Sun 16 Sep 2007
I want to let everyone know where I stand physically and where I still want to go. I also know that I’ve neglected photographs for too long, so here we go:
Weight
I am currently hovering between 172-175. Three months ago this was between 184-187. Like I say in my post about calculating body fat percentage, body weight shouldn’t be your only measurement. Still though, I’m pretty damn impressed with this weight loss. I actually stopped doing as much cardio over the summer and still saw these results. I just didn’t think it would be this easy.
Body Fat Percentage
I’m starting to get the hang of my calipers. They might not be completely accurate, but they are fairly precise. That’s all you really need to measure progress. Therefore, the numbers I get probably won’t mean much on an absolute scale, but they’ll be perfect for acheiving goals.
I seem to be around 17-18% body fat, which is within the average range for US males. It’s definitely above the body fat of athletes and definitely not where I eventually want to be.
My goal is to get below 10%, which is where the widely sought after ’six pack’ starts revealing itself. Also, I’m sure this level of leanness is a lot healthier. It’s becoming more and more apparent to scientists that excess fat causes a lot of serious, complex problems:
“The Wake Forest work adds to a growing body of evidence that fat, especially the “spare tire” variety around the middle, is a highly complex substance that works like an organ. It secretes hormones into the blood.It regulates metabolism. It even influences the immune system.
…
At Duke, Newgard’s group is testing eight regimens, and whether they alter the hormonal secretions of fat. One of the problems, Newgard said, is that fat almost seems to self-perpetuate, sending signals that make people eat more — and make more fat.”
-Far-reaching effects of fat.
Endurance
Twice this week, I’ve jogged a mile non-stop and it nearly killed me both times. Raising my level of endurance is one of my most important goals. I don’t know if I want to do marathons or anything, but running a few miles without feeling like I’m about to collapse would be nice. One particular goal I hold however, is completing the “Krispy Kreme Challenge” in January. If you’re curious, just ask.
And that’s that. I’m still grain-free for the rest of September, but that might change afterwards. I have an experiment that I want to try before I get too deep into the paleo diet.
