The numbers are getting more interesting
How dissimilar are body fat measurements between caliper skin flold measurements and a Tanita impedence measurement? Not much.
I have data for my tanita scale going back months on end. But I only have five days worth of data for my new skinfold calipers.
date / Tanita* / Skin Fold
04-27 / 22.8% / 23.17%
04-28 / 21.6% / 24.47%
04-29 / 21.6% / 24.81%
04-30 / 20.8% / 24.90%
xx-xx / 21.7 % / 25.15%
------
* I use a moving 5 day average for virtually all numbers in my weight loss spreadsheet -- so that the noise gets spread out. Of course, my tanita scale only measures body fat to the nearest 0.5; nonetheless, when using a 5 day moving average, it tends to make the numbers more gradual/sensible.
So it appears either my Tanita scale is understating my body fat by ~3%; or, conversely, my skinfold measurement technique is overstating my body fat by about 3%.
What's interesting is this: I compared measurements taken on the 3rd of the month taken jan-05 through 04-30 (cheated on the last measurement). During this time frame I've dropped from 270 to 230 pounds.
01-03: 36.5%
02-03: 28.7%
03-03: 24.9%
04-03: 23.0%
05-03: 21.7%
So, it would appear I've lost about 15% of body fat. On 01-03 I weighed approximately 270 pounds; therefore, 15% of 270 pounds is approximately 40 pounds. And, magically, I am now 40 pounds lighter.
The numbers work. They always have and they always will.
k
ps - If someone wanted a copy of my spreadsheet -- simply leave your email address on the tag in a comment and I'll send it to you. . . k
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Thursday, April 28, 2005
body fat measurements - calipers
MEASURING BODY FAT
It appears I'm getting better at measuring body fat using calipers.
Yesterday I measured and came up with 24.811%. Today I measured and came up with 24.811% :-). The prior two days (in order):
23.17%
24.47%
average = 24.315%
And so it appears I sit at approximately 24% body fat via the caliper method; while the Tanita scale measures 21.38% (average over past four days). So the calipers show up at 3% more. I tend to believe the calipers, but it's important to remember that this is nothing more than an estimate -- to ACTUALLY measure requires me being run over by a truck -- and the autopsy (quincy) will reveal the real numbers.
HEALTHY BODY FAT RANGES
Given the post below, I would like to fit into an elite athletic category, which is a body fat of 6-13% (I'd like to be on the 6% side ideally). Nonethless at 24.5% -- it appears that I fit into "acceptable levels for the average man." But fitness begins at the 14-17% range. Therefore, an 8% drop in body fat (approximately 18 pounds) -- then I have a "fit man" moniker.
I definitely look (and feel) better. But I'm a little frustrated at the slow pace (particularly in recent weeks. Although, once school is over, I'll hopefully get after it in the summer.
It appears I'm getting better at measuring body fat using calipers.
Yesterday I measured and came up with 24.811%. Today I measured and came up with 24.811% :-). The prior two days (in order):
23.17%
24.47%
average = 24.315%
And so it appears I sit at approximately 24% body fat via the caliper method; while the Tanita scale measures 21.38% (average over past four days). So the calipers show up at 3% more. I tend to believe the calipers, but it's important to remember that this is nothing more than an estimate -- to ACTUALLY measure requires me being run over by a truck -- and the autopsy (quincy) will reveal the real numbers.
HEALTHY BODY FAT RANGES
Given the post below, I would like to fit into an elite athletic category, which is a body fat of 6-13% (I'd like to be on the 6% side ideally). Nonethless at 24.5% -- it appears that I fit into "acceptable levels for the average man." But fitness begins at the 14-17% range. Therefore, an 8% drop in body fat (approximately 18 pounds) -- then I have a "fit man" moniker.
I definitely look (and feel) better. But I'm a little frustrated at the slow pace (particularly in recent weeks. Although, once school is over, I'll hopefully get after it in the summer.
comparison of body fat using just tape measure
I decided to comparison shop and try a few body fat measures using simply a measuring tape.
waist: 42.5"
height: 5'9.5"
weight: 229
wrist circumference: 7.0
This produced a body fat of 27.0%
http://www.drsears.com/drsearspages/bodyfatcalmale.jsp
Says my lean weight is 167.9. That seems pretty close to me.
Here's the results from a second website:
http://www.slimmingsystems.com/body_fat_calculator.htm
42.5 Your Waist Size
229 Your Weight
25.84% Percent Bodyfat
2349 cals -- Resting Metabolic Rate
calories
170 pounds -- my so-called "lean weight"
The site says this about body fat ranges: "And for men, male athletes would typically have levels of 6-13%, fit men would have levels ranging from 14-17%, acceptable levels for the average man would range from 18-25%. "
http://www.biofitness.com/bodyfat.html
Interesting site that has me at 26%. Seems to be pretty close.
Name:
Age: 36
Sex: Male
Body Weight: 229
buttocks : 41.25
abdomen : 42.5
right forearm: 12
Activity Level: Heavy Activity
Body fat percentage: 26.2%
Healthy body fat standard: 15.45% (Cooper Clinic adjusted for age)
Fat weight: 59.9 lbs.
Lean weight:169.1 lbs.
Target body weight: 200.0 lbs. (Your current weight minus the fat loss for health without any muscle gain)
Desired weight loss: 29.0 lbs. (The fat loss needed to reach a healthy level without muscle gain)
Body fat level: Very High (See Private Consultation below!)
Suggested Exercise Level: general reconditioning, physical exam recommended
Maximum Daily Calorie Consumption for Weight Maintenance
Protein 15%: 637 kcal, 159 gramsNutrition for Fitness & Sport; Melvin Williams, 1995.
Carbohydrate 60%: 2550 kcal, 637 gramsRecommended Dietary Allowances National Research Council.
Saturated Fat 5%: 212 kcal,
23 gramsUnsaturated Fat
20%: 850 kcal, 94 gramsDietary Guidelines for Americans; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Total Daily kcal 100%: 4251
http://www.lowfatlifestyle.com/bmicalculator.htm
This says my bmi is currently 33.
