RMR, VO2 and BMI! Oh My! (IDEXA by Dr. H)

So... I had the IDEXA scan done by Dr. H and here are my results:

• RMR = 2010 calories/day
• VO2 = 290 (he said this was good, but I have no idea what it means. He seemed to be focused on my RMR, with which he was impressed)
• BMI = 38 (not so impressive and clearly an indicator that I am not a small girl)
• LBM = 144 lbs. (That's a lot of muscle).
• Target Weight = 155lbs.

Bottom line from the good doc? I need to eat less sugar and reduce my portion size. I also need to increase the amount of time I workout each day. The interesting part about his evaluation of me was that he said that initially he'd like to see me maintain my weight for a few months! That's right! MAINTAIN... not LOSE! This is the FIRST time I'd ever heard a doctor say that and I know I have plenty more to lose, so I asked why... He said to me that right now I am going in the wrong direction. I've gained 15 lbs in the past 4 months. Then, he mentioned that "maintaining" is a different direction than up, so we will start there. Makes sense, right? He even said that I don't have to watch the kind of food I eat right now as much as watching portion control. My metabolism is high enough where I can "cheat" and still maintain. Wow. Not at ALL what I expected.

I seriously thought he'd have me on a strict diet plan, straight away! Apparently, shocking your body with tremendous weight loss can really affect your metabolism, so he'd rather I took baby steps. Perhaps I will finally do this the right way? Something tells me that Dr. H's advice is golden.... so, follow it I shall (in Yoda's voice). Best part of my experience? Dr. H looked at my IDEXA scan and mentioned that although my BMI was high, he could tell by my shape and muscle mass that I was an athlete most of my life, and that I am "built very solid." That made me feel good.

Los Angeles was a great experience. I was more active last week than I had been in awhile, and the whole experience with Dr. H lit a fire in me. Running each morning, while I was in L.A., was invigorating! I loved the hills and pathways I had to choose from! I think I could create some running trails here that would be just as fun. I just have to get out of bed early enough to not contend with hot weather.

Today, I spent most of the morning downloading fitness applications on my iPhone and planning my fitness attack on my lifestyle. I believe that work has, once again, snuck in and overtaken my life. It has become a priority and I need to readjust. After two of my staff members informed me they plan to quit this week, it became painfully obvious that we are all overworked, tired, and need more balance in our lives. Balance and happiness won't be handed over on a silver platter, so it's time to take action. I need to do this for me. No more guilt trips from the boss. No more stressing myself out over things out of my control. No more compromising my sleep, health and exercise for my job. It's just not worth it. Time to focus on what is important in my life!

See you on the fit side!
~Heather