Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
FEBRUARY 27 - WEEK 102 RESULTS
I do not weigh myself on the bathroom scale. I am taking my waist, neck and hip measurements each day.
I am not tracking my food this month, but I will eat on plan as much as possible.
I am not tracking my food this month, but I will eat on plan as much as possible.
Today is my weekly measuring day. In the past 7 days:
I lost 0.125" around my bicep
I gained 1.125" around my bust
I gained 1.25" around my midriff
I gained 0.875" around my waist
I gained 0.75" around my navel
I lost 0.625" around my hips
I gained 0.25" around my thigh
I gained 0.75" around my navel
I lost 0.625" around my hips
I gained 0.25" around my thigh
Here is what I have lost so far, since starting to lose weight in February 2009:
Neck - 13.75" to 12.375" - down 1.375"
Bicep - 11.75" to 11.75" - no change
Forearm - 9" - no change
Bust - 38.25" to 36.875" - down 1.375"
Midriff - 32.25" to 32.5" - up 0.25"
Waist - 33" to 32.875" - down 0.125"
Navel - 39.75" to 37" - down 2.75"
Hips - 43" to 40.75" - down 2.25"
Thigh - 24.5" to 23.25" - down 1.25"
Calf - 14.5" to 14" - down 0.5"
BODY COMPOSITION
BODY COMPOSITION
TODAY
32.875" waist
12.375" neck
40.75" hips
0.522 waist-to-height ratio
0.807 waist-to-hip ratio
36.5% body fat
AT THE BEGINNING OF WEIGHT LOSS 2/22/09
35" waist
13.75" neck
45.5" hips
0.556 waist-to-height ratio
0.769 waist-to-hip ratio
44.8% body fat
Since my heaviest weight in February 2009, I have lost 2.125" around my waist, 1.375" around my neck and 4.75" around my hips. I have lost 8.3 percentage points on my body fat.
ONE YEAR AGO
32.25" waist
13" neck
41.5" hips
0.512 waist-to-height ratio
0.777 waist-to-hip ratio
36.8% body fat
In the past year, I have gained 0.625" around my waist, lost 0.625" around my neck and 0.75" around my hips. I have lost 0.3 percentage points on my body fat.
ONE MONTH AGO
30.125" waist
12.25" neck
38.5" hips
0.478 waist-to-height ratio
0.782 waist-to-hip ratio
31.4% body fat
In the past month, I have gained 2.75" around my waist, 0.125" around my neck and 2.25" around my hips. I have gained 5.1 percentage points on my body fat.
ONE WEEK AGO
32" waist
12.375" neck
40.125" hips
0.508 waist-to-height ratio
0.798 waist-to-hip ratio
35.6% body fat
In the past week, I have gained 0.875" around my waist and 0.625" around my hips. I have gained 0.9 percentage points on my body fat.
MY NEXT GOAL
31.375" waist
12.375" neck
40.25" hips
0.498 waist-to-height ratio
0.780 waist-to-hip ratio
35% body fat
To achieve this, I need to lose 1.5" around my waist and 0.5" around my hips
MY ULTIMATE DREAM GOAL
26.5" waist
12.25" neck
37.25" hips
0.421 waist-to-height ratio
0.711 waist-to-hip ratio
25% body fat
To achieve this, I need to lose another 6.375" around my waist, another 0.125" around my neck and another 3.5" around my hips.
If I reach this goal, I will have lost 8.5" around my waist, 1.5" around my neck and 8.25" around my hips since February 22, 2009.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
FEBRUARY 20 - WEEK 101 RESULTS
I do not weigh myself on the bathroom scale. I am taking my waist, neck and hip measurements each day.
I am not tracking my food this month, but I will eat on plan as much as possible.
I am not tracking my food this month, but I will eat on plan as much as possible.
