This challenge has really been catching on lately and I am finally going to jump in. Check out the initial test and how to get started if you think you might be interested.

I took the test and completed 10 proper-form push ups. I was very careful to use proper form- so be sure you don’t cheat, go slowly and nearly touch the floor with your face on the way down. You want to start off with good form to get the most out of the exercise.

The idea of the program is to get fit of course and I really like the small time commitment required, yet with good results (hopefully). After the initial test, you only have to commit to 3 days a week for about 15 minutes or less. The total program is 6 weeks, but there is no need to feel like you need to rush through it. You may even want to repeat a week if you feel like you couldn’t quite keep up. I’m a little worried, since I could only do 10 and the first day of the workout will have me doing a total of 28. I’ll see how that goes and update you on my progress.

You should give it a try too! Visit one hundred push ups to get started.

I started off last week by realizing I had gained 5 pounds. That motivated me to eat better last week and exercise, but now that I look back I only exercised one day- not good! I did a lot better with my diet…until the weekend. Fortunately, my weight did go down, but only by .08 pounds.

I need to do better this week. I’m putting my exercise schedule here and on my calendar. I need to schedule the time and plan ahead and make sure I don’t have another week like last week. My plan is 3 days of cardio and 1 day of weightlifting.

The plan- Tue, Wed, Sat will be 30 minutes of cardio exercise. Friday will be a weightlifting workout.  This is on my calendar and I have email reminders set up. I’m going to treat this just like I schedule my job or anything else important. I hope this works better than last week!

*Note about this weight loss chart. When I started this blog I weighed 266 pounds and I was only tracking my pounds lost each week. On November 28, 2007 I started using a new scale that tracks body fat and more (the numbers you see above). I report the figures from that scale in these weekly posts and I still track my total pounds lost in the Weight Loss Goals section in the sidebar on my site.

I can’t believe it has been more than a month since I posted anything on this site. I knew I was slowing down, but I never thought it would get this bad.

I can see that neglecting the blog isn’t helping me stay on track with my weight loss either. Since my last post I’ve gained 5.2 pounds. What makes that even more sad is that in my last post I wrote about wanting to lose 10 pounds in 8 weeks. Well, it’s been almost 6 weeks and I’ve gained 5 pounds so I think I can throw that goal out the window. Apparently those were just words anyway since I put no effort into actually losing weight.

Enough with the sad story though, seeing the scale this morning woke me up (I hope for good). I went back to tracking my diet and exercise on Fit Day and I spent 30 minutes on the treadmill, of which 9 minutes were spent jogging (5 minutes straight and 4 minutes straight with walking in between). The crazy thing is, that is probably the most I have jogged in years. I can’t recall jogging for more than 5 minutes in one treadmill session since starting this blog. It’s a great start, but I have a long way to go.

I realize now that I really need to track my diet and exercise on a weekly basis if I want to make any progress. I have been able to put my finances on cruise control a little bit and still make solid progress, but that is not the case at all with my weight loss. I can do well for a little while, but it doesn’t take long for me to fall back into bad habits. Given my recent posting schedule, I’m afraid to say it, but expect to see more regular updates from me again.

*Note about this weight loss chart. When I started this blog I weighed 266 pounds and I was only tracking my pounds lost each week. On November 28, 2007 I started using a new scale that tracks body fat and more (the numbers you see above). I report the figures from that scale in these weekly posts and I still track my total pounds lost in the Weight Loss Goals section in the sidebar on my site.

The title sums up the last few weeks of my life pretty well- I’ve been eating junk food, rarely exercising, and getting a bit frivolous with my spending. I’m not sure what exactly my problem is- lack of motivation and discipline I guess.

I really hate seeing my weight in the 250s again, so this is a wake up call to get back on track right away. My thought right now is to try to simplify the process, cut down the number of goals that I’m worrying about and the different things I’m trying to do this year with my fitness, and just focus on losing some weight right now. So, my new fitness goal as of today is to lose 10 pounds in 8 weeks.

I’m going to mostly use the Body for Life exercise plan and Eating For Life plan. I do not plan to follow these plans 100% because I have learned over the years that I just can’t do that. I think 80-90% of the plans will be good enough for what I want to accomplish right now.

A quick note on my spending- I’m not getting too crazy, certainly not using credit cards or anything, I’ve just been spending a more on food and non-necessities than I have for a while. I need to try to tighten up the wallet a bit as well.

Current weight: 251.8 pounds

Weight lost since starting the blog: -14.2 pounds

Progress since starting with the new scale: -2.2 pounds, -1.4% body fat, -0.3 BMI

Last week’s diet: My diet was bad for just about the whole week. I ate a lot of junk food and didn’t make much of an effort to cut calories or make wise choices.

Last week’s exercise: I worked out once and I pulled weeds one morning- that’s it! I hate looking back on the week and seeing all of the missed opportunities to exercise- even just 20 or 30 minutes of walking thrown in for a few more days would make a big difference for me right now.

