goal weight

I think I might be at it, or darn close, though the # sure is high
relative to what alot of other people's goal weights are.

I started at 280 lbs back on 6/2/03. I've hit 235, and pretty much
stayed there for 2 months, up a few pounds here, back down again after
the holidays but pretty much keeping at 100g or less per day of carbs,
usually 50g or less. I'm 6'3" male, aged 37.

I had my BF% done, its at 14.4% (7 point caliper test). I know my
belly could show a little improvement but overall I look pretty good,
size 34 jeans again (its been many years) and the weight has stopped
coming off. I am assuming that you won't get washboard abs just by LC
and alot of cardiovascular exercise (I swim, alot, 20,000 yards or so
a week).

I guess to really go from being at my "normal" weight, to getting to
be extra lean, is a whole other game, correct? One that probably
involves a)alot of weight training, b) strictly watching calorie
intake, c) whacky diet, etc. And other than possibly looking more
defined there probably are no health benefits, which is what prompted
my whole weight loss to begin with.

I guess my bottom line question, is 14% BF a good place to be, or
should I take the next step and go lower?


Thanks

Art
LC 6/2/03
280/235/235???

Sam Hain wrote:

I think I might be at it, or darn close, though the # sure is high
relative to what alot of other people's goal weights are.

I started at 280 lbs back on 6/2/03. I've hit 235, and pretty much
stayed there for 2 months, up a few pounds here, back down again after
the holidays but pretty much keeping at 100g or less per day of carbs,
usually 50g or less. I'm 6'3" male, aged 37.

I had my BF% done, its at 14.4% (7 point caliper test). I know my
belly could show a little improvement but overall I look pretty good,
size 34 jeans again (its been many years) and the weight has stopped
coming off. I am assuming that you won't get washboard abs just by LC
and alot of cardiovascular exercise (I swim, alot, 20,000 yards or so
a week).

I guess to really go from being at my "normal" weight, to getting to
be extra lean, is a whole other game, correct? One that probably
involves a)alot of weight training, b) strictly watching calorie
intake, c) whacky diet, etc. And other than possibly looking more
defined there probably are no health benefits, which is what prompted
my whole weight loss to begin with.

I guess my bottom line question, is 14% BF a good place to be, or
should I take the next step and go lower?

you might also want to post this question in misc.fitness.weights.

Sam,

Here's my take on it. 14% BF is a healthy and fit level for a man your age.

If you are currently eating at a level you enjoy and can easily maintain,
I'd suggest stabilizing at that weight for a while and learning how to
maintain. There's a whole switch in mindset involved. If you don't learn to
maintain, you can lose all the weight you want but you will end up putting
it back on. Work on maintaining your new healthy state for a while before
you start going for a more intense regimen.

The problem with going for "that last 10 lbs" or that last five percent of
body fat, is that you'll have to cut your food intake way down, and you may
find after you do that, that it won't go back up again without adding
pounds. You slow your metabolism or you put it into "Fight for every pound,
because the famine is coming" mode.

I did what I just described and now find that my maintenance calorie level
is much lower than I'd like it to be (or what the charts tell me it should
be.) So I'd advise giving yourself some time to recover from this stint of
dieting before you do any more.

--
Jenny - Low Carbing for 4 years. At goal for weight. Type 2 diabetes, hba1c
5.2.
Cut the carbs to respond to my email address!

Low carb facts and figures, my weight-loss photos, tips, recipes,
strategies for dealing with diabetes and more at
http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/

Looking for help controlling your blood sugar?
Visit http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/...0Diagnosed.htm



"Sam Hain" wrote in message
om...
I think I might be at it, or darn close, though the # sure is high
relative to what alot of other people's goal weights are.

I started at 280 lbs back on 6/2/03. I've hit 235, and pretty much
stayed there for 2 months, up a few pounds here, back down again after
the holidays but pretty much keeping at 100g or less per day of carbs,
usually 50g or less. I'm 6'3" male, aged 37.

I had my BF% done, its at 14.4% (7 point caliper test). I know my
belly could show a little improvement but overall I look pretty good,
size 34 jeans again (its been many years) and the weight has stopped
coming off. I am assuming that you won't get washboard abs just by LC
and alot of cardiovascular exercise (I swim, alot, 20,000 yards or so
a week).

I guess to really go from being at my "normal" weight, to getting to
be extra lean, is a whole other game, correct? One that probably
involves a)alot of weight training, b) strictly watching calorie
intake, c) whacky diet, etc. And other than possibly looking more
defined there probably are no health benefits, which is what prompted
my whole weight loss to begin with.

I guess my bottom line question, is 14% BF a good place to be, or
should I take the next step and go lower?


Thanks

Art
LC 6/2/03
280/235/235???

In article , samhain1313
@hotmail.com says...
I think I might be at it, or darn close, though the # sure is high
relative to what alot of other people's goal weights are.

CONGRATULATIONS!

--
Saffire
205/176/125
Atkins since 6/14/03
Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

Why do you think it will take "alot of weight training" when you're not
doing any weight training? Why don't you try "some" weight training and then
move up to moderate weight training, to see where it will get you?

--
JC

Eat less, exercise more.

--
"Sam Hain" wrote in message
om...
I think I might be at it, or darn close, though the # sure is high
relative to what alot of other people's goal weights are.

I started at 280 lbs back on 6/2/03. I've hit 235, and pretty much
stayed there for 2 months, up a few pounds here, back down again after
the holidays but pretty much keeping at 100g or less per day of carbs,
usually 50g or less. I'm 6'3" male, aged 37.

I had my BF% done, its at 14.4% (7 point caliper test). I know my
belly could show a little improvement but overall I look pretty good,
size 34 jeans again (its been many years) and the weight has stopped
coming off. I am assuming that you won't get washboard abs just by LC
and alot of cardiovascular exercise (I swim, alot, 20,000 yards or so
a week).

I guess to really go from being at my "normal" weight, to getting to
be extra lean, is a whole other game, correct? One that probably
involves a)alot of weight training, b) strictly watching calorie
intake, c) whacky diet, etc. And other than possibly looking more
defined there probably are no health benefits, which is what prompted
my whole weight loss to begin with.

I guess my bottom line question, is 14% BF a good place to be, or
should I take the next step and go lower?


Thanks

Art
LC 6/2/03
280/235/235???

Pics please?? *evil grin*

~*~Pie~*~

"Sam Hain" wrote in message
om...
I think I might be at it, or darn close, though the # sure is high
relative to what alot of other people's goal weights are.

I started at 280 lbs back on 6/2/03. I've hit 235, and pretty much
stayed there for 2 months, up a few pounds here, back down again after
the holidays but pretty much keeping at 100g or less per day of carbs,
usually 50g or less. I'm 6'3" male, aged 37.

I had my BF% done, its at 14.4% (7 point caliper test). I know my
belly could show a little improvement but overall I look pretty good,
size 34 jeans again (its been many years) and the weight has stopped
coming off. I am assuming that you won't get washboard abs just by LC
and alot of cardiovascular exercise (I swim, alot, 20,000 yards or so
a week).

I guess to really go from being at my "normal" weight, to getting to
be extra lean, is a whole other game, correct? One that probably
involves a)alot of weight training, b) strictly watching calorie
intake, c) whacky diet, etc. And other than possibly looking more
defined there probably are no health benefits, which is what prompted
my whole weight loss to begin with.

I guess my bottom line question, is 14% BF a good place to be, or
should I take the next step and go lower?


Thanks

Art
LC 6/2/03
280/235/235???