Need Opinions On Something Doctor Said

vanguardfitness

I would see an endocrinologist. But I wouldn't go with surgery

nxd10

Unless you want (and have the money for) surgical weight loss, this does not seem a good avenue (much as I usually recommend following doctor's advice).

Perhaps he could refer you to a nutritionist who could help you if you want more professional help.

I also agree with the above poster. People in general are lousy at estimating portions. Go the basics - measure everything, log meticulously, go for a solid recommended diet of less processed food (there are several recommended diets out there from the National Institute of Health, Harvard, and the Mayo Clinic), and a reasonable number of sustainable calories.

Do this at least another month.

Take all that information with you when you either see a nutritionist or go to the mds specializing in non-surgical weight loss. This will make a very good starting point for a discussion.

sarahrbraun

On Friday I called my doctor and told him I've been having trouble losing weight. I told him I've been watching what I eat, counting calories, and exercising at least a couple times a week but haven't really been having any results other than gaining and losing the same 5lbs. I asked him what he thinks I should do different or change. He recommend me to a doctor's office that specializes in surgical weight loss procedures. But they do have one doctor that helps from a non-surgical standpoint. My question is should I do what my doctor said and make an appointment with this other office or should I keep doing what I'm doing but up my exercise?

Leave everything alone EXCEPT, cut your carbs down to 100g net per day ( that is total carbs minus fiber and any sugar alcohol) for a few weeks. You may feel like you have the flu ( they sometimes call it carb flu), but your weight should change. I had an issue similar to yours...I gave the reduced carbs a chance for a month, and I lost like 8lbs! the second month I lost 6lbs, and the 3rd month I lost 4lbs.

NanaWubbie

Here's what I have learned....don't lie to MyFitnessPal, and it won't lie to you. Be brutally honest with portion sizes, and record everything.

purple_tux1

I wouldn't even look into surgery. If anything, I would consult a nutritionist. Maybe they have one at the clinic your doctor referred you to? Chances are you don't have a medical problem that's stopping you from losing weight, but it would be good to get this ruled out.

Other than that, I would suggest opening your diary and letting people here critique it.

sbrownallison

Given those stats and your age, I'd never consider surgery or other last-ditch efforts. I believe you can tackle this with restricting calories and moving more. Our biggest mistakes are over-estimating the amount of exercise we do and underestimating the amount we are eating. You need to weigh and measure your portions. It's a drag until you get used to it. You'll be shocked at how little we should eat. We can't eat based on what we observe other people eating. Your husband or boyfriend can easily eat twice as much as you, for example. He can also lose weight twice as fast. Unfair, yes. The small amounts of food you eat should be selected for their ability to satisfy you. They should be filling healthy foods. Examples for breakfast would be oatmeal (not presweetened), skim milk, and fruit. There's no reason you can't eat that every day. Simple healthy and filling. Your health is vital and your instincts are sound (as evidenced by your asking for others' opinions on this whole idea of going to a doctor for weight loss). No doctor can really help you lose weight. They really don't learn that in medical school. And, cut way down on going out for meals. Restaurants give you two or three times as much food as you should be consuming. Just because they put in on your plate doesn't mean you should give yourself permission to eat it. Good luck to you. Trust yourself.

MissDarlaDoll12

On Friday I called my doctor and told him I've been having trouble losing weight. I told him I've been watching what I eat, counting calories, and exercising at least a couple times a week but haven't really been having any results other than gaining and losing the same 5lbs. I asked him what he thinks I should do different or change. He recommend me to a doctor's office that specializes in surgical weight loss procedures. But they do have one doctor that helps from a non-surgical standpoint. My question is should I do what my doctor said and make an appointment with this other office or should I keep doing what I'm doing but up my exercise?

Leave everything alone EXCEPT, cut your carbs down to 100g net per day ( that is total carbs minus fiber and any sugar alcohol) for a few weeks. You may feel like you have the flu ( they sometimes call it carb flu), but your weight should change. I had an issue similar to yours...I gave the reduced carbs a chance for a month, and I lost like 8lbs! the second month I lost 6lbs, and the 3rd month I lost 4lbs.

