One Month Under My Belt

And I have a little less hanging over my belt. Here's my stats.

weight --- 208 lbs
bodyfat --- 33 %
neck --- 16.5 in.
chest --- 46 in.
biceps --- 15 in.
forearms --- 12 in.
hips --- 42 in.
waist --- 44 in.
thighs --- 22.5
calves --- 15.5

This is exactly why I take more measurements than just hopping on a scale to gauge progress. My first thought at looking at the end of this first third of my challenge was "gee....I only lost ten pounds for all that hard work during the month, and my body fat is still in the freaking 30's". Then I started looking at the numbers a little.

On just general weight, I lost 10 lbs. That's nothing spectacular but...ten pounds is ten pounds. Given a choice between losing a single pound and gaining a half dozen, I'll take the downward direction every time. Combine that weight with bodyfat measurements and it means that I've actually lost 14.2 lbs of fat while gaining 4.2 lbs of muscle. That's a good trade any day.

I've also lost four inches off my gut, which is the hardest place to lose for men my age.

Spectacular results? Maybe not. I suppose if I really wanted to shed a lot of weight, I could starve myself. Experience has shown me that this only sets the body up for massive weight gains that at least match the weight losses. I want to permanently transform my body...not just hit a goal.

I'm in this for life.