Today is my weekly measuring day. In the past 7 days:
I gained 0.375" around my waist
I lost 0.125" around my hips
I gained 0.5" around my thigh
I gained 0.25" around my calf
Here is what I have lost so far, since starting to lose weight in February 2009:
Neck - 13.75" to 12.375" - down 1.375"
Bicep - 11.75" to 11.875" - up 0.125"
Forearm - 9" - no change
Bust - 38.25" to 35.75" - down 2.5"
Midriff - 32.25" to 31.25" - down 1"
Waist - 33" to 32" - down 1"
Navel - 39.75" to 36.25" - down 3.5"
Hips - 43" to 40.125" - down 2.875"
Thigh - 24.5" to 23" - down 1.5"
Calf - 14.5" to 14" - down 0.5"
BODY COMPOSITION
BODY COMPOSITION
TODAY
32" waist
12.375" neck
40.125" hips
0.508 waist-to-height ratio
0.798 waist-to-hip ratio
35.6% body fat
AT THE BEGINNING OF WEIGHT LOSS 2/22/09
35" waist
13.75" neck
45.5" hips
0.556 waist-to-height ratio
0.769 waist-to-hip ratio
44.8% body fat
Since my heaviest weight in February 2009, I have lost 3" around my waist, 1.375" around my neck and 5.375" around my hips. I have lost 9.2 percentage points on my body fat.
ONE YEAR AGO
32.875" waist
13" neck
41.5" hips
0.522 waist-to-height ratio
0.792 waist-to-hip ratio
37.5% body fat
In the past year, I have lost 0.875" around my waist, 0.625" around my neck and 1.375" around my hips. I have lost 1.9 percentage points on my body fat.
ONE MONTH AGO
30.5" waist
12.375" neck
38.75" hips
0.484 waist-to-height ratio
0.787 waist-to-hip ratio
32% body fat
In the past month, I have gained 1.5" around my waist and 1.375" around my hips. I have gained 3.6 percentage points on my body fat.
ONE WEEK AGO
31.625" waist
12.375" neck
40.25" hips
0.502 waist-to-height ratio
0.786 waist-to-hip ratio
35.3% body fat
In the past week, I have gained 0.375" around my waist and I have lost 0.125" around my hips. I have gained 0.2 percentage points on my body fat.
MY NEXT GOAL
31.375" waist
12.375" neck
40.25" hips
0.498 waist-to-height ratio
0.780 waist-to-hip ratio
35% body fat
To achieve this, I need to lose 0.625" around my waist.
MY ULTIMATE DREAM GOAL
26.5" waist
12.25" neck
37.25" hips
0.421 waist-to-height ratio
0.711 waist-to-hip ratio
25% body fat
To achieve this, I need to lose another 5.5" around my waist, another 0.125" around my neck and another 2.875" around my hips.
If I reach this goal, I will have lost 8.5" around my waist, 1.5" around my neck and 8.25" around my hips since February 22, 2009.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
FEBRUARY 13 - WEEK 100 RESULTS
I do not weigh myself on the bathroom scale. I am taking my waist, neck and hip measurements each day.
I am not tracking my food this month, but I will eat on plan as much as possible.
I am not tracking my food this month, but I will eat on plan as much as possible.
Today is my weekly measuring day. In the past 7 days:
I gained 0.125" around my bicep
I gained 1" around my midriff
I gained 0.5" around my waist
I gained 1.5" around my navel
I gained 0.75" around my hips
I gained 0.375" around my thigh
I gained 0.25" around my calf
Here is what I have lost so far, since starting to lose weight in February 2009:
Neck - 13.75" to 12.375" - down 1.375"
Bicep - 11.75" to 11.875" - up 0.125"
Forearm - 9" - no change
Bust - 38.25" to 35.75" - down 2.5"
Midriff - 32.25" to 31.25" - down 1"
Waist - 33" to 31.625" - down 0.5"
Navel - 39.75" to 36.25" - down 1.5"
Hips - 43" to 40.25" - down 2.75"
Thigh - 24.5" to 22.5" - down 2"
Calf - 14.5" to 13.75" - down 0.75"
BODY COMPOSITION
BODY COMPOSITION
TODAY
31.625" waist
12.375" neck
40.25" hips
0.502 waist-to-height ratio
0.786 waist-to-hip ratio
35.3% body fat
AT THE BEGINNING OF WEIGHT LOSS 2/22/09
35" waist
13.75" neck
45.5" hips
0.556 waist-to-height ratio
0.769 waist-to-hip ratio
44.8% body fat
Since my heaviest weight in February 2009, I have lost 3.375" around my waist, 1.375" around my neck and 5.25" around my hips. I have lost 9.5 percentage points on my body fat.
ONE YEAR AGO
32" waist
13" neck
41.5" hips
0.508 waist-to-height ratio
0.771 waist-to-hip ratio
36.5% body fat
In the past year, I have lost 0.375" around my waist, 0.625" around my neck and 1.25" around my hips. I have lost 1.2 percentage points on my body fat.
