Dr told me to stop logging :-0

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  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
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    I would cut out all that bread you're consuming, they're empty calories with no nutritional value. Focus on eating a lot of fruits and vegetables with reasonable protein portions. Right now, being healthy is more important than calorie restriction. your body is suffering and it is letting you know it is.
  • debstanley4
    debstanley4 Posts: 208 Member
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    not sure how he could know with out blood tests.
  • rutabagasrgood
    rutabagasrgood Posts: 3
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    I took a quick peek at your diary and you are surely not getting enough nutrients and fuel for your body.:smile:

    I agree... veggies and fruit and some meat would boost any vites you need. Not sure what some of that other stuff is, honestly... "food-like substances". Sorry, not trying to be harsh, just honest. And since your diary is open, I peeked to see if you might be actually getting enough vites and minerals.
  • huntindawg1962
    huntindawg1962 Posts: 277 Member
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    OP - what the Dr said to you is like saying "the cause of obesity is bathroom scales." What does logging have to do with WHAT you are eating or for that matter, how much one is eating? If you were eating 3500 calories a day of proteins and veggies but logging it all - would that still be an issue? That may have been the short way of saying that he thinks that by logging you are restricting too much but the bigger picture is looking at what you are eating (whether logging or not).
  • juliespears
    juliespears Posts: 25 Member
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    Instead of asking the MD to check your bloodwork, it might be more helpful to ask for a referral to a registered dietician/nutritionist. Not only will they understand fully how to analyze your diet, they will offer strategies for improvement, to include supplements or diet modifications that would fit within your lifestyle and recommended diet plan. You won't get that from an MD looking at just the numbers from a lab test.

    Not sure if this is covered by your insurance or not, but with an MD referral, it should help, since the MD's office staff will know how to word the referral appropriately to optimize your coverage.
  • ARDuBaie
    ARDuBaie Posts: 379 Member
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    From a different viewpoint:

    As a nurse, I know that doctors often do not want to tell patients the truth. Although you may not be getting all your vitamins, could it possibly be that the antibiotic was not the right one for the bacteria that you had? Additionally, if you had a virus, antibiotics will not work. So could he have misdiagnosed what you actually had and is making excuses? That's possible.

    Most Americans are deficient on one vitamin that is really needed in order to keep the immune system healthy. That vitamin is Vitamin D.

    Now I know that you are thinking, "Why would I be lacking Vitamin D when I spend time outside and drink fortified milk?"

    The answer is that Americans use a lot of sunblock and often wear sunglasses, which prevent the necessary absorption from taking place. Maybe even a hat. We have been scared into doing so, treating the sun like it is an arch enemy. I rarely, if ever, wear sunblock. I have not had a cold in 10 years. I supplement with vitamin D like crazy because I know that, without supplementation, I would be deficient in this vitamin. (I have an absorption issue) Since I have started supplementing I have not been sick. Even my asthma has gotten better. Off the inhalers completely.

    You can have tests run to see if you are actually deficient in vitamins or minerals. I would suggest asking the doctor to run those tests. That way you will not be throwing your money away on supplementing when you don't need to do so.

    You can also get a nutrition consult. Doctors get very little in education when it comes to nutrition. Same for nurses. They get the basics and then are cut loose. If the doctor or nurse doesn't read more about nutrition, they lack the information you will need to understand any nutritional deficiency. So ask for a nutrition consult and take copies of your journal with you.
  • MammaC66
    MammaC66 Posts: 132 Member
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    I took a quick look at your diary, and I think your doctor is probably right. It looks like you are eating too little and not the right things. Even if you go on maintenance and keep eating the things you are now you probably wouldn't be getting the nutrition you need. From what I can see, you need more fruits and veggies, as well as more lean protein. Just my 2 cents worth. :)
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
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    Well the logging won't run you down but you need to eat more. I would have thought if you have reached your goal weight your goal calories would have changed, have you changed the setting or is it still set for a loss?

