Doctor's advice doesn't seem right...

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telecoffeesaur
telecoffeesaur Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I went to the doctor yesterday for a physical, and the visit basically turned into a weight loss consultation. I told her what I've been doing and that I've lost almost five pounds in the past month (I'm at 166, trying to get down to 140).

Despite my "success" she gave me a series of guidelines that I HAVE to follow or I will "NOT" lose weight. The primary one being that I should only eat 1000 calories per day, absolutely NEVER going over 1200...

I'm currently set at 1380 per day by MFP and it seems to be working just fine. The doctor also told me that I should eat very little fruit and carbs because of the sugar (which in and of itself is an issue because I'm a vegetarian/almost vegan and eat a lot of fruit and whole grains).

She's a medical doctor, so I feel like I should listen to what she says, but it seems crazy and impossible to follow. Am I being stubborn?
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Replies

  • defauIt
    defauIt Posts: 118 Member
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    People suck at counting calories. They underestimate a lot of things, they "forget" about a lot of things they ate, they think certain foods don't count, etc.

    Some doctors try to account for this by telling their patients to strictly adhere to a super low calorie goal, fully expecting the patient to miscount something.

    The sugar stuff is conditional on the person. There's nothing actually bad in sugar and it won't stop your weight loss, but some people lose all control around it. They have a cookie, then they have another one, and another one, and another one until the entire package is gone. If you're one of those people, avoid sugar. If you're not one of those people, go ahead and enjoy the sugar.

    PS: Medical doctors are not infallible. They generally know what they're talking about but there's nothing that stops them from being misinformed or just flat out wrong.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
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    Sounds like a load of BS. Keep doing what you're doing. If it ain't broke, why fix it?
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    *looks at ticker*

    I did just fine eating a lot more than that and while eating fruit and carbs of all kinds. If what you're doing is working then just keep doing that.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    What do you call the person who graduates at the bottom of his/her medical school class?

    "Doctor."

    Find another doctor. I'm pretty damn picky about who I take advice from and if their advice doesn't match up to my understanding in areas that I'm comfortable with what I know, I start to question their expertise in areas I don't. Trust is vital when it comes to experts.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    I would get a different doctor. Sounds like complete BS to me.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
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    Doctors are not nutritionists.
  • Derp_Diggler
    Derp_Diggler Posts: 1,456 Member
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    What do you call the person who graduates at the bottom of his/her medical school class?

    "Doctor."

    Find another doctor. I'm pretty damn picky about who I take advice from and if their advice doesn't match up to my understanding in areas that I'm comfortable with what I know, I start to question their expertise in areas I don't. Trust is vital when it comes to experts.


    This. Get a second opinion.

    Doctors are no different than any other profession. There are good ones and bad ones, just like there are good and bad plumbers, electricians, and carpenters. Your gut is telling you something is wrong. Listen to it.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    What do you call the person who graduates at the bottom of his/her medical school class?

    "Doctor."

    Find another doctor. I'm pretty damn picky about who I take advice from and if their advice doesn't match up to my understanding in areas that I'm comfortable with what I know, I start to question their expertise in areas I don't. Trust is vital when it comes to experts.

    This is pretty much it. It would be nice if the people entrusted with managing our health knew what they where talking about. Honestly most of the time they do. But this doctor ... seems kinda bad. Also doctors have their own prejudices same as everyone else. Here at mfp most people hold to the opinion that slow weight loss is more reliable, safer and healthier. It may surprise you to know that not everyone agrees with this opinion. And that includes some doctors. So honestly the best advice I personally can give you is my personal opinion. Which is that your doctor is a dinglebat and you need to get yourself a new one. But I really don't know everything.
  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
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    She's a medical doctor, so I feel like I should listen to what she says, but it seems crazy and impossible to follow. Am I being stubborn?


    Is she a GP? ... Then get an opinion from some one who is NOT a pill pusher ..... Use a specialist
  • nicolemtracy
    nicolemtracy Posts: 301 Member
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    I don't think that's right. I would consider getting a second opinion or seeing a nutritionist instead.
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
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    Well if you're successful with MFP, which it appears you are, there is no reason to change. I just wish you would have mentioned the starvation mode at 1200 calories to see what she said then. Obviously she didn't believe that you had lost any weight, otherwise she would have told you to stick with what you're doing.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
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    What do you call the person who graduates at the bottom of his/her medical school class?

    "Doctor."

    Find another doctor. I'm pretty damn picky about who I take advice from and if their advice doesn't match up to my understanding in areas that I'm comfortable with what I know, I start to question their expertise in areas I don't. Trust is vital when it comes to experts.


    This. Get a second opinion.

    Doctors are no different than any other profession. There are good ones and bad ones, just like there are good and bad plumbers, electricians, and carpenters. Your gut is telling you something is wrong. Listen to it.

    Agree/
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
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    You shouldn't take the advice of a doctor simply because they have "MD" after their name. Graduating med school doesn't necessarily mean you have an ounce of sense. Obviously your doctor gave you some ridiculous advice.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    Despite my "success" she gave me a series of guidelines that I HAVE to follow or I will "NOT" lose weight. The primary one being that I should only eat 1000 calories per day, absolutely NEVER going over 1200...

    LOL
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
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    I'd see a different doctor.
  • doctorsookie
    doctorsookie Posts: 1,084 Member
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    I would get a different doctor. Sounds like complete BS to me.



    ^^^^^^THIS THIS THIS OMG I want to smack the crap out of that idiot. You just proved you could lose weight and she has the audacity to claim you CAN'T lose weight if you don't follow her rules. Okay, rant over.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    If you want a real second opinion, ask another doctor.

    If you want to hear advice that you like better from untrained people who know nothing about your health / disease / history, by all means, get your medical advice online. Or, better yet, just treat yourself. Then you'll always get to hear what you want. :)
  • lorigrocks
    lorigrocks Posts: 123 Member
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    I don't think your doctor has long term weight loss in mind and being able to keep it off once you reach your goal. I think your Doctor is thinking more of a very quick weight loss which is crazy cuz it would be impossible to maintain so keep up the good work you are already doing on MFP Cuz personally it is the best program I have ever joined!
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Some Doctors scare me
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    None of us know your health and medical history the way your doctor knows your situation. Therefore, whether you should or shouldn’t follow your doctor’s advice is something that should be determined after you do a better job in engaging with your doctor. You shouldn’t be so quick to accept or dismiss your doctor’s advice until you get a reasonable explanation for that advice. If you have to get a second or third opinion along with a referral to a qualified nutrition and/or dietitian then so be it. The main point is that you should never walk away from a doctor until you feel confident that he/she is helping you and leading you in the correct direction.

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