500 calories??

Yesterday I was talking with a friend and I was telling about how I change my eating habits and I am exercising now ( according to myfitnesspal I should consume 1200 calories a day to lose weight) She told me she lose 20 lbs and expect to lose 20 lb more to reach her goal with a diet a DOCTOR told her but she only can eat 500 calories a days, don't seem to healthy to me but she was looking a little upset when I told her that, what you guys think about that 500 calories diet???
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Replies

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    edited May 2015
    I think her doctor needs his/her license revoked
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    If she is being medically supervised, then they are the qualified ones. Its called a very low calorie diet the key is she is being monitored. What do the guys here know about a medically supervised low calorie diet? Pray tell.
  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
    500 calories for someone 40 lbs overweight is not an appropriate VLCD, with our without medical supervision.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    edited May 2015
    999tigger wrote: »
    If she is being medically supervised, then they are the qualified ones. Its called a very low calorie diet the key is she is being monitored. What do the guys here know about a medically supervised low calorie diet? Pray tell.

    Normally I'd agree...but 500 a day for any sort of significant length of time is well beyond most medically supervised vlcds....especially with only 40 lbs to lose
  • grandma107
    grandma107 Posts: 70 Member
    Many posts on this forum indicate minimum caloric intake for woman is 1200 and 1500 for men. That being said, we aren't doctors nor do we know her medical background, albeit 500 calories does seem dangerously low. Blessings
  • bfanny
    bfanny Posts: 440 Member
    Maybe it was cutting 500 cals from her daily intake huh? ;)
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    500 calories for someone 40 lbs overweight is not an appropriate VLCD, with our without medical supervision.

    It doesnt say she had 40lb to lose, what her starting weight or other details are either. I would take what the OP says with a pinch of salt tbh. Im not the Dr and you dont have all the information.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    I would think that would be between your friend and her doctor.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    There is a such thing is a 500 calorie diet that a doctor will supervise for a patient - the keyword being supervise, with regular tests and monitoring. Generally a diet like that is prescribed when the risk to the patient's health from being overweight is greater than the risk to their health from being on such a very low calorie diet.

    A very low calorie diet has serious health ramifications, and I would be surprised that a doctor would recommend something like that for someone with only 40 lbs to lose. It is really not healthy, which is why it is generally only used in situations like the one mentioned above.
  • karitomcm
    karitomcm Posts: 8 Member
    bfanny wrote: »
    Maybe it was cutting 500 cals from her daily intake huh? ;)

    No, I ask her that because she said my diet was really good with 1200 calories intake and hers was so hard because she can only consume 500 calories a day, that's why I got concerned
  • xesixb
    xesixb Posts: 165 Member
    500 calories is really low. She should take it at a slower pace. She should slowly start increasing her calories. She could become anorexic if she continues this way.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    Sorry, but there has to be more to this story. I had a friend who was put on an 800 calorie a day diet by a registered dietician who was allegedly also a doctor (of what, I do not know). BUT, said friend was "allowed" to eat as many vegetables a day as she wanted. She probably ate 400 calories a day in carrots. That's not how I'd like to use up 400 calories, but this friend had tried calorie counting before and it overwhelmed her. This way was "easier," she said. She lost weight and has since kept it off. And she's healthy.
  • mch2829
    mch2829 Posts: 70 Member
    edited May 2015
    500 calories is not dangerous if you're medically supervised. The reason people say don't go below 800 or 1200 or 1500 calories isn't because you need a certain number of calories while losing weight. It's because it's easier to get enough nutrients in that amount of food.

    If the doctor is supervising, making sure she's not deficient in any nutrients, providing supplements, and making sure she's not doing any strenuous activities, then a 500 calorie diet isn't that big of a deal.

    Her biggest issue is going to be keeping the weight off because she didn't learn to eat properly.
  • roselover58
    roselover58 Posts: 96 Member
    edited May 2015
    it could be the Hcg injections - the doctor does them. While on the injections, you eat 500 to 1000 calories a day (depends on several factors); the Hcg causes the body to burn about 2,500 to 3,000 calories. You can be on it for no more than 40 days, and then the following 21 days, you continue to not eat starch and sugar, but your caloric intake is back to 1,500 to 1,800 calories.

    ...and I not a doctor (MD), but I am a nutritionist.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    karitomcm wrote: »
    bfanny wrote: »
    Maybe it was cutting 500 cals from her daily intake huh? ;)

    No, I ask her that because she said my diet was really good with 1200 calories intake and hers was so hard because she can only consume 500 calories a day, that's why I got concerned

    Have you talked to her Dr? Do you know the full details of her diet and any medical condition?
    Has she boiced her concerns to the Dr? How overweight is she? Whats her height and weight?
  • victoire713
    victoire713 Posts: 720 Member
    This sounds very unhealthy. The doctor should have had her taken it slower and not had her only consume 500 calories per day. Then again, that said without all the details, who am I to judge anyways? This is just my take on it from my side of things.
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  • karitomcm
    karitomcm Posts: 8 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    Your "friend"?

