm down about 25 seconds on my pace in the last month. If I continue that progress, I may exceed this goal also.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
This goal will be the most difficult to attain. I have acheived the 6+ mile distance with no problem. I think I'm on track here.
Time Left to acheive goals: 6.5 months.
Resting heart rate: 53
Weight: 271.8 (without shoes)
Body Fat %: 28.44
-Fat weight: 77.31 lbs
-Lean weight: 194.49 (muscle, bones, tendons, etc..)
Total mileage logged in the month of January: 111.3 miles
Total monthly fat loss: 5.4 pounds
Total monthly lean mass change: +0.32 (GOOD! I want this to stay the same or increase)
Total monthly body fat % change: -1.68%
GOAL CHECK: (from 12/1/09)
1.) Lose 35 pounds of fat
Down nearly 10 pounds of fat since the first of December. I may exceed this goal- bonus.
2.) Get to a consistent pace of 9:45 a mile or better
I'm down about 25 seconds on my pace in the last month. If I continue that progress, I may exceed this goal also.
3.) Be able to run 6 miles at the 9:45 pace twice twice a day.
This goal will be the most difficult to attain. I have acheived the 6+ mile distance with no problem. I think I'm on track here.
Time Left to acheive goals: 6.5 months.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
8 mile
Okay.. Technically "8 mile" is the title of a semi-autobiographical movie starring Eminem. "8 miles," however, is how far I ran on the treadmill today.
"RAN" you say? Why yes, I maintained a speed of 6mph.
So much progress you say?
Well, only kinda. I was crunched for time so to get to 8 miles I had to pick up the speed. How did I do that without dying... I put the treadmill on a 2-3% decline. That gave me more speed. Semi-cheating but I still got a long workout. It will help.
This is a new distance high. I'll get to 10 eventually.
"RAN" you say? Why yes, I maintained a speed of 6mph.
So much progress you say?
Well, only kinda. I was crunched for time so to get to 8 miles I had to pick up the speed. How did I do that without dying... I put the treadmill on a 2-3% decline. That gave me more speed. Semi-cheating but I still got a long workout. It will help.
This is a new distance high. I'll get to 10 eventually.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
1/23 Highlights
Fatty pulled another 7.5 mile jog yesterday. This one was just out on the road and in the neighborhoods around my house. Included in this was a 1-mile pace check on a school track near my house. I was right around 10:30 or so. Still jogging then. I've decided that my Saturday goal is to get to 10 miles.
Now, there were people who dropped 5, 8, 12, 13 pounds. That seems pretty impressive. But, if you take a look under the surface, you see some inconvienient truths. You may recall that I made my goal the loss of 35 pounds OF FAT. Total weight is really only half of the equation. Body fat % is the other. Anyone out there want to drop 10 pounds if they knew that 2 was fat, 5 was water, 1.5 was muscle, and 0.5 was bone? YIKES!
Keep in mind that there are 3500 kilocalories in a pound of fat. When someone drops 10 pounds in a week, that would be 35000 calories if it were all fat. For the record, an entire weekly recommended caloric intake for a man of 200+ pounds ls going to be at least 17,500. Anyone seeing a problem here? You would have to eat a big scoop of NOTHING for a week and you would still have to burn ANOTHER 17,500 through exercise that week... To burn 17,500 calories through exercise, you would have to do 20+ hours of aerobic workouts that week. Try doing that while eating nothing... You'd probably be dead by day 5.. And I don't mean tired.
In other words, it's not possible. Whenever people are losing that kind of weight, it is primarily water. But, you are also losing muscle tissue too. Not good. Every reputable source will tell you that it's a bad idea to lose more than about 2 pounds a week. If you do, it's likely that the weight is not just fat loss. In fact, it's almost certainly not.
A couple more facts:
Initial excess water weight from a diet/exercise program is normal. But, if your high weight loss lasts more than about 2 weeks, you probably are in an unhealthy way.
Burning muscle tissue is generally BAD news. Muscles are the furnace that burn calories. Lose that and you burn fewer during those 22+ hours a day you are not exercising.
