RMR - Resting Metabolic Rate

Well, I figured since I 'flaunted' around RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) that I should go ahead and prove my theory. There are many scientific calculations for your RMR. They vary a bit, but I just took the least amount for my purposes. (If you want to find a calculator, simply Google 'calculating resting metabolic rate' and a bunch of calculators will come up.)

What is RMR? It is the amount of energy (calories) that your body requires at rest. In other words, if you don't do anything but sit around and breath, this amount of calories are required by your body to function.

There are things that affect your RMR - the amount of muscle you have (this is why you want to preserve as much muscle mass as possible - in fact, adding muscle mass would even be better!); your age (boo!); your sex (of course, guys burn more. mainly because they have a higher muscle mass naturally); climate (the colder the climate - the more energy the body needs to keep warm - but hello, who is really exposed enough to the elements for this to have a real impact?); small regular meals (supposedly).

Oh, I should mention that RMR is also referred to as BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate. There is really no difference. So use whichever one you want. But I see some differences? There are like 5 different calculations that are commonly used to determine RMR / BMR - therefore you can see up to a 50 calorie swing depending on which calculation is used.

Using one of the calculators, my body at its current weight requires 1634 calories at rest. Remember that is with no exercise - this is your body at rest.

1634 RMR/BMR x 7 days = 11,438 calories expended per week

(**Assuming 1000 calorie diet/day on average**)
1000 calories x 7 days = 7,000 calories consumed per week

Calories In - Calories Out = Weekly Deficit
7,000 cals per week - 11,438 cals per week = -4438 calorie deficit

Translation - 4438 divided by 3500 calories in a lb = 1.3lbs

Bottom line - I should be losing at least a lb a week. My overall average shows this weightloss.

Bad news is that as you lose weight your RMR / BMR goes down -- assuming constant muscle mass. Why? Well it all boils down to there is less of you to support at rest. It takes less calories to support 150lbs than 200lbs. What to do? Any combination of: Eat less, move more, gain muscle mass.

Hopefully someone found this interesting! :o) It was a good exercise for me to remind myself that as long as I am patient - the weight WILL drop off.

Whew!

**Thanks for the comments Rhonda and Jessica!**

Everything was A-OK. They did a fluoro with me standing up to check the position of my band and it was right where it was supposed to be. I then did a barium swallow and it just whooshed on through! What a relief!

I figured while I was there that I might as well ask if I could get a fill to avoid having to make another trip. Since everything looked OK and they saw how the barium went on through they said yes. I asked for a small one as I had lost well between fills (9.4lbs), but eating a tad bit more than recommended and getting a bit more hungry between meals.

As I’ve said before, I plan to ‘get away’ with as few fills as possible. Not that I am trying to be the hero or trying to diet, but want to increase restriction only when I need it. I know that I will need it eventually and will ride the wave until I get to that point.

Here’s the specifics on my fills:
1st fill – 1.2cc – 12/21
2nd fill – 1.8cc – 1/25
Loss between fills (using doctor scale): 9.4lbs (1.88lbs per week average)

Today was my official weigh in day. Not good news. Up .5 lbs. Why? I attribute this to less exercise and not drinking all my fluids. I also don’t think it is a ‘real’ weight gain. There is no way that I ate 1750 calories above and beyond what my body needs to maintain my current weight. What to do? Get my exercise in, drink enough fluids, and eat my meals as planned. Next week will be better.

Official weigh in stats:
Starting weight: 234lbs
Current weight: 199lbs
Overall loss: 35lbs

Unofficial weigh in stats – doctor’s scale:
Starting weight: 234lbs
Current weight: 202.2lbs
Overall loss: 31.8lbs

Appointment Tomorrow

So, I called and explained what happened. I go in tomorrow for fluoro just to make sure everything is OK. Of course, wouldn't you know it, a little relief mentally and I seem to be feeling better. Ate some harder stuff for dinner without a problem. Oh well, better safe than sorry. I'll speak to them about getting a fill tomorrow.

Tomorrow is also my official weigh in. I haven't been getting in all of my water or exercising as much as I had in previous weeks. Oh well, I'll report in tomorrow.

Uh oh - tummy not good!

On Saturday I ate something that did not agree with me. What was different about this time was the vomiting. It lasted longer than normal and it felt 'deeper' for lack of a better way to describe it.

I had liquids and soft foods on Sunday and Monday until dinner. At dinner, I attempted to eat very very moist chicken, but no luck. I am keeping down liquids and soft foods no problem. What could be the problem? Was it the vomiting? I think I am supposed to be close to my period? I am stressed out!

I plan to call tomorrow to see if I can get in to get it checked out on Wednesday. Can't on Tuesday -- too much going on at work. One more day won't matter because I can drink and eat soft foods. I swear it will just be hard psychologically. PLEASE let it be irritation, swollen stoma, or something easy like that. As long as it isn't a slip.

What I did find out is there is not a lot that I can find about a slip. All I was able to locate was that it is a possibility, but not what the symptoms are. So, that's my story for now. Keep your fingers crossed. I will call tomorrow.

