Who's the crazy one?

If you are under the care of a physician, do what he says - period!

I know you followed this up with seeking a second opinion (which I agree the OP should do), but this might be the most reckless statement anyone can follow when it comes to medicine. Doctors are not all created equal, and doctors quite frequently are blowhards who give advice as if they are specialists in a field they took one class on in med school. You wouldn't go to a cardiologist for your gall bladder, so listening to a GP who doesn't necessarily have any advanced knowledge in nutrition or fitness isn't wise either.

The best advice I was ever given when it came to dealing with medical issues was be a strong advocate for yourself, because no one else will be. If you believe your doctor isn't hearing you, or is dismissing your concerns, find a new doctor. Plain and simple. It can sometimes truly be the difference between life and death.

I wholeheartedly agree.

While the doctor seem to have an attitude problem, and should perhaps work on his bedside manner, I have to say it's not necessarily the Depo causing the stall in weight loss. (Not that it ISN'T that, but it's not 100% that's it)
People can call that shot evil or dangerous or whatever, but different people react differently to it...just like diet, exercise and evrything else.
I was on Depo for 5 years with no issues...I actually lost weight on it.

Now, I agree with another poster....basic advice on strategy is fine to ask for on here, but for nutritional advice, stick to an expert. If not this doctor, get a second opinion from another doctor or a certified nutritionist.

He's not totally wrong. BMR formulas are only estimations, 2800 is too high IMHO.

Most doctors are not fit themselves - lets just be honest on that one... for eating seek a nutritionist, for weight seek a trainer, for your health seek a medical doctor...

The best thing you can do is do your own research try different things... try TDEE instead of the BMR... as with anything else weight loss is a trial and fail until you find the right thing for yourself -- if you do not have any health issues then I don't really think there is a need to consult a doctor because you are trying to lead a healthier life... (just my opinion of course)

He does sound like he doesn't have your best interest at hand, to say the least.

Wow. Definitely get a second opinion. I understand doctors have years of studying under their belts, but I still hate it when they start getting angry over a request to switch birth control. The "there are no side effects, it's all in your head" mentality is, to me, a marketing ploy. I know doctors mean well and many of them are very smart individuals, but this by no means takes away their prejudices and character flaws. All doctors are, above all, human. Doctors are not all-powerful demigods who can do no wrong. And years of women experiencing blood clots, abnormal hair growth, and (yes!) weight gain at the hands of bcp tells me that injecting hormones into our system does, in fact cause side effects--one of which is no pregnancy so don't tell me that bcp doesn't cause side effects! (and the depo shot is FAMOUS for causing weight gain!)

As far as your calorie goal, I don't understand thyroid problems and I have absolutely no medical expertise. So take everything I say with a grain of salt and an ounce of sugar, but I eat more than 1,500 cal/day (my target is 1,600 but it is very common for me to go into the 1,700 or 1,800 range) and I am losing weight. I also eat back my exercise calories, btw. The weight loss is slllooowww, no lie, but I feel a lot better and that, to me, is the most important thing. For reference I weigh 127 lbs as of this morning. I'm 5'6".

I read somewhere that you should eat as the person you want to be. If you continuously eat as this person, you will eventually become this person (sort of like an extension of the "you are what you eat" mentality). So maybe try calculating your target maintenance goals at your target weight. For example, say you are 5'8" and want to weight 155 lbs. Calculate how many calories a 5'8" you would neat to eat everyday in order to stay at her 155 lb. weight. Then start eating that amount of calories now.

This theory might not work for you, but it seems to work for me because I'm not good at severely limiting my intake. 1,600-1,800 cal/day works for me (I'd just like to find the time to be more active!), and I can't imagine a life where I have to eat fewer calories than that for the rest of my life, or even for a few months. I tried and I was miserable. And if I'm miserable then it's not realistic. The vision I have of a healthy, thinner, fitter me is a me who eats three round meals a day and chooses fruit salad over donuts for breakfast. By tracking my calories and fitness on MFP, I am slowwwwly becoming that person. And by the time that I reach my goal weight I'll have been in the habit of eating at maintenance for that weight for so long that I won't have to change a thing.

Again, I don't know anything about thyroid problems so this way might not work for you, but it works for me. Above all, I would never stick with a doctor who says it doesn't matter what kind of food you're putting in your body because "food is food". Any good nutritionist knows this isn't the case. Choosing unhealthy choices over healthy ones is how all of us got to a higher weight in the first place. Choosing a healthy smoked salmon sandwich with salad for 600 calories over a cheeseburger for 600 calories will fill us with more energy due to the added nutrients in a salad and sandwich over processed food and satisfy our hunger longer, as well as providing us with necessary Omega nutrients for healthier skin and mind. Not all food is created equal, even if the calories are the same.

Some doctors, who feel insecure, act like jerks when they don't know the answer. Because if they act like a jerk, then they put you on the defensive, and it does distract a lot of people from going back to the point of needing advice from their doc. Glad you didn't fall for it! I'd recommend a new doc who 1. admits when he doesn't know or understand something and 2. respects you. I don't care what you weigh, you deserve respect simply because you're a human being, and doctors are supposed to preserve life and respect all human beings.
That said, I think that just about any birth control can make women gain weight. They should do studies on men, put them on birth control, and find out how much weight they gain! I'm sure they'd gain, too! I had depo-provera for a year and hated it, it made me depressed and gain weight. I've had the Mirena IUD for 2 years and truthfully, I'm not crazy about it either and am thinking of having it taken out. I think it might be what's been making my ankles swell up hugely off and on for the last 2 years because I never had water retention before in my 42 years.
But, in any event, if you're not losing weight, you do need to cut calories further. Not 1500 - that's close to what MFP tells me to eat and I'm 190 lbs. But less than you are eating now. Are you taking Omega 3 oils? I read today that getting enough Omega 3 can make people feel satiated more easily, and I'm going to try it.

I'm definitely not a doctor, but I have strong opinions on the depo shot.. I porked on 20 pounds after that thing, as well as everyone else I know that took it. Go to your ob/gyn for your b/c. There are MANY other b/c options out there now that don't cause the weight gain.

Number 2.. second opinion from a different primary doctor.. he sounds like a *kitten*.

Number 3.. ask for a referral to a nutritionist

You are on your way!

agreed!!! plus depo will stop you from having your period. i think theres something wrong with that in itself. i was on it for 4.5yrs and gained 30lbs over the 1st year, it slowly came off after that on its own....but it tricks your body into thinking its pregnant already, so ya, it does F with ur hormones! lol. also, when i decided to go off it, it was because of some pretty nasty reasons, which i wont get into here...so ya, glad to hear youre switching at least! i have my tubes tied now so im done worrying about that kind of stuff, lol

He lost all credibility when he suggested it couldn't be the Depo. Seek a second opinion.

Get a new doctor, one with respect

If you've done anything at all to try and improve your health and lose weight, then you've made the right move! And if he's chastizing you for anything you've done or telling you that your exercise isn't good enough, he needs to go!

I first started MFP at 315 pounds, and my calories were set at just over 1700 calories. With a combination of eating 1600-2000 sometimes and walking, I lose 14 pounds in my first month. I'm currently stalled yet again, but I've learned so much in the last 9 months and changed my diet and habits so much in the last 9 months that I know it will get moving again.

And if it weren't for tracking calories eaten and calories burned, I never would have gotten to the point I am right now. So don't give up on that! You had all these amazing tools to present to him and he waved them off!

Girl, I gained so much weight on that damn birth control shot! My doctor even told me that I probably would. After two rounds, I told her to find me somehting else, couldn't do the Depo anymore. I would definitely stop! Good luck!

I'm only going to comment on one thing in your post:

I wanted off the depo provera shot but he argued with me claiming the symptoms were not hormonal.

Get a new doctor. That shot is the devil and having trouble with weight is one of the most common side effects of that shot. I could go into more details about the rest of the side effects (including early menopause) but since weight is your main concern right now, that's enough of a reason to get off of it. And don't get Mirena because it has the same hormone and while it's less common for Mirena to affect weight, it can and does in some people.

Uh... I've been on the Depo shot for a year now and I'm losing weight just fine. No side effects either. I'm not saying the Depo shot doesn't *kitten* some people up, but the same stuff that messes some up, works just fine with others so I wouldn't be going around calling anything the devil until you have a survey where 100% of those who were on something say it's horrible and no those random websites with a comment section don't count.

I agree! I have been on Depo for years now and have lost 50lb on it. That being said it does increase your appetite (confirmed by about 6 different nurses), but it does not magically put fat on your body or calories in your mouth. It just makes you slightly more hungry, which means you need to make better choices.

Sorry, just saw you're off the Depo (at work and couldn't read it all at once!) Anything and everything can be related to hormones. Hormone inbalance can effect everything from your hair to your weight to your attitude! You are right to be very weary of birth control. I have tried it all and have currently been off of all BC for nearly 3 years. I'm so glad you said no IUD! I had Mirena for years and it made me SO sick and my GYN told me there was no way it was the IUD! I insisted she take it out and nearly all of my symptoms went away in just a few days... GET A NEW DOCTOR! He sounds like a jack *kitten*! Good luck sweetie!

if you wear a fit bit you should know exactly how many calories you burn during the day. no need to use an equation. just make sure you are eating 500-1000 less then that and you should loose 1-2 lbs a week. that is what I do and it works like clockwork.

Sounds like he was trying to get you to not see how little he knew and even more so, how little he wanted to explain things to you. Sounds like a *kitten*!

I think going off of the Depo Provera was a good move. I was last told by one of my previous OB/GYN's that that stuff is pretty bad for you...

I suggest 1) giving that doctor a mental "kick in the balls" for being such a jerk to you and 2) going to talk to someone who specializes in nutrition and weight loss for individuals who have a history of being overweight and thyroid issues.

I understand the need to understand how this whole process works and the desire to go about it the most effective way possible. After all, what good is it to eat 1500 calories and "just move" if you're not seeing results?

A little off topic, but for those of you who think someone with a PhD is a freaking genius, please reconsider. No offense to anyone who has a PhD, you clearly worked your *kitten* off and pay exorbitant amounts of money to get it. But that doesn't mean you know everything.