HMR, anyone done this successfully?

JerseyGirl.. I can't believe you just said that doctors are not good to go to regarding weight loss issues! ANYONE wanting to start a weight loss plan should consult their doctor if not several. Your doctor should know these things incase the person has health problems. And if someone is morbidly obese chances are the person DOES have other health problems.  I know first hand that physicians are trained in weight loss issues more than you are stating. Any internist that completes a residency program in the US is certainly given more than 5 hours of training on weight loss.  Not every single doctor will be well versed. For example, you would not want to go to a general surgeon for weight loss advice... although I did get very good and educated advice from a surgeon once while I was in his office for another matter regarding weight loss. Further more a good doctor knows better than to give advice to patients from health reports on the news/media. Physicians spends over a decade and MORE dedicating themselves the profession. If your doctor gives you the same treatment plan as the health report on your local news then it's time to report the problem and find a new doctor.

Actually, there's some clout to what she's saying.  My doctor also admitted that he knew nothing more than I knew about nutrition.  He instead referred me to a nutritionist who had been trained on the matter. I think it was somewhere in the 90s when they started putting more emphasis on nutrition. Doctors who graduated prior to then probably know little to nothing about it unless they've continued their education.  I would say that doctors now do get more nutritional education. Surely it has to be more than 5 hours. I think that's a facetious statement.  I suspect though that most people shy away from doctors who are recently out of residency and go for those who are more experienced. Not always a good thing, especially if those doctors done continue their education. Peer reviewed document from 1996 on the subject: (Couldn't find the full journal but this is the abstract.) http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-277X .1996.00477.x?cookieSet=1&journalCode=jhn Looks like 1980s is when they started noticing problems with nutrition education: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9F 03E5D71F39F932A15752C1A962948260 Found this interesting book/textbook from 1996 (wow that's popular) where it talks about nutritional education be piecemeal previously: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do?con tentType=Article&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=871163 Oh and I'd be willing to bet that your UK doctors know 10 times what our US doctors know about nutrition. :)

while I agree with a fair amount of what has been said...with 100# more to lose, I say you should do it. Anything to get this weight off you initially.  It sounds like you would then be eligible for a revision in your doctor's eyes. And possibly, not need a revise! It stands to reason that of COURSE, this loss is not worth much for the long haul. Your habits after that loss are what will keep it off.  Whatever method is used, the maintenance plan is forever.  And, US Doctors do not have lots of nutrition training. But having said that, we do have bariatric doctors who are specialists in this area. And I tend to go to doctors i do respect and will point me in the right direction if he does not know the answer. As an FYI:  some people in this thread think the only doctor in the US who may know a thing or two is Dr. Atkins! Others might argue that highly paid personal trainers rank before doctors. So, you be the judge. It's your time and money...what business is it of ours?  I can introduce yout o a person who is within 10# of her high school weight at age 75. How?  slim fast for lunch, which never did squat for me. I have come full circle to believe:  Try several approaches, then do what works for you, and finally, make sure whatever works for maintenance works for the rest of your life. Out of curiousity, why do you think you stalled with 100# more to lose?

Neecee, I agree that we all have to find what combination works for us personally... what works for one may not work for another...

I will go to the appt this Friday armed with a list of ?s... and then decide. This really has been helpful to hear such strong opinions because it is helping me to be more objective about it all.  Thanks for the support, I appreciate it...

Hi Lisa, Sounds like you got a lot of opinions on this one.  I am one that has lost over a hundred pounds on a liquid diet before.  Ya know it's sort of strange, if you asked me this a few months ago, even a month ago, I would say STOP and don't do it.  I'm still extremely skeptical about it, but now I'm really wondering a few things about it.  First of all, it took a BIG toll on my body.  The yo yo diet just racks havoc on a body and I know it aged mine.  I can literally feel it.  I gained all of mine back within a year. Now, the reason why I am second guessing it.  First of all it has to work for some people other wise Doctors wouldn't recommend it!  Of course it also depends on what kind of doctor you go too.  My regular doctor would have a fit, but my bariatric doctor I use to go too would say..go for it!  I did it on my own, I played a VERY dangerous game.  That is one thing I keep thinking about now.  If I was under doctors supervision, and STAYED on with a doctor and got the counseling AFTER I lost the weight I wonder if I would have made it.  I wonder if I would have been able to keep it off.  Statistics are against me, but it does happen. You have already lost so much weight, I think I would REALLY sit down and think about if you know FOR SURE if you are going to be keeping this weight off.  It's EXTREMELY hard after being on a liquid diet and going straight to foods.   Before you had too because of your surgery, this time will be different, it's all out there for you to eat without getting sick.  You will have to know that you will be obligated to stick to the plan afterward in order for it to work.  I do know of a few people that it has worked for (a friend of a friend).  But they couldn't hardly eat anything for a few YEARS!  I think they ate like an apple and yogurt a day other than their shakes.  They had to really work at it to make it work, and for a very LONG time. Regardless of what you do, you have to work at it.  It's really all up to you, your health, if you think your body can handle it, and if you think your body can handle a yo yo effect if you gain it all back. If you think you can handle seeing foods others are eating not only while your on the liquid diet, but even AFTER the liquid diet for quite a while.   Other wise you have to realize your going into it ALL the way, other wise don't bother.  Good luck with what you choose to do.  No matter what plan you do, you will have to work at it.  It's definitely easier losing that way, but its just as hard, if not harder, to maintain it after a liquid diet.