Ta Daaa! It happened! :o)

I weighed in at 198.5! Yippeee! Can you believe it? That is a 4 pound loss this week?!? Stats: 35.5 lbs down. That's my update for now.

Some responses to comments...

Jessica - you crack me up! ElastiGirl got on your nerves...lol. I have changed the link on the side. Keep up the diligence on working toward your goals. I'm with you on the scales - I use my home scale as my 'official' weight because I weigh heavier on every other one. I wonder what I'd do if I weighed less? ;)

Rhonda - My fellow Texan! Yes, please feel free to include a link to my blog if you want. I guess I broke protocol and should have asked you if I could include yours on mine. Hope it is OK?

First - you are doing awesome! Keep up the good work! Try not to get discouraged - I know it is easier said than done. I think you just need to try some tweaking. Here are my thoughts...

In regard to your question, and these are just my thoughts, prior to getting another fill, I would make sure your calorie intake is a minimum of 1000 calories a day. If not, I'd increase it to 1000 and see what happens with your weight. The standard response applies - it works for me and might not for you, but I think it is worth a shot prior to getting another fill. By the way, I was banded 11/16, so we are close together on our journey. (Are you getting hungry between meals right now? Are you exercising? -- these are also things I would consider before getting another fill.)

My typical day consists of: venti non-fat latte (210 calories); a Post CarbWell breakfast bar (140); lunch - it varies - but it is likely 200 - 250 calories (estimated); snack sometimes if hungry - 4-8 lowfat wheat thins and laughing cow cheese (135) [this usually depends on how big my lunch was]; dinner - again something around the 200 calorie range - I'm lazy so sometimes this is just tuna (a can with fat-free mayo) or a cup of Wolf Brand Chili - the turkey kind with beans that is something like 98% fat-free. All in all it is around 1000 calories that I am eating. Some days a little more and others less.

Things that I find that work for me:
Venti non-fat latte - expensive, but it gets in calcium and protein at once and is hot so has no problem going down in the morning
Post CarbWell cereal bars - lots of flavors - these are cheapest at Walmart
Low-fat wheat thins
Laughing Cow or any other kind of lowfat cheese - i find these are easier to control the portion size so I use them. You can find this in different flavors as well - I have just been getting them at Albertsons
Tuna/Salmon
Wolf Brand Chili
Texas Caviar - love the stuff
Lean Cuisine / Weight Watcher frozen dinners - these are a good size and are relatively inexpensive, so I have been trying these and seeing what works. I'm not so tight, so in the evenings I am pretty open and this allows me more flexibility on what I eat
Green beans

Please let me know if you (or anyone else for that matter) has any questions. Most of the time this really seems to be like a science experiment that we all have to figure out!

Will it happen???

Yep, I cheated. I stepped on the scale yesterday - or the day before - can't quite remember and was 200 lbs. BUT it wasn't my official weigh in day - that's tomorrow. I will be pleased to weigh in at 200 and will be happy with that, but will be ecstatic if I weigh in under 200!!!

I can tell that I have lost weight. I didn't feel like I had lost, but now I can feel it. It is a great feeling.

I worked out 4 times last week and on my way to the same this week (twice so far). I have been hungrier, so again I am starting to think about getting a fill. But I don't want to get one unless I really really need it. This is a bit of a different approach from posts I read on the Yahoo! boards, but seems to be working for me. I do not plan to get a fill until I am not losing any weight or I am starving---OK, maybe starving is a bit of an exaggeration :)

Well, I have been thinking about how much 'stuff' I should put out here. It would be more interesting for anyone reading if I put more, I think. So, here is the story that has been bugging me and will maybe get outta my head if I put it here...

On Saturday night, I went out with a guy friend of mine. Seriously, he is a friend -- he's gay ;). Anyway, I have not been drinking for obvious reasons. Well I had a couple glasses of wine. Needless to say it hit me pretty hard because I haven't been drinking. A guy I used to see was there. We didn't exactly part on good terms. Well, the liquid courage set in and interesting conversation ensued. In the end though he did apologize for lying - that is my pet peeve. Nothing will ever happen between us again - it was just nice to clear the air.

But as the conversation went on, this guy started throwing 'his friend' under the bus. This friend is also my friend, so I started getting mad. This other friend was out with his girlfriend - romantic evening and all. I knew that. But did that stop me from calling him? Uh no. Me and the friend I went out with CONTINUED to call him SEVEN times. Bwaaaa. This did not go over well. As everyone knows: drunk dialling is NOT a good thing.

So the next day we felt bad. My friend was mad at me of course. I think he is starting to get over it. Lesson - STEP AWAY FROM THE PHONE!:)

Weigh In

Drum roll....down 1.5 pounds! I'll take it. Now I am convinced that I was not eating enough. I increased my calories as I put in my previous post and the weight is coming off again. Whew!

So, I know how to work this thing, I just need to keep doing it. AND eat slower! AND chew a bit more.

That's it for now...Officially down 31.5 pounds. Average of 2.9 per week.

Need a Fill?

Not much has been happening. I was supposed to go out of town on business for the week, but it ended up being cancelled. That was OK with me. I was not looking forward to the lunches and dinners. I feel more comfortable being able to control what I eat right now as I am still getting the hang of things.

