I’ve been eating less, and better, for nearly a week now.
But, I haven’t been tracking anything.
Of course, “we never weigh ourselves at our heaviest”. I don’t remember who I heard say it, but it’s not mine. I’m borrowing it with this half arsed attribution.
Enough procrastination, today is the day. I already got on the scale and cracked out the tape measure before I sat down to type. I have ‘The Numbers’.
Except, first things first, these numbers are in no way definitive.
I ended up weighing myself three times – once because I forgot how my scales worked, once to do it “properly,” and once because the first two numbers were so far apart. And, each time, I got a different number. The second and third were only 0.1kg apart (less than a ¼ pound) so I’m using the second one, only because I’d already written it down. And I plan to buy some new batteries – just in case. But, the fact remains, something I did – slightly nudging the scale, shuffling my feet, I don’t know what – caused a 2kg (4½lbs) jump in my weight to manifest in the scale.
Right now, with no frame of reference, it doesn’t bother me. The secret estimates I hid inside my head were pretty close – so no major surprises or revelations. But, a month or two or three from now the perception of a 2kg rebound is going to be a psychological gut punch. It’s going to feel like I just wasted around a month and, probably, raise the question why even bother.
That’s why, as much as I have given myself a vaguely numeric target, I want to try and do this without becoming fixated on an endless parade of numbers. Our body weights can fluctuate in ways that have nothing to do with how much fat we are carrying and our scales conspire to change their minds based on the slightest variance. Beyond that, hopefully I will eventually get in the gym and, as a result, rebuild some lost muscle – a body recomposition that is a move in the desired direction, but won’t show on a scale.
But enough, time to commit the numbers I do have to the metaphorical paper of this blog:
Friday 16 July
Weight: 118.2kg (260lbs)
Fat%: 038.0%
Fat Mass: 044.9kg (099lbs)
To Lose: 026.8kg (059lbs)
Some ‘interesting’ points to note:
- My scale claims to measure body fat. Again, it gave two very different readings (around 5% change) but also, it gave a numbers either side of 60%. I know I’m fat – the 38% offered by the Navy Method is firmly in the obese category – but around 40% seems closer to ‘true’ than around 60%.
- I used this site to calculate percentage of body fat using the Navy method. It was the first one I found that accepted decimal numbers, but also provided a lot of extra information.
- Amongst that extra information the site offers an “ideal” body fat calculation (using the Jackson Pollard model, apparently). The number offered is a very reassuring 15.3%. As this agrees with my own assessment, obviously it seems right to me.
If I use these numbers for further calculation I must conclude I am looking at somewhere in the region of at least six months to get where I desire in a safe way (I assumed I could safely drop 1% per week, hoping to more accurately model non-linear fat loss).
Also, I had a quick look at estimates for daily calorie requirements. Again, depending on which calculation is used, there is a lot of variation in the numbers offered – from 2,750 at the top end to 2,300 at the lowest. First, from experience, I would think the lower estimate is probably about right for me. But, possibly more importantly, on the recommendation to cut 500cals a day to loose 1lbs of fat a week, that discrepancy could be the difference between loosing, sitting on a plateau or gaining.
I am trying to implement a “no counting” methodology to control my eating (more on that tomorrow), but, trying to follow the standard advice (to eat in a calorie deficit) relies on a compounding sequence of inaccurate measures and estimates that can easily leave anyone confused, frustrated, depressed and feeling like they’re banging their head against a brick wall. I’ll check in again next month – just to track approximate progress for the blog. And, I can see how having varification that “things are working” can help maintain positivity and motivation. But, I have to feel like putting an emphasis on scale weight is a recipe for madness.
Around Fifteen Percent 