Agree. The white stuff (sugar, bread) and salt will keep me from losing even if I am UNDER my daily calories. Drink lots of water. It has taken me years to figure this out and I have been overweight most of my life. I too couldnt figure out the reason I was not losing or gaining weight when at 1200 cals. There is not a magic pill or procedure. I had to learn how to eat and what to eat and most importantly portion size. I would suggest a dietician or nutritionist and show your food diary. They will be able to tell you if you need to change your eating, or if you need a specialist or surgery.

Ebelina07

i think you should lose weight the right way this year. eat healthy....they are sooo many organic foods in your country. count your calories and exercise more. do not be impatient in the course of your journey because u feel you aint seeing instant results. please its a gradual process. do not starve yourself as well. you can get many healthy recipes from myfitnesspal members.i mean be motivated and inspired by those who have been on "biggest loser". people who undergo gastric bypass still have layers of extra skin but if you eat healthy, count your calories, exercise and walk alot, your skin firms up and you look younger. you'll be sexy not to worry. i am also on the same road trip.

LoraF83

On Friday I called my doctor and told him I've been having trouble losing weight. I told him I've been watching what I eat, counting calories, and exercising at least a couple times a week but haven't really been having any results other than gaining and losing the same 5lbs. I asked him what he thinks I should do different or change. He recommend me to a doctor's office that specializes in surgical weight loss procedures. But they do have one doctor that helps from a non-surgical standpoint. My question is should I do what my doctor said and make an appointment with this other office or should I keep doing what I'm doing but up my exercise?

Leave everything alone EXCEPT, cut your carbs down to 100g net per day ( that is total carbs minus fiber and any sugar alcohol) for a few weeks. You may feel like you have the flu ( they sometimes call it carb flu), but your weight should change. I had an issue similar to yours...I gave the reduced carbs a chance for a month, and I lost like 8lbs! the second month I lost 6lbs, and the 3rd month I lost 4lbs.

Lowering carbs is an option - but not necessary.

OP, I started at 230lbs. I'm 5'6" and I'm 29 years old. I've lost 46lbs so far - the only thing I've done is stay under my calorie goal.

How many days a week are you exercising? I find it hard to think that using the roadmap gave you a calorie goal of 1540. My calorie goal is about 2000 - and that's exercising 3-5 times a week (and I have a desk job). How did you calculate your numbers?

jennifer_417

When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. If I wanted help with weight loss, my Dr. isn't necessarily the 1st person I would go to, because, unless there's a health problem involved, it's not really their area of expertise. Check with a nutritionist or a personal trainer. If those things fail, then you might want to look to a Dr.

Just my .02.

supplemama

What if you get the surgery, and then want to have another child? Would surgery complicate that, or would being pregnant cause complications with everything that got cut up with your digestive system? If you do go, ask the doctor about this.

I think before you go to this consultation, you should really be honest with yourself. If what you are doing is not working...it's still not going to work after you get surgery. Maybe consider changing up your diet and/or exercising a bit more.

sharonvree

I'd up the exercise to 5 or 6 times a week. If you don't want surgery, he will probably not tell you anything more than you already know about weightloss from personal dieting experience. I have a friend who did the lap band surgery. She initially lost about 30 # but now has gained it all back and extra. What surprised me is how strickt the diet is when you are preparing for the surgery and after surgery. The food limitations alone would account for the weight loss.

ALW65

I am not a big fan of asking your 'regular' doctor questions about how to lose weight, what you're doing wrong, what you should do differently, etc. Medical school and residency doesn't provide in-depth education in this area, and physicians cannot be an expert on everything. I do highly recommend seeing a bariatric specialist. I am fortunate to have found an amazing physician who specializes in weight management. She is the smartest person I have ever met (not just because she recommended MFP) and has been very helpful in my efforts to get a handle on my weight and life in general.

