The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Jen]

Doctors are only human and they have their own personal issues, prejudices, and pre-conceived notions, just like the rest of us. I would think that if a doctor refuses to listen to you or to investigate the MF program with more than a "quick glance", then you are entitled to a second (or third) opinion. Yes, low calorie diets can be dangerous, it all depends on what you eat. Following the MF 5 and 1 plan is much different than eating a lettuce leaf, licking an ice cube and calling it a meal.

Just my 2 cents.

[Nancy]

When I began my program four years ago, I had done all the research and made my selection and was 6 weeks into the weight loss phase when I had my first ‘official’ check up with my doctor. She is a family practice physician and knew me well. She had referred me to the bariatric department for a consultation after my failure at other conventional weight loss attempts.

She had not heard of Medifast prior to my appointment with her. I came armed with the Johns Hopkins abstract, a copy of my program book and she seemed overwhelmed when I gave her the material. She asked me, “You expect me to read this?” I said yes, I do; this is what I am using and I am finding success with it.

She told me she did not believe in ‘programs.’ Cutting back on calories and exercising more is the key to weight loss she told me.

If I had known how to cut back on calories and if my body and time schedule permitted increasing my activity level, I would have done so. Going to the gym never reduced my cholesterol or my waistline.

My doctor continues to be pleased with my weight maintenance success and the improvement in my health. I always bring her some material that may be of help to her personally as well as professionally.

She works for a large national HMO and is not permitted at this point to endorse our program or to provide it as an alternative to her patients. It is tragic when well-meaning folks are not granted permission to pass on to others the things that improve the quality of their patients’ lives and health.

I needed major intervention in my life. I am thankful I chose nutritional intervention, not surgical and not pharmaceutical. Not everyone is able to choose and go the route we did.

Our doctors are people who care about the health of their patients. They are limited by time constraints in their office and personal involvements. They have families and interests to pursue as well as a need to keep abreast of current trends in medicine and health.

Perhaps your health improvements will serve to inspire your doctors to read the materials and become familiar with our programs and products and improve the health of other patients, too.

Carmen, Mike and others, by reducing your weight, you have already gotten closer to a healthy lifestyle and have reduced the likelihood of developing certain diseases. Keep on keeping on!

[DogMa]

Hey, Carmel, just wanted to bump this up and see if you have an appt to see your regular doc yet, since tomorrow is Aug. 1. Good luck when you do see him, and let us know what he says!!

[mellowmom]

Thanks for the :bump: Robin..

I got an email from my doc today. He just returned from vacation. Said we will discuss what's going on when I see him on this Friday, August 4th. He did add that my low pulse was not something I should worry about. (Easy for him to say, tho it seems to have settled down to around 52-55 beats per minute...)

Will keep you posted once I actually talk to Dr. Biggs

Carmel

[Nancy]

Glad to hear there is an appointment coming up for you. My pulse is on the low side, too.

You are almost halfway there.

[DogMa]

Yep, let us know how it goes. We'll be thinking of you Friday.

And mine's always been fast. All the women in my family seem to have it. Freaks out the doctors a little.

[mellowmom]

See, I knew I liked my doctor. I emailed him about the Medifast for Diabetics program I am on, and asked if he was familiar with it, and if not would he like me to bring him some literature/samples.

He said he was not familiar with the program, but would like to learn about it and for me to bring whatever information I had on it to him!

He's supposed to be the diabetic "specialist" in this office, so I hope I can convince him to "prescribe" the program for other diabetics in his practice. Nancy sent me some great information, and now I can actually give it to a doctor who has an open mind about such things.

More to come...

[ChiNut]

Can't wait to hear what he thinks about it. My father is an insulin dependent diabetic and he and my mother were at my house this weekend and I told them about the Medifast program for diabetics.

[Nancy]

Mellowmom, thank you for telling us about your doctor's agreeable attitude.

Our program for diabetics does wonders - when people with diabetes follow the program, they not only lose weight but the best part is that they are able to get off their oral agents and can send their disease into remission. Drugs have side effects and the co-morbidity of diabetes is not good: heart disease, strokes, circulation issues, blindness, etc. By eliminating the medications and improving the blood sugar, many of these things may possibly be avoided and the quality of life is improved significantly.

[mellowmom]

Met with my doctor today.

