Get your Metabolic Rate tested !! My Metabolic reset story

LozPenguin

Bump

BinaryPulsar

Thanks for sharing!

gmallan

BUMP to read later, this sounds like something that will apply to me

Lupercalia

How you can get your BMR accurately or medically measured? I had no idea you could do that. Is it done by a doctor? How do they do it? Thanks

I had a hydrostatic body composition analysis done at this place (they have them all over): http://www.bodyfattest.com/ The report included RMR, body fat, LBM (lean body mass: muscle, bones, organs). It also charted where I fell according to gender, age, etc.

Not in the UK

Yes, you can absolutely have this sort of a test done in the UK. Someone else suggested checking your local universities--that is the first place I'd check. The other place to check is if your city has something like a sports medicine centre. Here in Glasgow we have this place: http://www.sportsmedicinecentre.org/home.cfm?page=2291

I'm fairly certain the University of Glasgow offers similar fitness/body composition testing as well.

D0ry

very very interesting info!!! bump to read later and to keep it in the important threads

carfamily08

Awesome story and advice, thanks so much for sharing

Alkirra

Bump

FaerieCae

Very interesting, thanks for the story.
I didn't know you could get tested for that; Now I'm curious about my own.

I wonder if I'm heading for the same direction as you. I've been working out more and more - Yesterday I burned 1400 calories but ended up with a deficit of 600 calories. I sure didn't feel it though - I felt more than full! I just couldn't get myself to eat more that night. What do I do in this kind of situation, when I feel like my body is getting all it needs (eating very healthy and lots of protein) and I'm just not hungry? P.S. I love to eat and usually have a hard time stopping myself from eating so... yeah.

^this!

christianteach

I've only been eating under 1200 for 3 weeks so I'm still losing at a good rate. I have more energy than I did when I was overeating. Do you think I've already messed up my metabolism? My doctor put me on a 1200 calorie diet and gave me a prescription to help me get started. I'm usually not hungry enough to eat that much. This weekend I've been trying to eat more. I would like to stay at 1200 until our cruise in 2 weeks, so I will keep losing. I'm sure my calories will go up considerably while on vacation. According to what I've been reading on here I should be eating around 1600-1700 per day. If I were to start that now, I'm sure I would gain! But again, my doctor told me to eat 1200.

So, what are you losing exactly?

And how will it affect your future ability to either lose more, or maintain?
Had experience with it before?

And don't even let feeling hungry be a factor, your hormones get messed up, of course you won't feel hungry. People that fast get to that point, so that is really immaterial.

What am I losing? I assume you're implying I'm losing all muscle. I can say that I've got down a pants size and am able to wear shirts that were too tight for me to feel comfortable in before.

I don't know how it will affect my future ability. I've never had this much weight to lose before. I got plantar fasciitis about 2 1/2 years ago. I put on 50 lbs very quickly because I had been very active before. I ended up 60 lbs heavier. I was having a hard time getting it off or even getting into an exercise routine again so my doctor gave me an appetite suppressant to help me get started. Since I've never needed to take one before I have no idea what to expect once I stop taking them. My doctor said in her experience, those that develop healthy eating and exercise habits are successful at keeping the weight off and those that don't gain it all back and then some. I have been doing both.

I'm not hungry because of the pills she gave me. On the days I don't take them I can easily eat 1200 calories and do.

I guess I won't be able to answer your questions thoroughly until I quit taking the pills and start doing it on my own. I just hope to get back to my pre-PF size.

heybales

What am I losing? I assume you're implying I'm losing all muscle. I can say that I've got down a pants size and am able to wear shirts that were too tight for me to feel comfortable in before.

I don't know how it will affect my future ability. I've never had this much weight to lose before. I got plantar fasciitis about 2 1/2 years ago. I put on 50 lbs very quickly because I had been very active before. I ended up 60 lbs heavier. I was having a hard time getting it off or even getting into an exercise routine again so my doctor gave me an appetite suppressant to help me get started. Since I've never needed to take one before I have no idea what to expect once I stop taking them. My doctor said in her experience, those that develop healthy eating and exercise habits are successful at keeping the weight off and those that don't gain it all back and then some. I have been doing both.

