1 week in doctor controlled weight loss.. Need help.

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Replies

  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    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 above

    It's not her PCP. She hasn't told us whether it is a weight loss clinic or not.
  • My primary care physician recommended me to this doctor. She is an MD with a medical practice not weight loss clinic. She was originally a cardiologist but wanted to help the problem before it became a huge problem kind of thing. So she sees all kinds of people for a variety of different things but she specializes in helping people with weight loss, I researched her before I saw her and she came highly recommended. I work at a hospital as a patient access supervisor and so I work closely with our physicians from time to time. I had gotten very good recommendations from a few of them as well. One being a gastric bypass doctor who would love to get me under the knife.. Lol
    I am very hesitant in seeing just anyone so I have been assured she knows her business.. That is yet to be seen but I am happy so far. She really tries to explain everything so she has not given me no information. I just have more questions than a typical visit would allow and I don't see her but once a week so I just wanted to get advice from others on this site that have lost weight successfully.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    edited February 2015
    Kchapa82 wrote: »
    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!!
    If you do it right the first time, it's easier to continue. Whether or not you're use the suppressant for 4 weeks, I ALWAYS look at the "what if". So what if by 4 weeks you still can't control your appetite? Then do you stay on the appetite suppressants longer? And the suppressants don't teach you how to control eating, it just chemically stops you in your tracks from eating. Which is why when people see success using a drug for weight loss, they continue to use it over and over again.
    Weight loss basically comes down to calories in and out. The approach should be ensuring that you learn how to discipline yourself and create a habit by not eating much more than you really need to while meeting your daily macro/micro nutrient essentials.
    Again, I'm not just some guy offering an opinion. I'm a professional in the business who's seen the reprecussions and results from people who have done programs like this. And the stats don't change. Only 10% (just like any other diet program) succeed. Will you be one of the 10%?
    The "right" way should be a way that you can do for life. If a drug isn't needed for an actual physical issue, then it doesn't need to be used.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • Also I didn't ask her about the ratio. I just saw that this morning on my home page and was curious how it worked and what was a good ratio. I will absolutely ask her at next weeks visit though:)
  • starrhulll
    starrhulll Posts: 11 Member
    Kchapa82 already explained that her doctor is an MD who used to be a cardiologist, but now switched to family practice to help eliminate obesity (because it leads to heart problems). Doesn't sound like a weight loss clinic to me! I'm not sure why people keep mentioning weight loss clinics.
  • I agree! I did not seek out the medication it was recommended that i try it as a jumping off point to help get myself under control with eating in moderation. I intend to use it as such and nothing more. I don't care about the lbs or how long it takes to get the weight off.. As long as I am healthy getting there. I am completely okay with a pound or two of weight loss a week and I am as well concerned of the long term success rate. Which is why I am getting as much information as I possibly can. I intend on getting this right and making this a committed lifestyle change. Which is why I sought out a physician that can get me there.
    I am calling in regards to a RD on Monday to assist with nutrition and I would be more than happy paying for a personal trainer if I had the time!! Unfortunately I work as a patient access supervisor roughly 12 hours a day and I get home around 7( I live an hour away from my job). I have college classes two days a week and when I do get home I then have three small children(8,5,4) to care for and feed. My husband works oil field and is a mechanic for land rigs so he is gone quite a bit and when he is home he coaches t ball and I am team mom.. I WISH I had time to fit in an hours gym session but honestly I do not see where unless I get up at 3 and hit the gym.. Lol
    I can however buy an elliptical or bike and squeeze in 30 minutes a day I am sure! I hope!! Lol
    Small steps are the goal:)
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    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….

    This dude right here has it. I've lost 70 pounds so far, doing exactly this.
  • starrhulll wrote: »
    Kchapa82 already explained that her doctor is an MD who used to be a cardiologist, but now switched to family practice to help eliminate obesity (because it leads to heart problems). Doesn't sound like a weight loss clinic to me! I'm not sure why people keep mentioning weight loss clinics.

    Thank you! I don't know why I feel I am needing to defend what I am doing? I really thought I was doing this the right way and I don't have any intention on offending anyone that thinks I am looking for a quick fix. Not it at all!! Although those that do have that issue can benefit greatly from your passionate posts!! Kudos to you for caring so much to make sure we do this the right way!!
    I do agree that the route I took last week was probably NOT best practice and I will be so much better next week thanks to everyone's advice! You have all been very helpful! Thanks:)
  • ndj1979 wrote: »
    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….

    This dude right here has it. I've lost 70 pounds so far, doing exactly this.

    Yes I really took in this post!! Very doable advice:) and congrats on the weight loss!!!! That is amazing!!
  • LovingLife_Erin
    LovingLife_Erin Posts: 328 Member
    Hi...

    I think a lot of people have already posted some good advice here. I'd just like to share a bit of my story with you, in hopes it might help you a bit.

    This September I made the decision to get healthy. We want to try for a baby next year and I knew that I needed to lose weight and get into a lot better shape before that happened. I started off slow, by changing my diet to include healthier options, and had treats in moderation. I also started walking. At first it was just for 15 minutes, and quickly it became 1.5 hour long walks, and I started swimming, going to aquafit classes, and doing videos at home. By slowly adding more exercise (I'm quite active now) and just eating better, I've now lost 56 lbs in the last 6.5 months. I started off at 310, and so I still have a lot more to lose before I am in a healthy range, but I figure I'm off at a good start.

