Restrict calories ???

determinedgirl1
determinedgirl1 Posts: 128 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My doctor told me not to restrict my calories but instead restrict my carbs. I do not have any health problems (unless you consider being over weight...and then there is my mental health that is questionable...:laugh: ) Anyway, I do not have any major health concerns, my blood pressure & cholesterol are great.

Yesterday I asked him to take me off of prozac because I have gained 21 lbs in 4 months. I literally worked my butt off to lose 60 lbs. And in March he switched my meds & added prozac. I quit taking it cold turkey (which I do not recommend). Yesterday he put me on Wellbutrin & Ativan. I know that everyone's body reacts differently to medication...but I have worked to hard to lose weight...and I still have about 40 lbs to go...well actually 60 because I gained back the 21 lbs....

My doctor knows that I am in the middle of my journey and told me it was a mistake to count calories that I should restrict my carbs. That goes against everything I have learned along this journey. First, everyone knows its calories in / calories out, and you have to have a deficit to lose weight. Second, I have not gone on a "diet"...it is a lifestyle. I eat healthy...low carb diet goes against everything I have believed so far...Any suggestions?

Replies

  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
    I'd find a healthy balance counting calories and cutting back on carbs. Lots of studies are showing its important and helpful for reducing hunger which may be why your doctor suggested it.


    Many MFP users love the low carb lifestyle. Others don't. The choice is up to you. Your doctor can only make suggestions he can't force you to do anything.
  • formerfatboy1
    formerfatboy1 Posts: 76 Member
    By cutting carbs you need to up your healthy fats and your protein intake has to be high as well in order to maintain your calories for the day. I am currently on this diet plan to shed as much fat till cold weather gets here. Its called a Ketogenic diet. try it for 4-6 weeks and see how it works for you and let us know. :smile:
  • onefortyone
    onefortyone Posts: 531 Member
    When I started counting calories, one of the biggest changes I made was controlling portion sizes of carbs. I used to have 2-3 servings of rice/pasta per meal, and now I weigh out and serve 1 (or 1.5 depending lol). I also used to have spaghetti AND garlic bread. Or a burger bun AND fries. But now I am less likely to double up on the carbs because of how many calories it is.

    So while I would never adopt the 'low/no carb' thing, starting at portion control with carbs definitely helped me get on track. Replacing the 'volume' of carbs with a veggie (and maybe an extra oz of meat) is one of the main changes I made to my diet :) I'm not cutting back or restricting them, I'm just eating a more 'normal' amount of them now.

    But there's always the chance that your carb consumption is fine, and your Dr. is kinda prejudiced and assumes that all overweight people eat cookies and pies all day.
  • Mirabai77
    Mirabai77 Posts: 4
    Even if you're skeptical of carbs, and it goes against everything you've read/believe so far, ask yourself - has what you know or believe worked for you? Have you lost weight only to gain it back (not just from medications)? Do you find losing weight to be hard, to take forever, and to be mental torture after a few months? If so, maybe what you "know" is wrong, at least for you. Not everyone is equally sensitive to carbs, so you absolutely do know people who can eat oreos and bread without getting fat, or people who easily are able to control their calories and keep that last five off with daily runs, but that doesn't mean that processed carbs aren't a problem for your body. Why not try something new and see how it works for you? You're actually lucky to have a doctor who is recommending something that goes against the traditional recommendations.

    Also, everyone does NOT know that its just calories in vs. calories out. It's not a quick read, and given your skepticism of low carb, you might not want to go through it, but Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes is a great book that explains where most of our current beliefs and nutritional/weight loss recommendations came from, why they're wrong, and why cutting sugar and processed is the healthiest way for us to eat. The chapters on obesity, starvation diet studies, and hunger are particularly interesting if you are reading from the position of wanting to lose weight and have gained weight back many times. The loss of willpower is a side effect of a diet high in processed carbs, and you cannot successfully conquer your weight in the long term just from exercise if you are carb sensitive.

    Another book that is shorter, but pretty technical, is The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. This book explains the science behind how carbs, protein and fat are handled by the body, how this impacts blood sugar and insulin levels, and how high processed carb intake leads to weight gain and disease in carb sensitive people.
  • cosmonew
    cosmonew Posts: 513 Member
    I eat carbs... but I really ration my bread, pasta and rice... that stuff has tons of calories and doesn't keep me full for very long. I like to say... if its white... don't bite.... this pertains to white flour and not necessarily a potatoe or cauliflower.
  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
    Cutting carbs might help you cut overall calories, but it isn't magical, althought you might find yourself more full. That's it. Also, if you choose a keto diet, its high fat, moderate protein, low carb...not high fat AND high protein as a PP mentioned. But its really whatever floats your boat.

    As far as the "diet" comment, what you eat is your "diet" not necessarily meaning "being on a diet".
  • Kellyfitness128
    Kellyfitness128 Posts: 194 Member
    Ahhh, don't take nutrition advice from a doctor! That's what dietitians are for. Doctors hardly even have to take any nutrition classes. Do NOT cut back on carbs, carbs are great for you (the right ones, obviously) and they are needed to fuel your brain and your cells. Do you have time to do much exercise? What I try and do is create a food deficit of just a couple hundred calories and create the majority of my deficit through exercise so I'm not starving myself and keeping my metabolism up.

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