My doctor's recommendation: 1000 calories a day to lose weight??
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At your height, weight, and calorie level you should easily be losing weight--1 pound or more a week on average. My guess is that you are eating more than you think, due to mis-weighing (lack of weighing?) solids, mis-measuring liquids, or using bad nutrition info. What you think is 1300-1400 is likely 2200+ if you aren't losing weight. If you were to go to 1000 per your doctor, you'd probably be eating 1600-1800, which would put you in a great range to lose weight. So if you use your current calorie method, I agree with your doctor's 1000 goal. If you clean up your logging, aim for 1600-1800.
This is the best response.
OP, there is no way you are only eating 1,300-1,400 calories per day and aren't losing weight at your size.
How are you counting these calories? Are you counting liquid calories (creamer in your coffee, etc.). Every nibble, bite, you eat? Are you weighing your food or using measuring cups?
Do you have a cheat meal/day?
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If you really are only eating 1,000 calories you likely won't even have the energy to exercise.2
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At your height, weight, and calorie level you should easily be losing weight--1 pound or more a week on average. My guess is that you are eating more than you think, due to mis-weighing (lack of weighing?) solids, mis-measuring liquids, or using bad nutrition info. What you think is 1300-1400 is likely 2200+ if you aren't losing weight. If you were to go to 1000 per your doctor, you'd probably be eating 1600-1800, which would put you in a great range to lose weight. So if you use your current calorie method, I agree with your doctor's 1000 goal. If you clean up your logging, aim for 1600-1800.
This is the best response.
OP, there is no way you are only eating 1,300-1,400 calories per day and aren't losing weight at your size.
How are you counting these calories? Are you counting liquid calories (creamer in your coffee, etc.). Every nibble, bite, you eat? Are you weighing your food or using measuring cups?
Do you have a cheat meal/day?
This too! If you were close to goal weight then I'd understand. If currently over 220lbs I wouldn't worry about 1000 goal either, especially under Dr supervision. Personally I'd listen to your doc & if losing too fast dial it back a bit.2 -
I guess what concerns me most about this post is your cartilage in your knee wearing out at age 23. Perhaps it is your doc's main concern. If you are not losing eating 1300-1400 calories per day plus working out 2-3 hours something is not right. That may be why he is telling you to lower your calories to 1000 and no zumba. You did say he said 700-800 calories first then 1000. It is important to get the excess weight off your knee. It if was not happening at 1300-1400 he is telling you to drop the calories down.
As I said above, I would go to a specialist about your knee and get a second opinion. I don't think cartilage grows back and you are very young, do not take any chances with this.0 -
I would find a new doctor, one that actually hears you. Perhaps his advice is spot on, perhaps it is as bad as it sounds. You won't know until you get a second opinion.0
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Doctors are cool and all, but they don't now everything. He doesn't think about you as a whole. I wouldn't follow such a very low calorie diet, it will get you there sure but you know yourself better and if that will cause you to binge then go for slow and steady.
Yes taking off excess weight will help your knee, but reducing high impact exercise should be more priority. I'd agree with his bike suggestion but get a second opinion for calorie intake.
When I had my first visit with a new doc, he let me have a good cry over what I struggle with most. He listened to my preferences I can't give up and helped me make a few goals. He didn't mention a specific calorie count just that I should indeed be counting and keep counting. We made a goal to see a change in 3 months at my next visit. No 1000 calorie diets, no major ridiculous exercise plan (told me to get 30 mins *most* days), and no restrictive "lose 20lbs in 5 weeks". We talked and came up with a plan together and it was great, best experience with a doctor talking about my weight in my whole life. Some ignored the issue and didn't offer any suggestions, other gave strict rules I rebelled against. At the end of the day, you live in your body and you know it best. You can eat less without being miserable. For me, there is absolute misery in eating 1200 calories. Even 1400 is stressful.0 -
How are you keeping track of your intake? Are you weighing and measuring your foods? Not losing on 1300 calories means either your numbers are wrong or something is wrong with your body. See a dietician (who has actual nutritional education) and follow their advice.0
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Personally, if I were you, I would go see a sports nutritionist. Tell them what the doctor said about calorie intake, and see what they say.
I'm no doctor, but this doesn't seem right at all. I understand the joint aspect, as it very well may be due to excess weight on the joints over a long period of time.
But 1000 or less seems super low, especially if you're still working out... and depending on the nature of your job if you're up a lot, or moving a lot you may require more calories. And no, that's not true. You're body won't "eat fat storage" if you restrict your calories.
Did the doctor mention any corrective actions for the separation? If he/she didn't... then I would call them a quack, and go see another doctor. Everything about this doctor seems wrong.0 -
Why would give any plan--including your doctors--only 1 week? That's not enough time to prove whether any plan works. 1 month minimum, preferably 3.1
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Wow working out that much is intense! It's a good sign that you lost inches though. What happened to me when I was working out like you is I was over eating ( though I didn't want to admit it) because my body was so exhausted and I wasn't getting enough sleep. I was stressed out! Maybe just try weighing and tracking everything ( don't forget the oils if you heat up something I was forgetting that!) it wouldn't be a bad idea to relax for a bit. I took 2 months off from the gym, I went everyday and just used it like a spa to unwind in the jacuzzi and sauna etc. now I'm tracking everything, working out only 60-70 at the gym then going to relax in the spa for another 40min. Losing about a lb a week now.0
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I'm sorry that you're going through this. You and I have similar stories.
