GP not happy with my weight loss.

[Imfat]

6 weeks ago I saw the GP for the results of my blood tests.
She told me that I need to loose weight. At the surgery I weighed 91kg.
The next morning I weighed myself on my new scales. 90kg.
Since then I've weighed every Friday. Yesterday I was 86kg.
Yesterday I had another appointment for more results and she got me on her scales and it said 86.40kg.
That's not good enough she thought I should have lost more.
Preceded to tell me no white stuff, no cereal, no milk, more water etc.
I came away so disheartened as I thought slowly was best.
Yesterday I ate
Breakfast
Bran flakes with greek yoghurt with banana on top.
Lunch
Fresh salmon, baked potato, cauliflower and broccoli. No sauces or butter.
Dinner
Chicken and salad. No sauce or butter.
Mid afternoon I had a pear.
Plenty of water, 3 black coffees no sugar.
This is a typical day.

Is this the right loss or should I have lost more.

Yes if you're pre diabetic, its not like losing a bit of weight for a holiday. There is an imminent health risk. Its a myth about needing to lose weight 'slowly' in any case, someone above mentioned losing weight 'safely'. Well unless you're starving yourself you're not going to come to much harm

Also the slower you lose the harder it is to keep emotionally engaged, around 1.5lb or 2lb a week is good for keeping up spirits, this is neither fast or slow in particular.

On the other hand, 10lb in 6 weeks is excellent and if you repeated that in the next 6 weeks, you're already nearly 3 stone down, excellent work.

How so when she has changed her diet?

Op has told us what she felt very clearly. Why are you not picking around this? She literally said in her post that she felt discouraged.

I agree that if she was eating like the OP sets out she wouldnt have gained so much weight over time, but she says she has changed her diet.

I dont agree that one snapshot of that typical day is enough to say that this isnt a good diet. Its a good varied diet, with fibre, veg and protein.

Also porridge made with milk is a protein rich breakfast, from the oats themselves and also the milk

I think you have done really well and will continue to explore /refine your eating habits, getting healthier and learning what works best for you! I am impressed at your progress and your willingness to improve/change your habits. (I think your doctor needs to work on her bedside manner.)
Walking more is an excellent idea, especially after meals as it's been shown to smooth out blood sugar spikes.

You said it did the opposite, but she said shes going to continue, so yes might feel a bit miserable when someone says you could have done better (which I dont necessarily agree with but then Im not a medic) but shes going to continue, she hasnt given up, she also added in that actually there is an acute medical reason, its not just general obesity. She's doing well and hopefully will carry on. Sometimes we hear things that arent to our liking, doctors arent there to be all fluffy and ignore things, thats whats got us all into such a mess with weight in the first place. I can tell you that in Spain as an example doctors will be brutal about weight gain, no soft words or pussy footing around, you're fat, you need to lose weight and quick.

I've had to change my diet recently for different reasons but mine were absolutely non negotiable I had to stick to it or potentially end up in hospital or as a mininum in excruciating pain. That's a huge incentive!

Weightloss wasn't my intention but essentially having to stick to a very low fat, high fibre/protien diet has had that result for me anyway.

The secret is prioritising flavour - lots of lemon juice, herbs, spices, garlic. I was someone who always splashed loads of olive oil on my cooking but I'm finding I can bake most things rather than roasting them with little impact on flavour.

Typical meals for me are wholemeal pitta bread with garlic and herb chicken (baked in the oven - no oil) with salad, chopped cherry tomatoes and a yoghurt and mint dressing. If I'm feeling fancy I may add some baked beetroot or baked sweet potatoes chunks in as well.

Or as above but with wholewheat cous cous and chickpeas, with loads of added lemon, herbs etc.

Wholemeal bread with homemade soup

Lots of chickpea and chicken based dishes basically. Bulked up with loads of green veg and baked veg - tends not to be white potatoes but I do sometimes have a few boiled new potatoes as well.

Anything tastes good with a little lemon garlic and salt!

Not quite, there are 14lb in a stone. The op has 10lb and if she loses another 10lb that will be 20lb, just under a stone and a half.

@Imfat you have done brilliantly. Well done. I don't eat cereal because it makes me hungry and I don't particularly like it. For breakfast I have a tbs and a half of Greek youghurt, a dsp of nuts and a dsp of all bran with a scattering of raspberries and blue berries and four pitted prunes. Lunch is salad and tuna/sardines/cottage cheese etc, and a piece of fruit, dinner: chicken/fish/beans something and salad or veg, and more fruit. No ×wheat, butter or sugar.

I'm also 65 and losing weight is far harder than 30 years ago. I'd be thrilled with your loss and it's what I achieved when I got off 2.5st from a similar starting point. Well done and keep going.

Your GP sounds like a bit of an arse. Sorry to hear about your cancer diagnosis but pleased you are recovering.

True, I was doing 3 x 7!!

Talk about optimistic

Well anyway, still a substantial amount, she just needs to carry on

That’s a good rate. Any faster and you risk getting gallstones. Your gp is giving bad advice - ignore it. And well done on the weight loss.

GPs (and in fact most medical professionals who haven't had training specifically in diet and nutrition) actually know precious little more than the average relatively intelligent person about nutrition and losing weight. It's not a central part of most medical degrees.

