My Body Fat % is WHAT???

For 2 years now I have worked really hard at getting myself healthy, fit, I’ve lost 20 lb and kept it off with regular exercise. My diet is moderate, like many people that’s where I admittedly struggle. I have good days and not so good days. I try to make the good days be much more frequent than the bad. I try to make more good choices than bad choices. I’m not super strict but I think I’m pretty well balanced. I’ve come a long way and I’m really proud of that! I’m just aiming to be healthy, happy, and well balanced, not super restrictive.

So here’s what's bothering me. I really don’t weigh myself often, I go by how I feel and how my clothes fit. I don’t put too much importance on the # on the scale. Where I DO want to focus however is my body fat %. It seems no matter what I do, that toned physique tends to elude me. I know it’s my diet. Maybe I’m not eating enough protein, maybe I indulge a little TOO often. I haven’t gotten it down to a science yet.

I went to get a body fat caliper test yesterday at the UIC Human Performance Lab. Now I take this with a grain of salt because caliper testing is only as good as the person performing the test and it has a 4-5% error ratio. I really wanted to do the hydrostatic body fat testing which is the most accurate, UIC is the only location in Chicago that offers it to my knowledge, but they were having issues with their equipment. Anyway, the guy said he’s been doing this for 6 years, yadda yadda, he seemed to know what he was doing… And the result… 28% body fat. Say what? When the printer spit out that piece of paper and I saw the result, I wanted to puke. On paper, that’s borderline unhealthy. The healthy range for my height and age is 21-29%. I wear a size 0 for goodness sakes (and yes at 5’0” that is a perfectly healthy size). Size 0 and 28% body fat shouldn’t even go together in the same sentence. I guess this is what my friend Eva so appropriately calls “skinny fat”. Thin but yet not enough lean muscle. I know where it is too, mostly in my stomach. The scale at home gives me a BF% of 25.6. This is more consistent with a measurement that was done at work last month using some bioelectrical contraption that they have.

Regardless, I have some work to do. That little sheet of paper said I need to aim for 21% and lose about 6-10 lb. Really I’d like to be closer to 18%. Right now I’m comfortable, but I’m not at my best physically as I have been at certain points in the past 2 years. Comfortable isn’t good enough, if I ever want to achieve those 6 pack abs, and I will get there, I’ve gotta step outside of my comfort zone. I’ve gotta buckle down and be more disciplined with my diet. But I don’t even want to call it a diet, it has to be a lifestyle. And that doesn’t mean restrictive either. I can eat well and often, I just have to more consistently make good choices and not give in so much to cravings and temptation. They say you are what you eat and I want to be broccoli, not a walking slice of pizza ;) Good thing I’m starting the 21 Day Ultimate Reset tomorrow to cleanse my body of toxins and junk and reset it to an optimal level. They say it takes 21 days to learn a new habit and I have some habits I need to break and new ones to put in their place.

Random thoughts on life and fitness...

All about cravings...

I wrote this as a reply to an email from a friend, and I thought it would make a great first post!!!  The questions were: 


How do I handle food remorse and cravings?
How much water is too much?
How do I stay motivated to work out?

Food and my diet are my biggest struggle.  I’ve never been one to crave sweets.  Instead I crave salty and crunchy foods.  Heavy comfort foods.  Especially when I am tired or overwhelmed, which is a lot of the time.  And I used to be totally addicted to Coca-Cola.  First of all I stopped buying it at home. I used to get it a lot when I ate fast food.  Now I’ve trained myself to get water, the occasional soda, but overall I have really stuck to not drinking it.  It was hard at first but little by little I just got used to it.  Now, often when I drink it, it tastes disgusting and I only end up having a few sips.   I have my days when I can be really good and I have days where I crave everything bad.  And I have issues with stopping when I am full.  Once I start, it’s a little more and a little more, and before I know it I’m stuffed and I feel nasty.  I also have major food remorse.  I use that remorse to remind myself that I don’t enjoy the feeling.

I sometimes literally argue with myself, esp. on my way home from work because that is my opportunity to stop and buy food.  It’s like the little angel and devil on my shoulders.  The little devil makes EVERY excuse in the book.  For me it’s really about constantly reminding myself of how far I’ve gotten.  And that often when I eat bad, I physically feel sick afterwards.  I don’t want to feel that way.  So I try to remember how bad I felt the last time I indulged.  It’s all about building a habit.  I am good more often than not, and when I’m on a roll it’s easier to stick to it.  When I let myself overindulge it snowballs.

And seriously, Shakeology is helping A LOT.  After I drink it, I feel satisfied and I don’t crave bad stuff.  It’s like once you do one good thing for yourself, you build momentum.  I also suffer from IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome and it’s helping me with that.  This past week I wasn’t consistent drinking it every day, and the past few days I’ve had the worst stomach aches and I’ve been sluggish.  When I was drinking it consistently for a few weeks, I felt so much more energized than usual and I wasn’t feeling as sick to my stomach.  I wasn’t even drinking coffee, which is HUGE for me.

So it is all about just building that momentum and being patient.  And not beating yourself up.  Your body really starts to reject junk food after a while and not even crave it anymore.  And have someone to help you stay on track.  When I’m tempted I text my bff and she yells at me LOL.

As for water, unless you are drinking gallons a day, there is really no such thing as too much.  Water is the best thing you can give yourself.  I forget to drink water sometimes during the day and then I wonder why I’m so tired and sluggish.  I always have a reusable bottle with me and I fill it constantly and sip all day.  You should be aiming for 8 – 8 oz cups a day, right before, during , and after your workouts.  I used to chug 2 tall glasses at least during Insanity!  And headaches are often caused by dehydration.  If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.

As for motivation with my workouts, I have them scheduled into my calendar.  As soon as I get home, I get dressed into my workout clothes.  No matter how tired I am, I do not let myself sit.  If I do, forget it.  I just jump right in and once I start, I feel great.

Last but not least, surrounding myself with like-minded people is helping me.  The biggest challenge is holding YOURSELF accountable.  I don’t want to give advice to others if I’m not following my own advice.  So again, it’s like my conscience telling me to be good!  I have surrounded myself with so many motivated people, I’m constantly being reminded of my goals and learning new tips and tricks.  Most of us have the same struggles, so having the support of others is key.  Sharing my experiences is helping ME more than anything!!!