Doctor recommendation sounds crazy...suggestions
droolie2
Posts: 17
I am a grand 315lbs. I have dieted all my life and have lost and gained continuously over the course of my 41 years. Recently I went to my doctor (general pract) to get assistance with my weight loss goals. Now I have mildly high blood pressure, but no glucose or cholesterol issues. I also have degenerative joint and disk disease...so exercise is very difficult for me. Her suggestion was a low carb, low fat diet limiting me to 1200 calories and 10 carbs per day. Now in all my conversations, research and past dieting I've never seen carbs so low and for my start weight MYFITNESS plan has me at 1800 calories per day. Honestly I am ready to blow off her plan as ridiculous and just go the whole foods route while watching my calories (as per MYFITNESS). Any suggestions? Should I be managing my carbs, fat, proteins and calories all at the same time???? Help!
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Replies
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10 grams of carbs?? That's pretty low! I would try at least 30-40 grams to start... and even that is still quite low.0
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Or...... did she mean 10 carbohydrate exchanges?0
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A low carb/low fat diet? So she/he wants you to live off protein and... alcohol?0
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Be balanced, pick a calorie level you can maintain and feel comfortable at. Eat balanced - a moderate amount of carbs, protien and good, heart healthy fats.
The whole food route isn't a fad, it works - 102 pounds in 6 months - at about 1,600 calories per day, and I am not hungry, because I eat more veggies than I know what to do with!0 -
10g of carbs is rather unrealistic for many people to maintain even for just a few days. 50-100g per day is a lot more sustainable and allows for more variety in meal planning. How many grams of fat did she suggest?0
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If I were in your shoes, I would find a new doc. and ask as many questions as possible as to why s/he is suggesting what s/he is. Maybe try it your way first for a week or two and see if you get any weight loss going. If you start loosing, then keep it up. However, if after two weeks you haven't lost any weight, then try docs advice to at least get started? A few diets (atkins, south beach) recommend no carbs in the first few weeks, then gradually add only good carbs back in...best wishes on your journey.0
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I think that's wayyyy too low in carbs...even fruit and veggies have carbs, so ten or less a day would be literally half an apple's worth of carb! Maybe she meant net carbs (carb - fiber = net carb).
Either way, you have to make a choice. You need to create a caloric deficit, as you are well aware amigo.
The question is...would it work better for you and your body to have 1800 cals, or 1200 cals? You don't want to go too low, and wear yourself out/slow your metabolism, and you want to eat a balanced diet, including fruits/veggies/grains that all have carbs.
Theorhetically, you can do either approach, but I think your doctor is just applying the "desperate times call for desperate measures" solution...which is not the only solution.
Do what is right for you.0 -
I wouldn't tell anyone to ignore a doctor's recommendations since I don't know the full story.
That said, here's an anecdote. I've lost 123 pounds in a year. The lowest I ate was around 1500. Currently my calorie goal is 2100. I eat plenty of carbs (around 150g a day). I eat loads of fat (40% of my calorie intake usually). I work my a** off in the gym. I weigh and log my food religiously, taking 2-3 days completely off-diet a month.
One doesn't need to starve to lose significant weight; what's required is a reasonable deficit, smart choices, and dedication.0 -
I would see a nutritionist if you can. General practice doctors are just that. Im not being disrespectful to them but they know the basics they are not specialized. What works for some doesn't work for others but I am leery when anyone tells you to cut out a food group. Clean healthy food of all groups is the way to go in my opinion.0
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I would try something more along the lines of 40 carbs, 40 protein and 20 fat, or 40 carbs, 30 protein and 30 fat, for a more balanced approach but still not overdoing the carbs, and 1200 is pretty low. 1500 might be more appropriate.0
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If I were in your shoes, I would find a new doc. and ask as many questions as possible as to why s/he is suggesting what s/he is. r journey.
Gee, that only took 7 posts in the thread.
I would go back to the doc that recommended the diet and ask HER the questions. All you'll get here is an echo chamber of "your doctor's an idiot".0 -
I'd be asking for a referral to a nutritionist for more specific guidelines. I can't imagine how you could only get in 10g of carbs a day and still eat any fresh fruit and veggies. And I've never heard of a healthy diet recommendation without fruit and veg.
If it was me I would ignore the doctor and try MFP's way for a few months - but without knowing all your background, that might not be the best path. A professional who specialises in healthy eating is probably what you need.0 -
Hi!
Glad to see you wanting to work hard!
