Doctor's Orders

Today I saw the orthopedic surgeon regarding my right hip. He said I will need to have a total hip replacement within 6 months, if not sooner. He wants me to lose 50 lbs before the surgery. That is losing at a pace more quickly than recommended. (5'2", 267 lbs)
I am currently eating around 1200 calories per day. Last week I lost 3 lbs. If I continue with this trend, I should be okay. I will know Saturday how much weight I've lost this week.
I know I should take this one day at a time but ... what should I do if I start slowing down? Begin by reducing my calorie intake by 100 calories a day? or ? Would appreciate anyone's thoughts.

Has he recommended a nutritionist for you?

No, I thought I might contact my PCP to get a referral.

I hope the orthopedic surgeon isn't a good friend, because he sounds like a real jerk. It's easy for him to tell you to lose a ton of weight in an unreasonable timeframe. You probably aren't going to lose 50 pounds in six months with a healthy diet regiment. You are even less likely to lose 50 pounds in six months by starving yourself either.

Stick to 1200-1500 calories a day and see how well you do. DO NOT eat less than 1200, and if you exersize, make sure you eat back all those calories.

Eating several small meals really does make a difference. Every meal should be based around good protein with a small side of complex carbohydrates.

You may want to look into Medifast if you need a speedy yet safe way to lose that much weight in six months.  It is often recommended for patients needing to lose weight before surgery.  Check their website and talk to your doctor first, of course.  I've lost 23 (of 40) pounds in a little over six weeks on it.  It is low carb/low cal and pretty expensive (around $300/month) ... but it's unbelievably easy after the first few days, and totally changed my eating habits for the better.  It has been around for over 25 years, completely balanced, and proven safe.

Medifast can claim to be proven safe all they want but remember that every person is unique.  I was on it under hospital supervision and my hair fell out and my teeth went transparent.  I would never attempt to tell anybody not to do something but please keep in mind everybody reacts differently to things. 

I think your doctor may want to take a look at what is reasonable for weight loss instead of just throwing a number out there for you to lose.  Please remember that if you lose the weight but make yourself sick doing it you will be in worse shape for surgery than if you went into it with a few extra pounds on you.

Good luck

3 pounds in the first week is normal and usually safe. Typically, reducing diets mean less food going through your system (and what IS eaten is in the digestive system for a slightly shorter period of time, being less heavy in fats and artificial chemicals). It also could mean less sodium, even if you don't reduce the percentage of sodium milligrams per calorie. This means that the first week or two will have more rapid weight loss than the remainder of the weeks, so losing 3-4 pounds in the first week or possibly first two weeks is not necessarily a sign that you're losing too rapidly. It's only if this continues that it could be a problem.

You should get a second opinion from a licensed dietician. The "2 pounds per week" rule is only a general guideline and sometimes the benefits of losing more quickly outweigh the hazards, and someone who specializes in such issues would be the best person to go to for advice.

Thank you all for your comments. I am definitely contacting my PCP to see if I can work with a nutritiionist.

On The Biggest Loser, there is a quote that sticks to me - "Not eating won't help you lose weight."

So nope, I don't think you should reduce the RECOMMENDED intake.  I think you just have to keep yourself motivated :)