Consulting physician???

danicaone_101 · June 2014

Hello beautiful people,

I hope everyone is having a great week. just curious, how many of you guys consulted your primary physician before joining this wonderful journey to a healthier life? And if so, did you guys get various tests done, such as blood work? In addition, did you guys consult other health professionals for further advice about your health, such as a nutritionist?

Ever since I was diagnosed with having costochondritis, I decided to get blood work done. I am waiting for my results and I am STRESSING OUT about it. I am very worried about my cholesterol and A1C levels. Sad to say but I am a huge worry wart (and my doctor knows that I am one) and I know that once I enter my doctor's office, my heart will start to race and my blood pressure will be high.

Any support and reply will be much appreciated!

Shropshire1959 · June 2014

Mr Dr is overweight and smokes - no way I'm going there for advice :-p .. there's a reason why they are in General Practice [/generalisation]

P.S why are you stressing out about your results? Were you stressed about your bloods BEFORE you had them taken? .. because they were the same then :-p The only difference is that you will soon know what shape your bloods are .. I would think that would be LESS stressful.

kommodevaran · June 2014

I don't think it's common to seek medical attention if the problem is just overweight. That's sort of what we have MFP and the like for.

FitnessInstructorKhalil · June 2014

If you're just overweight then exercising and good nutrition will only improve all those things that you go to the doctor to ask.

MammaMouse · June 2014

I had a quick discussion with my neuro ophthalmologist, only because I have a condition that causes headaches very easily with movements such as working out. Otherwise though, I don't think most people talk to their doctors before deciding to lose weight.

LianaG1115 · June 2014

Nope, they're all money hungry and referral happy people!!

I spent my money on a trainer and asked him what to eat! FYI shop around for trainers if you go that route, make sure they have experience and knowledge not just some training institute certificate.

tryett · June 2014

I did but it was mainly because I wanted her to sign a medical necessity form so that I could run the expense for a weight loss program/dietician and gym membership through my healthcare spending account ( pre-tax, since I had money in there). She did run tests but I already knew I was prediabetic.

hnathansen · June 2014

Well, I had some issues of my own that I was experiencing and I went to my doctor to talk to her about them. She strongly thought I had a Thyroid disease so she ran tests on me and checked everything with my blood work. I explained to her how I wanted to start eating healthier and exercising so she's the one who told me about MFP. While we waited for my results to come back for two weeks, I kept track of everything I ate and the exercise that I've done (no I didn't lie) and I ended up gaining 3 pounds in 2 weeks. The MFP showed that I burned more calories than I consumed nearly everyday. She asked me if I wanted to try a weight loss prescription to help kick start the weight loss, so now this is the first day I added that to my ritual. Let's see how this goes... If I wasn't experiencing some other issues to begin with I wouldn't of consulted a doctor about becoming healthier and losing weight.

MysteriousMerlin · June 2014

I see my endocrinologist every 3 months, bloodwork every 3 months, and have a cholesterol check once a year. I currently don't have a regular physician as she moved to Texas recently :sad:

tracydr · June 2014

Nope, they're all money hungry and referral happy people!!

I spent my money on a trainer and asked him what to eat! FYI shop around for trainers if you go that route, make sure they have experience and knowledge not just some training institute certificate.

Most doctors nowadays work for a company. They make salary or hourly. Very few are getting the money for insurance, that goes to the company. As for referrals, it's called malpractice. Failure to refer to a specialist and misdiagnosing or mistreating a disease outside your area of expertise is a huge cause for malpractice and board sanctions.
Not sure how you think a doctor referring to another specialist is being money hungry. Kickbacks would be highly illegal.
Family Practice and Internal Medicine doctors are not General Practioners. The day of general Practioners is gone. Very few still left in practice.
FP and IM requires a specialized residency and further board exams, CME and board recertification exams on a regular basis. None of which was required by general Practioners. General Practice doctors still did 3 board exams and an internship, after at least 12 years of college.
Yeah, it's a big,money making scandal!
Granted, orthopedic surgeons and cardiac surgeons are making a lot of money but not your Primary Care provider.
The money hungry one is the trainer for gyms like 24 Hour Fitness. They often have little academic training and work on sales commission.

ladyargentum · June 2014

Not initially as I am otherwise healthy (other than being overweight). However about 6wks in I did see my doc for other reasons and had blood tests done for possible PCOS. So I did discuss with doc then what I was doing etc.