I have been going to Jazzercise. Tomorrow is my weigh in. Stayed the same last week, so if I don't lose at least a pound tomorrow I *might* consider a fill. I will need to review the questions in Jessie H Ahroni's book - Laproscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding -- Achieving Permanent Weight Loss with Minimally Invasive Surgery - and answer those honestly to determine if I am doing my part. I'm not going to worry about it today and will address it tomorrow.

I am somewhat worried though (ha! didn't I say I wasn't going to worry?) on waiting too long to get a fill. So, with all of what I have said above, I might go ahead and schedule a fill for a couple of weeks from now and cancel if needed. Geez - this adjustment business is tricky! I know they would give me one if I want it, but I don't want to get too tight. I am still learning how to eat slower and chew more. I don't want to be tighter and end up sliming/pb'ing more.

Things I'm pondering...
I am making healthy food choices in good portion sizes and am not getting hungry in between. Good = no fill
I can't eat white bread, fibrous vegies (haven't tried), and no large portions. Good = no fill
I might be struggling to lose. Will know this tomorrow. Based on the two items above, I should probably increase activity and monitor food intake more prior to getting a fill.
I am NOT gaining weight. Fingers crossed - will know for sure tomorrow, but don't think so.

No Loss!

Well, today was my official weigh in day and I stayed the same! *sigh* Let's be real --- I am not eating enough to not lose weight. Plus I have added exercising --- Jazzercise. So, the reality is my body is just not letting loose, but it will. I am confident.

I am wondering if I am not eating enough. For ME - stressing ME here, if I do not have enough calories in a day, I do not lose weight. I have been sliming quite a bit and have PB'd a couple times as I am still trying to figure things out. Believe me I do not do it on purpose and try to avoid it all costs, but some days things that are fine one day are not on another. It is strange. I am working on figuring out in the first couple of bites whether or not I'm going to have problems---but I am still a work in progress.

If I estimate my calories today and my estimates are normally high - 200 breakfast; 400 lunch (Definite over estimate); 300 dinner. Total 900, but honestly I think it was more like 800. I need to get up to around 1000.

Overall still working and learning.

I Did It!

Yeah me! I went to Jazzercise tonight. I didn't want to, but knew that in the end that I would feel good about going. So just got myself dressed and off I went.

It's back to work tomorrow. It is the first day back for me since my first fill. (I was off on vacation.) Lunch should be interesting. I have a hard time sitting there while others are eating without continuing to pick at my food. I am going to HAVE to break that because it always leads to eating a bite too much and then...GOLFBALL!

I'm going back with my hair 'all did' and 31 pounds (unofficially - Wednesday is weigh in day) less. Should be interesting to see if I get any reaction to either. I think the weight loss will depend on what I am wearing. Oh well, not gonna worry about that. People will eventually notice :) --- people will definitely notice the hair though ;)

Overall my calories are still a bit low. I think I got in 1000 today if I'm lucky --- but that is pretty good. But I think being on vacation is a contributing factor to this issue and will be fixed when I go back to work....how you might be wondering? Welllllllll, I have been sleeping in so late (sometimes til noon!!!) there just aren't enough hours to get the food in...lol

New Year's / New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve - well, I thought I was supposed to spend time with my best friend---hang out at her house, etc. Tried calling her, but could never get a hold of her and my phone never rang either. It did NOT start out the day well as I was looking to her for support. For some reason New Year's Eve was not an evening I was looking forward to --- friends are married or coupled up, I didn't have any 'real' plans, etc. It all boils down to I felt downright lonely.

I did get my hair straightened though. So that was the last step in a week long process...lol. Started out with a cut - cutting off over 5 inches! A color AND highlights. And finally the straightening - japanese thermal straightening. It makes my hair straight as a board. A lot of people think I am crazy to straighten my curly hair - especially considering the time and expense, but I had done it for the first time 10 months ago and figured 'what the hell' I'd do it again.

So, as time ticked away on New Year's Eve, I thought about going out with some other friends. Tried on clothes and everything I tried on I HATED. Either too tent and awning (baggy) or too small. It was not a nice experience and put me in a worse mood than I was already. I felt SOOO fat. And yes, I did try to rationalize it by saying I used to weigh 30 pounds more and that only made me feel worse - go figure.

I honestly think that New Year's Eve was harder for me than Christmas. Oh well, I went to my friend's house for a couple hours and then was home by 10:30. Flipped channels and of course started feeling hungry. Was I hungry? Hell no. It was all in my head. I made myself some sugar-free hot chocolate and had that instead. I think I fell asleep before midnight.

Today - I stepped on the scale. Holding steady. This is OK as I tend to hold steady and then drop. The big thing that would make a difference is exercising. I haven't been doing much of anything. That changes tomorrow...

My goals for 2006:
Exercise a minimum of 3 times per week.
Get fills when/if needed.
Eat bandster meals consistently.
Drink my liquids everyday consistently.
Be at goal on or before my year bandiversary (November 16) -- I thought a lot about this and this is reasonable as I have 55lbs to goal.
Date
Widen my circle of friends