Transparency...in the form of numbers!

Okay, this is where the transparency of a blog really comes into play!  As I mentioned in my first post, my bodyfat levels have risen to a point that I feel is unacceptable for a fitness professional, and I am embarrassed to even post them...but that's what this is all about isn't it?  So here goes...

Total Body Weight = 194 lbs
Total Body Fat Percentage = 18.8% (the highest its ever been!)

Lean Weight (muscle-bone-brain-fluids) = 157.26 lbs
Fat Weight (subcutaneous - visceral) = 36.47 lbs

CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENTS
Shoulders - 51"
Chest  - 44"
Waist - 35"
Hips - 37 3/4"
Right Thigh - 21"
Right Calf - 14"
Right Bicep - 14" (amazing since I, at one time, had 17" biceps!)
Right Forearm - 11 1/2"

So...from these numbers I need to set some goals.   My overall goal is to be at 10% come race-day, but to achieve that level of fitness, I must break this process up into smaller, realistic goals that will be achieved along the way.  That is the problem with most fitness goals that people establish...they just aren't realistic enough, and most people cannot sustain the drastic measures taken to achieve such lofty goals.

My first goal is to reduce my bodyfat from 18.8% to a more athletic (and healthy) 14%.  A few simple calculations tell me that at 14% body fat, I should weigh 182 pounds.  This weight represents a loss of 12 pounds of FAT...not muscle.  That is the other mistake dieters tend to make...they set a goal of losing 'x' amount of pounds, instead of setting out to lose a specific amount of bodyfat.  Remember, muscle is our friend...it is the factory that helps maintain our metabolic level, reducing or maintaining healthy levels of bodyfat.  We should always strive to lose FAT not MUSCLE!

One pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories (or kilocalories (kcal) to be more exact).  My initial goal is to lose 12-pounds of fat, therefore I must create a deficit  42,000 kcal over the 12-week period.  Sounds daunting right?  Again...small goals will help to make this seem more realistic and achievable.  By dividing 42,000 by 7 (days per week) I can see what my weekly caloric deficit must be...6,000 kcal.  Still a little daunting huh?  But wait...if I divide by 7 again, I see that to achieve this goal I really only need to create a caloric deficit of 857 kcal per day.  Now that seems much more attainable!

The last question that remains is this..."Should I simply reduce my daily caloric intake by 857 kcal to reach my target weight?"  Stay tuned for the answer!

These are photos that I took today.  If all goes well, I will look quite a bit different in 12 weeks!  Then it is on to my next goal.

Thanks for reading!