1 week in doctor controlled weight loss.. Need help.
Kchapa82
Posts: 33
one week ago I started a physician controlled weight loss program. So far it has been going pretty good and I have lost some weight. Mostly water I thought as my weight loss the first week was 7 lbs. (turns out dr says 4 lbs was muscle and not fat) she gave me a b-12 shot and something called lcarintine or something like that to preserve my muscles.
This lifestyle change consists of low carb(I haven't had ANY this week) high protein foods. I drink NOTHING but water. I would usually drink a glass of crystal light a day and I was pretty dehydrated when I started this so my doctor recommended to drink water only and to drink at least 70 ounces, which I go over most days now. She prescribed me a low dose appetite suppressant to help my body the first couple weeks manage the change. This has helped but I find it hard to log more than 800 calories a day.
So here is my problem. I need to eat more, higher protein and less carbs.. How do I set my percentages on my food diary? Currently I have 50% protein and 25% fat and 25% carb. Is this a good guideline or do I need to raise my protein and lower my carbs?
I want this to be my new lifestyle and I know once the medication is over if I am not eating and excercising right I will have wasted all this time and be right back where I started. Has anyone been through this and if so how did you do it?
Oh and on Friday when I get paid I will be purchasing some kind of work out equipment. I was thinking elliptical. Does anyone have suggestions? Something I can put in my bedroom. Not a whole lot of room to put something. Just not a treadmill because I will be honest, I must be bow legged or something because I feel like I will fall off that thing when I am just walking on it.. Lol!
Thank you to anyone who has suggestions! I really appreciate it!
This lifestyle change consists of low carb(I haven't had ANY this week) high protein foods. I drink NOTHING but water. I would usually drink a glass of crystal light a day and I was pretty dehydrated when I started this so my doctor recommended to drink water only and to drink at least 70 ounces, which I go over most days now. She prescribed me a low dose appetite suppressant to help my body the first couple weeks manage the change. This has helped but I find it hard to log more than 800 calories a day.
So here is my problem. I need to eat more, higher protein and less carbs.. How do I set my percentages on my food diary? Currently I have 50% protein and 25% fat and 25% carb. Is this a good guideline or do I need to raise my protein and lower my carbs?
I want this to be my new lifestyle and I know once the medication is over if I am not eating and excercising right I will have wasted all this time and be right back where I started. Has anyone been through this and if so how did you do it?
Oh and on Friday when I get paid I will be purchasing some kind of work out equipment. I was thinking elliptical. Does anyone have suggestions? Something I can put in my bedroom. Not a whole lot of room to put something. Just not a treadmill because I will be honest, I must be bow legged or something because I feel like I will fall off that thing when I am just walking on it.. Lol!
Thank you to anyone who has suggestions! I really appreciate it!
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Replies
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I follow Atkins and this is their breakdown. I find myself finishing the day somewhere at 15-18 net carbs;
• Eating 60 to 65% fat and 30 to 35% protein (never more – Atkins is not a high-protein diet)
• Eating 20 net carbs a day, with 12-15 of them veggies from the Induction foods list
• Drinking 64 ounces of water a day0 -
That's awesome thanks! I believe the reason my doctor wanted to raise my protein was because I had lost muscle this week. I am sure once I start exercising and building muscle I will not have to eat such a high protein amount. I'm guessing- haven't discussed this with the doc.0
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That's awesome thanks! I believe the reason my doctor wanted to raise my protein was because I had lost muscle this week. I am sure once I start exercising and building muscle I will not have to eat such a high protein amount. I'm guessing- haven't discussed this with the doc.
When you lose weight, you lose muscle too. You can't avoid that.
Protein sources:
Eggs
Chicken
Turkey
Ground beef
Ground turkey
Steak
Bacon
Sausage
Salmon
Tilapia
Shrimp
Tuna
Cod
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Nuts
Seeds
Nut butters
Protein shakes
Protein bars
Also, when you eat low carb, you MUST eat high fat because fat becomes your body's next primary source of energy. You should be eating more fat than protein.
Unless this 'doctor', is a registered dietitian, I would advise against accepting nutritional advice from them and see an RD.0 -
I have to question the competence and/or integrity of your doctor. It is virtually impossible that you lost four pounds of muscle in one week. It sounds like your doctor either (a) doesn't understand that lean body mass includes water (presumably he or she did some kind of body fat % test on you at induction and one week in, estimated how much body fat you lost, and decided the rest of the weight loss was muscle) or (b) understands that, but is telling you it's all muscle loss so that he/she can sell you more services, like B-12 and Icarintine. Maybe you should ask your doctor what kind of pixie dust B-12 and Icarintine contain that they would stop your body from tapping your muscles for energy if your calorie deficit is so great that it can't keep up with it by tapping your fat reserves. What's going to happen is that your weight will slow after the first week, when it was high because of the water loss associated with using up your glycogen reserves, and your doctor is going to claim that the B-12 and Icarintine has stopped your muscle loss. "Here, let me give you some more so I can bill you or your insurance company."0
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When you exercise and try to build muscle, you still need protein. Generally, though, you won't build muscle on calorie deficit anyway. If this is a doctor controlled diet, you should ask your doctor what your macros should be. That said, tbh, you don't look such a size that you need strict doctor control, medication, etc to lose weight, but without your stats, who knows.....0
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »That's awesome thanks! I believe the reason my doctor wanted to raise my protein was because I had lost muscle this week. I am sure once I start exercising and building muscle I will not have to eat such a high protein amount. I'm guessing- haven't discussed this with the doc.
When you lose weight, you lose muscle too. You can't avoid that.
Protein sources:
Eggs
Chicken
Turkey
Ground beef
Ground turkey
Steak
Bacon
Sausage
Salmon
Tilapia
Shrimp
Tuna
Cod
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Nuts
Seeds
Nut butters
Protein shakes
Protein bars
Also, when you eat low carb, you MUST eat high fat because fat becomes your body's next primary source of energy. You should be eating more fat than protein.
Unless this 'doctor', is a registered dietitian, I would advise against accepting nutritional advice from them and see an RD.
That makes sense!! Thank you for the advice! I think working with a RD is a great idea. I will bring this up to my doc at next weeks appt.0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »That's awesome thanks! I believe the reason my doctor wanted to raise my protein was because I had lost muscle this week. I am sure once I start exercising and building muscle I will not have to eat such a high protein amount. I'm guessing- haven't discussed this with the doc.
When you lose weight, you lose muscle too. You can't avoid that.
Yes, but not four pounds of muscle in one week.Unless this 'doctor', is a registered dietitian, I would advise against accepting nutritional advice from them and see an RD.
^^solid advice.0 -
She has this scale in her office that prints out a bunch of stats. My weight and I am guessing fat percentage and muscle percentage. When I started the program last week I had a full work up- ekg and labs. Everything looked good. She compared the first printout to my one week checkup and told me I had lost 7 lbs but 4 lbs being muscle.
-I am starting out at 225 lbs and 218 today. No health problems at all, other than obesity of course.
I just got into a rut after having 3 kids and I spent all my time focusing on raising them(8,5,4). Then college courses and my career the last 3 years. I didn't like the way I looked but no health issues to really make me go WOW I need to lose weight. Well until recently when I saw how amazing a friend looked after getting herself back healthy and how active and energetic she was.
I am not! I get home about 7ish and I am TIRED! I don't even feel like cleaning and this coming from someone who scrubs her floors by hand!! So this the reason for the change:) I wanted to do it right so I went to the doctor and they recommended the physician I see now. So now a week later I see some results but still apprehensive about the future... Ya know what I mean!
I think when you see a doctor you assume they know what they are talking about and take them at their word, I would be pretty disappointed to know they had no idea what they were doing and I ended up worse than when I started.
I guess I will just have to wait and see how things go and use my best judgment. I agree that the shots were a little questionable but I assumed she knew best because she is the physician and what did I know about muscle weight and such.
I appreciate all the advice and I will definitely follow up with my primary physician as well as a RD to help make this a permanent and lasting change!0 -
Your profile says you have 58lbs to lose. I know it seems like an insurmountable goal, but you seem to be going to a lot of extremes (granted your doctor is leading you down this path, but it seems too extreme).
An extreme deficit and fast weight loss can lead to muscle loss. Instead of trying to counteract this with drugs and vitamins, it seems more logical to instead set a moderate calorie goal.
Beyond low carb, what is your doctor recommending for you? How many calories are you trying to eat? How low are you supposed to keep your carbs? Do you have a gram limit? If you are stopping at 800 because you're full but you're supposed to eat more than that, try focusing on more calorie dense foods (there's a good list above). Many people who eat low carb have pretty high fat levels to fill in. Try full fat dairy and nut butters.0 -
So here is my problem. I need to eat more, higher protein and less carbs.. How do I set my percentages on my food diary? Currently I have 50% protein and 25% fat and 25% carb. Is this a good guideline or do I need to raise my protein and lower my carbs?
