My Fat Chart
Jan/1022
On Twitter today I released my Fat Chart.
Yesterday I saw a picture of myself that made me realize that the last 12 or so months I’ve let myself go a little. By no means am I morbidly overweight – but I’ve certainly not been exercising as much as I should and have let my diet slip. My ‘gut’ is the area that is suffering. Shirts don’t quite fit, I get puffed out on a flight or two of stairs and I’m finding it harder to keep up with my boys.
I could let things get a lot worse than they are – but after sharing about the photo on Twitter yesterday and saying that I’m going to do something about it – I decided that I’ve probably got more of a chance if I put it out there for a little extra public accountability.
Putting my fat chart out onto Twitter earlier today got a lot of reaction – some thought it a good idea, others wondered why I needed to do it and thought I didn’t have a problem, others started making suggestions about how to adapt my diet and what kind of exercise to do.
All the feedback is great – thanks!
By no means am I an exercise or diet expert. I’m sure I’ll make mistakes. I’m also sure I’ll have days where I don’t really want to share what I ate or did (or didn’t do) – but hopefully the act of putting it out there will inspire me a little more. I figure if the public accountability helps me get 10% fitter or take a little extra weight off then it’s probably worth doing.
A few questions I’ve been asked numerous times already:
- What’s My Goal Weight? – I don’t really have one. I’d like to shed at least 6-7 kg but from previous experience I tend to not lose a lot but find that I ‘redistribute it’. Last time I worked on this a couple of years ago I didn’t lose a kg but my belly lost 2-3 cm! Perhaps I should add a belly measurement.
- Other Goals? – for me it’s more about fitness and health than weight loss. I want to not be puffed when I climb stairs, I want to be able to chase my kids around the yard until THEY get tired, I want to have a healthy body so I can grow old and watch my kids grow up.
- How Tall Am I? – just under 180cm.
- What Kind of Exercise Am I Going to Do? – I’m going to keep it pretty simple. It’s summer here in Australia so I’m going to try to get out as much as possible. Walking, riding (I’m going to get a bike) and using my kids new Trampoline are all starting points. I might even restart my pushups, squats and sit ups little routine that I used to do while looking after my kids were in the bath each night.
- Can Others Join Me? – surprisingly I had 4-5 others tweet back when I shared the link to my chart asking if they could join me in my ‘challenge’. I’m not sure this really is a ‘challenge’ as such – but I’m open to it being a group thing. If you want to start your own fat chart – just open a Google Docs document, set up a chart in the way that you like – publish it as a webpage – and share a link in comments below and anywhere else you want a little accountability. I can’t guarantee to be a lot of support on it – but just knowing others are doing a similar thing is sure encouraging.
Thanks all for your feedback, support, encouragement etc.
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2:18 pm on January 15th, 2010
I’m along for the ride. Let’s compare notes at SMX Sydney. I’m currently at 100kg. I too am keeping exercise simple but consistent. Also less worried about what I eat and more about eating less of it. Good luck!
2:45 pm on January 15th, 2010
Good for you! If you need any advice, feel free to shoot me an e-mail. I have lots of experience and plenty of resources. I’ve definitely learned a lot from you, so it would be great to be able to teach you a thing or two!
2:59 pm on January 15th, 2010
Best wishes with your “redistribution plan”! Public accountability is a great tool for keeping oneself in check.
3:39 pm on January 15th, 2010
Best of luck to you. I’ve recently come to the same realization myself. You should check out the Lose It app for the iPhone. (http://loseit.com) You can sync it with Twitter or Facebook so that it updates when you meet a goal or whether you’ve gained/lost weight. You can add friends for extra motivation. It’s pretty slick. Good luck!
5:28 pm on January 15th, 2010
I’m all for your plan to get more fit. Weight is not important, but as you said, being able to run with the kids. Even overweight, you will be healthier if you can run and jump and stuff. Don’t starve yourself, just enjoy the exercise! Losing weight may be side effect but don’t focus on it. :)
11:49 pm on January 15th, 2010
Accountability, planning, building support, all leads to a healthier lifestyle. Good luck on the journey!
1:09 am on January 16th, 2010
Darren,
I changed my eating habits to that of eating raw food and I lost weight, gained energy, have never been sick since – not even with the usual cold in winter. I got myself a coach. Google David Wolfe – I think he’s doing some seminars in Australia soon.
I’ve never loked back since – I’m never on a diet and look radiant – well my friends have told me and hinestly I’m liking more and more what i see in the mirror!
1:28 am on January 16th, 2010
I find http://www.thedailyplate.com/ helpful for tracking food and exercise.
Good on you.