    I would say that your diet would benefit from more fruit and veg, I always think a good food diary is full of food, not calorie dense food but lot's of variety.
  • Clarecbear82
    Clarecbear82 Posts: 369 Member
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    Thanks for all your replies I know I've been eating pretty terribly the last few weeks mainly because my oh has been shopping but also because ive lost interest in food mainly because everything has tasted like mould. I know that's no excuse but I'm making a point of changing back now!
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    well you certainly COULD be - you can stay under your cal goal by eating nothing but a big mac and a mars bar each day, but obviously you would not be getting the correct nutrients ad therefore would have various health issues - while still losing weight steadily.....

    Perhaps you need to take your last month's log to the doc and see if (s)he can give you some pointers as to what you are missing out on (if anything), then adjust your food intake to solve that problem.

    I don't see how logging correctly can be anything but a good thing as at least you will know what you are/aren't eating!

    That makes way more sense than to just stop logging. As does a multivitamin if you don't already take them. Or ask your doc for a referral to a nutritionist.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    Two weeks ago I went to the drs and was diagnosed with sinusitus (sp?) Given antibiotics and told if I don't get any better in two weeks to go back.

    Since then I have had a temperature every day and developed a really sore throat and sores in my mouth (gross I know). So today I went back to see him again and he says he thinks I've got a second viral infection and the start of tonsillitus (sp?) He also asked if I've lost weight (think he noticed my notes had about me being obese and I'm not now) and so I told him is been calorie counting and he told me to stop as I seem run down so probably not getting enough vitamins ect!

    Anyway I don't think I can stop logging my food so I've switched my goal to maintenance for the moment and I'm going to concentrate on eating healthier as for the last couple of weeks I've been eating what tastes ok (which isn't much).

    So my question to all of you is do you really think I could be worse off vitamin and mineral wise than i was when I was obese? It doesn't make any sence.

    Absolutely you could be worse off vitamin and mineral wise than when you were obese. Yes, yes, yes, absolutely!!!!!!!

    How much have you been restricting? You have basically been depriving your body of nutrients for however long it took you to lose weight. Your body has to draw on it's stores to compensate for what its not getting in your diet. Mild calorie restrictions are usually no big deal. Most of us get vitamins and minerals and amino acids and fatty acids and everything our body needs in excess even at a mild calorie restrictive diet. BUT if you've been restricting a lot, you could very well be malnourished. And if you've been restricting for a long time, you could be malnourished.

    Chronic or severe illness often accompanies malnutrition. Your doctor might be 100% correct. I like his advice and think you should follow it.

    Regardless... it's a great idea to eat at maintenance. It probably doesn't matter so much whether you do or do not count calories, so long as you're getting an adequate number of calories and a good range of nutrients.

    Others are correct that doctors don't get a whole lot of training in nutrition, but they have a ton more training than the average lay-person... so even if he's not a nutritionist, I think you should give serious consideration to what he has to say... and if you are worried about it, you should go see a dietitian/nutrition specialist.
  • RosieWest8
    RosieWest8 Posts: 185 Member
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    If your doctor thinks you are deficient in vitamins/minerals why didn’t he suggest that you take a multi-vitamin?
    I doubt that you aren’t getting enough nutrition or vitamins (I didn’t look at your diary). But it does make sense to me that you wouldn’t want to be on a calorie deficit while your body is trying to recover from any kind of infection or injury. So I think you’re fine with just setting your calorie limit to maintain for the time being. It will surely give your body more fuel to work with and fix you up.

    I suffer from chronic sinus issues, for the past few years I’ve come down with at least 2 infections/year. The last one didn’t seem to get better when I started my antibiotics. I ended up using (on my Aunt’s suggestion) oregano oil and then also ended up buying some grapefruit seeds extract. I figured they couldn’t hurt! I started feeling better then (this was after 3 weeks or so of feeling like crap) so it could have been b/c of my ‘natural food store pharmacy’ or I could have just gotten better on my own. But I also use a Neti pot pretty regularly and I think it definitely helps so if you don’t have one, get one.
  • kyt1206
    kyt1206 Posts: 101
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    As a future doctor (current biomed scientist), and after glancing at your food diary, here's what I think you should consider:

    1) You eat way too much processed carbs. Stick with anything that isn't "processed". Or if you must, mildly processed. But if you can't identify most of what it used to be, stop eating it.
    2) You need to introduce more variety into your diet.
    3) If you can't introduce variety, you need to take multivitamins - remember vitamins are a bandage, it is better if you eat the variety of foods to get what you need. Again, NOT a LOT of food, just a VARIETY of food.
    4) Your doctor is probably trying to tell you to eat more because disease takes a lot out of you.

