Doctor's advice doesn't seem right...
telecoffeesaur
Posts: 12 Member
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?
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
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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.0 -
Sounds like a load of BS. Keep doing what you're doing. If it ain't broke, why fix it?0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
I would get a different doctor. Sounds like complete BS to me.0
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Doctors are not nutritionists.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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 specialist0 -
I don't think that's right. I would consider getting a second opinion or seeing a nutritionist instead.0
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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.0
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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/0 -
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.0
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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...
LOL0 -
I'd see a different doctor.0
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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.0 -
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.
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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!0
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Some Doctors scare me0
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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.0
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M.D.s have very little training in nutrition. If what you're doing is working and sustainable for you, I say stick with it!0
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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.
This0 -
M.D.s have very little training in nutrition. If what you're doing is working and sustainable for you, I say stick with it!
^ This. It's ridiculous how little they know. I told mine I was a vegetarian and they tried to talk me out of it and gave me a pamphlet for the food pyramid. Insane!0 -
I think your doctor is a quack like 90 percent of them in the world. If what you're doing works keep with it.0
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I've worked in the medical field for 5 years and that's enough time to know that medical doctors DO NOT understand nutrition. Please, trust me, unless your doctor is a specialist in nutrition or weight maintenance, this person is simply human just like the rest of us on this message board.
I'd trust a nutritionist or dietician over a medical doctor when it comes to weight loss strategies. It's all about the knowledge they've gained from repeated experiences helping people with these issues.
The best thing your doctor could do is give you a valid referral to a good nutritionist or dietician to help you along your journey, if you need help.0 -
A lot of people think just bc they are a MD they know everything. You would be surprised how many doctors call other professionals and look on the internet berfore diagnosing and treating. If your doing well and have no health concerns just keep doing what your doing, if its not broke, don't fix it 0
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Doctors have what is known as a "PRACTICE " because that's what they are doing. Anyone that is involved in weight loss for any length of time will tell you to never go below 1200 calories a day or you will loose weight but also muscles. My doctor, who I see every 4 months , told me to stay at 1200 the last time I say him and to never go under. Fruits and veggies are like everything else, in moderation.0
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I think that if you are not doing a program that heavily supplements you with vitamins, minerals AND fiber and you try to keep your calories under 1200 you will not be getting all the essential nutrients that your body needs. I'm coming off the heels of an awesome program where I DID lose over 150 pounds on 800-1000 calories but it was a SPECIFIC plan which was HIGHLY SUPPLEMENTED with the RDA of all my vitamins and minerals AND FIBER (people often forget about the fiber....DON'T LOL!) and it was a commercially available weight-loss plan that has been recommended by over 20,000 physicians nationwide since 1980, so I trusted it and yes it did work. But again, it was highly supplemented and a Meal Replacement program with 1 "Lean and Green" meal that I would make myself daily. When I say "coming off the heels" I really mean in actuality I've been maintaining my weight loss for about 2 years now, so I guess it's not really "coming off the heels" in a strict sense. But NOW I DO keep my calories around 1200-1400 and I am maintaining. I'm a little person, about 5 foot 3 and very petite so perhaps your Doctor is factoring in your height, and your weight loss goals overall? If I am able to MAINTAIN at 1200 calories with light to moderate activity, then yes I'd need to create a further calorie deficit if I had any more weight to lose and wanted to lose it, and I could do that either by INCREASING my output (exercise) OR by decreasing my intake (food) or a combination of BOTH, but I would never want to drop BELOW 1200 calories of WHOLE FOODS or I wouldn't be getting in my basic nutrients without supplementation. I hope that helped!
PS I do have a 4-year degree in Human Nutrition and am enrolled in a Masters Program for Obesity Prevention and Management so while I am still learning a great deal I do have a good basis of Nutrition Info already.0 -
and my Dr told me I must eat breakfast and that I must eat several times a day to keep my metabolism going in order to lose weight. I actually do better when I don't eat early in the day. After I lost a bunch while often waiting until mid-afternoon to eat, she started asking me what I was doing, so that she could better help her other patients.
As someone else said, general practitioners have very little education in nutrition. My sister is a GP, and she will be the first to admit that she doesn't have extensive knowledge of everything health related.0 -
I went to my doctor for a six month weigh in and check up yesterday. She asked me for nutritional advice. She also said she's never seed any other patient take such a common sense approach to weight loss.
Most doctors only have one or two classes or semesters in nutrition and have no time to keep up with the latest research and guidelines.0
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