Birthday Present! Adjusted Fat % For MALE

My Tanita bathroom scale measures fat percentage and body weight. In order to use this device, it needs to be programed for height, age, gender. Since my B'day is coming up Tuesday, I decided to change the age on this scale -- requiring that I get out the manual and pore over the specifics.

We've discovered that the scale is set up for female, not male. I wouldn't think this would make a lot of difference in the readings -- au contraire!

We've been skirting around 41% body fat for months, seemingly not able to get below 40% except in fleeting instances (I've gotten readings of 36% for a few hours.)

Today I was 42% "female" . . . and then adjusted for male 28%! That's 1/3 -- 0.666.

Spin bike last night: 35 min.

5 or 6 min to get from 83 bpm to 100. Another 5 min to get to 110. Standing w/ high resistance (We can stand/pedal a minute.) runs up to 120 -- 124 bpm. and this drops off as soon as I reduce resistance and sit to pedal. I'm running 115, pushing up to 120+ (standing), then back down to 110 bpm.

Weather forecast should improve next week, dry, sunny. We'll get a real bike out on the road.

95 bpm = 60%
110 bpm = 70%
120 bpm = 76%
125 bpm = 80%

Spin Bike -- 35 min.

35 min. Takes me about 5 min. to get the heart rate from 83 resting to 100 bpm. Then hard work to get to 110 bpm. Standing/pedal I can get to 125, 133 bpm. I expect I'm able to stand/pedal 30 seconds -- very high resistance, like I can't sit and pedal at the resistance setting.

Some speculation that I've over-trained and this recent "rest" period has been recovery.

219 lbs. 41% -- Seems a plateau

Thursday Spin Bike --

33 Min. Spin Bike. Difficult to get into the 110 zone. I can crank up resistance and stand pedal -- like climbing -- for about 30 seconds. This gets the rate to about 123 bpm. Then it slides back to 114 or so. We can't decide if it's recovery or fitness that is keeping the heart rate low. Not recovered and not strong enough to raise the rate, or fit enough that it's hard to get to the target rate. We're not sure. I suspect lack of recovery. I'm in a slump right now -- bored, frustrated by the weather.

We need to get back on track.

Spin Bike -- Aerobic ???

Yesterday -- Monday, April 3, 2011:
We did 32 min on the spin bike ( 30 min / 2 min. cool down to about 99 bpm.) I set the target window on the heart rate monitor at 110 to 130, with a mid-range objective of sustained 120 bpm. It takes some 5 min. to reach 100 bpm, and another three min. of serious effort to get to 110. I was able to get at 126 bpm, but can't sustain this rate and slip back to about 122 or 120. It's easy to slide under 120.

Today -- Tuesday, April 4, 2011:
32 min. on the spin bike. (30 min. / 2 min. cool down to 99 bpm.) It's taking 5 min. to get 100 bpm. Resting rate of approx. 74 bpm, and a starting rate of approx. 84 bpm. Lots of effort required to reach 110 bpm, and at that rate I waiver back down to 107 bpm. We crank up the resistance and stand/pedal for 30 min to reach 120 bpm, but it slips back to 117 bpm. I was able to reach only about 122 bpm today and then only briefly before slipping back under 120.

We can't decide if this is evidence of better fitness -- and so lower heart rate during effort. Or is this evidence of lack of recovery -- and so inability to reach target heart rate at a specific perceived effort?

I'm feeling fit, looking fit. Weight is at 216 to 218 lbs. 38% to 42%

We're looking for some longer hikes . . . extended walks, and get out of the "rut routine."

Nicer weather would allow some serious bicycle. This photo from March, 2005

Spin Bike last night, 32 min. (30 min and 2 min. cool down). Starting pulse about 85 and took 7 min. to get to 110. Then creep up to 120, push to 128 and come back down to about 122. Cool down to 110.

Walk this morning, Nordic poles. Bridge to Astoria Column, out to Smith Point. 2 hrs. I get to push cardio load up the grades. I expect I get more cardio on the walk than on the bike. Somehow it's less "effort" to increase pulse rate on the grades while walking.

Yesterday I was 216.0 lbs. Diet is on track. We're doing whey protein in skim milk w/ banana, non fat yogurt, blueberries, strawberries. Apples and almonds for snacks. Tuna salads, fish, veggies.

Stomach is flattening and tightening! I'm feeling FIT!

Nobody Reads This Stuff

We were down to 214.6 this morning, or was it 216.4 ??? Then I peed and it went to point zero. It matters to me.