Bad Advice?

Ninjaeema

So I saw my new doc today for the first time, and I talked to her about my workouts. She seemed pretty horrified that I was lifting weights, and told me that I should avoid heavy weights, just increase reps, and ideally not lift at all and just do cardio, so that I will lose weight. She had no medical reasoning for any of this, she just said that she always gives that advice to women so that they don't end up bulky.

Anyway, I do a vigorous 40 minutes on my bike daily, and HIIT with weights about 4x a week for 30-40 minutes, and I also do yoga 3-4x per week. I feel like this is a really balanced schedule for me, and I feel great doing it. She said I should start running instead. I'm pretty sure my face wasn't hiding any of my skepticism.

I should add that my old doc thought it was great that I was so active and said that lifting is actually really good for women, but unfortunately he's moved, which is why I saw this new doc.

Alatariel75

That really is bad advice.

Ready2Rock206

Unless you're on steroids, eating at a major calorie surplus and doing a pretty intense lifting program you're probably not going to end up bulky.

AnvilHead

Your new doc is an idiot. Tell her to stop reading Tracy Anderson's derp.

Nobody "ends up bulky" by accident. And most people even have a very hard time intentionally getting bulky when lifting weights.

spiriteagle99

Ignore her. You have found a routine that works for you and that you enjoy doing. That's what matters.

NorthCascades

Lifting is really good for everyone.

What your doctor told you isn't medical advice. I don't know if she's good at diagnosing illnesses or not. But she's probably not an exercise specialist, especially considering the advice she gave you. In short, her opinion on this matter isn't any better than another person's. You should feel free to ignore it if it doesn't mesh with your common sense.

I prefer cycling to running, and it sounds like you do, too. You should keep at it. Riding a bike is great, low-impact cardio, but way more important, it's a lot of fun. Don't give that up just because somebody told you to.

Maxxitt

Hopefully your doctor is more knowledgeable about other areas of primary care ... but if it was me, I would continue shopping for a competent physician.

AnvilHead

Maxxitt wrote: »

Hopefully your doctor is more knowledgeable about other areas of primary care ... but if it was me, I would continue shopping for a competent physician.

Doctors get very minimal formal education in medical school regarding nutrition, and even less regarding exercise/fitness. I'll trust a doc to diagnose my illnesses and whatnot, but I'd never take nutrition/training advice from them unless they were a specialist in that field, or had made personal efforts to further their knowledge/training about it. Just like I wouldn't trust an optometrist to do my vasectomy.

jenilla1

New doc is a fool. I'm embarrassed for her.

Ninjaeema

I feel like even though she might be a competent physician in other respects, I just won't be able to trust her going forward, because everything she said was so ridiculous. She said running was good for losing weight because it gave you a lean look, and she said just look at the olympics, runners a very thin and lean and shot putters are bulky because they handle weights. So then I thought maybe she was confused about what my goals were (in addition to the fact that there was all sorts of stuff wrong with her example), so I told her that I wasn't interested in being thin or losing weight, but I was interested in losing fat, and she looked at me like I just grew an extra head or something.

vespiquenn

Get a new doctor. Run if one cannot give any medical backing to any claim they are making.

I just know that I’d be nervous around a doctor that thinks it’s medically responsible to make a claim that they cannot back up with facts.

AnvilHead

Sounds like all that doc's training about fitness and nutrition came from silly magazine articles and Dr. Oz.

jondspen

From what I read, lifting weights is good for women to help bone density. And so what if you want to bulk up...that's your prerogative.

Just remember in every batch of fresh new doctors....one of them ended dead last in the class.

LeoT0917

I would definitely find another Dr. Did she even ask you what your overall fitness goals are?

Ninjaeema

She never asked me what my fitness goals were, and when I tried to explain to her that I enjoyed lifting, she said there was no reason to and then dismissively said "unless you want to get super strong or something". I get that most women want to be thin, and for them that means just thin, not fit, but I like seeing my muscles pop. She also told me never up the weight I was lifting, just increase the reps. Literally everything she told me was wrong.

Ninjaeema

BTW, thanks for the support everyone. I've worked so hard over the last year to get strong, and I have, and I continue to, and a lot of that is because I can lurk here in the forums and get inspiration and advice. I never would have started lifting if it weren't for the people here, and it's changed my life.

Lean59man

Your doctor is very misinformed..

Yikes.

sissidevore

i wouldn't be able to trust her after that. honestly doctors are usually only accurate with specific things, that is why there are so many specialists, like nutritionist, gyn/ob , allergist... etc. i would try to find another doctor t hough, your doc doesn't sound like they are very knowledgeable. when i was pregnant they suggested that i use the elliptical each day to help keep my muscles strong. each time i go to the doctor they tell me how muscles are important and exercise helps with it.

singletrackmtbr

It is pretty common for physicians to understand very little about exercise science or nutrition. It isn't their fault per se, it is simply not their main focus, and to keep up with all the the changing research would be nearly impossible for them.

I wouldn't fire my doctor for this, but I wouldn't use her as a resource for these types of questions.