I have family members who are doctors and have been known to give terrible and very judgemental advice on things connected to weight, and indeed completely incorrect advice on things outside their specialisms because admitting they don't know is obviously also not something they're trained to do.

Most doctors are great on one issue and useless on another - it's unrealistic to expect expertise in every area, but it's not unrealistic to expect them to admit an area isn't their strength/ specialism. If your GP thinks 4.6kg in six weeks is too slow and that telling you off is a good way to motivate you, then weight loss is one of the areas not to consult her about.

Well done! That's a good loss and seems like you are taking a sustainable approach.
I like porridge or overnight oats for breakfast with fruit and seeds or peanut butter - yes they are "high calorie" but healthy fats and proteins keep me fuller for longer so don't want that mid morning snack.
Again, milk, cheese, other dairy is good in moderation as it's a good source of calcium which is important.
I find the My fitness pal app helpful for tracking. Once you use it for a few weeks you get a good idea of meals and portion sizes.
Also if you can add in a bit more exercise, even a 20 minute walk round the block after breakfast or after lunch that can really make a difference.
Good luck!

A loss of 1-2lbs per week is best. Regardless if you need to lose a lot of weight. Anymore than 2lbs per week is NOT recommended, so your GP is being ridiculous. You've done really well to achieve a steady loss over the past 6 weeks, keep it up, and you'll be at a healthy weight before you know it! Well done!

You're doing really well. I think it's a decent loss.

As a prediabetic though be careful with fruit. I'd minimise it to one piece a day and switch to non starchy veg where you can.

Your doctor is an idiot who clearly has no idea about weight loss!! You’ve done fantastically

Well done on your weight loss. You are doing good things, but as others have said make sure you are eating the foods that add value to your diet, most cereals don’t! Also double check your portion sizes, How big is that baked potato, could you cut it in half (and make sure you eat the skin, it’s where the goodness is) Try to include seeds, nuts, herbs, pulses in your diet to improve your gut health.

Walking is good exercise, especially if you use walking poles, but try chair yoga, lots online, so you are working other parts of your body too.

How tall are you? Go for a steady loss you will maintain.

100% this. I think telling a 65 year old woman, of all people, to cut out milk is staggeringly wrong-headed. It's a very good source of bio-available calcium and if you're drinking semi-skimmed or skimmed then, as you say, low in calories.

@Imfat if she wants you to lose weight faster than 1-2lbs a week then she should also be advising you on using resistance training to offset muscle loss as otherwise that's another thing that will increase your risks around osteoporosis. Especially if you've just come out the other side of cancer treatment, which I'm sorry to hear about.

Basically I don't think very much of your GP's knowledge of either nutrition OR the specific needs of post-menopausal women.

She said it was what she ate yesterday, not what she ate every single day! Food over the week could be very varied.

I think you're off to a great start OP.

Hi OP before I chime in just wanted to say well done for your weightloss! Slow and steady is absolutely the way forward and you are doing so well. People (especially if they are health care professionals) do not realise how demotivating it can be when they make comments like this. To someone who has been working their backside off to change their life, it can be so upsetting.

I was going to ask of you have done any research in to fasting? Obviously have a good look in to it and take advice from your Dr but I have really found that timed eating has jump started my weightloss since turned 40. I don't fast for longer than 16 hours ever and find it is totally manageable. I eat a diet that is roughly the same as you have said, the odd treat here and there, I eat carbs in smaller portions and nothing is off the table. Weightloss has been between 0.5lb and 1.5lbs for 8 months, the odd time I will sustain or gain (usually water I am convinced) it balances out the next week.

Anyway have a look in to it if you are looking to change it up. Whatever happens keep going, you are on the way to better health 💐

well done!! You've made a good start and it's a shame your doctor didn't appreciate that.

fyi - I've been told to lose weight by stick insect doctors who don't seem to realise that it's not an easy thing. especially for those of us over 30!!

& fyi - I'm older than you, weigh more, have lots of bad habits but am still trying to lose a stone a year. I don't do very well at it but am making very slow but steady progress.

Porridge is great, with frozen fruits, banana and a bit of peanut butter and cinnamon. In the summer when it’s hot, I switch to frozen fruits (defrosted, obviously), banana and yogurt, topped with porridge oats. I also add wheat germ and flax seeds, sometimes ground almond.

bran flakes is cardboard made flavoursome with sugar and salt. Not much nutritional value.

I would also suggest increasing vegetable consumption and having a bit less fruit. OP is still doing really well, thought

GPs aren't nutrition or weight loss experts and are often unhelpful on the subject. Your weight loss is in the recommended and sustainable range. You've done really well and it will show not only on the scale but in your general health. 1-2lb per week is still in the recommended range for those who are pre-diabetic.

That’s not a bad loss. Count calories and allow yourself some treats within allowance. Up your steps, I often walk up and down my living room, all adds up.

Your doctor is not being very helpful to say the least.

With your age, medical circumstances and current medication that kind of weight loss is great and the changes you have made to your diet are exactly what you should do.

could you drop the weight quicker? Probably but that would also be more likely to require drastic changes that are not easily accomplished. Also, depending on the chemo medication the dose sometimes changes depending on your weight so drastic weight loss may not be the best way to go.

Increase your fibre & protein, don’t cut out milk or yogurt, eat a variety of different veg.

Keep going & good luck.