How many of you consulted your DR first?

My doctor IS the reason why I'm at where I'm at. He was on me for years about losing weight and I never took it seriously til I had a life changing experience making me want it bad enough. I did my weight loss under the guidance of a bariatric MD for the first year, then after that my PCP took over.

My suggestion? Get a new doctor.

i had a check up in june and my doctor looked at me and said "you need to lose weight" does that count?

I had an appointment with my DR first because I was hoping for an easy way out. Every new mom around me seemed to lose their baby weight without lifting a finger and I gained weight instead of losing it. I got my thyroid checked and everything's fine. Now all I need is a kick in the butt.

The doctor can't make you do what you know you need to do - only you can motivate yourself to take the action. A nutritionist might be able to help you come up with an action plan for eating, taking account the foods you like and your lifestyle, and a personal trainer can develop a plan to meet your goals, but ultimately you're the one who has to come up with the drive and determination to do it. I wouldn't want to pay a co-pay to hear what I already know.

I think it depends on a couple of things, your general health and just how drastically you will be changing things up. Personally, I don't think the decision to eat more healthy and not so much is that momentous as to affect your health in anyway but good, as long as you are eating a balanced diet and getting proper vitamin supplementation. Exercise can be a little more problematic. If you have been completely sedentary, then attempting vigorous exercise is not something you should do without a doctor's approval.

I didn't. My doctor has gained alot (I mean ALOT!) of weight over the last 2 years so I felt it would be kind of weird getting weight loss advice from someone who was doing the complete opposite. The last time I went for a check-up, HE asked ME what I was doing to lose the weight....weird.

I haven't consulted a Dr...I had an appointment in August, my BP is normal I don't have any medical problems. I don't have anything that hurts (other than muscles after doing Insanity). I always feel weird about going to a Dr about starting a workout program if I'm otherwise healthy. Just me though.

I agree with you. I have been to several different programs lost a ton of weight and then gained it all back, each time my dr either praising me or chastising me depending on the results. She's mentioned a nutritionist several times but I know what to do it's just a matter a psyching myself up to do it. I'm hoping this is the big help that I need and I'm not telling my dr anything this time. Hopefully, the next time I see her there will be a loss substanitial enough for her to take notice. Good luck to you - and to me...

Sort of, he said 'I won't prescribe you the contraceptive when you hit 35 and remain at that weight'. I took that as a green light to go.

I didn't consult mine before doing this. I was a little afraid of being talked OUT of it, because she's seen me come back from an eating disorder. I know she (and all my loved ones) are worried that I'm going to go off the deep end again - all I can do to reassure them is NOT do it. So I lost the weight on my own, over 6 months plus a litte more.

Gotta say it does worry me to see people asking medical-type questions here about symptoms they're having. It's nice to see that the response to most of those is "see a professional".

I go to my doctor once a year for physicals and he's now asking me how he can lose weight....................

Sort of. My annual happened to be at the end of 2009 and I'd already planned on starting Weight Watchers the next week (had registered for at work) so when my doc asked about weight loss, I was ready with that answer. She'd been encouraging me to make a change for a few years so she was really happy for me. And boy was she super excited when she saw me this past January after losing about 60 pounds!

Anyway, to answer your question another way - I would've joined even without seeing her because we'd already done all the tests the previous year (sugar, thyroid, etc) and like the OP, I had all the knowledge (and my doc knew it), I just had to get to the right mindset to actually do it!

I think if you do have health issues and/or haven't been to a doctor in a while, it's a really good idea to get a consultation about weight loss and get their input on how you should proceed.

Just a different perspective. Why not go to the Dr? Ask him to do blood work so you can see your cholestrol numbers. Know your blood pressure, etc., check for things that might be a concern. If for no other reason, you would have something to compare to when you are closer to your goal. I don't think it hurts to go in and talk to him/her. Ultimately though, eating right and exercising is what works. The Dr may help provide tools (nutritionist), but ultimately it will be your hard work.

At my last physical, in 2009 (-_-), I was 5'6" and 195 pounds. My doctor told me not to worry about weight since I was healthy-ish and only a little bit obese, but she suggested that I start eating whole, organic foods and exercise a little bit every day, just to be a healthier, happier person. Instead I ate junkfood for a year and gained another 10ish pounds. I can't WAIT to see her reaction at my physical next month now that I've actually followed her advice. =D

No, not this time, but I recently had bloodwork done, thyroid tests, sugars, etc. since I was pregnant less than a year ago. All was well, so since I'm generally healthy anyway I just went for it without seeing a doctor first.

I do suggest seeing a doc if you have questions about thyroid/metabolism issues, joint/connective issues, diabetes concerns, or anything like that.

I asked a doctor years ago about diet pills & he suggested "Fit For Life" and "The Pritikin Diet" books. Not what I really wanted to hear. I did the Pritikin Diet for about 6 months or so, but fell off because it was too hard for me to keep up with. I was working in a deli/bakery so something that strict was just too hard with the constant temptations.