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Am I really losing too quickly?
duddysdad
Posts: 403 Member
I am a 6'5, 34 year old male. I started at 337 pounds last Thanksgiving. I lost down to 327 by Christmas. After Christmas I went to my doctor for help losing weight. He put me on Phentermine and a 1000 calorie diet. I really tried, but I just couldn't do 1000 calories. I joined MFP and I set my calorie limit to 1400, however I don't usually hit that number, but I am above 1k. I started my diet on January 1st. I weighed-in today and I am currently at 266. I've lost 61 pounds since January 1st. I am losing around 5 pounds per week. I do not exercise, I don't work, just daily activities including chasing after a 2 year old all day.
I've been told I am losing too quickly by some people, however my doctor is very pleased with my progress and said I am losing as quickly as he would like. He doesn't know I am eating more than 1k calories. I know it's generally accepted to lose around 2 pounds per week max. I believe I am losing safely as I am monitored by my doctor. Should I continue doing what I am doing, or should I try to slow down a bit to please certain people?
I am also off the Phentermine.
I've been told I am losing too quickly by some people, however my doctor is very pleased with my progress and said I am losing as quickly as he would like. He doesn't know I am eating more than 1k calories. I know it's generally accepted to lose around 2 pounds per week max. I believe I am losing safely as I am monitored by my doctor. Should I continue doing what I am doing, or should I try to slow down a bit to please certain people?
I am also off the Phentermine.
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Replies
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Yeah- get rid of your doctor. While over 2 lbs CAN be safe for those who are morbidly obese, 5 lbs a week for a prolonged period of time is not good. You are not only losing fat, but muscle as well. Phentermine has a lot of side effects, some of which can be deadly. While it is up to each person if they wish to take that risk, I personally wouldn't. Also- eating so few calories a day makes it hard to get your essential nutrients.0
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I think get a new doctor. Yes, you lose more quickly in the beginning, especially if you have a lot to lose, but 61 pounds in 10 weeks seems pretty extreme to me. So is a doctor advocating only 1000 cal a day for someone of your height!! OMG, I'm a 5'6" female and I eat more than that!!
What does MFP say your calories should be if you let the app set them with a goal of 2lb per week max?0 -
Unfortunately my insurance says I have to see him. I just edited my post to say I quit taking the Phentermine. I felt like I didn't need it anymore and it wasn't really helping that much anymore.0
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Nony_Mouse wrote: »What does MFP say your calories should be if you let the app set them with a goal of 2lb per week max?
1700 for 2 pounds.
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Unfortunately my insurance says I have to see him. I just edited my post to say I quit taking the Phentermine. I felt like I didn't need it anymore and it wasn't really helping that much anymore.
Why? He is your "assigned" pcp?
No imaidan do can force you to see a MD you do not wish to see. Call and request a new pcp. They may ask why- which you can simply say you believe he is giving dangerous advice. After that, they will likely switch you with no questions asked.0 -
I am a 6'5, 34 year old male. I started at 337 pounds last Thanksgiving. I lost down to 327 by Christmas. After Christmas I went to my doctor for help losing weight. He put me on Phentermine and a 1000 calorie diet. I really tried, but I just couldn't do 1000 calories. I joined MFP and I set my calorie limit to 1400, however I don't usually hit that number, but I am above 1k. I started my diet on January 1st. I weighed-in today and I am currently at 266. I've lost 61 pounds since January 1st. I am losing around 5 pounds per week. I do not exercise, I don't work, just daily activities including chasing after a 2 year old all day.
I've been told I am losing too quickly by some people, however my doctor is very pleased with my progress and said I am losing as quickly as he would like. He doesn't know I am eating more than 1k calories. I know it's generally accepted to lose around 2 pounds per week max. I believe I am losing safely as I am monitored by my doctor. Should I continue doing what I am doing, or should I try to slow down a bit to please certain people?
I am also off the Phentermine.
Doctors aren't nutritionists and can not safely give you expert advice on your nutrition. My personal opinion is that for your height you should be eating twice that much. Eating the right amount will help with fat loss as it's more fuel for fat burning basically. But I'd seriously recommend ditching that doctor and finding a qualified nutritionist.
By comparison, I'm a 32 year old male, 5 ft 5 and about 145 lbs. I'm on a cutting diet and eat 2300 calories a day.0 -
Unfortunately my insurance says I have to see him. I just edited my post to say I quit taking the Phentermine. I felt like I didn't need it anymore and it wasn't really helping that much anymore.
Why? He is your "assigned" pcp?
No imaidan do can force you to see a MD you do not wish to see. Call and request a new pcp. They may ask why- which you can simply say you believe he is giving dangerous advice. After that, they will likely switch you with no questions asked.
^^This. And please increase to 1700 a day. We can give you suggestions if you're finding that hard to reach (basically, calorie-dense foods - nuts, full fat dairy, avocado...). Actually you can eat whatever foods you like so long as they fit within your allotted calories and you are otherwise meeting your nutrition goals (macros - carbs, fat, protein, and micros - vitamins and minerals etc).