I'm not hungry because of the pills she gave me. On the days I don't take them I can easily eat 1200 calories and do.

I guess I won't be able to answer your questions thoroughly until I quit taking the pills and start doing it on my own. I just hope to get back to my pre-PF size.

I wasn't guessing what you were losing, but it's studied fact what some of it will be, indeed muscle, and how that effect can be made worse or mitigated.
Some will be LBM in addition to the muscle in there, so that's expected.

But losing purely weight without knowing what it is, especially following a program that can encourage muscle loss, almost always leads to bad results, unless someone is just ready to accept fact they'll have to eat a whole lot less than they use to.

Kim had some nice follow up posts there that share additional info. I was noticing the comment that any weight loss is good weight loss, when that is far from the case.

idontmeanmaybe

Also another tip. According to katch mcardle my estimated rmr is just 1200 calories now if I went by that figure i would be 300 calories out.

The Katch McCardle formula computes your BMR, not your RMR. BMR is lower than RMR.

ksuh999

I'm going to get this done.

Anyhow, type "rmr testing <your city>" into Google. You should get quite a few hits. If that doesn't work try "vo2 max testing <your city>" since virtually any place that does vo2 max does RMR testing too.

Kim55555

Hi

Bump

Hoping to come back Wednesday to respond. If not then the weekend. Sorry to all my new added friends too I just don't seem to have the time to communicate. Oh well

khayashi80

Where can you get this tested? I've been curious about mine. How did you find the exercise physiologist?

heybales

Where can you get this tested? I've been curious about mine. How did you find the exercise physiologist?

2 posts above yours.

onyxgirl17

I don't know... my metabolic rate according to the calculators is pretty consistent with my weight loss. I have never had a high RMR or a high activity level. I EASILY gain weight eating 2000 calories a day.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

heybales or kim, I'm sure either of you can answer this for me....

Is this something that one would notice as they get closer to their goal weight? Does it matter where you are in your journey? Also, is it possible that hormone levels being out of whack from being underfed could lead to a scale "gain"?

Thank you in advance

heybales

heybales or kim, I'm sure either of you can answer this for me....

Is this something that one would notice as they get closer to their goal weight? Does it matter where you are in your journey? Also, is it possible that hormone levels being out of whack from being underfed could lead to a scale "gain"?

Thank you in advance

At beginning to get proper handle on where to base your calorie calculations. Near end is good too to confirm what maintenance might be like.

But really, unless you have extreme cases like this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/928669-don-t-guess-your-cals-could-undo-all-your-hard-work

A good bodyfat / LBM test will allow you to hone in on a good BMR / RMR figure to start with. As was the case here with Kim, if BF% had been known, actually the same RMR would have been calculated anyway. Within 5 calories calculated RMR to measured RMR. That's close.

The RMR test can help confirm if lower than expected for age, height, weight, gender.
But is it still lower/higher than expected for measured LBM? It may be right on for that.
And what is purpose for getting it, to eat lower, or convince you to repair? Most I'd bet would just eat lower.

I'd say RMR at beginning before you've possibly messed it up, and BF% test beginning and middle and end.

If by hormones being out of whack you mean your metabolism has slowed so much that your current eating level is actually maintenance, because no scale or measurement loss for at least 3 weeks, you would have normal gain problems of someone eating at maintenance.
Any splurges and cheat meals are excess, and unless you got a good lifting workout ready to use those excess calories, they'll be stored as fat.
Also, because that usually goes along with eating so little, is a small % to go over to cause an effect.

But probably the easiest thing, is the body finally sees enough carbs and tops off glucose stores, with water of course.

That's the age old complaint of a piece of wedding cake causes a 2 lb gain the next day, because all the girls had been dieting like mad to fit into their dresses.
Cake weighed all of 12 oz's, so of course it didn't cause 2 lb gain by itself, nor fat either.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Thank you!

