Doctor telling me low fat and low carb

[Pattycan]

I started NoS several months ago. No weight loss but no weight gain. My total cholesterol has gone down. Another plus is I that I have gotten off all diet drinks and any artificial sweetners. I was really addicted to those. I have noticed that my sweet tooth has changed and I can get through the day without any thoughts of sweets. I used to eat a sweet every day as a compulsion. It is easy now waiting until S days for my treat. However, I am disappointed that I have stayed the same weight but am trying to be patient. I do love the freedom of not dieting anymore.

The downside is the Doctor wants weight loss now and had the nurse call me on the phone to tell me to go on a low fat low carb diet. I don't think I will be successful dieting for it never worked for me in the past. I am feeling pressured between doing what is right for me or ignoring the doctor who looks like he could lose some weight himself!

Any words of encouragement would be appreciated.

[reinhard]

If you're maintaining your weight AND are happy about your eating AND your bloodwork has improved, that's no small thing!

It's certainly possible to layer on other dietary rules on top of no-s, but there's the danger that you'll feel overburdened and miserable and quit everything altogether. You're right to be cautious about this.

Are you doing any exercise? If not, adding moderate exercise might give you the most bang for your effort at the least risk. And it's a good idea in any case, even if you don't have weight to lose. I know many people loathe exercise, but I think moderate exercise can be quite bearable -- fun even. Let us know if you want ideas.

I can't advise you to ignore your doctor (or I'd soon be hearing from your lawyer!) but I'd certainly discuss it with him in detail and see if you can come up with a mutually acceptable solution.

Reinhard

[Finnigan]

The downside is the Doctor wants weight loss now

I heard the same thing from my doctor. In fact, my doctor even threatened that if he didn't see what he expected (whatever that was) in a given time period (I don't remember what it was) he was going to recommend surgery.

SURGERY!

Now, I am a 6' male with a heavy frame (maybe 5' 11" but I like to say 6'. it's a nice round #) and no one I know believes me when I say I am pushing 300#) I know the BMI numbers say I am "obese" and my cholestorol and BP are high, but I can not believe I need surgery. I know I am out of shape, but I can't believe I am in as iminent danger of death as his urgency implies. I have seen people in far worse shape for far longer plodding along just fine.

I won't tell you what to do, but what I did personaly was ignore my Dr. I didn't feel like he was going to be very open to me suggesting he leave me to do it slowly. Truthfully I didn't even want to bother trying to talk it over with him. As it was I couldn't afford the meds he put me on.

I managed to loose about 20# on No S and moderate exercise (SG and walking), but unfortunately the Holidays threw me off track. I am making a concerted effort to get back on track and when I feel my weight has come down a decent ammount I may go back for blood tests again. I do try to lean towards "heart healthy" recommendations like using very little salt, low fat milk and lean meat, whole grain pasta, olive oil. I try not to eat too much meat either, but still probably have more meat and cheese than recommended by the heart assoc. BUT within No S limits. I live in a family that doesn't do vegitables easily. My kids won't eat them and my wife eats very few.

Bottom line I guess is I didn't like the pace he was setting. I'm going to take a bit more time to try it my way.

Forgive me if I sound a bit angry. I suppose I still am over what he told me.

If I were you I wouldn't be surprised if your Dr. brings up surgery. It's up to you, but I am not ready to jump under a knife to loose weight. I have been under the knife before for injures and didn't enjoy it then. I'm going to do all I can to avoid it again, but his diet and meds plan just wasn't practical to me.

It has occured to me that his mentioning of surgery might have been a "scared straight" type tactic, but I don't know.

Whatever you decide, best of luck.

Edit: I wanted to add, oddly enough not long after my encounter with my Dr. my Mother-in-law DID have lap band surgery (or something like it). Her Dr. recommended it. She was probably my weight, but much smaller and had failed dieting multiple times. She was to the point it was affecting her knees and back, and other health problems were developing.

So after much research she went to a foreign country to have the surgery. She has had an infection (which did clear up with medication.) She has to wait 1 minute between bites of what she eats. She needs to have fluid added to the lap band every so often (supposedly no one knows what becomes of this fluid, but it disappears over time allowing more room in the stomach. I think it is salene), and she still has a tendency to eat too much which causes her to vomit. There are other rules and conditions as well I think. I honestly have not been paying very close attention; this is all just from what I hear. It doesn't sound like something I want to put myself through.