1:41 am on January 16th, 2010
It’s great that you’re getting a jump on it before it becomes a real problem. Fitness is so much about making a decision for change, then setting goals and being consistent. A great example to set for kids too, so they become healthy adults. Best wishes and cheering you on!
1:41 am on January 16th, 2010
Darren – good luck with this. I think you are finding what Weight Watchers learned years ago – make the process of getting healthy a social one, and you will dramatically increase the likelihood of success. You really could turn this into a group activity; your audience likely spends LOADS of time stagnant in front of the computer. So your efforts would be a holistic approach at creating a healthy blog!
Have a great day/evening.
-Dan
1:48 am on January 16th, 2010
Good luck! I could do with losing a few pounds myself. I think I may have had a little too much food at all those holiday parties. :D
2:38 am on January 16th, 2010
Shot you an email Darren, I can help you with this (and no its not a link to an acai berry trial :)
2:49 am on January 16th, 2010
Darren, I find the workouts over at Crossfit both insane and inspiring. There’s a great community of support there, too. I applaud your resolve and look forward to hearing about your accomplishments. Good luck!
3:13 am on January 16th, 2010
At least you’re not trying to lose cellulite fat. I’ve found that’s much more of a challenge, although not impossible! Good luck with your efforts!
3:46 am on January 16th, 2010
Hello Dareen,
I am sure many people out their are pursuing the same goals as of New Year .All the best for that. Even I am trying to work on getting a little in shape .. my idea is simple Sun salutation 4-10 a day . let see how it works .. I would be posting more information on my blog if any one is interested.
5:26 am on January 16th, 2010
Do what I did a year ago – get an active job!
I used to work in an office then I changed jobs to working in an Apple Orchard – I’m now as fit as a fiddler.
Good luck with the exercising – just remember to keep it simple and most importantly: enjoy it!
6:18 am on January 16th, 2010
Darren,
I’m glad I saw this post! I along with three other friends have recently made a pact to make fitness a priority. We’re all at varying levels of fitness and we want to challenge each other to get in the best shape possible.
The major difference in our strategy is that we’re not focused on weight loss. We’ve set up a decathlon of different challenges that we will use to gauge our progress every six weeks over the next 6 months.
We will gladly join you!!!
It’s just four friends who want to reach their goals through hard work, listening to your body and dedication. No gimmicks, no shortcuts and no excuses.
I’ll be creating a blog soon to keep track of our progress and I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.
As Cammy mentioned, public accountability is a great way to ensure you stay on track. :)
5:11 pm on January 16th, 2010
I managed to lose around 15kg at the beginning of 2009, but managed to gain them back by the end of the year… And I didn’t even realize until the damage was done! It’s very easy to let your weight slip up when you’re not being careful.
I would definitely suggest that you ditch the weight goal. You can use a general guideline, but I think you’ll soon realize that building muscles will conflict with your weight goal, even though it’s much better for your health. I personally find it best to focus on each day as it comes, rather than focus on my long-term goal.
All the best, and I look forward to hearing more about your health success. :)
8:02 am on January 23rd, 2010
Sometimes it’s better to create goals that fit your body type. I try not to use a scale. I judge my body by looking in the mirror. It’s easier for me to watch my stomach shrink instead of worrying how much fat I need to lose.
I also use an old pair of jeans. When I feel fat I try them on and stay on a diet until I can fit back in them. It’s fun to watch how I get skinnier and closer to closing my pants. When I’m finally able to close my pants I always do my celebratory dance that only I am able to watch.
4:52 pm on February 10th, 2010
I am listening about how you blog on problogger. Checked out your site. Currently I am keeping track of my diet and workouts. I am in the process of creating a health and fitness based website in the US. The site is underdevelopment (not trying to spam) My wait is 85kgs now trying to get down to about 80kgs. Any questions or ideas?
12:08 pm on May 11th, 2010
Losing weight is tough. But having dropped seven sizes, I know it is possible. The important things to keep in mind are that you start making small changes. Doing too much at once – and expecting quick results – is the biggest mistake I see people making. The fact that they don’t lose weight as fast as they would like discourages them, and they give up. I do give lots of tips on my fitness blog at http://www.dreambodymom.com. A few of those that I would recommend for you are to start increasing your water intake, eat more protein, and schedule cardio and weight training at a pace that is comfortable for you. If you can get on an eating schedule, then you’ll notice the weight drop off faster. (I discuss my eating schedule on my FAQ’s page). Good luck!
4:06 pm on July 14th, 2010
A friend of mine charted his progress over a period of months – external accountability is a great motivation to achieve a goal!
http://astro.ic.ac.uk/~mortlock/russometer/