It’s not like I need more specialists or physicians in my life. I have an endocrinologist, a primary-care physician, and two nagging nurses to help me monitor my health.
But my opponent in this Smackdown, who happens to be my boss, insisted that I seek professional help if I was going to try to lose weight and manage my diabetes—especially after my first attempts produced some frightening low-blood-sugar events.
I did, and here’s the first sentence of an email I received from Jamy Ard, MD, my newest physician and the architect of my weight-loss dream team: “We can provide the medical management, dietary, and exercise-training advice you need to crush your boss … I mean, to lose weight and achieve optimal control of your diabetes.”
Within days of that email, I met Dr. Ard, who is the medical director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s EatRight program, and Debbie Strong, a registered dietician, to discuss my regimen, take stock of my physique, and measure my resting metabolic rate.
Here are a few stats from our Jan. 16 meeting.
Height: 5′7″
Weight: 193.5
BMI: 30.3
Body fat percentage: 26.2
Fat mass: 50.51 lbs
I also began attending classes at the 12-week EatRight Lifestyle Program. The combination of my team and my re-education should make me unbeatable and put my goal of reaching 175 pounds well within reach, right?
Maybe not.
There was one important stat I left off the above list: My resting metabolic rate (RMR), or how many calories my body burns when I do nothing but lay around. For my age, height, gender, and weight, I should automatically burn 1,767 calories per day. (Calculate your resting metabolic rate here.)
But the RMR test my team conducted shows a much higher number: 2,500 calories a day. This should be welcome news: If I’m burning that many calories sitting still, my extra flab should be melting off as we speak.
Except it’s not. And that means my weight gain is likely related to behavior, not physique or medication. I have no one to blame but myself. I eat too much and I exercise too little.
I might have a dream team on my side in this competition. But I don’t have to beat the other guy. I have to beat myself.
Competition Numbers:
Start date: 1/1/08
Height: 5′7″
Start weight: 200.4 lbs
Latest weigh-in: 1/26/08
Latest weight: 189 lbs
Weight lost: 11.4 lbs
Comments (1)
I am a diabetic, the first time I know that I suffered from painful diabetes is often tired, frequent urination, hot legs, that lasted until 2 weeks. Then on the advice of my doctor recommended a diet of sugar and exercise regularly, after a period of 2 months I feel better than before, although not yet completely healed.