ONE MONTH AGO
30.75" waist
12.375" neck
38.875" hips
0.488 waist-to-height ratio
0.791 waist-to-hip ratio
32.5% body fat
In the past month, I have gained 0.875" around my waist and 1.375" around my hips. I have gained 2.8 percentage points on my body fat.
ONE WEEK AGO
30.875" waist
12.375" neck
39.25" hips
0.490 waist-to-height ratio
0.787 waist-to-hip ratio
33.1% body fat
In the past week, I have gained 0.75" around my waist and 1" around my hips. I have gained 2.2 percentage points on my body fat.
MY NEXT GOAL
31.375" waist
12.375" neck
40.25" hips
0.498 waist-to-height ratio
0.780 waist-to-hip ratio
35% body fat
To achieve this, I need to lose 0.25" around my waist.
MY ULTIMATE DREAM GOAL
26.5" waist
12.25" neck
37.25" hips
0.421 waist-to-height ratio
0.711 waist-to-hip ratio
25% body fat
To achieve this, I need to lose another 5.175" around my waist, another 0.125" around my neck and another 3" around my hips.
If I reach this goal, I will have lost 8.5" around my waist, 1.5" around my neck and 8.25" around my hips since February 22, 2009.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
BATHROOM SCALE BOYCOTT
I have tried so many times to stop weighing myself on the bathroom scale. It can be so discouraging! My problem is that when the scale is down, I think, "Yay! Now I can afford to eat more!" And when the scale is up, I think, "Dang! Well, as long as eating less is not working, I might as well eat more!"
As you know, I have been using the online body fat calculator (look to the right and scroll down to the yellow box), and the body fat calculation is based on height and body measurement, and not weight.
For instance, if you put in your height and measurements and put in your weight at 200 pounds, it will give you the percentage, let's say, 30%. But if you change the weight to 100 pounds, it will still say 30%. Now, you still have to put a weight into the calculator to get it to work, but you can just make up a number.
Since my body fat percentage and body measurements have been going down, it is obvious that I am losing fat and gaining muscle. And yet, on the scale, it looks like I am "gaining weight." Which I am, of course, but it's muscle, not fat.
If all I was doing was weighing myself every day, I would think that I am getting fatter.
So, if the scale says one thing, but your body measurements say another, which do you believe, and which is even worth looking at? Here are charts that show how my waist, neck and hip measurements, and, therefore, my body fat percentage, are going down, but my weight is going up:
As you know, I have been using the online body fat calculator (look to the right and scroll down to the yellow box), and the body fat calculation is based on height and body measurement, and not weight.
For instance, if you put in your height and measurements and put in your weight at 200 pounds, it will give you the percentage, let's say, 30%. But if you change the weight to 100 pounds, it will still say 30%. Now, you still have to put a weight into the calculator to get it to work, but you can just make up a number.
Since my body fat percentage and body measurements have been going down, it is obvious that I am losing fat and gaining muscle. And yet, on the scale, it looks like I am "gaining weight." Which I am, of course, but it's muscle, not fat.
If all I was doing was weighing myself every day, I would think that I am getting fatter.
So, if the scale says one thing, but your body measurements say another, which do you believe, and which is even worth looking at? Here are charts that show how my waist, neck and hip measurements, and, therefore, my body fat percentage, are going down, but my weight is going up:
If you were me, and you were just going by the bathroom scale, would you believe that you were making progress? I never did.
So here is what I am going to do - No more bathroom scale! I am going to continue to measure every day and that's all! If there is anyone out there who thinks there is any benefit to continue weighing, let me know!
I used to say that my goal was 130 pounds. Now I say that my goal is to have a waist measurement of 26.5", a neck measurement of 12.25" and a hip measurement of 37.25". If I get there, my body fat percentage will be 25%. Will I weigh 130 pounds? Will I weight 150 pounds? Who cares?
To reach my goal, I need to lose 4-1/2" from around my waist, 1/8" from around my neck and 2" from around my hips.
Here is another good thing about going by measurements instead of the scale: Scale weight can go up and down every day, by a pound or more. I have gained and lost up to five pounds in just one day! That is so discouraging, and is enough to make me go on a binge. But I have found that my measurements stay pretty much the same day to day, with only 1/8" or 1/4" difference in one day.
