Diabetes & Atkins
 

Question is actually for my sister. She is about 5'7", 275 lbs. She went to the Dr. last week for something else and had mentioned that she was on Atkins. He got angry and told her to get off it immediately, that if it wasn't already too late she was probably already diabetic. He didn't do any tests to comfirm this. Grabbed her chart and wrote across the front of it in big letters "Morbid Obesity". (I deal with this Dr. constantly through my job and know he's quite the jerk!) Needless to say, she was just heart broken.

She knows she's extremely overweight and has been trying to lose weight and finally found something she felt was working.

Has anyone else doing Atkins started out a weight and height proportinate to hers been through this with Dr.'s? If so, were you able to stay on Atkins? Is the fat content really to high if you are diabetic?

I've tried to get her to visit this site since I have seen many member have had success, plus the motivation and support here is wonderful.

I'm not height/weight proportionate to your sister and I don't have insurance, so I avoid going to the Dr's., BUT I think that's a totally bizzare thing for the Dr to say.

Atkins was originally developed as a plan to stabilize the blood sugar of a diabetic person. Only later did it become something for weight loss.

Personally, I think that your sister's doctor is just one of the uneducated masses who oh-so-incorrectly believes that following Atkins means gorging oneself on meat and cheese. Maybe this is your sister's opportunity to educate him ;)

Star, This was my feeling also. I did alot of research before I started Atkins and this thought process didn't follow what I had learned. This guy is so hard to deal with and has absolutely no bedside manner. I can't believe that he thinks you can shame someone into losing weight especially when she's lost 15 lbs in the last month doing Atkins. I've encouraged her to see someone else.

I'd like others opinions and experiences on this also.

What an jerk! I had another word in there and then erased it. I am diabetic (very mild) and I control mine through the Atkins/low-carb lifestyle. My doctor is fine with it. In fact, my blood sugar is the best its been since I was diagnosed (last Nov.). If you're pre-diabetic or even mild diabetic its actually good in stabilizing your blood sugar levels. Even if your not it still stabilizes blood sugar.

Is she actually diabetic?

I think any doctor who is going to discourage a patient from losing weight who is obviously trying and needs to, should be shot. What a complete jerk. He's obviously never struggled to lose weight. Time for a new doctor! When you feel bad about yourself because your overweight it's easy to let idiots make you feel worse. The best thing she can do for herself right now is find a new doc. There are other, more educated opinions out there.

Wow, that really got me worked up! I hope your sister can realize she needs a new doctor and keep with the Atkins. It's a great plan!

Shame will only make more weight, not take it off...

The first thing that p'd me off was the fact that your sisters doc wrote on top of her chart "morbid obesity". WTF? The 2nd is that he actually did it in FRONT of her and she knows his opion of her now. Total disrespect for his patient. How well does your sister like this doctor? Does she HAVE to see him (as in insurance plan, etc) or is there other choices? I'd tell the doc where to stick his "morbid obesity" and see a different doc. I will refuse to see a doc that doesn't work WITH me the way I want to lose weight. I also think somewhere in the book (maybe I'm imagining it) there's mention of diabetes and Atkins. I thought it was supposed to help with that.
Vote: New doctor & stay on Atkins

hello
 

i'm with everybody else get rid of that dr.

i have been a type 2 diabetic for 6 years. i was taking both ameryl and metformin, i started atkins oct.28th i have lost 35 lbs. i am very close to your sister statistics. i have gone from 4 pills to a half dose of one pill. my dr. approves and does a liver test to make sure i am not hurting that. be sure you drink your water.

good luck. pat

I would have to tell that Doctor where to stick his chart. I work with a lot of Doctors- since I am a nurse I can't avoid it, I have been on Atkins since January all of the Attendings and the Interns that I work with know I am on it- they have seen how much weight I have lost I look like I have lost more than I actually have, they really haven't had anything good, bad or indifferent to say about me being on the diet, just basically that I have more will power than anyone else they work with. My personal MD, did have somethings to say about it- basically that it is a bad way to eat and that being on the diet is bad for your kidneys blah blah... I haven't been able to lose weight with any other WOE so which is better to be over weight or eat like this and be healthy?