The breaking points seems to be 205 pounds (prone to health risks) to 185 (desirable).
So it turns out, despite all the yelling and screaming about one device or method being more accurate than others, the tanita scale fluctuates, but a 5-day moving average, is pretty close, as are just plain old measuring tape calculators off the web. . . or you can do measurements with calipers for $30 bucks. I guess I just wish some people would stop screaming about it. . .
k
waist: 42.5"
height: 5'9.5"
weight: 229
wrist circumference: 7.0
This produced a body fat of 27.0%
http://www.drsears.com/drsearspages/bodyfatcalmale.jsp
Says my lean weight is 167.9. That seems pretty close to me.
Here's the results from a second website:
http://www.slimmingsystems.com/body_fat_calculator.htm
42.5 Your Waist Size
229 Your Weight
25.84% Percent Bodyfat
2349 cals -- Resting Metabolic Rate
calories
170 pounds -- my so-called "lean weight"
The site says this about body fat ranges: "And for men, male athletes would typically have levels of 6-13%, fit men would have levels ranging from 14-17%, acceptable levels for the average man would range from 18-25%. "
http://www.biofitness.com/bodyfat.html
Interesting site that has me at 26%. Seems to be pretty close.
Name:
Age: 36
Sex: Male
Body Weight: 229
buttocks : 41.25
abdomen : 42.5
right forearm: 12
Activity Level: Heavy Activity
Body fat percentage: 26.2%
Healthy body fat standard: 15.45% (Cooper Clinic adjusted for age)
Fat weight: 59.9 lbs.
Lean weight:169.1 lbs.
Target body weight: 200.0 lbs. (Your current weight minus the fat loss for health without any muscle gain)
Desired weight loss: 29.0 lbs. (The fat loss needed to reach a healthy level without muscle gain)
Body fat level: Very High (See Private Consultation below!)
Suggested Exercise Level: general reconditioning, physical exam recommended
Maximum Daily Calorie Consumption for Weight Maintenance
Protein 15%: 637 kcal, 159 gramsNutrition for Fitness & Sport; Melvin Williams, 1995.
Carbohydrate 60%: 2550 kcal, 637 gramsRecommended Dietary Allowances National Research Council.
Saturated Fat 5%: 212 kcal,
23 gramsUnsaturated Fat
20%: 850 kcal, 94 gramsDietary Guidelines for Americans; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Total Daily kcal 100%: 4251
http://www.lowfatlifestyle.com/bmicalculator.htm
This says my bmi is currently 33.
The breaking points seems to be 205 pounds (prone to health risks) to 185 (desirable).
So it turns out, despite all the yelling and screaming about one device or method being more accurate than others, the tanita scale fluctuates, but a 5-day moving average, is pretty close, as are just plain old measuring tape calculators off the web. . . or you can do measurements with calipers for $30 bucks. I guess I just wish some people would stop screaming about it. . .
k
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Body Fat Calipers - Day 3
I've used body fat calipers for 3 days now. . . and I've come up with the following numbers for body fat.
23.17%
24.47%
24.81%
THese numbers are quite similar (though not exact) to my Tanita body fat scale (which seems to think I'm ~19.5-22.0% depending on the day. It surely seems that using calipers has a lower problem with precision -- what I measure one day, seems to be pretty close to my result two days later.
One of the websites recommended that you take your body fat via calipers every day for a week. When you come up with consistent numbers, then you've refined your technique. The refined technique means you have reliability (a reproducible result) -- then again, though the result is reproducible it doesn't necessarily mean it is accurate. It could be high/low by a few points due to my own application of the technology -- but, i suppose the point is, at least it will allow me to judge the trend.
The rough math seems to be this: I weigh 230 pounds; if I am 25% body fat, and I wanted to reduce to bare minimum (5%) -- then I could drop 20% to become completely lean: 20% * 230 = 46 pounds. or roughly 180 pounds. That doesn't seem right at all to me though.
* * *
Erg / Concept2
I got back on the erg tonight for 20 mins (3200 M) -- I only did it to test my back. My back still feels a bit strained while on the erg so I'll probably take a few more days off of it and stick with the cycling (I'm in the midst of finals so exercise will be sporadic at best).
NUTRITION
My nutrition seems to be better. I've always worried about nutrition during finals because it is my most stressed out period and I tend to eat more. Perhaps I'm managing stress better -- but the much more likely reason is that I'm not as stressed this finals go round. Thankfully the madness will be done soon -- I know it's just a matter of hanging on for the remainder of the ride :-).
kc.
23.17%
24.47%
24.81%
THese numbers are quite similar (though not exact) to my Tanita body fat scale (which seems to think I'm ~19.5-22.0% depending on the day. It surely seems that using calipers has a lower problem with precision -- what I measure one day, seems to be pretty close to my result two days later.
One of the websites recommended that you take your body fat via calipers every day for a week. When you come up with consistent numbers, then you've refined your technique. The refined technique means you have reliability (a reproducible result) -- then again, though the result is reproducible it doesn't necessarily mean it is accurate. It could be high/low by a few points due to my own application of the technology -- but, i suppose the point is, at least it will allow me to judge the trend.
The rough math seems to be this: I weigh 230 pounds; if I am 25% body fat, and I wanted to reduce to bare minimum (5%) -- then I could drop 20% to become completely lean: 20% * 230 = 46 pounds. or roughly 180 pounds. That doesn't seem right at all to me though.
* * *
Erg / Concept2
I got back on the erg tonight for 20 mins (3200 M) -- I only did it to test my back. My back still feels a bit strained while on the erg so I'll probably take a few more days off of it and stick with the cycling (I'm in the midst of finals so exercise will be sporadic at best).
NUTRITION
My nutrition seems to be better. I've always worried about nutrition during finals because it is my most stressed out period and I tend to eat more. Perhaps I'm managing stress better -- but the much more likely reason is that I'm not as stressed this finals go round. Thankfully the madness will be done soon -- I know it's just a matter of hanging on for the remainder of the ride :-).
kc.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Body Fat Calipers
BODY FAT CALIPERS
I received my body fat calipers in the mail today. I found a good website which provides a body fat calculator. I'm sure there are many more respectable websites.
Essentially I self-administered a test, using thigh, stomach and pectoral measurements. It was actually quite close to the results of my tanita scale. . . it came out to be 23.169% -- my most recent (last week) tanita body fat (5-day-moving average) registered at 25.6%. so within ~2.5% is close enough to me.
I think my real goal is to get to 6% -- below 10% is magical; but six percent (i.e., abs -- is still my goal :-)).
kc
I received my body fat calipers in the mail today. I found a good website which provides a body fat calculator. I'm sure there are many more respectable websites.
Essentially I self-administered a test, using thigh, stomach and pectoral measurements. It was actually quite close to the results of my tanita scale. . . it came out to be 23.169% -- my most recent (last week) tanita body fat (5-day-moving average) registered at 25.6%. so within ~2.5% is close enough to me.
I think my real goal is to get to 6% -- below 10% is magical; but six percent (i.e., abs -- is still my goal :-)).
kc
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Back, etc.
My back feels better. But certainly not perfect. I did a very gentle ten mile ride yesterday on the CT. It was fine, but really easy.
I got this hankering for chocolate last night -- I ended up eating a 100 grand bar and also baking an old brownie dish (ready made mix in my cupboard for the past 1.5 years). It was crazy -- something like 3,000 calories. I ate it last night and this morning. I also ate a bunch of chocolate (nestle crunch bars -- 10 small ones) -- on friday night.
I didn't track calories thu - fri - probably not saturday either. I think I'm a little depressed over how much work there is in the next three weeks -- I have finals and the reality is during this 'grad school experience' -- all of the material gets learned at the end. Five exams in two weeks, so it gets stressful. There's something to be examined when the calories expand as the stress level rises through the roof.
I'm a little scared this round, because of how little I've put into school; however, I'm nearly bullet proof -- nearly impossible to fall to level of low enough grades to get kicked out -- and not high enough in the class to fear losing something. In some ways, I may want to count my blessings :-).
I hope to get back into rowing in the next week as the back heals up. In the meanwhile, the safest is probably easy 10-15 mile rides as a study break in the evenings.
kc.
I got this hankering for chocolate last night -- I ended up eating a 100 grand bar and also baking an old brownie dish (ready made mix in my cupboard for the past 1.5 years). It was crazy -- something like 3,000 calories. I ate it last night and this morning. I also ate a bunch of chocolate (nestle crunch bars -- 10 small ones) -- on friday night.
I didn't track calories thu - fri - probably not saturday either. I think I'm a little depressed over how much work there is in the next three weeks -- I have finals and the reality is during this 'grad school experience' -- all of the material gets learned at the end. Five exams in two weeks, so it gets stressful. There's something to be examined when the calories expand as the stress level rises through the roof.
I'm a little scared this round, because of how little I've put into school; however, I'm nearly bullet proof -- nearly impossible to fall to level of low enough grades to get kicked out -- and not high enough in the class to fear losing something. In some ways, I may want to count my blessings :-).
I hope to get back into rowing in the next week as the back heals up. In the meanwhile, the safest is probably easy 10-15 mile rides as a study break in the evenings.
kc.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Another Blog
Here's a nice webpage/blog about how this person (female) lost 50 pounds. I fully concur with her analysis that weight loss, contrary to some blockheads, is not rocket science; rather, weight loss is science -- exercise more and eat fewer calories and magically you will weigh less. . .
Finals - back injury
BACK INJURY
Unfortunately I sustained a back injury on Thursday when I was attempting a new record at a 10,000m row. I was on pace to beat it, too, but at 8500M, I (particularly in hindsight) gave up the effort due to back pain. It's significantly better today.
FINALS
I have final exams with my first one on 05-02 and last one on 05-13. I have 5 exams, all in challenging subjects. This is always a highly stressful period. Typically (with one exception) our entire grade is from the final. I feel like I did more working out than studying this semester too, so it is a bit scary. I definitely feel like I could end up with low grades -- although, I am preparing like crazy now. At this point it is just a sprint up the mountain -- trying to outlast other people.
Well, back to the grind.
Unfortunately I sustained a back injury on Thursday when I was attempting a new record at a 10,000m row. I was on pace to beat it, too, but at 8500M, I (particularly in hindsight) gave up the effort due to back pain. It's significantly better today.
FINALS
I have final exams with my first one on 05-02 and last one on 05-13. I have 5 exams, all in challenging subjects. This is always a highly stressful period. Typically (with one exception) our entire grade is from the final. I feel like I did more working out than studying this semester too, so it is a bit scary. I definitely feel like I could end up with low grades -- although, I am preparing like crazy now. At this point it is just a sprint up the mountain -- trying to outlast other people.
Well, back to the grind.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Exercise is King
I did some calculations in the shower the other day. I figure I burn, via exercise alone, approximately 14,000 calories per week.
swim: 6,000 yards in ~2.5 hours; Figure, roughly, 400 cals/hr = 1,000 calories.
bike: 80 miles; roughly 80 cals per mile = 6,400 calories;
run: 10 miles per week = 180 cals / mile = 1800 calories.
aerobics: (this is the navy seal calistenthics/strength exercises) -- figure 400 cals per hour, and 1 hour per week = 400.
rowing: 40,000 meters per week, roughly 800 calories per 10k meters = ~3,200 calories.
total: 12,800 calories per week, give or take. So, I'm just shy of 2,000 calories per day in reality. Nonetheless that is A TON of caloric expenditure.
I've noticed a recent uptick in caloric consumption (something like 2,500 cals per day, rather than the stated 2,000 calories per day). But, given the expenditure probably not that big of a deal.
I'm still consuming lots of fruit (via homemade smoothies) and lots of veggies -- mostly via salad and frozen veggies. So this is good. Also, no more regular soda, diet soda instead. I hope to swap to water at some point, but for now, the most important thing is to reduce calories to effect weight loss.
SHORTS/CLOTHES
I have now begun to wear two pairs of shorts that I officially couldn't fit into just a few months ago. That's a nice feeling. They definitely make me look thinner to (to have shorts that are too big held tight to your body via belt is different than having snug shorts with a belt). I do have to admit that vanity sometimes plays a significant role in that which I do.
ROWING
The rowing experience has been much better than I expected. I seem to have lots of endurance -- and actually enjoy the rowing. I tend to do it while watching TV (instead of sitting on the couch).
FUTURE GOALS.
I've been tossing around future goals in my mind for the past week or so. . . and I come up with the following.
Thematically: I'd like to:
* reduce weight smartly down to probably 160-170 or so.
* reduce body fat down to probably: surely single digits, and ideally about 5-7%.
* reduce waist measurements down to roughly 32-34" waist (both upper and lower).
Weight
To reduce weight smartly, I figure I will drop 2.5 pounds per week, then reduce to 2.0 pounds, down to 1.5 pounds per week, then 1.0 then 0.5 pounds per week. Probably a long curve that extends down to "goal weight."
I have legitimately lost 42 pounds since 01-02-05. That is, ~106 days. For purposes of calculation I'll call it 15 weeks. THerefore, I have lost 2.8 pounds per week for the past 15 weeks. If I were able to maintain the same curve (unlikely because weight loss slows down through time) -- I would end up with another 42 pound loss (228-42 = 186 pounds) by about August 1. Now, if my weight loss suddenly was halved, such that I was only able to sustain a loss of approximately 1.4 pounds per week on average, I would then drop 21 pounds in 15 weeks, which would be (228-21=207). If it were reduced by 2/3rds, I would lose 14 pounds in 15 weeks for (228-14= 214).
So my August 1 goal is:
optimal: 186 pounds (additional 42 pound loss);
mid-term: 201 pounds (additional 21 pounds loss);
low-term: 214 pounds (additional 14 pounds loss).
November 1 goal, is likely, 21 / 14 / 7.
which would yield a range of 165 to 207 pounds. And this is the problem with making these predictions, everything is depends upon how soon you get to one plateau, and then trying to figure out the next plateu from there becomes exponentially more difficult.
Maybe a good clean goal is to try to reach 175 pounds by 01-01-2006.
GOALS FOR BODY FAT/ MEASUREMENTS - GIVEN THE ABOVE
I think at 200 pounds, I should probably drop another 5% or so in body fat -- so roughly 15-17% body fat. at 180 I suspect I would be in the 12-15 % range. 170 I suspect is something like 9-12%. 160 is probably 5-9% body fat [and, apparently ab territory].
As for measurements I suspect that 200 pounds (roughly august 1) will yield a 36" inch waist. 180 pounds will likely yield a 34" waist or so. 170 33" and 160 a 32" waist.
What is interesting is how much and to what degree my chest will decrease -- it's already gone from 53" to 44" (despite my wearing 50" suit coats -- I have big shoulders :-)).
swim: 6,000 yards in ~2.5 hours; Figure, roughly, 400 cals/hr = 1,000 calories.
bike: 80 miles; roughly 80 cals per mile = 6,400 calories;
run: 10 miles per week = 180 cals / mile = 1800 calories.
aerobics: (this is the navy seal calistenthics/strength exercises) -- figure 400 cals per hour, and 1 hour per week = 400.
rowing: 40,000 meters per week, roughly 800 calories per 10k meters = ~3,200 calories.
total: 12,800 calories per week, give or take. So, I'm just shy of 2,000 calories per day in reality. Nonetheless that is A TON of caloric expenditure.
I've noticed a recent uptick in caloric consumption (something like 2,500 cals per day, rather than the stated 2,000 calories per day). But, given the expenditure probably not that big of a deal.
I'm still consuming lots of fruit (via homemade smoothies) and lots of veggies -- mostly via salad and frozen veggies. So this is good. Also, no more regular soda, diet soda instead. I hope to swap to water at some point, but for now, the most important thing is to reduce calories to effect weight loss.
SHORTS/CLOTHES
I have now begun to wear two pairs of shorts that I officially couldn't fit into just a few months ago. That's a nice feeling. They definitely make me look thinner to (to have shorts that are too big held tight to your body via belt is different than having snug shorts with a belt). I do have to admit that vanity sometimes plays a significant role in that which I do.
ROWING
The rowing experience has been much better than I expected. I seem to have lots of endurance -- and actually enjoy the rowing. I tend to do it while watching TV (instead of sitting on the couch).
FUTURE GOALS.
I've been tossing around future goals in my mind for the past week or so. . . and I come up with the following.
Thematically: I'd like to:
* reduce weight smartly down to probably 160-170 or so.
* reduce body fat down to probably: surely single digits, and ideally about 5-7%.
* reduce waist measurements down to roughly 32-34" waist (both upper and lower).
Weight
To reduce weight smartly, I figure I will drop 2.5 pounds per week, then reduce to 2.0 pounds, down to 1.5 pounds per week, then 1.0 then 0.5 pounds per week. Probably a long curve that extends down to "goal weight."
I have legitimately lost 42 pounds since 01-02-05. That is, ~106 days. For purposes of calculation I'll call it 15 weeks. THerefore, I have lost 2.8 pounds per week for the past 15 weeks. If I were able to maintain the same curve (unlikely because weight loss slows down through time) -- I would end up with another 42 pound loss (228-42 = 186 pounds) by about August 1. Now, if my weight loss suddenly was halved, such that I was only able to sustain a loss of approximately 1.4 pounds per week on average, I would then drop 21 pounds in 15 weeks, which would be (228-21=207). If it were reduced by 2/3rds, I would lose 14 pounds in 15 weeks for (228-14= 214).
So my August 1 goal is:
optimal: 186 pounds (additional 42 pound loss);
mid-term: 201 pounds (additional 21 pounds loss);
low-term: 214 pounds (additional 14 pounds loss).
November 1 goal, is likely, 21 / 14 / 7.
which would yield a range of 165 to 207 pounds. And this is the problem with making these predictions, everything is depends upon how soon you get to one plateau, and then trying to figure out the next plateu from there becomes exponentially more difficult.
Maybe a good clean goal is to try to reach 175 pounds by 01-01-2006.
