Dr. told me to drop down to 750 calories

shalinimunjal
shalinimunjal Posts: 192 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I did not ask for weightloss advice from the doctor. I went in because my morning blood sugars were trending 98-105 which is quite over where I normally have them. I have the glucose meter because I've had gestational diabetes with my pregnancies and am at a higher risk for Type2. I also have many symptoms of PCOS and wanted to see if she could run some bloodwork. One, among my many symptoms is difficulty losing weight. She latched on to that and wouldn't let go.

I got told -
> Exercise does nothing. None of her patients have ever had success losing weight by exercising. It's all about FOOD.
> Ok, I tell her about tracking on MFP. She tells me I'm eating too much if I'm trying to stick to 1200 cals. For a little 5' tall person like me, that is double of what I should be eating. Drop down to 750 cals.
> I bring up the BMR and how it is not advisable to go under 1200 on a regular basis. She says that's a bunch of lies. People who have gastric bypass eat 700 cals and do fabulously.
> Says the exercise I have been doing is maybe burning a 100 calories. I have a HRM and use it to figure my calorie burn - which is about 450-550 for 60-70 min of cardio...she says the HRM is wrong. I'm burning a 100 calories during the 60 min zumba/running/elliptical whatever.
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Replies

  • _stephanie0
    _stephanie0 Posts: 708 Member
    i had 750 cals for breakfast... i'm not even kidding.

    i don't think that's healthy.

    IMO you should get advice from a NUTRITIONIST/DIETITIAN...not your doctor.
  • mommytobrayden
    mommytobrayden Posts: 28 Member
    I'd say it's time to drop the doctor! Get a new one!
  • shalinimunjal
    shalinimunjal Posts: 192 Member
    I did not go in looking for weightloss advice. It was given freely and in abundance ;-)
  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
    Does she also own the funeral service in town? cause it sounds to me she is trying to kill you.
  • Apeck87
    Apeck87 Posts: 68 Member
    sounds like that doctor is a moron.. 750 cal isnt even enough to maintain your body at its minimum.. even 1200 is too low
  • Jackielyn17
    Jackielyn17 Posts: 80
    I did not ask for weightloss advice from the doctor. I went in because my morning blood sugars were trending 98-105 which is quite over where I normally have them. I have the glucose meter because I've had gestational diabetes with my pregnancies and am at a higher risk for Type2. I also have many symptoms of PCOS and wanted to see if she could run some bloodwork. One, among my many symptoms is difficulty losing weight. She latched on to that and wouldn't let go.

    I got told -
    > Exercise does nothing. None of her patients have ever had success losing weight by exercising. It's all about FOOD.
    > Ok, I tell her about tracking on MFP. She tells me I'm eating too much if I'm trying to stick to 1200 cals. For a little 5' tall person like me, that is double of what I should be eating. Drop down to 750 cals.
    > I bring up the BMR and how it is not advisable to go under 1200 on a regular basis. She says that's a bunch of lies. People who have gastric bypass eat 700 cals and do fabulously.
    > Says the exercise I have been doing is maybe burning a 100 calories. I have a HRM and use it to figure my calorie burn - which is about 450-550 for 60-70 min of cardio...she says the HRM is wrong. I'm burning a 100 calories during the 60 min zumba/running/elliptical whatever.
    Did she get her license in a cereal box?? I mean seriously...
    as long as you are eating a well balanced diet, not under your BMR, you should lose weight. Although you can lose weight through diet only, it's never bad to be working out, it helps a lot.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    Unfortunately not every doctor knows what they're talking about.

    Yes, you can lose weight without exercising, but its good for you on SO many other levels...I'd be suspicious of any doctor that says you shouldn't be doing it! She sounds like a total hack!

    Seriously...get another opinion before you believe this idiot!
  • ladioffaith
    ladioffaith Posts: 49
    Un. Believable.

    This doctor has no clue. NONE. And knows absolutely nothing about PCOS, said this PCOS survivor!

    First of all, PCOS is a form of pre-diabetes. Gestational is a symptom.

    Second, blood sugars of 98-105 are pretty darn normal.

    Third, and most important, weight gain is a symptom. It means that your body doesn't process insulin effectively.

    See an ENDOCRINOLOGIST and arm yourself with info first. I recommend www.soulcysters.net.
  • truddy6647
    truddy6647 Posts: 519 Member
    I would get a second opinion. and most likely a new docor
  • kah68
    kah68 Posts: 1,515 Member
    Not sure where your doctor is getting her information, but she is incorrect. I think I had the opposite conversation with my doctor. There is no way you only burn 100 calories in a Zumba class! Honestly, I would go by what MFP suggests for your calories - try to watch the carbs, it will help with weight loss and blood sugar.
  • kjjm08
    kjjm08 Posts: 217 Member
    It sounds like you need a new doctor ASAP! Besides, exercising does much more for your body then just losing weight. 750 is way too low :/
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    Get a new doctor
  • Dark_amethyst
    Dark_amethyst Posts: 20 Member
    I would get another doctor and if you want nutritional help with your diet see a nutritionist or even better a dietician that has a license for your area. Best of luck on your journey.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    > Exercise does nothing. None of her patients have ever had success losing weight by exercising. It's all about FOOD.
    > I bring up the BMR and how it is not advisable to go under 1200 on a regular basis. She says that's a bunch of lies. People who have gastric bypass eat 700 cals and do fabulously.