SOME muscle loss can be considered somewhat acceptable when someone loses a lot of weight over time. Your body packed on more muscle as you gained that weight anyway. It needed extra muscle to support/move that weight.
On the show "The Biggest Loser", contestants work out hours upon hours a day. In those unnatural circumstances, one could theoretically do better than 2 pounds a week and still be burning fat. For the other 99% of us out there, 1-2 pounds a week is where you wanna be on average. Which, as it happens, is right where Fatty has been. Oh yeah baby.
Study about bone loss with dieters
Sunday, January 17, 2010
1/16 & 1/17 highlights
Fatty reached a new milestone. I did a 7.5 mile jog on those trails by Sandy High School. The watch says 1235 calories (not including cool down). Now this is a distance I haven't gone since like the year 2000 or something. I thought I probably could have done an extra mile.. But I'll save that for next week. If the trail distance is correct, I did it at an average of 10.53 minutes a mile. That's getting CLOSE to running speed.
Secondly, today I signed up with like 30+ other people for a biggest loser competition we're having at church. That should be pretty sweet. I don't expect to win. But it will help me stay motivated. My goal for the 12-week deal is to drop 24 pounds. I've been shooting for 2 pounds a week. More weight than that usually means you're burning muscle. I'll pass on that if possible.
My next official weigh-in/body fat test will be February 1st.
Secondly, today I signed up with like 30+ other people for a biggest loser competition we're having at church. That should be pretty sweet. I don't expect to win. But it will help me stay motivated. My goal for the 12-week deal is to drop 24 pounds. I've been shooting for 2 pounds a week. More weight than that usually means you're burning muscle. I'll pass on that if possible.
My next official weigh-in/body fat test will be February 1st.
Monday, January 11, 2010
It's time to talk about Jogger's Nipple
Sure, it felt a little uncomfortable. But, I was a little suprised when I looked down at my shirt and saw reddish streaks on my sweat-soaked shirt right around the nipple areas. Yeah, it was blood. It turns out that "Jogger's Nipple" is the official name for it. That means that I'm not the only one that gets this. This isn't the first time it's happened to me. In fact, I take preventative measures every time I jog.
This is a guy thing usually. Girls wear sports bras etc. which prevent this problem. Sorry ladies. You're really missing out...
What is it? Irritated or bloody nipples. How do you get it? Friction from a shirt or clothing item. Distance jogging with a sweaty shirt will do it just fine. Cotton is the worst.
What can you do about it? The two things I do are avoid cotton when possible and put on a coat of vaseline. These help but are not fool-proof. In fact, I did both of these today. What is the next step? Barriers. Tape, band-aids, underclothing, etc.
I seriously considered posting pictures of my red-tinged shirt. But, I thought it might be a bit much. For now, you'll just have to take my word for it.
So remember, when you're jogging and your nipples feel like they're on fire, you might have jogger's nipple. Or, your nipples are really on fire. You should probably check to be sure.
This is a guy thing usually. Girls wear sports bras etc. which prevent this problem. Sorry ladies. You're really missing out...
What is it? Irritated or bloody nipples. How do you get it? Friction from a shirt or clothing item. Distance jogging with a sweaty shirt will do it just fine. Cotton is the worst.
What can you do about it? The two things I do are avoid cotton when possible and put on a coat of vaseline. These help but are not fool-proof. In fact, I did both of these today. What is the next step? Barriers. Tape, band-aids, underclothing, etc.
I seriously considered posting pictures of my red-tinged shirt. But, I thought it might be a bit much. For now, you'll just have to take my word for it.
So remember, when you're jogging and your nipples feel like they're on fire, you might have jogger's nipple. Or, your nipples are really on fire. You should probably check to be sure.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Colon Blow
Now, this is only kinda related to the blog. But, I had to post it. I've been trying to eat less crap and just eat less in general. My secrets for not feeling like I want to stab a passerby and eat them because I'm so hungry- protein and fiber. In the morning, I like to have cereal that has a lot of fiber in it. Most cereals don't. In fact, most cereals are absolute garbage, highly processed grains with scoops of sugar and multi-vitamin powder thrown in. In other words, my wife's favorite. Corn Chex anyone? Blah!