GOALS FOR BODY FAT/ MEASUREMENTS - GIVEN THE ABOVE
I think at 200 pounds, I should probably drop another 5% or so in body fat -- so roughly 15-17% body fat. at 180 I suspect I would be in the 12-15 % range. 170 I suspect is something like 9-12%. 160 is probably 5-9% body fat [and, apparently ab territory].
As for measurements I suspect that 200 pounds (roughly august 1) will yield a 36" inch waist. 180 pounds will likely yield a 34" waist or so. 170 33" and 160 a 32" waist.
What is interesting is how much and to what degree my chest will decrease -- it's already gone from 53" to 44" (despite my wearing 50" suit coats -- I have big shoulders :-)).
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Inches rather than pounds
This is oddly familiar to one of my rants. . . about measuring inches when the pounds aren't disappearing fast enough.
Fed Up With Inaccurate WEights
I've spent the past few hours trying to track down what makes a scale more accurate -- especially given that I can now supremely manipulate my scale and it is bugging me. Perhaps the easiest solution is for me to go to a store and see if I can manipulate the scale weights.
Here's a decent site talking about the (true) urban mything that one "weighs less" on carpeting rather than a hard surface.
Here's a VERY thorough report on the urban myth (not a myth -- scientificially studied and recognized).
Here's a decent site talking about the (true) urban mything that one "weighs less" on carpeting rather than a hard surface.
Here's a VERY thorough report on the urban myth (not a myth -- scientificially studied and recognized).
Monday, April 11, 2005
Data revelation
LOOKED THROUGH BLOG -- AND SPREADSHEET -- LOCATED INTERESTING DATA.
So, even though I felt a bit down, I looked through my blog and I'm starting to feel the power of LONG TERM determination.
I track my weighted five day average weight (that is the average weight is determined by the average of the last five days). I keep it in a spreadsheet.
Here is the 5-day-moving average of weight for me:
04-10-2005: 221.9 pounds;
03-04-2005: 234.0 pounds;
02-04-2005: 245.6 pounds;
01-04-2005: 263.3 pounds.
Therefore, one can see a clear line -- indeed, it appears I lost 12 pounds in just the past month! (However, the enthusiasm might be tempered by the fact that some of those pounds may be phantom pounds due to my ability to manipulate the scale).
Additionally, here is my five day moving average for body fat:
04-10-2005: 18.8% body fat;
03-04-2005: 24.8% body fat;
02-04-2005: 28.6% body fat;
01-04-2005: 36.8% body fat;
Yes, an 18% reduction in body fat is real progress. Coupled with a loss of 7" (or 4" depending upon how you measure [48 to 41, vs. 43 to 39]) around my waist.
Progress.
Onward.
kc.
So, even though I felt a bit down, I looked through my blog and I'm starting to feel the power of LONG TERM determination.
I track my weighted five day average weight (that is the average weight is determined by the average of the last five days). I keep it in a spreadsheet.
Here is the 5-day-moving average of weight for me:
04-10-2005: 221.9 pounds;
03-04-2005: 234.0 pounds;
02-04-2005: 245.6 pounds;
01-04-2005: 263.3 pounds.
Therefore, one can see a clear line -- indeed, it appears I lost 12 pounds in just the past month! (However, the enthusiasm might be tempered by the fact that some of those pounds may be phantom pounds due to my ability to manipulate the scale).
Additionally, here is my five day moving average for body fat:
04-10-2005: 18.8% body fat;
03-04-2005: 24.8% body fat;
02-04-2005: 28.6% body fat;
01-04-2005: 36.8% body fat;
Yes, an 18% reduction in body fat is real progress. Coupled with a loss of 7" (or 4" depending upon how you measure [48 to 41, vs. 43 to 39]) around my waist.
Progress.
Onward.
kc.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Week end 04-10-2005
NO COMPLAINTS
I think I might be a tad bit depressed. I'm seeing lower weights but I'm not as ecstatic as I should reasonably expect. I'm pushing past the 220 mark and heading down into the teens. This is a very good thing.
SCALE
Speaking of which though, the range of my scale can be as much as 20 pounds. . . I can manipulate my stated weight by either standing on it with my weight on my heels (this produces the highest weight, ~230 these days); or I can reduce the number if I stand with weight toward the balls of my feet (goes down to about 220 or so); I can further reduce things when I stand on the balls of my feet -- particularly the outer edges and then use my leg muscles to exert force onto the outside of the scale toward the inside (Like I'm trying to taco the scale) -- this method produces weights of as low as ~205. So when I'm asked (or think) what do i weigh now (or how much have I lost) I think I should use the 220 number. One answer may be to go the school gym to weigh myself.
EXERCISE
An incredibly adept week of exercise. The numbers are as follows:
Run = 10.1 miles;
Aerobics (weights) = 1.0 hour (in three workouts);
Cycling = 69.1
Swim = 5400 yards;
Rowing = 68 Kilometers.
So, very strong numbers for the week. Potentially deficient in running -- mostly because I opted to complete a half marathon on Sunday instead of a 5 mile run (13.1 miles of rowing against 5 miles running).
COMPARISON OF RUN TRAINING AGAINST TRAINING ON ROWING MACHINE
There is a school of thought which says the only way to get better at running is simple: Run. Others say cross training can help to increase run performance because it provides aerobic training without the beating that running produces in a body.
My own school of thought is a bit different: The pounding the body takes is excascerbated when an athlete is overweight. Therefore, I KNOW the best actual way for me to increase my athletic performance is quite simple: Weigh less and the run times will decrease dramatically. It seems to me a substitution of running for rowing will be quite good in that regard: Rowing burns lots of calories (some 1200 during today's half marathon).
In fact, rowing may explain my superior performance at cresting Mt. Hollywood on Saturday on the bike. I simply noticed I felt stronger and was able to really attack on some of the hills -- particularly the first hill. This is probably two pronged: Increased strength (from, perhaps, aerobic "navy seal" drills; combined with more rowing which is building power/strength), and the second prong: a greater power to weight ratio -- to the extent the rowing takes weight off of my frame, the easier it is to climb, all else being equal.
