Poll about sticking to your doctor's plan

Yea, a poll! 

 Do you follow your doctor’s recommendations for vitamins? And if not, why? Also, if not, do your labs indicate that what you’re doing is working for you?

Yes I do. 

Do you follow your doctor’s recommendation about how many times to eat in a day and the amount to eat per meal? If not, why not? Do you feel that what you are doing works well for you?

They don't regulate the amount of food you should be eating but they do strongly suggest that you eat no more than 3 meals a day and no snacks.  I cannot follow that plan on M-T.  I work 10 hour days and I can't make it between lunch and dinner with out some sort of snack.  Couple of cheese sticks, boiled egg, PB2 and an apple, greek yogurt, something.  Other days I am fine with the plan.  After discussing it with them they totally understood that was too long a stretch to make it without eating and approved.  Which was fine because I was doing it whether they approved or not. 

Do you follow your doctor’s recommendations about exercise? If not, why not? And do you think what you’re doing is working for you?

For the most part, I do more than their minimum recommendations.
 
Do you get the amount of protein your doctor recommends? And do you follow your doc’s recommendations about whether or not to use protein shakes? If not, why not, and how is it working for you?

They recommend 80 grams a day and I do make it for the majority of the time.  I do have my days as others do where it is harder.  They recommend no protein shakes after 7 weeks out.  I quit them earlier but I do have one occasionally now.  Maybe once a week or less.  

Do you generally follow your doctor’s advice with regard to other things? And if not, why not and how is it working for you?

I do my own research on his recommendations.  But I believe that I do follow the majority of his advice. 

I like hearing when docs are reasonable and adjust their recommendations when particular patients need something different.

1.  Do you follow your doctor’s recommendations for vitamins?  And if not, why?  Also, if not, do your labs indicate that what you’re doing is working for you?  I follow what I've learned on OH.  My doctors recommendation was for Flintstone gummies and calcium carbonate.  Lost trust there.  First labs are next month.
2. Do you follow your doctor’s recommendation about how many times to eat in a day and the amount to eat per meal?  If not, why not?  Do you feel that what you are doing works well for you? I tend to eat when I get hungry, trying to get about 6 "meals" per day.  It has been working well so far.
3. Do you follow your doctor’s recommendations about exercise?  If not, why not?  And do you think what you’re doing is working for you? I tend to fall short in the exercise category.  Just got a treadmill last night, so I will be hitting the cardio regularly now - gyms never worked for me - I can't bring myself to get changed to go work out and then get changed again after a shower at home.  I know I'll be doing the same way at home, but it will be easier for me personally.
4. Do you get the amount of protein your doctor recommends?  And do you follow your doc’s recommendations about whether or not to use protein shakes?  If not, why not, and how is it working for you? I am trying to go higher on my protein.  Got the Message from the Loser's Bench on intake, and it says we should get 1g of protein for every 1.1KG of our ideal body weight, which puts me at 114g.  Working OK...I can get that much protein, but I notice my fat intake goes up when I do that too.
5. Do you generally follow your doctor’s advice with regard to other things?  And if not, why not and how is it working for you? I do more research on my own...info I got from the doc and NUT has been inaccurate from what I 've found.  Thank God for OH!

1.  Do you follow your doctor’s recommendations for vitamins?  And if not, why?  Also, if not, do your labs indicate that what you’re doing is working for you? Yes and my labs have always come back excelent!! 
2. Do you follow your doctor’s recommendation about how many times to eat in a day and the amount to eat per meal?  If not, why not?  Do you feel that what you are doing works well for you? No, they want me to eat only 3 meals a day and no snacks, with my workout schedule I need to have more calories so I add another small meal/snack during the day
3. Do you follow your doctor’s recommendations about exercise?  If not, why not?  And do you think what you’re doing is working for you? Their recommendation has been that I work out 2 hours a day. My workout schedule is M/W/F I go to the gym at 6:00 am to work out with the personal trainer, I then go back at 3:30 to work out on my own when my DH gets off work, I'm there 45 minutes to an hour, Thursday nights I go to a 5k training program and Saturday mornings I go back to the gym for their weight loss challenge boot camp. Yep it works well for me.
4. Do you get the amount of protein your doctor recommends?  And do you follow your doc’s recommendations about whether or not to use protein shakes?  If not, why not, and how is it working for you? I do get the recommended protein in, once in a while I drink protein shakes even though they don't want me too any longer. I would drink them everyday probably but lately they have been upsetting my system.
5. Do you generally follow your doctor’s advice with regard to other things?  And if not, why not and how is it working for you? For the most part I try and do things they suggest, I'm just about 15 months out and I think the way I've been doing things are working for me, I've lost 172 pounds so I'm pretty happy about that.

1.  Do you follow your doctor’s recommendations for vitamins? And if not, why? Also, if not, do your labs indicate that what you’re doing is working for you? 
I did the first 2 months but as I learned more and more I had to add additional supplements daily.  My labs dictate what and how much I take.

2.  Do you follow your doctor’s recommendation about how many times to eat in a day and the amount to eat per meal? If not, why not? Do you feel that what you are doing works well for you?
No I do not, he is of the opinion 3 meals per day no snacks.  I did this until I reached goal but I find I don't eat enough or get in enough protein without snacks and some days shakes.


3.  Do you follow your doctor’s recommendations about exercise? If not, why not? And do you think what you’re doing is working for you?

I don't exercise.


4.  Do you get the amount of protein your doctor recommends? And do you follow your doc’s recommendations about whether or not to use protein shakes? If not, why not, and how is it working for you?
He's never given me a protein intake goal (just focus on protein FIRST always) and he was absolutely against protein shakes and wants his patients to get protein from food.  I have no problem getting it from food when I can but I do believe supplementing with protein shakes is important if you (general) can't eat enough.


5.  Do you generally follow your doctor’s advice with regard to other things? And if not, why not and how is it working for you?
I've moved since my surgery and have only seen my surgeon 1 time in the past 4 years when he removed my gallbladder last July.  He's happy with my progress and being able to maintain the weight loss.

1.  Do you follow your doctor’s recommendations for vitamins? And if not, why? Also, if not, do your labs indicate that what you’re doing is working for you?
   
   Yes, plus I supplement with additional vits/enzymes that work for me.
   
2. Do you follow your doctor’s recommendation about how many times to eat in a day and the amount to eat per meal? If not, why not? Do you feel that what you are doing works well for you?
   
   Yes, 3 meals and up to two protein-filled snacks.  Healthy, protein-forward, nutrionally balanced meals.
   
   Do you follow your doctor’s recommendations about exercise? If not, why not? And do you think what you’re doing is working for you?
   
   Yes, plus more.  45 minutes, 5 days per week.  But I'm a believer in if something makes you feel better/stronger, do it!  Strength training, cardio and stretching, plus various other endeavors such as gardening, hiking, kayaking, yoga.  Whatever I do has to be sustainable for the rest of my life.
   
3. Do you get the amount of protein your doctor recommends? And do you follow your doc’s recommendations about whether or not to use protein shakes? If not, why not, and how is it working for you?
   
   Yes, plus some.  I seldom have protein shakes (more likely to have protein ice cream ~grin~), but will enjoy a seasonal shake (flavor du jour is pumpkin spice) a couple of times a month.
   
4. Do you generally follow your doctor’s advice with regard to other things? And if not, why not and how is it working for you?
   
   He's asked me to smile, take it easy/don't stress and enjoy the journey...I'm trying to listen and follow that advice!

I love protein ice cream.  Hey, I bet pumpkin spice would make a great ice cream flavor!