Body Fat

The contest at work started early last year.  It was a contest started by an aspiring salesman to see who could lose the most body fat in a specific time period.  It was supposed to end in November.  I was has my body fat measured at the beginning of it, in the 18% range.  Okay, not great.

Certainly not considering the fact that at one point in my life, I was at 4.9% body fat.  I had so little fat on my body that I had people asking: "Do you feel good?".  Why, I would ask?  "Because you have no fat!".

Those days are gone - although I maintained that kind of body fat until my late 30's.

Well, I got a call from that salesman today: "Hey bro (younger guy, early 20's, usually pretty cool, but we won't go into the "uncool" times), wassup?".  If nothing else, it is always good to try and maintain as good a relationship with the people at your employment as you possibly can, even if they are arrogant, condescending, snooty, high-minded. god-like in their own eyes - you get the picture.  I am actually not referring to this dude in that context, though.  Just saying.  I could go into another associate who had an attitude that would take a jackhammer to break today.

Nothing, dude, what's going on?  I thought he was going to throw a late delivery at me - which usually doesn't bother me, either, it's all OT for me.  "Hey man, I heard you took out that delivery today for me to *****?"  I won't name the names of the contractors we deal with, not a good idea, really.  Yes, I replied, I am there right now, waiting for them to come unload the truck.  "Cool man, thanks!".  Okay.  "I need to get all of the measurements done for the final tally for the body fat contest, I need to get yours taken today".

Okay.  No problem.  When I get back, of course.  We end that call, he is going to show up and get it over with.  I didn't want to be measured, to be honest, looking at myself in the mirror, it seems that I have gained fat, not lost it.  I figured I had only increased in my fat content, not lost any.  I had brought that up to him that conversation.  His reply: "EVERYONE says that, dude, but it's never the case.  Everyone has actually increased muscle mass and lost body fat!".

I still didn't believe it, not from appearances.  But whatever.  I get back to the yard and end up having to go right back out to get a part for someone that needs it immediately.  Back again - time to get off the clock.  I clock out and go into the room this salesman is in.  A large number of people are suddenly using our new facility, lol, it's pretty nice, has plug-ins to access the company intranet in every room (lots of empty rooms in there) and lots of places for privacy to shut doors for those that need it when talking with contractors and such.

I go into the kitchen - this is this guy's preferred room to do his business, lol.  I weigh myself, 2 pounds heavier than when I weighed in last year.  My weight is up and down but, unfortunately, pretty much stays at the same weight.  I say unfortunately because I would like to get it to the low 180's, not the mid 190's.  He gets out the calibers and starts taking the measurements.  Nothing.  Nothing.  Referring to my biceps and triceps - lean parts of my body that show no fat.  Nothing referring to nothing, not really measurable amounts of body fat there.  You pinch the skin and that's what you get, skin.  Which I really like considering I am 48 years old.

My stomach? He takes several measurements and then gets to the upper and lower back and then the thigh and then the calf area.  He starts telling me I have lost body fat and increased muscle mass.

Noooo, I still don't believe it.  He inputs all the measurements into the required fields - lots of them - and then it comes back.  My once 18%? Now 14%.

I had to start thinking.  Of course.  All of that heavy, heavy material that has come in for 2 huge jobs.  It isn't like lifting  a piece of paper out of a ream.  Most of it is large diameter material and is VERY heavy.  I force myself, for the most part, to lift it out physically instead of using the forklift to lift it out of there.  Not always - if it's jammed into a crate or otherwise an impossible situation, then yes, I let hydraulics take over.  But I consider it a workout and that, it is.

So I'm not losing weight because I have been increasing muscle mass.  Okay, I can accept that. : )