Disappointing drs appointment - advised 1200 cals

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  • Synchronicity
    Synchronicity Posts: 82 Member
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    I disagree with those condemning the doctor. Prednisone and PCOS is going to make it very difficult to lose weight, and under medical supervision (KEY WORDS: MEDICAL SUPERVISION) a 600 calorie a day diet can be safe for a relatively short time. Its not something you want to make a life out of, but there's not really any reason to lynch the doctor :) especially since he didn't send you straight to 600 and instead asked you to step back bit by bit until you find the calorie intake you need to lose. You will probably start losing well before you go so low.

    But I do agree with those saying insist on seeing a specialist. Sometimes, you just need to be pushy, and I think this is one of those times. You'd be better off in the long run.
  • Synchronicity
    Synchronicity Posts: 82 Member
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    yup, that's what he meant! He said there are morbidly obese patients who he puts on 600 calories prior to surgery or something and they watch them closely etc. But Im 5 7 and weigh 192, so whilst Im overweight, Im not huge if that makes sense!!

    When you say net, you mean eating back right? But do I take into account that unlikely to be accurate so eat back a couple hundred less then Polar says, or do I eat same amount??

    The thing about eating back exercise calories that you need to be careful of is that MFP is overly generous about the calories burned in each exercise. So, based on MFP's recommendations, you might think you are burning 850 calories, but you really are only burning 425 calories (or something like that). If you eat back all of your calories, then you over-eat by 425 calories, which can hinder wait loss.

    So... for me personally, I prefer to set my calorie consumption higher (1500-1700 range) and not really worry about exercise calories. But if you are at 1200 calories, that's already low enough to make most people uncomfortable and hungry, so I'd eat back some but not all of your calories. I'd also focus on lotsa protein to keep you full if possible.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    Start with the 1200 calories. Eat your exercise calories. Do this for 4 weeks. See what happens.

    No. Do not start on 1200. Start at just below your TDEE. 1200 cals is not a one-size-fits-all number, it is for extremely short (significantly under 5 feet) and sedentary (meaning bedridden or wheelchair-bound) people.
  • onionparsleysage
    onionparsleysage Posts: 103 Member
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    Ask to be put on metformin and oristat. Both will help with the weight loss. (promise!)

    i'm sorry, but... no. hell no.

    metformin is for people who are insulin resistant. unless you've been properly tested and diagnosed, taking a drug meant to alleviate a problem you don't have is just stupid. people on metformin have been known to lose weight as a side-effect, but only when insulin levels are too high and are inhibiting the body's natural ability to burn fat.

    That's an uneducated reply. The OP knows that she has PCOS, which is strongly linked to insulin resistance. That's why the lower carb diets are so important for losing weight with that condition. And it also means that women with PCOS are often put on Metformin to help with losing weight even if their bloodwork doesn't show insulin resistance outright.

    OP: Here's an interesting article on switching your calories around during the day to lose weight (specifically for PCOSers). Those who ate a large breakfast did much better than those who ate a large dinner. I've tried it a few times, but social pressures meant I was just eating a large breakfast AND a normal sized dinner. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264791.php

    600 kcal/day sounds like a good gateway to anorexia. I don't think I could keep my jaw off the floor if anyone recommended that to me. You're a bit overweight, so you'll reach your goals with sensible diet & exercise.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Start with the 1200 calories. Eat your exercise calories. Do this for 4 weeks. See what happens.

    No. Do not start on 1200. Start at just below your TDEE. 1200 cals is not a one-size-fits-all number, it is for extremely short (significantly under 5 feet) and sedentary (meaning bedridden or wheelchair-bound) people.

    In general, I'd agree with you. I eat 2000 to lose. However OP has PCOS, is on steriods and has a connective tissue disorder which I assume will get better with weight loss. I'm guessing that this is why her doctor is pushing it so hard, and why rapid weight loss might be preferred over the usual slow and steady. I have seen many doctors throw out the 1200 number without taking the patient's needs into consideration but in this circumstance this doesn't seem to be the case.
  • kelfran1
    kelfran1 Posts: 1,213 Member
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    I don't have any advice, just a question. What workout did you do to use 850 cal (or even 425, as Synchronicity suggests) in one session? I think the most I've ever used was ~350 doing Insanity. Now I'm wondering if there is some crazy exercise that I should be adding to the schedule.
  • Irenaekl
    Irenaekl Posts: 116 Member
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    Did he specifically tell you to start at 1200 cals per day then reduce until you were on 600 per day or did he mean to reduce by 100 cals per month until you had reduced BY 600 cals. I think you should check with him exactly what he meant.
  • JennyBilyeu
    JennyBilyeu Posts: 51 Member
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    Your body needs at LEAST 1200 calories a day just to sustain itself. Eat back at LEAST half of your burned cals, if not all of them. I'm on 1200 a day, and I eat extremely well, and am always full, so it is possible, I promise.
  • cabive
    cabive Posts: 1 Member
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    When Doctors tell you to lose weight, in theory most Doctors seem to think just cut your calories and it will work ( usually the skinny Doctors say that). But with the health ailments you have you definitely need to see a nutritionist and one that specializes in woman's health i.e. PCOS. I am seeing a Doctor who has his patients see a nutritionist in conjunction with his visits.

