Weight Loss
My repeated weight loss attempts have gone nowhere because of a lack of focus, clear plans, and commitment. So — I’m starting a new plan. I want to lose weight, first, because I want to lose the roll of fat that has existed around my middle since junior high school, and, second, because I want to see how a significant loss of overall weight will affect (and I hope improve) my racing potential.
Today I measured 173.8 pounds and 17.1% bodyfat. My waist is about 36 inches, measured right below the navel (it seems to vary a bit from day to day). I will give myself 12 weeks, starting this Monday, Oct. 26, the day after my half marathon, until January 18, to reach goals of under 161 pounds, under 12 % BF, and under 33.5 inches on my waist. I will not stop until I have reached all three goals, meaning I probably will get under one or more of them to reach all three.
I will start in earnest this Monday, since I can’t diet too much right before a half marathon, but I’m going to start eating better right away: sharply limiting alcohol intake to two drink equivalents per week, eliminating sugary foods, eliminating junk carbs like crackers, chips, and french fries, cutting back on portion size, eliminating all junk food, and finding substitutes for snacking. I will keep track of my weight, BF, and waist on a daily basis to make sure I’m staying on track.
Since I’m not planning to do the marathon the diet shouldn’t interfere too much with my efforts continually to improve my running. Once I’m done with the 10K on Thanksgiving I’ll basically enter the running "off season" and won’t be training specifically for any races for a little while, so the time to lose weight will be perfect.