The last time I weighed myself was five days ago on Friday, February 4, 2011. Staying off the scale has done wonders for my mood and my feeling of well being and accomplishment. My stress level is low, and I am not feeling obsessed about that stupid little number.
Right now, I'm thinking that maybe I will weigh again in one month. But then, why should I? I have my body measurements to show my progress or lack thereof. What difference does it make what the scale says?
I used to say that my goal was 130 pounds. Now I say that my goal is to have a waist measurement of 26.5", a neck measurement of 12.25" and a hip measurement of 37.25". If I get there, my body fat percentage will be 25%. Will I weigh 130 pounds? Will I weight 150 pounds? Who cares?
To reach my goal, I need to lose 4-1/2" from around my waist, 1/8" from around my neck and 2" from around my hips.
Here is another good thing about going by measurements instead of the scale: Scale weight can go up and down every day, by a pound or more. I have gained and lost up to five pounds in just one day! That is so discouraging, and is enough to make me go on a binge. But I have found that my measurements stay pretty much the same day to day, with only 1/8" or 1/4" difference in one day.
The last time I weighed myself was five days ago on Friday, February 4, 2011. Staying off the scale has done wonders for my mood and my feeling of well being and accomplishment. My stress level is low, and I am not feeling obsessed about that stupid little number.
Right now, I'm thinking that maybe I will weigh again in one month. But then, why should I? I have my body measurements to show my progress or lack thereof. What difference does it make what the scale says?
Sunday, February 6, 2011
FEBRUARY 6 - WEEK 99 RESULTS
This month, I am not getting on the scale. I am taking my waist, neck and hip measurements each day.
I am also not tracking my food this month, but I will eat on plan as much as possible.
Today is my weekly measuring day. In the past 7 days:
Today is my weekly measuring day. In the past 7 days:
I gained 0.125" around my neck
I gained 0.5" around my midriff
I gained 0.25" around my waist
I gained 0.75" around my navel
I gained 0.125" around my hips
I gained 0.125" around my thigh
I gained 0.25" around my calf
Here is what I have lost so far, since starting to lose weight in February 2009:
Neck - 13.75" to 12.375" - down 1.375"
Bicep - 11.75" - no change
Forearm - 9" - no change
Bust - 38.25" to 35.75" - down 2.5"
Midriff - 32.25" to 30.25" - down 2"
Waist - 31.5" to 29.625" - down 1.875"
Navel - 38.25" to 33.25" - down 5"
Hips - 42" to 38.5" - down 3.5"
Thigh - 24.5" to 22.125" - down 2.375"
Calf - 14.5" to 13.75" - down 0.75"
BODY COMPOSITION
BODY COMPOSITION
AT THE BEGINNING OF WEIGHT LOSS 2/22/09
35" waist
13.75" neck
45.5" hips
0.556 waist-to-height ratio
0.769 waist-to-hip ratio
44.8% body fat
ONE MONTH AGO
31" waist
12.5" neck
39.125" hips
0.492 waist-to-height ratio
0.792 waist-to-hip ratio
33% body fat
ONE WEEK AGO
30.125" waist
12.25" neck
38.625" hips
0.484 waist-to-height ratio
0.787 waist-to-hip ratio
31.6% body fat
TODAY
30.875" waist
12.375" neck
39.25" hips
0.490 waist-to-height ratio
0.787 waist-to-hip ratio
33.1% body fat
Since my heaviest weight in February 2009, I have lost 4.125" around my waist, 1.375" around my neck and 6.25" around my hips. I have lost 11.7 percentage points on my body fat.
In the past month, I have lost 0.125" around my waist, I have gained 0.125" around my neck and 0.125" around my hips. I have gained 0.1 percentage points on my body fat.
In the past week, I have gained 0.75" around my waist, I have gained 0.125" around my neck and 0.625" around my hips. I have gained 1.5 percentage points on my body fat.
MY NEXT GOAL
In the past week, I have gained 0.75" around my waist, I have gained 0.125" around my neck and 0.625" around my hips. I have gained 1.5 percentage points on my body fat.
MY NEXT GOAL
30" waist
12.25" neck
38.5" hips
0.476 waist-to-height ratio
0.779 waist-to-hip ratio
31.2% body fat
To achieve this, I need to lose 0.75" around my waist, 0.125" around my neck and 0.75" around my hips.
MY ULTIMATE DREAM GOAL
26.5" waist
12.25" neck
37.25" hips
0.421 waist-to-height ratio
0.711 waist-to-hip ratio
25% body fat
To achieve this, I need to lose another 4.375" around my waist, another 0.125" around my neck and another 2.25" around my hips.