    I am on a 1200 a day low glycemic diet. He put me on glucophage as an earlier responder also said and it did wonders for my weight loss. I am not a diabetic but for some reason the glucophage helps control your sugar and allows for the pounds to come off. You should read Dr. Louis Arrone's book "The Skinny", I think it will give you some insight to achieving weight loss.
  • lkhaycook
    lkhaycook Posts: 23 Member
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    Start with the 1200 calories. Eat your exercise calories. Do this for 4 weeks. See what happens.

    No. Do not start on 1200. Start at just below your TDEE. 1200 cals is not a one-size-fits-all number, it is for extremely short (significantly under 5 feet) and sedentary (meaning bedridden or wheelchair-bound) people.

    The problem with a TDEE calculator is there are some medical conditions and circumstances that cause people to have a lower basal metabolic rate so I think you are going to have to experiment a bit. A TDEE calculator will give you an idea what calories should be consumed for someone at your height/weight/age without a medical condition. I assume you are probably a little lower than that number. Hang in there!
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    A few things...
    In the 9 months post pregnancy, I have dieted, like proper dieted, no fads. I did Slimming world, I didn't lose, I went off gluten and sugar - I didn't lose... I exercised - I didn't lose.
    Those are all fads. You didn't lose weight because, when you went off gluten or sugar or whatever else.. you ate more of other foods. You ate at your maintenance calories, whether you realized it or not. I don't believe anyone has asked this, but how are you measuring your calorie intake? In the past 30 days you have only logged 2 on myfitnesspal. Do you keep a separate journal/use a difference site? Do you use a food scale, eyeball, or only eat pre-packaged things?

    My guess is that you've been eating more than you realize. Hormonal and genetic issues aside, it's not sustainable to eat 1,200 a day at 5'7.

    Also, what exercise were you doing that your HRM said you burned 800 + calories? If it was anything other than steady state cardio (jogging, walking, cycling), that number is outright wrong. Even high intensity workouts like zumba and HIITs can only get someone at your height and weight up to maybe 450-600 calories, depending on intensity. Those activities cannot be logged via a heart rate monitor.
  • Synchronicity
    Synchronicity Posts: 82 Member
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    Ask to be put on metformin and oristat. Both will help with the weight loss. (promise!)

    i'm sorry, but... no. hell no.

    metformin is for people who are insulin resistant. unless you've been properly tested and diagnosed, taking a drug meant to alleviate a problem you don't have is just stupid. people on metformin have been known to lose weight as a side-effect, but only when insulin levels are too high and are inhibiting the body's natural ability to burn fat.

    That's an uneducated reply. The OP knows that she has PCOS, which is strongly linked to insulin resistance. That's why the lower carb diets are so important for losing weight with that condition. And it also means that women with PCOS are often put on Metformin to help with losing weight even if their bloodwork doesn't show insulin resistance outright.

    Strongly linked does NOT mean causation nor does it guarantee that the OP is insulin resistant. Before anyone on MFP starts doling out prescriptions, they should really consider the consequences of their advice. Suggesting a drug that improves insulin responsiveness (and coincidently aids in weight lose for SOME, not all, individuals) is dangerous if the OP heeds the suggestion but is not actually insulin resistant. Low blood sugar (the effect of improving insulin response in non-insulin-resistant patients) can be dangerous too.
  • LernRach
    LernRach Posts: 286 Member
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    AAAAHHHH just wrote the longest post and it got deleted....

    anyway, thanks for all your replies, I will attempt to explain all!!

    1) dr is awesome!! He knows me well, knows my dieting/eating habits and knows that I know a lot about food... He was merely saying that I clearly need a calorie in vs calorie approach as Im not intolerant or allergic to any food. He knows how hard it is for me to lose weight, and therefore suggested I start with 1200 and continue from there. He did not say I should eat 600, but that there are people who need to...

    2) I was doing SW and before that other stuff, and those diets don't necessitate writing down (although I realise its always good to write down) now that he told me all this on Friday, I immediately started recording on Sunday.

    3) I Was wearing a HRM, not using MFP to calculate exercise. I jogged for 40min HIIT, and then weights, but my BP was already raised, hence the high calorie burn. I was contemplating eating up to half back, not more....

    4) MEdication/MEtformin Incidentally, my husband is a research scientist, studying.... PCOS, obesity and infertility!!!!!!!!!!! In a nutshell, when "Normal" ppl eat, their body gets hotter then normal, speeding up digestion, PCOS people don't have this and therefore retain their food for longer/as fat. It is as though they are eating an extra KitKat a day as a result... However, recent papers suggest that Metformin does not help at all... Either way, I am already taking other meds and don't want to add more to my pill box.

    5) Unfortunately, losing weight will not help the MCTD, but perhaps if I was lighter, it wouldn't cause so much stress on my knees etc.

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