Since the amount of protein you need is not really a certain percentage of total calories, but a certain number of grams based on your weight or lean body mass, and you don't tell us your stats (and it's not clear how many calories you are eating or supposed to be eating -- just that you "find it hard to log more than 800 calories a day"), so none of us can really say whether 50% protein is enough. On a non-VLCD it should be plenty.
Also, you can eat as much protein as you like, but if your calorie deficit is greater than your body can make up from fat (there's a limit on how many calories your body can recover from a pound of stored fat in a given day), you're still going to lose muscle.0 -
She has this scale in her office that prints out a bunch of stats. My weight and I am guessing fat percentage and muscle percentage. When I started the program last week I had a full work up- ekg and labs. Everything looked good. She compared the first printout to my one week checkup and told me I had lost 7 lbs but 4 lbs being muscle.
-I am starting out at 225 lbs and 218 today. No health problems at all, other than obesity of course.
I just got into a rut after having 3 kids and I spent all my time focusing on raising them(8,5,4). Then college courses and my career the last 3 years. I didn't like the way I looked but no health issues to really make me go WOW I need to lose weight. Well until recently when I saw how amazing a friend looked after getting herself back healthy and how active and energetic she was.
I am not! I get home about 7ish and I am TIRED! I don't even feel like cleaning and this coming from someone who scrubs her floors by hand!! So this the reason for the change:) I wanted to do it right so I went to the doctor and they recommended the physician I see now. So now a week later I see some results but still apprehensive about the future... Ya know what I mean!
I think when you see a doctor you assume they know what they are talking about and take them at their word, I would be pretty disappointed to know they had no idea what they were doing and I ended up worse than when I started.
I guess I will just have to wait and see how things go and use my best judgment. I agree that the shots were a little questionable but I assumed she knew best because she is the physician and what did I know about muscle weight and such.
I appreciate all the advice and I will definitely follow up with my primary physician as well as a RD to help make this a permanent and lasting change!
The scale looks at lean body mass, and as someone mentioned, water is included in that. Also, the scales use the electrical current in your body to determine that, and so it's highly varied based on how much you were drinking that day.
I agree with a previous poster that you likely lost some fat and maybe a little muscle, but mostly water. Because you are going low carb you can lose a LOT of water due to depleting your glycogen stores.
Carbs are a good energy source. Cutting down on them could lead you to having less energy. It's also not required for weight loss. If you find you don't do well with low carb, it might not be the right diet for you. People who do low carb also say there is a "carb flu" that you get over after a few days/weeks. I'm not sure about the truth of that.
Also, if you are undereating in general, you are not supplying yourself enough energy. (Calories are literally a unit of energy.) If you are only eating 800 calories, you likely not eating enough to sustain your energy levels. Set a reasonable calorie goal and aim to hit it each day.0 -
She has this scale in her office that prints out a bunch of stats. My weight and I am guessing fat percentage and muscle percentage. When I started the program last week I had a full work up- ekg and labs. Everything looked good. She compared the first printout to my one week checkup and told me I had lost 7 lbs but 4 lbs being muscle.
-I am starting out at 225 lbs and 218 today. No health problems at all, other than obesity of course.
I just got into a rut after having 3 kids and I spent all my time focusing on raising them(8,5,4). Then college courses and my career the last 3 years. I didn't like the way I looked but no health issues to really make me go WOW I need to lose weight. Well until recently when I saw how amazing a friend looked after getting herself back healthy and how active and energetic she was.
I am not! I get home about 7ish and I am TIRED! I don't even feel like cleaning and this coming from someone who scrubs her floors by hand!! So this the reason for the change:) I wanted to do it right so I went to the doctor and they recommended the physician I see now. So now a week later I see some results but still apprehensive about the future... Ya know what I mean!
I think when you see a doctor you assume they know what they are talking about and take them at their word, I would be pretty disappointed to know they had no idea what they were doing and I ended up worse than when I started.
I guess I will just have to wait and see how things go and use my best judgment. I agree that the shots were a little questionable but I assumed she knew best because she is the physician and what did I know about muscle weight and such.
