Going Green Part II

Saturday 9 May 2009
0700

Well, in a nutshell, it works! Eat less, and eat smart, and you lose weight. What a concept.

As I wrote earlier, in early March a nutritionist visited us from the USARCENT Surgeon’s Office, and gave a lecture on proper nutrition. For some reason I paid attention, even though I’ve heard it all before. Since then I’ve been very careful to eat only the “green” (i.e. low fat) foods in the DFAC, albeit with occasional exceptions for yellow (medium fat) and very occasional exceptions for red (high fat) foods.

This past week we had our semi-annual APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test), or “PT Test” as it’s usually called. This is a standardized test that involves pushups, situps, and a two mile run. I never have a problem with this test, although my strength isn’t what it used to be when I was younger. I excercise regularly and work my way up to the test, so even though I hate to run and do it as little as possible, I pass the test every time and then go back to my own exercise routine until the next one is due.

As a part of the APFT, the Army always conducts a weigh-in to check our weight against the height/weight table in the PT manual (FM 21-20). Overweight people have to go on the fat boy program (that’s not the official name but that’s what everybody calls it.) More importantly than the inconvenience and stigma of being on a directed exercise and nutrition program, a bar to favorable action goes in their records, which means no promotions, awards, etc. until they are off the program. And, of course, there is the fact that being overweight leads to serious health problems (which ought to be enough in itself to motivate people).

Now, in my view the allowable weights in the height/weight table are pretty unrealistic. I haven’t actually made my table weight since I was about 23 or so. I had very low body fat and high muscle mass when I was younger, and was always at least a few pounds over the limit. The Army has a solution for that, though. If you are over your table weight, they measure body fat content. If you are within an allowable range, then it’s considered a “go” and there is no unfavorable action. When I was on active duty in the early 1980’s, they used a set of calipers and a “pinch test” to take measurements on several specified areas of the body to determine body fat content. Since then they have switched to a tape measure test . This test uses the ratio of the diameters of the neck and the waist to calculate body fat content.

So I always had to be pinched or taped after every weigh-in, and it was never a problem. Since getting back into the Army in my late 40’s, though, I’ve been a lot closer to the limit than I used to be. I knew intellectually that I ought to lose some weight, but just kind of went along passing the PT test and the tape test (barely) and thinking “yeah, I probably ought to lose some weight…".

Then came the “Going Green” epiphany, and a month of healthy eating along with my normal PT routine. There’s a scale in the gym, and the results were remarkable. The weight just melted off like magic.

When I took my PT test last November my official weight was 251. Since then my weight had hovered right around 251-253. My official table weight for my height and age is 220, so I was well over. But my percentage body fat was 23% (the limit is 26%), so I was not officially overweight even though I knew better.

This past week when I weighed in after the PT test, my official weight was 230, with a body fat percentage of 20% - quite an improvement considering that all I did was change my eating habits. Most of that weight came off within the first month, and I then hovered around 232-235 for quite awhile. Since the official weigh-in is in socks but I weigh myself in shoes when I'm on my own, I guess I was really closer to the magic "two-twenty-something" than I had thought.

Since the ACU (Army Combat Uniform) has a drawstring at the waist and a belt with a continuously-adjustable buckle, I just pull it in farther, no problem. But my civilian belt and jeans don't fit anymore - I can't keep my pants up or my shirts tucked in!

I do seem to have reached a bit of a plateau, so it will now probably take a little more work and effort to keep going in the right direction. But what a difference - I feel better and actually think I might get down to my table weight for the first time in over 25 years. Thank goodness for the green stickers on the food labels (or maybe it’s the red ones I should be thankful for!)

Mood: Happy
Music: Rammstein – Du Hast (“The Matrix” Soundtrack)