Over the past ten months, I have gained almost fifteen pounds and while I don’t think most people would actually describe me as fat, I am, nonetheless, uncomfortable in my own skin. Not to mention, my clothes… those that I can still get into, that is. So the goal of my new program is to get myself to a point where I feel good again. But there is one little addendum to my goal that differs from that of the average dieter – I am less concerned with how much overall weight I lose than I am with how much fat I lose. I do not have an actual goal weight in mind, though I do have an idea of where I will end up. But the number is unimportant. What is important is that I retain as much hard-earned muscle as I can and still lower my body fat to a percentage I deem acceptable.
What would that be? Even that is difficult to say. In the past, it has dropped as low as 15 %. At the time the following photos were taken (in 2009), it was around 17%. The tricky thing with body fat percentage is that not only is it difficult to measure without an immersion or Bod Pod test, but it changes as you age. Even if your weight remains the same year after year, your body fat percentage will increase due to the aging process. As we age, we lose muscle, and to complicate matters, we also store more visceral fat (in our abdominal cavities and around our organs). A slender 50 year old woman, for example, standing 5′ 2 ” and weighing 105 pounds will have a higher body fat percentage than her 20 year old, same height, same weight counterpart – even if it’s not noticeable in their appearance.
But even taking all of this into account, I am aiming to drop my body fat to somewhere between 17 and 19%. Last year, 17% put me at anywhere between 98 and 103 pounds (taking into account normal day-to-day fluctations, water retention, etc.). This year, I have been lifting a little heavier overall, and so might actually have a bit more muscle to start with. If that turns out to be the case, my final goal weight could be anywhere from 103 to 107 – but I won’t really know until I get there.
And how will I know that? Well, when muscle definition is like this again, I’ll be there.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
(thanks to my husband for the photos – all except the Target pic – and most of which have been posted on the site before).
In the gym, for a marathon session: (the gym closes Sunday and Monday for Labour Day).
Chest, Shoulders & Tris:
YTA warm-up
Dumbbell Chest Press: 15 lbs. x 12/20 lbs. x 12/25 lbs. x 10/30 lbs. x 10/35 lbs. x 6
Flyes: 20 lbs. x 12/25 lbs. x 10/30 lbs. x 4, then dropped to 20 lbs. x 8
Kettlebell Clean & Press, One-Armed: 8 kg. x 8/8 kg. x 8/8 kg. x 8
Lateral Raises: 8 lbs. x 12/10 lbs. x 10/12 lbs. x 8, then dropped to 8 lbs. x 4
Skullcrushers, EZ Bar: 15 lbs. x 12/25 lbs. x 10/35 lbs. x 4, then dropped to 15 lbs. x 8
Bench Dips: 12/6 (then quit as I was feeling in my shoulder)
Steady State Cardio:
Elliptical Trainer: 15 minutes, manual program, ramp 5, 2271 strides (151 per minute average)
Treadmill: 15 minutes, 4 mph, incline 2, 1 mile
Stretching:
Standing Quads, Hams, Calves, Triceps.
On the Mat: Hams. Butterflies. Clamshells. Knee Drop, Hold and Stretch. Cobras. Child’s Pose. Kneeling Hip Flexor. Plough.
Two hours, 10 minutes in the gym.