I appreciate all the advice and I will definitely follow up with my primary physician as well as a RD to help make this a permanent and lasting change!
It sounds like she used a BIA, which is not very accurate when measuring body fat % and LBM. Chances are you didn't lose 4 lbs of muscle in one week (although if you were barely eating 800 calories/day it is entirely possible).
A more accurate test for determining BF% and LBM is DEXA.
Also, what kind of physician are you seeing?0 -
Your profile says you have 58lbs to lose. I know it seems like an insurmountable goal, but you seem to be going to a lot of extremes (granted your doctor is leading you down this path, but it seems too extreme).
An extreme deficit and fast weight loss can lead to muscle loss. Instead of trying to counteract this with drugs and vitamins, it seems more logical to instead set a moderate calorie goal.
Beyond low carb, what is your doctor recommending for you? How many calories are you trying to eat? How low are you supposed to keep your carbs? Do you have a gram limit? If you are stopping at 800 because you're full but you're supposed to eat more than that, try focusing on more calorie dense foods (there's a good list above). Many people who eat low carb have pretty high fat levels to fill in. Try full fat dairy and nut butters.
58 lbs is a lot but I have given myself a year to reach this goal. I have discussed this goal with my doctor as well, she prescribed the appetite suppressant because I tend to constantly be eating. All day while I am at my desk I am snaking and I eat so fast that before I know it I have finished an entire meal before anyone else. This mainly because I work 10-12 hours a day and I (feel) I have to hurry and finish to get back to my work.
The physician set a 1200 calorie goal for me and the 70 ounces of water. Which is as far as we discussed the breakdown of nutrition for the calories. I don't see her again for another week which is why I asked for advice on MFP.
I am stopping at 800 by choice but I think some fear and fullness are the reasons. let me explain, I was used to eating over 2000 calories just while I was at work. Chinese or take out for lunch, chocolate during the day, donuts or breakfast tacos for breakfast(south Texas gal) and then when I get home it's a full dinner with the family. I gained around 50 lbs just in the last few years!!
So when the doc gave me the appetite suppressant, the first day I felt a rise in energy and I did not think about or want food. How unusual! My entire week has looked like this: oatmeal for breakfast, grilled chicken breast and cup of spinach for lunch and turkey burger minus the bread for dinner. I don't even feel like eating that but I know I have to keep eating. Here's where the fear set in... I think I do not eat snacks in between or higher calories during the day because I am afraid when I get home I will binge on everything so I save my calories just in case I am extremely hungry... But the reality for this week seems to be by the time I get home i don't want anything.. Just the smell of food is a complete turn off. I have a fear of failing and going over my calories.. How ridiculous right! Take into account that I did not do ANY kind of exercise this week, which is a huge no no because the doc says I need to be doing something so I can train my body and mind, this way when I stop taking the medication at the end of my 3 weeks, I will be able to maintain what I am doing currently and not slip back. To use this as a tool and not depending on it. Makes sense right?
I KNOW what I need to do , raise my calories to 1200 and make sure I eat it, exercise and drink lots of water! The problem is I just need to figure out what exactly to eat... Lol all the doc said was more protein.
I will be contacting a RD on Monday as that was some advice given to me and I feel that is probably my best bet if I want to do this the right way!
Thanks so much for all y'all's advice!!0 -
If your doctor recommended 1200, you need to eat 1200. Though IMO that's too low for most women.0
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She has this scale in her office that prints out a bunch of stats. My weight and I am guessing fat percentage and muscle percentage. When I started the program last week I had a full work up- ekg and labs. Everything looked good. She compared the first printout to my one week checkup and told me I had lost 7 lbs but 4 lbs being muscle.
-I am starting out at 225 lbs and 218 today. No health problems at all, other than obesity of course.
I just got into a rut after having 3 kids and I spent all my time focusing on raising them(8,5,4). Then college courses and my career the last 3 years. I didn't like the way I looked but no health issues to really make me go WOW I need to lose weight. Well until recently when I saw how amazing a friend looked after getting herself back healthy and how active and energetic she was.
I am not! I get home about 7ish and I am TIRED! I don't even feel like cleaning and this coming from someone who scrubs her floors by hand!! So this the reason for the change:) I wanted to do it right so I went to the doctor and they recommended the physician I see now. So now a week later I see some results but still apprehensive about the future... Ya know what I mean!
I think when you see a doctor you assume they know what they are talking about and take them at their word, I would be pretty disappointed to know they had no idea what they were doing and I ended up worse than when I started.
