It can be hard to know where to start when you want to lose weight. Fortunately, there’s plenty of diet information available online and at your local library. However, before you begin any new diet, it’s essential to run it by your doctor. Read on to find out why.
Reasons to Consult Your Doctor Before Starting a New Diet
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Pre-Existing Conditions
If you have pre-existing conditions, whether it be your physical or mental health, you should consult your doctor before attempting any new diet.
Reading weight loss reviews can be important when picking a diet plan. However, it’s also important to consider the current state of your physical health.
When you take on a new diet plan, you’re often changing your eating and exercising habits suddenly. In some cases, this can exacerbate or uncover underlying health problems. Therefore, if you know you have physical health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, or thyroid issues, then you’ll need to take certain things into considerations. For instance, your nutritional needs will be different than those of an otherwise healthy person. By consulting a doctor, you can make sure that you don’t do anything to exacerbate an existing condition or how to treat a newly discovered issue. For example, a doctor may help you with your diet, so you keep your blood sugar in mind or direct you in making medication-friendly food choices.
While on a weight loss journey, a person’s mental health is just as important as their physical health. In some cases, an underlying mental health problem, such as an eating disorder, may be the cause of one’s unhealthy weight. If you struggle with portion control or willpower to keep away from foods, it’s essential to seek medical advice so these issues don’t get in the way of your diet success.
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A BMI Over 30
Your BMI or Body Mass Index is the measurement used to determine your body mass to height ratio. Before beginning any diet program, you should figure out your BMI. This is relatively easy to do. To calculate your BMI, you need to know your weight in kilograms and your height metered squared. You will then divide your weight by your height (kg/m2). Your BMI result will fall into a range:
- If your BMI is below 18.5, you are considered underweight.
- If you fall anywhere between 18.5 and 24.9, you are considered to have a normal weight.
- If you have a BMI of 25 to 29.9, this is considered overweight.
- You are considered obese if you have a BMI higher than 30.
If you fall into the obese BMI category, you need to consult a doctor before starting a new diet. This is because people who suffer from obesity are at a greater risk of experiencing health problems and complications. These potential risks may be avoided if a doctor guides you during the weight loss process.
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Considering Cutting Out a Food Group
Some diets encourage you to cut out specific food groups. Before cutting anything out of your diet, you should consult a doctor to ensure that it won’t harm your overall health and put you at high risk for gaining the weight back.
If you restrict your diet so that a food group, like carbs, for instance, doesn’t exist in it anymore, this could lead to a lack of nutrients. This can put you at risk for losing muscle mass and complications such as brittle bones and organ damage. Furthermore, if you begin eating “normally” again, your weight is likely to come back because your body will have been starved for the element and will try to conserve it in case it gets “starved” again.
Conclusion
There are a lot of diets out there that can be harmful to your health. For example, the ones that ask you to cut out a food group. These can put your body at risk of losing muscle mass, brittle bones, and organ damage. Moreover, some healthy diets can be harmful if you have pre-existing conditions or a BMI over 30. By consulting a doctor, you can avoid cutting out or eating foods that may do more harm than good, even if you end up losing weight. After all, it doesn’t do you any good to lose weight and be sickly. It’s much better to lose weight in a way approved by your doctor so you can ensure you’re healthy.