Hi Holly!  Was wondering where u were!  Good to see ya. I have been mulling this for a few hours. I just want to say that eventually, as we age, the days of eating "normally"  are pretty much over no matter what. I read Dr. Oz, Prevention mag, and many other sources from Tufts & National Institiute of Health,,from  Drs Peeke, Northrup, Oz - take your pick here - all sources indicate that once over age 40, there is not eating much over 1500-1600 cals a day.  You do not need it any more. Unless you are a competition level athlete, not many of us can eat the traditional 2000 calorie food plan.  So, there ya go.  There is no such a food plan that will allow one to eat limitless amounts of food. Wrap your heads around  a moderately low cal plan and get up and move every day. All we can do.

I'd like to address that, Neecee.  Age-related weight gain is not inevitable or unreversible. "Gaining weight as we age is all about muscle mass. Between our mid-20s and mid-50s, we lose an average of about one half pound of muscle and add about a pound and a half of fat each year—resulting in a net gain of about one pound. The process is much more gradual in our 20s and speeds up as we get older. The key is in the loss of muscle: Because of this gradual atrophying of muscle tissue, our resting metabolic rate decreases by about 5 percent each year. In the average sedentary American, the resting metabolic rate is responsible for burning about 75 percent of the calories we consume. The more muscle you have, the more energy your body consumes to feed, maintain and repair that tissue. The good news is that physical activity is a reliable and effective tool in staving off this virtually inevitable assault on our aging bodies. How much activity? Just 30 minutes a day of strength training plus 20 minutes of aerobic exercise should do the trick. "

The more muscle you have, the more energy your body consumes to feed, maintain and repair that tissue.   I agree - which why I turned exercise nutty years ago!  However, a body like mine is the case study I can relay:   I work lots harder at moving daily than just about any age 40+ person I know IRL and eat well (not perfectly, but work hard at eating less grains, more veggies, etc) and still - I will gain weight at the drop of a hat! For me, my body really began to change ~age 35 ish. I am able to work very hard and do not require calories to match. I've said it before and will say it again, it is scary how little food I need now. Which is why WLS became such a viable option for me. I truly think physical limitation to the amounts of food one can ingest is one answer. The figure that Peeke and Northrup cite is more like 2% annual loss of efficiency in metabolism even with daily regular movement for most women. Certainly, if you take a woman who suddenly starts up living better after being sedentary, the changes will seem more dramatic. I , and women like you, are the exception to move this much and work this hard for not much in the way of results.  There IS a glimmer of hope somewhere on aging female bods - en see in increase in testosterone, naturally due to the lowered estrogen production and muscles can get more efficient due to that fact! This is based on information from serious lady body builder, I don't really know, but it does make sense. 12 years when you are 50ish  - i think you will see the light that you will not need as much fuel.  I too was a hard sell on this concept. i beleived and performed as you do with all fibers of my being (tho i did not do atkins per se, just reduced grains). This is a point I wish I were wrong on.

I don't think I have not much in terms of results.  50lbs in less than a year is perfect.  More would likely not be lasting and would be at the price of lost muscle. I also whole heartedly believe in metabolic repair combined with exercise.  I don't believe caloric restriction is the answer. JMHO

Well, really I meant that you work out to the extent that not many people would or could, especially as a person with quite a bit to lose. Your results are moderate IMHO. Certainly laudable!  Not to open an old wound, but here's exactly what I meant:  Think of your challenge - i highly doubt that any of those team members worked harder than you did, ate a very non-atkins way and beat you. Just sayin.