Low calorie diet if dr prescribed?
jelleigh
Posts: 743 Member
Hey all
So I've been reading the posts about the dangers of low cal diets and am curious about whether there are any caveats to it.
I've recently visited a dr prescribed metabolic clinic. It's funded by OHIP (Gov insurance) and it's staffed by drs who specialize in nutrition, obesity science, fertility science etc. The purpose is to reverse my current prediabetic state and balance out some weird hormone issues. From what I can see, the first phase if the diet lasts 2-4 weeks and is essentially lower fat keto. (20 g carbs, no actual macros otherwise but you aren't supposed to load up on saturated fats like some do on keto). Street phase 1 you increase to 50g carbs. I'm brand new to it so I don't have many days under my belt, but I could see how it would be easy to end up very low calorie on this. My current MFP goal is 1450 but the first day I only hit like 1000 and yesterday I would have hit 1200 only but I added a compliant origin bar and brought it up to 1400. On the program it's not necessary to count calories but I'm doing it to keep am eye on things.
My question is, if you do a short term (1 month) phase that could end up lower calorie, are there still the dangers mentioned in the other posts?
Should I just make a point to add the fat that is compliant till I hit my calorie goal?
So I've been reading the posts about the dangers of low cal diets and am curious about whether there are any caveats to it.
I've recently visited a dr prescribed metabolic clinic. It's funded by OHIP (Gov insurance) and it's staffed by drs who specialize in nutrition, obesity science, fertility science etc. The purpose is to reverse my current prediabetic state and balance out some weird hormone issues. From what I can see, the first phase if the diet lasts 2-4 weeks and is essentially lower fat keto. (20 g carbs, no actual macros otherwise but you aren't supposed to load up on saturated fats like some do on keto). Street phase 1 you increase to 50g carbs. I'm brand new to it so I don't have many days under my belt, but I could see how it would be easy to end up very low calorie on this. My current MFP goal is 1450 but the first day I only hit like 1000 and yesterday I would have hit 1200 only but I added a compliant origin bar and brought it up to 1400. On the program it's not necessary to count calories but I'm doing it to keep am eye on things.
My question is, if you do a short term (1 month) phase that could end up lower calorie, are there still the dangers mentioned in the other posts?
Should I just make a point to add the fat that is compliant till I hit my calorie goal?
1
Replies
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1200 calories is the minimum for women.
Since you are above that and being monitored by physicians, you should be ok. Hopefully, health care professionals know more about you than random people on the internet.7 -
I would think if you’re under the care of metabolic specialists it would be fine to follow the plan as it was proscribed to you. Don’t overthink it, just follow what they tell you to do.
Personally I would suspend counting your calories whilst you’re under their care. I suspect it’ll only stress you trying to mix and match the two approaches.
Your long term health needs to take precedence over your weight loss goal, just for a short while, anyway.10 -
Hey all
So I've been reading the posts about the dangers of low cal diets and am curious about whether there are any caveats to it.
I've recently visited a dr prescribed metabolic clinic. It's funded by OHIP (Gov insurance) and it's staffed by drs who specialize in nutrition, obesity science, fertility science etc. The purpose is to reverse my current prediabetic state and balance out some weird hormone issues. From what I can see, the first phase if the diet lasts 2-4 weeks and is essentially lower fat keto. (20 g carbs, no actual macros otherwise but you aren't supposed to load up on saturated fats like some do on keto). Street phase 1 you increase to 50g carbs. I'm brand new to it so I don't have many days under my belt, but I could see how it would be easy to end up very low calorie on this. My current MFP goal is 1450 but the first day I only hit like 1000 and yesterday I would have hit 1200 only but I added a compliant origin bar and brought it up to 1400. On the program it's not necessary to count calories but I'm doing it to keep am eye on things.
My question is, if you do a short term (1 month) phase that could end up lower calorie, are there still the dangers mentioned in the other posts?
Should I just make a point to add the fat that is compliant till I hit my calorie goal?
