OK, the title is, I'll admit, a little dramatic.
I went through body composition testing today. It was as bad as I expected it to be after 16 years of inactivity:
Weight: 212lbs
Body fat 32% or 68lbs
The machine also measured my resting metabolic rate at 1820kcal/day.
I figured out that it I don't gain an ounce of muscle I have to loose 42 to 48lbs in order to get to a 12% to 15% body fat range.
Now I need a good estimate of caloric output during swimming. Last session I swam about 2000y in 90min. I need to translate that into kcal per workout so that I can figure out the rest.
Does anyone know of any articles/sources on the caloric output measurement during an activity like swimming? I know about the myriad of websites with estimating calculators. I am after actual measurement if at all possible.
I wonder if it is as simple as using a really precise scale. Since 3500 calories is 1 pound it stands to reason that you might be able to measure calories burned by simply having a really good weight comparison before and after. A scale with repeatability of 0.1lbs or better might be all you need. In this case, 0.1lbs would be about 350 calories.
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Former Member
... Each lb of fat requires about 5 calories/day to maintain. Each lb of muscle requires about 60 calories/day to maintain. Build 10 lbs of muscle mass and that is like biking for an hour every day.
Wow! That is an interesting way to illustrate that point.
I agree with all the statements about the scale not being a do-all end-all measurement. There have been times when I stood on a scale every time I swam, simply because I walked right by it anyway every time. But I was not dropping weight at one point, yet I was exercising more than ever, plus eating really well!?!?!? I felt better than ever however. Eventually I realized it was the increased muscle mass that was making the scale seem wrong. (And yeah, my clothes fit better/looser too.) If you are consistent in your diet and exercise, everyone will cross that threshold at some point.
If I feel good, then I'm doing it right. At the same time, it is important to me to be able to relax and enjoy the whole experience too. There is enough suffering in life without me having to generate more of it.
:)
... Each lb of fat requires about 5 calories/day to maintain. Each lb of muscle requires about 60 calories/day to maintain. Build 10 lbs of muscle mass and that is like biking for an hour every day.
Wow! That is an interesting way to illustrate that point.
I agree with all the statements about the scale not being a do-all end-all measurement. There have been times when I stood on a scale every time I swam, simply because I walked right by it anyway every time. But I was not dropping weight at one point, yet I was exercising more than ever, plus eating really well!?!?!? I felt better than ever however. Eventually I realized it was the increased muscle mass that was making the scale seem wrong. (And yeah, my clothes fit better/looser too.) If you are consistent in your diet and exercise, everyone will cross that threshold at some point.
If I feel good, then I'm doing it right. At the same time, it is important to me to be able to relax and enjoy the whole experience too. There is enough suffering in life without me having to generate more of it.
:)