She Has lost ~70# I believe. I am interrested though to see if when she hits her target weight and has the surgery undone if her old eating habits will return.

This is what I like about No S. It treats the cause, not the symptom.

[Pattycan]

I do have weight to lose. I am not exercising at all. My bad. I know I just need to get up and do it.

Hopefully I can post a weight loss before long.

Thanks!

[Happy Cooker]

You've already had some great results. Modifying your sweet tooth and fake sugar dependence is huge! The bloodwork tells you you're getting healthier, too. One thing I'd recommend is just a bit more patience. I didn't notice any real body changes till I'd been NoSing for two full months. If you're 40-50 or older, this could well apply to you, too.

I'd say start exercising, too. This doesn't have to mean going to a gym or getting workout tapes, but if that works for you, go ahead. My main forms of exercise are walking and stretching, both of which I do mostly because they make my body feel better. Walk for 10 or 15 minutes to start with and then extend it once that's easy for you, or just step up the pace. Enjoy your surroundings and let your mind wander. If it's too hot to walk during the day, get out first thing in the morning before the heat builds up.

You might want to look into a different doctor. I'd stop listening to anyone who told me I had to cut down carbohydrates. That said, not all carbs are created equal: There's a huge difference between a baked potato and a bag of potato chips, between an apple and a candy bar. Apples and potatoes come with big dividends in the form of lots of nutrients, fiber, and trace elements that have not been added in a lab.

I've been doing NoS for about 9 months now. My husband joined me 3 months ago and weighed in 14 pounds lighter at the doctor's this week, which averages to almost a pound a week. As he says, "in 210 weeks there'll be nothing left of me."

[Pattycan]

Thank you for the encouragement. As for the Dr. I will call him Dr. God.
He didn't even call to talk to me. He had his nurse call and I had to drill her to get my test results otherwise she would have said; Testing is normal and hung up. It is hard to find a good doctor and this one acts like he doesn't care so I agree that I will ignore his suggestions (he needs to lose weight too) and continue on with the NoS and try to be patient and wait for the weight loss to happen as my habits change.

BTW....you see a lot of commercials on TV about the lap band procedure and you have just convinced me to never resort to that. That does not sound like a good life. I would rather eat moderately and enjoy my food than to vomit my food up because I over estimate the amount. How sad.

I share your frustration in being angry with your doctor.

I will start with 15 minutes and see if that gets me on track with exercise.
I know that will help the weight some off more smoothly.

[apomerantz]

Patty,

I applaud you for all you've done so far! The fact that you've gotten off the sweets habit (boy, do I know how hard that was) and you've stabilized your weight is awesome.

And I hear some willingness in there to exercise! That will make a HUGE difference to you.

I have a small suggestion. When you exercise, you'll really want to get up to a half hour per day/5 days per week. - - but if you start out too hard, it will get frustrating. But if you can, "book" the whole half hour out of your day from the beginning. Then, just exercise the 10 or 15 that you can, and do something else nice for yourself for the remaining 15 i.e. read a magazine or something. Often, the hardest thing is finding the time for ourselves, , not the exercise. If the time is all blocked out, you'll be more likely to keep adding minutes to your routine until the time is filled. I suspect the weight will really start to fall off if you haven't exercised before.

Good luck!! You can do it!!

Anita

p.s. In defense of doctors (although perhaps not your particular one), I am married to one, and so many people do come in complaining about weight-related ailments, and then they are non compliant with any of the doctors recommendations, including meds. So I do think the doctors get a little frustrated. A male with high cholesterol and high blood pressure who is overweight could really have a heart attack quite readily. Women are more protected until post menopause, so while you don't say your age, odds are you can afford to do this slowly and right. But the doctor doesn't say these things to be a big meany. They say them because they hope you'll understand the serious health consequences of being obese and do something about it. Since you already are doing something about it - - quite a lot - - that's great. They just are trying to give you the traditional tools of weight loss which are cut fats and cut out sugar/chips etc (which is unfortunately the staple of many an American's diet these days). You've already cut out a lot of carbs by avoiding the sweets. The doctor doesn't know all the lifestyle changes you've made, because he is focused on the result (lbs lost) not the fact that you are building a foundation of habits that will last you for life.