    It has been a researched fact that people with more (moderate) body fat tends to weather the elderly ages better than their skinny counterparts. Some theorize that it is because they can afford to burn off their fat when they get sick (your body redirects a lot of energy to killing your invaders, hence you have a fever -whereas you'd have to run in the gym for at least 5 mins to break a sweat- all the time, your immune system kicks into full gear and you feel *tired* all the time. It's because it's using more energy to combat those germs you have.

    And lastly, antibiotics can kill your intestinal germ cells that help you digest. Think about this:

    You eat 1 plate of food, bacterial in healthy stomach breaks down 1 plate of food for you to absorb.

    You are sick.

    You eat 1 plate of food, bacteria in sick stomach with antibiotics are reduced by 50 to 80%. You break down 50 to 20% of your original intake.

    Your body is using energy to fight off your infection.

    Your normal diet isn't going to give it enough food.
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
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    Personally, when I was a swimmer in college I had the same problem. I had recurring tonsilitis about 3 or 4 times during the course of one year. I've read a lot of literature that explains over exercise being a huge culprit in lowering the immune system. That in combination without proper nutrition (I had the tendency to not eat enough to keep up with working out for 4-6 hours a day).

    This may be your problem.

    Now, I take a multivitamin, keep my exercise to under 6 hours a week and make sure I'm eating enough calories. Since that incident almost 4 years ago I can say I've only been sick maybe 1-2 times. (I quit swimming right after).
  • GurleyGirl524
    GurleyGirl524 Posts: 578 Member
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    Did he do or plan to do labs to check you for vitamin deficiency? You could always take a mulit-vitamin.
  • debbond58
    debbond58 Posts: 41 Member
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    You know, I think most GPs get around half a day of nutrition training, just the basics, so unless your doctor is a trained nutrionalist, i'm not sure he/she is qualified to comment, especially if they didnt do a vitamin/mineral analysis. Best bet is to eat some good old fresh fruit and veg :)
  • amymrls
    amymrls Posts: 1,673 Member
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    ASk for bloodwork. I get my bloodwork done every 3 months to make sure everything is working ok.
  • mrmanmeat
    mrmanmeat Posts: 1,968 Member
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    Two weeks ago I went to the drs and was diagnosed with sinusitus (sp?) Given antibiotics and told if I don't get any better in two weeks to go back.

    Since then I have had a temperature every day and developed a really sore throat and sores in my mouth (gross I know). So today I went back to see him again and he says he thinks I've got a second viral infection and the start of tonsillitus (sp?) He also asked if I've lost weight (think he noticed my notes had about me being obese and I'm not now) and so I told him is been calorie counting and he told me to stop as I seem run down so probably not getting enough vitamins ect!

    Anyway I don't think I can stop logging my food so I've switched my goal to maintenance for the moment and I'm going to concentrate on eating healthier as for the last couple of weeks I've been eating what tastes ok (which isn't much).

    So my question to all of you is do you really think I could be worse off vitamin and mineral wise than i was when I was obese? It doesn't make any sence.

    You need to eat better.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
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    Yes you could be. You can be unhealthy whether you are obese, at a normal weight, thin etc. Calorie count and actual vitamins and minerals you are getting are two totally different areas of health.....
  • NNAhuja
    NNAhuja Posts: 669 Member
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    why not just take a multivitamin? then you could keep logging, stay out of the obese range (congrats on that btw!), and get all your vitamins :)
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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