Doctor said 1000 calories
mwood1234
Posts: 60 Member
Hello all, so I went for my checkup at the doctor and we discussed my weight. He also runs a weight loss clinic along with his family practice. He suggested I cut to 1000 calories a day and no more than 25 mg of fat a day.
Isn't that too low calorie? I've been logging consisently for 2 weeks (open diary take a look). I average from 900 to 1100 day. Fat grams avg 24-30.
My BMR is 1294
TDEE is not much more than that maybe 1350.
5' 2"
CW: 143.2
I've lost around 2 pounds since 02/22.
% of body fat is 34%
Need your expertise and advice.
Isn't that too low calorie? I've been logging consisently for 2 weeks (open diary take a look). I average from 900 to 1100 day. Fat grams avg 24-30.
My BMR is 1294
TDEE is not much more than that maybe 1350.
5' 2"
CW: 143.2
I've lost around 2 pounds since 02/22.
% of body fat is 34%
Need your expertise and advice.
0
Replies
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Personally, I would get a second opinion. I'd say eat at least your BMR and maybe get some exercise if you can to give you a few calories to play around with. But I am not an expert. Your doctor is an expert but I would still question anyone who recommended 1000 calories a day.
Is there any medical reason as to why the doctor suggested so low?2 -
my gut feeling is that your doctor is mistaken. You weigh the same as me, yet I am 2 inches shorter, and I am aiming for an average of 1390 with exercise.
You don't have a massive amount to lose, so eating below your BMR at this point is probably not wise. Also, eating fat does not make a person fat. Fat helps satiety.3 -
You're only 143 pounds as it is and have already lost 2 pounds since you started logging. What you're doing is working so I can't see any reason why you would need to cut your calories and fat to such an extreme. Did your doctor explain why he was recommending those limits?1
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yes get a second opinion - its not that your overweight by much...
I started my weight loss journey at 154lbs also 5ft 2" in 2012, I started on 1200 + exercise calories and lost 1/2lb a week.
I ended up becoming so active that I lost weight on 1800 calories. (I eat around 30g of fat a day).
I am maintaining a 22lb weight loss for 3+ years I still am very active. (my TDEE is 2200-2400 cals)
There is really no need to half starve yourself to lose weight.
All the best for your weight loss journey - its so worth it to look after yourself, get healthy and fit 0 -
Hello all, so I went for my checkup at the doctor and we discussed my weight. He also runs a weight loss clinic along with his family practice. He suggested I cut to 1000 calories a day and no more than 25 mg of fat a day.
Isn't that too low calorie? I've been logging consisently for 2 weeks (open diary take a look). I average from 900 to 1100 day. Fat grams avg 24-30.
My BMR is 1294
TDEE is not much more than that maybe 1350.
5' 2"
CW: 143.2
I've lost around 2 pounds since 02/22.
% of body fat is 34%
Need your expertise and advice.
How do you feel about what you are doing now? If I were in your shoes, 1100 is probably the lowest I would go.0 -
He's a doctor not a weightloss expert find someone on here who's qualified to give weightloss advise
Last year I saw a highly qualified consultant (U.K. High up doctor ) for hemoraghing he said it won't happen again after examining me next 15 days I hemoraghed so badly the last one resulted in me nearly dying
Personally get help from someone who has a clue as your doctor doesn't all because they are doctors does t mean they're right 2 -
I'm a nurse and work with lots and lots of doctors. They don't always know what they're talking about, especially if they're one of those doctors of osteopathy (DO), and there are a lot of them who do family medicine.
If you're really concerned I would talk to a registered dietician.2 -
So he runs a weight loss clinic? You discussed your weight? You are barely overweight!
1000 calories is way too low. 25 grams of fat is way too low.
I would suggest starting with what MFP tells you, after you've plotted in your stats here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided
and picked your goal according to this:
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
ETA: I don't believe your TDEE is that low. Are you bedridden?1 -
"ETA: I don't believe your TDEE is that low. Are you bedridden?"
LOL. No, not bedridden. I need to figure out what my TDEE is. I work a desk job. Use treadmill 3x week for about 40 mins each time. Brisk pace. But that's about all the exercise I get.
I don't know why he said to go so low on calories. It hasn't been easy and I am hungry alot. And honestly, I'm getting pretty tired of being hungry every day.
I'm going to take your advice and up it to 1100.
How many grams a fat a day to lose 1lb a week?
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"ETA: I don't believe your TDEE is that low. Are you bedridden?"
LOL. No, not bedridden. I need to figure out what my TDEE is. I work a desk job. Use treadmill 3x week for about 40 mins each time. Brisk pace. But that's about all the exercise I get.
I don't know why he said to go so low on calories. It hasn't been easy and I am hungry alot. And honestly, I'm getting pretty tired of being hungry every day.
I'm going to take your advice and up it to 1100.
How many grams a fat a day to lose 1lb a week?
It's calories that matter for weight loss, not necessarily grams of fat.0 -
Sounds about right. 300 cal/day deficit. Nothing shocking. You're short (No offense), so your overall caloric burn is lower.0
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1000 is LOW. I'm 4'10.5" with 20 to drop and I don't eat that low. I would bring up your caloric intake to 1100-1300 and get moving more! get on your treadmill more. Walk when you fold your laundry.
When you are short like us, we have to move more, not cut out that much from our diets. Bedridden I burn about 1260-1300 a day.
I agree, get a second opinion.2 -
Sometimes eating a little more helps with weight loss.... same with fat. Fat is not the enemy (as in good fats.. olive oil, fish, avocado's, etc.). Its usually the processed stuff that is the enemy. I still think that the numbers sound low. Sometimes doctors, especially older ones, don't think about things like blood work numbers, lifestyle, and overall health. They see a number and go solely on BMI and that's it.0
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I am not surprised. My friend's dietician put her on a 1000 calorie diet. And I know she weighs more than your current weight, probably by at least 50 lb.0
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At 45 and your height, your goal will be low. I think your numbers are off some. I'm 41 and 5 feet tall but my goal is 1200. Loss is slower but more manageable.0
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I'm no expert, but I think that your doctor is wrong. Unless he's had some specialized sort of training, most MD's get less than a semesters worth of nutrition training. I think that if you want an expert opinion, I would find a Dietician to work with.
That said, do not be scared of fat. Fat and Protein keep you fuller longer, so if you are eating at you BMR at a minimum (which I calculated slightly higher, but regardless) you could easily add more fat to your diet. Personally, I would be starving at 1,000 calories per day or less. Yes, losing weight is hard work, but there is no reason to make yourself completely miserable in the process.1 -
Go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ enter your info as lightly active and see what it tells you to eat... and eat that.
However, you don't seem to be weighing your food, so you're probably eating more than you think anyway. I'm guessing that's why a lot of doctors put patients on low calorie diets... they know that they'll underestimate their food anyway.2 -
Is that sustainable? If not, once you go back to eating normally you will gain the weight back. Sounds like a quack, so far as weightloss advice. JMHO0
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RunRutheeRun wrote: »yes get a second opinion - its not that your overweight by much...
I started my weight loss journey at 154lbs also 5ft 2" in 2012, I started on 1200 + exercise calories and lost 1/2lb a week.
I ended up becoming so active that I lost weight on 1800 calories. (I eat around 30g of fat a day).
I am maintaining a 22lb weight loss for 3+ years I still am very active. (my TDEE is 2200-2400 cals)
There is really no need to half starve yourself to lose weight.
All the best for your weight loss journey - its so worth it to look after yourself, get healthy and fit
Why do you eat soo little fat? diatary fat is healthy and essentiall for healthy hair, nails, skin, digestive tract, not to mention some vitamins require fat for absorbtion. I would suggest aiming for 0.4 grams per lb of body weight. so if you are 120 lbs that would be a min fat of 48 grams.1 -
I really hope you mean 25g of fat, not 25mg. Actually, I take that back. 25g is just as ridiculous.
