The Real Goal of Weight Loss (Part II)

The real goal of any weight loss program should be to lose as much body fat as you can and not simply weight on the scale. If you are judging the success of your program by simply using how much weight you’ve lost on the scale, then you are missing out on the health benefits that go along with having a body fat percentage within proper ranges (21-24% for women and 14-17% for men).

There are many ways that you can determine your body fat percentage, and some are more accurate than others. This site gives you all of the different methods that are currently used with a write up on the pros and cons of each one. Personally, I use digital calipers and the free body fat calculator at www.mybodycomp.com to determine my body fat percentage. Now, before you rush to the website, let me warn you that the webmaster(s) there has not been keeping the site up to date and many people have reported errors trying to sign up for a free account. I like this calculator because it’s the only one I’ve come across on the web that you have to input approximately 12 measurements to determine your body fat %. So, if you are able to sign up for an account, make sure to have a measuring tape handy. I plan on getting my body fat % tested using Hydrodensitometry Weighing (Underwater Weighing) and DEXA before the year is out. Of course I’ll report my results here.  (Please Note: www.bodycomp.com is no longer available–try www.shapefit.com instead) (more…)

The Real Goal of Weight Loss (Part I)

Last week, I talked about not fearing the scale and not being emotional about the whole process; however, I have to also warn you not to become obsessed with the scale either. Remember it’s just one tool amongst many that you will use. Actually, body weight is not the best way to determine if you are on your way to having that svelte physique you’ve always wanted.

The scale, unfortunately, becomes a trap for many guys because that’s the only way they determine if their program is working. “If I’m losing weight on the scale, then it’s all good, right?” Well, not necessarily.

The goal of any weight loss program should be to lose as much body fat as possible, while sparing as much lean body mass (i.e., muscle) as you can. If you just go by the scale, then you have no idea if the pounds you’re losing are actually fat or muscle. Let me give you a personal example. (more…)

Mr. Low Body Fat’s story featured @ shapefit.com

The good folks at shapefit.com have highlighted my transformation as one of their weight loss success stories. If you need motivation, please visit the other success stories and read just how regular men and women have lost the weight and kept it off. Also, there are many free and beneficial online weight loss tools available at the site for you to use.

Are you scale-phobic?

Gentlemen,

I want to appeal to a less emotional and more rationale side of you today, OK? So, do me a favor and check your emotions at the door–thanks.

I know that many of you can identify with the idea of being scale-phobic. Surely you’ve experienced the sweaty palms of anticipation smacking against your belly as you steady yourself on the scale? Society would have us to believe that women are the only ones who dread getting on the scale, but this simply ain’t true. Many men, especially those with dunlap disease, deplore the thought of having to be weighed when going for a physical. (more…)

Weight loss is 80% mental

The first steps to any process or meaningful change is usually the hardest, but that’s not always the case. I’ve always felt that many times this first step is difficult, especially when losing weight, because many guys want to lose weight without having a clearly defined plan of action. Fellas, I know many of us are the type who hate maps and don’t even try to get us to ask for directions! I’m the same way, to a certain degree, and will drive around town learning from my many wrong turns; nevertheless, do yourself a favor and not make the same macho mistakes when you’re trying to lose weight.

OK, so you need to lose weight, right? Well, what’s the first thing that you should do?

Get a gym membership?

Nope. (more…)

OK, so what’s up with the pixs?

I think that it’s worth explaining why I have so many pixs of me during my weight loss journey in my underwear. Since I had made up my mind that 2003 was going to be the year that I would literally get my weight under control, I figured that I needed more motivation this time. Going up and down with my weight had been a recurring theme for the last couple of years for me, and I felt that I was more than ready to make a sustainable change. So, what do we usually do when we need help fellas? Reach out to your homies, right? Well, I was just the average Joe Couch Potato, and I did just that.

My buddies and brother were more than happy to help me with not only their encouragement, but we would also start an online weight loss club! Since, I’ve always been more of a wannabe techie, I took on the job of building the website and setting up the forum. Since my cheap ass used a free service (thanks bravenet), it didn’t take long to have our club up and running. (more…)