Blog Archives
Setting Goals: You’ve Gotta Do the Math! Ugh!
Ok, first let me state without question that goals are a guideline, not the law.
Goals are more like the “Pirate Code” from the Disney movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” than the “Law” as handed down from the Supreme Court.
And, not to put too fine a point on it, laws change. So should goals.
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Setting Long Range Goals
I have this Excel spreadsheet where I track my daily weight and body fat percentage and compare it against my goals. And when I started plugging in the goal numbers, I realized I was being unrealistic in my goals. I had set my ultimate goal for 190 lbs. But to achieve that without loosing any muscle mass I would have to have 7% Body Fat. Given my age, that is not realistic.
My NEW adjusted goal is 194 lbs and 12% Body Fat. However, pay attention dear readers, all six of you who are actually reading this blog, IF I don’t get to those numbers that’s ok. As long as I feel healthy then that’s awesome! As long as all the quantitative measurements like a smaller waistline, better flexibility, more energy, no high blood pressure, and better more restful sleep, all say I’m healthy, then who really gives a flip what the final number is.
However, having some specific goals does help keep you on track. At least it does for me. I like to think of it as a quick and handy “shorthand” that describes in two numbers how I’m progressing toward living healthy. But if I end up 220 and 14% BF, so be it. Because you can be healthy at every size. Read the rest of this entry
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What is a Healthy Body Fat Percentage?
Unfortunately there isn’t a definitive answer. Everybody seems to have a different study that they base their numbers upon. And some people can be healthy and fat!
The good news is that while none of the published “recommended body fat percentage ranges” match each other exactly, there is some overlap in the ranges. Take a look at these “suggested” ranges, then do an honest self-evaluation, then set goals that are realistic and good for you!
As with any measure of fitness, these numbers are merely guides. Listen to what your body is telling you. Talk to your doctor and monitor your situation regularly. I encourage you to get these books and read the accompanying information that goes with these charts. If your local library doesn’t have them, they can request a copy of the book from another library through a process called Interlibrary Loan. Or you can buy the books through Amazon (just click on the links below).
Now, let’s look at some numbers!
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2011-08-04, Week 3, Weekly Stats
This week, I gained weight but if you look at the numbers you’ll see that while my total body weight went up, my body fat percentage went down which indicates that I gained muscle. Which is good. On my spreadsheet that I maintain, my lean body mass increased while my fat body mass decreased. So, we’ll call this week a win. 🙂
Related articles
- What is a Healthy Body Fat Percentage? (txcowboydancer.wordpress.com)
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Healthy at every size!
Ragen Chastain, dancer and author of ‘Dances With Fat’ — Photograph by Richard Sabel (used with permission of the photographer)
I have a good friend, Ragen Chastain, who blogs over at “Dances With Fat“.
Her blog is awesome! She’s a very talented writer. And dancer. And Choreographer. And a beautiful person, both inside and out! It is simply not fair that so much talent and niceness be packed into one person! 🙂
Be sure to check out her blog and subscribe, especially if you’re on a quest to get healthy. Why? Because she makes an extremely valid point which, unfortunately, is not widely accepted:
You can be healthy at any size!
What she says, in my own words, is that just because you are fat, that does equal being unhealthy. And just because you’re thin, that does not equal “good health“. There are large people who are perfectly healthy. There are skinny people who are unhealthy.
A medical study that Ragen mentions in a recent post to her blog supports this. Be sure to read the post and the study. I read the study. Ok, ok, I only read the abstract. The details of the study soon put me to sleep, plus they were using them thar big ole words tha’ cowboys like me from ta piney woods of East Texas jus’ get all befuddled ’bout. 😉
The conclusion of the study says, and I quote: Read the rest of this entry
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Counting up the Small Victories
![Man weighing himself on a scale [CC]](https://txcowboydancer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/weigh-in-time.jpg "Man weighing himself on a scale [CC]")
Ok, confession time… …I’ve not exactly been a “good boy” since coming back from Worlds. So, this past weekend, I got myself moving again, figuratively speaking.
I also have let you know that it is TOUGH getting moving in a positive direction after after falling back on old habits! Yes, friends and neighbors, breaking a downward spiral is tough. Really tough. I found myself thinking today “Gaining weight and getting out of shape is easy; loosing weight and getting into shape is hard. Very hard.” [Watch for a coming post on the difference between “being overweight” and “being out of shape”. They often are used synonymously but they are actually two different things.
So here I am, looking at the numbers this week on the scale and NOT feeling great about the numbers I’m seeing. I track both weight and body fat by weighing twice a day. For body fat, I use the TBF-531 Body Fat Monitor/Scale by Tanita. It uses the electrical impedance method of measurement.
I also use the Omron Fat Loss Monitor HBF-306. I take two measurements in the morning, one from each device and then average the numbers. And then I repeat the measurement in the evening, giving me four measurements per day. I weigh in twice a day and average those two numbers as well.
Well, that’s how I track my progress when I’m actually *ahem* tracking my progress and I haven’t been regularly *AHEM* tracking my progress (or lack thereof) since Worlds. Which brings me back to my original statement at the beginning of this entry “I haven’t been a good boy since Worlds” *SIGH*
So. Hello mild depression. Glad to meet you, let you introduce you to my good friend “mild frustration.” Oh you two know each other? I thought you might. *SIGH*
So what to do? Read the rest of this entry
5-6-7-8 Dancing My Way to a Healthy Me! 