Get your Metabolic Rate tested !! My Metabolic reset story

Thanks for sharing!

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.

Awesome story and advice, thanks so much for sharing

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

bump

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.

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.

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.