One of the things many people forget about when they want to lose weight is to talk to their doctor. A doctor's opinion is critical when you want to lose weight, for many reasons. They can help you understand medical reasons you need to lose weight, what you can expect, and ways to go about it that are safe for you personally. Here are a few items to talk about with your doctor when you want to lose weight.
1. Find out if you have any health conditions that are affecting your weight. You may think you are just losing weight like everyone else, but did you know that some health conditions and diseases can affect your weight? Your health could be a reason you are having a hard time dropping those pounds. Ovarian cysts, thyroid issues and many other conditions can be hindering your weight loss. Your doctor will run all kinds of tests to make sure you do not have a medical reason for holding on to extra weight.
2. Determine what kind of exercise you can do. Your doctor will be able to analyze your heart function to find out whether you can do lots of cardiovascular work, for instance. Ask whether there are exercise activities that you shouldn't do. For example, if you have a bad knee, running may be out for you.
3. Ask how many calories you should eat. There is a lot of information about this, but only your doctor can tell you what is right for you personally. When you are trying to lose weight, you want to eat less--but you need to eat a minimum of calories or your body thinks it is starving and won't drop fat. Make sure you hear from your doctor how many calories you should be having every day.
4. Ask how much weight you should lose. Your doctor can help you figure out what a healthy weight for you is. You may want to weigh lower than that, but your doctor will tell you what is safe. After all, when you lose weight too quickly you are likely to get more stretch marks.
5. Find out whether your medicine is going to cause a problem for your weight loss. Just as health issues may cause weight loss harder, your medications for other health issues could be as well. Some medications have side effects that include weight gain, so be sure to ask your doctor whether you medications are safe. That also goes for supplements and vitamins as well. Anything you swallow can cause a chemical relation and therefore not help you to drop excess pounds.
Your doctor is someone who you must talk to when you want to lose weight, if you are serious. The professional opinion of your doctor is essential, but you need to know which topics to raise. Hopefully this article has given you the proper starting points so that your doctor can be a good partner for you in your weight loss.