Need Opinions On Something Doctor Said

losingweightfindingme

Surgery is definitely not an easy option. I work on a bariatric unit at the hospital (mostly post-op weight loss surgery patients) and they end up coming in SO frequently for SO many complications. Working on that unit absolutely sealed the deal for me as far as weight loss surgery goes. I would say go to the specialist but see if they have any non-surgical options. Sometimes the best non-surgical resource they can give you is a referral to a certified nutritionist to see if maybe you are leaving something out of your diet or eating too much of something. They can give you a specialized dietary plan which may help boost your weight loss or at least get you out of the plateau. Sometimes it's as easy as having someone else look at your numbers and they can tell you from an outside perspective where you might want to change up your diet or exercise plan. I had the same issue with the same 5 pounds leaving then coming back and come to find out I was watching my calories so strictly that I wasn't allowing for extra intake to make up for my intense workouts. The nutritionist helped me see an error in something that I didn't realize would be a problem. I'd say, go see the person your doc is recommending but stick to your guns as far as a non-surgical approach. Good luck!

mistylovesmusic

I asked my doctor what I could do to get out of a plateau. To my surprise, she suggested I try the HCG diet. First of all, I only want to lose 20-25 pounds. Secondly, I was shocked that she would suggest a diet that has been proven to be so unhealthy. I think you only get 500 calories per day and you have to have injections. EEEKKKKK Anyway, I have a wonderul doctor. Their staff is excellent but after this, I think I'm going to leave the dieting to eating right and excercise. It's slow but I've always heard slow and steady wins the race.

Good luck!

sgmfit44

Hi, I am a doctor and honestly most of us do not know anything about weight loss. But , getting a second opinion is a very good idea. Just be sure you tell the specialist that you are not wanting surgery, just more help.
Also count everything you put into your mouth!!!!. If you cheat, you only cheat yourself.
Maybe your carbs are too concentrated. Maybe your exercise is not truly cardiovascular. Maybe you are not drinking enough water. And maybe you are not getting enough sleep. There are studies that show the importance of sleep for maintenance of normal cardiac,respiratory and nutritional functions.
Keep up the good work. thanks for listening

imthejenjen

seems like the doctor is just trying to make money either for himself or a colleague, IMO.

imthejenjen

I asked my doctor what I could do to get out of a plateau. To my surprise, she suggested I try the HCG diet. First of all, I only want to lose 20-25 pounds. Secondly, I was shocked that she would suggest a diet that has been proven to be so unhealthy. I think you only get 500 calories per day and you have to have injections. EEEKKKKK Anyway, I have a wonderul doctor. Their staff is excellent but after this, I think I'm going to leave the dieting to eating right and excercise. It's slow but I've always heard slow and steady wins the race.

Good luck!

Before I started MFP I did the hcg diet (pills) for 2 weeks. Yes I lost weight, about 7-8lbs, but I can't say I lost it because of the HCG in the pills. I lost it by eating practically nothing and don't want to eat that little again!

alasin1derland

You are clearly ready to start getting healthy or you wouldn't have reached out to your doctor and to mfp. Something you may not have incorporated is water. Water works with the organs to move the fat out of the body. Make sure you are getting at least 8 glasses a day. Calories in versus calories out. If you are thinking about something as serious as surgery, you should first invest in yourself. Get a chest strap heart rate monitor, then you'll have a more accurate calorie burn and use mfp to show you how many calories you are consuming. Water, calorie counting and exercise. Exercise can be walking around the block. Commit yourself and see what you can achieve. A healthy life style should be part of your daily grooming. Like brushing your teeth, showering and changing your clothes. You don't ever have to be a perfect eater but make a conscious effort to reach for healthier choices more often, find replacements for your favorite food. For example I changed from regular peanut butter to whipped peanut butter. I saved 30 calories a tbsp. If I normally eat 2 tbsp, I saved enough calories to have a lemon sorbet in the evening. Its a numbers game. Everywhere you can shave calories, you can put something else on the list for the day. When I started I used all different flavors of 35 calorie yogurt. Get the right mind set, use the tools mfp offers and you will succeed.

paxbfl

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.

YES!!! And up your workouts. Get a heart-rate monitor to figure out how many calories you're burning. Are you standing there watching the DVD or are you really pushing yourself?

I've just lost 40 pounds in the last 4 months. The biggest thing for me is that I can't believe how EASY it was. Granted I'm a big guy and had quite a bit to lose, but once I got on my program the weight just dropped off. I was very careful about my calories, almost always came in under my goal (except for free days!) and worked out HARD 6 days a week. It was fun and I felt (and feel) GREAT! Now I'm getting my body fat % measured and thinking about building muscle because I'm at my goal weight!!!

Some people do the surgery and it really helps them. I understand that. But it doesn't sound like you need the surgery to do this.

