DR Says To Eat 1200/day

HellaCarriefornia

Yes, you want to take medical advice from a professional. But, there is nothing wrong with getting a second opinion.

I went to a new doctor (I was new to the area) to get a general check up and discuss my weight concerns as I had gotten very heavy. I told him what I had been trying to do to lose weight. He told me I was wasting my time lifting weights/trying to build muscle and I should stop immediately. He suggested another "calorie counter" app and when I showed him my phone and I'd been using MFP for several months (also hoping he would review my calorie intake and diet) he just shrugged, said he'd never heard of it and "guess(ed) it would be just as good" as the one he suggested. But, never bothered to review any of my data.

I made a second appointment with another doctor for the next week. She was much more helpful and slightly more knowledgable and gave me information and recources on nutrition classes and specialists I could go to with our health plan.

I know this is not your exact scenario, but I think it's worth a second look if you are concerned.

itsbasschick

if you feel good, try the 1200 calories and see how you feel but be aware of how your body is feeling while you do it. if you feel weak or are losing weight fast, i'd suggest you up your calories and ask your doctor to refer you to a nutritionist/dietician. my experience with them so far has been so-so at best, but you could get lucky.

i have never gotten a single useful word from a doctor when it comes to nutrition or diet. seems like they just give generic out-of-a-book advice that has never yet applied to me, but again, you could get lucky.

QuietBloom

Be wary OP, be wary. Doctors are not the best sources for nutrition information, and if this doctor thinks you can build muscle on 1200 a day then I would take her nutrition advice with a whole shaker full of salt. That's me though, I don't take medical advice from my finance guy, and I wouldn't take dietary advice from a medical doctor just because they graduated med school, lot's of people graduate med school, it doesn't mean they know jack about nutrition.

Rigger

Yeah, big red flag right there.

katiehbell

The doctor who is comfortable with his practice and advice will be happy to refer you to a dietician. If he is not, beware his knowledge.

cookiealbright

Listen to your doctor then listen to your body. Good luck to ya! :flowerforyou:

BerryH

Start with MFP's recommendations. If you gain weight after the first week cut your daily calories by 100. Repeat.

RGv2

To all those who say "listen to the doctor", can they please explain how the OP is going to "build muscles" at a caloric goal already lower than what MFP sets? (Keeping in mind the OP is a female to boot).

I'll hang up and listen.

nilbogger

Is this to lose weight, or just to maintain? If it's just to maintain that seems too low even with the effect of the medication.

Definitely see a dietician.

njitaliana

My family doctor tells everyone who needs to lose weight to go on a 1200 calorie a day diet. I did it and took off a good deal of weight, but then I stopped losing (still obese). I couldn't take off another ounce.

I now see a doctor at the Center for Medical Weight Loss who told me that I absolutely needed to start at 1600 calories a day, not 1200. He said as my weight gets lower and lower, I can begin to go lower on calories when necessary (when I hit plateaus). He said if an obese person starts at 1200 and then loses weight and plateaus, they can't go any lower, since it's not safe to go under 1200 calories. Therefore, weight loss will stop. He said that all doctors have that old 1200-calorie-a-day handout, and that it's the only thing most of them know about weight loss, since it's the only handout they get. He said it's very ineffective.

I also see a dietician, and she, too, said to do 1600 calories a day. So, maybe get an opinion from a dietician and see what they say.

JayMri

1. Doctors aren't always right. You should definitely take professional medical advice over advice from somebody over the internet. However, they can occassionally get things wrong. I've been given things that I shouldn't be given (like Propanalol when I have asthma, which is generally a no-no, and caused a panic when I told my psychiatrist).

2. See a dietician. They have more specialised training in nutrition and weight loss/maintenance.

3. My friend is a recently qualified doctor and even he admits that he doesn't know much about nutrition and that he'd advise me to see a dietician instead of relying on General Practitioners.

4. You should see if the medication causes weight gain in your own personal situation. I've often been on medications which are known to commonly cause weight gain (equal to or more than 1 in 10 people) and haven't experienced any weight gain at all. Not all patients are the same, which some doctors tend not to remember. It's easy to look at a list of side effects and freak ("coma or death" was one of the ones that got my attention) but they don't apply to all.

Don't take my advice over a doctor though, or any of anyone's advice that isn't qualified. However, do take our advice about seeing a specialist dietician.

^ This - ask for a referral to a dietitian
I have some health issues that mess with my metabolism. I tried the 1200 on doctor's advice and steadily gained. That's a very generic guideline that they give because they aren't knowledgeable in that area. With more research on my part it was determined I need to be at around 1600.

tarcotti

I second the opinion of "dietician or a specialist" for a second opinion! This is just a website...

The_Godwin_72

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

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

Doctors are not nutritionists. Go find someone who specializes in nutrition and have them work with your needs.

_Zardoz_

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

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.