Consider seeing a physician like this who will help you to investigate if there are any medical issues, help to figure out what factors are influencing your weight, and support you in a path to health and happiness. Any doctor who jumps into a surgical solution for someone like you is looking to fund a vacation home

Best of luck to you!

seamonkey789

Has the doctor you spoke to even run a blood panel on you before referring you to a weight loss clinic? checked your thyroid?

juuniper77

I am a doctor....you need to stick to a diet....its really just a matter of finding the number of calories that result in 0 net weight loss or gain and go from there....
Its hard work!!!!!.... but just a matter of how many calories you eat vs how many you burn
if you are not losing weight its simply because you are not operating at a net calories loss
its really that simple!!!

it isn't always that simple. thyroid, etc could be an issue. my scale has been stuck for 2 years. i've been to 3 or 4 different doctors, a nutritionist, had metabolic testing done...I measure and log everything. I work out. I run half marathons. I dont want surgery either, but i have no idea how much to eat anymore or what to eat, etc. extremely frustrating and really makes me upset when people tell me to just try harder, do more, eat less, it;s "easy" and simple. cause it isn't always.

sweeter_than_C6H12O6

I would get a second opinion. Go to another non-surgery based doctor or nutritionist. Maybe you can make an appointment and show them some of your MFP diary entries for exercise and food so that they can make recommendations for diet changes if there happens to be something there that might be affecting you. Also, maybe some blood work is in order. An improperly functioning thyroid can cause problems with weight gain and/or loss.

nashsheri33

Start with a nutritionist before you talk about any kind of surgery, pills, etc.

^^^THIS^^^

supplemama

P.S my doctor told me that sometimes doctors just jump to surgery because they feel obese patients just won't, for whatever reason, buckle down and do the work necessary to get their weight under control. Last year at my physical I was obese, and she flat-out told me my weight was the culprit for my health issues. If I had walked into my physical this year still the same weight I was January 2012 (or even fatter) she might have mentioned surgery. Very glad she didn't have to!

Hbazzell

If your insurance covers a consultation I would talk to them all, know your options ,but only do what you are comfortable with. I personally would avoid surgery unless it was critical to my health.

sagetracey

Explore all options so that you can make an informed decision about what is best and most likely to be successful for you.

Weight loss surgery is not an easy option but it can be effective. I have the gastric lap band and have lost more than 140lb.

There are risks with all surgeries but WLS is no more dangerous than other surgeries. Just be sure to do your research and understand what you will need to do to be successful if you choose to go down this route.

WLS is not the wrong way to lose way, nor is non-surgery necessarily the right way. There are just many different ways which are, depending on the individual, right for some people and not right for others (excluding fad diets and the like.)

As you are well aware, there are non-surgical options and you should also explore those in full. Where possible get professional advice.

The right way to lose weight is the way that will be most effective for you.

Good luck in your journey to a healthier life.

goody2shews

I would ask for blood work to be done. A metabolic panel could tell you if you have a low thyroid. Fasting blood sugar test if that turns out normal to rule out diabetes type 2. Other than that PCOS seems to be the only issue that could be. Since you have a child it is most likely not it but it could be.

I would lower your calories and carbs. Don't eat back your calories ever unless it is a major celebration or something.

cwolfman13

The only thing necessary to lose weight is a caloric deficit...exercise isn't a requirement. I do advocate exercise, but it's not a requirement for weight loss. It's possible that you have a medical condition that alters your BMI, but it's also most possible that your are not truly holding yourself accountable for every little thing you eat...because, yes, every little thing you eat matters. It's also possible, that you are overestimating exercise calories...if you do that, and eat them back, it's pretty easy to go over. My cure that worked for me was to get a HRM that truly told me how much I was burning...not some avg in a data base or some estimate from a cardio marchine.

nashsheri33

hmm, have you had your thyroid checked? have you been checked for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)? how about diabetes?

i am glad you are talking to your doctor, instead of following some crazy diet fads.

elsiesnow

please, please, go see a nutritionist for a reccommendation for a good food plan for you. I didn't realize what I really needed until I took a nutrition class at my local community college. Also, I have a low thyroid, and taking thyroid supplements really makes a difference in my weight management too. Maybe you need a physical to make sure you're not low in your thyroid or in anything else?