The point of being doctor monitored is that if the low calories start to cause you physical harm, they will catch it before too much damage is done.
I doubt eating slightly "too low" calories for one month will cause any physical damage, especially since I would hope the guidelines they have given you are nutritionally complete. The only concerns would be psychological / appetite issues. For some people, coming off a period of very low calories can lead to problems regulating appetite and the beginning of yo-yo dieting with periods of compensatory binging followed by more and more restrictive dieting to lose the weight gained back by the binging. Whether or not that will be an issue for you is highly personal, and whether that risk is worth the goal you are hoping it will accomplish is up to you.
If you're concerned, is it possible to contact them and ask them what they think? Regardless, best of luck and I hope the issues you are trying to address with it improve
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When I first started transitioning to a lower carb woe my appetite decreased significantly and I had to be intentional about eating more snacks, in order to get in enough calories. However, this was temporary, (less than a month if I'm remembering correctly), before my appetite started adjusting up again. From what I've seen on low carb/keto sites/groups this is a very common phenomenon when you first go lower carb, but usually it's temporary and won't last too long.
If you're doing this under a doctor's care/direction are you going in for regular check-ins? Maybe ask him/her about the next time you go in?0 -
I am with @kimny72. I am a firm believer that under normal conditions the body is well adapted to go short periods of time with less than optimal nutrition. In short term the dangers would be fatigue and if it triggered an eating disorder.
I would not stop counting calories though. I think it keeps you in charge and I do think you should try for most days to aim for at least 1200 calories. That assumes the medical team conducting this agrees.
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Thanks everyone. Ya I don't mean to overthink things but I also think that it's important to advocate for your own health. I've heard doctors say things that I know to be factually untrue but I should also remember these people are specialists.
I do have check ups every two weeks so I will ask them when I go in.
Although I'm eating 1200-1400 calories, it's not accounting for what I burn in exercise which according to mfp (which I know to be high) is 600-800 calories per day) . Which makes my net very low2 -
Hey all
So I've been reading the posts about the dangers of low cal diets and am curious about whether there are any caveats to it.
I've recently visited a dr prescribed metabolic clinic. It's funded by OHIP (Gov insurance) and it's staffed by drs who specialize in nutrition, obesity science, fertility science etc. The purpose is to reverse my current prediabetic state and balance out some weird hormone issues. From what I can see, the first phase if the diet lasts 2-4 weeks and is essentially lower fat keto. (20 g carbs, no actual macros otherwise but you aren't supposed to load up on saturated fats like some do on keto). Street phase 1 you increase to 50g carbs. I'm brand new to it so I don't have many days under my belt, but I could see how it would be easy to end up very low calorie on this. My current MFP goal is 1450 but the first day I only hit like 1000 and yesterday I would have hit 1200 only but I added a compliant origin bar and brought it up to 1400. On the program it's not necessary to count calories but I'm doing it to keep am eye on things.
My question is, if you do a short term (1 month) phase that could end up lower calorie, are there still the dangers mentioned in the other posts?
Should I just make a point to add the fat that is compliant till I hit my calorie goal?
No one on here is a doctor or professional (well maybe in their own minds) listen to your doctors and skip the opinions of none professionals. People always claim "My doctor is bad" or "my doctor ______" just find a good/ new doctor.
Best of luck
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There are risks associated with very low calorie diets, but your doctor knows your current medical situation. It may be that the doctor determined your current medical status to be a greater risk to your health than the diet. Medical supervision is the key and it sounds like your plan is medically supervised. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions. I’d likely be very curious in your shoes and want to know what specific goals they are trying to achieve with plan. It sounds like they have specific goals related to blood sugar and hormone balance but I’m a numbers geek and would research and ask questions and take notes. I’d be excited to see those medical goals reached moreso than scale weight.0
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@emmamcgarity I'm a data nerd too. It's actually what appeals to me generally because every two weeks they do a new full scan and provide me reports. I know the targets we are aiming for but some of them will be a few months before we're would see progress.2
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I would recommend low calorie diets only if they are prescribed and under observation from medical professionals.