FOOD INTAKE
My food intake appears to be pretty good -- however, I have noticed that I have become hungry at particular moments recently. Also, I think the bread with cream soup at the grocery store is probably killing me a bit; I'll need to stop that.
On the upside though: I'm going through copious amounts of a wide variety of fruits and lots of veggies. Perhaps a little light on the protein aspect, but given the long straight line of weight loss, it all seems pretty sensible to me.
Also, still drinking large quantities of Diet Pepsi which I simply rationalize: Better than diet than regular soda (of course, better no soda at all, but given all of the evils I'm fighting this seems like perhaps a battle best saved for another day).
Overall, it's all positive. Finals are distinctly on the horizon, and that could explain some of the overwhelming feelings I currently have :-).
kc.
I think I might be a tad bit depressed. I'm seeing lower weights but I'm not as ecstatic as I should reasonably expect. I'm pushing past the 220 mark and heading down into the teens. This is a very good thing.
SCALE
Speaking of which though, the range of my scale can be as much as 20 pounds. . . I can manipulate my stated weight by either standing on it with my weight on my heels (this produces the highest weight, ~230 these days); or I can reduce the number if I stand with weight toward the balls of my feet (goes down to about 220 or so); I can further reduce things when I stand on the balls of my feet -- particularly the outer edges and then use my leg muscles to exert force onto the outside of the scale toward the inside (Like I'm trying to taco the scale) -- this method produces weights of as low as ~205. So when I'm asked (or think) what do i weigh now (or how much have I lost) I think I should use the 220 number. One answer may be to go the school gym to weigh myself.
EXERCISE
An incredibly adept week of exercise. The numbers are as follows:
Run = 10.1 miles;
Aerobics (weights) = 1.0 hour (in three workouts);
Cycling = 69.1
Swim = 5400 yards;
Rowing = 68 Kilometers.
So, very strong numbers for the week. Potentially deficient in running -- mostly because I opted to complete a half marathon on Sunday instead of a 5 mile run (13.1 miles of rowing against 5 miles running).
COMPARISON OF RUN TRAINING AGAINST TRAINING ON ROWING MACHINE
There is a school of thought which says the only way to get better at running is simple: Run. Others say cross training can help to increase run performance because it provides aerobic training without the beating that running produces in a body.
My own school of thought is a bit different: The pounding the body takes is excascerbated when an athlete is overweight. Therefore, I KNOW the best actual way for me to increase my athletic performance is quite simple: Weigh less and the run times will decrease dramatically. It seems to me a substitution of running for rowing will be quite good in that regard: Rowing burns lots of calories (some 1200 during today's half marathon).
In fact, rowing may explain my superior performance at cresting Mt. Hollywood on Saturday on the bike. I simply noticed I felt stronger and was able to really attack on some of the hills -- particularly the first hill. This is probably two pronged: Increased strength (from, perhaps, aerobic "navy seal" drills; combined with more rowing which is building power/strength), and the second prong: a greater power to weight ratio -- to the extent the rowing takes weight off of my frame, the easier it is to climb, all else being equal.
FOOD INTAKE
My food intake appears to be pretty good -- however, I have noticed that I have become hungry at particular moments recently. Also, I think the bread with cream soup at the grocery store is probably killing me a bit; I'll need to stop that.
On the upside though: I'm going through copious amounts of a wide variety of fruits and lots of veggies. Perhaps a little light on the protein aspect, but given the long straight line of weight loss, it all seems pretty sensible to me.
Also, still drinking large quantities of Diet Pepsi which I simply rationalize: Better than diet than regular soda (of course, better no soda at all, but given all of the evils I'm fighting this seems like perhaps a battle best saved for another day).
Overall, it's all positive. Finals are distinctly on the horizon, and that could explain some of the overwhelming feelings I currently have :-).
kc.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Measurements
Here are the new measurements.
N / Thigh / upWaist / LowWaist / Chest / Neck
13.0 24.0 41.0 39.0 44.0 16.5
17.0 27.5 48.0 43.0 53.0 18.0
(4.0) (3.5) (7.0) (4.0) (9.0) (1.5)
So, interesting numbers are upper waist down to 41.0 -- a loss of an inch from prior week. And lower waist, a loss of 0.5" in the past week. This is all positive. I've also been posting large exercise numbers.
However, on a minor downside -- I've had a few days of larger caloric expenditures. Additionally, a few days have been unrecorded (more laziness / stress than anything).
kc.
N / Thigh / upWaist / LowWaist / Chest / Neck
13.0 24.0 41.0 39.0 44.0 16.5
17.0 27.5 48.0 43.0 53.0 18.0
(4.0) (3.5) (7.0) (4.0) (9.0) (1.5)
So, interesting numbers are upper waist down to 41.0 -- a loss of an inch from prior week. And lower waist, a loss of 0.5" in the past week. This is all positive. I've also been posting large exercise numbers.
However, on a minor downside -- I've had a few days of larger caloric expenditures. Additionally, a few days have been unrecorded (more laziness / stress than anything).
kc.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Exercise white paper
WHITE PAPER
ADDING ROWING TO THE MIX
So, I’ve now had a rower for two weeks. However, I was out of town for 5 of those 14 or so days. Nonetheless, I’ve already rowed 85,000 meters.
A t-shirt (motivator) is available once I’ve rowed 1,000,000 meters (1,000 km, which is ~620 miles). I think I could easily average 50,000 meters per week in approximately 3 work outs per week. The trick is dividing up the workload between all of my sports, given all of my goals.
Before going down this road, there should be some analysis of the utility of the different exercises: It’s a fundamental question, which is: Is it better to specialize in one sport, or to participate in numerous sports? I’ve always believed it is better to have multiple sports; in fact, to some degree I’ve always believed that, all else being equal, the more sports the better. I seem to be focusing upon 4-6 activities at this point:
1) swim;
2) bike;
3) run;
4) row;
5) aerobics/calisthentics;
Other sports I would like to get back to:
1) surfing;
2) tennis;
3) yoga;
4) videos (taebo, etc.)