    Yes, my friend why???
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    karitomcm wrote: »
    bfanny wrote: »
    Maybe it was cutting 500 cals from her daily intake huh? ;)

    No, I ask her that because she said my diet was really good with 1200 calories intake and hers was so hard because she can only consume 500 calories a day, that's why I got concerned

    Well, yeah, I think limiting oneself to 500 calories a day would be very hard, but there may be some reason why the doctor thinks it is necessary. Perhaps she should get a second opinion from another doctor. Comments on MFP don't count as a second opinion.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    it could be the Hcg injections - the doctor does them. While on the injections, you eat 500 to 1000 calories a day (depends on several factors); the Hcg causes the body to burn about 2,500 to 3,000 calories. You can be on it for no more than 40 days, and then the following 21 days, you continue to not eat starch and sugar, but your caloric intake is back to 1,500 to 1,800 calories.

    ...and I not a doctor (MD), but I am a nutritionist.
    Your knowledge of nutrition is severely lacking if you were taught or believe HCG burns 2,5000-3,000 calories.
    Please post a PEER REVIEWED CLINICAL STUDY that supports this. I for one would love to see this.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

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  • jaqcan
    jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
    edited May 2015
    karitomcm wrote: »
    Yesterday I was talking with a friend and I was telling about how I change my eating habits and I am exercising now ( according to myfitnesspal I should consume 1200 calories a day to lose weight) She told me she lose 20 lbs and expect to lose 20 lb more to reach her goal with a diet a DOCTOR told her but she only can eat 500 calories a days, don't seem to healthy to me but she was looking a little upset when I told her that, what you guys think about that 500 calories diet???

    Is she doing HCG shots?
    Edited: I should have read through the other posts first. :/
  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
    I'd be asking a lot more questions about this "doctor".
  • star1407
    star1407 Posts: 588 Member
    My gp supported and supervised me on a 600 cal replacement diet but only because my bmi was 40. He took me off it when I started passing out and losing clumps of hair
  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
    edited May 2015
    Most GPs have very little education on nutrition. I don't know if this has changed, but when I graduated from nursing school 20 years ago, I found out that I had more hours of nutrition education logged for my BSN than the MDs got.

    Edit to add - and my nutrition education was very basic at best.
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  • cat_lady77
    cat_lady77 Posts: 203 Member
    edited May 2015
    Even 700lb+ people aren't told to stick with 500 calories, even if you're on bed rest. I'd get a new doctor, that sounds way too extreme.
  • star1407
    star1407 Posts: 588 Member
    mch2829 wrote: »
    500 calories is not dangerous if you're medically supervised. The reason people say don't go below 800 or 1200 or 1500 calories isn't because you need a certain number of calories while losing weight. It's because it's easier to get enough nutrients in that amount of food.

    If the doctor is supervising, making sure she's not deficient in any nutrients, providing supplements, and making sure she's not doing any strenuous activities, then a 500 calorie diet isn't that big of a deal.

    Her biggest issue is going to be keeping the weight off because she didn't learn to eat properly.

    Yes it is, that's why they have to be medically supervised. Please don't make statements like the bolded ones.
    it could be the Hcg injections - the doctor does them. While on the injections, you eat 500 to 1000 calories a day (depends on several factors); the Hcg causes the body to burn about 2,500 to 3,000 calories. You can be on it for no more than 40 days, and then the following 21 days, you continue to not eat starch and sugar, but your caloric intake is back to 1,500 to 1,800 calories.

    ...and I not a doctor (MD), but I am a nutritionist.

    Where did you recieve your qualifications as a nutritionist? Because holy crap.

    +1 did you read my post? But hey yeah no big deal, hair falling out, fainting and landing up in a heap on the floor no big deal, oh and I forgot palpitations too
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm281333.htm

    Nutritionist? Implicitly supporting illegal treatments in a public forum?
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    it could be the Hcg injections - the doctor does them. While on the injections, you eat 500 to 1000 calories a day (depends on several factors); the Hcg causes the body to burn about 2,500 to 3,000 calories. You can be on it for no more than 40 days, and then the following 21 days, you continue to not eat starch and sugar, but your caloric intake is back to 1,500 to 1,800 calories.

    ...and I not a doctor (MD), but I am a nutritionist.

    The hormone released by the female body during pregnancy causes the body to burn 2500-3000 calories? How are women gaining weight during pregnancy if this hormone causes that to happen, especially since the amount of the hormone present increases exponentially during pregnancy? You don't need to be a pensive velociraptor to see the holes in that logic.
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