Update and Body fat Testing

I don't post a lot really about me, but wanted to share what I have been up to and trying to figure out in this journey. I am just past 15 months out. Weight loss has slowed dramatically since I hit one year and I am in this 'trying to push through' mentally phase.

I just returned from Chicago with a visit to my son, daughter-in-law and grandson. They eat very healthy, go to the Y and all that good stuff. So being with them is easy in that regard. They don't count calories or even have a scale in their home. They buy ice cream but only eat it once a week. Who are they...LOL?

While I was out there I went to this place I had found online called Dexafit. I had heard about getting a dexascan for bodyfat percentage on here from DCgirl, she had gone before her plastics. It is one of the most accurate ways to determine body fat percentage. My surgeon doesn't set weight loss goals for his patients. I understand not picking a number when someone has 200lbs to lose, but as you get closer I would like one. All along I had picked 170 as my goal because according to the charts that would be a 24BMI for me and at the top end of the ubiquitous 'normal.' I am 5'11" tall for reference.

That meant I still had about 37 pounds to lose, and I was getting a lot of feedback that it was too much... from people in my support group, and even I was talking to my gyn doc about it and he was like 'I don't know...'... So I was feeling part of the reason to do this was I didn't want to be beating my head against a wall if it was an unrealistic number. Second getting plastics is on my WLS bucket list, so what is the number I am trying to get to before I consider it?

This place also does a metabolism test and a cardio test with it for a package deal. It was an interesting place. It was a training center for elite athletes like something out of the movies. Everything was computer monitored it was very space-age. The woman convinced me out of the cardio test because I think she was afraid I'd have a cardiac event on the treadmill because I am obviously not an elite athlete...LOL.

So the Dexascan is easy, you lay on a table. :). Interesting results though. Measures everything. I have very strong bones and greater than average muscle mass from all those years of carrying around an extra 200 pounds. I have 1.6lbs of visceral fat (the fat around your organs) she says they like it to be less than 2lbs, so that was good. For some reason I have 2lbs more muscle on my left thigh than my right thigh. She says I should see a trainer and work to even that out because it could effects hips, back and walking correctly. Huh??? weird right?

My body fat came out at 31% (higher than my BMI says) and I have 145.2lbs of lean body mass(bones, muscle, organs blood,etc.) The chart they use isn't the same as BMI and adjust for age and gender. It looks like the one on this page. I fall at the low end of Average.

Body Fat Percentage Chart

Based on this, the 24% bodyfat-- that I thought was 170lbs (from the BMI charts)....is actually 189lbs based on my lean body mass. The caveat being that number holds true as long as I don't lose any muscle mass. These tests are reputable and considered very accurate. Having a hard time putting my head around that number it seems high.

I had changed my thinking a few months ago to I want to get to 195 and then will take it 5lbs at a time from there. I think I will stick with that thinking. I realize 170 now probably is too low. So I believe having the test was a success I got the information I was looking for. I would do it again at a later date to see where I am. Made it official by changing my ticker to 189 for now. Ya' know the ticker makes it official.

So the metabolism test. They pinch off your nose and you breath into a machine for 10 minutes it measures oxygen and CO2 and somehow calculates your metabolism. A little claustrophobic I'll say. It says I have a high metabolism and my RMR- resting metabolic rate is like 2150 calories. Really? Really?? There is also this number called RER which she didn't talk about it, but it was there on the report so I looked it up and that tells you whether you burn fats or carbohydrates better as fuel, and I got that I burn carbohydrates better. Hmmmm. Haven't found enough information to know what that means exactly.

So I am not changing anything in my life based on the metabolism testing. Not sure about that one. I wouldn't do that one again.

This really is a mental battle and I don't think I've won the war. I gave all the details because I was hoping you would find it interesting... and am always open to any feedback...

Here's me with my little cutie:

Thanks for this. I had a Dexascan done with my mammogram 3 years ago, so I know my bones were in good shape, but I have just booked the BodyFit Dexascan and RMR for next Monday for myself and my partner, inspired by your experience ...

Thank you for the update. You are beaming. You look fantastic and your grandson is adorable.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It was really interesting!

I have been trying to pick a good goal weight too. Right now I am at 174. Started at 265. My arbitrary goal is 145. Things have definitely slowed down for me in the past 6 weeks. Part of that is that life is at such a fast pace lately, and I have to do better managing my routine--I tend to graze when things get busy. I seem to have broken past a stall (or bad habits) in the past week--scale is moving again.

I also loved the photo. Cute boy. Cute grandma. And your house looks so inviting. I want to sit on that couch and have you read Dr Seuss to me too.

That was it my number was arbitrary, I couldn't live with arbitrary. House is one my son and daughter-in-law rent. Near O'Hare Airport