    Gastric bypass is a completely different animal. People who have had surgery are most time incapable of eating more and they are normally also very closely supervised and have to take vitamins etc to make up their missing nutrients. You absolutely COULD lose weight on 700 calories, but you'd look/feel like crap, your hair would start falling out and you'd have a horrible time of it and as soon as you started eating normally again all the weight would come back. So unless you have actually HAD surgery..I'd be looking for a second opinion - Doctors don't know everything / anything about ALL subjects just because they are doctors.

    I'd be interested to know how much weight has your doctor lost eating this fabulous 700 calorie / day diet?
  • matchbox_girl
    matchbox_girl Posts: 535 Member
    That sounds scary....find a new doc?
  • runfreddyrun
    runfreddyrun Posts: 137 Member
    i would just disregard what she said. it's kind of like when i go to the vet and they recommend science diet for my dog or cat. just because they are a vet doesn't mean they are up on the latest foods. science diet is filled with crap and is for the most part a poor food.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Wow. I'm no expert, but I'd wager your doctor isn't either, at least not in this area!
    People who have gastric bypass eat 700 cals and do fabulously.
    Keywords here - gastric bypass! In all the reading, studying, research I've done on my own on weight loss, 750 calories is NOT enough for the average person, especially not one who hasn't had the surgery.

    And while sure, losing weight is very much about food and how much you eat, but to say exercise does nothing is just nuts. Exercise and a healthy diet are win-win, and it sounds like she thinks all you need to do is starve yourself to drop the pounds - and I suppose she's right in some respects, but it's certainly not the long-term, sustainable, let alone healthy, way to go about it!

    I hope she gives better medical advise than she does for weight loss, or I'd be looking for a new doctor! :tongue:

    Edited to add: One thing I've learned in going through the premature birth of my kid, long term illness and multiple surgeries with my hubby, and a misdiagnosis for my mom - doctors DO NOT know everything, and sometimes they need to be challenged in their thinking!
  • fitmama419
    fitmama419 Posts: 24
    I did not ask for weightloss advice from the doctor. I went in because my morning blood sugars were trending 98-105 which is quite over where I normally have them. I have the glucose meter because I've had gestational diabetes with my pregnancies and am at a higher risk for Type2. I also have many symptoms of PCOS and wanted to see if she could run some bloodwork. One, among my many symptoms is difficulty losing weight. She latched on to that and wouldn't let go.

    I got told -
    > Exercise does nothing. None of her patients have ever had success losing weight by exercising. It's all about FOOD.
    > Ok, I tell her about tracking on MFP. She tells me I'm eating too much if I'm trying to stick to 1200 cals. For a little 5' tall person like me, that is double of what I should be eating. Drop down to 750 cals.
    > I bring up the BMR and how it is not advisable to go under 1200 on a regular basis. She says that's a bunch of lies. People who have gastric bypass eat 700 cals and do fabulously.
    > Says the exercise I have been doing is maybe burning a 100 calories. I have a HRM and use it to figure my calorie burn - which is about 450-550 for 60-70 min of cardio...she says the HRM is wrong. I'm burning a 100 calories during the 60 min zumba/running/elliptical whatever.

    What she is advising is not only wrong, but dangerous.

    Your clinic should have a patient care advocate. I would speak with them about your concerns before this doctor seriously harms someone with the advice she's giving.
  • SNBedford
    SNBedford Posts: 5
    I say the doctor has no idea what they are talking about. Exercise doesn't help loose weight??? Seriously?? The last time I checked it did. If you drop your calories that low your probably going to feel like crap and you may not even lose weight. When you are way beneath your daily caloric need your body goes into starvation mode and therefore, will not allow you to lose weight. Loosing weight is about a balance of diet AND exercise. Maybe it's time for a new doctor or a dietician.
  • lightweightdiva
    lightweightdiva Posts: 41 Member
    My dad is a doctor and was always hard on me for my weight. Looking back, he would say some of the stupidest things like "there is no such thing as a good fat." I later learned that in med school, most doctors only take one nutrition class IF THAT. So while consulting your doctor about your health as it relates to your weight/diet can be important, many doctors are not capable of giving you solid diet/nutrition advice.
  • triciah2005
    triciah2005 Posts: 7 Member
    Insanity! I calculated your (rough) basal metabolic rate, which tells you how many calories you burn a day without exercising and even if you are sedentary, yours is roughly 1600 calories a day....that means that anything you eat under 1600 calories is being burned. So if you eat 1100 calories a day, you would have a deficit of 500 calories, and that would be 1 pound a week.

