Nonsurgical Medical Weight Loss

[coffeeismyfrienemy]

Anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? My weight is out of control abd I need more structure than WW provides. Theres several in my area. And lots mention lipoden and/or b12 injections as well as possible prescriptions like appetite suppressants.one facility is a chain called Medi-Weightloss Clinics. It's monitored by a physician and they do complete physicals and blood panels to make sure youre healthy.

Its just such a new concept to me I wanted to see if anyone had experience, good or bad.

[sadlebred]

There was a Nestie who lost more than 100 pounds on a similar program (no weight loss drugs that I know of) and has kept it off for the better part of a year.

Stay away from anything that promises fast weight loss or uses HCG. Gimmicks.

[Wines Not Whines]

Many of those supplements either (1) don't work or (2) are harmful. If you want medical help with weight loss, talk to your primary doctor.

Also, I'm not sure how taking unapproved supplements would give you more "structure." If you need a more structured meal plan, you should talk to a nutritionist.

[sadlebred]

Actually, an appointment with a Registered Dietitian is a great idea. Anyone can call themselves a "nutritionist," but RDs have a degree in nutrition, go through an internship process, and have to pass a national exam. Check with your insurance to see if a visit with an RD is covered.

[lauren170]

I have found that the best appetite supressant is not eating sugar, but eating lots of protein. Here is a link to how I lost a lot of weight without surgery.

lauren-onestepatatime.blogspot.com/

[racegrrl714]

Lauren,
I don't mean to be a creepy lurker or anything but I just read your blog, and I wanted you to know that you are an inspiration. Thank you for taking the time to write down your story, it has given me some good ideas on how to conquer my own weight problems.

[justthetip]

Jun 4, 2012 11:28:52 GMT -5 Wines Not Whines said:

Many of those supplements either (1) don't work or (2) are harmful. If you want medical help with weight loss, talk to your primary doctor.

Also, I'm not sure how taking unapproved supplements would give you more "structure." If you need a more structured meal plan, you should talk to a nutritionist.

Totally agree. B12 to lose weight? Total BS. Appetite suppressants like phentermine are related to methamphetamines and not cool in my book. These clinics usually use some combination of thyroid medicine (dangerous unless you have a thyroid problem), diuretics (not true weight loss, just losing a little water weight), phentermine and vitamins, with a side of hocus pocus. None of this will help you achieve long term, sustainable weight loss. Slow and steady weight loss through regular ass lifestyle changes is not as rewarding as dropping 50lb in 2 months. But it's much healthier, you'll have less saggy skin problems and you're more likely to keep it off. Think of it this way, if you use a handful of pills and injections to lose weight, what happens when you stop taking them? What has changed? There is nothing easy about losing weight and keeping it off, or everyone would be thin, dontcha think?

ETA: I don't mean to be snarky. I'm just a little biased. Can you tell?

[starlily]

I'm currently on a 6 week course of phentermine through a weight loss clinic. They did a panel of bloodwork before starting the prescription. I see a NP weekly fora weigh in and blood pressure check.

No B12 shots, no other supplements, no upselling of other products or services, and no promised amount of weight loss. No calorie limits either, just instructions for a high protein, no starchy carb diet.

I've lost 7.5lbs since 5/16, but some.of that can also be attributed to having the flu last week. A coworker is doing a similar program and has lost 30lbs or so in 6 months - not an unreasonable rate of loss.

[sadlebred]

You will find no love for shortcuts, gimmicks, or weight loss drugs on this board.

[miss1991]

Jun 4, 2012 12:01:24 GMT -5 lauren170 said:

I have found that the best appetite supressant is not eating sugar, but eating lots of protein. Here is a link to how I lost a lot of weight without surgery.

lauren-onestepatatime.blogspot.com/

This. Good luck!!

[miss1991]

Also: Diet and Excercise! It work's just takes time.

[coffeeismyfrienemy]

Thanks for the feedback. Deep down I know what all you said is absolutely true. Desperation does funny things to your mind.
Lauren- your blog is truly inspiring. My biggest trigger is carbs and sugar.

[coffeeismyfrienemy]

Ive been to dietitians and they set me up with a set amount of calories a day plan then hand me a big book of serving.sizes for different foods and I have to decide what I can and cant each. Its overwhelming. I need someone to tell me what to eat everyday without giving so much freedom. Does that make sense?

[mdd]

Jun 4, 2012 17:19:04 GMT -5 @coffeeismyfrienemy said:

Ive been to dietitians and they set me up with a set amount of calories a day plan then hand me a big book of serving.sizes for different foods and I have to decide what I can and cant each. Its overwhelming. I need someone to tell me what to eat everyday without giving so much freedom. Does that make sense?