Check out out Jordan Hasay. She is an accomplished marathoner who strength trains like a beast. A great example of how there is room for both cardio and strength.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

yeah I would find another dr. weight lifting has helped with my RA so much to where so far I have not needed meds,and I am a smaller size at a heavier weight compared to before (before I got fat) and a lower weight.

TimothyFish

Women don't get bulky unless they are dosing on testosterone or spend a lot of time lifting. But for weight loss cardio is more effective because it burns more calories.

Heather4448

Not everyone graduates at the top of their class

canadianlbs

'bulky' is not a medical condition. so what the *kitten* is she doing deciding on your aesthetics for you? the two of you aren't planning to start dating or anything somewhere down the road, i assume.

feeling pissy because i've had that kind of day. but not even counting how misinformed she is there . . . i just can't get over the sheer inappropriateness of her making a comment like that.

swebb1103

My doc is the opposite - she wanted me to do strength training because in her opinion, strong muscles and ligaments support our bones, decreasing the chances for fractures later in life. She encourages doing both. I have family history of osteoporosis, so I do what she says.

hesn92

That’s weird. I’ve only ever heard it’s good to strength train. Was she older I wonder?

katsheare

Ninjaeema wrote: »

BTW, thanks for the support everyone. I've worked so hard over the last year to get strong, and I have, and I continue to, and a lot of that is because I can lurk here in the forums and get inspiration and advice. I never would have started lifting if it weren't for the people here, and it's changed my life.

I second what you've said here. While lifting isn't in my current regime, it is in my near-term plan, and that's ENTIRELY to do with lurking and learning here.

@Ninjaeema I hope you find a GP you can work with. Sounds like the relationship with this one may have tanked before it set sail...

dutchandkiwi

Seems that your doc is projecting her ideas on body image onto her patients and it is approaching it from a health care perspective.
I agree with @AnvilHead that the primary healthcare providers have minimal formal education on nutrition and personal training and that makes them not suitable to talk to on the subject. Which is a shame considering we live in a society that thinks that the primary healthcare provider should now about health. However a doc is primarily treating diseases in the patient, not the health of the patient. Subtle difference.

But having said that I as just reading Runners magazine and what a lot of broscience on losing weight was spouted there! I shook my head in disbelief and threw it to the side.
And FWIW lifting is great, bulking is not a given and it is good for bone density and with that good for women. But most of all it is totally enjoyable

sssynnamon

Your doctor may, or may not, be an idiot as so many in this thread have said. However, the mere fact that she gives the same advice to all women indicates that her mind is narrow.

I was an amateur competitive bodybuilder many years ago and life changed. It happens. I stopped training and REALLY let myself go (like 50 pounds gained go). I did the dieting and the cardio, but the weight wasn't coming off. I started lifting again and I watch my calories. No cardio (not against it for others, it's just not MY thing). I've lost 33 pounds in 5 months and have built my muscle back up, though I'm hardly bulky. I could have added cardio and cut calories drastically, but I wanted a slower loss since I'm over 50 and wanted my skin to have a chance to keep up with the loss. This is the approach that worked for me. Different things work for different people.

Remember, advice, even from a doctor, is still only advice. You don't HAVE to follow it.

dbanks80

Ninjaeema wrote: »

She never asked me what my fitness goals were, and when I tried to explain to her that I enjoyed lifting, she said there was no reason to and then dismissively said "unless you want to get super strong or something". I get that most women want to be thin, and for them that means just thin, not fit, but I like seeing my muscles pop. She also told me never up the weight I was lifting, just increase the reps. Literally everything she told me was wrong.

Is she a GYN? Most Gyn will tell women to lift weights. Especially older women because lifting weights helps prevents Osteoporosis.

Your doctor sounds really unknowledgeable with fitness.

BrianSharpe

dbanks80 wrote: »

Ninjaeema wrote: »

She never asked me what my fitness goals were, and when I tried to explain to her that I enjoyed lifting, she said there was no reason to and then dismissively said "unless you want to get super strong or something". I get that most women want to be thin, and for them that means just thin, not fit, but I like seeing my muscles pop. She also told me never up the weight I was lifting, just increase the reps. Literally everything she told me was wrong.

Is she a GYN? Most Gyn will tell women to lift weights. Especially older women because lifting weights helps prevents Osteoporosis.

Your doctor sounds really unknowledgeable with fitness.

This.....

No one, including men, gets "bulky" by accident. Bodybuilders put in hour upon hour in the gym and some resort to a little bit of chemical help, even if you were doing a program like Stronglifts ( 3 x approx 45 minutes weekly) you would get stronger but you're not going to bulk up.

Your doctor has done you and every other woman that she's given this advice to a grave disservice with this completely inaccurate advice.

Ninjaeema

She's a GP, my midwife (who I see for well woman care), thinks lifting is great, especially since both my mother and grandmother have osteoporosis. My gut tells me that she's got her own personal image issues, since she immediately focused on looks rather than actual health or fitness.