BMI, CLI

September 18th, 2006 Entries

In the lab class of my exercise science class, we’ve been calculating our BMI and percentage of body fat. For those of you who don’t know, BMI is body mass index, which is calculated using one’s weight and height, a measurement of body composition.

We’ve been using different methods to just find out how out of shape we are and how much body fat we have. Just to give you an idea, males have 3 percent ESSENTIAL body fat. And girls have 12 percent, because 9 percent of it is necessary for reproduction. Obviously, too much body fat is dangerous. And having a BMI too high or too low helps doctors and scientists be aware of possible health risks.

Anyway, we’ve been testing out our own bodies using these methods. So far, my BMI is 21.313 (which is right around normal/healthy), but my body fat has been calculated differently in each test. One test says that I have 11.02% body fat, another says 8.5%, another 9.2%, and yet another 17.864%.

Granted, these aren’t terrible numbers, but it’s given me new motivation to exercise, whether it be doing situps, pushups, or possibly even going to the gym downstairs.

It’s easy to find out that something about our bodies needs to be changed when we see numbers and tests like that. It somehow reminded me of my walk with God. How I need to continue in checking up to make sure that it’s in top condition, that the “fat” and laziness in my walk with God needs to be minimized.

Here’s to working out, making sure that Christian Life Index is good and healthy

Choices for 3.79

September 13th, 2006 Entries, Noteworthy

The other day I was in the school bookstore looking around for a black marker that I could use to label the cds and dvds I burn. There’s this huge display case of them, literally a wall of pens.

I find this one marker I think will work well and I slip it into my pocket as I look for another one. I find another marker, and it suddenly hits me —

Both of them don’t have a barcode on them. I look around at all the other pens. They all have barcodes on them. All of them… except the two pens I picked. It dawns on me that I could just walk out and not have to pay for these things.

“It’s not a big deal,” I thought to myself. “They’re probably not even worth that much anyway. And it’s their fault for not putting barcodes on these things.”

I struggled and deliberated for 5 minutes by that case of pens. And before I did anything stupid, I hurried over to the register.

The thing was that although these pens were unlabeled, they have their prices in this big binder. And so the girl taking my purchases down found one pen, but couldn’t find the other. So, she had to go back upstairs to see how much it cost.

I thought to myself, “Great, Daniel, you’re doing the right thing. And you’re wasting your time. You could have gotten these things for free and gotten out 10 minutes ago. Good going.”

She finally came back and my purchase was finished, a whopping 3.79 for two measely markers.

But that’s the thing about life and God. We’re surrounded by CHOICES all day long. And even though I probably paid too much for those markers and lost a little time I could have used for procrastination, I know I did what was right — and that’s a feeling that’s much better than knowing I got a good deal.