I have lost 90 pounds between all of my babies so yeah I know it's hard! I eat 1200 everyday! (Now that I started on my diet after baby #3!) It can be hard at first. Your body will adjust to 1200 cals. You stomach will shrink, but drink a large glass of water before and after every meal bc you only get bout 300 cals!!! Choose smart foods! Asperagus, egg whites, grilled chix, spinach...ect! Totally stay away from sugars!
So 10grams of carbs is super low, but the point is strive to keep it as low as poss! It REALLY helps the wt to come off fast! Protein is your friend...but it must be lean! You have plenty of extra energy stored so go for it! And you must Hit the Gym or walk or get moving!!!
Here is the plus, you should see a few pounds a week come off! How would you like that scale to read in the 200's in a few weeks! It can!
I believe in you! Do YOU believe in You?
Need a friend to boost you? You can add me!
Good Luckl!!!!!!0 -
Should I be managing my carbs, fat, proteins and calories all at the same time????
Even if you don't go your doctor's route, I think the answer to this is yes.0 -
Surely the doctor meant 10 servings of carbs a day?! When I had gestational diabetes and was injecting three insulin shots a day they limited me to 9 servings (135 grams) a day. And I lost weight on that.0
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Surely the doctor meant 10 servings of carbs a day?! When I had gestational diabetes and was injecting three insulin shots a day they limited me to 9 servings (135 grams) a day. And I lost weight on that.
This sounds like a reasonable conclusion.0 -
My personal belief is that each of us needs to find a plan that works for us, and to stick with it. A nutritionist isn't a bad idea. Personally, I'm cheap, though. I lost slowly, but what I did was take the recommendations MFP made to heart, and worked to both stay under calorie goal and to make better food choices- but choices I could live with. You could start doing that, and work toward your doctor's recommendations. The bottom line is, lots of people fail because they try to be too restrictive, and then can't sustain it. As long as you reduce calories, you'll get there.0
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I agree with seeing a nutritionalist for advice. Or if you are able to talk to a hospital dietitian. When I first started with MFP site I was at 277lbs., & it had me at eating 1200 calories to lose. I found it way too low & knew I could not keep it up, I felt too hungry & deprived. So I changed it to 1450 calories & now have lost 34 lbs. I think you have to try different amounts, until you are losing consistantly & feeling ok with the calories. I do think 10 gr of carbs a day are way too low. More like 25 to 35 would be more exceptable, my opinion. I do know when I eat more protein with my calorie goal for the day, I do lose better. I try to eat a low carb, low fat diet with lean protiens. Always if you question a doctors opinion , go for a second opinion. That is my moto!! Wishing you success!0
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Surely the doctor meant 10 servings of carbs a day?! When I had gestational diabetes and was injecting three insulin shots a day they limited me to 9 servings (135 grams) a day. And I lost weight on that.
This sounds like a reasonable conclusion.
Totally agree! Go for it! :drinker:0 -
Surely the doctor meant 10 servings of carbs a day?! When I had gestational diabetes and was injecting three insulin shots a day they limited me to 9 servings (135 grams) a day. And I lost weight on that.
This sounds like a reasonable conclusion.
Yes, this is what I meant in my post earlier when I said 10 carbohydrate exchanges.
Each exchange is 15g of carbs. Even a very low carb diet would surely allow at least ONE serving of carbs haha.0 -
I think the recommendation is extreme, but not as impossible as you may think. I've been doing a low carb diet for about a month and it's really pretty easy to stay below 30 g carbs and 1200-1400 cal a day, although I do not make an effort to restrict fat. It takes your body a week or two to fully adjust to burning fat instead of carbs, but after the first few days I found I no longer had cravings so it's no great sacrifice to stick with three meals a day and eat reasonable portions. I don't count carbs too diligently, I just avoid bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, beans and sweets and eat lots of meat and vegetables. I can eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, tuna salad for lunch with fresh veggies and crackers, and steak and salad for dinner and stil be under 1200 cals and 25 carbs.
Your doctor may have suggested the very low carb plan to kickstarter your weight loss, but you can have some good results with a less drastic approach, but I encourage you to learn more about low carb. Look for some articles by Gary Taubes to learn more.0 -
Surely the doctor meant 10 servings of carbs a day?! When I had gestational diabetes and was injecting three insulin shots a day they limited me to 9 servings (135 grams) a day. And I lost weight on that.
This sounds like a reasonable conclusion.
Yes, this is what I meant in my post earlier when I said 10 carbohydrate exchanges.
Each exchange is 15g of carbs. Even a very low carb diet would surely allow at least ONE serving of carbs haha.