    If you have around 50lbs to lose, I can tell you that it can be done a lot easier than getting needles and taking pills. Honestly, I usually eat between 1400-1900 calories a day, and I'm not hungry all the time, nor am I depriving myself of treats when they fit into my day's plan.

    I'd suggest that if snacking is a huge problem for you, get rid of the "bad" snacks and replace with carrots (or other easy to snack on veg), fruit, and things like yogurt (greek yogurt has a good amount of protein which also might help keep you full). Then you can have those instead. Figure out what exercise you enjoy, and then slowly add that in. I'd also encourage you to stick around the forums here as you might find some other good advice that is helpful.

    Otherwise, based on what you wrote, you might benefit from seeing a therapist. It seems that you may have some emotional issues with food, and don't trust yourself to handle eating properly. It might be helpful to talk to someone about that, to see if you can get some further coping strategies.

    You're welcome to friend me as well, and I'm happy to help cheer you on. Know that you can do this, and that you are making the effort to get healthy, so as long as you are trying to safely approach things, you will do great. :)
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,089 Member
    Kchapa82 wrote: »
    My husband works oil field and is a mechanic for land rigs so he is gone quite a bit and when he is home he coaches t ball and I am team mom.. I WISH I had time to fit in an hours gym session but honestly I do not see where unless I get up at 3 and hit the gym.. Lol
    I can however buy an elliptical or bike and squeeze in 30 minutes a day I am sure! I hope!! Lol
    Small steps are the goal:)

    Do your duties as team mom during practices and games keep you occupied the whole time, or could you spend part of the time walking around the field, and working your way up to jogging around the field?

    Not all exercise has to be done at a gym or with special exercise equipment. You could do squats, lunges, and push-ups on the sidelines, too.

  • Hi...

    I think a lot of people have already posted some good advice here. I'd just like to share a bit of my story with you, in hopes it might help you a bit.

    This September I made the decision to get healthy. We want to try for a baby next year and I knew that I needed to lose weight and get into a lot better shape before that happened. I started off slow, by changing my diet to include healthier options, and had treats in moderation. I also started walking. At first it was just for 15 minutes, and quickly it became 1.5 hour long walks, and I started swimming, going to aquafit classes, and doing videos at home. By slowly adding more exercise (I'm quite active now) and just eating better, I've now lost 56 lbs in the last 6.5 months. I started off at 310, and so I still have a lot more to lose before I am in a healthy range, but I figure I'm off at a good start.

    If you have around 50lbs to lose, I can tell you that it can be done a lot easier than getting needles and taking pills. Honestly, I usually eat between 1400-1900 calories a day, and I'm not hungry all the time, nor am I depriving myself of treats when they fit into my day's plan.

    I'd suggest that if snacking is a huge problem for you, get rid of the "bad" snacks and replace with carrots (or other easy to snack on veg), fruit, and things like yogurt (greek yogurt has a good amount of protein which also might help keep you full). Then you can have those instead. Figure out what exercise you enjoy, and then slowly add that in. I'd also encourage you to stick around the forums here as you might find some other good advice that is helpful.

    Otherwise, based on what you wrote, you might benefit from seeing a therapist. It seems that you may have some emotional issues with food, and don't trust yourself to handle eating properly. It might be helpful to talk to someone about that, to see if you can get some further coping strategies.

    You're welcome to friend me as well, and I'm happy to help cheer you on. Know that you can do this, and that you are making the effort to get healthy, so as long as you are trying to safely approach things, you will do great. :)

    Thanks so much for the advice:) and congratulations on the weight loss!! Very sensible plan and I think i will benefit from adapting that strategy as well. Therapy definitely wouldn't be a bad idea to see why I emotional eat... I can see that I cope with my stressful job a lot by eating... Managing that might help for sure. Thanks!
  • Kchapa82 wrote: »
    My husband works oil field and is a mechanic for land rigs so he is gone quite a bit and when he is home he coaches t ball and I am team mom.. I WISH I had time to fit in an hours gym session but honestly I do not see where unless I get up at 3 and hit the gym.. Lol
    I can however buy an elliptical or bike and squeeze in 30 minutes a day I am sure! I hope!! Lol
    Small steps are the goal:)

    Do your duties as team mom during practices and games keep you occupied the whole time, or could you spend part of the time walking around the field, and working your way up to jogging around the field?

    Not all exercise has to be done at a gym or with special exercise equipment. You could do squats, lunges, and push-ups on the sidelines, too.
    Great idea:) not the whole time but I have both boys in this year so I'll see how that goes! Lol:) thank goodness daddy is the coach and not me!!!
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    OP, you are getting so many questions about what kind of doctor & whether it's a weight loss clinic, because US doctor's don't get much training in nutrition and exercise. So an MD directing your weight loss may not know much more than any other random person. They can make sure you don't hurt yourself, but they have no specialized knowledge about weight loss. And often they get kickbacks for prescribing certain drugs.

    Anyway, 58 lbs is not really that much. There are tons of MFPers who have lost far more, and they just don't want you to waste money and get discouraged with stuff that doesn't really matter anyway! If you set MFP to 1 lb per week, you will have lost most of the weight in a little more than a year at a nice healthy pace. However you do it, be kind to yourself, make sure you fit in the foods you love, move more, and don't get discouraged. You'll have good weeks and bad weeks and it's no big deal. Good luck!
    :drinker:
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    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.

    This. I spent the last 2.5 years losing 40lbs and it has been an incredible life altering educational journey.

    Also please don't try to exercise on 800 calories, your body is not being fueled properly. If your doctor is suggesting this please, please find a new one!!!
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