You always hear diet product advertisements say you should consult your doctor before starting any diet. I didn't. Did you? Are these ads just covering themselves under pressure from their lawyers?
I didn't and I think that is probably okay if you are using a sensible program (not a fad diet) and you have no health problems.
However, I think someone who has health issues of any kind should see thier doctor first. I also think that not everyone is equiped with the knowledge to distingish between a health weight loss plan and a possibly dangerous fad. So, if in doubt, see your doctor!
I didn't consult my doctor because I didn't start a "diet". I changed the types of food which I eat. If you have pre-existing medical issues then I would consider consulting one before getting into any type of exercise program. I know at my gym they ask you a series of medical questions and because my fiance is on blood pressure meds they kept track of his blood pressure after his workouts for a while.
Yeah, that was kind of my thinking when I started. Basically, my diet plan is healthy eating and moderate exercise. What, I should keep eating poorly and sitting on the couch until I talk with my doctor? If my plan had been more severe or I had medical issues, I would have talked to her. Now, I'll just surprise her.
I think it's basically just a warning to see your doctor is you're going to be doing extreme amounts of physical exercise or trying to lose a huge amount. (Also some people have problems with deficiencies etc and that needs to be controlled during diets etc)
I checked with my dr. be fore I did WW. I have a digestive disorder and am unable to take vitamins, so I have to be picky about what foods I eat. She totally endorsed it. Before I try any new exercise, I talk to my Chiropractor. I have a very bad back, and I'm not suppossed to to do any twisting, or high impact sports, like heavy weight lifting, jump roping, jogging.
I figure they went to Medical school and I have every right to pick their brain about what will affect my body. Then again, I also have very friendly, approachable dr.'s!
I did not talk to her but I see her all the time so I don't think its an issue. I know I need to lose weight and we've discussed how exercise could benefit my fibromyalgia..so I know she is not against me exercising.
I didn't consult my doctor because I'm currently searching for a new one. But since I'm not doing anything "extreme" I feel comfortable moving ahead on my own.
Yes I did after not being able to figure out how many calories I needed to eat to lose weight and he gave me a recommendation with a sample diet plan. It's working!
I did. I'd been on WW for a long time and it just wasn't working for me...way too many cravings. After my 3rd pregnancy I was tired all the time. When I complained to the doctors they kept saying, "Well you just had a baby." But I didn't buy it. When I got blood clots in my lungs and they found spots on my liver, in my chest and on my thyroid they agreed that something was wrong. Turns out it was probably all due to a toxic nodule on my thyroid. My metabolism was in overdrive and I kept gaining weight despite the fact that I was sticking to WW, even though I had cravings, and walking 4 miles a day. My endocrinologist treated me and we talked about my family history of diabetes (he's a cousin so he knows) and he suggested I try out a low-glycemic index diet since the mechanism for thyroid dysfunction and diabetes are so similar. He said it was medically sound and the research keeps proving it out. I started South beach almost 2 weeks ago. No cravings and I'm steadily losing weight. I had put off trying it because I thought it was a fad. I'm pretty happy so far. Glad I talked to him.
I did, but the exercising portion. I have asthma and currently going through testing so I wanted to make sure my doctor gave me a go ahead to start. But with the food I didn't. I too am changing how I eat so I don't see it as a diet. I'm just eating healthier.
My doctor suggested that I try restricting carbs, because of my insulin resistance. Though he warned me not to go "too low," though he wasn't really all that helpful in specifically stating how low was too low. However, my husband's diabetic counselor told us that being I was on metformin for the insulin resistance I shouldn't go under 100 g of carbs per day. Hubby can't go that low because he is on insulin and metformin. He has to aim for about 200 instead.
I wouldn't suggest that anyone go on a carb-restricted plan without a doctor's supervision,, even if they're young and appear to have no health problems. Before a low carb plan you really should have bloodwork drawn to make sure you don't have undiagnosed kidney disease. Kidney disease often has no symptoms up until kidney failure begins. Low carb diets are very dangerous for people with damaged kidneys.
I think if you have existing health problems, or if you want to make very drastic changes to your diet or activity level, it is very important to consult with your doctor and have regular bloodwork to monitor things like blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. Hubby and I have our bloodwork drawn every 3 to 4 months, which we'd have to do anyway because of the prescription medications we're on.
I think the risks of making minor adjustments to your eating or exercise aren't very high, so you can use common sense whether or not to make a special appointment to see your doctor. Though I think even if you don't consult with your doctor before you start a diet or exercise plan, it's a good idea to mention it at the next annual checkup.
Yep, I did. In fact, my doc helped me figure out my "diet". She had me get a blood panel so that we could see if there were any chemical causes, etc., and then she did a metabolism analysis to help me set a calorie budget, and gave me activity targets, etc. She also stressed eating real food and not relying on "diet" foods. Its funny, 'cause its not like she really told me anything I didn't already know, but its certainly working where I had failed on my own before.
I had recently started with this new doc, and I have to admit I'm the type who usually avoids going to the doc as long as possible. But I'm glad I got her involved in my diet - she is very supportive!
What, I should keep eating poorly and sitting on the couch until I talk with my doctor?
LMAO!
That is my theory as well, I'm obese, I don't have diabetes, so I figure I'm good to go. I do however have a slightly high cholestal (sp?) but I knew that already. I am sure that this is said to be on the safe side and cover their butts.
Did you consult your doctor before starting?
If my plan had been more severe or I had medical issues, I would have talked to her. Now, I'll just surprise her. 
