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Ya Gotta Play With Numbers, Rejoice in the Math, and Revel in the Research!
My undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Arts; I majored in Library Science and Drama. Which means [drumroll please] I have a B.A. in L.S.D.! Honest! I’m not kidding. Neat huh? 🙂
One nice thing about getting a liberal arts degree was that only one semester of the lowest level of algebra was required. Yay! Yippee! Woo Hoo!
So, who knew that years later I would actually *need* some of that math to become fit! The other thing that college taught me is how to do research. Which is a good thing, I guess, since I’m a Librarian. A big chunk of my job is finding information. But who knew that I’d be using that skill set to get healthy?
After writing Setting Goals: You gotta do the math! Ugh!, it occurred to me that I’ve been using some fitness formulas, terms and guidelines without really defining or explaining them. This post will elaborate on the following points:
- How I arrived at a goal of 194 lbs and 12% Body Fat
- The maximum safe amount you should plan on losing per week is 1% of your total body mass.
- When losing weight the goal is to lose body fat, not muscle; in other words your “lean body mass” should remain fairly constant.
- The “Healthy at Every Size” Movement. It is important to “listen” to your body; weight and body fat are only two indicators of health, they should not be relied upon to the exclusion of other factors.
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Some Cool Calculators from the US Military
I stumbled across a website that had a bunch of calculators and just had to share it with you guys, dear readers, all 12 of you who are actually reading this blog.
It is www.healthstatus.com and I found it on a Google Search. I didn’t try all the Health Calculators they have but I did try out three of them:
Army Body Fat Calculator (www.healthstatus.com)
I filled in the little blanks and this calculator gave me a figure of 41.85 %. Today, my daily average was 41.38 using electrical impedance method. Not too far off and well within the 1-3% disclaimer on the webpage with the calculator.
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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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Rejoice in the Little Things for “I’ve been a GOOD boy!”
Here’s a quick recap (my friends can stop laughing now). For those just joining the us, the “joke” is that I have a reputation for *NEVER* telling a story in 10 words when 10 paragraphs will do.
Siiiiiiiiigggggghhhh
Today’s post is all about patting myself on the back. Bravo! Cue the Applause! Yay! Woo Hoo! Yippie! Good Job! I rock! I am FAB-u-LUS!
I’ve actually done quite a bit this week towards my goal of “being healthy” and “living healthy”. Each of the things, in and of itself may seem tiny but each tiny step is still a step.
So here, in no particular order, are some of the things I’ve done this week which move me closer to my goal:
- Coffee: Finally bought a bottle of plain white vinegar to use in my coffee maker to clean accumulated oils and coffee gunk from the guts of the machine. (How to Clean a Coffee Maker With Vinegar)
.. - Morning drugs: For two weeks now I’ve been taking my morning “pills” which consists of (1) a daily mufti-vitamin and (2) my high blood pressure medication. I’m not counting this as a “done” thing yet because you really need to do something regularly for three weeks before it really becomes a habit. On my shopping list for this week is “Calcium with Vitamin D”. There is a history of bone problems on both sides of my family in the guys and the gals so I figure it is time for me to start doing the supplement. (Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium) (Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Multivitamin/mineral Supplements) (18 Tricks to Make New Habits Stick)
.. Read the rest of this entry
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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)
5-6-7-8 Dancing My Way to a Healthy Me! 