Category Archives: Getting Fit
Diabetes Learning Curve and “All about Moi”
Confession time…
I know this is going to sound weird… I am actually relieved to find out I have diabetes. Why? Because now I know that it wasn’t “just a lack of will power,” there is a real medical reason which explains the way I’ve been feeling.
I wasn’t imagining it: I really was fighting against my own body in my attempts to improve my fitness.
I will also admit that I’ve arrived at this point, in part, because of some bad lifestyle choices and in part because of a genetic predisposition. Everyone in my immediate family is large and about half are diabetic. Except one skinny brother which none of us can quite figure out why he’s the lucky one. sigh
I’m relieved because now I know that it is going to be easier from this point forward. Things are going to get better. As soon as the meds start doing what they are supposed to do, I will be in a better position to move toward a healthier me.
I want a book deal! And a Speaking Contract!
I tell ya, when I’m all fit and healthy and dancing again, I want to share my story in every possible way! I want to tell others that it is not hopeless. That it is possible to go from absolutely on the brink of a “Health Apocalypse” to being a fit, happy healthy person.
I want to be like Jared, the subway guy! By the way, if you have not read his book, I highly recommend it. The first time I read it, I cried. Literally. Because I could relate to his struggle. I had to stop reading and wipe away the tears before I could continue. I hope to meet him one day and get him to autograph my copy of his book. That would be so cool.
I want to be on Oprah! I want Ellen and I to be best buds! Light’s, camera, speaking tours with tumultuous applause! Yeah, right, like that’s gonna happen!
I probably won’t get a book deal or end up touring the country talking about my own journey, but it would be nice wouldn’t it? Uh-oh! Tony’s doing that “digression” thing again. Brace yerself loyal readers, this post might get Read the rest of this entry
Share with folks on the Interwebz :-)
THREE Good Articles I had to share…
This is a quick follow up to this mornings post where I was talking about finding good data on which to set fitness goals: Once More Dear Friends
I did some more searching and found two articles written by the same guy on the same website. I’ve visited his site before and even emailed him once with a question which he graciously answered. So, I believe that the information on his site to be very reliable. Here are the two recommended articles for your further reading enjoyment:
Ideal Body Fat Percentage Chart: How Lean Should You Be?
http://www.builtlean.com/2010/08/03/ideal-body-fat-percentage-chart/
and
Body Fat Percentage Pictures Of Men & Women
http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
and… brace yourself because here is the ABSOLUTE BEST ANSWER I’ve found to the question “How much should I weigh?”
Step 1 — decide what body fat percentage you want to be:
I want to be between 10-12%
Step 2 — go weigh yourself
I weigh 320 lbs as of this morning (down from my heaviest of 332 but still very large)
Step 3 — figure out your current body fat percentage.
I have a body fat of 40.65% as of this morning (down from my fattest at 43% but still way too much body fat) FYI 40.65% is .4065 in decimal notation. If you are not good at math then google “How to convert percentages to decimal” but basically the short way to convert from a percentage to a decimal is by removing the percentage sign and moving the decimal point 2 places to the left thus 40.65% = .4065
Step 4 — Calculate your Lean Body Mass (LBM): Total Weight x (100-Body Fat percentage) = LBM
Using my numbers >>> 320 x (1 – .4065) = 189.92 >> round up to 190 lbs
Step 5 — Use the following formula to get your goal weight: Lean Body Mass/(1 – Desired Body Fat Percentage) = Goal/Ideal weight
Using my numbers >>> 190 / (1 – .10) = 211 on the low end
Using my numbers >>> 190 / (1 -.12) = 216 on the high end
So… [drum roll please] My goal weight is 211-216 lbs. Which is bullpoop! Based on my personal experience when I was that fit in the past, my goal weight should be 185-195. So… I’m guessing that the body fat percentage given to me by my scale is off.
I guess I’ll have to get a professional BF evaluation done! Stay tuned for future updates.
But the good news is that at least my numbers in my spread sheet match what the numbers that a pro fitness guru dude says they should be! For the full article from which I got this formula check out:
Ideal Body Weight Formula: How to Calculate Your Ideal Weight
http://www.builtlean.com/2010/05/04/ideal-body-weight-formula-how-to-calculate-your-ideal-weight/
Enjoy!
See ya on the dance floor!
Share with folks on the Interwebz :-)
Once more dear friends…
Mea Maxima Culpa
Yes, I know this blog is supposed to be mainly about me getting healthy again.
Yes, I know that I’ve been on and off the “live healthy” wagon so often that I should be getting frequent flyer miles (if I mix my metaphors momentarily) << say that aloud it sounds cool!
Yes, I know that I have been very much NOT blogging of late.
sigh
So I’m going to share some stuff with you which I’ve been doing this morning. I’m doing this “stuff” this “morning” because my THIRD monthly visit with my most awesome doctor: Karen King is fast approaching and I want to be able to truthfully tell her that I’ve begun the very long process to get healthy again. Woot!
When I went on my first visit to her back at the beginning of May, I told her that I needed help getting healthy and asked her to put me on a medically supervised weight loss plan. Which basically amounts to coming in every month to weigh in and have her give me a mini-check up and monitor things so that I don’t actually end up doing myself injury as I try and get healthy.
I have Type 2 Diabetes
Hi, my name is Tony. I’m a Diabetic.
and the teeming masses say “Hi Tony”
Kinda scary actually. I freaked a little bit when I found out.
My doctor says that Read the rest of this entry
Share with folks on the Interwebz :-)
Buyer Beware! or… “Why isn’t anything ever easy?”
Ok… all together now…
Siiiiiiiiiiigggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh
There. Feel better? I do!
Why can’t companies just leave their products alone when there is nothing wrong with them? Hmmmm?
Why do they have to go and fiddle with it when it ain’t broke? Hmmmm?
Why? SIGH Wondering why I’m carrying on about? Well I’m glad ya asked!
Whole Foods = Whole Paycheck
I know, it’s an old joke but there is an element of truth in it. I used to shop at Whole Foods for just about everything back when I was working 40 hours a week as a librarian.
But now, living on a fixed income plus whatever bits and scrapings I can pull in from doing surveys, and micro-tasking and, selling my graphic designs online and writing and…
Well, you get the idea. I can’ afford to shop at Whole Foods. I like Whole Foods but I can’t afford to shop there.
However… there was one item for which I’ve been going to Whole foods to buy once a month: Stevia Extract, the 365 Brand which is Whole Foods “store brand.”
But as I said in the title “Why isn’t anything ever easy?”
Those Pesky Additives
I’d never really looked at the ingredients of the Stevia I bought from Whole Foods closely but this week I did and I was SHOCKED: Read the rest of this entry
5-6-7-8 Dancing My Way to a Healthy Me! 