Fr3shStrt

bump

NCchar130

bump, this is fascinating :flowerforyou:

Fr3shStrt

I found a coupon for a place that does RMR testing in NYC for $40. I thought this sounded like a good deal so I bought it. PM if you are in NY and want details.

Kim55555

I've only been eating under 1200 for 3 weeks so I'm still losing at a good rate. I have more energy than I did when I was overeating. Do you think I've already messed up my metabolism? My doctor put me on a 1200 calorie diet and gave me a prescription to help me get started. I'm usually not hungry enough to eat that much. This weekend I've been trying to eat more. I would like to stay at 1200 until our cruise in 2 weeks, so I will keep losing. I'm sure my calories will go up considerably while on vacation. According to what I've been reading on here I should be eating around 1600-1700 per day. If I were to start that now, I'm sure I would gain! But again, my doctor told me to eat 1200.

So, what are you losing exactly?

And how will it affect your future ability to either lose more, or maintain?
Had experience with it before?

And don't even let feeling hungry be a factor, your hormones get messed up, of course you won't feel hungry. People that fast get to that point, so that is really immaterial.

Some people dont think about the impact a large defecit will have during the weight loss period and also when they hit goal weight and are at maintenance stage. Most likely your metabolic rate will have decreased and because of that you will only be able to maintain at a lower level because you have suppressed/lowered your tdee. What usually happens is that people start to eat normal amounts again and this includes occasional splurges here and there. Problem with that is you are likely to put weight back on easily when you eat a higher amount. It all ends up in yo yo dieting.

If you lose it slower, cut at just a small defecit then when you hit goal weight you will be able to eat more at maintenance and be able to incorporate days where you eat more. You wont have to worry if you go out on the weekend for a nice dinner or some other occasion pops up your body will be able to handle this increase in food. Obviously you would still make sure you balance out your calories for the rest of the week, eat in moderation, balance things out with adequate exercise. That is a given. That is why diet companies and the diet industry are a billion dollar industry, they set people up to fail. You cant sustain that amount of eating forever. It really needs to be a lifestyle change, just a couple of hundred calories below defecit but people want quick results and want to lose so fast. They dont think about the consequences of where they will be in 6 months time, in 2 years time. Thats why you see people constantly on a diet. They end up heavier and heavier each time after a diet finishes.

Kim55555

heybales or kim, I'm sure either of you can answer this for me....

Is this something that one would notice as they get closer to their goal weight? Does it matter where you are in your journey? Also, is it possible that hormone levels being out of whack from being underfed could lead to a scale "gain"?

Thank you in advance

Im not sure, sorry.

Kim55555

Its week 7 for me now. I am around the 60 - 61 kg mark now but I think i'm going up in weight because i have been eating over my tdee too much. Have gone up 2-3kg in 7 weeks. I just seem to want to eat more these days. I really would like to lower it to around 2300 - 2600 calories but most of the time i end up higher than 2500 each day. I need to eat less and start stabilizing my weight before i start my cut.

kar328

Got my RMR tested yesterday and met with a nutritionist (insurance covers four visits a year). She gave me lots of info, some I'm taking with a grain of salt. I need to reset a lot of values in my food diary here. I was primarily interested in the RMR test.

Kim55555

Got my RMR tested yesterday and met with a nutritionist (insurance covers four visits a year). She gave me lots of info, some I'm taking with a grain of salt. I need to reset a lot of values in my food diary here. I was primarily interested in the RMR test.

What was your RMR ?

heybales

Got my RMR tested yesterday and met with a nutritionist (insurance covers four visits a year). She gave me lots of info, some I'm taking with a grain of salt. I need to reset a lot of values in my food diary here. I was primarily interested in the RMR test.

Oh good, I wasn't the only one curious, but i was scared to ask.

Well, now that that is out, how about the other stats to compare what is to what would have been calculated?

weight and estimated bodyfat% if you feel comfortable sharing.

Django1977

*BUMP*

Really really good thread. Thank you

Kim55555

thanks!

I have ran out of time for now, i'll come back later. I want to share my appraisal results and some other things on my mind.