By Kyla Cook |News Editor|
Let me share a little bit about myself: I’m 5’9, 154 lbs and have multiple jobs, am taking 16 units and just like everyone else I have other responsibilities that add to my already packed schedule.
Let’s get this straight—I’m not a health nut. There are days when I break down and find myself hunting down girl scouts in the biology building. But like most people I want to look good. After all, I do have a wedding dress to show off in June!
However, I want to do it the right way. Being fit isn’t about going on fad diets that restrict your calorie intake so much that anything you see turns into a big juicy cheeseburger.
Being fit is a lifestyle. It involves clean eating and putting in time at the gym, and I realize that not rewarding myself every now-and-then with a piece of dark chocolate will have me going insane.
This blog is meant to inspire. Being fit has changed everything for me: the way my clothes fit, my sleeping habits and my overall happiness.
To start this blog I thought I would list my personal goals, not only to keep myself accountable for my actions but also to inspire some of you. Aside from being fit and healthy in general, it is good to have goals that you can measure so you can physically see your progress. Therefore, here are my goals:
- Weigh 140 lbs by April 2. However, this is probably the goal that I am least focused on because I plan to build muscle and it is commonly known that muscle weighs more than fat. This brings me to my next goal …
- Lower my body fat by five to eight percentage points. My current body fat percentage is at 22%. I got mine measured by one of the personal trainers at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center. They offer this service for free if it is your first time. However, my body fat percentage means that I have about 34 lbs of fat (gross) and 120 lbs of lean body mass. Lowering my body fat would give me a leaner body. But just so you know, according to an article on livestrong.com, a healthy body fat percentage is between 20-21 percent, and 30 percent is considered obese. Being thin doesn’t necessarily mean being healthy.
- The other goals I have pertain more to my physical ability than anything. For instance, I’ve started this 100 pushups challenge which will help me be able to do 100 pushups consecutively. I started in the second group; let me know where you start! I’d also like to be able to do pull-ups without the assisted weight helping me out. I want to do the AMT machine or run seven days a week and do weights Monday through Friday.
- Then of course, there is my diet. Working out doesn’t matter if you ruin all your hard work in the kitchen. I would like to meet my net calorie goal of 1220 calories per day and drink at least 100 oz of water.
That’s about it for my goals, basically I want to be lean! My following blogs will feature what I eat, different workouts I do, etc. In the meantime, if you have a smartphone, download the MyFitnessPal app and find me: kydcook@gmail.com, that way you can see what I’m doing and start on your own fitness journey.
Hello fellow Coyote! If you ever need any assistance, my colleague and I are nutrition counselors in the Physical Science Building. I did like your other article Rep-2 about boosting and maintaining your metabolism to keep an efficient level of burning calories. However, ~1,200 calories for an individual with a busy school schedule and employment definitely requires a bit more calories to prevent your body from believing it is famished. Our mind and body are two totally different entities, while we would like to look great, our bodies operate on convenience and would like to be constantly fed as mentioned in your other article of 5-6 small meals, but at a proportional density of energy as well as nutrients.
As for body fat percentages, you are correct for women to be within 21-33 (kind of high) percent. One of our female competitors expressed being as low as 14% and had a short-term loss of her cycle, regained her percentage to about 17.5-18 and was satisfied with the results, and maintained her health. You can look great and feel great, it takes a bit of strategy and resources, but there is always help.
Yes, sorry I haven't been updating! But one (or more) will be coming every week! So stay tuned! I constantly make adjustments (mostly because I get bored or plateau). But like I said, stay updated! As for tips on becoming educated on lifting – read! I read anything from magazines (Muscle and Fitness for women) to books about lifting. I read reviews before I purchase though – to make sure people are satisfied and have similar goals as me.
UPDATES! These are similar to my goals and I was wondering what kind of adjustments you've had to make since starting I know I have? Any tips on how to become educated on weight lifting?