Send me a friend request - I'll help in any way I can!

elsinora

The more you have to lose, the more daunting and impossible it seems and of course is disheartening when you fluctuate. There's no harm in chatting to the specialists but I really would seriously leave surgery as the utter and final option. Whether gastric band, bypass etc, it is still hard work and not an easy way put, as you still have to monitor your intake and volume meticulously and you won't be able to eat the same way again. The propensity for loose skin is also high because of the quick and dramatic weightloss.

But! - I promise you, I understand. I was 250lbs and I literally could not shift more than 7lbs without puttin it back on etc and I thought I was destined to be like this forever.

But .... I got brutally honest with myself and weighed everything and logged everything and I found I was severely underestimating my calories. I also stepped up the exercise and ate better which really helped long term in understanding and really reprogramming how, when, why I'd eat until it became second nature.

You can do it, you really can. X

missability

I am 50 yrs old, and have had 2 gastric surgeries to lose weight, yes I said 2, the first was In 1991, I was 29 yrs old, and weighed approximately what I do right now (265 LBS). I had a stomach stapling done in Arizona, I flew there from PA, it cost a fortune, because it was new, and at that time nothing with weight-loss surgery or preventative medicine was in place with most medical insurances....The bottom line on any stomach altering surgery is this: All it does is change the physical size of your stomach, whether through banding, staples, a balloon, or actual cutting....it DOES NOT however cure the emotional and mental aspect of why we overeat!. So needless to say, it was a new surgery, with little known, and all they did was send me on my way after the surgery with these instructions:
Nothing but ice chips or cold and hot clear liquids for 10 days, (I lost 20 LBS), nothing but jello, broth, gravies, for 10 more days, (I lost 10 more LBS), nothing but food pureed in a blender, creamed soups, or jarred baby food for the next 4 months, (I lost 65 more LBS), NO seeds, nuts, or ground grains, for the next year...(tiny things like strawberry seeds can get caught in the staples). And I was told it would take approximately 18 months to 2 years for the skin to grown over the staples to prevent the seeds from getting caught. OH and by the way....whether you like water or not....drink drink drink...because the "normal" healthy adult, can go 72 hours without water before severe effects of dehydration set in,, dementia, blurred vision, dizziness, slipping into unconsciousness ....but once you've had the surgery, it's less then 24 hours.<<<<Scarey
Soooooo.....all the surgery did was put me on a starvation diet, I could have done that for free, without the pain.......and it WAS painful. Recovery took several weeks, however, now they do laser surgery for the most part, so I am sure it is less painful, but the end game is the same....less calories.
What they don't tell you is that by eating this way your body starts to experience vitamin deficiencies, it took 3 years of B-12 shots to get me regulated again, I got severely anemic, was tired all the time......and most of all the depletion of some of those nutrients, like B-12, brought on depression.......now my living circumstances were not the best, so that coupled with the vitamin deficiency really threw me into a deep depression, that I struggled with for years.
The other thing they didn't tell me is that you can EAT THROUGH the staple lines and stretch the stomach back out, oh sure you'll throw-up a lot at the beginning, but I am living proof that having the surgery is no guarantee.
And just like every other diet....it's about the calories. You can have the surgery, but when you hit phase two, 10 days in, and can have thick liquids, if you start sucking down milkshakes, and soft serve ice cream from McDonald's drive thru....the weight-loss ends!.....In 1996, 5 years later I was back up over 200 LBS, I started throwing up blood, the staples and small metal plate they had put in my stomach was ruptured. I actually had to gain 50 LBS, to have the surgery again to fix it! Why? Because I would have to follow the same eating regimen, and they were worried that by the time I could eat regular food (6 months in), I would be way under weight.
SOOOOOO I went to GNC and started buying shakes to gain weight, the ones body builders drink, those calories coupled with enormous amounts of food, got me back over 250, where they wanted me to be, before they did the surgery.
I went back, this time to Iowa, and had the surgery, to repair the first surgery.....and again I lost the same amount of weight in about 9 months, around 115 LBS. And again I went right back to old emotional eating habits with in 3 years......Today I am on another kind of diet, lot's of water, (over 100 ounces a day), nutritious, organic, grass fed, cage free, whole foods. No sugar substitutes, processed foods, wheat, gluten, soy, corn, WHITE rices, breads or pastas.
The size of your stomach does not need to change to lose weight, just the way you view food, and what you put in your mouth.
I hope this helped, I have been on MFP since January 1, 3 weeks tomorrow, I have lost 15 LBS., and 9.5 inches. My diary and blog about what I am doing are viewable if you care to add me as a friend. Beth Ann, AKA, Missability.

