Want to get off of this low calorie diet

2»

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Maybe it's just me, but I'm quite fond of listening to my Dr....you know, the one with all of that medical training and whatnot.

    Yeah...when it comes to medical matters, he/she is the expert...When it comes to nutrition, not so much...It's a ridiculously low calorie diet - I would add a 100 cals a day (in good stuff) for a week, then 200 until you get to at least 1200...then stay there for a while and see what happens...
    And a second opinion (from a nutritionist) might be a good idea.... Good luck!

    Whoa!! I just looked at your profile - if that's you in the December 2012 pic with 161 lbs, run away from that "doctor" as fast as you can...You weigh only 161 and she has you on a starvation diet???? Seriously start adding more cals of good food slowly...

    I agree that there should probably be a 2nd opinon. I assume that the doc isn't her PCP...I would assume that you would go to a specialist for something like this; I would. The only thing I rely on my PCP for is if I have a cold or something. I guess I also assume that someone would have already had a 2nd and even 3rd opion for something like this; again, I would. I guess I shouldn't assume so much. I just have a hard time giving someone advice to someone on a public forum when they're being cared for by a doctor...again, assuming it would be a good one.

    I didn't look at the profile, but really at 161 Lbs I would also think that the doctor should be having the OP increase to something much more reasonable.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    I have the best doctor ever and love her to bits but if she told me to do this I would NOT be listening. Maybe it's ok for a little while but not for too long.
  • beccamh
    beccamh Posts: 85 Member
    I would start lifting weights now. You won't gain any significant muscle mass because you're eating at such a deficit , but it will help start speeding up your metabolism. Once you are on 'maintenance' focus on lifting that way any "gains" you have will be in lean muscle mass and not fat!

    Great job so far- keep it up :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Maybe it's just me, but I'm quite fond of listening to my Dr....you know, the one with all of that medical training and whatnot.

    This only applies if it's their specialty. Dr's aren't trained in nutrition. It's like going to a cardiologist for a foot problem......

    I would agree...I make the assumption that the Dr. in question is a specialist. I would never even consider going to my PCP for something like this...I guess I would also assume that nobody would go to a PCP for something like this other than to be referred to a specialist.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    About four years ago I needed to lose a lot of weight and went to a doctor to do so; similar to what you described. In addition to vitamin injections I also was prescribed Phentermine which killed my appetite and made it possible for me to stick to a very low calorie diet. I lost a ton of weight – going from 198 to 154. When I did stop taking the Phentermine my appetite came back in full swing and I quickly regained about 10 lbs. Then, I slowly regained, over time, nearly all the weight back.

    You didn’t mention that you are taking an appetite suppressant but I am curious if you are? If not, I can imagine it would be very hard to stick to such a low caloric intake.

    Anyway, after about four or five months when I reached the 150’s I stopped taking the Phentermine b/c I no longer needed to lose any more weight. By then my hair started falling out and I started getting a rash on my scalp. Also, my blood pressure went up and my thyroid stopped working normally. After seeing another doctor (primary care), I learned that the prolonged low calorie diet was to blame.

    I think you are wise to be asking the question - how will this affect your health?

    This time around, I am losing the weight slowly as I hope to have long-lasting results. For me, this means learning to feed myself in a healthy and balanced way; I sought the counsel of a nutritionist who has assisted me. And, of couse, including regular exercise.

    I hope this has helped. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide! :heart: :flowerforyou:

    Thank you so much for sharing this. I really hope that more people see this and take it to heart. Slow and steady!
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    I would start lifting weights now. You won't gain any significant muscle mass because you're eating at such a deficit , but it will help start speeding up your metabolism. Once you are on 'maintenance' focus on lifting that way any "gains" you have will be in lean muscle mass and not fat!

    Great job so far- keep it up :)

    Wow you've been here since 2011 and you still think it's ok to destroy your metabolism and ruin your health to lose fast? Think you better start doing research. She's not going to be able to keep anything up if she starves her body!
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    When I went in, I had a 40.8% bodyfat. That qualified me for the obese persons weight loss program. (That isn't actually what they call it) This Dr. has a family practice with two other Doctors and she is known for her comprehensive weight loss program. I specifically went to see her to help me lose the weight.