*Note about this weight loss chart. When I started this blog I weighed 266 pounds and I was only tracking my pounds lost each week. On November 28, 2007 I started using a new scale that tracks body fat and more (the numbers you see above). I report the figures from that scale in these weekly posts and I still track my total pounds lost in the Weight Loss Goals section in the sidebar on my site.

I have used the Omron HBF-500 Body Composition Monitor with Scale to track my weight, body fat, visceral fat, skeletal muscle, resting metabolism, and BMI for just under two months now. I really like this scale and I’m happy I bought it. If you aren’t tracking your body fat at all right now, I would definitely encourage you to buy this scale or a similar product that allows you to measure your own body fat. There are less expensive options if you already own a scale and just want to track your body fat, such as the Omron HBF-306C Fat Loss Monitor (recommended to me by Lazy Man from Lazy Man & Health), but I have not used that one myself.

*Note - You need to be between 18 - 80 years old and between 3′4″ to 6′ 6-3/4″ tall for this scale to work for you.

The Omron HBF-500 Body Composition Monitor with Scale (referred to from now on as ‘the scale’) is about the same size as an average bathroom scale (maybe a little more bulky) and a bit heavier. With the many buttons and large digital display it looks quite a bit more fancy and technologically advanced than the average bathroom scale, but don’t let that worry you- it is very easy to use.

You’ll want to configure the scale before using it for the first time. The first step is to set the current date and time. The scale stores up to 90 days of results so you will want an accurate date and time if you choose to review the stored data points later.

The next step is to enter your personal information so the scale can give you accurate statistics. You can store data for up to 4 people and if you don’t want to store data or if you have used up all 4 spots, anyone can use the scale at any time by selecting a ‘guest’ profile. You need to enter your age, gender, and height. This information will be used to grade your statistics. You can also delete profiles and create new ones at any time.

Once you have stored a profile, using the scale is fairly simple, though you do need to pay careful attention to the order of operations to get correct measurements. Before stepping on the scale you power it on with a large button located on the back side of the unit. The display will flash and change to 0.00 when it is ready. After the display shows 0.00 and before you step on the scale, lift the display unit out of the scale (small T-shaped device with the digital display- see the photo) and hold the grip electrodes firmly. Select your profile number and you can now step on the scale. Simply place your feet on the foot electrodes (your heel should be on the rear electrode) and wait a few seconds for the display unit to show your weight. After your weight reading, the display will flash ‘START’ and you now need to raise your arms up to a 90 degree angle while holding the display unit. This may sound a little complicated, but it is quite easy to follow along after doing it a couple of times. You do need to follow along carefully though as the results can vary quite a bit if you don’t. After the scale has registered your other results (body fat, visceral fat, skeletal muscle, resting metabolism, and BMI) you can take some time to review the numbers.

The scale rates your results in each category, based on your age and gender, with 4 classifications (-, 0, +, ++). 0 (0 equals normal) is where you want to be in each category. It’s nice to have this instant feedback across categories every time you use the scale. It will also store your results for up to 90 days.

If you simply want to check your weight at any time, just turn the unit on, wait for 0.00 to display and step on the scale without lifting the display unit. You do not need to select a profile and the scale will not store this information.

The memory function is a nice feature, but I also write down my results every time I use the scale and enter that information into an Excel spreadsheet and of course I track my results weekly here on this blog. That may be a bit too much analysis for the average person, so it’s good to know you can go back in time a bit with the memory of the scale and see how you have done.

I have used the scale weekly for about two months now. The batteries have not died yet, so I can’t comment on battery life.

The instruction book that comes with the scale is very informative on its own. It takes the time to describe what each category is, why it matters, and what range you should be in to be healthy. For example, I had never heard of visceral fat before (fat surrounding internal organs). That is not a good thing because it turns out that too much visceral fat can lead to high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Unfortunately, I fall into the ‘high’ range of visceral fat, which is a little scary, but I’m glad I know about it now and I can use that for motivation to keep working at losing weight and getting healthy.

Summary
It is debatable just how accurate this form of body fat measurement is, but I’m not concerned as much with pure statistical accuracy as I am with having a baseline number to work with so I can measure my progress. Lets face it, I was never going to go see a personal trainer or other professional to get my body fat measured. I don’t belong to a gym and I don’t want to spend money on a gym membership. This scale provides an easy to use body fat measurement at home that you can do any time, in the comfort of your home (important when you don’t feel too proud of your body in its current shape). Prices seem to range as high as about $80 for this scale, though I paid about $65 at Amazon.com. You may not want to spend the money on this scale, but I would encourage you to get something that allows you to measure your own body fat. Omron also makes a handheld fat loss monitor for about $27, which would make sense if you already own a scale and want to save a little money. Also, if you don’t already own an accurate scale I would recommend the Omron HBF-500 Body Composition Monitor with Scale so you can establish accurate baseline numbers and track your progress over the long term.

I will continue to use this scale to track my weekly progress and I will update this post if anything happens that changes my opinion of the scale. Based on my experience so far, I can highly recommend it.