New outlook and new toys

I had my appointment with my new doc yesterday afternoon and it went well. I am IUD free!

I had a LONG talk with him about my weight gain and my struggles to lose weight. I also mentioned how, even before I got my IUD, it was exceedingly difficult for me to lose weight. More so that it should have been based on my level of fitness and fatness at the time (as assessed by fitness professionals...not just by me!). So he took blood for a thyroid test even though I'm sure that I'm fine. In our conversation, the whole calories in vs calories out question came up. Yes, in theory, this makes sense. The problem I have with this...how do we really know the 'calories out' part of the equation? I mean think about it...if you have an equation with two unknowns, how in the world can you solve it? You can't. Period.

Calories in - calories out = weight loss (simplified, of course)

Calories in: known. It's easy to track - weigh the foods, write down everything, etc.
Calories out: unknown. In just about every situation, this is a guesstimate based on the general population. What if a person isn't like the 'general population'? And how do we figure this out?
weight loss: unknown. Again - you can estimate this if you know the two pieces on the other side of the equation...but if those are also estimates, then it is entirely possible that your whole calculation is flat out wrong.

I've always felt that estimates were a poor substitute for real data. AND, I'm pretty sure that I don't fit the 'typical' mold. I think this for two reasons. 1) I discovered that I have a naturally very low resting heart rate, low blood pressure, and a low max HR. When I workout, my aerobic HR is significantly lower than other people I workout/ride with. Significantly - even when I am out of shape. This tells me that any calorie burn estimated based on HR is going to be off. 2) I had my RMR tested by breathing into a device a few years back. It came out VERY low and at the time I was extremely fit. Even the fitness professionals were confused by it.

These two things make me wonder if normal 'estimates' for calorie burn are going to be accurate enough for me. So...watching the Biggest Loser got me thinking about it and then some posts on one of the fitness forums I hang out on sealed the deal. I ordered the GoWear Fit device today. This is a device that measures daily calorie burn by using a combination of heat sensors and motion sensors. Studies have shown the accuracy to be quite good. It's similar to the BodyBugg worn by the Biggest Loser contestants but it's not tied into 24-hour fitness like the BodyBugg is...they are both actually made by the same company. Anyway, I ordered it this afternoon and I can't wait to get it so that I can start learning how my body REALLY burns calories. I am willing to bet that I'm not 'typical' and that my calorie burn is either alarmingly low or freakishly high. We'll see when it gets here!

In the meantime, I'm feeling way more positive with the IUD out. I feel like I finally have a fighting chance at losing this weight now! To that end, I decided to start logging my food at Fitday again (at least until the GoWear Fit gets here and I start using their logging software) and I have plans to workout tonight. My back is also feeling better, though that could just be coincidence. Either way, I'll take it! ;-)