P90X - Week 13 - Sunday - FINAL MEASUREMENTS

So here is the moment of truth. The day I've been dreading since the halfway point of the program when most of my measurements were up. Today, I am comparing only my before and after measurements.

Neck: -0.25 inches
Bust: -1.25 inches
Rib/Bra band: -1.5 inches
Waist (across the belly button): +1 inch
Lower abdomen (where all my fat is): +0.5 inches
Hips: +0.5 inches
Thighs: (right) no change (left) +0.25 inches
Calves: (right & left) -0.25 inches
Biceps (flexed): no change
Triceps: (right) +0.25 inches (left) -0.25 inches
Forearms: (right) no change (left) -0.25 inches
Wrists: (right) no change (left) -0.25 inches
Weight: no change
BMI: no change

Remember back before I started, the post I made about body fat measurements? I did the same thing this time around and got various measurements. On the web sites that rely on tape measure data, the body fat percentages were higher - 24% and 26%. The average of those is 25%, which is what I get using my 1-site test with the Accu-Measure calipers. The 3-point and 7-point tests from rustyiron.net gave me a body fat of 19%. I wish I'd kept my caliper measurements from my start date because then, my body fat was around 31%! I am for sure keeping this set of measurements to compare. The other two spreadsheets I used to calculate body fat gave me 24% and 32% today. I honestly don't know what to call it. Last time, I just averaged everything. The average of my start date body fat was 29%. Today's average is 24.3%.

I think the problem is how my husband measures with the calipers. When I do them, I get bigger numbers, closer to what the other methods are giving me. I think he's measuring wrong, not pinching enough. I really, really need to have a professional show him how to use these things. However...the measurements were done the same way both times. I did my tape measure stuff and my husband did the calipers. So I think it's fair to say there is a downward trend, at the very least, which is what we want.

Oh, the U.S. Navy Circumference Method (which also uses the tape measure) gives me a body fat percentage of 32. I did not use that in my start date set, so I didn't include it in the average above.

The latest set of pictures is available, at the end of the page. There are the before pictures, the half-way pictures, and the after pictures. I don't see much difference. I don't feel much difference. But I think the good stuff was in my Fit Test, and I can live with that. I have to get my diet under control. The exercise program doesn't matter. It's the food.

P90X - Week 7 - Thursday

Yesterday's disappointing numbers have taken some of the wind out of my sail. I slept like a rock last night (thanks to my BFF, diphenhydramine) and woke up shortly before 5 AM. My first thought was, "Go back to sleep. You can do Yoga after taking Sebastian to school." But that would have cut into my lazy Tivo time, so I got up, ate a bowl of cereal, and got to it. I didn't put my all into it, maybe 80% (100% into child & corpse pose!) and I feel guilty about that. I did sort of get into crane position - I can hold myself up better & longer if my knees don't touch my arms, but then that's not crane if they don't. It just hurts my skin to do that though. I don't know how to get around that. I think - no, I know - I'm not getting my knees high enough on my arms. I will have to work on that. Anyway, I did it, and earned 2 Activity Points for it. I would have given myself 3 but the effort just wasn't there.

I put yesterday's pictures online (at the end). You'll have to pardon the crappy copy & paste job. My computer doesn't have a lot of oomf.

Kashi cereal w/ skim milk [5 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, light English muffin w/ jelly [5 pts]

banana [1 pt]

chicken breast w/ romaine lettuce, green peppers, light sour cream & salsa [4 pts]

protein granola bar [4 pts]; I made my favorite recipe. Instead of almonds, I threw in the last of my Kashi cereal, you know - the crumbs at the bottom of the bag. So good, and so dangerous. I can barely control myself with just 1.

green pepper slices & baby carrots [1 pt]

chicken breast & roasted vegetables [5 pts]; This was the first time I've ever made roasted vegetables and it was awesome!

protein granola bar & frozen banana [6 pts]; I probably shouldn't have had this but it was so darn good!!! Better than a brownie with ice cream on top.

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

32 points today. 6 weekly and 14 activity points remaining.

There is nothing more motivating than...

Finding pictures of yourself in a bathing suit or bra and underwear when you're at your all time high. Holy fat, batman! I'm certainly no skinny minnie yet, but jeez, the difference is certainly nice to see. I am thoroughly embarrassed to look at the pictures from December 2005 and August 2006. I think I was 190-195 in those pictures. I didn't realize at the time just how bad it was. I want to cry. Ok, not really because I've lost 30 pounds since then, and that's great! But I am never going to be that person again.

Just for motivation

This is what I looked like after losing 50 pounds in 2003, before I got pregnant with my son.