As of yesterday, I’m not longer considered overweight under the government’s highly-flawed BMI system. The chart below shows the past year. The first month and a half is likely not exactly as shown, as there are no data points between the start of the graph and the peak in March. Those gains were caused by lots of time in the weight room, and the past year I’ve been focusing on cutting down to pick up speed in running, cycling, climbing, etc. Having the Wii Fit to look at every day certainly help with tracking your weight, and when you know if you’re gaining, it’s that much easier to push yourself to cut back on fatty foods and step it up on the exercise.

As can be seen, I’m still a ways off the lows of a couple years ago, but I have no interest in regaining them. I was too thin and not strong enough for what I want to do (though I was certainly fast!).

In other news, I just got Katrina’s batch of photos from the Seattle trip last Summer. I intend to get some up by this weekend.

Well, after what seemed like a ridiculously quick year, 2008 is on its way out – and what a year it was. Starting with the winter that refused to end, ski season was phenomenal, and though I didn’t make it out for as much ski mountaineering as I would’ve liked, the inbounds skiing kept me happy. Spring set off with my first century ride, as well as the start of the bike-to-work mission. Summer held an amazing vacation to Washington state, camping, hiking, and climbing the Grand Teton. Autumn was generally quiet with some enjoyable skiing, relaxing, and hanging out with friends.

Since I began biking to work on June 25 (bike to work day), I have ridden in 80 times, and driven 40 – exactly 2:1. The ratio moved in favor of the bike after I took my new job though, with November seeing only one day of driving to work. My goal for 2009 is to ride my bike 80% of the time. As long as Denver doesn’t get hammered by snow through the coming months, I should be able to make the goal without issue.

I’m ending the year with my weight at 179.8 pounds. The fact that this places me at 0.15 “BMIs” into the overweight group is obscene. I’m in about as good shape as is possible. Prior to the Clinton administration single-handedly changing the upper limit of the “normal” range from 27.4 to 25, I would’ve been solidly “normal” and healthy. But no, I’m supposedly at risk of all sorts of fat-based health issues. Right.

2009 promises to be another quick year. Goals include a ski descent from the summit of Mt. Rainier, a few descents of the Colorado 14ers (Maroon Bells possibly), Sopris, and Gannett Peak in Wyoming’s Wind River Range (if their snow ever gets stable). Another century ride or two will likely be in the works, and if I get really ambitious, maybe a half marathon.

Good luck for the coming year folks, make it a great one.

With winter bringing shorter days, colder temperatures, and excessive quantities of generally unhealthy food, it’s a good time to get thinking about fitness again. It’s easy in the summer time. It’s light for hours after getting home, and the warm weather makes it a lot easier to bike to work, go for a walk or run, and just generally be active in the outdoors. Like many people, I’ve had a tendency to gain weight as the weather turns cold, and lose it in the summer. Since I decided to get in shape back in the summer of 2005, I’ve been periodically tracking my weight.

As you can see, I dropped from over 190 to hitting 170 in roughly four months when I first started. Then winter hit. When it warmed back up I spent a lot of time hiking 14ers and running, and hit the mid-upper 160s. I may have been thinner than what is ideal, but man, I was swift. The same thing happened in the winter of 2007 and repeated the next summer. I gained 22 pounds in less than five months, and never took it off despite all my time on the bike. While I’m fast, strong, and by no means fat, I do have a few pounds I could shed which would make me faster and stronger.

Enter the Wii Fit. I finally found one online last week, and it arrived yesterday. It has fun activities for various benefits, but one of the best aspects is weight tracking in only a minute or two every morning. I set a goal in Wii Fit to get sub-25 for my BMI in two months (at my height, that line is at 176). That will require a loss of almost two pounds a week, which may be overambitious. Regardless, I need to get there prior to the spring ski mountaineering season. An extra layer of wool or polypro is far better than extra fat to stay warm.

I’m lucky enough to have a friend who is also actively working to get back in shape, and fantastic backcountry skiing opportunities nearby. A hard skin up in cold weather can burn several hundred calories per hour. Even better, each lap you’re rewarded with a ski run through untouched powder and no crowds, with low-speed quads to get you up any where you want to try. Even better is light winter mountaineering. The cold, wind, and gear weight can result in so great an energy burn that you could lose a pound of fat even after a huge meal at the end of the day to recharge.

Get out there, burn some fat, and most importantly, have fun!