Medically supervised weightloss?

[Nennie]

Has anyone gone to a weightloss doctor? How did it work, and were you successful?

I need to lose weight, but would like something a little more than just doing Weight Watchers or something like that (have done WW in the past, and while it's a great program, I just need something more).

Does the doctor just give a script for diet pills, or is there real monitoring involved? Did insurance cover it?

Just hoping that someone can share their experience!! I'm in South Jersey, if anyone has a place or doctor that they'd recommend!

Thanks!!

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I have just started going to one but I don't get pills, my BMI was to low. I am getting B12 injections and they have helped I guess. I have lost 6 pounds in two weeks but when I went in today I remained the same due to the holidays and what I ate. There have been lots of people around here who have lost a lot of weight going to him, but I think most of them got the pills. You had to have a BMI of 25% or something like that. Mine was just a tad under.

My ins. does not pay. I had to pay 95.00 up front and it's 25.00 every two weeks to weigh in and get a shot each week. For me, it's just being held accountable, that's the only thing that works for me so that's why I am doing it.

The basic diet that I am on is 300 cal/per meal, three times a day & two 100 cal snacks. Nothing after 6:00pm. Plus drink lots of water. Just write everything down to make it easier to keep up with.

 

[mickeylove2]

I used to see a dr. and did very well. It was $60 every 2 weeks, they did blood work the 1st visit, and got a 2 week supply of multivitamins, iron pills, potassium, and phentermine. No scripts just walked out with the bottles. You also got a B12 shot and diet plan to follow. I lost about 40 lbs in 3 months and have kept it off, haven't been back in about 9 months! I definitely did not follow the diet plan, and with no exercise other than what I usually do, I was very happy. I still have a little more weight to lose so I'll be going back in a few weeks.

 

[jaminmd]

Has anyone gone to a weightloss doctor? How did it work, and were you successful?

I need to lose weight, but would like something a little more than just doing Weight Watchers or something like that (have done WW in the past, and while it's a great program, I just need something more).

Does the doctor just give a script for diet pills, or is there real monitoring involved? Did insurance cover it?

Just hoping that someone can share their experience!! I'm in South Jersey, if anyone has a place or doctor that they'd recommend!

Thanks!!

Please, please, please do not use WL pills. They are dangerous. You may get temporary weight loss but you will gain it back.

The key to long term, successful weight loss is controlling your caloric intake so you burn more than you consume and adding exercise of some form to your life. There is no other way to successfully lose it & keep it off. Even gastric bypass patients need to learn this or they will re-gain their weight.

Many MD's know nothing about how to lose weight properly. They'll tell you you're too fat & you need to eat less. Gee, that is helpful!

You need to gradually reduce your calories. Cutting yourself to 1000 or 1100 calories when you've probably been eating 3500/day is not the right approach. Start making small changes you can live with, one at a time. Once they become a new habit, move on to something else.

You'd probably do better with a registered dietician than a wt loss MD.

Also, if you have a lot to lose, like more than 80 or 100 lbs, it can take you years to reach your goal. Be patient with yourself. Good luck.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Has anyone gone to a weightloss doctor? How did it work, and were you successful?

I need to lose weight, but would like something a little more than just doing Weight Watchers or something like that (have done WW in the past, and while it's a great program, I just need something more).

Does the doctor just give a script for diet pills, or is there real monitoring involved? Did insurance cover it?

Just hoping that someone can share their experience!! I'm in South Jersey, if anyone has a place or doctor that they'd recommend!

Thanks!!

Just want to wish you luck...I'd LOVE to lose 20 pounds, just can't get it off and I am SO SICK of it.....but I'll be back on the XOXO treadmill and hope for the best and the warmer weather that seems to get me more motivated...I hate the whole losing weight issue!

 

[minkydog]

Please, please, please do not use WL pills. They are dangerous. You may get temporary weight loss but you will gain it back.

The key to long term, successful weight loss is controlling your caloric intake so you burn more than you consume and adding exercise of some form to your life. There is no other way to successfully lose it & keep it off. Even gastric bypass patients need to learn this or they will re-gain their weight.

Many MD's know nothing about how to lose weight properly. They'll tell you you're too fat & you need to eat less. Gee, that is helpful!

You need to gradually reduce your calories. Cutting yourself to 1000 or 1100 calories when you've probably been eating 3500/day is not the right approach. Start making small changes you can live with, one at a time. Once they become a new habit, move on to something else.

You'd probably do better with a registered dietician than a wt loss MD.

Also, if you have a lot to lose, like more than 80 or 100 lbs, it can take you years to reach your goal. Be patient with yourself. Good luck.

EVerything you said. I hit my all time high of 228 last April and it was my moment of truth. I joined Weight Watchers and sloooooowwwly the weight started coming off.

I have sleep apnea so my pulmonologist suggested seeing a bariatric specialist. I really couldn't see how that would be any different from doing WW, but I was way wrong! It has really turned me around. First of all, the new doc did some labs, including Vit D and insulin levels. All my labs looked fine, even my fasting blood sugars, except for the vit D and insulin--My insulin level was straight through the roof, 74! That's the definition of insulin resistance, the first step toward diabetes. Later she did a more thorough test which revealed that I was actually a type 2 diabetic. And I had no idea!

My doctor doesn't use surgery or diet pills at all. Just good old-fashioned increased exercise and decreased food intake. She did put me on Metformin, which is to control blood sugar but it has the side effect of reducing appetite. She has me following a 1400cal low carb diet, which hasnt' been hard at all. I"m working out 2 days a week and walking or biking 2 days a week for short periods(avg 30 min/day.) I see the doctor every 2 weeks for weigh ins and waist measurement. I keep my food & exercise records on livestrong.com so I can just print them out and bring them to her.

At this point I have lost 40-lbs. I lose slowly, no matter what diet I'm on. I've got about 45-lbs to go, but I'm on the southbound side of the hill now. I've dropped several dress sizes and I"m steadily giving away all my fat clothes. The one thing that I have found that works for me is writing down every single thing I eat. Not that I don't cheat. But even if I cheat, I write it down. Sometimes I'm surprised to find that my little episode of cheating didn't do all that much damage after all. I figure that it will be next summer before i approach my goal weight. A whole year of weight loss. I can't beleive I let myself get this big, but I'm not going to KEEP myself this big. The fat has to go!

And yes, my insurance pays for it.

 

[mamacatnv]

After a lot of research, I settled on Medifast and my Dr. was supportive. It is not designed for a small loss, it is designed for fast, dramatic weight loss and for many people looking at surgical options it is the last stop before surgery. My Dr. said the old adage of slow and steady for weight loss is not always the best and that sometimes fast is better. Its not how you get the weight off it is what you do once you do.

Medifast has a really good transition and maintenance plan once your goal weight is achieved. My Dr. said that sticking it out through the transition and maintenace is very important. This program can be a bit spendy, I would make sure that you had the funds to make the appropriate committment. I think the plan is awesome and honestly it is easy to use. Check out their forums, they have a really good support system for members. Some areas of the country also offer "centers" where one can get more one on one services but there are higher fees associated with the centers.

I have been on the plan for 15 weeks and have lost 55#'s.
http://medifast1.com/