Week Seven

Monday, June 18, 2012

Week Seven

Week seven of my Body For Life program: June 12-18, 2012.

Weight: 185.4# 
-.2 pounds for the week/ -14.6 pounds total
Waist: 37"
-.25" for the week/ -2.75" total
Hips: 42.2"
-no change for the week/ -2.25" total


I am late posting this week.  I have been suffering from discouragement about the lack of scale progress for the past 3 weeks.  It has been tough to write when there isn't really any progress to report.  Less than 1/2 pound in 3 weeks when I hope for 1-2 pounds per week!  It is discouraging when you are working so hard and the tangible results aren't there.  Sure, I can look at the pictures, remind myself that I am in better shape than I have been in for 6 years and think about the long term.  This is a lifestyle change I am making, not a quick fix!


The bottom line is, not seeing the scale move sucks!


Anyway, as promised, I had my body fat percentage measured last week.  The results of that were astonishing!  Back in week one, on May 1, 2012, my body fat was 44.8% (measured with calipers).  On June 15th (week seven) My body fat percentage was down to 36.3%!  What does that mean?


May 1: 44.8% body fat
This means that of my 194#, 44.8% (87#/ yes, you are reading that correctly, EIGHTY-SEVEN POUNDS) is fat and 107# is my Lean Body Mass.  LBM is the sum of the weight of your bones, muscles and organs (everything in your body other than fat). 
June 15: 36.3%
This means that of my 185.4#, 36.3% (67#) is fat and 118# is Lean Body Mass.


In other words, in 7 weeks I have lost 9 pounds on the scale, but that isn't telling the whole story!  I have actually, in 7 weeks, lost 20# of pure fat and gained 11# of pure muscle!!  


So, I am choosing today, to see this healthy lifestyle thing as a direction, not a destination.  I just need to keep moving in the direction of health and fitness and forget the dumb scale!