Anyone have experience being on a medical weight loss program?

mandamoxie
mandamoxie Posts: 27 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
I was recently diagnosed with PCOS, and my Obstetrician referred me to the clinic's bariatric center so that I could start a medical weight loss program. My first appointment is in two weeks, and I'm really curious as to what it might entail.

Is anyone on (or have been on) a medically assisted weight loss program? What was it like, and are you seeing improvements with it?

Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Most medical programs feature medication and/or very low calorie diets. If you have any kind of adherence, they will usually be effective short term. However.....

    for whatever reason, then tend to have a poor long-term success rate. Most people regain all the weight in 2 years or less.

    I read a recent article that suggested that one of the biggest reasons for the long-term failure was that these programs (and many other weight loss programs) was that they did not spend nearly enough time working with the clients to learn to transition into a more "normal" lifestyle.



  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    I would call my insurance company first to see if they will pay for this.
    Otherwise, this could cost you a couple of thousand out of pocket.
    Why not give it a try on your own first? There are many good books out there.
    Visit your bookstore or library.
    http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pcos-diet-plan-hillary-wright/1100376715
    Pretty much cutting out added sugars, junk food, cakes, white flour and white pasta, pastries, candy, chips, soda, etc is the answer.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    JanetYellen wrote: »
    I would call my insurance company first to see if they will pay for this.
    Otherwise, this could cost you a couple of thousand out of pocket.
    Why not give it a try on your own first? There are many good books out there.
    Visit your bookstore or library.
    http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pcos-diet-plan-hillary-wright/1100376715
    Pretty much cutting out added sugars, junk food, cakes, white flour and white pasta, pastries, candy, chips, soda, etc is the answer.

    or even a calorie deficit?!
  • mandamoxie
    mandamoxie Posts: 27 Member
    JanetYellen wrote: »
    I would call my insurance company first to see if they will pay for this.
    Otherwise, this could cost you a couple of thousand out of pocket.
    Why not give it a try on your own first? There are many good books out there.
    Visit your bookstore or library.
    http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pcos-diet-plan-hillary-wright/1100376715
    Pretty much cutting out added sugars, junk food, cakes, white flour and white pasta, pastries, candy, chips, soda, etc is the answer.

    I've been trying it on and off on my own for almost 10 years. PCOS causes weight gain, so it can make it very difficult to lose weight. Many people with it require the help of medication to see progress.

    My insurance does cover it, and I plan on doing it especially seeing as my doctor thinks it's what would be best for my health.
  • tryett
    tryett Posts: 530 Member
    I have pcos (pretty severe and every symptom there is), insulin resistant and habitually low vitamin d. I have never been put on meds to lose weight. The only thing that has ever worked was watching my carb intake and my calories. This time in the first month I have lost a little over 10 pounds. It can be done.
  • mandamoxie
    mandamoxie Posts: 27 Member
    tryett wrote: »
    I have pcos (pretty severe and every symptom there is), insulin resistant and habitually low vitamin d. I have never been put on meds to lose weight. The only thing that has ever worked was watching my carb intake and my calories. This time in the first month I have lost a little over 10 pounds. It can be done.

    I'm glad that you found somethong that works for you.

    I still intend to do the medical program. Again, it is at the recommendation of my doctor. My doctor thinks it is what will be best for my health, and I am going to heed their advice.

    The point of my post wasnt really to ask whether or not I should do the program. I've already made up my mind in that regard. I'm just looking for experiences from others who have done medical programs.
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    I go to a medical program. I have a physician and a registered dietitian. I am not on medication other than thyroid meds. It was this dr that looked at all of my bloodwork, did a glucose tolerance test and determined I was prediabetic and started me on the low carb diet. After months of eating low fat and calorie counting with no success the scale started to move. The dietitian helped me with meal planning and recipes.
    Traditional weight loss drugs that have phentermine in them are not an option for me and due to other issues I am losing very slowly, but still losing.
    My insurance covers this as a specialist visit. I go every 3 months.
    It's also part of the bariatric practice at the local hospital.
    OP, my experience has been excellent. I'm coming up on a year of going there. Ask me anything.
  • luveydov
    luveydov Posts: 36 Member
    I am on a medically supervised low calorie, low carbohydrate diet. I do not take any weight loss drugs but I do take drugs for fibromyalgia that have some appetite suppressing side affects. I'm not sure if it is the drugs or the low carb, but I am rarely hungry on this diet. I am losing weight but it is still CICO. My problem is my CO is very low. I have lost 20 pounds in 5 weeks. According to the equipment the doctor's office uses, the first 5 pounds was mostly water weight and the remaining pounds have been fat with likely 1 to 2 pounds of muscle loss early on.

    That's the good. The bad is that it is quite expensive because I purchase high protein foods from them similar to but higher quality than Nutra System. Also, I suffer from fatigue all the time. A good bit of this is the fibro that I am trying to get under control, but some of it is the diet. Intense exercise is not recommended on this diet. And cheating is absolutely a deal breaker. Some of the restrictions include no alcohol and no fruit. You have to be able to live with that.

    On the plus side, there is extensive work done to mainstream you into maintenance mode once you've lost weight. And lots of resources to help get you through the weight loss process. Cooking videos, articles, and explanations on how the diet works, etc.

    Good Luck
  • islandnugget
    islandnugget Posts: 10 Member
    I was diagnosed with PCOS in 1999. After many years of struggling I finally came up with a weight loss formula that seems to be working (20.3 lbs down so far)....I've drastically reduced the amount of white foods and sugars and I've made exercise a routine. In the past I focused on how much I ate, now I have to be conscious of what I eat as well. Whatever path you choose, I wish you the best of luck!
  • tryett
    tryett Posts: 530 Member
    I have a friend who went to a couple weight loss clinics, one was vlcd (she was hungry all the time and had no energy) but lost a lot of weight in a couple months. When she gained it back a couple months later she went to another one this time for injections along with a vlcd. She lost a lot of weight and regained it all back. Neither program taught her about portion sizes.

    I didn't just find something that worked, it took decades. My ob:gyn said she thought my metabolism only functioned properly when I was pregnant, lost weight with both pregnancies, because I had gestational diabetes and was put on a 2800 calorie a day diabetic diet that a registered dietician put me on. I gained it back because I went back to eating the way I had previously. I tried about everything including weight watchers 3 times, Atkins (which actually worked but it wasn't sustainable) except vlcd. I asked my doctor a couple years ago for advice and she sent me to another dietician who said in our discussions that I knew what to do and after the insurance ran out I no longer had the accountability (they only covered 4 visits). Of course given my history it was low carb.

    This time I am adding recipes that are sustainable and trying to get my accountability on the boards here. I am looking for it has something I will have to do for the remainder of my life.

    I wasn't trying to be critical, just be mindful some of the things weight loss clinics are not sustainable. If like the previous poster they have a dietician who can assist you, that would be very helpful for long term success.
  • stacy91382
    stacy91382 Posts: 1 Member
    I do not know if you will see this (the post is old) but I am curious how the program went.
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