[Pattycan]

Thanks Anita. I think finding a caring Dr is hard these days but know they are out there. What a plus to have a Dr promote the NoS diet to his patients. My Dr acts like he is ready to retire honestly. He is up in age and seems to dismiss you before all your questions are satisfied. I know all Dr's are not in that category but finding them is hard.

I am kissing 60 years old so I know my metabolism is slower than most compounded with thyroid disease.

I omitted saying that I am a prof. seamstress and work down in my basement. I have to go up 14 steps several times each day and you would think that would be classified as exercise but I am so used to it I don't count that. It is not aerobic anyways. I am excited that my DH has put in several outlets for my treadmill and a place for a TV set if I get bored. I know the key factor for my health issues is exercise.

[apomerantz]

I feel your pain, Patty. Unfortunately, the private practitioners are so squeezed now. They have to see a certain number of patients per day to cover their office expenses, and sadly, that "rushing" around doesn't help their bedside manner at all. And of course the ones near retirement are probably wanting to retire and maybe they can't given the current financial climate. It is VERY hard to find good internists right now as there is a shortage in many areas of the country. In our area only half the internists will even accept new patients at all.

I hope you'll keep us posted on your exercise efforts. You sound like a fabulous person who can make things happen for yourself. It's so hard as the metabolism slows down. I used to be able to lose weight so easily in my twenties. Now I'm 42, and it is 10x harder than before. I love to exercise - - it really lifts my spirits in some way. I hope you'll have the same effect.

[Nichole]

Hmmm, well, I told my doctor about my weight fluctuations and she suggested The South Beach diet, which is low carb. However, I don't think I could do that. So many of my favorite dishes are carb based. I just LOVE food so much and now I even enjoy cooking it. I think the No-S diet allows for a decrease in calories, which will help you lose weight. Just exercise more, eat a little less, and I think you'll find results.

[Pattycan]

Thank you. I have been told that exercise energizes so that is a big habit for me to adopt.

Thanks for explaining things from the Dr.'s perspective. It makes me more understanding about their situation.

[CriticalMass]

You say you have a thyroid condition. I don't know if you are on thyroid medication or not. Perhaps you could find a health professional who could supervise some modest Iodine supplementation.

Safety and efficacy of Iodine supplementation varies widely depending on who you believe. So, buyer beware, but its probably harmless when consumed at similar levels to seaweed eating cultures (such as the Japanese)

[Pattycan]

I have been on thyroid medication for a long.........time. I started using Kosher salt thinking it was better for me and not using the salt with iodine.
I may switch back. I could be low on iodine but No S hopefully will take care of the weight gain.

Thanks!

[CriticalMass]

While iodized salt may contain enough iodine to prevent goiters, it is not a significant source of iodine. Normal consumption of iodized salt provides micrograms of Iodine. Whereas as many recommend tens of milligrams.

Obviously, I don't know the truth of the matter. However, from what I have read, there is at least anecdotal evidence in support of it. Many people working with their doctor to monitor levels (T1,T2,T3,T4 ?) and thyroid size have been able to reduce their thyroid medication in conjunction with iodine supplementation.

Do some research for yourself. And of course, any info that you find on the internet, take it with a grain of salt.

[Happy Cooker]

I too work at home and am into the slow-metabolism years at age 52. Anytime I can get out of the house or off this chair it's a treat for me, which is why I suggested walking outside before. It's good you've got the treadmill and some way to make it more enjoyable because enjoyment is key to keeping up with it.

I wanted to add that besides giving you an energy boost, exercise builds muscle. That added muscle burns calories faster even when you're sitting. I think this is why men generally lose weight faster than women--their bodies have more muscle to begin with. It's also why many exercisers lift weights as well as doing aerobic movement; supposedly it jump-starts the weight loss. I don't do it myself, so this isn't personal experience, but you might consider it if you want to hurry things along.