5) Treadmill Walking
So, on the one hand, I do believe multiple sports rather than one sport, say, running. Nonetheless, 9 sports may dilute effort so that it detracts from the whole fitness imperative.
I do think the original five are a good plan for the summer. I think there can be a legitimate substitution between running and rowing. And there’s a particular benefit to me on two bases:
1) I’m interested in it now, particularly the long distance aspects of it;
2) it creates less noise/problems for my neighbor;
3) I like being able to watch TV while rowing;
4) Much less damage to my body;
5) Being heavy creates greater stress on my body and, therefore, all things being equal better to row than to run for the purpose of losing weight;
6) I can row for longer than I can run due to the lower strain on my body (less beating).
HAVING DECIDED ROWING IS A DECENT SUBSTITUTE
FOR SOME RUNNING, HOW MUCH OF EACH SHOULD I SUBSTITUTE?
Firstly, how much rowing would I like to do per week.
I think I would like to complete 1,000,000 meters by no later than 20 weeks, so the number is 50,000 meters per week. I can row roughly 12,000 meters per hour (I rowed 14,400 meters for 60 min period, but at extreme effort). So I would like to row a minimum of 4 hours per week, which is roughly 3 workouts of 1:20 minutes per workout [ed: probably better to do 4-5 workouts rather than 3 workouts; because 1:20 per workout is a long rowing workout and perhaps a bit unrealistic in terms of time commitment]. I would consider this a minimum – a floor. The maximum, is probably more like 6 workouts, of roughly 6 hours total: some 72,000 meters/wk (approximately 15 weeks to 1,000,000 meters).
SHOULD I SIMPLY ADD ROWING TO THE TRIATHLON TRAINING OR SHOULD I REDUCE TRIATHLON TRAINING AND THEN ADD ROWING
Having considered it, I would vote to try to simply add 4-6 hours of rowing to the midst of workouts – but only after finals are completed I think.
I currently average 8.4 hours per week of exercise. On its face, it seems reasonable to try to increase this by 4 hours, to an average of 12.4 hours per week. I would say, though, not to implement this increase until after finals.
TO WHAT EXTENT DOES ROWING A HALF-MARATHON OR A MARATHON EQUATE TO RUNNING A HALF OR FULL MARATHON?
I would guess the caloric expenditure is roughly equivalent to running a half marathon – but I would also think that running a half marathon is physically more challenging.
COMPARISON OF RUNNING TO ROWING
Running = 150 calories / mile
Rowing = 14,202 meters = 60 mins = 891 calories.
10k = 6.2 miles; therefore, xk = 1.0 miles
6.2x = 10
10/6.2 = 1.612
1.612k = 1 mile
14.2k / x miles = 1.612k / 1 mile
1.612x = 14.2
x = 8.809 miles
8,809 miles = 891 calories
1 mile = x calories
8.809 x = 891
891/8.809 = x
x = 101.15
for every 1 mile rowing = 101.15 calories.
Therefore 1 mile running = 150 calories which is greater than 1 mile rowing 101.15. This would appear to be a 3:2 ratio. . . probably similar to mountain biking vs. road cycling. . .
14,202 meters / 891 cals = 1000 meters = x calories
14,202 x = 891 * 1000
891 * 1000 / 14,202 = x
x = 62.7 calories
so, rowing 1000 meters = 62.7 calories.
1 meter = 0.0627 cals.
Interesting: the leader on the concept2.com board, rowed ~14.3 million meters for the 2004-05 season. This is roughly 896,610 calories; /3500 cals to get to pounds “lost” would be: 256 pounds. That’s absolutely incredible!
CURRENT HARD WEEK PLAN:
Here’s my current “hard” week plan:
Swim: 5600 yards;
Bike: 80 miles;
Run: 15 miles;
Calisthentics: 1 hour
Rowing: 45,000 meters
Mon: rest day.
Tue: am: rown 10k meters; 20 mins cals; pm: 2800 yard swim;
Wed: am: 4 mile run; eve: 20 mile bike
Thu: am: 10k row; 20 min cals; pm: 20bike; 5 mile run;
Fri: am: 10k row; 20 mins cals; pm 2800 yard swim.
Sat: 25mile bike; 6 mile run;
Sun: 15 mile bike; 15k row
Workout hours / wk = 16 hours.
ADDING ROWING TO THE MIX
So, I’ve now had a rower for two weeks. However, I was out of town for 5 of those 14 or so days. Nonetheless, I’ve already rowed 85,000 meters.
A t-shirt (motivator) is available once I’ve rowed 1,000,000 meters (1,000 km, which is ~620 miles). I think I could easily average 50,000 meters per week in approximately 3 work outs per week. The trick is dividing up the workload between all of my sports, given all of my goals.
Before going down this road, there should be some analysis of the utility of the different exercises: It’s a fundamental question, which is: Is it better to specialize in one sport, or to participate in numerous sports? I’ve always believed it is better to have multiple sports; in fact, to some degree I’ve always believed that, all else being equal, the more sports the better. I seem to be focusing upon 4-6 activities at this point:
1) swim;
2) bike;
3) run;
4) row;
5) aerobics/calisthentics;
Other sports I would like to get back to:
1) surfing;
2) tennis;
3) yoga;
4) videos (taebo, etc.)
5) Treadmill Walking
So, on the one hand, I do believe multiple sports rather than one sport, say, running. Nonetheless, 9 sports may dilute effort so that it detracts from the whole fitness imperative.
I do think the original five are a good plan for the summer. I think there can be a legitimate substitution between running and rowing. And there’s a particular benefit to me on two bases:
1) I’m interested in it now, particularly the long distance aspects of it;
2) it creates less noise/problems for my neighbor;
3) I like being able to watch TV while rowing;
4) Much less damage to my body;
5) Being heavy creates greater stress on my body and, therefore, all things being equal better to row than to run for the purpose of losing weight;
6) I can row for longer than I can run due to the lower strain on my body (less beating).
HAVING DECIDED ROWING IS A DECENT SUBSTITUTE
FOR SOME RUNNING, HOW MUCH OF EACH SHOULD I SUBSTITUTE?