Kellyeee2013

What would have been appropriate would be to check medications, check thyroid, etc. You are supposed to consult doctor regardless when beginning weight loss routine (some of don't have that luxury though! haha). I am shocked that he recommended specialist in surgeries. Gross. This is just laziness and ignorance on his part. Maybe see what the specialist has to say though.... I am sure they would not suggest surgery unless all other avenues were explored... I would hope.

tekwriter

hi has your doctor done his due diligence? Has he ran thyroid and other tests to rule out any other causes? If not I would check that first. I can't think of any other reason that you would gain and lose the same five pounds if you are sticking with it.

mfpcopine

I'd talk to the nonsurgical specialist, through whom I'd get referrals to a nutritionist and a trainer. It sounds like professional guidance would help.

boji4ever

A lot of times the consultation is free, so what do you have to lose? I'd go get another opinion and if you don't get any answers from the medical field maybe check with a trainer/nutritionist and see if you need to change something on those ends. Good luck!

wahmx3

I think that before going the surgery route I would SERIOUSLY recheck my diet and exercise. The smallest things that you don't count can add up a LOT. And alcohol too. I would maybe even invest in a food scale (I LOVE mine and use it for EVERYTHING). Try cutting out eating out for 2 weeks and seriously measuring and weighing everything you put into your mouth and see if you still have the same problem.

Totally agree, if you aren't weighing and measuring, you could be eating more than you realize. I honestly wouldn't go a surgical route unless it was medically necessary.

vim_n_vigor

You're weight isn't very high for consideration for surgery. I really think you can do it without surgery. I don't think it hurts to talk to the doctor though.

Lifesauthour

I think they just wanted you to get a more specialized take on the matter. Sometimes it's a diet issue, you have to eat to lose weight, most people don't realize that. My trainer told me constantly (cause I had a habit of not eating enough then would damn near pass out for workouts) that you have to eat enough for your body to register you have stuff to burn, otherwise you'll go back and forth. A friend of mind also told me her Dietitian told her she wasn't eating the right amount of calories for her body, so it was storing what she did eat, she had the yo-yo thing going on too.

In any case -- keep an open mind, he didn't tell you to go do something drastic, just to get someone's specialized insight. It takes a team of support to keep you on your weightloss goals.

amberriner

I saw a similar doctor a while back. The doctor was in the same office as the bariatric doctor but was simply a bariatric dietician that put me on a specific diet for my own needs and weight loss goals. I went in once a month to check my weight and see how the diet was going. This was actually a diet they used for bariatric patients to try before they decided to go with surgery. That is why it is called non-surgery.

Sparlingo

You've been given a lot of good advice. I have only read the first page of responses so far, but I just wanted to chime in with this:

Many people have been telling you to speak with a nutritionist. Nutritionist is not a controlled title (i.e. they don't need to be registered, have certain certifications, etc.). I would suggest speaking with a Registered Dietician instead.

Also, if you're serious about this long term, two tools that have really helped me so far in losing the baby weight are a digital food scale and a heart rate monitor that tells you calories burned. I was trying to lose weight on my own for 5 months before I joined myfitnesspal and bought the aforementioned tools, and I was spinning my wheels and stuck at 162-164 lbs (I'm 5'0"). I bought the food scale, the heart rate monitor, and have been tracking diligently with myfitnesspal as I exercise, and I am now 145 lbs 2.5 months later.

It's slow progress, but SO much better than being stuck with my 25lbs of pregnancy weight (plus the other 25 lbs..) for months while trying to eat better/move more.

NeverGivesUp

Any route you go is not easy no matter what anyone says. The surgery was fantastic for me but then I had 3 babies and started gaining, not all, but some of the weight back. I am now close to the ultimate goal which feels fantastic but it has been a lot of hard work. I realize now that taking care of my body is a lifelong process. It never ends, whether you get surgery or not you have to know that you have to put some energy into this in order to retrain your bad eating habits. Being honest with yourself is the first step. The weight didn't magically appear, and you can undo what you have done to yourself. Unless there is a medical condition (I know this is not what you want to hear) you are responsible for not being able to lose weight now. Whichever route you take, remember it is not easy and will require change in order for ultimate success in the long term.

eris1981

I think surgery is a good but last resort option for the morbidly obese. Just remember that after surgery, you will be on a verrry strict 600-800 calorie/day diet for many, many months until your insides heal, then it's a slow introduction to normal eating. Surgery is NOT a quick fix by any means.

In addition to remembering that you are on a very strict 600-800 calorie a day diet, also keep in mind that, at that point and after, you have to make each and every one of those calories count. I've known people who have great results, but I've also known those who have serious malnutrition health issues because they don't eat their calories in healthy food but instead in chicken nuggets and french fries. Those people end up losing hair and having loose teeth and other such things in addition to just generally appearing and feeling unwell. Also, if the underlying issues for being overweight aren't addressed, it's easy to re-stretch your stomach pouch and essentially have accomplished nothing.