Thursday Weigh-In

When I started this program back in January, my goal was to get in shape for the bike leg of the Whisky Dick triathlon. Along the way, I learned that I can run again. Even though I continued with the cycling training, I got in a good deal of running (not enough, though), and will do a LOT more after this race. Anyway, as part of this journey, I adjusted my diet and set out to get my "endurance body" back. I wasn't in terrible shape or grossly overweight, but I wasn't where I needed to be as an endurance athlete. So, for this morning's weekly weigh-in stats, I thought it would be interesting to post the comparisons to what my stats were when I started, back in January of this year:

• Weight (lbs): Jan 163.8 Now 147.2 (-16.6)
• Waist ": Jan 33.8" Now 30.7" (-3.1")
• Bodyfat % Jan 14.1 Now 10.1 (-4%)
• Lean weight: Jan 140.7 Now 132.3 (-8.4)
• Fat weight: Jan 23.1 Now 14.9 (-8.2)
• Resting HR: Jan 55 Now 40 (-15)

I find these number pretty interesting (yes, I'm probably the only one...) I lost a lot of muscle, along with the fat. I've lifted weights fairly regularly since 1992; sometimes in conjunction with running, sometimes more seriously to build bulk. So the amount I lost this year was probably a lot of upper body muscle. I hate to lose muscle, but if I'm going to run (or cycle) as efficiently as possible, losing some muscle was necessary. I also lost a good amount of fat, which I'm happy about. The waist, bodyfat and resting heart rate changes are all positive, too.
A funny little aside here. Last night, my mother-in-law told me I was too skinny, and my face looked too thin (true), and that she hoped I put weight back on after the triathlon. I told her, "sorry, but I'll be training for a half-marathon, so it's unlikely". Yes, my face gets really gaunt looking when I lose a lot of weight while training. I wish that wasn't the case, because I do get tired of friends and family asking me if I'm "okay". I know it's out of sincere concern, but I think as a culture, we get so used to seeing overweight people (Americans, in particular) that someone lean and fit can look ill by comparison. But that said, I can understand the concern when they may not have seen me for awhile. Maybe I'll just get a little Botox treatment in my cheeks to fill them out a little. ;-)
This is probably my last post until after the race on Sunday. See you then!