My advice is to find a doctor that's not a complete moron. 1200 calories per day is the bare minimum of what you should be eating.
You're in your 40s, you're relatively short, and I assume you're pretty inactive (?), so yes, your goal will be on the low side. However, 1000 calories per day is absolute nonsense. Please eat more than that. If you're exercising at all, you definitely need more than that.
You've lost 2 lbs in 2 weeks. Averaging a pound per week is fine, but not if you have to essentially starve yourself. Eat more and try to get your rate of loss to half a pound a week. You didn't say how much you want to lose, but since you're in the 140s, I wouldn't imagine it's all that much. Why rush it if it means eating less than a toddler needs?0 -
"ETA: I don't believe your TDEE is that low. Are you bedridden?"
LOL. No, not bedridden. I need to figure out what my TDEE is. I work a desk job. Use treadmill 3x week for about 40 mins each time. Brisk pace. But that's about all the exercise I get.
I don't know why he said to go so low on calories. It hasn't been easy and I am hungry alot. And honestly, I'm getting pretty tired of being hungry every day.
I'm going to take your advice and up it to 1100.
How many grams a fat a day to lose 1lb a week?
calories lead to weight loss/gain, not dietary fat. fat does not make you fat. aim for a range of 0.35 to 0.45 grams of fat per lb of body weight, so at 120 lbs that would be 42 to 54 grams, and more isn't bad, just may get in the way of other macro requirements.0 -
Sometimes eating a little more helps with weight loss.... same with fat. Fat is not the enemy (as in good fats.. olive oil, fish, avocado's, etc.). Its usually the processed stuff that is the enemy. I still think that the numbers sound low. Sometimes doctors, especially older ones, don't think about things like blood work numbers, lifestyle, and overall health. They see a number and go solely on BMI and that's it.
Fat is not "the enemy" per se, but fat also contains a ton of calories, so fat intake--even from the so-called-"good fats"--does need to be monitored. On a 1000 cal/day diet, 25 g of fat is 22% of total calories, which is lower than I would go, but it is not excessively low.
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"ETA: I don't believe your TDEE is that low. Are you bedridden?"
It hasn't been easy and I am hungry alot. And honestly, I'm getting pretty tired of being hungry every day.
This makes me sad. You don't need to be hungry all the time to lose weight. You can lose and feel full. You'll eventually get so frustrated with being hungry and feeling deprived that you will give up. It takes a lot of trial and error to figure out the sweet spot for weight loss. Sounds like what you were doing was working so I would stay with that. If it stops working then tweak and keep tweaking until you find something that works again.
Good luck! And stop feeling hungry!!
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RunRutheeRun wrote: »yes get a second opinion - its not that your overweight by much...
I started my weight loss journey at 154lbs also 5ft 2" in 2012, I started on 1200 + exercise calories and lost 1/2lb a week.
I ended up becoming so active that I lost weight on 1800 calories. (I eat around 30g of fat a day).
I am maintaining a 22lb weight loss for 3+ years I still am very active. (my TDEE is 2200-2400 cals)
There is really no need to half starve yourself to lose weight.
All the best for your weight loss journey - its so worth it to look after yourself, get healthy and fit
Why do you eat soo little fat? diatary fat is healthy and essentiall for healthy hair, nails, skin, digestive tract, not to mention some vitamins require fat for absorbtion. I would suggest aiming for 0.4 grams per lb of body weight. so if you are 120 lbs that would be a min fat of 48 grams.
when I talk about 30g of fat, thats saturated fat, if I include the other fats its more like 50-60g
and as I mentioned before I am successfully maintaining my weight loss for several years, so obviously I am doing something right
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If you do decide to continue eating the 1000 calories/day your doctor recommended, can you possibly talk to a registered dietitian to work out a meal plan? The RD could help make sure you're getting enough vital nutrients, and also may want to switch your macro goals to include more fat or something else to help you feel full. Larger amounts of fat and fiber personally keep me full (I'm just a little taller, and a good bit heavier than you working with a 1200 calorie goal).0
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I think thats too low- even if you're 5'2.
Id start with 1200-1300 calories.
At 143 Im not sure why you needed a weight loss consult? - let alone were told to eat so little calories.
If you're hungry all its because you arent feeding your body properly.
Id say your BMR is around 1250 and TDEE 1520 range.
10% deficit would give you 1368 cals/day - given your current weight Id shoot for this number-this includes your light effort of 40min/3x per week on the treadmill. So dont add or eat exercise unless it is above and beyond this.
For a more aggressive loss at 20% you'd eat 1216 per day
So yes, 1000 is too low.
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I have to take in 900-1000 calories a day to lose .5 - 1 pound a week. Been walking 3-4 miles a day and trying to balance 1000 calories and end up losing 1 pound a month. I am 5'2" 173. Everybody's body is metabolism, I know mine sure is. Good luck! Just try it for a few weeks and see if what the doctor says is right. But don't make yourself sick.4
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Hard to judge the doctor's intent w/out more info. However if he is running a "weight loss clinic", I suspect his outlook is geared more towards low-calorie diets rather than a more multifaceted approach.
Your situation has some challenges in that you are (or feel you are) overweight, yet you're not that overweight. With your size it is also more of a challenge to maintain a calorie deficit because your TDEE is smaller. In theory, given your size, a 1000 cal/day diet is not outlandish. However, as you known, it's not much fun either which makes it hard to sustain.
Personally I would also recommend increasing your cal intake into the 1200-1400 range and work more on increasing your total activity, both exercise and casual. TBH, you need to be on that treadmill at least 5 days a week; some strength training would help as well.0 -
LorettaB1967 wrote: »I have to take in 900-1000 calories a day to lose .5 - 1 pound a week. Been walking 3-4 miles a day and trying to balance 1000 calories and end up losing 1 pound a month. I am 5'2" 173. Everybody's body is metabolism, I know mine sure is. Good luck! Just try it for a few weeks and see if what the doctor says is right. But don't make yourself sick.
I'm sorry, but this is not good advice. It's extremely difficult to get in all the nutrients you need consuming 1,200 calories per day, virtually impossible eating less than 1,000 calories per day. Yes, ultimately weight loss is about calories in calories out, but there is something to be said for the quality of the calories that you are consuming.
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I'm a nurse and work with lots and lots of doctors. They don't always know what they're talking about, especially if they're one of those doctors of osteopathy (DO),
Generalizations aren't helpful.
There are different types of people in all career paths. Some are competent, some are not.
How one chooses which type of physician is best for them is a very personal choice and often rooted in philosophical belief about the body and health.
D.O.s are osteopathic and M.D.s are allopathic.
D.O.s specialize in a whole-body, holistic, preventative, and macro-lifestyle approach to medicine.
M.D.s specialize in a medicative, medical procedural, pharmaceutical, and micro-structural approach to medicine.
Their medical training is nearly identical. It is their philosophy about the human being as a whole person that is different. Both are fully licensed physicians who have attended and graduated from accredited medical schools and put in their hard work, study, and performed accredited medical residency. Both are required to pass a state licensing examination to practice medicine. They both should be knowledgeable in their field, offer sound medical advice, and have their patient's well-being at the core of their oath. Failure to be/do any of those things is a lack in their character or competency, not their chosen career.
OP - If you are seeing one that instructed you to do something you are not comfortable with, it can't hurt to seek out advice from the other and then compare the opinions. (Or even seek a third opinion.) There is also, as many others have mentioned, the alternatives of seeking out advice from a nutritionist, dietitian or even a kinesiologist; or seek out professional, yet non-biomedical, advice.
I sympathize with your feeling of hunger. I almost always feel hungry which often leads to over-eating and lands me in a vicious cycle of weight-gain.
A last tidbit... do you have time to fit some walking in your day? I know when the weather is nice and I take a daily walk with my neighbor, I find my weight slightly easier to manage.
Good luck 2
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