The Doctor Is In

While working on a recent job we had a doctor on set for the day. It is standard practice to have a medic on set everyday, just to hang around and be there in case of any injuries. It’s also a bonus that most of them are cute (maybe it’s the uniform). Well this guy is a real doctor and he has all kinds of goodies (vitamins, supplements, and the like) on his cart and he goes around giving people actual medical advice. He also has a body fat percentage calculating machine. So I decided that I should take the test, one, to see where I stand, and two, to see how the number compares with the bathroom scale I have at home. When there was a little bit of downtime (something that is not easy for me to find on most workdays), I made my way over to his station and broached the subject with him. He handed me the machine (a small hand-held device) and then asked me my age, height, and weight.

“195 pounds,” I said.

The doc looked at me in disbelief. I was unsure of what to think. Do I look that big?

“Really,” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said unsure even though I knew my weight was 195.

“Ok.” The doc responded. “I would never put you at 195. You must have a lot of muscle.”

I tried my damnedest to hold back the smile that was fighting to consume my face. Are you for real doc? I look smaller than what I weigh? I NEEDED to hear this. It was confirmation of the dilemma I had been struggling with for a while. I believe myself to be larger than I am but apparently look smaller than my actual weight. I can’t decide if this is a good or bad thing.

After inputting my stats in the machine he handed it over to me and instructed me to grasp firmly but not too hard (ha!). So, the body fat percentage was the same as my scale at home. I was a bit annoyed; I wanted it to be off. Otherwise, how could my weight be going down, while I should be adding muscle, and my BF% be stagnant? However when I told the doc the outcome he was very pleased. He said that 20-21% is actually a healthy number for a guy my age. I also told him that I used to weigh over 300 pound a few years ago so I am really just happy to be where I am.

The doc looked at me and said, “I can’t even imagine you being 300 pounds.”

I wish I couldn’t either.

-FQ

P.S. Today I jumped on my scale and the little screen said 190 lbs. Wondering if it’s a fluke.

P.P.S. Summer is drawing closer, and I'm starting to think a lot more about having that "beach body" I so desire. Pictures are by Randall Mesdon