Joining the Healthier 2019 Challenge!
Generally I post from my Wordpress blog, because I want to keep my posts in perpetuity, all nice and organized. This one shall soon be buried under other posts.
Why do I want it to be buried? Because how I look in real life and how I look in my mind are completely different. In my mind, I'm 25 years old, fit and active and have no jowls or a wrinkly neck. And I'm about to show evidence, right here in this blog post, that one of these things (my appearance in my mind) is not like the other (my actual appearance).
I'm summoning all the bravery I can possibly muster to write this post!
Setting Health Goals
(Image source: Pixabay)
Let me step back a moment and explain the reason for this post. I'm joining @anomadsoul's Healthier 2019 Challenge.
Want to join us? Here are the requirements:
- Take a before picture. (I know. Ouch.)
- Set your goals, somewhere inside of a 6-month period. See the table below from @anomadsoul's blog as an example of what you may want to measure. You could also increase muscle mass by some percentage.
- Post your updates on Sundays, and use the #healthier2019 tag. You can also post your @actifit report every day using the Actifit app, and join their discord channel for extra support and motivation.
| Metric | Current situation | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | X | Y |
| BMI | X | Y |
| Cholesterol | X | Y |
| Triglycerieds | X | Y |
| Lypids | X | Y |
Calculating Your BMI (Body Mass Index)
First, you might want to convert your numbers metric if you typically use imperial numbers (inches and pounds). You can find conversion tables here. And you can find information about BMI calculation here. There's also a javascript-based calculator.
Following the formula, I've learned that my current BMI is 23.86 or 24 rounded up. A normal healthy BMI for women is 18.5 to 24.9, so I'm right on the outside edge of that!
My Before Picture and Goals
Okay, without further ado, here's what I've got going on right now.
My weight:
Frontal view:
Profile view:
I've never actually had any issues with heart health or cholesterol (and have no idea what my current triglycerides and other such numbers are), so I am just going to set goals to improve my weight and BMI. The good news is that I started using Actifit and watching my food intake several weeks ago, and I'm down from 142 pounds!
| Metric | Current situation | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 139 pounds | 129 pounds |
| BMI | 24 | 22 |
My goal is to hit these numbers by the time I leave for Mexico, which I believe is the 25th of March. My methods will include a combination of eating more fresh greens, cutting back on portions (especially carbs) and amping up the exercise.
I'll be posting regularly from Actifit. The accountability is going to help! Feel free to join me and/or cheer me on.
So glad to see you are joining in the challenge! Let's kick ass together! :))
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Yes!! Let’s do this!
I can sooooo relate to the "in my mind" thing. Totally have that going on.
Well that does help to keep us young, I believe!