"Sleek Geek: I used a computer to calculate my weight loss!"
To get his sporty body back, James Musgrave used technology and his affinity for numbers to help him loose weight.
NAME: James Musgrave
HOME: Lake Haven, NSW
OCCUPATION: Internet Marketer
AGE: 36
HEIGHT: 178cm
WEIGHT BEFORE: 102kg
WEIGHT AFTER: 78kg
THE GAIN Back in his early twenties, Musgrave worked in a ski shop and was regularly snowboarding, rollerblading, windsurfing and water-skiing.
"I was in pretty good shape and looked good, aside from having a mullet," Musgrave recalls.
But his svelte shape and luscious locks were sidelined by a sedentary job, after he made the transition into sales and marketing at a radio station.
"I went from a job that was very active and allowed me to eat whatever I wanted, to a job that consisted of sitting on my butt in the office. I didn't change my diet, I didn't try and find alternative methods of remaining active and I went from 75 to 100kg."
'WEIGHT BEFORE: 102 KG'
THE CHANGE In 2004, Musgrave made another switch, this time going from suited desk jockey to mobile geek after he decided to work full time on an Internet marketing business he'd launched back in 1999. Freed from the constraints of an office job with regular hours, he had the flexibility to devote more time to exercise.
"At first, I could barely run 500 metres, but as time went on and the kilos started coming off I managed to get to 1 kilometre, then 2km, then 5km and can now run 15km without too much trouble," Musgrave reveals.
Similarly, after nearly drowning after a 300m swim, Musgrave now logs 1.8km in the open ocean.
A man with a head for figures, throughout his transformation Musgrave closely monitored his personal stats using a computer and PDA Smart Phone to measure his kilojoule intake and output.
"As a nerd, I'm big on logging and graphing and being able to quantify statistics and I'm very curious about what's happening in my body. At first, I was using Weight Watchers online, but then switched to a program, called VidaOne Diet & Fitness, that works on my PC and my phone. It tracks my diet and also synchs up with my heart -ate monitor to work out how much I burn during my various activities." "
WEIGHT AFTER: 78KG
THE RESULT Musgrave lost 24kg and gained a great deal of motivation, upping the ante at every opportunity.
"When I ran my first City to Surf, I immediately thought about doing a half-marathon. When I did my first triathlon, the first thing I thought about was beating my initial time. When I rode my road bike 90km, I started thinking about going even further."
Musgrave has used his increased energy to get involved in community groups, joining the local surf club and participating in a mentoring program called Aunties & Uncles, which provides role models to underprivileged kids.
"Thanks to my new sporty body, I can actually keep up with the 12-year-old I hang out with once a month."
THE ADVICE "If you're a nerd who spends too much time updating MySpace and Facebook profiles, there is hope," Musgrave reckons. "Use your nerdishness and your analytical nature to measure what goes in and how much you are working out. Being a geek can help you lose weight and improve your fitness and you can still have fun putting your results graph up on a screen.""
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