You Are What You Do

When I started whittling away at my extra weight, I set a goal.  According to medically approved charts and generally accepted percentage ratios, my ideal weight is somewhere between 117 and 139.  Split the difference (wow what a spread!) and you come up with about 130lbs for my ideal weight.

Fine.

I set my goal, counted points, calories, and even sometimes carbs and lost my first 30lbs.  I added more exercise and discovered that I really loved running.  I started weight training - to keep from hurting myself while I was running - and saw the next 30lbs go...but at half the rate of the first.  Still with my goal in mind, and a new athletic skill set in hand, I set out for that magic number.  I was pretty sure at that point that I wanted to look like this:

Thin.  That's what thin looks like, right?  Okay, so I've never in my adult life weighed 130lbs - so this must be what I'm shooting for.  And if I continue my steady diet of Smart Ones, Skinny Cow's and diet soda, I can be there in no time!

Fine.

But what I found out along the way is that I REALLY like this exercise thing.  A year ago, I did a round of P90X and loved pumping some iron!  I have found the sport of triathlon to be fabulously challenging, and would love to loose another 15lbs for one reason and one reason only:

To go faster.  I want to be leaner.  I want more muscle.  More POWER!

I figured out that what I really want is to look perform like this:
Chrissie Wellington.  SuperCool.
You can't be an IronMan World Champion on diet pop and frozen diet dinners.  The body needs fuel.  It needs training, it needs to be stressed and recovered.  It just needs you to tell it what to do.  If I pound the belt on the treadmill each day between bites of rice cakes, eventually, I could be as thin as I want to be.  And if that's what you're in to - then go for it.

For me - I will continue to chase a number - but this time it's body fat percentage.  My first goal is to reduce by 7%.  That should bring me down to a better point for muscle performance.  The better I can perform, the more calories I burn.  Did you know muscle burns way more calories than fat?  Mm-hm...it's true.  Give me more of that!

The body will always adapt to the demands placed on it.  For better or for worse.  It just takes time.  God willing, I've got plenty of that.

And - here's one more of Chrissie on the bike - just because I want to:

Comments

  1. isn't it crazy how when we were younger it was just thin...but now it's about feeling strong and looking like athletes, I think that is such a cool change!

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  2. Hey didn't know you blogged too (just knew you were on daily mile) until I clicked on your comment! Love this and am totally a follower now!

    And you are sooo right about the fact that the body needs FUEL not DIET FOOD to perform better. You are doing great with your exercising! You always motivate me on daily mile! ;-)

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