Is that a way to live your life, though? You have to learn how to do this on your own or else you'll regain the weight. You have to find a lifestyle that works for you and whose principles you can follow for the rest of your life. That is the only way to maintain the loss.

Have you also spoken to a therapist? Some people greatly benefit from a few sessions and it can help them figure out whether they are dealing with emotional eating or just a lack of nutritional knowledge. Check with your insurance to see if therapy sessions are covered.

[Brie]

Jun 4, 2012 17:19:04 GMT -5 @coffeeismyfrienemy said:

Ive been to dietitians and they set me up with a set amount of calories a day plan then hand me a big book of serving.sizes for different foods and I have to decide what I can and cant each. Its overwhelming. I need someone to tell me what to eat everyday without giving so much freedom. Does that make sense?

Sparkpeople.com! You join, it's free, and they will literally give you a set menu plan for what to eat each day. It's fantastic. Their calorie recs tend to be a wee bit low, but it's a great guide.

[Brie]

Jun 4, 2012 17:41:11 GMT -5 mdd said:

Jun 4, 2012 17:19:04 GMT -5 @coffeeismyfrienemy said:

Ive been to dietitians and they set me up with a set amount of calories a day plan then hand me a big book of serving.sizes for different foods and I have to decide what I can and cant each. Its overwhelming. I need someone to tell me what to eat everyday without giving so much freedom. Does that make sense?

Is that a way to live your life, though? You have to learn how to do this on your own or else you'll regain the weight. You have to find a lifestyle that works for you and whose principles you can follow for the rest of your life. That is the only way to maintain the loss.

Have you also spoken to a therapist? Some people greatly benefit from a few sessions and it can help them figure out whether they are dealing with emotional eating or just a lack of nutritional knowledge. Check with your insurance to see if therapy sessions are covered.

Also, ITA with this response. Dead on.

[SusanBAnthony]

Jun 4, 2012 17:57:56 GMT -5 Brie said:

Jun 4, 2012 17:41:11 GMT -5 mdd said:

Is that a way to live your life, though? You have to learn how to do this on your own or else you'll regain the weight. You have to find a lifestyle that works for you and whose principles you can follow for the rest of your life. That is the only way to maintain the loss.

Have you also spoken to a therapist? Some people greatly benefit from a few sessions and it can help them figure out whether they are dealing with emotional eating or just a lack of nutritional knowledge. Check with your insurance to see if therapy sessions are covered.

Also, ITA with this response. Dead on.

I theirs ok to want a specific plan, and someone to hold your hand. That's how you learn- by having someone tell you what to eat. I agree with the pp's who have said to try a dietician rather than a weight loss clinic.

WW helped me in the past, but you said you want more structure. I think that if you buy their unlimited plan, you can go to as many meetings a week as you want (and weigh) but only your one regular meeting a week is your official weigh in that gets recorded. Just something to think about. Maybe you could do WW and see a dietician, or therapist, or something like that's.

[spunkypenguin]

Jun 4, 2012 17:19:04 GMT -5 @coffeeismyfrienemy said:

Ive been to dietitians and they set me up with a set amount of calories a day plan then hand me a big book of serving.sizes for different foods and I have to decide what I can and cant each. Its overwhelming. I need someone to tell me what to eat everyday without giving so much freedom. Does that make sense?

I know it can be overwhelming at first trying to sort out what to eat each day. In the beginning, I'd plan out my eating a day or sometimes a week in advance, so that I knew I was staying within my points. Now that I've been doing WW for over a year, I can look at something and figure the points in my head and can pretty much stay w/in my points without too much thought.

Maybe start by tracking what you normally eat - then start making lower cal/healthier substitutions.

[smilee1079]

I did/am doing something called Metabolic bliss. It is a local place but they take clients online. Basically, you get bloodwork done and they look at the results of over 30 tests and determine the best foods for your personal metabolism. They tell you eat 135 g of veggies and 145 g of protein and fruit, etc. per meal but you can choose from the foods on your list. Then, they give you that list and you follow certain rules... Don't eat the same protein twice in one day, eat protein first, eat every 5 hours, etc. after the first 2 weeks, you get 1 deviation meal a week. Once you reach your goal, you basically incorporate other foods little by littler and stay on plan about 80% or favor your foods on your list. It is all about eating whole foods and eating clean. I lost 25 lb. in 2-3 mths and haven't been following it well lately but I favor th foods on my list and I have maintained.

[heybabe]

I don't know where you live, but perhaps you could sign up for a program through a healthy pre-prepared food source so you can learn what portions of what to eat? Sorry, that sounds so vague. In my city we have My Fit Foods & Snap Kitchen. Both offer 21 day or 30 day 3-meals a day programs. I think Snap even sets you up with a dietician.

It's not a long term solution, by any means, but it could be a good learning experience that you could then apply beyond the initial month. Just a thought.