"Optimal" Body Fat?

So 25 days ago, I had talked on the guest blog that I write for the San Francisco Marathon about how strength training an hour with my trainer 3 times a week for 4 weeks prior had caused my body fat percentage to drop from 30.8% to 25.9%. I had basically lost 8 pounds which broke down into about 12 pounds of fat lost and 4 pounds of just lean muscle and blood volume gained!

Well, today, the trainer used his calipers and a 7 spot skinfold check to calculate body fat percentage again. My weight had dropped another 2 pounds. My body fat percentage had gone from 25.9% to 22.5%! 3.4% DROP! This is another 6 pounds of just fat lost, and another 4 pounds of muscle gained.

I'm such an analyzer, it's nice to see numbers put to the changes. Looking in the mirror each day, it's hard for me to see the changes.

So in 8 weeks, my body fat percentage dropped from the "high" categorization by this gym of 30.8% to the "optimal" classification of 22.5%. Now do I feel optimal? Well, I guess enough change has occurred that I have a little loose skin, particularly at the tummy where it's still bouncing back from stretching out from the basketball of a baby is was carrying. My trainer explained to me that it's optimal for a standard person, but he would love to see me closer to 15%. Sounds crazy, but I would have said 2 months to drop 10 pounds and 8.3% body fat sounded crazy before I did it.

T-8 days to my first marathon at the San Francisco Marathon!