Doc driving me a bit nuts

[jackalope81]

So went in for a check up today and doc once again said I am losing too fast. I'm doing 3 meals and 3 shakes a day and lost 15 pounds in a month. He's telling me to start snacking and he wants to try and stall my loss for the next 2 weeks. No exercise other than weight lifting. One of the problems I'm having is that I feel good and loose weight when I do 20 minutes on my exercise bike every other day(slow pace like 10-12mph) but when I don't I feel terrible and stall. Nutritionist had told me to ignore him on biking. He didn't seem very sympathetic to this but wants me to snack on cheese and beef jerky.

Anyone got any advice? I'm not eating carbs on his instructions and taking my vitamins and eating fruits and vegetables. I'm getting over 100g of protein a day so I know that's not the problem. He tells me I'm starving but I don't feel like I am.

[Ann2]

He's wrong.

Really.

At your high beginning weight, it's not unusual to lose 20 or even 30 pounds the first month. Hell, my weight on surgery day was 216 pounds (after having lost 20 pounds pre-op), which is a whole lot lower than yours was! And I lost 10.4 pounds in the first month post-op and 11.8 pounds the second month. There were plenty of people my size who were losing more during those months than I was.

Yes, the monthly weight losses slowed down for me. And yours will, too. But yours will probably be double-digit losses for some months to come.

Seriously, ignore your doctor's hysteria. He acts like he's never performed sleeve surgery on anyone over 300 pounds before.

Really, his reaction is weird.

YOU'RE DOING GREAT!

[Ann2]

P.S. Do you have any "unusual" medical condition that gives your doctor or you concern about rapid weight loss? Kidney issues? Heart issues? Other issues?

[jackalope81]

P.S. Do you have any "unusual" medical condition that gives your doctor or you concern about rapid weight loss? Kidney issues? Heart issues? Other issues?

No I had prediabetes and was on a cholesterol med that was mainly a preventative measure for being on a low sugar diet. I had preop bloodwork and my cholesterol was the best it's been since I turned 30. My blood sugar has been fine the few times I've checked since going off metformin.

I had some kidney area pain about 3 weeks post op but I had a cold and it was probably dehydration. I get 64 oz of water a day on top of the shakes.

I am tall 6' 5" and have very broad shoulders and short legs(30 inch inseam) but all that seems like maybe a 10-20 pound difference. I haven't found anyone saying they had complications from too much loss as long as they were getting their vitamins. Hell I lost 25 pounds in six weeks preop on his no sugar, no carbs, no snacks diet. I was 394 first visit in early April.

[GlennA18]

Everyone's different but i had a talk w/ my Doc yesterday about speed of weight loss. She told me 1-2 pounds a week. I'm not getting surgery to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

I've done other diets (WW comes to mind) and I averaged 10 pounds a month on most months (more in the beginning). I hope to lose an additional 15 pounds by Sep 1st (surgery is August 14th) and then conservatively, I'll be OK with 12 pounds per month for the first 6 months.

I know my body and I know how I've done on other diets.

Also - I keep hearing the first 6 months are the easiest. I'm not going to stop losing weight in the first 6 months if I don't have to.

[sraebaer]

I agree, your doctor is a bit nuts. Start snacking? Really? How about eat healthy food like you are doing. And no exercise is stupid advice too.

[Sandra3]

I totally agree with our friends.

But I would also add that the most important is to know what you lose and have your body composition done to have a baseline and make sure that you lose only fat. For example I lost a lot during the first 3 months, lost a little muscle because I couldn't eat enough protein, then after I was fine and only lost fat.
Exercise is crucial and should not be stopped, eating enough protein and drinking enough water is important too.

For the body composition, DEXA is the best (I had that done at each post op at my surgeon clinic), but you can also find those "body fat scales" it's not as precise as the DEXA scan but will do.

PS : my surgeon NEVER said I was losing too much, but focused on muscle mass and was also really interested by my hydration level because the first months I was always borderline dehydrated.

[sraebaer]

Everyone's different but i had a talk w/ my Doc yesterday about speed of weight loss. She told me 1-2 pounds a week. I'm not getting surgery to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

I've done other diets (WW comes to mind) and I averaged 10 pounds a month on most months (more in the beginning). I hope to lose an additional 15 pounds by Sep 1st (surgery is August 14th) and then conservatively, I'll be OK with 12 pounds per month for the first 6 months.

I know my body and I know how I've done on other diets.

Also - I keep hearing the first 6 months are the easiest. I'm not going to stop losing weight in the first 6 months if I don't have to.

You will for sure lose more than 1 - 2 pounds a week (with a few stalls thrown in here and there). Good luck! Starts out fast and tapers down over the months.

[jackalope81]

I totally agree with our friends.

But I would also add that the most important is to know what you lose and have your body composition done to have a baseline and make sure that you lose only fat. For example I lost a lot during the first 3 months, lost a little muscle because I couldn't eat enough protein, then after I was fine and only lost fat.
Exercise is crucial and should not be stopped, eating enough protein and drinking enough water is important too.

For the body composition, DEXA is the best (I had that done at each post op at my surgeon clinic), but you can also find those "body fat scales" it's not as precise as the DEXA scan but will do.

PS : my surgeon NEVER said I was losing too much, but focused on muscle mass and was also really interested by my hydration level because the first months I was always borderline dehydrated.

Don't know what the body composition entails but the fancy scale they have me do weigh ins on spits out a body fat % number as well. No idea how accurate it is but did the math in my book and I've gained 6 pounds of non fat since pre op and so all my weight loss appears to be body fat. I'm getting 100 grams plus of protein a day(90 just from shakes) and at least 97 oz of liquid(64 oz water and 33oz from shakes).

[Stacey03]

Grins. Some docs are crazy. As you were ;-)