Day SIX: "How skinny do you want to be?"

After seeing my blog a friend asked, “Cool...food ideas look interesting. Why the diet? How skinny do you want to be...?"  Good question! In honor of your question, here is my answer: Do you know those European runway models that look like they just got released from a concentration camp? Well…NOT that skinny! As a matter of fact I’m really not interested in skinny at all. Skinny means no FAT and also no MUSCLE and I’m really not interested in that!

According to Dr. Kevin Carlson (Associate Professor of Exercise Science at Central College) I need to be in the range 10% to 20% body fat. But Kevin, I’m almost a half-centurion!!! Doesn’t that count for something??? No such luck. In January 2011 I was 19.4% body fat (measured using the BodPod) so I just squeezed into the range. I went on the ZONE diet and retested 60 days later and I had gotten it to 17.8%. Better…but “not skinny enough.”

Then I went to the Ukraine and lived on a diet of flour, more flour, and a little bit more flour! Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed every last bite of their delicious cuisine! Below is one of my favorites smothered in homemade sour cream and honey! However, it didn't exactly help me loose body fat!

Another way to look at this is looking at BMI (Body Mass Index). The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute uses the following scale:
          Underweight = <18.5
          Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
          Overweight = 25–29.9
          Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

At my 5’ 8” height and 172 lbs (my day one weight) I would be at 26.1 BMI which is “overweight.” So...”not skinny enough.”

So, my goal is 12% body fat…and that will take my BMI into a “normal weight” range. If I can do that, I won’t be skinny, but I will be felling and looking a whole lot better!