    Well shouldn't you be raising the same questions with her? why would you ignore her advice for that of novices on a forum. :ohwell:
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
    Is what you're doing working? Do you feel ok? If yes then continue. Your body will tell you if it's unhappy. If you want to eat more then just offset it with exercise. You should be exercising anyways.

    No.

    Yes.
  • BeDawn
    BeDawn Posts: 56 Member
    First of all, THANK YOU for all of the replies.
    Although I feel O.K. I just had this nagging feeling that I shouldn't keep this up. In answer to aedavidson79's question, yes she prescribed phentermine as an appetite suppressant. As I said, I already spoke with the Dr. about my concerns. I told her I was worried about the long term effects taking phentermine. I said losing 2-3 lbs per week was kind of scary and I am worried about gaining it back. She basically said,"Don't worry. Stick to the plan and it will be fine," in so many words. That is why I came to you all for some help. I took the time to read your posts and the pages that were linked. They were helpful.

    I am going to form a plan that involves gradually adding calories and see what happens. I will also need to talk to the Doctor again and tell her what I'm doing. She will probably have to wean me off of the phentermine. I am more convinced than ever that I would rather lose 2 oz a week than lose 2 lbs a week and have to gain back 10 pounds during "maintenance". Or even worse, have lasting health problems! If she gives me a hard time I will just tell her I'm happy with what I've already achieved and would like to stop taking the phentermine.
  • JenRunTriHappyGirl
    JenRunTriHappyGirl Posts: 521 Member
    I know a woman who was on a diet exactly like the one that you are describing. She lost 40+ pounds in a matter of 3 or so months. She was getting the injections, too. Then she stopped, gained all of the weight back and lost about half her hair. Granted, she is an older woman middle 60s, but that stuff is no joke. Any doctor, who is not making a profit off of weight loss tricks, will tell you that the best way to loose weight is diet and exercise and NOTHING ELSE. I would get off that stuff ASAP. Run and fins a new doctor!!!
  • BeDawn
    BeDawn Posts: 56 Member
    About four years ago I needed to lose a lot of weight and went to a doctor to do so; similar to what you described. In addition to vitamin injections I also was prescribed Phentermine which killed my appetite and made it possible for me to stick to a very low calorie diet. I lost a ton of weight – going from 198 to 154. When I did stop taking the Phentermine my appetite came back in full swing and I quickly regained about 10 lbs. Then, I slowly regained, over time, nearly all the weight back.

    You didn’t mention that you are taking an appetite suppressant but I am curious if you are? If not, I can imagine it would be very hard to stick to such a low caloric intake.

    Anyway, after about four or five months when I reached the 150’s I stopped taking the Phentermine b/c I no longer needed to lose any more weight. By then my hair started falling out and I started getting a rash on my scalp. Also, my blood pressure went up and my thyroid stopped working normally. After seeing another doctor (primary care), I learned that the prolonged low calorie diet was to blame.

    I think you are wise to be asking the question - how will this affect your health?

    This time around, I am losing the weight slowly as I hope to have long-lasting results. For me, this means learning to feed myself in a healthy and balanced way; I sought the counsel of a nutritionist who has assisted me. And, of couse, including regular exercise.

    I hope this has helped. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide! :heart: :flowerforyou:
    Thank you for sharing. I appreciate it, and it has helped to hear from someone who has gone down this path already.
  • BeDawn
    BeDawn Posts: 56 Member
    Read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    ^^ This. Check out my pictures in my profile to see results following IPOARM, eating good and doing strength exercises.
    Great post, thanks for the link.
    You are doing so well. 2000 calories a day? Wow.
  • BeDawn
    BeDawn Posts: 56 Member

    Well shouldn't you be raising the same questions with her? why would you ignore her advice for that of novices on a forum. :ohwell:
    I did raise questions. She sort of gave me a pat on the head and said "Don't worry." If I was seeing her for something life threatening I wouldn't seek a second opinion in a forum, believe me.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    When I went in, I had a 40.8% bodyfat. That qualified me for the obese persons weight loss program. (That isn't actually what they call it) This Dr. has a family practice with two other Doctors and she is known for her comprehensive weight loss program. I specifically went to see her to help me lose the weight.

