Body composition work

I'm starting 2008 1.0 pounds heavier and 0.9 body fat percentage points fatter than I started 2007. (On January 1, 2007 I was 19.0 pounds less than my highest weight of January 2006).

Actually, the January 2007 and January 2008 readings are well within my normal day-to-day variation - I basically maintained the same body weight throughout 2007. But I'd prefer to be moving in the negative direction instead of the positive direction, of course.

In the first 4.5 months of 2008 I'd like I plan to drop that body fat percentage by about 8.0 points, in order to carry much less weight around the hills on the Columbia Triathlon course in mid-May. That should get my BMI down to the "normal" range of 25.4 or less.

How will I accomplish that? I've got about 19 weeks to do it. A 500 calorie deficit per day should just about meet my goal - and that's not such an extreme calorie restriction that I will start feeling hungry and deprived (and consequently, have rebound eating from excessive hunger). It's eating at maintenance on days I run 10 kilometers. More exercise equals more food for me! NO it's not a diet - it's sensible HEALTH monitoring and very gradual change.

The hard parts are a) doing it consistently day after day, and b) tracking every calorie in and out.

But the results will be OH SO WORTH IT!! FREE SPEED!!

Let the Games begin!