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No imaidan do can force you to see a MD you do not wish to see. Call and request a new pcp. They may ask why- which you can simply say you believe he is giving dangerous advice. After that, they will likely switch you with no questions asked.
I'll see what I can do. I've been wanting to switch anyways.0 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »And please increase to 1700 a day.
I can go up, it's really not a problem. I just wanted to try to follow his advice, but since you guys think it's not very good advice, I will up my calories to 1700. I don't care about losing slower, it's not a race and I am in no hurry to lose it all this quickly. I figured I was losing too fast and I want to do it safely, not quickly.0 -
Excellent
Your instincts have served you well!! And you're right, it's not a race, it's a lifestyle change. The best way to have that stick is to do it slowly. 0 -
This link is very useful for setting your calorie allowance and optimal macros.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
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I will be in the minority and say that unless you have reasons to not trust your dr, do not follow the advice of strangers over the advice of the medical professional. There might be a reason he wants you to lose weight this fast. Talk with him, discuss your concerns and what you have been doing , talk about your research. If he gives no explanation, you need a different dr, but he might surprise you. It is nor unheard of morbidly obese patients being on very low calorie diets for short periods under a dr's supervision.0
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I will be in the minority and say that unless you have reasons to not trust your dr, do not follow the advice of strangers over the advice of the medical professional. There might be a reason he wants you to lose weight this fast. Talk with him, discuss your concerns and what you have been doing , talk about your research. If he gives no explanation, you need a different dr, but he might surprise you. It is nor unheard of morbidly obese patients being on very low calorie diets for short periods under a dr's supervision.
Tis true Very low calorie diet (VLCD) are prescribed and closely monitored by medical professionals, and it is good to seek opinions off of this website concerning weightless, nutrition etc you should not dismiss a professionals opinion who has more relevant facts such as BP, HR, cholesterol, family history etc etc my advice would be to ask the DR the reasons and logic behind your calorie allowance as well as how competent they are with your situation.
Lastly yes as others have pointed out I would seek another MD if you are unhappy with your current one.
Best of luck!
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I will be in the minority and say that unless you have reasons to not trust your dr, do not follow the advice of strangers over the advice of the medical professional. There might be a reason he wants you to lose weight this fast. Talk with him, discuss your concerns and what you have been doing , talk about your research. If he gives no explanation, you need a different dr, but he might surprise you. It is nor unheard of morbidly obese patients being on very low calorie diets for short periods under a dr's supervision.
Yeah.... No. 5 lbs a week for greater than 10 weeks can be really detrimental to ones health. Most health care professionals would not reccomend losing more than 1% of body weight per week. That would amount to about 3lbs a week for him (at first). There is a reason for this. If you lose too quickly, you lose lean body mass as well. You can also do irrepairable damage to ones vital organs.
The fact that he was losing so quickly and the doctor prescribed weight loss medications, screams red flags. Pcps generally have limited knowledge of nutrition, and very archaic ideas about weight loss. Before following this MD "plan" I would get a second opinion. Doctors can be wrong (and unfortunately are wrong more times than they like to admit).0 -
Time to slowly increase the calories and slow down the weight loss a little. You had a good speedy start, and though I am not an expert, I read a lot, and the general consensus seems to be, slow and steady if you want to lose fat not muscle, and if you want to keep it off. You need time to adjust to healthy eating and exercise. Rapid weight loss is great at the start, it motivates us, but it is not sustainable long term, nor is it healthy.0
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I am a 6'5, 34 year old male. I started at 337 pounds last Thanksgiving. I lost down to 327 by Christmas. After Christmas I went to my doctor for help losing weight. He put me on Phentermine and a 1000 calorie diet. I really tried, but I just couldn't do 1000 calories. I joined MFP and I set my calorie limit to 1400, however I don't usually hit that number, but I am above 1k. I started my diet on January 1st. I weighed-in today and I am currently at 266. I've lost 61 pounds since January 1st. I am losing around 5 pounds per week. I do not exercise, I don't work, just daily activities including chasing after a 2 year old all day.
I've been told I am losing too quickly by some people, however my doctor is very pleased with my progress and said I am losing as quickly as he would like. He doesn't know I am eating more than 1k calories. I know it's generally accepted to lose around 2 pounds per week max. I believe I am losing safely as I am monitored by my doctor. Should I continue doing what I am doing, or should I try to slow down a bit to please certain people?
I am also off the Phentermine.
you successfully lost 10lbs in a month... what's wrong with that? if it was me i would just keep doing what you were doing then.0 -
Cryptonomnomicon wrote: »I will be in the minority and say that unless you have reasons to not trust your dr, do not follow the advice of strangers over the advice of the medical professional. There might be a reason he wants you to lose weight this fast. Talk with him, discuss your concerns and what you have been doing , talk about your research. If he gives no explanation, you need a different dr, but he might surprise you. It is nor unheard of morbidly obese patients being on very low calorie diets for short periods under a dr's supervision.
