DR Says To Eat 1200/day

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Replies

  • tarcotti
    tarcotti Posts: 205 Member
    I second the opinion of "dietician or a specialist" for a second opinion! This is just a website...
  • The_Godwin_72
    The_Godwin_72 Posts: 102 Member
    I am for listening to the doctors. i am glad your feeling good. I would not drop to 1200 calories unless i was on the med for 30 to 45 days and saw that i was gaining weight. food is importants and so is some cardio.Take it day to day, keep a journal.
  • feralkitten1010
    feralkitten1010 Posts: 219 Member
    I have a friend who was diagnosed with celiac disease, and the doctor informed her of all of the things she needed to stay away from. He neglected to go over any personalized plan for healthy eating, and as a result, she was rushed to the hospital because her body went into starvation mode -- she wasn't getting enough fat in her diet. I'd get a second opinion, or speak with a specialist in nutrition.
  • littlekitty3
    littlekitty3 Posts: 265 Member
    Doctors are not nutritionists. Go find someone who specializes in nutrition and have them work with your needs.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    HI All

    I just started a medication that's side effect is gaining weight. My Dr advised me to exercise everyday and named specific exercises to burn calories and build muscles. The problem is she told me to only eat 1200 calories a day instead of what MFP says I should eat. I have done the research on this medication and you do gain weight because it lowers your metabolism and for some other scientific reason I do not really understand. I may be on this medication for life and to be honest I feeling good so for now I do not want to stop taking it.

    Would love to hear any recommendations or thoughts you have.

    Thanks
    The fact that you have posted this here means you are not 100% Happy with his recommendations. So I think that alone means maybe as others have said ask to be referred to a RD or a specialist. Also as someone said if he thinks your going to build muscle on 1200 that is a sign of his limited knowledge in this area. A good doctor would be happy to refer you or answer your concerns.
  • SkepticalOwl
    SkepticalOwl Posts: 223 Member
    I *am* a doctor, and it's true that we learn very little about nutrition in medical school. Everyone who has said that consulting a registered dietician would be a good move is absolutely right on.

    The only thing I'm concerned about is that you say that the medication you have been started on lowers your metabolism. Since you didn't mention what the medication is, I can't say for sure, but most medications that cause weight gain do it by stimulating appetite or causing fatigue (thus making you move less) rather than decreasing metabolism per se, so restricting calories below what MFP says wouldn't be necessary. If your appetite is increased it may *feel* like you need to restrict calories but you can actually eat what you were eating before and not gain.

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