Ok, so it probably looks like something from Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory, but in the photo above, I'm in a Bod Pod. It's a body fat analyzer. I'm joining the WVU Human Performance Lab for the next month in an effort to move toward my new years goal of losing weight. The Bod Pod, is a small egg-shaped capsule (kind of like from Mork & Mindy) that measures airflow to determine a person's % body fat. It's one of the most accurate tools for measuring % body fat. BTW did you know you could get a membership at the HPL for $30/month?
It was kind of cool when I went into the lab because I helped a number of interns learn the process of performing a twelve lead EKG as well as a Bod Pod Analysis. My EKG came out great, and I received the latest update on my journey away from 211 pounds. I now weigh 192.4 pounds, and according to the analysis, 52.4 lbs are fat. I've gotta admit, I get a little grossed out when I think about 52.4 pounds of fat hanging on my body.
RIght now I am composed of 27.2% fat, so technically I qualify as overweight. AND, more than likely, when I stopped consuming sugar at the beginning of the year, I was over 30% fat which would have made me obese.
I'm not in the minority though. According to recent CDC statistics 34% of Americans are obese, and an additional 34% are overweight. Being overweight leads to all kinds of health problems. In some ways we are eating our way to a multitude of health problems later in life.
That's why I'm trying to stem the tide now. I don't look overweight, and I didn't look obese when I weighed 211. Being overweight is one of the top preventable risk factors for a number of diseases including diabetes, heart disease, alzheimer's, and a number of cancers. I recently discovered this group research study and plan taking place with the congregation of Saddleback Church in California called the Daniel Plan. Their pastor, Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, has a goal of losing 90 lbs during 2011. Their church launched this plan with the help of some of the top medical doctors in the world.
But I digress, I just wanted to keep folks posted as I attempt to track on my goal (a little accountability), and I wanted to suggest the Daniel Plan as a resource for anyone to check out. I might do another post about it next week too. Plus, I just thought the bod pod looked pretty cool. :)
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