Monday, June 29, 2015

I Will


A winter full of sub par training and illness has really caught up to me.  I'm a much higher body fat percentage than I have been in a LONG time.  I can feel it when I run, do jumping jacks, etc.  I'm determined to get back to where I was.  I'm currently at 22% body fat.  My past measurements: 
While I know 22% isn't terrible (it's in the fitness range) I know what percentage feels most comfortable for me and allows me to be my strongest, fastest and fittest.  

So I sat down and did some math.  I took my weight and body fat % to figure out how many pounds were fat.  Then I used where I want to be 15% to figure out how many pounds of fat to loose to get there.
 I figured I need to loose 9 pounds of body fat.  Since each pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories, that maintaining a deficient of 350 cals a day would have me loose a pound of body fat every ten days.  This rate would keep me in the healthy range of loosing no more than 0.7% of my body mass per week.  With this rate it will take me about 10 weeks to get to where I want to be.  Just in time for fall races!  

I don't focus on "weight" but I do focus on body fat.  Weight is relative and not bad.  Since muscle is denser than fat, the more muscle you have, the more you can weigh for your size and that is a good thing!  You can get your body fat measured at your gym by a trainer.  

I plan on doing what has worked for me in the past and you can read that: http://www.livefreeandrun.net/2013/06/how-i-got-faster-and-how-you-can-too.html?m=1

I can't just hope for the body fat to melt away....I need a plan and to commit to it. That 350 calorie deficit can't come from food for me.  I eat pretty healthy and don't really over eat.  The deficit will come from training (which the lack of lead to the muscle loss and fat gain in the first place).  Those 350 cals can come from running 4 miles everyday or at least completing some sort of higher intensity activity each day.  And weights are definitely re-entering my life!  

Do you have a goal?  Do you map and plan out how you are going to achieve it?  

1 comment:

  1. Not feeling you are at your best is frustrating, but I'm sure you'll get back to where you were. I think after a year of some slight restriction by body slowly gained back some weight over a couple years. I also gained weight with each marathon I trained for so this year I'm going to try to keep a closer eye on what I'm eating to hopefully maintain!

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