My fitness journey :: 30-day active challenge

{This is the treadmill I am using - NordicTrack 1650C}

Since summer is right around the corner, I thought I'd talk about my fitness journey and a challenge that I am currently participating. I like staying active but I am not hardcore when it comes to working out. When I was in my 30s, I could eat anything I want without gaining weight. Once I hit 40, it seems like an internal switch has flipped. I gain weight easily and it becomes more challenging to keep the weight off. My metabolism slows down drastically. It may sound depressing but getting old is not fun. I wrote this post in June 2017 talking about my body stats. Since then, I gained about 5 lbs. Now, I completely understand that I am not overweight by any means. As the matter of fact, I am a little bit underweight. Based on the ideal weight calculator, at 5'2", my ideal weight is 115 lbs. I am currently at 108 lbs. I know weight is just a number but it's easier for me to maintain my weight when I am under 105 lbs. I will share my current body stats in a bit. When it comes to weight loss, the key is to adopt a healthy lifestyle that suits your individual needs and that you can maintain for life rather than try to lose weight quickly. Did you know 3500 calories = 1 lbs of fat? In order to lose one pound per week, you need to cut down 500 calories per day. Two basic things I do when it comes to staying fit: counting calories and staying consistent with exercise. My husband got me this treadmill for Christmas and it's been wonderful. If you're interested in a full review, let me know.

Counting calories:
My daily calorie goal is 1500. It's not easy but it's doable. Calories add up fast! I can share what I eat in a day in a separate post if you're interested. There are many free calorie counter apps out there. I use my Fitness Pal to track my daily calorie intake. It's super easy to use. You can log your daily calories intake, your water intake and your daily exercise. While tracking every single calorie is not necessary for me, it's a great way to understand exactly that I am putting in my body. You'll be surprised at the calorie count in some of the most unassuming foods. Did you know a slice of Cheesecake Factory red velvet cheesecake (my favorite) is 1250 calories? Yikes!


Workout routine: Since the beginning of 2018, I have stepped up my fitness game. I ran 2 half marathons. I've completed 12 weeks of BBG 1.0 and I am consistently working out 4, 5 days a week. Let's take a look at my body composition results today.

{My current body stats | I use this digital body scale}

Understanding your measurements:
Weight: Your total weight in lbs. My current weight = 108.6 lbs
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a weight to height ratio (weight/height). Underweight: BMI is less than 18.5 and normal weight: BMI is 18.5 to 24.9. My current BMI = 19.2
Body Fat Percentage (BFP) is the percentage of your body made up of fat. BFP chart for a woman: Essential Fat (10% - 13%), Athletics (14% - 20%), Fitness (21% - 24%), Average (25% - 31%). My current BFP = 17.4% (Athletics - I will talk more about this in a second)
Muscle Mass Percentage (MMP) is the percentage of muscle in the body as compared to total body weight. There is no ideal muscle mass because this number varies greatly with height and body type. My current MMP = 34.5% (I will talk more about this number in a second)
Water Weight Percentage (WWP) is the percentage of body fluid as compared to total body weight. The average adult female has 45% - 60% water of body fluid. My current WWP = 60.2%
Bone Mass Percentage (BMP) is the percentage of bone mineral as compared to total body weight. The average bone content for adults is  3% - 5%. My current BMP = 4.8%

{My favorite running shoes and socks of life}

Now that we understand the meaning of these number, let's compare!
As you can tell, there is a huge change in my Body Fat Percentage and my Muscle Mass Percentage. I mentioned in this post that I was shocked to see my body fat was at 27.4% (average). Fast forward almost 2 years later, I am now at 17.4%. I dropped a whopping 10% and that's huge!! Even though I am a few pounds heavier than I was in 2017, my muscle mass percentage went up 7%. What do these numbers tell me? I am gaining more muscles and burned an insane amount of body fat. I feel like my best self (physically and mentally). I know I am getting stronger everyday.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle:
It's not an easy thing to do especially when my day starts at 5:30 a.m. By 6:00 pm, I am physically exhausted. I just have to keep pushing myself. The best way to keep yourself motivated is to workout with a group of people. I started a 30-day active challenge with some of my coworkers a week ago. The rule is staying active for 30 days straight. Each day, we need to do some form of exercise. Doesn't have to be an intense workout. It can be a 30-minute workout at the gym, a fitness class or even a long walk. The idea is to make sure we get moving everyday. We each put in $20 and at the end, whoever makes it will get to use that money for a fancy lunch. It's fun and it's a great way to keep each other accountable. We just completed week 1. I went to Orange Theory for 7 days straight. Not going to lie, I am pretty exhausted. If you've been to Orange Theory before, you know how intense their classes are. I burned between 500 - 550 calories in one hour. At the end of each class, I felt like I was going to die. I did indeed take 7 Orange Theory classes in a row (my heart rate monitor messed up on day 6 so the numbers were off). I am looking forward to see where I'll be at the end of the challenge. I will share my weekly recap.

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My fitness journey :: 30-day active challenge