It has begun (again)...
 

I am 36 years old, male, and borderline overweight/overfat.

This is my second attempt to lose some weight and develop visible "six-pack-abs".

On Nov 24, 2010 my weigh was about 172 pounds, my height is about 5 feet 8 inches (I need to get an exact measurement). Thus my BMI was 26.2 (25.0 is the limit for overweight). Body fat percentage as estimated by Tanita scale (highly inaccurate, just used to monitor trends) was 9.4%.

High weight (12/04/2004): 188.0 lbs
Low weight (2007): ~149 lbs
Starting (11/24/2010): 172.0 lbs
Current (12/20/2010): 166.8 lbs
Lost: 5.2 lbs
Goal: 150 lbs
Need to lose: 16.8 lbs
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blog: http://backtoahealthyme.blogspot.com/

So what happened that you have to lose the weight again?

What extra steps are you taking to make sure to keep the weight off?

in my opinion the BMI formula needs to be updated. At your body fat I wouldn't worry about being overweight/over fat. I'd think that with you being in the single digits you should be able to see a 6 pack already. You and I are about the same size... but I'm not in the single digits.

This is why I wouldn't trust the number. I know my BF scale is inaccurate...but not as bad as that. There are websites you can go to to input your measurements...I think your neck and weight and height...and it calculates your body fat. Again, this is just a formula so there's going to be a bit of inaccuracy. If you wanted an exact number you would need a body scan or get the water tank method done...both too expensive to really care.

What caused my weight to creep from ~150lbs in 2007 to 172lbs in 2010 is the fact that I switched jobs. In my previous job, I had to make efforts to eat an unhealthy lunch, in my current job I have to make efforts to eat a healthy (low fat/carbs) lunch.

I plan to keep the weight off by continuing to eat healthy lunches (such as soup/salad at our lousy cafeteria or subway salads).

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High weight (12/04/2004): 188.0 lbs
Low weight (2007): ~149 lbs
Starting (11/24/2010): 172.0 lbs
Current (12/20/2010): 166.8 lbs
Lost: 5.2 lbs
Goal: 150 lbs
Need to lose: 16.8 lbs

My BF% is clearly not that low. As another poster pointed out, measuring BF% by electric conductivity is highly inaccurate. I merely use the number as a relative measure to see if BF% goes up or down.
I would guess my real BF% is somewhere between 15% and 20%.

Just by looking at my physique (or absence thereof) it is clear that I am not in single digit BF% either. As another poster pointed out, measuring BF% by electric conductivity is highly inaccurate. I merely use the number as a relative measure to see if BF% goes up or down. Sorry for the confusion!

good luck on everything. You'll see your abs before you know it.