The Magic Number

Now that I've decided to go for 140 again, I'm really starting to think about why that number has such significance. It doesn't mean that magically I'll look exactly the way I want to. And it doesn't mean my size 4 NY&Co jeans will magically fit without a muffin top. Or my bikini will look like a Victoria Secret model. But it means that I'm in the selective group of Americans that are a healthy weight. At only 30% of the population, I'm calling it a pretty exclusive group. And its one that I don't think I've really been in my entire life. I went from chubby child to overweight teenager to really overweight adult... and now to a slightly overweight adult at 147 lbs and a BMI of 26.

But there's another magic number that I would love to attain, and it's partly tied to my weight. That's my Body Fat %. My gym just got a computer system that has calipers and computes body fat with a few skin fold measurements. MUCH more accurate than a handheld bioimpedence device. And it told me I had 29.8% body fat in mid-June. That's a healthy fat percentage, so it shows that BMI isn't all it's cracked up to be. But I've got a magic number in mind for that as well.

24.9%

At this number, I'm not merely a healthy body far %, I'm FITNESS! Me, FITNESS! Its the point where people might actually be able to see my muscle and even those elusive abs. And while 140 is important, I think that 24.9% is even more so. Maybe I'll get there before I hit 140. Maybe it will take a few more pounds. But I want to keep that number in mind more than the 140 number. And now that I have an accurate way to measure that isn't at all based on an inaccurate handheld toy, it's a goal I really want to aim for.

So far on this business trip, if I had to grade myself I'd give myself a B. I've been making better food choices, trying to log everything that I can (usually guessing for my meals) and I'm not drinking like a fish. I worked out for an hour yesterday. But when it comes to what I'm ordering, I think I need to scale back on the quantity. Last night at dinner was a soup, a salad, bread (oy...) and one beer. I should have told the waitress to take the bread back. But, I think I'm definitely making progress and I don't feel gross like last time. I'm coping with not having my scale, but that really is my way to see how I'm doing. We'll see when I'm back on Saturday, but I'm going to try to make even better choices for the rest of the week. I don't think I need a 3 course meal... haha

I'm also not setting a date for either of these magic numbers. It will happen as I go. I'm currently thinking about a beach vacation in January, so ideally I'd like to have reached my goals by then. It's over 6 months away and I definitely can get there by then. I've finally sorted out why I stalled, what I need to do to fix that, and I've cleaned up my eating habits. Now it's just a matter of getting back to a normal schedule after these two weeks of upheaval. I think I can do it, I just can't stress myself out over getting stuck or having a few off days that are out of my control. Slow and steady...