Your sister's weight is unhealthy.... she should know this, the way the doctor approached it is wrong. Not getting control of her weight may cause her to become diabetic and have high blood pressure and heart disease- Atkins is not going to do this. It was as if the Doctor was implying that Atkins was going to cause her to be diabetic this is not the usual case.

Is the Doctor an older person? Most older MD's have a harder time getting a grasp on new ways of eating, heck they have a hard time getting there heads around new ways of thinking even and they also can be really "jerks"... I am with everyone else she needs to find another doctor, she probably should get a physical with blood work including a fasting blood glucose- just to make sure what she is starting with... This is just my opinion take it for what it is worth but I would corral your sister to the website, there is many more educated individuals here than some of the jerks out there with there MD's...

I am with you guys on this.....The doctor is a complete jerk and I think may need to read the atkins book himself before developing opinions. It's in the Atkins book!!!!! Geez...that doctor should be shot!!! I just picked up the atkins book and there are several pages that talk about diabeties and how with the atkins diet many have been taken off of their medications because they no longer need them!!!

What a schmuck! Figures its a HE! (sorry I feel men doctors don't treat women fare, not all but the one's I've run into, IMHO).

Ditto's to all the above. I know several people who are diabetics and who's doctors suggest a LC diet. DUH!!!

:censored: :censored: :censored:

Morti, I feel so bad for your friend and also you. Please comfort her and tell her we are rooting for her in any decision she makes. Are you sure there are no other diagnosed problems the doctor know's about and we don't that would make him react like that? just a thought.

Yes, he is an older Dr. She is going to request a differant one next time she goes in. He did imply that if she was diabetic, she couldn't do Atkins. She asked him what she was suppose to do and all he said was stop eating. No suggestions on something other than Atkins or anything. She even made the comment to him that you can't just stop eating, still no suggestions. He didn't even want to do the tests to see if she was diabetic, said they would deal with that later.

I would think if it's suspected someones diabetic, it would be kind of important to find out quickly to monitor and try to get them balanced out since diabetes uncontroled can kill you. I have other words for this person also but they aren't really very appropriate and I would be throw of the site if I used them. Just makes me so angry! I want to go over thee and give him a piece of my mind!

Warning: I am not going to apologize for saying this.

WHAT AN ***!!!!!!!! :mad:

:rofl: Like we thought you would!

LOL - we were all thinking it :s:

Actually there were several other names I was thinking but Star that one works!

Really? I could only come up with an adjective or two to accompany it.

I would report the old vinegar bag, (its all in the wording lol) ;)

On a serious note, I think that old people (just my opinion now) look at heavy people in disgust. One of my sisters is over 300 lbs. When ever we are together I notice the dirty looks old people give her, I just want to go up to them as ask them what their problem is, and you know the funny thing is most of them are fat themselves. Its that old school mentality that over weight people are lazy slobs. Thats the feeling I get w/this doctor your describing. GROWL!!!!

Bet he has his own addictions/demons dumb scum.

Leenie ~ It isn't just old people it is people who don't get it... I know several people who have had Gastric By-pass surgery in the past 2 years or so and they all report one of the reasons is the looks people give them when they are in public- the you don't have a right to live looks. One girl was out with her family for dinner about 2 months prior to have the procedure and there were these young guys at a table in the restaurant and they were just staring, she finally got up walked up to them and said you know I have a right to eat here in peace, do you have a problem with me? They got up and left.

My SIL had the procedure ~ 2 years ago Febuary she has lost over 200 pounds and still has some to go and she still isn't comfortable with herself but her health is so much better. She was pushin 375 and is 5'3-5'4....

Star I was thinking .....

D@#$head
S@#$head
B#*$@#d
S(& of a B(#$%

*** covers all of those...

LOL - I've come up with a few more now!

If we move a little more around to the front, we could up we all kinds of names starting in that area!

She was looking into gastric bypass but was told she couldn't drink and we love our Morgans & Coke!, couldn't have a lot of meat and she doesn't want to go through all the therapy that's required first. I wish she would. She's only 41 Yrs old and raising my 14 yr old niece by herself. This woman has a heart 10 times her size.

My hairdresser had it done a year ago, and my gosh, you wouldn't know she was the same person. She looks great and her personality is so much better since she's not depressed and feeling bad about herself. But, I also know 3 others that it didn't work for them.

