Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Me on the last day of Otakon

I have to admit, I was disappointed last Wednesday when I stepped on the scale after returning from Otakon and saw that my weight had gone up almost three pounds, from 148.4 to 151.2. I had fully expected it to either stay the same or go down.

Despite an increased calorie intake, I'd been extremely active, walking at least a few miles every day as the assistant to The Gryphon, who was head of Human Resources. I figured it would balance out.

My scale, a Weight Watchers scale, also checks body fat and hydration percentages. My hydration was lower, going from 52.0 percent to 51.6 (within the ideal range for women my age of 50-55).

My body fat percentage increased from 28.7 to 29.2 percent. My shorts were looser, so I attributed the gain to a cross between water retention and muscle gain.

While it might sound like rationalization, I'm beginning to understand the logic. For example, 12 years ago I weighed only about five pounds more (155) and yet, I was three sizes bigger (size 14). Also, when I graduated high school, I weighed about 20 pounds less (130) and was the same size I am today (size 8; sometimes 10, depending on the garment).

So I'm going to start concentrating mainly on my body fat percentage. According to fitness expert Denise Austin, athletes average 12 to 20 percent. A fit level is 22 to 24 percent. Between 25 and 31 percent is considered borderline and over 32 percent is obese. So I'm going to aim for 22 to 24 percent.

While I tell people that I've lost 80 pounds, the exact number on the scale has varied. So I think it's more accurate to talk about my weight loss in terms of sizes, saying that I've gone down six sizes, from a size 20 to a size 8.

You might wonder why this sort of thing matters to me. It's important for several reasons.

First, I don't want to go back to where I was. So even though my primary goal right now is to maintain my weight loss and to increase my muscle tone, I need to weigh in on a regular basis to be sure I don't slip and to monitor progress.

Secondly, it's part of the mental aspect of fitness. If I focus solely on weight loss, I can get frustrated if the numbers don't drop, even if I'm gaining more muscle and my clothes are fitting looser. I might get depressed and give up, sabotaging my hard work.

I am happy to report that my readings this week showed progress. I was down to 149.4 pounds, with a body fat ratio of 28.7 and hydration percentage of 52.0. I find it interesting that the body fat and hydration percentages are exactly the same as they'd been two weeks ago, when I weighed a pound less. In my view, this supports my theory that I've gained some muscle mass.

Incidentally, I'm proud to say I have one of the healthiest dogs in my neighborhood. She gets one or two long walks a day, and she's never been one to overeat, showing remarkable restraint. If she's not hungry, you can even put dog food in her mouth, and she'll let it fall out and look at you strangely. I think we all could learn from Una.

With that said, time for our afternoon dog walk!

Copyright 2006 by Alyce Wilson

Musings Index

What do you think? Share your thoughts
at Alyce's message board (left button):