    You will not be on this for the rest of the life. You've done great so far. It's doctor supervised.

    The hard thing about losing weight is actually keeping it off - especially doctor supervised. You lose fast, you regain fast. You don't want to do that.

    You're not there yet, but ask your doctor next time you see her how she plans on having you maintain. Your maintenance will obviously be much higher than what you're doing with this very rapid weight loss. Then ask her how you will transition from one to the other.

    THEN MFP will be great for you to make sure you keep your calories at a level (and exercise at a level) to maintain.
  • BeDawn
    BeDawn Posts: 56 Member
    Maybe it's just me, but I'm quite fond of listening to my Dr....you know, the one with all of that medical training and whatnot.

    I agree that there should probably be a 2nd opinon. I assume that the doc isn't her PCP...I would assume that you would go to a specialist for something like this; I would. The only thing I rely on my PCP for is if I have a cold or something. I guess I also assume that someone would have already had a 2nd and even 3rd opion for something like this; again, I would. I guess I shouldn't assume so much. I just have a hard time giving someone advice to someone on a public forum when they're being cared for by a doctor...again, assuming it would be a good one.

    I didn't look at the profile, but really at 161 Lbs I would also think that the doctor should be having the OP increase to something much more reasonable.
    Actually, I thought she was a specialist, turns out she's not. I'm feeling better and better about talking to you all about this. I should have googled before I went to see her. Even if she has a less severe food plan available, I should be able to do this without professional help.
  • jfrankic
    jfrankic Posts: 747 Member
    Read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    ^^ This. Check out my pictures in my profile to see results following IPOARM, eating good and doing strength exercises.
    Great post, thanks for the link.
    You are doing so well. 2000 calories a day? Wow.

    Thank you! Yes, I eat around 2000 a day (sometimes 2600, sometimes 1800 but it averages to 2000-2100). I lift 3x per week following NROLFW (New Rules of Lifting For Women). I am quite a bit taller though.....

    Height - 5'8
    Weight - 166lbs
    BF - 25-26%
    BMR - 1544
    TDEE Light - 2123
    TDEE Moderate - 2393

    These are my numbers based on F2F Radio. I consider myself between light & moderate since I do very little cardio (15 minute HIIT session 1-2x per week after lifting). I'm eating very close to my TDEE and still losing. When I had more to lose, I ate at a 20% deficit. That was still around 2000 a day because I was doing more cardio and burning more calories daily. These are MY numbers. I was 70+ pounds overweight but otherwise "healthy".

    Your numbers will be different, of course. Just do the math and understand the science. BMR is what your body needs to function. Bare minimum. TDEE is what your body burns on average from daily activity and workouts. Anywhere in between should result in a healthy weight loss. I learned most of this from IPOARM (helloitsdan) and was also verified when I ran my numbers against the Insanity diet program. Dan is great and he has a huge group of people learning to eat and lose fat in a way that is sustainable and long term. Look him up, friend him and join us if you want. We like to eat. We like to help people understand that (unless medically necessary) there is another way. :heart:
  • BeDawn
    BeDawn Posts: 56 Member
    If anyone is curious, here is an update. I have added calories back slowly and my weight loss slowed, but I did not gain any weight. I went from a weekly average of around 700 cals a day to a weekly average of 1150 a day. I plan on staying at 1200 a day for two weeks and then slowly adding more until I am eating at least my BMR. I will also add strength training 3 days a week. I have the Chalene Extreme program, and I got a TRX for Christmas. I plan to eat all exersize calories on workout days. I will do this consistently for a few weeks and see what happens.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Excellent! Here's to a happier and healthier you!
  • LisaGirlfriend
    LisaGirlfriend Posts: 493 Member
    That is great news!! Good for you for doing what you instinctively know is right for you and NOT listening to your doctor. That is absolutely awful to have you on such a low calorie diet. It only destroys your metabolism in the long run. If you haven't found this area on MFP - go here for tons of info:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less

    You are roughly the same size as me and I eat anywhere between 1500 - 1700 cals a day. I am still trying to find the right place for me to start losing but I'm not gaining eating this amount of food - sometimes I eat even more.

    Good luck and happy 2013!!!

Categories