It went really well. He congratulated me on my weight loss. Looked at my labs and said they looked great. Absolutely disagreed with the first doctor I saw last month who insisted that I go on oral meds for diabetes. He said it was obvious that my blood sugars were doing fine without the medication, so why start.

On the question of Crestor, he was a little more pro meds. As he explained it..(and that's what I love about him, he'll actually take the time to explain things). Because diabetes is not just one thing, but can be the precursor and/or catalyst leading to other serious physical disorders like blindness, heart attack, circulatory problems, etc. the current thinking is that once the blood sugar is under control then the other factors like high cholesterol (or low HDL) needs to be agressively treated. In my case, they like to see LDL below 100 (mine was 107), and HDL over 45., (minE WAS 35). So Crestor or some other statin drug would be the way they'd attack the cholesterol "problem". He was, however, willing to wait another 3 months before prescribing the cholesterol meds. He wants to see me again in October and then we'll discuss my "options".

When he asked me about the diet I was on, I whipped out the information that Nancy had sent me as well as the ingredients tables for both a diabetic and non-diabetic Medifast meal. He said he had "heard good things" about Medifast, looked over the ingredients and seemed impressed. He took the papers I had printed out and said he would bring it up at the next meeting of the Diabetic Treatment Medical Group at the clinic. He even kidded and said, "Maybe you should come in and give them a lecture on it."....at least I think he was kidding. Hmmm.. probably should clear that up with him, cuz I'd do it in a heartbeat if they'd let me.

He asked if I was hungry on the diet or had experienced any ill effects, and I told him no to the hunger and then we talked about my slower heart rate and lowered pulse. He assured me that the heart rate was a good thing, not bad and that my blood pressure was excellent. He's going to prescribe that my bp meds be cut in 1/2 and then reassess again in October. So all in all it was a very good appointment.

Thank you all for your support. When I started this topic I was feeling pretty conflicted over the other docs responses to my being on the Medifast plan. You all helped alleviate those fears.

Carmel

[Sarya]

Carmel I'm glad to hear things went well! I'm so glad you held off til you saw your regular doctor.

[DogMa]

That's so great, Carmel. I hope he has a word with that other doctor. She really ought to know what she's talking about before she speaks.

I take a statin, too. My cholesterol's not too bad when I low-carb or Medifast, but low HDL runs in my family and nothing seems to help it. So with all the heart disease and diabetes in the family, the docs figure I should take it.

And all this has reminded me that I'm due for blood work, too. I wonder what it'll be, after more than a year on Medifast and a month of heavy exercising.

[Nicki]

What a terrific report Carmel. Sounds like you've got a great doc and he recognized how impressive you are!

[Nancy]

Thank you for your update and for persisting with another doctor and for getting the second opinion. It is always beneficial to come armed with some basic program and product information when seeing a physician. They want to help their patients get well and be well and while Medifast products certainly are not new, many docs have not had any experience with it. Medifast is a nutritional approach to health and many physicians have intensive training using a pharmaceutical approach to health. In some ways, this is a new approach and a new consideration for physicians.

The neat thing is that once a person reaches an ideal weight, many of the prescriptions are no longer necessary. The side effects of many drugs interfere with life.

We’re spending the days/evenings at the hospital while my Mom recovers from surgery and we had my Daddy at our home last evening for supper and to rest for a while. I asked Daddy if he would like to have a small glass of wine. He really wanted to but since he takes so many medications, he was afraid to have a glass of wine. He is 83 years old, had a massive heart attack three years ago, rendering him with but a third of his heart functioning, he has diabetes, brought on by the trauma to his body with the heart attack and heart valve implant. He takes oxycontin for arthritis, diretics for congestive heart failure, an aspirin, Glipzide and metformin, and a handful of other pills each day. He feels logy at times and is always checking his glucose, and his daytimer to determine if it is time for another Rx. He does not enjoy living like this; the spontaneity and quality of life is diminished by being tethered to drugs and dealing with their side effects.

Daddy uses several Medifast products a day, his glucose readings are better than before he began using them; he is endeavoring to eat more often. It is more difficult for older people to change their habits than for younger people to do so – but we are making progress, little by little with him.

People, we must do our best to get our bodies into the healthiest state as possible and then to do the necessary things to remain there. Keep on keeping on!

Carmel, you are just so cool and we are thankful that you are movin’ down the scale and improving the state of your health. Your October health report will be even better. You’ve got yourself a good doc there! We are happy for ya!