I got a fitbit for Xmas, and it really helped me see how much I was really exercising daily. I thought I was walking a LOT more than I really was. If you can afford it (100$), I think it's a great investment in keeping track of your exercise. I use MFP to track my food, it's a lot more accurate than the fitbit site. This site links to my fitbit so I can track my exercise here at MFP automatically. Feel free to friend me for support!

Mads1997

I would only be going the surgery route as a final option after every other avenue has been explored. Although most surgeries are successful and complication free some are not. My neighbour passed away having WLS in an attempt to lose weight to be around for her young son.

amazing_u2

I think that you should not have surgery. I would say if just doing this is not enough. I would say try a support system w/ weight loss program such as weight watchers. Which I currently do now. And have saw a weight loss of from original 307lb to 261lbs. As a nurse, I think that surgery is a bit drastic for someone who is not morbidly obese and even after that. There are still life style and eating disciplines that you still have to adapt to post surgery for gastric surgery. Do all that you can.. before resulting to surgery because there are so many complications involved.
Much success. I think you can successful loose the weight. We have all struggled to lose this weight. This is not easy. But, with determinations, sometimes shortfalls you can make it happen, if you do not give up.

SuperStepper408

Have you ever had your thyroid checked? You could have an underactive thyroid and just need medication to regulate it. If you have an underactive thyroid, you will find it is easier to lose weight once your thyroid levels are in the normal range. Getting your thyroid checked is easy-just a simple blood test. My thyroid is underactive and I've been on medication for years. It makes a big difference. I would definitely get a second opinion and not have surgery.

crowunruh

How long have you been watching your calories? Do you log everything that you eat and are you sure the portions are correct? I also have a little one. He just turned 2yrs this month. I joined a gym last year and was faithfully going for about 6 months. However gas got very expensive since the gym was not close to my home. I started doing TurboFire the end of Dec and have had amazing results! I eat around 1300-1600 calories a day. Sometimes more on the weekends. But I find that working out hard nearly everyday really helps! Not to mention the energy I get from it. I weighed 255 pounds after I had my son in 2011. I have since lost all the weight I gained with him plus more. I think everyone has to learn what works for them. My advise would be to make sure you log everything you eat everyday, make sure your portions are correct and make sure if you eat back exercise calories that the calorie burn is correct. I use a HRM when I workout. MFP over estimates on the calorie burn, at least for me it did. If you do this and are still not losing weight then you may want to speak with this other dr. It doesn't sound like your dr was advising you to get surgery, so I think perhaps this other dr may just have some more nutrition advise or can help you find out the problem. Best of luck to you! Just don't give up no matter how hard it may seem. It will all be worth it in the end.

shoshi68

I would give the weight loss without surgery a lot more time. It takes a while, and all the weight loss surgery in the world will not address the underlying issue you have identified, which is emotional eating. Eating because of grief is understandable, but after a while, it doesn't help. Grieve, feel, and move through it to a healthier you.

I believe in you. You can do it.

DropOfSweat

I'm a few weeks into a change and the only thing I have experienced is weight gain. I know this and I have to keep reminding myself because it's a big deal breaker but... you're gonna gain before you lose. You're gonna gain muscle under the fat then the muscle will burn it and that takes time. Before my recent reboot, I would workout for a week or two then take a week off and end up losing more weight that week than the two weeks I worked out. Now, I'm just pushing through it. I hope it turns out for the best.

Also, I have two friends and an aunt who lost weight different ways. One through diet and exercise, the other through just diet, and the last through surgery. If it's a lifestyle change, you should try to find a way to make your weight loss natural.