Doctor recommendation sounds crazy...suggestions

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Replies

  • TexasSunny
    TexasSunny Posts: 87 Member
    The Atkins plan starts with 30 carbs per day... but when I do it, I shoot for zero. You CAN lose weight this way, of course it's not balanced and some people hate it or think its life-threatening. It's just another diet plan. The good part of going no/low carb is that you don't have to COUNT. I hate all the counting and Atkins forces me to give up all sugars, breads, pastas...and ALL junk food. So mentally it works for some people.

    But if that is not your cup of tea then it obviously won't work. Find what works for you.
  • dbevisjr
    dbevisjr Posts: 183
    Personally, I think a doctor who is licensed to legally practice medicine, trumps an internet website. No person (doctor or not) from myfitnesspal has physically examined you or has any idea of your health, physical condition or exclusions as far as exercise goes. Look at the bottom of this page and you will see the following statement:

    "Posts by members, moderators and admins should not be considered medical advice and no guarantee is made against accuracy."

    Any person of sound mind knows that statement also applies to the website as a whole. If you should follow the advice of the website and gain more weight, injure yourself, or worse, the website would not take responsibility nor would any court hold them responsible.

    Follow the advice of your doctor. The plan on myfitnesspal may be great for the average person needing to loose weight but with the conditions you mentioned I wouldn't consider your situation to be average.
  • Kathy53925
    Kathy53925 Posts: 241 Member
    Any diets that are super restricting like Atkins, South Beach, etc do not work for me. I'm 55 and have yo yo dieted all my adult life. This is working well so far. I like that I can come here and punch in my foods and exercise and it does the work for me.
    I have Rheumatoid and Osteo arthritis, COPD, on oxygen 24/7 (RA meds damage and too fat).
    THIS IS WORKING and I don't feel cheated. If I want ice cream, I eat it...i just make sure i measure and count it accurately.

    I say give it a try at 1400-1600 and see how it goes. Drink alot of water....Good luck :)
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
    We (one MFP) have had this type of discussion before about doctors. Unless s/he is qualified in NUTRITION or is a Weight loss specialist, they do not necessarily know about food/nutrition/or wt loss. Go to a Specialist or a Nutritionist for wt loss guidance. BUT you have done this (dieting) before, probably many times...so you have a clue about what is needed. You know you MUST be COMMITTED to the Plan and Constant with it or no matter how good a Plan is it will not work if you are not Constant with it. Wt loss is 90% what you eat and 10% Activity (daily activity and simple Movement>>walking, stationary bike, pilates, stretching, water aerobics, even some weight lifting< these will work for you with your limited mobility. Personally, for you I would suggest 1600-1700 calories per day, 40/30/30>protein/carbs/fat. Also, a lot of whole foods is a good idea...and PATIENCE!!! I've been 300+ lbs and in 2 yrs. I have lost over 120 lbs. and still losing. Don't diet, make a Lifestyle change.
  • dbevisjr
    dbevisjr Posts: 183
    Anybody suggesting she go against her doctors requirements of 1200 cal with 10 carbs needs to re-read her first post. She said exercise is nearly impossible. So if you suggest 1600 or 1800 cals she is going to gain more weight. Can't compare her to yourself if you ate 2400 calories a day and burned 6000 calories a week through exercise. She has to do it ALL through making good choices in her diet.
  • wolfi622
    wolfi622 Posts: 206
    if you're in the US (and many other countries) "nutritionist" is a meaningless term.

    True that.
  • angieleighbyrd
    angieleighbyrd Posts: 989 Member
    I don't even know how you would even go that low on carbs? What would you even eat. That pretty much cuts out all fruit. You'd be eating all veggies and meat. I think 10 carbs would be really hard to do. Most of the people I know on low carb do at least 50 carbs.
  • patchesgizmo
    patchesgizmo Posts: 244 Member
    I would ask my doctor to help you come up a a menu that does that. It is easy to throw numbers out there, but harder to come up with a game plan. Ask the doctor to really help you.
  • Roni_M
    Roni_M Posts: 717 Member
    My opinion runs along the line of following your doctor's advise since they are the ones that went to med school. But I'll put a big BUT in there. Start following MFP and if you are losing weight at a steady pace your doctor will be happy with results and tell you to continue what you are doing. If you aren't losing at a good enough pace, your doctor will let you know when you go back for follow up. Bring your current MFP plan with you and you can both discuss tweaking it if need be. It will also be easier for you to tighten up your plan once you get the hang of calorie counting. It's a slower start, which will make things a bit easier even if you have to drop some calories later.
  • AbbsyBabbsy
    AbbsyBabbsy Posts: 184 Member
    Is there a way you could call your doctor and speak to her, or perhaps a nurse who works under her, to clear up some of the confusion.

    The 1200 calories doesn't sound suspicious to me at all. You are very obese and unable to exercise. I don't think there's a doctor in the world who would recommend more calories for you. In fact, morbidly obese people are often put on even lower calorie diets.

    The 10g of carbs is the sticking point, at least for me, especially if you're trying for low-fat as well. It leaves you with lean meat and vegetables. I'm sure you'd lose weight on this, but how long could you stick to it?

    A medical degree does trump MFP, but does not make someone a god. Ask questions, get a second opinion if you'd like.
  • jwilson80121
    jwilson80121 Posts: 72 Member
    A low carb/low fat diet? So she/he wants you to live off protein and... alcohol?

    If this is an actual diet where do I sign up :D
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    A low carb/low fat diet? So she/he wants you to live off protein and... alcohol?

    If this is an actual diet where do I sign up :D

    keto and lots of vodka. ^^
  • piesbd
    piesbd Posts: 196 Member
    I would see a nutritionist if you can. General practice doctors are just that. Im not being disrespectful to them but they know the basics they are not specialized. What works for some doesn't work for others but I am leery when anyone tells you to cut out a food group. Clean healthy food of all groups is the way to go in my opinion.

    Could not agree more! Good luck to you!
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    You can research Atkins, which is not that dissimilar from what your doc is suggesting. The point is to get quickly into ketosis and then maintain the nutritional requirements of that state.

    But if you honestly feel that a severely-low-carb diet is NOT in your future, I'd suggest you get another opinion, or at least talk to your doctor about why she specifically recommended a severe-low-carb diet. Is this based on some sort of blood or body composition tests that she specifically called out to justify the need for the diet, or was it a general "this is the best way everyone loses weight" recommendation.

    I hate to go against what an actual doctor says lest they have information I don't based on their years of training I don't have and personal knowledge about your specific case I also don't have. Low-carb may be in reaction to some other medical condition you have.

    But if this is a generic recommendation she's made, then you should determine what works for you. And that starts with talking to your existing doctor about why she's recommended this, and then you can decide for yourself how you want to proceed.
  • benegesserit
    benegesserit Posts: 19
    I "get" the low carb part but not the low fat. Ten grams of carbs a day is even lower than the starting point for Atkins, if I recall. A lot of people can eat around 50-100 gm carbs/day and lose weight. Some tend more towards the 50, others can go higher.

    Also, do you have access to a swimming pool? Sometimes people with joint problems find that swimming, or even just walking in the pool through the shallow water, gives them a mild workout which puts less strain on their bodies.

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