If you have any medical things which could effect you then see your doc. For most ppl changing to a healthier lifestyle probably won't need a doc visit at the start.

lee112780 · June 2014

I have costocondritis too...just have to be careful doing any chest workouts. It never hurts to see a Dr. Mine told me I had a thyrois disease. Chill out with the anxiety...thats not helping costo. Trust me, I have been through it. Add me if you want ; )

joansjourney · June 2014

I did but it was mainly because I wanted her to sign a medical necessity form so that I could run the expense for a weight loss program/dietician and gym membership through my healthcare spending account ( pre-tax, since I had money in there). She did run tests but I already knew I was prediabetic.

^^^This!

I take full benefit of my FSA, but I also see a psychologist because I do have a food addiction and also a dietician to help with my food choices. I run all of this through my insurance and excess through my FSA.

itsbasschick · June 2014

my doctor is clueless and simply wants to put me on medication. she referred me to a dietician who gave me lots of incorrect info. my last doctor is heavy, stressed and wanted me on pills, but that's all the advice i received, even when i asked.

i find it was more useful to do lots of reading from reliable sources (that means double and triple check anything you get off forums or sources that aren't like mayo clinic or the nutrition almanac, and even check them with other sources. learn what makes your body tick, how much is too much exercise, etc. i figured diet and exercise out myself, and it's working well.

wonderwoman234 · June 2014

I am betting that as you lose weight, eat better, and get more exercise, you will start to feel much better. Those are things you can actually control that contribute to good health!

earlnabby · June 2014

I had no choice. A doctor visit and the lab work that was done is what finally kicked me in the head and got me started (after 4 days in the hospital with severe anemia). I also had to go back to get a health release form signed so I could start taking water aerobics classes at a local fitness center.

Regarding your labs, they are what they are and getting results, whether good or bad will give you a starting point so you can see how you have improved.

HeidiCooksSupper · June 2014

My physician keeps me hostage to once-every-three-month check ups before I can get my prescriptions if I'm at my top weight but when my numbers go down because I'm eating better and exercising, he'll extend it to 4 months. When I get down a goodly amount, I'm going to campaign for even longer scrips.

I suppose whether to check with your physician depends on things like age, medical conditions, etc. Rule number 1 is don't do anything stupid. I remember a colleague about 30 years ago who was a chubby pot smoker. He suddenly decided he should clean up his act and started doing long distance running without working up to it. He was in his late 20s and was dead in a week. So, don't do anything stupid.

I have found that physicians really don't have time (or sometimes the knowledge) to give the best diet advice so learn what is best for you, by yourself or from a qualified professional. If you want to start some self education, a good place to look is Harvard University School of Public Health's "Nutritionsource" http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/

scubasuenc · June 2014

My doctor actually recommended MFP to me. She has used it to lose weight and suggested that it would be a great tool for me. She is one of my MFP friends and can see my progress.

It was after my annual physical and the accompanying blood work that I started this journey. I am a Type 2 diabetic so we repeated key blood work every 3 months.

gmallan · June 2014

If you're just overweight then exercising and good nutrition will only improve all those things that you go to the doctor to ask.

It's still a good idea to chat to your Doctor about it. Bloodwork is a good idea especially if you haven't been eating the healthiest diet. You feel dramatically better if you can correct (through diet or supplementation) any defficiencies. If you're cutting calories then you can be at risk for vitimin defficiencies. Doesn't hurt to check whether your hormones are okay as well so that you know what you're up against before you start

They might also be able to help you out with anthing that could be a barrier to starting an exercise routine

ashleymmannisto · June 2014

I talked to mine. I just told her my plan, found out she also uses MFP, and she had blood work taken just to make sure I wasn't fighting against a thyroid and such. All my levels were perfect! And she referred me to a dietitian.

Although, a month later, Still no appointment.

caveninit · June 2014

Hello beautiful people,

I hope everyone is having a great week. just curious, how many of you guys consulted your primary physician before joining this wonderful journey to a healthier life? And if so, did you guys get various tests done, such as blood work? In addition, did you guys consult other health professionals for further advice about your health, such as a nutritionist?

Ever since I was diagnosed with having costochondritis, I decided to get blood work done. I am waiting for my results and I am STRESSING OUT about it. I am very worried about my cholesterol and A1C levels. Sad to say but I am a huge worry wart (and my doctor knows that I am one) and I know that once I enter my doctor's office, my heart will start to race and my blood pressure will be high.

Any support and reply will be much appreciated!

You're like me..I get very high anxiety at the doctors office and my blood pressure soars! Not a good feeling at all. Try to stay calm...stressing wont change anything. If your cholesterol and/or A1C is high, as mine was, diet can really help with that. Since losing weight my blood pressure came way down...I am going for repeat bloodwork to see if it helped my A1C...I think it did as I feel a million times better than I have in years. Hope all is well with you.

Branstin · June 2014

If you're just overweight then exercising and good nutrition will only improve all those things that you go to the doctor to ask.