    Like I said, this is a rough number, but it was meant show you, that scientifically, based on FACTS, 750 calories is absolutely absurd and would be hugely detrimental to your health! Please don't eat that little of calories.

    And while food might be the biggest factor in losing weight, exercise is important for many reasons, and will accelerate your weight loss! Stick to it and it will happen for you. Never go see that crazy person again!!!
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
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  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    Get a second opinion.

    When I was obese my doctor used to tell me I didn't need to lose weight. *rolls eyes*

    General practitioners are NOT health and fitness experts.
  • Rubyayn
    Rubyayn Posts: 433 Member
    i had 750 cals for breakfast... i'm not even kidding.

    i don't think that's healthy.

    IMO you should get advice from a NUTRITIONIST/DIETITIAN...not your doctor.

    This. I would also begin to question her knowledge in other areas, especially if she is using her position to spread innacurate and unhealthy information. I fired my primary care doc last year for something similar. She was handing out her personal opinion disguised as professional medical advice. NOT cool and very, very scary for other patients not able or willing to do the proper research. I would not only find a new doc, but write a letter to this one and provide peer reviewed research. She is likely damaging other people as well.
  • Chewster001
    Chewster001 Posts: 201 Member
    Well, let's assume that your doctor took physiology, biochemistry, pathophysiology years before graduating from med school. Then your doctor learned how to treat patients with a great many diseases. Then lets assume that your doctor knows you better than anyone in these forums. I'll even assume that your doctor did a thorough history and physical on you before evaluating your issues and giving you advice.
    Now let's also assume that a person who stands 2 feet tall needs less calories than a person who stands 6 feet tall.
    You are neither 2 feet tall nor 6 feet tall. That's about all I can say about you given the little information I have from this thread.

    I see a lot of people who are vehemently against a diet below 1200 calories but I think not everyone fits into this box. Sure, for some people, such a low calorie allowance might kill them. But here's the thing... You have a doctor. If you lose too much weight, not only will everyone around you tell you, she'll also tell you if they don't. As long as she's following your course, and checking your electrolytes and albumin, I say give it a try.

    All that said, that's a lot of assumptions. I hate doctors because most DON'T start with a complete history and physical... so... ya - she might be a quack.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    I have seen a DR give my 325 pounds, 6' tall male friend to eat 1200 calories a day.

    Yep so I would go to a nutritionist if you want to have nutrition advices
  • fitmama419
    fitmama419 Posts: 24
    Well, let's assume that your doctor took physiology, biochemistry, pathophysiology years before graduating from med school. Then your doctor learned how to treat patients with a great many diseases. Then lets assume that your doctor knows you better than anyone in these forums. I'll even assume that your doctor did a thorough history and physical on you before evaluating your issues and giving you advice.
    Now let's also assume that a person who stands 2 feet tall needs less calories than a person who stands 6 feet tall.
    You are neither 2 feet tall nor 6 feet tall. That's about all I can say about you given the little information I have from this thread.

    I see a lot of people who are vehemently against a diet below 1200 calories but I think not everyone fits into this box. Sure, for some people, such a low calorie allowance might kill them. But here's the thing... You have a doctor. If you lose too much weight, not only will everyone around you tell you, she'll also tell you if they don't. As long as she's following your course, and checking your electrolytes and albumin, I say give it a try.

    So because her doctor is the one with the M.D behind her name the OP is just supposed to follow her advice blindly?

    This advice wasn't asked for, period. It's also a FACT that doctors get MAYBE one course in nutrition during their education.
  • cnelson1974
    cnelson1974 Posts: 235 Member
    Get a second opinion from a nutritionist. That diet sounds like starvation mode. No exercise? Wow, I've never heard that.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Few doctors are trained in weight loss.

    Gastric bypass patients are heavily supervised by nutritionists and do that for a very limited amount of time. My sister did it in a supervised study last year too. It worked great. She gained it all back. Those are typical results.

    She's wrong about calories burned.

    She is right though about weight loss being about food and not exercise. But exercise keeps you healthy, happy, and makes you look great.

    ---

    Are you losing weight with MFP? If so, keep it up.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
    Wow - 750 calories, really? I think I'll try it!

    No, not really. I've been on 480 calories per day before, and it worked, until I returned to normal eating. Thing is, you don't want to just take off the extra weight (I assume), you want to end up with a life-style that supports your weight loss long term. I can pretty much guarantee you that as soon as you abandon 750 calories per day, all the pounds you lost will come right back and bring extra pounds with them.

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