800-1000 calories?

Far too many people here are far too quick to dismiss doctors - at the end of the day, they're qualified to dispense medical advice, and 99.9% of posters here are not. If you have a large amount of fat to lose, you're not going to go into "starvation mode" (which is possibly the most mis and over-used phrase here) - the reason you store fat at all is so it can be used to fuel your body when food isn't available in the quantities needed to do this. And as far as I'm aware, VLCDs are extremely common recommendations in the medical profession when dealing with dangerously overweight individuals.

Listen to your doctor - if in doubt, consult another doctor. But don't take the diet advice of a bunch of randoms on the Internet over a qualified professional.

When I add additional calories the weight returns.

How many do you add ?

Far too many people here are far too quick to dismiss doctors - at the end of the day, they're qualified to dispense medical advice, and 99.9% of posters here are not. If you have a large amount of fat to lose, you're not going to go into "starvation mode" (which is possibly the most mis and over-used phrase here) - the reason you store fat at all is so it can be used to fuel your body when food isn't available in the quantities needed to do this. And as far as I'm aware, VLCDs are extremely common recommendations in the medical profession when dealing with dangerously overweight individuals.

Listen to your doctor - if in doubt, consult another doctor. But don't take the diet advice of a bunch of randoms on the Internet over a qualified professional.

Definitely agree with this. Everyone's body is different, so the 1200 calorie rule does not apply to everyone. You have overweight and have thyroid issues, your doctor is probably focused on getting the weight off quicker, hence the low calorie diet. Many doctors recommend this kind of diet in this situation. Websites like this are great for support and information, but remember that it is made for a generalized population, not necessarily specifically to you or your needs. BTW, don't eat your exercise calories while you are losing, the deficit helps you lose.

my doc/surgeon put me on 600-100 cal during weight loss... took the weight off n hey... starvation pfffft.... i did do fine n am doing fine...listen to your doc

I am using an iphone app called pedometer to measure calories burned for just the run part on the treadmill I am registering around 5kms or just over with the walking. warm up and cool down I don't add that I turn the pedometer on when I start to run and turn off when the run part is over...the last run was 5.2kms and I burned 657 cals according to this. my last walk was 3.3 kms outside and burned 289 calories.

I think that pedometer is way off. 5k is only 3.2 miles, there is no way you burn 200 calories per mile.

Far too many people here are far too quick to dismiss doctors - at the end of the day, they're qualified to dispense medical advice, and 99.9% of posters here are not. If you have a large amount of fat to lose, you're not going to go into "starvation mode" (which is possibly the most mis and over-used phrase here) - the reason you store fat at all is so it can be used to fuel your body when food isn't available in the quantities needed to do this. And as far as I'm aware, VLCDs are extremely common recommendations in the medical profession when dealing with dangerously overweight individuals.

Listen to your doctor - if in doubt, consult another doctor. But don't take the diet advice of a bunch of randoms on the Internet over a qualified professional.

that is because its true. Do you know how little training drs get in the form of nutrition and weightloss? I am a nurse practitioner and have to 'educate' quite a few drs on how little they know. They get a general training in all aspects and then they specialise in whatever field they decide to go ie cardiology, respiratory, endocrinology. We live in times where people are well educated and so advice is not necessarily 'random'!

To the OP: the fit to fat radio calculator is great. Never eat below your BMR, you are looking for trouble that way. you want to lose weight and keep it off. Do it by developing healthy habits and exercising. Dont believe your app, try and log it via the mfp database if you can, the calories are estimated but should give you a rough idea of how much you burn. Unless you have a heart rate monitor where you can get a more accurate burn. good luck and definitely eat more than 800 cals!

In short: no. If someone posed a question "my doctor says I have hyperthyroidism but I typed my symptoms into WebMD and it says no, what do you guys think?", would you be applying the same argument? It wouldn't hold up for any other condition, so why should weight be any different? Given the number of overweight individuals that GPs see on a regular basis (to the extent I'd wager that a high proportion of GP visits are either directly weight-related or related to secondary conditions - Diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, etc.), I think it's safe to say the vast majority know what they're talking about.

You have never met the OP, you have no knowledge whatsoever of their medical history or individual set of circumstances - and for you to outright instruct them not to follow their doctor's advice on the grounds that you work in a healthcare-related field is irresponsible at best.

To the OP, you said your doctor ordered blood tests before telling you to try an 800-1000 calorie diet, so he/she does have a better picture of whats going on in your body than the people here, plus his/her years of medical training and treating patients. If you want a second opinion, go to another doctor or better yet a specialist due to your thyroid issues. But don't dismiss your doctor because of a few people on the internet. The Ideal Protein diet is often prescribed by doctors to obese people and the calorie intake is extremely low, but it works for the people it is designed for.

People here are quick to say never do this or never do that. Our bodies are not all equal, our circumstances are not equal, our weight goals, health issues are not equal either, With that being said, what applies to many may not apply to you and so on. Do what you need to do to get healthy and lose the weight, and if that means doing something that is unpopular to members of MFP, than so be it.. It is your health that is the priority.