I've considered looking into curves her and getting her a membership also. I'm so afraid she's gonna die young. Other than my girls who are grown and my Danny, who is my best friend and BF, she's the only family I have.

Morti- My SIL is like 36 and I finally told her she had to do something because I didn't want to end up raising her daughter as well as my own two kids and if she had not of done something that is what would of happened.

Morti - First off I had been 260 lbs and 5'5" for over a year when I finally went on Atkins. My OBGYN, my pulmonologist AND my general physician ALL AGREED it would be my best route since I had had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant both times AND my grandfather died of diabetes. So there - I began worse off than your sister is today!

Second - yes, she is morbidly obese and it's something that I needed to face and she does as well. Sometimes Dr's do it in a nasty way possibly hoping to jump start us into making a life changing commitment because many obese people can't seem to make that commitment. However in her Dr's case - the fact that she had lost weight and made that commitment and he complained...well he's just an idiot and I too agree she should find another Dr.

My Dr's are thrilled with my loss so far! My pulmonologist (the one who gave me the eye opening talk last summer ....and I left his office in tears) is bent on any woman our weight walking everyday. Curves might be too much at 270 - but making a commitment to walk 30 minutes a day is really all it takes to get your body in motion at this weight. She can start at 15 minutes and work up - it does become addictive and the weather is getting nicer so the timing is right.

Atkins has been wonderful for me - and my bloodwork is amazing. All 3 Dr's are thrilled and continually tell me to keep it up. Also - this was the first winter in years I was not on prednisone for my asthma - I've actually almost stopped taking my asthma meds fully now and I am still over 200 lbs. If she needs to chat with someone who has been there, email me.... hope she finds a new Dr. quickly!

It floors me that a doctor would not want what's best for the patient even if it goes against something he believes. I thought docs took that oath to help patients (not ridicule them. Is that why people call it the hipocritic oath?). :censored: @docs just out to make money.
How's she doing? Did she decide to stay on Atkins? Did she find another doc? Is she still confused?

Morti,

Just wanted to add a little in case you were planning on showing this to your sister.

I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovaries (August 2003) which is supposedly a precursor to diabetes. I asked my OB if it would be ok to go on Atkins before I started. She said the best thing for pre-diabetic/diabetic is a low/no sugar diet. She thought Atkins might just be the best thing for me and my condition. Not to mention she said I had the signs to develop diabetes. I hope all of this information helps you convince your sister to stick with atkins!

Well ladies as someone who works in the medical field I will say this, YOU ar in control of what doctor you see, if you do not like one doctor, move on! Picking a doctor is the same as picking any friend, some people you like and some you don't, same with doctors, keep changing until you find the one you like, who is going to do what is right for you. JUst because they are doctors does not make them god, they can be asses just like every other normal person! If the office or your insurance balks at letting you change talk to the office manager or the supervisor at the insurance co and tell them what happened, they'll let you change in a heartbeat.

Yes I will agree that Dr. is an *** and has horrible bedside manner, I thought first off too that he is an older male doctor, alot of older male doctor's have a stigma that they live up to, they act superior. Especially to someone they deam as weak, that would be a female who is overwieght,like alot of people, they still have that thought that because you are over weight it is just because you are weak. WHich we all know is not true.

Get a new doctor!! I am 5 foot 4 inches and weigh 237 lbs and my doctor has never said I am obese.

I will be seeing her tonight, I hope. She knows that she's obese and she's not happy with her wieght. She's is planning on seeing a new Dr. Rather she is still on Atkins or not, I'm not sure.

I do plan on printing this out before I leave work today so she can see everyones input. There is so much information on this site it is unbelievable. I found it through another recipe site that I belong too. I know for me, I'm able to come to the boards and oher places here and get information from folks who ahve and some who are still struggling with weight lose.

I gotta say you're a great bunch of people here. The support you so each other is wonderful and it comes through in your posts. :cp:

I know its not just old people, believe me, I've been shunned most of my life by every walk of life, I am mearly stating b/c the doctor mentioned here IS an old fart that I do notice it more in the senior adult (sounds like a dog food commercial haaaaa).

Oy vey eh~

MORTI'S FRIEND !!

YOU GO GIRL !! WE'RE ROOTIN FOR YAH.

COME PLAY WITH US GIRLS HERE AT 3FC'S

:cb: :dancer: :dance: :cp: :balloons: