Doctor's diet to make me lose weight and get pregnant?

candylilacs

He's a fertility doctor and suggested I go on his diet plan to get pregnant. It's not too far off from what I'm doing, except I can't have any whole wheat bread for a month. He says I'll lose weight, but I can't help think you still have to eat like a "normal" person rather than eat until you like.

Bad List

Sugar (to include hidden sugars e.g. orange juice)
Breads/baked goods and flour
Potatoes
Yogurt
Beer
White wine
Bananas

So-So List

Pasta Serving Size = tennis ball
Rice

Good List

Everything else. You can eat any meats,
fruits, vegetables, or nuts that aren’t listed
above. Dairy products are also good. There
is no need to limit portion size.
Red Wine may be consumed in moderation

Phase 1
(Restrictive)

Nothing from the Bad List
1-2 Servings/week from So-So List
As much as you want from the Good List
Use Phase 1 for 4 weeks
This should help with the cravings and
give you impressive results.
You may be hungry between meals for 1-
2 weeks. Eat snacks from the good list.

Phase 2
(Maintenance)

2-3 servings/week from Bad List
3-4 servings/week from So-So List
As much as you want from the Good List
Cheat day 1 time/week
Vacations: Enjoy yourself. You may
need to return to the restrictive phase for
a few weeks after your vacation.

Must work out to muscle exhaustion/cardiovascular health 3x a week.

Some of this doesn't make sense to me....so I'm not sure if I should try it, especially since I just lost 20 pounds on my own.

QuilterInVA

Sounds like a good plan to me. It's very healthy. Why did you go to him if you doubt his advice?

nomeejerome

Sounds pretty restrictive to me.

chasetwins

Doesn't sound "too" restrictive to me however it is you who needs to be able to stick to it. The restricted items you can't have for only 4 weeks - not the rest of your life. They are reintroduced back in after...with moderation.

With any diet moderation is key. I do not personally like the "no portion size" even for the good stuff. I could easily devour fruit all day and be in a natural sugar coma

I am a BIG bread person but have not had pasta or rice since Jan..just not worth the extra calories to me The bread I include here and there but do not go over board. So other than the no portion size..sounds like a pretty good plan to me actually.

candylilacs

Doesn't sound "too" restrictive to me however it is you who needs to be able to stick to it. The restricted items you can't have for only 4 weeks - not the rest of your life. They are reintroduced back in after...with moderation.

With any diet moderation is key. I do not personally like the "no portion size" even for the good stuff. I could easily devour fruit all day and be in a natural sugar coma

I am a BIG bread person but have not had pasta or rice since Jan..just not worth the extra calories to me The bread I include here and there but do not go over board. So other than the no portion size..sounds like a pretty good plan to me actually.

Yeah, I'm always leery of plans that say "eat in moderation" because obviously those aren't the plans thinking of me. If I could eat in moderation I wouldn't be attempting to lose 75 pounds. I'm debating doing it, but wouldn't start until a few weeks after the semester starts when there's a little less stress.

jwdieter

Basically, if you can moderate your calories through something like MFP, you don't need a list.

If you can't choose to eat less, but you can stick to a list, that list will help you keep calories down.

candylilacs

Sounds like a good plan to me. It's very healthy. Why did you go to him if you doubt his advice?

I think we should all think critically about any medical advice we're given, especially when it comes to diet. If not, then we'd all be on Optifast and yo-yoing like crazy.

He's a reproductive endocrinologist, but mainly he does IVF. While a "fertility diet" sounds OK, I just don't 100 percent or even 75 percent believe it. Each RE has their own quirk (and I've seen five already) this one has a diet, another wanted me to take CoQ 10, another wanted me to take DHEA, another wants me to take liquid chlorophyll every day. It doesn't hurt you, but there's not a lot of proof that it will help you get pregnant. Plus, I'm already losing weight my way, so I'm not sure I want to give up my plan that's working for one that might not. (I'm on the Glycemic Index Diet and the only difference is that I eat whole-wheat and occasionally sourdough bread.)

Although I am curious if anyone has heard of this kind of diet? He says that my energy will greatly change, etc.

micheleb15

I get how you can lose weight on his/her plan, but how does this help someone get pregnant? I'm out of my element here. It seems like anyone doing low-carb should make sure they are using birth control....

candylilacs

I get how you can lose weight on his/her plan, but how does this help someone get pregnant? I'm out of my element here. It seems like anyone doing low-carb should make sure they are using birth control....

I can't remember all that he was telling me, but basically it's supposed to reduce metabolic syndrome which can hinder pregnancy. Ideally it's for women with PCOS, but apparently works if you have any hint of high glucose.

He says, "Many patients have experience excellent results using diet and exercise modification. This treatment can be used alone or in combination with other fertility treatments. A fertility diet may not be the answer to everyone's problems, but it can certainly help improve the results. If you are someone with ovulation problems and PCOS, the results are often impressive. In many cases, additional fertility medications may not be required."

I don't have PCOS, so this isn't a necessity for me.

Mokey41

Lose weight however you want. He's giving you a diet geared toward a condition you don't have and telling someone that can eat as much of certain foods as they want is not good advice for someone who already has a weight problem. Just because someone is a doctor doesn't mean they know what they're talking about and you're probably paying him a lot of money so he feels obligated to offer you some wonderful advice.

lynn1982

If dairy products are "good," then why no yogurt? I don't eat dairy, but I would think yogurt would be a good choice if you choose to consume dairy due to the probiotics?? It doesn't make sense.

alicat825

OP since you aren't eating yogurt you should take a probiotic.....it helps with immune and digestion...great plan though

unFATuated

It may also be to reduce the acidity in your body, wheat, sugar etc are all highly acidic and can be detrimental to sperm entering your body (by killing them off before they get a chance to do what they need to). A lot of women's bodies are more acidic these days thanks to the foods and drink we consume.

If you're doubtful about this diet, it might be good to get him to explain the reasoning behind it. If you think that the only thing stopping you from falling pregnant is the weight, then it might be best to continue on your own. If he can offer up some other reasoning then it might be good to at least give it a go.

dnunny70

Use some of what he lists. Also, start taking prenatal vitamins, folic acid etc.
I had wanted to lose weight before I had another child...but 7 years later I was still overweight (obese)-I was 270 when I got pregnant with my younger son. The 7 year gap was not planned..just happened that way.

Best of luck to you!