Is This Like my Dr said - Worthless Exercise!?

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  • Coyla
    Coyla Posts: 444 Member
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    I don't see anything wrong with what your doctor said. I wish more doctors were this honest with their patients, most would not even bother and just see the next patient. Your short walk may make you feel better but will do almost nothing for real weight loss, he is right. I think this is what is wrong with society now days and why so many of us are FAT. We dont want to hear the truth, just sugar coat it and feed it to me DOC but never tell me the truth, I can't handle that!

    I apologize ahead of time if I become part of a pile up.

    Anyway, I know this tough love approach works for some people. But for others, it doesn't.

    For many, losing weight is a scary idea. Who wants to bust their *kitten* in the gym 60 minutes a day? What fat person even wants to SHOW UP at a gym? Who wants to go hungry? Who wants to give up fast food? People are fat because they are intimidated by being healthy. If we make the idea of a healthy lifestyle too out of reach--which we have by setting the bar too high--most people will avoid it.

    The original poster is doing fine, taking baby steps towards being healthy. If she weren't exercising at all, she could still lose weight with her diet. You can lose weight with just dieting alone, so saying her walks are useless is just plain wrong. The 20 minutes she's doing everyday is WONDERFUL. And for now, it's enough.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    Get a new doctor. He doesn't deserve your money.
    And this is why doctors don't tell their patients the truth.
    I want an honest doctor who'll kick my rear - not some groveling appeaser.
  • stacyhoner
    stacyhoner Posts: 2
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    Your doctor is wrong!!!! If you walk one way 12 minutes...twice a day that is 24 minutes! That is a great start!!!! I am sure you have every intention of adding those 6-36 minutes of exercise in other ways. No exercise is worthless. That 12 minute walk is better for you than sitting in your car or on a bus for 12 minutes.
    Your doctor may be correct in saying if your walk to work is a replacement for other exercise you were already getting, however if you are adding it, it is not worthless.

    This is a healthy choice. Just like choosing an apple instead of a donuts. Keep walking, slowly add other healthy choices and prove to your doctor and to yourself that you know how to make good choices!
  • runfoodierun
    runfoodierun Posts: 59 Member
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    shame on him! yes, it is worth it! baby steps lead to giant leaps!
  • dapst3r
    dapst3r Posts: 20
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    I say keep walking, maybe pick up the pace and make those 12 mins count. I walk around my office complex and its a little over a mile round trip. I do it at a pace of about 3.5 to 4.0 in order to get my heart rate up and make it really count as a calorie burning exercise. Also, no I don't think it is useless, at least you are doing something!
  • ckoudsi617
    ckoudsi617 Posts: 64
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    I recommend changing doctors. NO amount of added physical activity is "worthless". We all have to start somewhere, and this gives you something to build on! Go, YOU! Cheers for the New Year! (carole)
  • drvvork
    drvvork Posts: 1,162
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    I "had" a doctor like that.... same doctor that kept telling me to "exercise more and eat less" when I was taking in about 600 calories a day.... that wasn't working.... you need to do what works for you... remember they are just practicing and mine had to practice with someone else.
  • badgerbadger1
    badgerbadger1 Posts: 954 Member
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    I am also a nurse. I'm confused by your need for validation on this. You obviously wanted the doctor to validate what you were doing, and when you didn't get it, you ran here for validation.

    What I will tell you is, I can't validate you. Why? I don't know the context of the comment. You didn't tell us. Maybe your last visit he gave you specific goals to reach to avoid going on medication. Maybe he had warned you that if you didn't get this much done by your next visit you would be at high risk of death and dying. I don't know, and neither do any of these people know what the context of the statement was. In the context I gave above, yes, if you failed to reach the goals he gave you, or if you had consistently failed to make necessary changes to your diet and exercise, his comment could be valid.

    You're a nurse, not an average joe. His bedside manner sucked, so what. What is more important is the message and he was trying to tell you that it was not enough to achieve health. If you prefer a doctor who will coddle you, find one. I prefer a doc who will be straight with me and knows what they are doing. Bedside manner and competency are not mutually exclusive.

    ETA: As a nurse you should also know that what you NEED is not always what you WANT.
  • ProjFit
    ProjFit Posts: 143
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    I think you have a great start! just keep bumping up the exercise from there. :)
  • cornfritter22
    cornfritter22 Posts: 230 Member
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    When I started, my Doc said the same thing. I had myself up to 20-30 minutes and I was proud of that. He told me I was basically wasting my time.
    I cried.
  • mogadad
    mogadad Posts: 41 Member
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    Ask a coach not a doctor. Walk as briskly as possible, but any exercise is better than driving
  • lindalou4850
    lindalou4850 Posts: 217 Member
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    I have not even read what every one else wrote on here ,BUT I can not believe your Dr. would tell you that. I think you are doing a Great job. You are showing a lot of effort. keep up the good work.
  • Bankman1989
    Bankman1989 Posts: 1,116 Member
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    It's not worthless BUT if thats ALL you are doing then you need to do a lot more. I started riding my bike back and forth to work to get more exercise in. Its 16 miles RT and has made a huge difference because by the time I used to get home it was almost 7pm and I hadnt exercised. Now I burn almost 2,000 cals before I walk thru the door.


    I bet your doc just wants you to put in 1 hour of cardio a day.
  • 2Bgoddess
    2Bgoddess Posts: 1,096 Member
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    Your doctor is an asshat.

    Sure, you should prolly do more, but that's a great start. Maybe loop the block a couple times on the way. But to say it's nothing is just stupid.
  • cloud2011
    cloud2011 Posts: 898 Member
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    A few years ago, I worked out religiously 5-6 hours a week, both strength training and cardio. I kept increasing the weights, had a personal trainer. I was physically fit, but my joints hurt. So I didn't stay that active outside of the gym. I also needed to eat a fair amount or I wouldn't feel good, because I was exercising and buildling muscle (I build muscle easily).

    Anyway, to make a long story short, exercising a few hours a week, regardless of how intense, is not that helpful if you don't move the other hours in the day. I was sitting around a lot outside of the gym.

    You might find that in the beginning the amount of walking you're doing is fine. Over time, your body adjusts, and you'll need to do more if you want to lose more weight. That's where you can decide to do other things, or take the stairs more often, or something else.

    I would bet if if you focus on moving more, that would help. Yes, it's true you need to get your heart rate up, etc, but why not do what works for you now, with the idea that you might have to increase it later? Don't worry about the doctor, you're headed in the right direction.
  • brattt78
    brattt78 Posts: 6 Member
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    I'm SHOCKED that your doctor would say something like that. All movement is worth something and an extra 12 minutes each way is worth quite a bit! if you can, grab a pedometer and you'll see just how quickly it adds up!

    ...I also would recommend a finding new doctor. maybe someone who's a bit more encouraging.
  • cassianise
    cassianise Posts: 3
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    There are alot of rude unsupportive people answering this topic. I know a lady that started walking just to the end of her driveway in a walker with a nurse when she started 5 years ago....she now walks her dog throughout the neighborhood without any assistance. Where would she be today if she had been told her small effort meant nothing.

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