Current mood:

intimidated

health and wellness
Based on another lj friend's post, I was tinkering around with the following sites -

http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/bodyfatAndBmi.php

Based on my weight of 166 lbs. with a height of 5'8", I have an estimated body fat % of 21.44%. My BMI is 25.23. This puts me into the category of 'overweight', which starts at a BMI of 25. Obese is a BMI of 30, so I guess I'm doing 'okay', not good.

http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/bodyFrame.php

Here I learned that as a male with a 6.25" wrist and a height of 5'8", I am considered to have a 'small frame'. This is significant because it means I need to reduce the numbers calculated in the next link by 10% or thereabouts to reflect the fact that I have a more slender build.

http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/ideal-body-weight-calculator.php

According to this site, I should ideally weigh between 121.67 lbs. and 164.42 lbs. The calculator tells me my BMI is already in the 'normal' range, though that doesn't account for the small frame. I don't think 122 lbs. would be a healthy weight for me. I weighed 125 lbs. when I was a senior in high school and had no fat on me at all. My hip bones used to stick out enough that I would get callouses on them from wearing a drum harness in marching band practices. Picking the middle of this range - 143.04 lbs. - and subtracting 10% I get 128.74 lbs.

I don't see how that's possible. My shoulders broadened, chest deepened and my legs got substantially more stout in my first two years of college. And I still was rather lean. It wasn't until my junior year that I started putting on 'fat'.

I guess if I had to target an ideal weight it would be 145 lbs. Though right now I'm just shooting for 150 lbs. Hell, I'd be happy if I was 160 by spring.

The most important thing for me is that - with the addition of 100 minutes of intensive tae kwon do class each week - I am getting the cardio workout needed to keep me around for a long time. I offset the exercise with poor eating habits from November through January. I didn't gain or lose a single pound during that time. I changed my eating habits a little bit starting on the 24th of January and lost 2 pounds overnight. (Shoveling 14 inches of snow might have had something to do with it, too. I can't be sure.)

Anyway... just sort of recording this all for my own benefit.

Feel free to ignore.

-asa