We all want to eat more and lose weight, right? I am right there with you. At some point during my transformation, I developed a bad relationship with food. Not in the way you may think. I wasn't eating poorly or turning to junk food, I was afraid of carbs, afraid of calories and petrified of gaining body fat. I heard this was pretty common after bodybuilding competitions but what I didn't realize is that a bunch of you out there had the same issues. In talking to men and women alike, at the gym, at work, in general, they were constantly talking about lowering or raising carbs, eating a more vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, high-fat, etc. What they weren't taking into account is calories in vs. calories out. Now, not all calories are created equal and I will talk about that more later. Your body needs a certain amount of calories to make your organs function and because of that your body burns a certain amount of calories at rest. Now, you need to consume at least this amount of calories for your body to operate but if you are want to lose weight, you must add exercise or create a calorie deficit. But hat if you aren't eating enough calories? That is what happened to me!
Keep in mind all this is different if you are trying to gain muscle mass and also note that losing weight is not the same thing as losing body fat. You can lose weight and not body fat. 120 pounds at 15% body fat looks very different than 120 pounds at 30% body fat but the scale still stays 120 pounds. If you have followed me for long and read my other posts you will know that I will say screw the scale!
Metabolic Testing
Based on your resting heart rate, the test will calculate your fat loss zone. The trick is to balance the calories you eat with the energy needs of your metabolism.
Vo2 Testing
This test was by far the most interesting. The VO2 test measures your capacity to burn fat during aerobic activity and indicates the intervals in which your body most effectively burns fat instead of glucose. This is important for athletes and non-athletes alike.
The Experience
So I walked into the testing facility and Milen was training a client. He was kicking her butt in the nicest way possible. Once he was done whipping her into shape, we met and discussed the tests. First was the metabolic testing. It seemed easy, just relax while you have a mask attached to your face. "The only uncomfortable part of the testing is the mask," he said, " I have to tighten it pretty tight, ready?" I was thinking to myself, it really isn't that uncomfortable but that was before he tightened it. Did it hurt? No. Did it feel like I had a perma-smile plastered on my face? Yes. But in all seriousness, it was pain free and super easy. I was told to breath normally through my mouth as if I were just watching tv. I was told to think of something else- Food, I will think about food. Ok, no Jen, don't think about food. You see, one of the conditions of the metabolic testing is a fasting period and because Milen is so busy with hardbodied clients, the only appointment I could get was at 11am. Since I am use to eating breakfast at 5am this was a challenge and I was super hungry. Ok, so don't think about food. My mind wondered all over the place- I hope it says that I burn 14,000 calories at rest so I can eat a ton, oooh look he has TRX bands, I've always wanted to try those, I wonder if they work... My face is going to get stuck in this position. And then we were finished. Once that was done it was time for the VO2. I was taken over to a treadmill and I was wondering how in the world I was going to jog or even run with this mask on. It was hard enough to breath sitting still with this on let alone jog or run.
"This is going to be easy at first," he said, "and then at the end give me all you've got." Sure I can do that, right? The test began with slow walking and he increased the speed or incline at certain points. By the end I was huffing and puffing and was relieved when he took the mask off. That crap was hard.
The Results
My RMR came back and I found out how many calories my body burns at rest. The results were music to my ears because it said that my metabolism is 14% faster than the normal. Woo hoo! But, this also means that on my lifting days, I wasn't getting enough calories to properly recover. This made total sense to me because I would often be sore and tired all week from my workouts and then when I practiced Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu, I was so sore and just plain tired that I was miserable. I began to slowly increase my calories, especially on high activity days and I actually started losing weight. That, combined with hitting my macros as close as possible each day gave me so much more energy and strength not to mention recovery. I just finished prepping for a photoshoot on higher calories then ever before! Victory!!!! After a little over a month I've learned to listen to my body!
I highly recommend getting these tests done to give yourself a base line. Everyone's body is different (I know I say that a lot) and it is important to know how many calories you take in versus how many you burn. Between this and changing my macros, I have a completely different mindset. Carbs are your friend in the right amounts. Get to know your nutritional needs. For those of you in the Atlanta area, the metabolic testing center that I went to is:
New Edge Fitness
4200 Northside Pkwy NW
Building 6
Atlanta, Georgia 30327
Phone: 678.707.2406
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