Tis true Very low calorie diet (VLCD) are prescribed and closely monitored by medical professionals, and it is good to seek opinions off of this website concerning weightless, nutrition etc you should not dismiss a professionals opinion who has more relevant facts such as BP, HR, cholesterol, family history etc etc my advice would be to ask the DR the reasons and logic behind your calorie allowance as well as how competent they are with your situation.
Lastly yes as others have pointed out I would seek another MD if you are unhappy with your current one.
Best of luck!
I would find out if there is a specific reason he has you on a VLCD. Do you suffer from any co-morbitities that would necessitate a rapid loss? Prior to my gastric band I was put on the same diet for a quick loss before surgery. Docs do it all the time.
Don't dump your doc just because others say so without all the information. He may think your obesity is putting your life at risk, therefore, the need for rapid loss. Just get more info from him first.0 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »What does MFP say your calories should be if you let the app set them with a goal of 2lb per week max?
1700 for 2 pounds.
1700 gives you the opportunity to get all your protein and your fat.
Also green leafy veggies and such.
There are exercises you can do from home that will help you retain your muscle. Look on youtube.
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Larger people can lose weight more quickly than smaller people. 1 to 2 lbs per week are the numbers that are generally put out there for people who aren't under a doctor's care, but it isn't necessarily unsafe to lose faster than that, as long as it is done safely. Your weight loss will slow down eventually.0
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I see from your profile you also suffer from multiple sclerosis and are on high blood pressure medication. Go back to your dr and get a second medical opinion if needed, but do not rely on internet forums or on what people think about your weight loss. Your circumstances are different than the average poster's and without medical training, none of us can tell you what is the safest plan for you.0
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I see from your profile you also suffer from multiple sclerosis and are on high blood pressure medication. Go back to your dr and get a second medical opinion if needed, but do not rely on internet forums or on what people think about your weight loss. Your circumstances are different than the average poster's and without medical training, none of us can tell you what is the safest plan for you.0
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Based on those stats it looks like you could afford to eat an extra 1500 calories per day over what you are currently eating
If I were you - I'd increase my calories to 2000 and continue to judge it against my weight loss over time (say every month) then adjust my calories from there
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At 6 foot 5 inches and 266 pounds your bmi is 31.54 (which is obese, thought not far from overweight which is a BMI of 29.99) In fact to react a healthy BMI your weight should be 210 pounds, which means losing another 56 pounds (based solely on bmi).
You've lost 61 pounds in 9 weeks (that's 6.7 pounds per week), if you lose the next 56 pounds at the same rate it would take 8 weeks. That would be 117 pounds lost in 17 weeks (also know as 4 months). Personally I think that's insanely fast. I notice in one of your replies that you said you were thinking of switching doctors anyways, so my recommendation is to go ahead and switch doctors and get that doctors opinion. I would also ask the new doctor what (if any)dangers there are in continuing to lose this fast, versus what (if any) advantages there are to losing this fast (make it clear that fast or slow you are committed to losing the weight).
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A good rule of thumb is to lose 1% of body weight a week.
You might also look into some basic resistance training that can be done at home to mitigate the muscle your going to lose.0 -
My initial reaction was, that sounds like it's happening way too fast, but as aggelikik saysI see from your profile you also suffer from multiple sclerosis and are on high blood pressure medication. Go back to your dr and get a second medical opinion if needed, but do not rely on internet forums or on what people think about your weight loss. Your circumstances are different than the average poster's and without medical training, none of us can tell you what is the safest plan for you.
maybe your doc has a reason to get you under a certain weight quickly?0 -
With that much to lose, as long as you've got your micronutrients covered and your doc is watching you, you're most likely good to go.
Congrats! And good luck the rest of the way. :drinker:0 -
I would probably start by having further discussions with my doctor. I guess I'm not quite as quick to dismiss health care professionals when it comes to this kind of stuff even if it may not be their specialty. I know that in my case, my GP is actually pretty knowledgeable about general nutrition. While slower weight loss is often recommended, there are numerous reasons why a doctor might have you lose at a rate faster than generally prescribed.
At minimum I would be reassessing things with my doctor and probably getting a 2nd opinion as well.
1% of your body weight as a rate of loss goal is a pretty good rule of thumb.0 -
Agreed. Weight loss more rapid than that poses health risks that typically outweigh being obese for a tad longer according to WebMD. I would hope his doctor's recommendation of a VLCD was informed by some other health condition, and included instructions as to how to meet his macros. It's also perfectly fine to get a second medical opinion if anything seems fishy.alanlmarshall wrote: »A good rule of thumb is to lose 1% of body weight a week.
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This discussion has been closed.
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