OK, that sounds a bit more reasonable. Why not give it a try and see how you go after a month or so? 1200 is pretty low but if you are supervised by your doctor then they will (hopefully) monitor you to ensure that you aren't missing out on any vital nutritional elements.0 -
My husband is diabetic and his literature says a carb count is equal to 15g of carbohydrates, no wonder people get so confused.0
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10g of carbs isn't going to kill you - the body doesn't need carbs to survive, if glucose runs out it will utilize ketones instead (hence ketogenic diet plans). However, it will be an absolute beotch to stick to, especially if you are used to eating the typical western diet where carbs compromise 60% or more of your daily calories.
1200 cals sounds awfully low but it's not uncommon for doctors to put mordibly obese people on medically supervised very low calorie diets (VLCDs). The general idea is that its healthier to get some of the weight off quickly than to take your time about it and risk the onset of a chronic weight related condition such as metabolic syndrome.
If I were you I would bring your concerns up to your doctor. Explain to her that 1200 per day is far greater than the usually recommended 20% below TDEE deficit,and ask her point blank to provide her reasoning for such a dramatic dietary suggestion. She may have a great, convincing answer, she may not.0 -
To go against the norm here: listen to your doctor, at least for the most part. Don't go to a nutritionist; if you're in the US (and many other countries) "nutritionist" is a meaningless term. I could hang a sign on my door right this moment claiming to be a nutritionist and be doing absolutely nothing wrong, though I'm not qualified.
Your doctor is telling you that to lose a significant amount of weight in a short period of time, eat lower in carbs/fat and higher in protein. There's nothing wrong with that advice for the vast majority of people. Carbohydrates make up a massive portion of the diet of many people; they aren't satiating and people tend to overeat them, causing weight gain. Fat is not bad in and of itself, but all sorts of "bad-for-you" foods like McDonalds or processed/fried products contain a whole lot of it; cutting down on fat tends to cut down on a lot of other nasty things those foods contain. Protein tends to be filling and people seeking it often get it from minimally-processed foods when avoiding the other two macros. I don't see anything really off-base that your doctor is telling you, just things that they're hoping will stick if they say it in a certain way.
You don't have to stick to strict numbers; I certainly don't and I've had a pretty darn easy time losing weight this time around (while being strict was my downfall before). Aim for lower calories and better food choices; the macro levels suggested might cause you to drop the weight faster, but are likely not totally necessary.0 -
I would get a second opinion purely for the fact that the doctor let u leave without making sure you understand fully.
Second is it being done under supervision? You'll be going back weekly/fortnightly/monthly and your doctor is monitoring you? If yes then follow your doctor. If no, it's generic advice that is not worth a lot. You don't need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight. I'm on 1673 and am losing fine.0 -
Be balanced, pick a calorie level you can maintain and feel comfortable at. Eat balanced - a moderate amount of carbs, protien and good, heart healthy fats.
The whole food route isn't a fad, it works - 102 pounds in 6 months - at about 1,600 calories per day, and I am not hungry, because I eat more veggies than I know what to do with!
WOW!!! awesome job! How much exercise did you do to achieve this?
AND..I agree..pick a number you can live with. I am your size as well and I'm eating 1600 right now.0 -
Maybe you should see an actual nutritionist. I personally use the mayo clinic exchange diet and it is working well for me at 1200 calories per day which is what my doctor suggested also.0
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Your, body most definitely does need carbs. Your brain alone requires about 30% of your daily energy intake (converted to glucose). Some medical references state that 130g should be the minimum. If your doctor stated 10 exchanges then that would be around 150g. A good rule of thumb for macro nutrients would be 40% carbs/ 35% protein/ 25% fat. Not just diabetics, but everyone can benefit from eating 5-6 times per day to keep their blood glucose level stabilized and their metabolism fired. This can mean eating a few crackers with peanut butter or a palm full of almonds, etc. as snacks. Also, I have found that it is best to have protein with your complex carbohydrates in order to offset the insulin response. Protein takes longer to digest and requires more energy.
It is ideal to make gradual caloric reductions based on starting weight because if you make a drastic change your body may think it is starving and will tend to store more of your intake making it more difficult to lose weight. However, some doctors will put patients on very low calorie diets when there are other health concerns involved such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, etc. that may put them at high risk for heart attack or stroke.
I often work 12-14 hour days and tend to have poor eating habits and have put on a lot of weight. I decided to take the same advice I give my patients and the weight is coming back off. Good luck to you!!!0 -
a General Practice doctor, is NOT a nutritionist, they are sick day certificate vending machines. go and see someone who knows what the eff they are talking about0
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