Firstly, how much rowing would I like to do per week.
I think I would like to complete 1,000,000 meters by no later than 20 weeks, so the number is 50,000 meters per week. I can row roughly 12,000 meters per hour (I rowed 14,400 meters for 60 min period, but at extreme effort). So I would like to row a minimum of 4 hours per week, which is roughly 3 workouts of 1:20 minutes per workout [ed: probably better to do 4-5 workouts rather than 3 workouts; because 1:20 per workout is a long rowing workout and perhaps a bit unrealistic in terms of time commitment]. I would consider this a minimum – a floor. The maximum, is probably more like 6 workouts, of roughly 6 hours total: some 72,000 meters/wk (approximately 15 weeks to 1,000,000 meters).
SHOULD I SIMPLY ADD ROWING TO THE TRIATHLON TRAINING OR SHOULD I REDUCE TRIATHLON TRAINING AND THEN ADD ROWING
Having considered it, I would vote to try to simply add 4-6 hours of rowing to the midst of workouts – but only after finals are completed I think.
I currently average 8.4 hours per week of exercise. On its face, it seems reasonable to try to increase this by 4 hours, to an average of 12.4 hours per week. I would say, though, not to implement this increase until after finals.
TO WHAT EXTENT DOES ROWING A HALF-MARATHON OR A MARATHON EQUATE TO RUNNING A HALF OR FULL MARATHON?
I would guess the caloric expenditure is roughly equivalent to running a half marathon – but I would also think that running a half marathon is physically more challenging.
COMPARISON OF RUNNING TO ROWING
Running = 150 calories / mile
Rowing = 14,202 meters = 60 mins = 891 calories.
10k = 6.2 miles; therefore, xk = 1.0 miles
6.2x = 10
10/6.2 = 1.612
1.612k = 1 mile
14.2k / x miles = 1.612k / 1 mile
1.612x = 14.2
x = 8.809 miles
8,809 miles = 891 calories
1 mile = x calories
8.809 x = 891
891/8.809 = x
x = 101.15
for every 1 mile rowing = 101.15 calories.
Therefore 1 mile running = 150 calories which is greater than 1 mile rowing 101.15. This would appear to be a 3:2 ratio. . . probably similar to mountain biking vs. road cycling. . .
14,202 meters / 891 cals = 1000 meters = x calories
14,202 x = 891 * 1000
891 * 1000 / 14,202 = x
x = 62.7 calories
so, rowing 1000 meters = 62.7 calories.
1 meter = 0.0627 cals.
Interesting: the leader on the concept2.com board, rowed ~14.3 million meters for the 2004-05 season. This is roughly 896,610 calories; /3500 cals to get to pounds “lost” would be: 256 pounds. That’s absolutely incredible!
CURRENT HARD WEEK PLAN:
Here’s my current “hard” week plan:
Swim: 5600 yards;
Bike: 80 miles;
Run: 15 miles;
Calisthentics: 1 hour
Rowing: 45,000 meters
Mon: rest day.
Tue: am: rown 10k meters; 20 mins cals; pm: 2800 yard swim;
Wed: am: 4 mile run; eve: 20 mile bike
Thu: am: 10k row; 20 min cals; pm: 20bike; 5 mile run;
Fri: am: 10k row; 20 mins cals; pm 2800 yard swim.
Sat: 25mile bike; 6 mile run;
Sun: 15 mile bike; 15k row
Workout hours / wk = 16 hours.
Losing Weight / Body Fat
My spreadsheet keeps telling me that I'm losing weight.
For the week ended (roughly) 04-01-2005 (friday), I have the following numbers:
Date / Weight / 5 day moving average
03-23 / 211.5 / 22.5 %
03-24 / 225.0 / 15.0 %
03-25 / 226.5 / 24.0 %
03-26 / 227.0 / 25.0 %
03-27 / 225.0 / 20.0 %
03-28 / 218.0 / 22.0 %
03-29 / 224.5 / 23.0 %
03-30 / 216.5 / 21.5 %
03-31 / 220.5 / 26.0 %
04-01 / 219.5 / 24.5 %
Therefore, for week ended:
219.5 pounds (loss of 50.5).
Body fat at 23.4% (loss of 11.5% in body fat).
As far as measurements:
Biceps 17.0 - 14 = 3.0 inches;
thighs: 27.5 - 24 = 3.5 inches;
Upper waist: 48.0 - 42.0 = 5.5 inches;
Lower waist: 43.0 - 39.5 = 3.5 inches;
Chest: 53.0 - 44.0 = 9.0 inches;
neck: 18.0 - 16.5 = 1.5 inches.
It's really an enormous accomplishment so far. But I feel like there's so much more to go. Perhaps it's because I was sick today and didn't get any workout in (coupled with an externship day from hell due to inattentive supervision and lackadaisacal back-up supervision).
For the week ended (roughly) 04-01-2005 (friday), I have the following numbers:
Date / Weight / 5 day moving average
03-23 / 211.5 / 22.5 %
03-24 / 225.0 / 15.0 %
03-25 / 226.5 / 24.0 %
03-26 / 227.0 / 25.0 %
03-27 / 225.0 / 20.0 %
03-28 / 218.0 / 22.0 %
03-29 / 224.5 / 23.0 %
03-30 / 216.5 / 21.5 %
03-31 / 220.5 / 26.0 %
04-01 / 219.5 / 24.5 %
Therefore, for week ended:
219.5 pounds (loss of 50.5).
Body fat at 23.4% (loss of 11.5% in body fat).
As far as measurements:
Biceps 17.0 - 14 = 3.0 inches;
thighs: 27.5 - 24 = 3.5 inches;
Upper waist: 48.0 - 42.0 = 5.5 inches;
Lower waist: 43.0 - 39.5 = 3.5 inches;
Chest: 53.0 - 44.0 = 9.0 inches;
neck: 18.0 - 16.5 = 1.5 inches.
It's really an enormous accomplishment so far. But I feel like there's so much more to go. Perhaps it's because I was sick today and didn't get any workout in (coupled with an externship day from hell due to inattentive supervision and lackadaisacal back-up supervision).
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