Belly Off! - The Start

So I was a little skeptical about the Belly Off! plan that I started. I thought it would be just a set of work outs that are boring, the food would be bland, and that I would grow tired of it. I was wrong. I am a week into it. And I love it. The food for the most part is really good, although the first week is really expensive. In addition, the prep time on the dinners can be a little lengthy the first week, but the recipes are big enough that you have leftovers to freeze for future weeks.

The workouts, on the other hand, are pretty tough. I can imagine that it would be very frustrating for someone who tried to start this program after living a couch potato life style. I consider myself pretty active, and I still find them hard. But they work! I have found that they are getting easier only after a week, not because I am used to them, but because I can feel myself getting stronger with them. And that is exciting.

So, as with any goal or plan, it is important to be able to measure the results. I am doing this in two ways. First is simple weight. Step on the scale, and record the number. I am doing this at the same day and time each week (Tuesday nights) for my "official" weight, but I weigh myself on a daily basis as motivation. I am also using a cloth measuring tape on my neck, waist, and hips. I am using the guidelines from livestrong.com as the basis for my measurements.

When I started my neck (general circumference) was just over 17 inches. My waist (a half inch above the belly button) was 42 inches. My hips (at the widest point) were 43 inches. I also tipped the scales at 236 pounds. My BMI, according to livestrong.com was 30.3. Also, using healthcentral.com, I have measures my body fat percentage. At the start it was at 28.5 percent, or 67.3 pounds.

After one week, I am happy to report that my neck has shrunk slightly to right about 17 inches, my waist has dropped to 41 inches, and my hips are down to 42 inches. My overall weight has dropped to 233 pounds. In addition, according to livestrong.com my Body Mass Index (BMI) has dropped to 29.9, which moves me from the obese category to the overweight category. Finally, my body fat percentage now stands at 27% or 63.7 pounds. A net change of 3.6 pounds of body fat. Go me. Seven weeks to go!