12 week check in: Faith & Works in Action

We have been working on improving our health for more than 12 weeks now. It helps to stay focused when you occasionally stop and measure for results. Otherwise it's rather like playing tennis without the net.

There are several measures of success that we use. Some measures are more important than others. We've only used the scale (weight & percent body fat) once each 6 weeks. We've also used circumference measurements. (who cares how much you weigh, when you can fit into size 8 pants?!!) I've noticed that my hair & fingernails are stronger and growing faster since we gave up sugar. And, I enjoy giving away clothes that I've shrunk out of and finding smaller sizes. It is so cool to see them leave my closet.

We have each lost 4% body fat since we began. We're focusing on a healthy body fat range, rather than a healthy weight range. Last time I measured, I had 118 pounds lean body mass. Some of my ancestors were short & stocky. I wouldn't go so far as to mention Hobits, but others have not been so circumspect. (Grandpa rode Broncos in the rodeo, they called him White Lightening because of his white blond hair, at least that's what I was told...)

FYI: Most women I know, are below 100 pounds LBM.

To maintain that LBM and still stay within the standard recommended weight for my body height, I would have to accept a dangerously low body fat percentage. So, every 6 weeks, we recheck the body fat percentage. I don't have a target weight range yet, I'll know what it is when the body fat percentage is right.

Twelve weeks ago, I was much more tired. I caught a bug twice and it took a while to get over each one. It seemed that each time I tried to begin daily exercise, my body rebelled and I would get sick/stay sick/ have a relapse. So, I decided that more sleep was what I needed, and averaged 9-11 hours sleep/night for a while. I am now sleeping 7-8 hours/night and exercising almost daily, sometimes twice/day, walking between 3-6 miles each day. And I don't come home exhausted. I also use my infa-red sauna several times a week for 30 minutes, along with magnesium salts baths. It feels great!

On the other hand, before losing adipose tissue, I never stopped to consider that fat cells produce estrogen......there is nothing so constant in life as change.