I guess I will just have to wait and see how things go and use my best judgment. I agree that the shots were a little questionable but I assumed she knew best because she is the physician and what did I know about muscle weight and such.
I appreciate all the advice and I will definitely follow up with my primary physician as well as a RD to help make this a permanent and lasting change!
The scale looks at lean body mass, and as someone mentioned, water is included in that. Also, the scales use the electrical current in your body to determine that, and so it's highly varied based on how much you were drinking that day.
I agree with a previous poster that you likely lost some fat and maybe a little muscle, but mostly water. Because you are going low carb you can lose a LOT of water due to depleting your glycogen stores.
Carbs are a good energy source. Cutting down on them could lead you to having less energy. It's also not required for weight loss. If you find you don't do well with low carb, it might not be the right diet for you. People who do low carb also say there is a "carb flu" that you get over after a few days/weeks. I'm not sure about the truth of that.
Also, if you are undereating in general, you are not supplying yourself enough energy. (Calories are literally a unit of energy.) If you are only eating 800 calories, you likely not eating enough to sustain your energy levels. Set a reasonable calorie goal and aim to hit it each day.
That is awesome advice! Thank you! This makes total sense. The first day I had energy because of the medication but I noticed after day 3 up until now I have been tired, but a different kind of tired.. Sluggish I could say. Not getting enough fuel for my body makes perfect sense to the cause of that!!
Understanding how everything works helps me understand what is going on and how to eat right. My doc is a wonderful lady but she lacks the time to fully explain things like depleting my glycogen stores!0 -
Your profile says you have 58lbs to lose. I know it seems like an insurmountable goal, but you seem to be going to a lot of extremes (granted your doctor is leading you down this path, but it seems too extreme).
An extreme deficit and fast weight loss can lead to muscle loss. Instead of trying to counteract this with drugs and vitamins, it seems more logical to instead set a moderate calorie goal.
Beyond low carb, what is your doctor recommending for you? How many calories are you trying to eat? How low are you supposed to keep your carbs? Do you have a gram limit? If you are stopping at 800 because you're full but you're supposed to eat more than that, try focusing on more calorie dense foods (there's a good list above). Many people who eat low carb have pretty high fat levels to fill in. Try full fat dairy and nut butters.
58 lbs is a lot but I have given myself a year to reach this goal. I have discussed this goal with my doctor as well, she prescribed the appetite suppressant because I tend to constantly be eating. All day while I am at my desk I am snaking and I eat so fast that before I know it I have finished an entire meal before anyone else. This mainly because I work 10-12 hours a day and I (feel) I have to hurry and finish to get back to my work.
The physician set a 1200 calorie goal for me and the 70 ounces of water. Which is as far as we discussed the breakdown of nutrition for the calories. I don't see her again for another week which is why I asked for advice on MFP.
I am stopping at 800 by choice but I think some fear and fullness are the reasons. let me explain, I was used to eating over 2000 calories just while I was at work. Chinese or take out for lunch, chocolate during the day, donuts or breakfast tacos for breakfast(south Texas gal) and then when I get home it's a full dinner with the family. I gained around 50 lbs just in the last few years!!
So when the doc gave me the appetite suppressant, the first day I felt a rise in energy and I did not think about or want food. How unusual! My entire week has looked like this: oatmeal for breakfast, grilled chicken breast and cup of spinach for lunch and turkey burger minus the bread for dinner. I don't even feel like eating that but I know I have to keep eating. Here's where the fear set in... I think I do not eat snacks in between or higher calories during the day because I am afraid when I get home I will binge on everything so I save my calories just in case I am extremely hungry... But the reality for this week seems to be by the time I get home i don't want anything.. Just the smell of food is a complete turn off. I have a fear of failing and going over my calories.. How ridiculous right! Take into account that I did not do ANY kind of exercise this week, which is a huge no no because the doc says I need to be doing something so I can train my body and mind, this way when I stop taking the medication at the end of my 3 weeks, I will be able to maintain what I am doing currently and not slip back. To use this as a tool and not depending on it. Makes sense right?
I KNOW what I need to do , raise my calories to 1200 and make sure I eat it, exercise and drink lots of water! The problem is I just need to figure out what exactly to eat... Lol all the doc said was more protein.
I will be contacting a RD on Monday as that was some advice given to me and I feel that is probably my best bet if I want to do this the right way!