Bring quesions - loads of questions and see how they stack up. Never accept an answer simply due to letters behind one's name.
Log your data into MFP and keep a journal on how you feel, how you sleep, anything you find different or meaningful - review this at a later date to see what's improved and what you can change.
A key point - as hormones are free cylcing many hormonal disorders dramatically improve as weight trends to optimal BMI.
Hoping this works well for you.1 -
Thanks everyone. Ya I don't mean to overthink things but I also think that it's important to advocate for your own health. I've heard doctors say things that I know to be factually untrue but I should also remember these people are specialists.
I do have check ups every two weeks so I will ask them when I go in.
Although I'm eating 1200-1400 calories, it's not accounting for what I burn in exercise which according to mfp (which I know to be high) is 600-800 calories per day) . Which makes my net very low
If you are actually only netting an average of 700 calories per day post-exercise, that *would* be cause for concern. Are your specialists aware of your level of activity?4 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Thanks everyone. Ya I don't mean to overthink things but I also think that it's important to advocate for your own health. I've heard doctors say things that I know to be factually untrue but I should also remember these people are specialists.
I do have check ups every two weeks so I will ask them when I go in.
Although I'm eating 1200-1400 calories, it's not accounting for what I burn in exercise which according to mfp (which I know to be high) is 600-800 calories per day) . Which makes my net very low
If you are actually only netting an average of 700 calories per day post-exercise, that *would* be cause for concern. Are your specialists aware of your level of activity?
Well here's the thing - there isn't a calorie restriction. They want you to eat till full. I specifically asked about CICO and calorie goals and it was dismissed as unimportant. But I know tracking in the background that because of the types of food (protein, leafy vegetables) you hit "full" in a small amount if calories. Maybe like someone mentioned before, this is just a temporary situation because I'm new to the diet and that my appetite will kick up a notch once I'm adjusted to it . In the meantime I'm trying to add more fat so that I can get the calories up. I will mention it at my next visit again. But my impression from the first visit is that if I don't feel hungry then it doesn't matter to them.0 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Thanks everyone. Ya I don't mean to overthink things but I also think that it's important to advocate for your own health. I've heard doctors say things that I know to be factually untrue but I should also remember these people are specialists.
I do have check ups every two weeks so I will ask them when I go in.
Although I'm eating 1200-1400 calories, it's not accounting for what I burn in exercise which according to mfp (which I know to be high) is 600-800 calories per day) . Which makes my net very low
If you are actually only netting an average of 700 calories per day post-exercise, that *would* be cause for concern. Are your specialists aware of your level of activity?
Well here's the thing - there isn't a calorie restriction. They want you to eat till full. I specifically asked about CICO and calorie goals and it was dismissed as unimportant. But I know tracking in the background that because of the types of food (protein, leafy vegetables) you hit "full" in a small amount if calories. Maybe like someone mentioned before, this is just a temporary situation because I'm new to the diet and that my appetite will kick up a notch once I'm adjusted to it . In the meantime I'm trying to add more fat so that I can get the calories up. I will mention it at my next visit again. But my impression from the first visit is that if I don't feel hungry then it doesn't matter.
Did you get the impression that weight loss was even a goal in the first phase? They might be thinking that without guidance most people are eating closer to maintenance.0 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Thanks everyone. Ya I don't mean to overthink things but I also think that it's important to advocate for your own health. I've heard doctors say things that I know to be factually untrue but I should also remember these people are specialists.
I do have check ups every two weeks so I will ask them when I go in.
Although I'm eating 1200-1400 calories, it's not accounting for what I burn in exercise which according to mfp (which I know to be high) is 600-800 calories per day) . Which makes my net very low
If you are actually only netting an average of 700 calories per day post-exercise, that *would* be cause for concern. Are your specialists aware of your level of activity?
