In Defense of Measuring and Weight Training

Sometime in November 2006 when I started this journey, someone on the Weight Watchers boards told me to measure myself regularly. I had actually done that as far back as 2000, but very sporadically. Still I had the spreadsheet and continued to use it.

I've actually added to the measurements I take now (lower stomach and bust band), but I started with these, at 189 pounds:

• Hips: 42.5"
• Waist: 38"
• Bust: 44"
• Right/left arm: 13.5" (sometimes they are different)
  
• Thigh: 26.75"
• Calf: 15.8"
  
• Neck: 15"
• Wrist: 6.2"
  

It's amazing what kind of information these (more or less) monthly measurements give you. Back in April, I weighed 139.6 and measured myself (that was before all the summer associate nonsense this summer). What's interesting is that my measurements in April are still smaller than the measurements I took just this morning at 139. All by about 1/2 an inch. That is significant stuff. The only difference between my 139 of April and 139 of now is that I was doing a lot more weight training then. So here's an incentive to weight train

So today I weighed in at 139, and got the following measurements (the difference between the measurements I took today and my starting ones is in parentheses):

• Hips: 37.5" (5")
  
• Waist: 29" (9")
  
• Bust: 38.5" (5.5")
  
• Right/left arm: 11.5" (2")
• Thigh: 22.25" (4.5")
  
• Calf: 13.25" (2.5")
  
• Neck: 12.5" (2.5")
  
• Wrist: 5.6" (0.6")
  

I am so glad I heeded that suggestion to measure. I've now put it in my online calendar to remind me to do it on the 15th of every month. It is so awesome to see the difference (9 INCHES on my stomach!) in such hard numbers. Plus it's always interesting to see where I'm losing from the most, and how long it takes to lose from that part (in the past, it seems it takes 1 1/2 months of fully on program to lose 1" off my waist, not bad!).

So if you haven't measured yourself: do it! Write it down somewhere you can go back to and compare. Then start your weight training program, or kick it up a notch if you're doing it already. You'll be glad you did.

Weight Loss Projections

I don't like to set "goals" that are focused on how much weight I'll lose by X date (in fact, I already wrote a post about this). I think it's unrealistic because people usually start with a significant date (like their anniversary, wedding, birthday, etc.) and decide they need to be a certain weight by then.

I think what I do is a bit different. I like to do projections of how much weight I'm likely to lose if I stay on program for a given amount of time. I'm usually very conservative in these projections, expecting to lose 0.8-1 pound on average per week (reasonable I think since when I was on program I was losing 1.2 lbs. on average and because healthy weight loss is between 0.5-2 lbs.).

Projections are different because I am projecting a healthy weight loss and I am starting with what's realistic, not what I would like (I would like to be 120 by Labor Day, but that's not going to happen).

I just did some projections from my current weight of 140 (as of Saturday). I have 5 pounds to make my WW goal and stop paying (which I really want to do, for economic reasons). Assuming I stay on program, I know I can lose an average of 0.8 lbs. per week, which would make it possible to reach goal around September 27 or October 4. There's our European vacation in there, which may derail things. So there's a reason to work really hard during vacation.

The next goal is to be 125, which I think will be approximately 20-25% body fat. Assuming I stay on program all that time, at an average loss of 0.8, the earliest I could reach that goal is Dec. 20, though probably more likely the next week's weigh in: Dec. 27. Now these projections aren't going to be as good because it's even further in the future. But it gives me a kick in the butt--if and only if--I stay on program from now until the end of the year, I could be at my personal goal.

November 11, 2008 will be my 2-year anniversary on Weight Watchers. It would be wonderful to at least be at my WW goal by then. I know I can do that.

Part of me can't believe I'm not there yet, in fact, since I was/am at 139/140 in the second picture at right back in December 2007. So I have basically maintained, all things considered, since then. I want to say: "What a waste of time!" But it hasn't been. I've been learning how to maintain, even without trying too hard. But now, the time to learn to maintain is over--at least for a bit--I am back in losing mode, which means a bit more deprivation, but also getting back to fit into my clothes without being uncomfortable again. So here we go!