Thanks so much for all y'all's advice!!
You can eat anything you'd like to hit 1200 calories/day. Avocado, nuts, seeds, nut butters are all calorie-dense foods. Don't forget to incorporate foods you enjoy into your diet as well… like cookies, cake, donuts, muffins, pizza, whatever you like.
You are tired by 7pm because you aren't properly fueling your body. Eating 800 calories/day will cause long-term problems… vitamin deficiencies, etc.
Weight loss needs to be sustainable or else you are pretty much setting yourself up for failure.
ETA: 1200 calories is too little for most individuals. If you are still finding yourself exhausted, I would increase calories to 1400.0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »She has this scale in her office that prints out a bunch of stats. My weight and I am guessing fat percentage and muscle percentage. When I started the program last week I had a full work up- ekg and labs. Everything looked good. She compared the first printout to my one week checkup and told me I had lost 7 lbs but 4 lbs being muscle.
-I am starting out at 225 lbs and 218 today. No health problems at all, other than obesity of course.
I just got into a rut after having 3 kids and I spent all my time focusing on raising them(8,5,4). Then college courses and my career the last 3 years. I didn't like the way I looked but no health issues to really make me go WOW I need to lose weight. Well until recently when I saw how amazing a friend looked after getting herself back healthy and how active and energetic she was.
I am not! I get home about 7ish and I am TIRED! I don't even feel like cleaning and this coming from someone who scrubs her floors by hand!! So this the reason for the change:) I wanted to do it right so I went to the doctor and they recommended the physician I see now. So now a week later I see some results but still apprehensive about the future... Ya know what I mean!
I think when you see a doctor you assume they know what they are talking about and take them at their word, I would be pretty disappointed to know they had no idea what they were doing and I ended up worse than when I started.
I guess I will just have to wait and see how things go and use my best judgment. I agree that the shots were a little questionable but I assumed she knew best because she is the physician and what did I know about muscle weight and such.
I appreciate all the advice and I will definitely follow up with my primary physician as well as a RD to help make this a permanent and lasting change!
It sounds like she used a BIA, which is not very accurate when measuring body fat % and LBM. Chances are you didn't lose 4 lbs of muscle in one week (although if you were barely eating 800 calories/day it is entirely possible).
A more accurate test for determining BF% and LBM is DEXA.
Also, what kind of physician are you seeing?
That's a good idea to have a bone scan just to be more familiar with my body. Thanks! The physician I am seeing is an MD , the staff said she was originally a cardiologist and she decided to open a general practice and focus on weight loss. Hitting the problem before it becomes a problem kinda thing. My primary care physician recommended her. She has had high success with her patients and years of experience. A few of her patients as well as herself have been on our local news and she comes highly recommended.
I felt comfortable going to see her based on this and I must say I was impressed with her bed side manner. She did explain some things but she lacks the time to explain them in full and break down each thing to satisfy my curiosity.. Lol0 -
Your profile says you have 58lbs to lose. I know it seems like an insurmountable goal, but you seem to be going to a lot of extremes (granted your doctor is leading you down this path, but it seems too extreme).
An extreme deficit and fast weight loss can lead to muscle loss. Instead of trying to counteract this with drugs and vitamins, it seems more logical to instead set a moderate calorie goal.
Beyond low carb, what is your doctor recommending for you? How many calories are you trying to eat? How low are you supposed to keep your carbs? Do you have a gram limit? If you are stopping at 800 because you're full but you're supposed to eat more than that, try focusing on more calorie dense foods (there's a good list above). Many people who eat low carb have pretty high fat levels to fill in. Try full fat dairy and nut butters.
the same thought crossed my mind…
this diet sounds super restrictive and at some point is going to lead op to crave "restricted" foods….
unless there is some medical condition that I have missed...0 -
Is this one of those weight loss clinics that is costing you hundreds each month out of pocket and the 'doctor' you see is just an employee of a 'doctor-supervised' clinic? If so, I would stop and also not bother seeing an RD, since it sounds like you're living paycheck to paycheck and have a family.
You don't need an expensive crash diet with expensive injections or an RD or home exercise equipment. Eat less, move more, save your money. There are shelves full of diet plan books at the library, if you do better with structure. Or use the free MFP plan.
Good luck!0 -
I think the other big thing for you is to not stress as much. Don't be afraid of going over calories to such an extent that you're under every day. Either eat more throughout out the day (maybe add one or two planned snacks in pre-portioned containers) or plan on having a treat at the end of an evening (or higher calorie dinners).
