I just want to update you all on my weight training progress since my recent post about my "skinny obesity" issue.
Here's what I posted three weeks ago:
I was at the Y and they were offering a free Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body Fat Percentage test. I did it for fun, but was I in for a surprise!!
I'm 5' 8.5" tall and weigh 137. Thus, my BMI is great because I'm on the "skinny" side. HOWEVER, the percentage of body fat that I have is nearly 30%. That means that 40 pounds of my 137 pounds is FAT. This kind of freaked me out because according to the American Council on Exercise, anyone with 31% or greater body fat is considered obese. So I'm considered "borderline" obese because of my body fat ratio.
Well, after three weeks of lifting weights 3 days a week and cutting back a lot on my cardio workouts, I took the test again to see if I was making any progress. Here are
the results: my body fat percentage has gone down from nearly 30% fat to 28%. So 38 pounds of my 137 pounds is fat (compared to 40 pounds three weeks ago).
This isn't a hugely dramatic change by any means, but it makes me feel good that just three weeks of weight lifting has impacted my body in a positive way.
I've got a ways to go, and I've realized that this is a lifestyle change for me that's not going to change overnight. But I'm headed in the right direction and hopefully will avoid the heart disease and osteoporosis that runs in my family.
As much as I don't particularly enjoy it, I'm going to keep lifting those weights....
All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.
Add a Comment7 Comments
Hope all goes well with your program! :)
July 17, 2008 - 5:27pmThis Comment
That's a great tool -- thanks for sharing that.
I'm still working at it -- doing 2-3 weight training days per week and 2 days of cardio, switching from a spinning class to jogging. I'm having a lot of fun with all the variety. I never thought I'd do anything but cardio, but this has been a very positive change.
Kristin Davis
July 17, 2008 - 4:33pmThis Comment
First, let me say thank you for the post about weight training vs cardio. As a distance runner, it's not likely I'll be able to drop much cardio exercise, although I have dropped my running from 4 days to 3. But, I know I do need to up my weight/resistance training. It's so encouraging to hear that weight training helped drop your BMI - you dropped the fat and built good muscle, woo-hoo!
In case you're curious, here's a BMI calculator from Mayo Clinic (there's even one for a child).
I was happy to learn that, even though I still have almost 20 lbs to lose to get to my comfortable weight, I do fall within the normal range - just barely, lol! I was very overweight a mere 3 years ago.
July 17, 2008 - 4:28pmThis Comment
Hi and thanks for doing this blog. I too found myself in this situation last year. I am 5'5" and weighed a respectable 134lbs but had 31% body fat. This discovery was made around Nov of last year and today I am 124lb and 15% body fat. My whole body has transformed.
I did this by learning to lift and dropping all the cardio I was doing. I still do some cardio but nothing like I used to do. I lift 3-4 days a week now and do cardio only 2 or 3 in short amounts. I also radically changed my diet to include a lot more protein. This is definately something that many women can benefit from.
July 17, 2008 - 10:16amThis Comment
I'm really interested in learning more about this. I'm a big fan of cardio too and with all of the focus on staving off heart disease, maybe I concentrate on it a little too much. Can you share your program with us? How many times a week do you lift? Do you use machines or free weights? How many times a week do you weight train? For how long? (Can't you tell I want to learn more) Any info you could share would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
May 5, 2008 - 8:40amThis Comment
I really appreciate your kind words -- I need all the encouragement I can get!!!
Kristin Park
May 4, 2008 - 9:55pmhttp://ppdsurvivor.blogspot.com
This Comment
It is a step in the right direction. You may actually start liking weight training after a while -- you never know!!
May 4, 2008 - 9:30pmThis Comment