My BMI

My brother Will challenged me to question the numbers a bit more.
The YMCA did a BMI height and weight calculator that stated I was at 27.1 in my BMI - which is overweight. They also did a 7-pinch Jackson-Pollack test but didn't explain it well to me. Nate found a place on line for me to enter my pinch results-
http://www.linear-software.com/online.html.
Luckily I'm pretty small on all my waist-up measurements, leading to a BMI of 23.6, which is considered normal or ideal for my frame!

Yipee. I guess buff muscles lead to me weighing more - but I love being strong! It is easier to pick up my baby and throw him that way - Lincoln, not Nate - but someday maybe Nate ;-).

RE: Official Results

I had an official fitness test at the YMCA today, my first since this time last year. I found out that I'm actually officially 5 feet 4 inches tall, yipes, an inch and a half shorter than I have always thought. This means my healthy goal weight should be lower than I thought; it should be somewhere in the range of 110 (which is what I weighed in 4th grade - impossible) and 145 (which is what I weighed my Senior year of college). Basically back during my Freshman year of college when I was running a lot and could do 35 pushups, and weighed 127 pounds and thought I was fat - I was actually at an ideal weight for my frame.

So even though I still have some weight to still loose, like at least 18 pounds to at most around 30 pounds (sigh), the GOOD news is how far I have come.

I had a fitness test 6 weeks after having my son Lincoln in Oct. 2006 and can now compare those results to my results today - and I am happy! So in 16 months since Lincoln has learned how to walk and communicate and I have grown as well.

Positive changes since 6 weeks after labor:

• I've lost 32 pounds
• I've lowered my fat weight by 38% and achieved an average lean body mass rating.
  
• I've lowered my BMI from 33 to 27.
  
• I've increased my maximum bench press from 110 lbs (well below average) to 140 lbs. (well above average).
• I've increased my maximum leg press from 220lbs (below average) to 300 lbs (well above average).
  
• My cardiovascular health is rated as average after being well below average after my pregnancy.
• And I am well above average in flexibility as I can reach over 7 inches past my toes!
  

Onward and upward I must say. This is not a time for stopping. Time to keep forging ahead.

Wish me luck.

Weight Lifting but not Losing

So I guess if you lift lots of weights you don't necessarily loose weight, unless you were really overweight to begin with. You just make your overall fat to muscle ratio better. I haven't posted a new weight because I have continued to waver around my Oct weight despite all the P90X workouts I've been doing. But I had to show these somewhat embarrassing photos to brag a bit about my arm muscles. I definately feel stronger and can almost do 10 guy pushups now!

I want to hit the next three weeks with a vengeance and really finish this 90 days strong, then i can start over again and this time actually do the diet right as well. My goal this year is to still get down to my goal weight.

I am down to size10 or 12 pants and that feels great. So even though my weight has stayed the same, I know I've lost around 2 inches in my waist, and a 1/2 inch around the hips. I'll just take it a day at a time and we will see where I end up.

Variety and Holiday Chocolate

I had ten days in Seattle and made sure to go running four days, and cross country or down hill skied on two days. The other four days I rested. The last few weeks before this long break from work I wasn't able to work out much at all due to illness and extra long hours at work. I should be on day 70 of the 90 day workout program I've been trying. But I really feel behind. However, this break was a fun way to enjoy my new fitness. I have never felt less sore after skiing two days in a row, and I wasn't sore at all after running with my friend Cara three days in a row over the hills of Seattle. By the end of my winter break we were able to speed up our run by around 2 minutes, so that we ran it in around 35 minutes instead of 37. I think it was around 3 miles.

I still have a lot of work to do to continue on this path I've started down. Some goals for this year are to fit in the size 12 dress for my dear friend Holly's wedding in April. To do this I need to loose two inches around the waist, and four around the hips by then. I also want to increase the push ups I can do, and perhaps even complete my first pull up sometime this year. Thanks friends for cheering me forward.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Feel free to post your goals here as well.