Going too extreme is pretty common especially when we first start. I think you have a good goal, but you need to eat enough foods to get to your calorie goal. And I'd agree that you should speak to an RD to make sure the calorie goal is appropriate for you. If you're looking to lose 58lbs in a year, you likely don't need to go all the way down to 1200 calories. You could set your goal to lose at one pound a week.0 -
I probably need to clarify that on my highest caloric day I ate 800 calories .. Day 1 and 2 were more like 550. I see now where I went wrong and I know it was just an adjustment to the suppressant so I will be striving to get that 1200 in from now on! Causing my body to go into starvation mode is NOT what I am going for! plus the depleted energy I am feeling the last few days really sucks!!
Everyone has given me such great advice and I appreciate all of it!! MFP has been a great tool for me and I have learned so much in just a short amount of time!! Thanks guys!!!0 -
Your profile says you have 58lbs to lose. I know it seems like an insurmountable goal, but you seem to be going to a lot of extremes (granted your doctor is leading you down this path, but it seems too extreme).
An extreme deficit and fast weight loss can lead to muscle loss. Instead of trying to counteract this with drugs and vitamins, it seems more logical to instead set a moderate calorie goal.
Beyond low carb, what is your doctor recommending for you? How many calories are you trying to eat? How low are you supposed to keep your carbs? Do you have a gram limit? If you are stopping at 800 because you're full but you're supposed to eat more than that, try focusing on more calorie dense foods (there's a good list above). Many people who eat low carb have pretty high fat levels to fill in. Try full fat dairy and nut butters.
58 lbs is a lot but I have given myself a year to reach this goal. I have discussed this goal with my doctor as well, she prescribed the appetite suppressant because I tend to constantly be eating. All day while I am at my desk I am snaking and I eat so fast that before I know it I have finished an entire meal before anyone else. This mainly because I work 10-12 hours a day and I (feel) I have to hurry and finish to get back to my work.
The physician set a 1200 calorie goal for me and the 70 ounces of water. Which is as far as we discussed the breakdown of nutrition for the calories. I don't see her again for another week which is why I asked for advice on MFP.
I am stopping at 800 by choice but I think some fear and fullness are the reasons. let me explain, I was used to eating over 2000 calories just while I was at work. Chinese or take out for lunch, chocolate during the day, donuts or breakfast tacos for breakfast(south Texas gal) and then when I get home it's a full dinner with the family. I gained around 50 lbs just in the last few years!!
So when the doc gave me the appetite suppressant, the first day I felt a rise in energy and I did not think about or want food. How unusual! My entire week has looked like this: oatmeal for breakfast, grilled chicken breast and cup of spinach for lunch and turkey burger minus the bread for dinner. I don't even feel like eating that but I know I have to keep eating. Here's where the fear set in... I think I do not eat snacks in between or higher calories during the day because I am afraid when I get home I will binge on everything so I save my calories just in case I am extremely hungry... But the reality for this week seems to be by the time I get home i don't want anything.. Just the smell of food is a complete turn off. I have a fear of failing and going over my calories.. How ridiculous right! Take into account that I did not do ANY kind of exercise this week, which is a huge no no because the doc says I need to be doing something so I can train my body and mind, this way when I stop taking the medication at the end of my 3 weeks, I will be able to maintain what I am doing currently and not slip back. To use this as a tool and not depending on it. Makes sense right?
I KNOW what I need to do , raise my calories to 1200 and make sure I eat it, exercise and drink lots of water! The problem is I just need to figure out what exactly to eat... Lol all the doc said was more protein.
I will be contacting a RD on Monday as that was some advice given to me and I feel that is probably my best bet if I want to do this the right way!
Thanks so much for all y'all's advice!!
it is great that you are making this change..however, do you really think that you are going to take appetite supersets for the rest of your life and eat 800 to 1200 calories a day?
What happens when you hit goal weight and stop taking the appetite suppressants? More than likely because you have not taught yourself portion control and moderation you will go back to old eating habits and slowly gain all the weight back in a year or so.
why not find a balanced approach where you are losing one to two pounds a week with out appetite suppressants and restricting foods…?? IMO that is going to leas to long term sustainable weight loss. The problem with crash and VLC diets is that when they end people tend to go back to old eating habits and eat everything in site...0 -
My concern for you is HOW are you going to sustain this plan once you're off it? Appetite suppressant for life? Not drinking anything else but water for life?
