Weight - 174.8lbs
Body Mass Index (BMI) - 26.6
Percent Body Fat (PBF) - 6.42
Lbs of Body Fat - 11.23
Lean Body Weight - 163.77
*Body fat measurements calculated via Jackson-Polluk 3
Now, there are a couple things worth mentioning and noting here. Firstly, my progress. Over the fall / winter months I was heavily involved in Rock Climbing. As such, I read some books on climbing and felt the need to adjust my dietary measures to the demands of the sport. I had switched to a very high carbohydrate diet as recommended. However, there were some issues. Firstly, rock climbing (given time constraints and training availability) did not provide the same "intensity" that fighting / grappling did. Also, over the month of December the rock was closed (Yoga was the best I could do) and I was not making my daily commute (via bicycle) to school. The result was that I ballooned my once chiseled 165 lbs to 180 lbs by mid-January. This is where I made the dietary switch. Considering I have only been on this diet for a little under a month and have only been back on a regular training schedule for the past two weeks, I think things are going as well as could be expected. On a side note, there have been a couple small hangups (i.e. late night carb cravings) brought on by long nights of studying. (I'll get back to this in a minute).
The other thing I want to mention, as I have in previous posts, that according to the US Department of Health, I am "overweight" by measure of BMI. Take a look again at my PBF. Overweight? Depends on the standards, certainly not "over-fat" considering the essential fat for men is about 2 - 4%.
Something else to keep in mind is that when I compete in Jiu Jitsu competitions I do so in the lightweight division (167.5 lbs - with a Gi on). My competition Gi weights about 3 lbs; which means my bodyweight needs to be about 164 lbs. The trick here is that I cannot "cut" weight as in many grappling and MMA competitions. Trust me, I am seasoned at that sort of thing. However, in IBJJF tournaments athletes literally get off the scale and on the mat in a matter of < 5 minutes (this is specifically done to discourage athletes from "cutting" weight). Lets look at the numbers again. If I wanted to go from 174.8 lbs to 164 lbs that would be a 6.18% decrease in weight. Considering what the essential fat percentage for men is, I could only loose about 2 - 2.4% body weight from fat alone. This means that I would be losing some lean mass, at least 4%. Sinful in the bodybuilding world, yes. But I'm an not opposed to it. I often feel faster, more agile, more flexible, and all around sharper when I am down that light. However, something I have been contemplating is moving up a weight class, the next is 181 lbs. That is quite a considerable jump, especially since I'm only 5' 8".
Back to the "cheating" or "oopses." Something I have struggled with in the past and am working to correct is the mindset that if you break from your planned diet in the slightest bit, the whole day is shot to ****. Practically speaking, if you snatch a few dumb-dumbs on your way out of the bank that's no reason to feel guilty and cry about it over half a dozen McDoubles. Likewise, if a friend has a birthday that you forgot and they (for example) bring cake to class or work, you don't need to put yourself in a food coma, but you don't need to totally obtain either. Eat a piece, be social, and move on. Simple mistakes here and there do not add up in the long run, so long as they stay simple. BIG mistakes do add up; like feeling guilty every time you give into the slightest craving you swing for the fences and put the buffets out of business. Trying to compensate for these little inefficiencies is another common mistake. I may have snitched a cookie or two yesterday, well now I have to make up for it today by eating less, right? Wrong. The only thing you will do there is increase the likelihood of you turning that little mistake into a big mistake and repeating the cycle all over again. Think longevity and sustainability; long term results, not temporary solutions. Unless, of course you have a temporary goal (like preparation for a competition) specifically in mind. Even then, it's advisable to keep your year-round weight within 10% of your "fighting weight" or the weight you want to be at one week before the fight / before you begin "cutting."
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