Now, Natalie likes coupons and shopping on the cheap. It's almost impossible to purchase healthy, fiber-rich cereal for a decent price. Since my favorite cereal runs about $5.29 regularly, I don't get to have it very often. But here's what happens when it goes on sale for $1.88.
Let's just say there are two Albertson's in the area that are now out of stock... Oh, Natalie wanted me to say that with coupons she actually averaged $1.65 a box. Fair enough. As long as I have my precious fiber. 51% of the RDA in each cup. Yeah baby. AND it tastes good. Bonus.
This all makes me think of a classic SNL skit.Worth a look for a quick laugh.
Now, Natalie likes coupons and shopping on the cheap. It's almost impossible to purchase healthy, fiber-rich cereal for a decent price. Since my favorite cereal runs about $5.29 regularly, I don't get to have it very often. But here's what happens when it goes on sale for $1.88.
Let's just say there are two Albertson's in the area that are now out of stock... Oh, Natalie wanted me to say that with coupons she actually averaged $1.65 a box. Fair enough. As long as I have my precious fiber. 51% of the RDA in each cup. Yeah baby. AND it tastes good. Bonus.
This all makes me think of a classic SNL skit.Worth a look for a quick laugh.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Official Post-Holidays Weigh-In and More
Success! My goal was to weigh LESS starting the new year than I did before. The results are in. As soon as I woke up, I did a couple of things.
First, I took a resting heart rate: 50 beats per minute. Next, I got up and drank a full-to-the-brim glass of water. Then I went to the gym to weigh in. It's important to use the same scale to see your results. Now, when I arrived, I decided to weigh in without shoes. It's closer to my real weight. I figure I'll do that on the official weigh-ins. I also weighed the shoes separately (2 lbs even combined). The weight came out to 277.2 lbs. In mid-December, I was at about 283.
So, I did drop 4-5 pounds through the holidays. The trick: exercise and a lot of skipped desserts.
Finally, I did a body fat test. I got 30.12%. This is a drop of about 0.59% Since mid-December. I would not call that PHE-nominal. But, it's the right direction.
The next official stat check will be the first Monday in February.
Short Term Goals: Get the cardio sessions up to 60 minutes (Not including warm-up and cool-down). The trouble is that means almost 80 minutes on a machine. But, I need to get used to that duration. Do this about 3 times a week. Do once a week HIIT intervals to boost speed and drop the duration to 45 or 50 min not including WU/CD. Finally, a once a week cross training (stair master revolving staircase machine) for an hour.
First, I took a resting heart rate: 50 beats per minute. Next, I got up and drank a full-to-the-brim glass of water. Then I went to the gym to weigh in. It's important to use the same scale to see your results. Now, when I arrived, I decided to weigh in without shoes. It's closer to my real weight. I figure I'll do that on the official weigh-ins. I also weighed the shoes separately (2 lbs even combined). The weight came out to 277.2 lbs. In mid-December, I was at about 283.
So, I did drop 4-5 pounds through the holidays. The trick: exercise and a lot of skipped desserts.
Finally, I did a body fat test. I got 30.12%. This is a drop of about 0.59% Since mid-December. I would not call that PHE-nominal. But, it's the right direction.
The next official stat check will be the first Monday in February.
Short Term Goals: Get the cardio sessions up to 60 minutes (Not including warm-up and cool-down). The trouble is that means almost 80 minutes on a machine. But, I need to get used to that duration. Do this about 3 times a week. Do once a week HIIT intervals to boost speed and drop the duration to 45 or 50 min not including WU/CD. Finally, a once a week cross training (stair master revolving staircase machine) for an hour.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Fatty's hittin' the New Year with a JOGGING start
I hit 5.43 miles today on the treadmill. Gotta start the year off right.
In other news, I will be doing a weigh-in and body fat check on Monday to see how I came through the holidays. I'm gonna do it first thing in the morning after only one glass of water. I'll try to make that a 2-week or monthly practice as an official check-up.
In other news, I will be doing a weigh-in and body fat check on Monday to see how I came through the holidays. I'm gonna do it first thing in the morning after only one glass of water. I'll try to make that a 2-week or monthly practice as an official check-up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)