For anyone who's interested, here's a link to a website that will estimate your body fat percentage, using several simple body circumference measurements. The formula they use was originally developed by the US Navy, and has since been adopted by the Dept. of Defense as their standard way of estimating body fat percentage for all military personnel.
http://www.he.net/%7Ezone/prothd2.html
Just for giggles I decided to give it a shot (I did notice that this seems to be tied with the "Zone" Diet but didn't pull up a meal plan when I requested it -- the main site is
http://www.he.net/~zone/) but I used my figures from Last April/03 versus present measurements:
April/03:
Hgt: 61 inches
Wgt: 210lbs
BFI: 52%
Lean Mass: 101lbs
"Ideal" Weight: 123
Versus
Sept 25/2004
Hgt: 61 inches (I need one of those torture racks to change this)
Wgt: 170lbs
BFI: 34%
Lean Mass: 114 lbs
"Ideal" Weight: 137lbs.
I find it interesting that the ideal weight has changed. I mean, personally my goal has been to hit somewhere around 135-140 although I'm very pleased with where I'm at. Compared to others I know who are skinner than me, I have better endurance plus have tonnes of fun when cycling (like I'd be able to see a wolf when in a car!? -- Sheesh).
I've been a bit slacking on my weightlifting over the summer (enjoying as much outdoors as I can) but I suspect once I get back into that, the LM will pick up. That all said, one thing I did decide for myself when first looking into seriously dealing with my weight issue was that a) I was going to have fun b) I wasn't interested in starving or depriving myself because I knew that'd be my downfall. I've succeeded thus far, have maintained with minimal gains (I tend to gain at Christmas just because there is sooooooooo much good food to sample..
).