Need to take my own advice, I guess! x-post

Ok, I've been a proponent of setting a goal about body fat percentage rather than clothing sizes (too much variation) or weight on the scale (too many factors make it unreliable or unrealistic), or pretty much anything else you can name.

I'm currently at 137.

I want to be 130.  No particular reason, I just want to be 130.

Had my body fat checked today.  It was a Tanita scale at the surgeon's office, so not as accurate as a dunk test, but far better than the hand-held testers.

It has me at 22% body fat.  Assuming that it underestimates by about 2% (the best guess I've seen from trainers and such), that puts me into the "fitness" category, better than Average but not to Athlete, especially for being 57.  It's where i'd like to be.

So - I really can't lose those 7 pounds.  I haven't got them TO lose safely, even if I could manage it.

Nevertheless, I'm kind of mourning the loss of my 130 want.  I really do need to take my own advice, celebrate the 22% body fat and 137 pounds, because that's a whole lot of bone and muscle.

And I guess I can also celebrate that my skating coach complimented me twice today, and generally all I get is a "well, it's coming" from her.  I must really be improving!

22% body fat? You done good today--all around! Hooah!

--gina
 

Thanks, Gina!

 I know I did - it's just my head that's screwed up!  Oh well, as long as I know it's my head, I can ignore a whole lot of things! LOL!

137 sounds pretty good to me.  I understand the 130 thing.  I hear folks who weigh a lot more than me talking about 2s and think that sounds pretty good but it isn't to be in my case.  I've decided that is ok.  You are great at 137 and 22% body fat.  I think that is wonderful.

I had a very similar discussion with DH over dinner this evening.  I was saying that I'm getting paranoid that I won't be able to keep my weight at the same "number" because I can tell my muscles are getting bigger.  But that's silly.  As DH said, "you still have dinky muscles, and everyone from your PCP, Surgeon, AND trainer think that you should carry a few more lbs.. In addition, it's only been the past month that your weight loss has slowed or stopped."   

I guess I'm just fearful about not being able to maintain.

BTW - 57 is a good age, I think

22% body fat is great.

But I'm curious why you think it wouldn't be safe to lose 7 more pounds of fat? Essential body fat for women is 10-12% so going down to 15-20% is perfectly healthy. I got down to 17-18% myself at one point and was the picture of health.

Then again, the scales that use bio-imediance are way more inaccurate than 2% so who knows what your body fat really is. When a dunk test said I was 18%, the bio-impedence scales were putting me anywhere from 14 to 27% body fat. That is a BIG range.

Marie, you always make me clarify my thoughts - and that's a good thing!

I was at that 18-20% range last year, and it was not good.  I looked like a skeleton draped in beige chiffon.  You can still see muscle definition and the ribs are there, but I look and feel healthier at this level.

And I have no objection to losing a few more of those fat pounds as long as I don't go back to being Skeletor (when you scare your nut, you know it's bad!), but I'm not going to do the "I'm going to lose those last 7 pounds if it kills me" routine my head had me going into.

I rock a bikini on the boat, a man came up to me at the grocery store last week and told me I looked good, and people who don't know me routinely think I'm about 10 years younger than I am.  I just need to keep my head on straight.

I completely agree about not getting into "I'm going to lose those last 7 pound if it kills me".  I see people do this all the time and I don't think it's thinking long-term. So you get down to 130 and then what? Can you maintain it or did you do a bunch of things you aren't willing to do for the rest of your life?

Exactly! 

I just had a chocolate-chocolate chip cookie.  It was yummy, and today's treat! (end of teacher appreciation week).

Now I'm back on my routine.  It's all good.

 I think you've done fantastic and really rocked you WLS!

I have a Tanita scale at home.  It says that at 141 I'm anywhere from 31 -  33% body fat depending on time of day,  hydration etc.  I'm 61.  I want to go to one of the testing places after I get into the 130's.  I'm 5'4", so an inch shorter than you are.

It feels really hard to shed weight now. I have to really pull back to all protein and veggies to show any scale movement so that takes more effort.  It's that double edge, hike 2 hours in the hills and get hungrier and eat more?  That's always my first choice and more fun tan sitting on the couch or at the computer.