My right knee has bone-on-bone contact, with significant arthritis. My right hip has a bone spur in the socket and significant arthritis. My dr. told me that our knees take 5 times our weight. So when you lose 10 pounds that removes 50 pounds of pressure on your joints. So every pound counts!
MFP said my daily calorie goal is 1200 calories. I visited the U.S.government's site to confirm the calorie amount and indeed that's the right amount. You can go to https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/to find out/confirm your daily calorie goal. The site has everything from food databases to daily activity trackers.
Regarding physical activity, get a medical assessment so you don't further damage your knee. And go to a doctor you trust. Someone who mirrors your philosophy - if you think doctors should promote health instead of just treating disease, get a doctor that thinks that way too.
Feel well!0 -
Consider stopping the Zumba. Do workouts in the pool.
Or ask this doctor to send you to physical therapy. 1 -
pateld1781 wrote: »Let me start off with a brief intro. I am 23, 5'5", 224lb (obviously overweight) For the past 5 months, I've been working out like CRAZY to lose weight. In the past, I've tried so many things and failed, but this time I had decided that I was going to focus on doing only cardio to lose fat fast. I worked out everyday (7 days a week), for about 2-3hrs back to back! I was taking a spin class in the morning followed by zumba and sometimes another hour of zumba in the evening. Doing this started to cause some mild pain in my right knee. So I visited my doctor, got some x-rays done and went back to see him yesterday.
The x-ray report stated "mild joint space narrowing", which means the cartilage in my right knee is wearing out or started to wear out which is narrowing the space between my bones causing me a lot of pain. My doctor mainly blamed this on the fact of me being overweight and that I needed to "stop eating so much." I told him that I had been working out and following a very strict/healthy diet, consuming about 1300-1400 calories a day (considering my age/height/weight, I thought that was good). It's true that my body hasn't dropped a pound but the shape of my body has changed and I've lost several inches on my body over the last 5 months. Sadly, he didn't buy any of it and kept saying that I need to eat less. He first said that I should limit my calorie intake to 700-800 calories a day. (YES, you read that correctly..coming from a Doctor). That's like going against everything I've studied on food n nutrition and weight loss. Being a doctor, he should know that that would starve me and make me eat more later on causing even more weight gain. He kept saying that if I eat less, my body will use the fat that's already stored in there. Now I don't if that's 100% true or totally bogus, it doesn't sound healthy to me. At the end, he said "1000 calories a day, no zumba, you can do stationary bike."
I don't know if this is a good idea, I'm planning to try this 1000 calorie diet for a week with regular exercise (minimum cardio-no treadmill/zumba). If you have any suggestions for me, please feel free to let me know. (I'm scared, having problems like this at this age.)
Thank you!
Your dr is right. No weight loss at your weight and your activity levels means you are underestiamting a lot what you eat and in fact eating probably more than double. So you need either to just eat less and keep underestimating, or actually eat 1400 calories with proper calorie counting
Also at your weight and with a diagnosed knee problem, yes, zumba should be pretty much out of the question.1 -
To give you an example of how off you are in your estimations, you are eating at least 3000 calories per day to maintain your weight if you are doing all thsi exercise, probably more. https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=female&age=23&lbs=224&in=65&act=1.725&f=1
So, either all this cardio is making you hungry and you eat back more calories than you should, or your calorie counting is pretty much rubbish.
Do not try to create a deficit by just doing insane exercise, as you have found out, not only you cannot outrun what you are eating, but you are also risking your health by doing too much too soon.
Focus on diet changes, get a food scale to be certain about your calorie counting and do exercise for fitness, not weight loss, following of course dr's instructions to prevent further injuries.2 -
That's sad about the doctor. You obviously need to eat if doing loads of exercise. I would cut back on the zumba. I feel like the stationary bike could even hurt the knee more? I'd focus on weight lifting and maybe walking or swimming so you aren't hurting it farther. Also maybe seek a second opinion?
You could eat 1700-2000 and still get rid of the weight.
Is it possible that he meant 700-800 calories as how much you should typically burn?0 -
OP-I agree that you're probably eating too much. Tighten up your logging. See a specialist about the knee. At your age you've got to save what you can, or when you get old you'll be sorry. Look into swimming and water aerobics classes. Since you like Zumba, you should like that (there's music), and it will take the pressure off your joints. Once you lose some weight, you can go back to other things, if your doctor approves. I'm 61 and have greatly improved my joint situation with swimming and acqua-gym. Alot of friends and family, even younger than myself are getting knee and hip replacements, while I'm still hanging in and improving. Best of luck, You've gotten some great advice in this thread--please take it.0
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A 1000 calories at day I think ur safer sticking between 1250 and 1400 and exercise using hard mayb change up ur workouts a bit or introduce so weight training use measurements as well as weighing urself good luck x0
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