Ever get bad advice from a professional?

Options
Protranser
Protranser Posts: 517 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'll share:

One year ago, my doctor was flabbergasted at how fat I got, and the weight reading on his scale. I was 100 lbs heavier than normal weight for my height and gender. He told me, almost verbatim, "Stop eating! Just stop. Go talk to Carol at reception, she used to be a nutritionist."

Carol is now a medical billing assistant? At least, I think that's what she does. She never seems to set up appointments and is always on the phone with various insurance companies whenever I'm in the waiting area. Her advice? "Don't add any oils to your foods when you eat. Don't use any dressings for salad unless they're fat free. Don't have any sweets."

«134

Replies

  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Options
    Nope. No bad advice.

    Had an unnecessary keyhole procedure because of a bad reading from a machine. That's about it I think.

    But I can't recall any bad or wrong advice about diet or nutrition from a doctor etc

  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    Options
    keyhole procedure? My head is trying to visualize what that means. It sounds frightening!
  • stephanieluvspb
    stephanieluvspb Posts: 997 Member
    Options
    Sounds like you dr has a good bedside manner, and "used to be a nutritionist" lol
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    Options
    stephanieluvspb wrote: »
    Sounds like you dr has a good bedside manner, and "used to be a nutritionist" lol

    The doctor is an interesting character. He's generally good to talk to about health concerns, but he himself could stand to lose a few pounds. He just hasn't found a method that worked for him, is my guess. :D
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Options
    Protranser wrote: »
    keyhole procedure? My head is trying to visualize what that means. It sounds frightening!

    Keyhole as in a small tiny hole they stick things in instead of cutting a giant hole in you.

    Say they need to check something in your heart, instead if cutting your chest, cracking ribs etc they can go in your leg/groin and up to the heart that way.

    No expert :smiley:
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    Options
    Merkavar wrote: »
    Protranser wrote: »
    keyhole procedure? My head is trying to visualize what that means. It sounds frightening!

    Keyhole as in a small tiny hole they stick things in instead of cutting a giant hole in you.

    Say they need to check something in your heart, instead if cutting your chest, cracking ribs etc they can go in your leg/groin and up to the heart that way.

    No expert :smiley:

    Yikes, you had that done to you and you didn't need it? I'm glad you came out okay after all that, even though I don't really know you :blush:
  • stephanieluvspb
    stephanieluvspb Posts: 997 Member
    Options
    Protranser wrote: »
    stephanieluvspb wrote: »
    Sounds like you dr has a good bedside manner, and "used to be a nutritionist" lol

    The doctor is an interesting character. He's generally good to talk to about health concerns, but he himself could stand to lose a few pounds. He just hasn't found a method that worked for him, is my guess. :D

    maybe he should go to the "nutritionist" :D:D
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    Options
    stephanieluvspb wrote: »
    Protranser wrote: »
    stephanieluvspb wrote: »
    Sounds like you dr has a good bedside manner, and "used to be a nutritionist" lol

    The doctor is an interesting character. He's generally good to talk to about health concerns, but he himself could stand to lose a few pounds. He just hasn't found a method that worked for him, is my guess. :D

    maybe he should go to the "nutritionist" :D:D

    lol, that would be unfortunate. I'm glad I knew someone who has managed to lose a lot of weight and keep it off for most of her life. She pointed me to weight watchers, which worked great, until I learned of calorie databases and the apps that help track calories :D
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Options
    Protranser wrote: »
    Merkavar wrote: »
    Protranser wrote: »
    keyhole procedure? My head is trying to visualize what that means. It sounds frightening!

    Keyhole as in a small tiny hole they stick things in instead of cutting a giant hole in you.

    Say they need to check something in your heart, instead if cutting your chest, cracking ribs etc they can go in your leg/groin and up to the heart that way.

    No expert :smiley:

    Yikes, you had that done to you and you didn't need it? I'm glad you came out okay after all that, even though I don't really know you :blush:

    Thanks.

    But the point of key hole surgery is that it's less invasive, like no recovery time. Day surgery or overnight stuff.

    It was a while ago so details are fuzzy, I think I was there over night but maybe not even that. I remember sleeping but that could have been during the day.

  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,196 Member
    Options
    Wow Merkavar, a face update! You look 20 years younger!

    I would have to write an essay to capture all of the bad medical advice that I have received over the years. Most of it came from PCPs. I have a huge distrust of generalists as a result.

    Second opinions--always a good thing!
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Options
    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    Wow Merkavar, a face update! You look 20 years younger!

    Thanks :sunglasses:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    Options
    Shows you how much doctors know about nutrition if they think it's ok to consult with someone who was a nutritionist years ago... considering that recommendations change all the time anyway.

    My doctor told me to eat fat free everything because my LDL was high, but HDL was high as well so overall my ratio was still fine. That's when I was only eating 60g of fat a day or something. I'm no expert but I don't think that was very sound advice.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    The real shame is that doctors are seen as an authoritative figure because they deal with our health problems etc... one thing you should note is that in the 5 year course or however long it is, they get about 6 hours of nutritional education.

    That's nothing.

    Unless they have a degree in nutrition or relevant to it, I would trust them. If not, then I know not to go with anything they say.
  • snowflakesav
    snowflakesav Posts: 644 Member
    Options
    Actually I think that not adding salad dressing, oil or butter to prepared foods is pretty solid advice as a first step to reducing calories. It is one of many possible responses...certainly one of the better ones. (I would have put reducing sugar higher on the list).

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    Yes, I did. I had a doctor assume I was fat because I was lazy. He missed something because he didn't bother to look for it.

    I paid the price.

    I'm big on seeing a specialist when there is something wrong.

    Skipping butter and oil when you're 100 pounds too fat...it's not bad advice. Those are very easy ways to cut back on calories. If you have questions, ask for a referral to a dietitian. It's the best 30-60 minutes you'll spend on your diet and is better than anything you'll read here because it's just for you. :)
  • HikeCyclist
    HikeCyclist Posts: 153 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    If you think about it, regular PCPs are just doctors of medicine. Write a script. High blood pressure? Take this pill. Strep throat? Take this antibiotic. It's really a shame. Personally, I believe that many diseases can be prevented and even cured with food (e.g. plants, herbs, etc.).
  • Furbuster
    Furbuster Posts: 254 Member
    Options
    Yep.

    I was diagnosed for 30 years with something I didn't have. Only recently since I moved areas and to a better NHS trust did the specialists realise it was something else.

    Wrong meds for 30 years (and their side effects) - yeah I'm angry about it.

    I learnt my lesson - always ask for a second opinion. Doctors aren't Gods.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    Options
    I went to a "fat" doctor and he put me on phen-phen and told me to eat 1000 calories a day. Thank goodness the med made me feel like *kitten* and I stopped it after a couple of months-before it could damage my heart!
    I lost the weight simply cico and started exercising. Most of the loss occurred before MFP. I wish I had it back then-it would have been easier.
  • labohn91
    labohn91 Posts: 113 Member
    Options
    I went to the doctor because I was getting intense pain in my stomach, back and chest. I was told everything from IBM, I am sleeping on the wrong side and my favorite anxiety. Turns out I had gallstones that were about 2cm big and my gallbladder needed to be removed.
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    Options
    I would've ended up eating too much of something else to make up for the loss of fat, oil, butter. I would like to believe I'd have been more likely to follow a plan that suggested a calorie budget system had i learned of it that day, rather than leaving thinking about restricting food groups that i obviously enjoyed being 100 lbs overweight lol. Hindsight is 100% though...

Categories