Weight loss is gratifying, but weight regain when one tries to lead back in their "normal" life ends up being depressing and demotivating.
The habits you learn now to lose/maintain weight, should be the ones you continue with for life. If you can't do this diet for life, then it's not the right one. Sorry if it sounds harsh, but I've been doing this for years and see it happen over and over again with people who tried the approach you've tried. Just trying to let you see from an objective point of view.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Please let me clarify! I do not have ANY intention of taking suppressants for more than 3 weeks more .. Let alone the rest of my life! I am using it as a tool to get myself on a path that I can sustain. Which is why I wrote the post asking suggestions. This is not something I want to do incorrectly and then be back where I started. Not just a fad and definitely not something I care to ever have to do again! I will not be taking the medication until I hit goal weight.. That is something I will hit on my own, not using medications. I am only on the meds for 4 weeks total. That's it! I have been using them 1 week and have three weeks left. Which is why I need to understand how to eat properly and exercise properly to keep going until I finally do hit my goal. This is all at the direction of a physician. Which is why I didn't try and do it on my own! I would rather pay out copays to my doctor and a RD than spend ridiculous amounts of money on fad diets.
I am not sure where either of you saw that I intended on using these the rest of my life or for the rest of the year for that matter. I had thought I made it clear that I was only on these the first couple of weeks but if I confused anyone I apologize!! Perhaps just seeing the word appetite suppressants make some jump on the your doing it wrong bandwagon but I assure you I do not think I could control my eating as well without their help. Granted they overdid it this week but I recognize the deficient and will correct that moving forward:)
I have not done anything like this before which is why I needed advice on how to proceed the right way. Thank you to everyone who responded and I am sorry if I confused or offended anyone. That was not my intention!!0 -
OP …here is advice that i would give to any newbie on MFP:
enter your stats into MFP and set it for one to two pound per week weight loss and eat to that number
make sure that you log every single piece of food that you eat
get a food scale and make sure that you weigh all solids, and as many liquids as you can
go into custom settings and set your macro percentages to 35% fats; 35% protein; 30% carbs….I suggest a higher fat percent for you because it will help you feel/stay satiated through the day.
realize that no foods are "bad" or "good"….food is just food, which provides us with energy for bodily functions. So yes this means that you can eat the ocassional pizza, ice cream, cookies, bagel, pasta, etc. Just make sure that you hit your calorie/macro/micro goal
this step is not necessary but I would suggest finding a form of exercise that you enjoy and do it. i personally prefer lifting weights with minimal cardio, but that may not be for you. I would suggest doing something for overall health and well being…
repeat until you get desired results….
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OP …here is advice that i would give to any newbie on MFP:
enter your stats into MFP and set it for one to two pound per week weight loss and eat to that number
make sure that you log every single piece of food that you eat
get a food scale and make sure that you weigh all solids, and as many liquids as you can
go into custom settings and set your macro percentages to 35% fats; 35% protein; 30% carbs….I suggest a higher fat percent for you because it will help you feel/stay satiated through the day.
realize that no foods are "bad" or "good"….food is just food, which provides us with energy for bodily functions. So yes this means that you can eat the ocassional pizza, ice cream, cookies, bagel, pasta, etc. Just make sure that you hit your calorie/macro/micro goal
this step is not necessary but I would suggest finding a form of exercise that you enjoy and do it. i personally prefer lifting weights with minimal cardio, but that may not be for you. I would suggest doing something for overall health and well being…
repeat until you get desired results….
Very very very helpful! Thank you! I will absolutely keep this in mind moving forward.0 -
Is this a DO or MD overseeing your program? (big difference in the two)
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MD0
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Is this your regular physician? Or a weight loss clinic?
Seems like some extreme measures for 58 lbs to lose? Plus if it was all done by the direction of your doctor why didn't she give you the ratio she wants you to eat?
Sounds an awful lot like my one trip to a weight loss clinic years ago, here take these pills, with no information. Read what ndj said above0 -
As you're already discovering, this plan will take pounds off quickly ... just not necessarily from the aspects where you'd like to lose. Eat your calories, get mentally prepared for the loss to slow, start planning now for how you transition from all of the shortcuts used as part of this program to how you maintain while eating real food otherwise you become a return customer a year or two after reaching your goal.0
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