It's still a good idea to chat to your Doctor about it. Bloodwork is a good idea especially if you haven't been eating the healthiest diet. You feel dramatically better if you can correct (through diet or supplementation) any defficiencies. If you're cutting calories then you can be at risk for vitimin defficiencies. Doesn't hurt to check whether your hormones are okay as well so that you know what you're up against before you start

They might also be able to help you out with anthing that could be a barrier to starting an exercise routine

+1

I agree.

rdavidson180 · June 2014

Hello,
My physician led me to MFP. He is in his later 30's and has cholesterol issues by his admission. I have had my blood tested roughly every 6-8 months and have high in Glucose for some years. I strongly recommend anyone starting with a new physician do a wellness panel before your first visit and have some records available.
I had an AC1 and showed high in sugar.
I have hypertension that is responding well to treatment, but no other issues.
I was a bit delusional about my actual calorie intake and MFP has helped with that. I use the food log to micro-manage my diet. I log the exercise some but not as well as I should/

canadjineh · June 2014

Just a question... I've noticed a few of you think your doctors are crap & unhealthy. Why would you choose a doctor like that - they work for YOU, hire one (you are paying him/her - at least in the US) that has the same outlook on life that you do. If you are a runner pick someone who runs. If you are a smoker, probably a smoking doctor will understand your issues. Just sayin.'

I picked my MD because he is into sports, supports local food initiatives, tries as many natural healing modalities as practical, and heads the Physicians against Nuclear Arms chapter in our local area. He also keeps up on his continuing education and does speaking engagements for other docs, too.

RodaRose · June 2014

Hello beautiful people,

I hope everyone is having a great week. just curious, how many of you guys consulted your primary physician before joining this wonderful journey to a healthier life? And if so, did you guys get various tests done, such as blood work? In addition, did you guys consult other health professionals for further advice about your health, such as a nutritionist?

Ever since I was diagnosed with having costochondritis, I decided to get blood work done. I am waiting for my results and I am STRESSING OUT about it. I am very worried about my cholesterol and A1C levels. Sad to say but I am a huge worry wart (and my doctor knows that I am one) and I know that once I enter my doctor's office, my heart will start to race and my blood pressure will be high.

Any support and reply will be much appreciated!

Think of your doctor as a member of your team.
I love my doctor -- we have been together for 5 years --- it almost took that much time to get used to each other.

I have not seen a nutritionist. One would need a good recommendation. But sometimes they are helpful and can come at the situation from a different and helpful perspective.

It is o.k. to be a worry wort. But good ahead and take some deep breaths and remind yourself that you are doing a good job of taking care of yourself both by going to the doctor and by benign here.

danicaone_101 · June 2014

Thank you everyone for the great advice! Much appreciated.

I have a doctor's appointment this Wednesday to review my lab results. Even if I receive good or bad results, I know that I am taking the necessary steps to live a healthier life, just like everyone here.

dcnemesis · June 2014

I did not consult my physician but I am a healthcare professional so its a different situation for me.

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Sounds like you are doing everything right so far

I'm sure you can do it, just don't jump in too quickly. Take it slow and listen to your body. Best of luck!

aarnwine2013 · June 2014

I did because my work will start charging people that don't get their biometrics done. It was the wakeup call I needed and it's free through our health plan.

They also give us a healthy life coach that recommended this site and other things. They are also the ones that sent me to a specialist for blood sugar issues that I didn't know I had.

This was in March and here we are in June and I'm 30lbs lighter and feel better than I ever have.

Branstin · June 2014

Just a question... I've noticed a few of you think your doctors are crap & unhealthy. Why would you choose a doctor like that - they work for YOU, hire one (you are paying him/her - at least in the US) that has the same outlook on life that you do. If you are a runner pick someone who runs. If you are a smoker, probably a smoking doctor will understand your issues. Just sayin.'

+1

I would not retain a doctor who doesn't help me.

MinnieInMaine · June 2014

I wonder about people continuing to go to crap docs too. Some of the problem may be due to one's insurance coverage but there has to be other options out there. If you don't like or trust them, find another one.

My doc is amazing. She and I have very frank discussions and I trust her analysis of my health. I'd been going to her for at least 5 years before I started losing weight and knew it was something she wanted me to do so I didn't consult her before beginning.

However, if we hadn't discussed it before and I had a medical condition that caused concern, I definitely would've asked. So my advice would be for you to make sure you mention it when you go in. It may be part of the plan anyway with your risks but ask about specifics like what are safe exercises, any dietary suggestions (or should you see a nutritionist/dietician?). Better to be safe than sorry!

Consulting physician???

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