If I reach this goal, I will have lost 8.5" around my waist, 1.5" around my neck and 8.25" around my hips since February 22, 2009.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
AND IT'S STILL KNOWING...
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| The sidewalk is usually lower than the landing. The highest point of the drift outside our front door is around 3 feet deep. Our front yard is two levels, with the lower level about 4.5 feet deeper than the upper level. Today, there is at least 2 feet of snow on the upper level, and 6.5 feet of snow on the lower level. The yard is now level. |
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| You can see the red car across the street mostly covered with snow. The igloo in front of the car is our neighbors' other car. Why they did not put the cars in the garage last night is a mystery. |
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| The snow is above the glass on our back deck door. |
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| The deepest snow on our deck is around 2 feet deep. |
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| We've heard that some people can't get out of their houses, due to drifts that totally cover their doors. Our drift is only 14" deep. |
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
COUNTING CALORIES IS UNNATURAL - FRED HAHN
Though many have said this before I have, and as Gary Taubes points out so succinctly in his new book Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It
(Affiliate link, meaning, if you click on it and buy Gary’s book I make a shekel or two), counting calories is an exercise in futility.Notice that I did NOT say that if you reduce you caloric intake without altering energy expenditure, you won’t lose weight. Of course you will. What I DID say is that it is an exercise in futility.
What this means is, you just can’t do it because you can never know what your precise caloric needs are at any given time nor can you precisely determine your exact energy expenditure. And since a mere 20 calorie a day surplus can (supposedly) add up to ~30 extra pounds of fat gain over the course of 30 years, counting calorie is an exercise in _________ (fill in the blank).
Any expert who tells you to count calories in order to lose weight or specifically to lose fat needs to have his forehead gently smacked and made to look around the natural world a lot more closely. He also needs to understand that fat loss is not a numbers game, it a hormonal game. And it is a game that has very strict rules and regulations. If you don’t play by them, you don’t pass Go and collect your $200.
Animals in the wild are never obese. Their bodies carefully regulate their fat stores as needed. And in case you hadn’t noticed, animals never count their calories (yes I know they can’t count). What I mean is, they never purposefully restrict the amount of food they eat. They eat when they are hungry. They eat when they need to eat, that is. Even when food is abundant and plentiful, wild animals do not overeat to the point of obesity.
Let me state this loud and clear: No one in the history of human existence ever became obese or even over fat because they STOPPED counting their calories.
Shall I state that again?
If you eat the foods that you were “designed” or evolved to eat, you will satisfy all of your nutrient requirements with enough food to keep your body fat stores ample but not so much that health is compromised.
Fat is not just blobs of useless goo. Body fat serves many important purposes in our bodies, much more than as a backup fuel source when food is scarce. In short, fat is good. Too much, however, can be bad.
I’ve said this in other blog posts but it needs to be said again: if you eat a diet rich in wild, grass-fed, free-ranging animals free of chemicals and additives and limit the rest of your diet to other natural foods like seasonal vegetables and seasonal fruits without grains of any kind (no animal on earth eats grains as a staple food), you can’t become obese. And if you already are obese, unless a lifetime of eating unnaturally has severely damaged your metabolism requiring medical intervention, all excess body fat will be shed without ever having to count a single calorie in your life.
No – I don’t have a single scientific reference to support this claim – unless of course you accept nature and centuries of human evolution as a credible source.
1. See a qualified bariatric physician that understands what eating real food means. Here is a list of physicians that know their stuff.
2. Remove all grains and grain based foods from your diet. They contribute to hormonal disruption and are the main modern food source that is contributing and causing the obesity and diabetes epidemic.
3. Eat wild, free ranging, grass-fed animals to your hearts content. These foods should make up the bulk of your calorie intake.
4. Eat non-starchy vegetables and fruits seasonally. Consider limiting legumes as well.
5. Perform 1-2 high intensity, short duration resistance training sessions a week. As for activity, do what pleases you but be safe.
Resource books on fats (affiliate links):
Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats
Know Your Fats : The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol
The Fats of Life
So forget about counting your calories. It’s a waste of time and energy that is better spent on giving your kitchen a metabolic makeover. Out with the sugar and in with healthy sources of protein and fat.
You can thank me later.
(Click here to read the full article and readers' comments.)