Worried about physician supervised diet.

I went to a weight management doctor to try to lose weight.  I started the diet last Thursday (today is Wed) and already lost 25 lbs.  My concern is that he is starving my body and it's going to hurt me more than help in the long run.  He has me on these very high protein shakes 3 times a day, and one handful of frozen berries twice a day.  All I can drink is water, with Crystal Light mixed in if I want.  My problem is, that adds up to about 750-775 calories a day.  My other prob is they found I was diabetic as well, and now I take glucophage every morning.  I did fine on the diet up until yesterday.  At around 5:00 I started feeling light headed and very weak.  I called my mother in law (she's a nurse) and she asked what I had eaten.  I told her and she told me to eat that my sugar probably plummeted cause I had no calories or sugar in me.  I just worry that I'm wrong to think that it's not a healthy diet when a doctor is the one who put me on it.  But, I also use to work in the medical field and know there is a limit to how much I should cut out.  Any suggestions?  Thanks so much.

I am NOT a doctor, but your post concerned me because 25 lbs in under a week seems severe, even accounting for initial water loss. I guess it depends on your "stats" (how much did you weigh to start, etc.). Also, is this person a "real" (i.e., medical) doctor or something like a nutritionist? Not to knock nutritionists, but there is a difference between having a bachelor's degree and having gone to medical school.

I hope others with more experience can help you out, but I think you're right to be concerned.

edit: did your doctor explain why you need this protein-shake-based, ultra low-cal diet, how long you'll be on it, what kind of weight loss you should expect, etc.? These are the kinds of questions that should have been settled up front, in my opinion.

Sorry, I should've been more specific.  I was 260 to start at 5'9 and now 235.  And the doctor is a cardioligist.  My primary referred me to him.  And he's part of the bariatric assoc. (?) is what his card says.  And I did see the degrees on his wall.  So....  I just still worry he is just trying to sell his products.  And they are a pretty penny.

I am also not a doctor, but putting you on a VLCD at your level of obesity seems unwarranted.  My guess about the 25 pound weight loss is that you are severely dehydrated as well as too low in calories.  Are you drinking water or just consuming what you listed?  I think you should call the doctor immediately, and if he isn't concerned you should go back to your primary care physician before you pass out or do permanent injury to yourself.  Good luck!

I've been drinking about 6 bottles of water a day.  I stay thirsty.

That seems like an incredibly severe regime given the statistics you've quoted. Diets like that are used medically as an emergency measure for someone hugely overweight whose weight is causing a serious risk to their health, not as a slimming regime.

Like the other posters, I am not a medical professional - but my partner is a professional, medically trained dietitian with the National Health Service in Britain, and tells me to be ease off on my diet regime if my weight loss goes beyond 2lb to 3lb per week. That's considered to be the maximum safe rate of weight loss for an adult - anything beyond that and you're eating into muscle tissues and risking all sorts of damage.

Your doctor is a medically trained professional, but he is a cardiologist, not a dietitian. His specialized training is in the heart and circulatory system, not the nutrition you need to live, and one thing I have learned through my partner is that doctors with a specialization are often not experts on the other areas of health! He may have additional training in diet, or he may not. If you are worried and uncomfortable with your diet, I think you need to speak to him, talk about your concerns and perhaps find out what training and qualifications he has in diet and nutrition.

I'm sure he's an excellent doctor in his own field, but you need to be totally confident and comfortable in what he's prescribing for you, so don't be afraid to asking probing questions and make him explain his reasoning for the decisions he's making. It's your health, after all - few other things in the world could be more valuable to you!

I would ditch the shakes - you can lose weight and still eat real food. It's better nutritionally, more satisfying, cheaper, you learn how to prepare healthy meals, how to pick a good option on a menu, and control portion sizes: all skills you'll need if you want to keep the weight off.

Did you weigh yourself on the same set of scales? Different scales can give quite different results.

That is pretty extreme... 775 calories is definitely not enough for your body, you're starving. Rapid weight loss like that is also unhealthy. The more overweight you are, the more rapidly you can lose weight, but 25lbs in a week is way too much for your body to handle healthily.

Generally speaking, people need 1200 calories just to survive, obviously this varies person to person but this is pretty standard for anyone, at least 1200. You realy ought to get a second opinion, or consider trying something on your own, of course this means discipline and hard work, but it'll be that much more rewarding in the end. I don't think what you're doctor has you on is healthy at all. I thought it was  actually quite alarming. I'd expect a doctor, especially a heart doctor, to take a less extreme, more exercise-oriented approach.

Good luck! I hope you find a diet that works for you and leaves you feeling good too :)

Please visit these two sites.

They have a lot of great ino in them.

Losing that much weight in a week can put severe stress on your heart.

Why you want to eat enough while releasing your fat.

Well, I had an appointment with one of my Doctors yesterday and she told me to stop the diet.  She wants me to see my primary physician and get her to refer me to a endocrinologist (sp?).  She said an endo will monitor my sugar and give me a proper diet.  I thought her head was gonna start spinning and her mouth spew pea soup when I told her about the diet and that they weren't montoring my diabetes closely.  lol.  So, now we'll wait and see I suppose.  Thanks for all the advice.

That's good that your MD is referring you to an endo for your BG management, but Endocrinologists do not generally do nutrition education either. They are, however,  almost always associated with a Registered Dietitian who is also a Certified Diabetes Educator to which they can refer you for proper diet education and wt loss planning.

hachimaki is right on with his description of the educational differences betw Medical Doctors and Registered Dietitians. I am a Masters Degree level Reg. Dietitian and a Cert. DM Educ. and have been working with MD's of all different specialties and I can tell you that the majority of MD's have almost no training/education in nutrition whatsoever. They tell me as much all the time.

So to acerria- Having a Bachelors degree specializing in nutrition means more than "having gone to medical school" when your talking about a diet related issue...

Original Post by gddrdld:

So to acerria- Having a Bachelors degree specializing in nutrition means more than "having gone to medical school" when your talking about a diet related issue...

^ Agreed. It seemed very odd to suggest the OP would be better off seeing someone who is not an expert in the relevant field!