Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts

Friday, February 8, 2019

My hair is on fire



Last month Pierini Fitness shared that he’s a fitness, health and wellness work-in-progress with a goal of dropping some bodyweight by his next birthday, coming up in less than two weeks.  His goal is to arrive at a bodyweight of 177 lbs.  As of today, at a bodyweight of 182 lbs., he might not achieve his birthday goal weight but should be very close.

If he doesn’t achieve his goal by then, he won’t toss in the towel but, rather, keep the discipline intact by marching forward as he has done every day since last year August 31st when beginning the task at hand.

This weight he has been shedding is an almost decade-long "science experiment" resulting in about 30 extra lbs. of bodyweight added to what can best described as a yesteryear chiseled Pierini Fitness

During the last year of this "science experiment", like a lot of middle-aged men, he got too comfortable early last year and took an extended time-out, basically paying attention to everything else but his fitness and nutrition.  Consequently, he got extra out of condition and packed on the final 10 lbs. of a decade-long weight gain of about 30 lbs.  Some would call this added load lard.

History has a tendency of repeating itself so, he has been there before, did it and done it, including peeling it off and that’s what he has been doing every single day since August 31st.  Now, 29 lbs. lighter, he can smell the “finish line”, but may not cross it on his birthday which was his initial goal.

It doesn’t matter because he’ll eventually cross the finish line and will be sure to let you know here at Pierini Fitness, so stay tuned.

But, why didn’t he catch himself sooner as the poundage was piling up?  That’s a fair and simple question for which there’s a simple answer – denial! 

He suffered from a bad case of “every man who looks in a mirror sees a 16-year old kid.”  Oh, my mirror, how I love it; it’s the camera and scale with which I have issues.  And, I solved these issues by not taking any photos or jumping on a scale during my fitness, health and wellness sabbatical.  I was immersed in my denial as are so many others who have allowed peak fitness, health and wellness to get away from them.  I knew I wasn’t alone.

But, sooner or later, we hit a rock bottom, a condition of disgust with one’s self, an “enough is enough” realization and then we “attack” what we’ve allowed and created with an intensity capable of solving all the great problems of the world.

That’s what Pierini Fitness has been doing and he’s relentless.  He won’t stop until he has arrived, again, and this time, he’s going to make darn sure it doesn’t happen again.  It’s too hard to be subjected to an Army “boot camp” approach to get back where he needs to be and honor his fitness and body 24/7.  To showcase middle-aged man fitness, health and wellness at its best.

But, along the way, those who are part of my life must have seen a change taking place as my previous chisel was evaporating in thin air right before their eyes.  Why didn’t they say anything?  Were they in denial too?  Or, were they trying to be my “friend” and not want to hurt my feelings?  Talk about the weather or engage in small talk like, “How about them Raiders!” 

I’m not sure but do know this, none of my “friends” or “acquaintances” said one word, their silence was deafening, to which I say, “thanks but please, no thanks the next time.”

Next time, please, tell me when my hair is on fire.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Friday, January 11, 2019

The mathematical proof of CICO


In my last reflection, I shared a proposition that the ideal weight for a middle-aged man is what they weighed at age 18 plus 10 percent.  There were several assumptions I made for this proposition to be valid.  You may want to revisit or initially read that reflection before reading today’s reflection. 

This middle-aged man is in a weight loss mode with a birthday weight goal of 177.0 lbs.  He’s been using the tools available at MyFitnessPalwww.myfitnesspal.com - to guide him in his journey.  Today, I’ll share the mathematical proof of the CICO approach I’ve been using to get me where I want to be.  I’ll use actual information reported by MyFitnessPal for December 2018 to crunch the numbers that follow.

By the way, CICO is an acronym for “calories in calories out”.  It’s a weight loss approach that’s been around for a long time and expresses that losing weight ultimately comes down to burning more calories than calories consumed.  In other words, you must create a calorie deficit.  To lose a lb. of weight, that deficit must be 3,500 calories.

On December 1st, I weighed 190.6 lbs. and on December 31st, I weighed 186.0 lbs so I lost 4.6 lbs. of bodyweight for the month.  Check my math because legend has it, I’m not good with numbers.

If I lost 4.6 lbs. of bodyweight in December 2018, this means that I had a monthly calorie deficit of 16,100 calories.  Here’s the math:

3,500 calories x 4.6 lbs. = 16,100 calories

Let’s compare the above with what my nutrition and exercise diaries report and considering my basic metabolic rate and sedentary lifestyle.  Mathematically:

Calories in (CI) = calories consumed during December 2018, and

Calories out (CO) = calories expended during December 2018 – my basic metabolic rate plus an allowance for sedentary lifestyle activities plus calories burned from exercising. 

My daily average calories in (CI) for December 2018
MyFitnessPal reports I consumed the following calories during December 2018: 

Average daily calories
1,930
Carbohydrate grams percentage
   56%
Protein grams percentage
   15%
Fat grams percentage
   29%


Total
 100%

My daily average calories out (CO) for December 2018
Using an online calculator at www.tdecalculator.net, I calculated my daily calories expended at 2,186 based for a 63-year old male, height 5’11”, weight 190 lbs. 22 percent bodyfat (my best guess) and a sedentary lifestyle, the wicked truth.  

To this I added the average daily calories expended by using information reported by my MyFitnessPal.  My average daily calories expended from exercise was 260 calories.  Note that I didn’t exercise every day, so the 260 calories daily average was calculated by taking the total calories expended for December 2018 and dividing it by 31 days.

So, my daily average calories out (CO) for December 2018 was 2,446 calories (2,186 calories basic metabolic rate above considering my sedentary lifestyle plus exercise calories of 260) for a daily average total of 2,446.

Now, let’s do the math.

Daily average calories expended
2,446
Daily average calories consumed
1,930
Average daily calories deficit
516
Number of days in December
31
Total calories deficit for December
15,996
Number of lbs. equivalent
4.6

Note that the number of lbs. equivalent of 4.6 lbs. was calculated by taking the total calories deficit for December 2018 and dividing it by 3,500.  This is the calculated weight loss I should have achieved for December 2018 based on the calories deficit for the month.

This calculated expected CICO weight loss agrees with my actual weight loss of 4.6 lbs.

Note that my way of eating wasn’t low carbohydrate or low fat.  Many believe the two are evil for people trying to lose weight.  None of that mattered to me.  I focused on eating what I wanted but less, yet enough to fuel my body to perform my exercise workouts with some decency of performance.  A calorie is a calorie and that’s the beauty of CICO.

And this, my fellow middle-aged men, is your lesson today of the mathematical proof of CICO.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum