My W/M Nurse has told me to eat 1000kcals a day?

LinaBo

Only 1000 calories seems needlessly drastic, and makes it very unlikely that you're getting enough nutrition. This weight management nurse doesn't sound like she is considering the long-term success of this plan. Perhaps she picks up on your desire to get back into a certain size, and is just trying to cater to that?

You aren't so massively overweight that your health is in imminent danger if you don't "lose it quick", and you stand a much greater chance of maintaining once you reach your goal weight by approaching this as reasonable lifestyle modification instead of a crash diet. I would continue eating roughly the amount of calories you've been consuming lately, up your exercise a bit if need be to increase your caloric deficit (throw some strength training in, if you haven't already, and eat your protein!), and aim to lose about a pound a week, at most.

1Lovely87

You CAN do this if you really want this. You are your biggest motivator.
For me I'm 4'10.5" short so I am fine with 1000 calories if planned right.
For you that is a little too low sweety and you know that.
That's unprofessional for her to advise that intake without further details. Your
right as a paying customer is to reap the benefits of using her services .
Don't let your emotions get in the way of what your there to do. Business is business.
She has given you the tools you need......YOU <-- can do this. You deserve that credit not her.

Laddiegirl

I just don't see why she would want you to lose weight quicker if you're not very overweight or losing the weight for a specfic medical reason (like upcoming surgery, borderline Diabetes or something along that nature). It also sounds like you are prone to taking dieting to extremes ( you mentioned in the past) and I don't think it is responsible for someone to tell someone with that history to cut so drastically.

If you are losing weight just fine on what you're eating and are uncomfortable with her advice, then don't do it. If I were in your shoes I'd keep eating at the level that has been working for you, make an effort to get some more exercise (even just a daily walk can help and is easy to fit into a day) and at your next appointment with her, specifically ask why she wanted you to make these changes. She is supposed to be assisting you in your weight loss and as a medical professional owes you the reasoning behind what she wants you to change and why. Sometimes you have to remind doctors/nurses of that.

kellehbeans

You CAN do this if you really want this. You are your biggest motivator.
For me I'm 4'10.5" short so I am fine with 1000 calories if planned right.
For you that is a little too low sweety and you know that.
That's unprofessional for her to advise that intake without further details. Your
right as a paying customer is to reap the benefits of using her services .
Don't let your emotions get in the way of what your there to do. Business is business.
She has given you the tools you need......YOU <-- can do this. You deserve that credit not her.

Thank you. I'm guessing she looked at my height too and said about the 1000kcals.

@Laddiegirl - No, I'm not sure. I know the 1lbs a week is a good reference and is the best way to do stuff. But I seem to be losing a lot already - at the beginning I lost 6lbs in one week. I know I am eating healthy, but my weight just dropped off and people can look at it and say 'that's too fast', but I can't control what is falling off, only my eating. I have definitely told her about my dieting extremes but she never really took this into consideration. I think I can try and control it, because I know I'm a stronger person these days.

She told me that my walking isn't enough! When I did walk, I was walking for half an hour, pretty fast, and it covered almost 2 miles a day? 4, if I walked home too. So that's a little bit of a slap in the face.

castadiva

Walking absolutely can be enough - I dropped almost three stone with walking briskly for 30-45 mins/day as my only exercise. Honestly, there are enough red flags here to me to suggest that you really need to consider quite carefully whether or not this nurse is meeting your needs. Based on what you've said, she's ignoring potentially-serious issues, such as your previous history of disordered eating, and advocating an unhealthy and unsustainable approach to your desire to lose weight, without the excuse of a medical need to lose quickly. It also sounds to me like she's being unhelpfully vague, and possibly operating on some very outdated assumptions and information about weight management.

I know you can't pick and choose your NHS personnel, but I really do think you should speak to your doctor about this and see if s/he can refer you to someone more helpful, and less dangerous. Alternatively, there are several clubs you can join where you may find greater support, and a more structured diet, if you think that would help you.

funkycamper

OK, so this nurse tells you do something without giving you any reason for doing it, looks at your food diary but doesn't give you any recommendations on how to tweak your diary to have better nutrition, wants you to lower your calories even though you are losing at a reasonable rate without dropping them further even though she is aware that you have under-eaten in the past which caused you some health problems, and belittles your attempts to incorporate exercise into your life and yet you like her. Why? What has she done that is helpful? What is there to like about her? Is it just that she's encouraging you? There is a lot of good, free encouragement here at MFP and better advice, too. Dump her.

kellehbeans

Walking absolutely can be enough - I dropped almost three stone with walking briskly for 30-45 mins/day as my only exercise. Honestly, there are enough red flags here to me to suggest that you really need to consider quite carefully whether or not this nurse is meeting your needs. Based on what you've said, she's ignoring potentially-serious issues, such as your previous history of disordered eating, and advocating an unhealthy and unsustainable approach to your desire to lose weight, without the excuse of a medical need to lose quickly. It also sounds to me like she's being unhelpfully vague, and possibly operating on some very outdated assumptions and information about weight management.

I know you can't pick and choose your NHS personnel, but I really do think you should speak to your doctor about this and see if s/he can refer you to someone more helpful, and less dangerous. Alternatively, there are several clubs you can join where you may find greater support, and a more structured diet, if you think that would help you.

I don't walk very much, very often anymore. However, I did 7 hours of walking the other day, I only had 2 or 3 breaks, because I was on a day out. She just asked me 'I hope you had breaks?', and never really complimented me on it (not like I really want to be complimented on every single bit of exercise I do). I have made my decision, that I am going to just ask her upfront why she has put me on this diet, and wants me to lose it quicker. But, I will attempt to do this diet, even if it's for a week and see how I feel. If I feel bad, or feel I am going to go off the rails again, I will stop.

I was thinking of going to a club near by, I think it's a Slimming World, just so I got some people around me to motivate me. My boyfriend's mum goes, so it's not like I'd be going on my own. I would love to own a gym membership but I would barely ever go and it would be a waste of my money - nor do I have anyone to go with there.

@funkycamper - She never told me what I got out of everyone else on this post - like eat half a bagel and bulk up on protein rather than eating a whole bagel with one slice of ham. I have found much more helpful feedback from posting this topic than I have ever received. I am so grateful for all the advice I have received. I was enjoying my W/M appointments, until this Friday when I went and she told me what she did. I just need more motivation for exercise. She just appears to be trying to rush my weight loss, as she said 'think about how much more and more quickly you'd lose your weight with exercise' - and then her comment of 'don't eat back your calories'. I guess she just wants to get rid of me!

mockchoc

Why would you change to 1000 calories a day if what you are doing works? It doesn't make sense. Doing it may affect your weight loss in a negative way down the line and you aren't going to look as good if you drop weight fast.

You have so much good advice here, forget the nurse and do what you know is healthier. You have lots of support here so no idea why you are looking elsewhere as well. I think you need to just take it easier on yourself... you are doing fine as it is!

Shaybug

I'm not going to say if I think it is "good" or "bad" but there are a number of things she may be considering that you haven't yet.

If you are over the age of 50 your metabolism is going to be significantly different that you had at 25.

She probably has taken into consideration your Lean Body/Muscle Mass in comparison with your Fat Body Mass. The number of calories needed to support your self in a healthy matter can be significantly different depending on your body composition.
This website can also give some insight into these numbers www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc

Why don't you ask her to show you how she came up with that number, I'm sure she can easily show you the calculations. If after looking at that and you still don't feel comfortable you can always get a second opinion.

Congratulations on the progress you have made so far.