Well here's the thing - there isn't a calorie restriction. They want you to eat till full. I specifically asked about CICO and calorie goals and it was dismissed as unimportant. But I know tracking in the background that because of the types of food (protein, leafy vegetables) you hit "full" in a small amount if calories. Maybe like someone mentioned before, this is just a temporary situation because I'm new to the diet and that my appetite will kick up a notch once I'm adjusted to it . In the meantime I'm trying to add more fat so that I can get the calories up. I will mention it at my next visit again. But my impression from the first visit is that if I don't feel hungry then it doesn't matter.
Did you get the impression that weight loss was even a goal in the first phase? They might be thinking that without guidance most people are eating closer to maintenance.
Ya it's a metabolic clinic designed for weightloss. The program is specific for blood sugar and hormone issues but I don't think they are expecting people to eat at maintenance since regular loss and strict compliance is a requirement to be kept in the program.0 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Thanks everyone. Ya I don't mean to overthink things but I also think that it's important to advocate for your own health. I've heard doctors say things that I know to be factually untrue but I should also remember these people are specialists.
I do have check ups every two weeks so I will ask them when I go in.
Although I'm eating 1200-1400 calories, it's not accounting for what I burn in exercise which according to mfp (which I know to be high) is 600-800 calories per day) . Which makes my net very low
If you are actually only netting an average of 700 calories per day post-exercise, that *would* be cause for concern. Are your specialists aware of your level of activity?
Well here's the thing - there isn't a calorie restriction. They want you to eat till full. I specifically asked about CICO and calorie goals and it was dismissed as unimportant. But I know tracking in the background that because of the types of food (protein, leafy vegetables) you hit "full" in a small amount if calories. Maybe like someone mentioned before, this is just a temporary situation because I'm new to the diet and that my appetite will kick up a notch once I'm adjusted to it . In the meantime I'm trying to add more fat so that I can get the calories up. I will mention it at my next visit again. But my impression from the first visit is that if I don't feel hungry then it doesn't matter to them.
Unless you have an eating disorder it really is ok - you honestly will get hungry. If you feel you can't trust your appetite other signs of under eating (besides the obvious of losing too much weight too quickly) is feeling unreasonably cold, carb cravings and low energy. I'd trust the process and see how you make out.
Or maybe average your calories for the week and see where you're at? It's very common to have several low (perhaps very low) days followed by a really hungry day where you'll eat more (sometimes a lot more). It can be a very comfortable way to lose weight for some.2 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Thanks everyone. Ya I don't mean to overthink things but I also think that it's important to advocate for your own health. I've heard doctors say things that I know to be factually untrue but I should also remember these people are specialists.
I do have check ups every two weeks so I will ask them when I go in.
Although I'm eating 1200-1400 calories, it's not accounting for what I burn in exercise which according to mfp (which I know to be high) is 600-800 calories per day) . Which makes my net very low
If you are actually only netting an average of 700 calories per day post-exercise, that *would* be cause for concern. Are your specialists aware of your level of activity?
Well here's the thing - there isn't a calorie restriction. They want you to eat till full. I specifically asked about CICO and calorie goals and it was dismissed as unimportant. But I know tracking in the background that because of the types of food (protein, leafy vegetables) you hit "full" in a small amount if calories. Maybe like someone mentioned before, this is just a temporary situation because I'm new to the diet and that my appetite will kick up a notch once I'm adjusted to it . In the meantime I'm trying to add more fat so that I can get the calories up. I will mention it at my next visit again. But my impression from the first visit is that if I don't feel hungry then it doesn't matter.
Did you get the impression that weight loss was even a goal in the first phase? They might be thinking that without guidance most people are eating closer to maintenance.
Ya it's a metabolic clinic designed for weightloss. The program is specific for blood sugar and hormone issues but I don't think they are expecting people to eat at maintenance since regular loss and strict compliance is a requirement to be kept in the program.
I assumed the overall program was a weight loss program. I just wondered if the first phase is meant to be weight loss oriented.0
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