Question about resting metabolic rate

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sean23
sean23 Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My wife has been on weight watchers, LA weight loss, low carb, p90x nutrition plan, and counted calories on MFP and nothing is working. She was eating as few as 1200 calories and we've tried bumping it up for fear she wasn't eating enough and nothing nets her any weight loss or any loss in inches to speak of. She exercises 6 days a week, but has a desk job. Her problem isn't sticking to portions or eating the wrong foods, she has been staying in her guidelines set on MFP strictly for 1 to 2 years. We are searching for something that will get her moving in the right direction again. Her thyroid has been tested and its ok.
We are considering getting a test at a local weight loss center called to determine her Resting Metabolic Rate. The machine is supposed to measure the air in the room or the air she consumes and change it over to determine her caloric zone. The test is $75. I was wondering if anyone knows how accurate this is and if its worth the money to get it done. If we knew for sure exactly how many calories her specific body needs, and we can monitor her exercise with the HRM hopefully we can be certain she's eating the right amount. My wife is between 5'0 and 5'2 and weighs 160lbs. She wants to know how to be able to lose weight again. She even tried the exact program she lost weight on and it isn't working. Any help would be appreciated.
thanks!

Replies

  • belldandy1
    belldandy1 Posts: 264 Member
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    Sorry, I don't know about that test, but I would encourage her to have her thyroid retested especially if she has the other symptoms of Hypothyroidism (tendency to be cold, low resting heart rate, fatigue, etc.) I say this because my fiance's mother has only about a quarter of her thyroid left, and was originally tested and they said she was hythyroiditic as a result. Then she changes doctors and they say there is nothing wrong with her thyroid (obviously there is she had thyroid cancer). What she told me was that the hormone levels can go up and down and sometimes they will show up as normal on a test, but they may not be normal a couple days down the road. Also, I have read that sometimes the standard test does not always detect all cases of hypothyroidism. It is often difficult for people with Hypthyroidism to get diagnosed, but it is so worthwhile if she does have it because her quality of life would skyrocket once she got on the proper meds.
  • JoyousMaximus
    JoyousMaximus Posts: 9,285 Member
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    I had it done. It seems to be quite acurate. You just sit there and read while breathing. I thought it was worth it.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    The test can be accurate. The equipment needs to be from a reputable company (e.g. New Leaf), must be calibrated properly, must be administered properly and must be interpreted properly. A lot depends on the reputation and professionalism of the clinic.

    For $75, it certainly can't hurt. Just keep in mind, it is doubtful that you will get a definitive answer from this test. All it will show is her resting metabolic rate vs a calculated or reference number for her age and size. It won't show her response to activity or reveal any other medical factors.

    It's one piece of the puzzle, and, like I said, for the money, there is no reason not to get this information. However, keep your expectations realistic. It sounds like you have some other factors at work here.
  • Demetria
    Demetria Posts: 178
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    My wife has been on weight watchers, LA weight loss, low carb, p90x nutrition plan, and counted calories on MFP and nothing is working. She was eating as few as 1200 calories and we've tried bumping it up for fear she wasn't eating enough and nothing nets her any weight loss or any loss in inches to speak of. She exercises 6 days a week, but has a desk job. Her problem isn't sticking to portions or eating the wrong foods, she has been staying in her guidelines set on MFP strictly for 1 to 2 years. We are searching for something that will get her moving in the right direction again. Her thyroid has been tested and its ok.
    We are considering getting a test at a local weight loss center called to determine her Resting Metabolic Rate. The machine is supposed to measure the air in the room or the air she consumes and change it over to determine her caloric zone. The test is $75. I was wondering if anyone knows how accurate this is and if its worth the money to get it done. If we knew for sure exactly how many calories her specific body needs, and we can monitor her exercise with the HRM hopefully we can be certain she's eating the right amount. My wife is between 5'0 and 5'2 and weighs 160lbs. She wants to know how to be able to lose weight again. She even tried the exact program she lost weight on and it isn't working. Any help would be appreciated.
    thanks!

    There is more than one blood test for the thyroid. Did the docs do all or just one of them?

    Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH): In most cases, this is the single most useful lab test in diagnosing thyroid disease. When there is an excess of thyroid hormone in the blood, as in hyperthyroidism, the TSH is low. When there is too little thyroid hormone, as in hypothyroidism, the TSH is high.
    Free (T4): T4 is one of the thyroid hormones. High T4 may indicate hyperthyroidism. Low T4 may indicate hypothyroidism.
    Triiodothyronine (T3): T3 is another one of the thyroid hormones. High T3 may indicate hyperthyroidism. Low T3 may indicate hypothyroidism.
    TSH receptor antibody (TSI): This antibody is present in Grave's disease.
    Antithyroid antibody: This antibody is present in Hashimoto and Grave's disease.

    There are also a other tests, I don't know when they are warranted, the doc would.
    Thyroid scan: For this test, a small amount of radioactive iodine is injected into the blood, and then an x-ray image of the thyroid is taken. Increased uptake of the radioactive material in the thyroid gland indicates hyperthyroidism, while decreased uptake is present in hypothyroidism. This test should not be done on pregnant women.
    Thyroid ultrasound: This exam helps to differentiate between different types of nodules of the thyroid gland.
    Fine-needle aspiration: For this test, a small needle is inserted into the thyroid gland in order to get a sample of thyroid tissue, usually from a nodule. The tissue is then observed under a microscope by a pathologist to look for any signs of cancer.

    I would also take into consideration how hard is she working out, how long does each session last, exactly what, how much exactly, and when she is eating. Also ask for the docs to test everything, so that you can rule out everything else. Think about age as well, which I know from experience. I feel like I am working out even harder to lose the weight compared to 10 years ago to lose the same amount of weight. I have had to really fine tune things alot more now being near 40 than when I was in my 20's. She may just need to step it up a bit. I would get a hrm before doing the rmr test. Have her use the hrm to see if she is working out hard enough, for long enough. If there is still no diff then you could do the rmr.

    hth,
    Demetria
  • sean23
    sean23 Posts: 34 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice!

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