Doctor's advice doesn't seem right...

TLContheGulfCoast

What do you call the person who graduates at the bottom of his/her medical school class?

"Doctor."

Find another doctor. I'm pretty damn picky about who I take advice from and if their advice doesn't match up to my understanding in areas that I'm comfortable with what I know, I start to question their expertise in areas I don't. Trust is vital when it comes to experts.

^^^This!!!

LiminalAscendance

So is this just a "doctors aren't always right" post? Do people even exist, in this day and age, that feel they are infallible?

That being said, given your current goals, you would still lose weight faster (1200 < 1380, yes?) following this "poor" advice.

Of course, you can eat fruit (or twinkies, or doughnuts, et cetera, ad nauseum), and still lose weight. It doesn't change the fact that fruit is loaded with sugar, and has little to no protein, and is not the wisest staple, when one desires to lose weight.

But yes, there is no school which teaches someone to become "perfect."

sunburntgalaxy

Ok I agree that maybe you need a new doctor - here is my story of when I realized that doctors aren't always correct (not weight related but gets my point across).

For years I had horrible stomach pains and my doctor kept wanting to say it was an ulcer. Did an upper GI - nothing - took meds - nothing, still had problems (so bad I thought I was having a heart attack at times, and I was in my 20's). Finally I mentioned it to a friend at work who was a nurse (she worked part time in the shop I worked in) and she said "it sounds like your gallbladder - you should ask about that" so I did and my doctor said there was absolutely no way it could possibly be my gallbladder because of my age, no kids, no way, won't check for it, totally wrong, never could be that. So she sent me to a gastroenterologist and I told him what she said, and he said, well, I disagree with her, so lets check - and it turned out it was my gallbladder, full of stones, and I needed to get it taken care of asap. So that is the day I figured out that not all doctors are good and that sometimes they aren't doing things in your best interest - luckily for me the doctor she sent me to was good and did listen. That is when I decided to find a new doctor (they called to say I had to have surgery from her office and I told them off something fierce). I asked around and found a good doctor that had good recommendations from people I knew and that is when I found my previous doctor (who retired) and then my current doctor, who listens to me and makes recommendations that are good and make sense.

To me, it sounds like your doctor is like my old doctor - trying to use a one size fits all option. You need a doctor who will listen to you (you are making progress which is awesome - why change what is working) and make recommendations based on what is good for you. I always question when someone says to avoid a whole group of foods, but especially fruit - fruit is awesome! Unless you have a specific medical condition that is a reason to avoid it (and if that is the case your doctor should have mentioned that) it is just not reasonable. You need to have a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix. Cutting stuff out (again, unless there is a medical reason) sounds like a temporary fix to me.

whitebalance

I'm female, average height. I lost over 40 pounds between November 2012 and June 2013, and I've kept it off for a year. I never ate as your doctor recommended. The only times my caloric intake dipped that low were related to ultrasound testing and a hysterectomy (things which of course required fasting) and occasional migraines (during which eating is simply not an option). My go-to foods included (among other things) apples, raisins, peaches, melon, and that awesome Panera Bread salad with four kinds of fruit in it. And I often had a cookie with that salad, because, you know, cookie. According to your doctor, OP, I should be El Tubbo right now.

Now, at my present weight, if I net (repeat, net, at a "sedentary" activity level) 1500 calories a day, I lose weight. In practice, I'm actually eating somewhere between 1,600 and 2,200 calories a day, depending on my activities for the day.

So now, OP, there are at least two of us whose weight loss your doctor can't explain. You and me.

Edited because basic math evades me... wrong years posted...

WalkingAlong

I went to the doctor yesterday for a physical, and the visit basically turned into a weight loss consultation. I told her what I've been doing and that I've lost almost five pounds in the past month (I'm at 166, trying to get down to 140).

Despite my "success" she gave me a series of guidelines that I HAVE to follow or I will "NOT" lose weight. The primary one being that I should only eat 1000 calories per day, absolutely NEVER going over 1200...

