My RMR Test & DEXA Scan results: WLS works better than Biggest Loser :)

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

I had my follow up DEXA scan and RMR test this week. My previous testing was 4 months ago, at that time I had lost about 90 pounds. When I was tested this week I was down over 120 pounds total.

First RMR since we have talked about it a lot on here recently. Calcium supplement in Dec, because it wasn’t needed. So this bonus is just from activity, not supplements or anything.

Other fun things you can see with a DEXA scan is all the asymmetry in your body. Your left side and right side rarely match. A Scan breaks out the fat and lean mass for each limb, left and right.

Anyway this makes me feel better about my overall health. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I am disappointed my weight loss has been slower the past few months. I am going to try and use this information to improve that.

I eat around 1100 calories on most days. I am thinking that is too large a deficit and I should increase my calories. Those RMR and BMR above don’t take into account any of the exercise I do, which means I am running at over a 1000 calorie deficit on most days eating 1100 calories a day. I think that might be too much, but I am nervous to increase my calories.

I hope this helps someone else. Instead of guessing and making assumptions about what if going on with your body, let technology help you out. My DEXA scan cost $75 at my local research University and the RMR test was $50. I wanted a baseline before I start my new more rigorous workout for the summer. Now I have a scientific starting point to judge my progress from.

Edited May 19, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside

[heidikat72 935]

I may look into this testing at some point. Interesting to see the data. Thanks for sharing!

[OKCPirate 5,323]

@@OutsideMatchInside - Thanks for the info. but why does DXA replace the RMR?

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@OKCPirate

Basically his logic is my RMR, is normal for my height, weight, age. No reason to keep testing it.

The scan provides so much more information, it is more useful. It is also faster. It is four pages of information about your totally body composition. And RMR, is just one number. They suggest DEXA scans for people 4 times a year for people that are training.

Metabolism isn't my issue. I will probably do another RMR next year, but not going to bother anymore this year.

Edited May 20, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside

[OKCPirate 5,323]

@@OutsideMatchInside - I thought the RMR measured your metabolism, and that is what changes when you lose weight or am I confusing it with more of the set point?

I think he is saying when you know your body's real composition, you have a very good idea of caloric need to maintain?

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@OKCPirate

Yep, that is it basically. With all the information I have on the DEXA he doesn't feel RMR testing is necessary at least not at the every 3 months they recommend for a DEXA. I have dense bones that are getting denser (they were really impressed with that) and my muscle mass is good.

My RMR is holding steady at slightly higher than it should be. It is dropping at the normal rate it would drop for anyone who weighs less, I am not suffering and adverse effects of "rapid" weight loss, or a compromised metabolism. He thinks I can just use any BMR calculator in the future and it would be close enough in accuracy that I don't need to be tested. When I get to maintenance I will probably have it checked again, so I can plan my calories accordingly, and to just double check.

I think it is important to note, that I don't really work out in the way that people think of working out. I walk, and I lift weights at home but I am not that consistent with the weights. I work from home, my commute is about 20 feet from my bed to my desk. I don't even get the normal level of activity that most people get, because I don't have to leave the house, besides walking the dog there might be stretches of days I don't leave the house (Amazon Prime rocks). So I am not really doing much to keep my RMR up, I am just walking and I am not even walking as much as I was. I do 2 miles a day and that is about it, there were lots of days in Feb and March when it was super cold, and I barely walked a mile. Wow I sound really lazy, but its the truth. I plan on stepping it up though.

He is a professor with a leading athletics program so I am going to trust his judgement. I told him the workout I was starting and at what gym it would be at and seems confident I am on the right path.

Edited May 20, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside

[OKCPirate 5,323]

@@OutsideMatchInside - Thanks for the clarification. When I had my DXA my doctor said I was at very real risk of osteoporosis...if I lived to be 270. One of the advantages of carrying extra weight for so long was incredible bone density. The down side is you wipe out the cartilage.

[Margie122 845]

I really want to get a DEXA scan to get my body fat %, lean muscle mass, and my RMR...but there is only ONE place around here to get it done and it's $250 for both tests. A friend of mine is moving to Chicago and there is a DexaFit out there and I can get both (if I prepay for 4 tests) for $150....so when I go visit her this fall I might prepay and get a scan...and then get another scan next year

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@Margie122

I would contact University of Illinois at Chicago. It would be cheaper there.

Universities are cheaper than fitness based places that do it, and you can get feed back from a PhD.

I have looked for the information on University of Illinois at Chicago. I can't find it right now but I will keep looking.

If you have a research university near you, you should try them.

Also some Chiropractors have them, even if they don't advertise them

Edited to add

Found it. They don't have DXA scans listed but they have RMR testing. I would contact them and ask them about DEXA anyway just to check.

http://recreation.uic.edu/human-performance-lab/

Edited May 21, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

So to answer a question about body composition, this is one page of my DEXA scan results.

@@erp

Basically with this information, you can determine how much is really just skin and how much is fat. Just because it hangs doesn't mean it is just loose skin.

Edited June 23, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside

[OKCPirate 5,323]

There was a question of DXA and loose skin, does it count as fat or lean? My son who is studying this at OU says a professional 12 point body clamp test would be more accurate for me than DXA. The DXA is great at measuring bone density, but could really be inaccurate with loose skin since it is measuring moisture content.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@OKCPirate That I really interesting.

The issue I think is most people with loose skin still have fat in it. However at @@erp weight, I doubt that there is much fat on her.

[jess9395 5,448]

Yeah exactly @@OutsideMatchInside you need to know if you "skin" has subcutaneous fat attached. When you watch those shows like Skin Tight, they have LOTS of subcutaneous fat. When I was measure at 17% body fat (5'6" 135lbs) my loose skin was just that. Paper thin skin. If you pinched it it was thin skin. Not even 1/4" when pinched.

[jess9395 5,448]

Yeah exactly @@OutsideMatchInside you need to know if you "skin" has subcutaneous fat attached. When you watch those shows like Skin Tight, they have LOTS of subcutaneous fat. When I was measure at 17% body fat (5'6" 135lbs) my loose skin was just that. Paper thin skin. If you pinched it it was thin skin. Not even 1/4" when pinched.

Yeah exactly @@OutsideMatchInside you need to know if you "skin" has subcutaneous fat attached. When you watch those shows like Skin Tight, they have LOTS of subcutaneous fat. When I was measure at 17% body fat (5'6" 135lbs) my loose skin was just that. Paper thin skin. If you pinched it it was thin skin. Not even 1/4" when pinched.

[jess9395 5,448]

Yeah exactly @@OutsideMatchInside you need to know if you "skin" has subcutaneous fat attached. When you watch those shows like Skin Tight, they have LOTS of subcutaneous fat. When I was measure at 17% body fat (5'6" 135lbs) my loose skin was just that. Paper thin skin. If you pinched it it was thin skin. Not even 1/4" when pinched.