People here are quick to say never do this or never do that. Our bodies are not all equal, our circumstances are not equal, our weight goals, health issues are not equal either, With that being said, what applies to many may not apply to you and so on. Do what you need to do to get healthy and lose the weight, and if that means doing something that is unpopular to members of MFP, than so be it.. It is your health that is the priority.

Totally agree.

to those who keep saying my Doctor knows me, last time I went he told me 1200 calories was good, this time he said 800-1000 I have had to ask both times about calorie intake. He has never actually sat down and explained or shown me. It seems to me like the duromine was his answer to being overweight.
Dr's DO NOT KNOW everything and I would NEVER trust a dr completely I have had too many give wrong advice. the other dr I was going to told me as soon as I went on thyroid meds the weight would drop off....load of BS.

Yes Dr's have training in a LOT of general subjects but they are not specialists...sometimes me looking online for what I am having problems with and then going to the dr has worked a LOT better than just going straight to the DR.

I am asking for peoples opinions because some people here have lost heaps of weight, they know how they are doing it...I think it is wise to listen to people who are on the journey and to what is working for them. THEN you can use that wisdom and try things and see if it works for your body.
where I live it is very limiting. I am in outback Australia in a small city which is very isolated we don't get the cream of the crop where dr's are concerned, any specialists come once a month to see patients and if you have to have anything like a tonsillectomy you drive 800kms.

I would appreciate people not arguing and abusing one another people are telling me their opinions. I then need to read what people are saying and decide what's right for me.

so I appreciate what everyone has to say

If I were you, I'd forget asking a doctor about this. I've had doctors tell me some absurd things about weight loss in the past. The NP that posted above is dead on. Most doctors don't know much about nutrition or weight management. They just don't get training for it.

On the other hand, dieticians (not nutritionists) are trained to deal with it. If you can find one, they would be useful to talk to. As for the 800-1000 calories goes, I think it's a big mistake to go that low for any extended period of time. VLCD's (very low calorie diets) have their place medically, but they should be supervised by a healthcare professional, and they are not intended to be long-term. It's essentially impossible to properly fuel your body's daily functions on that low of an intake over an extended period of time. You may end up deprived of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.) that are necessary at that point.

Personally, I started out eating 1200 calories per day. I kept it up for months, but as I got smaller, I got less and less capable of living off even that. I just got hungry more and more, started feeling lethargic, had no energy to get out of bed some mornings. Now, I eat closer to 1500-1600 calories, still lose weight, and have the energy to workout and do everything I want to do.

The truth of it is that this is a long-term thing, not a short one. Try to focus on making changes to your habits that will last (cooking more, eating reasonable portions, being more active, etc.) and then start focusing on your total calorie intake.

It is EXTREMELY difficult to go into "starvation mode". Only people with very low body fat percentages need to worry. Your body has plenty of fat stores to gain energy from so your metabolism will not slow down enough to have an effect on your weight loss.

That said, you should listen to your doctor if he has performed the proper labs, bloodwork, etc. to prove that you are not vitamin/mineral difficient. Make sure you take supplements as it is difficult to get proper nutrition from <1000 calories per day.

I can not tell you what is best for you but I will share what I do. We have almost the same stats (age, height, weight, gender...yup mfp twins LOL). I have lost 60lbs so far and it is working for me, but most of all it is something I can live with for life. My MFP is set at 1350 and I wear a fitbit which tracks all my activity and I generally eat it all back. I generally eat 1400-1900 calories but it does go up to 2300 at times. I lift weight and do cardio 3x/week and try to walk on the other days. Eating at this rate is satisfying. I shoot to eat a 40/30/30 ratio which keeps me full. I know that 800-1200 calories will cause a weight loss but I would be so hungry which in turn makes it more likely that I would binge or give up all together. I eat fairly healthy but if I want something, I work it into my goal. I am losing at a good rate and I figure if I can lose at this rate, why would I want to starve myself (and by that I am talking hunger and not starvation mode)? I hope this helps in some way. Feel free to add me if you';d like

bumpity bump very interesting topic

bump

I can't believe he told you to eat that low. That's horrible.

Wow, that's a tricky one. Part of me wants to say "you paid your doctor to look after your health, try what he suggested and see how you go in a month or so". I think that when you have a bit of weight to lose you can afford to have a bigger calorie deficit.

On the other hand, I know that I would never stick to a calorie allowance that low. For me, that would be setting myself up to fail - and frankly, I've done that plenty of times before!

I think the suggestion to talk to a dietician is a good one - but I appreciate that you aren't going to have one nearby, just as you can't easily get to another doctor.

I'm thinking about what I would do if I was in your situation:

- If it was me I would try eating 1000 - 1200 net calories a day for a month and see how my body responded. After that time, you'll have better picture of what is working for you. That is still a low amount, but not as low as the doctor has recommended. That's not to say this is "right", but it is what I would do.

- And, I would get online, find the Dieticians Association of Australia and give their state office a call. Explain that you are in a remote location and ask if they know of someone who will work with you remotely.
There is so much happening in the world of "telemedicine" now, I've been to Rural Health conferences and just about every service is looking at options for providing services remotely, hopefully dieticians are too.

Then you can get some professional advice one-one which might be really helpful.

Whatever you decide to do - good luck!

Edited to add: Kal Hospital apparently has a dietetics service - why not give them a call and see if they can help?