I'm currently set at 1380 per day by MFP and it seems to be working just fine. The doctor also told me that I should eat very little fruit and carbs because of the sugar (which in and of itself is an issue because I'm a vegetarian/almost vegan and eat a lot of fruit and whole grains).

She's a medical doctor, so I feel like I should listen to what she says, but it seems crazy and impossible to follow. Am I being stubborn?

I wonder if the advice to eat 1000 was because maybe you told her you weren't happy with your 5 lbs. loss in a month at 1380? Because 5 lbs. in their first month makes a lot of people disappointed, especially at 1380. She might figure you're overestimating intake and subtracting from your 1380 value to speed up your losses, like someone else mentioned.

The fruit sugar thing--- Do you have issues with sugar? Prediabetes or anything? Did you tell her 1380 is hard to limit yourself to? Because adding more protein and fat and less sugar might help with that.

I don't know, it just seems like usually there's a lot of things that were probably said over a whole appointment and maybe it wasn't all out of the blue. Maybe it was, though. Once an ob/gyn (that was a fabulous doctor who'd been practicing for decades) told me low carb was the only way.

SLLRunner

I went to the doctor yesterday for a physical, and the visit basically turned into a weight loss consultation. I told her what I've been doing and that I've lost almost five pounds in the past month (I'm at 166, trying to get down to 140).

Despite my "success" she gave me a series of guidelines that I HAVE to follow or I will "NOT" lose weight. The primary one being that I should only eat 1000 calories per day, absolutely NEVER going over 1200...

I'm currently set at 1380 per day by MFP and it seems to be working just fine. The doctor also told me that I should eat very little fruit and carbs because of the sugar (which in and of itself is an issue because I'm a vegetarian/almost vegan and eat a lot of fruit and whole grains).

She's a medical doctor, so I feel like I should listen to what she says, but it seems crazy and impossible to follow. Am I being stubborn?

Is it possible that you need to look for another doctor? It sounds like she is grossly misinformed on weight loss issues.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

The thing to remember is, doctors only have to take an alarmingly small amount of schooling in nutrition to earn their degree. It's sort of like asking a lawnmower guy advice on how to take apart a carburetor on a mustang. They may have a vague idea, but than again it's not their specialty, so what the hell would he know? Talk to a registered dietitian, they'll have a much better idea of what they're talking about, and how to help you. You were right to trust your gut.

SLLRunner

So is this just a "doctors aren't always right" post? Do people even exist, in this day and age, that feel they are infallible?

That being said, given your current goals, you would still lose weight faster (1200 < 1380, yes?) following this "poor" advice.

Of course, you can eat fruit (or twinkies, or doughnuts, et cetera, ad nauseum), and still lose weight. It doesn't change the fact that fruit is loaded with sugar, and has little to no protein, and is not the wisest staple, when one desires to lose weight.

But yes, there is no school which teaches someone to become "perfect."

Well, that particular doctor is wrong.

However, my doctor would never deliver such advice. In fact, I've never had a doctor who didn't say the key to weight loss is to eat in moderation and eat less calories than you burn.

megsmom2

Most doctors don't get a lot of training in nutrition or weight loss. They really don't understand the mechanics of it much better than the rest of us. So what this doctor is doing is pretty much what a lot of us would do....going by anecdotal or popular culture stories and somewhat outdated information.
I think sticking with something that works...like MFP...is the way to go UNLESS there is a specific medical issue that would require adjustment...like diabetes or another metabolic issue. So...stick with what you're doing...lose the weight..and when you check back with your doctor in a few months, educate him or her about MFP, so they can help the next patient do things the right way.

njitaliana

Unfortunately, doctors don't learn much of anything about nutrition in medical school. They learn about diseases instead. Since you're doing well at the calorie amount you are presently at, I'd just keep doing what you are doing.

NaomiJFoster

My friend had a doctor tell her to eat only mandarin oranges, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and saltine crackers. And to absolutely stay under 500 calories a day.

My husband had a doctor tell him to never ever eat yogurt or cheese, but to always drink whole milk. And to eat three hard boiled eggs every morning, chicken breast and broccoli every lunch, and chicken breast and broccoli every dinner. And nothing else ever.


Not all doctors know what they're talking about.

beautifulwarrior18

Doctors aren't required to take very many courses in nutrition. Atkins is probably something that worked for your doc so he/she promotes it. If you really want tips on losing weight you'd be better off meeting with a registered dietician and a trainer (I only promote trainers that have bachelor's degrees in kinesiology).

vegwrangler

Wow. I had the same exact conversation with a doctor once. At 5'9" tall and 225 pounds, he actually told me "you don't need to lose weight, but if you want to, you'll have to drop your intake to under 1000 calories per day." You're not alone in the confusion and fear that comes with trying to "do the right thing" and seek advice from a medical professional... and failing.

You're not alone in this. There are many doctors out there that are more than able to help.

RetiredAndLovingIt

Wow, I am kinda lucky...I am older, shorter & my Dr told me to not go below 1500. ( I had told her I want to eat as much as possible & yet still lose. Although it is slow going! So yeah for me! lol)

Nery_Tay

:glasses: My weight has been a plateau for a couple months. When ever I go see the doctors I'm pretty sure they don't know what they are saying when they speak about weight loss.

dbmata

I wonder how much of this is due to the doctor being wrong, and how much is due to the poster not knowing how to communicate with said doctor?

While everyone is ready to jump on the whining about doctors train, the reality is, that most patients are freaking terrible at knowing how to talk to a doctor, and few people realize that a relationship with a doctor is two way. It's about conversations, working together to make things better, and treating care as a partnership.

Even then though, yeah, there are good and bad doctors, that's why you should always give your doctor a thorough interview and have no problems challenging their suggestions when logic (not belief) dictates. Any doctor with his degree will review data, and make decisions based on sound research whenever possible, over trends, hype and bs.

Took me three different doctors before I got to the one I have now. What I have with him is a partnership for health, he's well versed in sports medicine, and knows his limitations.

Gidzmo

I went to the doctor yesterday for a physical, and the visit basically turned into a weight loss consultation. I told her what I've been doing and that I've lost almost five pounds in the past month (I'm at 166, trying to get down to 140).
Despite my "success" she gave me a series of guidelines that I HAVE to follow or I will "NOT" lose weight. The primary one being that I should only eat 1000 calories per day, absolutely NEVER going over 1200...

I'm currently set at 1380 per day by MFP and it seems to be working just fine. The doctor also told me that I should eat very little fruit and carbs because of the sugar (which in and of itself is an issue because I'm a vegetarian/almost vegan and eat a lot of fruit and whole grains).
She's a medical doctor, so I feel like I should listen to what she says, but it seems crazy and impossible to follow. Am I being stubborn?

She's an MD, but she is not God.

Fruit has sugar, but it's natural sugar. You need some carbs for energy.
BTW, you mention that you are a vegetarian. What are you doing for protein?

I don't think you are being stubborn. You are the one that must live with the effects of following/not following the advice. If you don't think it will work or what IS working for you is good, then leave it (or go with it). Everyone's body is different.

MickeyCastello

True many doctors aren't savy about weight loss strategies. I offer the following as a case in point.
About a couple of weeks after I got to goal, I had my yearly physical. My doctor asked me how I did it, and said he really wasn't qualified in weight loss and usually refers patients to a nutritionist. I told him about MFP, and he said he'd heard of it, but hadn't checked it out. Since he was running ahead of schedule, due to a couple of no shows, we talked at length about it. He brought it up on his computer, and I showed him several days of my diary, and a few success stories. He still refers patients to a nutritionist, but he also suggests MFP.

WalkingAlong

I wonder how much of this is due to the doctor being wrong, and how much is due to the poster not knowing how to communicate with said doctor?

While everyone is ready to jump on the whining about doctors train, the reality is, that most patients are freaking terrible at knowing how to talk to a doctor, and few people realize that a relationship with a doctor is two way. It's about conversations, working together to make things better, and treating care as a partnership.

I feel like also that for many of the 'my doctor said' stories, we're missing crucial pieces of the conversation or things were heard wrong, then re-reported here. I see it with college students all the time-- "My instructor said I need to do X then Y..." when they just heard wrong or read the instructions wrong.