Getting tested....

Have you EVER seen anything like this?

This is The Bod Pod....kind of like a time capsule. I may have actually traveled through space and time this morning...but I can't tell you for sure.

So this morning I had some testing done. I wish I had been able to get in about 6 weeks ago so I could have a good starting measurement before I made my dietary changes BUT I couldn't get in so I have the measurements now. I'll schedule another appointment in a month or two to measure further progress. So what exactly is the Bod Pod? Good question....

This machine uses Air Displacement Plethysmography. English please...Ok, it is a dry way of testing body fat percentage. It is similar to testing underwater BUT the obvious difference is that air is more convenient and comfortable than water, and it is not wet. Duh...you don't have to hold your breath, submerge and expel ALL of your air to get an accurate measure. You simply strip down to approved skivvies, put on a cute swim cap, climb in, shut the door and wait for 50 seconds. The testing is easier and safer, is reliable, and has improved repeatability accuracy.

The basic operating principle of the Air Displacement Plethysmography includes some really big words that you all will understand, right....Densitometry, Mass Measurement, Volume Measurement, Thoracic Gas Volume, and Surface Area Artifact. For a complete break down of all these really, really big words go HERE and check it out.

Along with the Bod Pod I also had my resting metabolism tested. This means I found out how many calories I need each day simply to maintain and sustain life with zero activity, or just existing each day I require 1700 calories. They hooked me to a crazy mask and I got to lay down and breath in a dark room for 15 min. I wish I would have had my phone handy to snap a picture of myself but I didn't so I found this photo, taken from HERE:

So just imagine that is me, not a dude, and laying alone in a dark room.

So, sharing the results of today's tests have been on my mind. I was debating whether or not I would put it out there for the world to know and I have decided I will and in a month or so when i go back I hope I can share some improvements with you and we can celebrate together. Plus I know I am not the only one struggling to be healthy and maintain a healthy weight. We all work so hard and man of us never see the scale budge. I have begun to take drastic measures and I need to know that it is working. So without further adue, the result of my Bod Pod test:

You can see here my % of body fat, fat free mass, how many pounds of fat (37.791?! Wow. No wonder I am having trouble with my paces!), how much I would weight with 0% fat WHICH IS NOT POSSIBLE, HEALTHY OR EVEN HUMAN....

I would like to focus on the %of body fat, % of fat free mass-or muscle, and that Fat Mass...I put a 10 pound weight loss as my goal. I am certain this is possible. And once I achieve that I can re-evaluae and set a new goal or sustain.

So with the above information it was determined that I am in the Moderately Lean category on the Body Fat Rating. i am 2% away from lean...Wow. I can do that, I can get there.

In talking with the woman who conducted my test and evaluated the results she told me I was in a good range. She explained the health concerns with being too low, which I already know. She pointed to the Ultra Lean category and said, "This here, this ultra lean is for people who, you know, do triathlons and stuff."

Ugh, punch in my face. Yeah. I know. I see them every other weekend (remember the 90 pound turkey? Yeah, me too). It was frustrating to hear the opinion, judgement, or bias or whatever you call it that I should have been in the ultra lean category simply because I do triathlons. The shoulds, oughts, and musts really get old and annoying, even though I do it to myself all the time. I work out and train so much, I should be leaner, I ought to be below 20% body fat, I must lose 10 pounds....The expectation to be something simply because I do triathlons or marathons, or whatever...I don't need to hear it from the health professional. I need to hear how I can get to my goal.

Thursday I have my Fitness Assessment where I will have my VO2 tested. I am pretty excited. Have you ever had anything like this done before?

Do you fight the shoulds, oughts, and musts? By that I mean do you find yourself thinking thoughts like "I should be 10 pounds lighter." "I ought to be able to run a 8:45 min/mil pace." "I must qualify for Boston." "I must get first in my age group." "I shouldn't get passed by a 90 pound turkey!" You see? These are what I call unhelpful thoughts. They do more harm than good. If you find yourself beating yourself up with these types of internal dialogs try to catch yourself and stop the thought process and replace it with something a bit more helpful and positive. See what happens!