You hear the phrase in every health-related commercial. “Talk with your doctor” before starting a new diet, exercise program or medication. It’s sound advice whenever you want to make a change that affects your well-being. But have you ever done it?
Having a specific conversation with your doctor about any major lifestyle changes, like a low-carb diet or high-intensity workout, can protect your health and help you reach your goals, says Monika Moni, MD, a family medicine specialist with The Christ Hospital Physicians–Primary Care who has specialized expertise in weight management and lifestyle medicine.
“The rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, sleep apnea and more are all going up in the United States,” she says. “As providers, when we have the opportunity to talk with our patients before they make significant changes, we can help them develop better lifestyle, diet and exercise habits rather than just prescribing medication.”
Here, Dr. Moni offers insights into why it’s important to talk with your provider before making significant lifestyle changes.
A conversation to protect your health
Consulting with your provider before adopting new behaviors is critical, Dr. Moni says. These conversations can reveal details about your health that you may not know, including how your health can be impacted, in good ways or bad, by lifestyle changes. They can help you avoid serious health complications or the risk of complications for current conditions that can be brought on by sudden signification changes in activity, diet, or medications. In fact, some changes such as new medications or supplements could interact negatively with current medications.
“In many cases, patients practice the same behaviors they’ve had their entire lives. And they don’t realize how their daily habits impact their health,” she says. “So, it’s important that they talk with their provider before embracing anything new, especially if they’re considering drastic changes.”
The possible impact of restrictive dieting
For people who are overweight or obese, quick weight loss can be a top goal, Dr. Moni says. These patients frequently turn to fad diets like keto or intermittent fasting to reach their desired weight in a short amount of time.
“These are the two common diets I see in my practice every day. Patients decide to start these diets on their own, and they end up with complications,” she says. “So, I tell my patients that it’s very important to talk with me before they start any new diet.”
Dr. Moni says one good example is the impact of these diets for patients who take insulin to manage diabetes:
Keto: This diet restricts you to 25 percent or less of the daily recommended amount of carbohydrates. Without proper help from your provider to manage your insulin, your blood sugar can drop to an unsafe level (hypoglycemia). Severely low blood sugar can cause a coma or death.
Intermittent fasting: With this diet, you can only eat during one eight-hour period every day, such as from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Restricting your food intake limits your body’s ability to produce insulin. Your blood sugar can spike (hyperglycemia) and increase your risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis can be life-threatening and cause acute abdominal pain, vomiting and renal failure.
The effect of high-intensity exercise
Adding more moderate-intensity exercise, like walking around your neighborhood, can improve your cardiovascular health and promote weight loss. But you should talk with your doctor before starting any high-intensity workouts, Dr. Moni says.
“If you don’t have any medical issues and aren’t on any medications, exercising normally should not be a problem,” she says. “However, women over 50 and men over 40 should confirm with their doctor that their heart is healthy enough before they start vigorous-intensity exercise. Talking with a provider can help them potentially avoid complications like irregular heart rhythms, heart attacks or other sudden cardiac events.”
Examples of high-intensity workouts include:
Biking more than 10 miles per hour
CrossFit
High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or boot camp
Running more than 5 miles per hour
Singles tennis
Swimming laps
Preparing to talk with your doctor
Before selecting a diet or exercise plan, Dr. Moni recommends making an appointment with your provider. You can discuss your current health status, potential complications, available resources, and support network. You can even explain your goals for making the changes and have a discussion over whether or not your plans are the right approach for you to achieve them.
“Scheduling a specific time to talk with your provider about your goals, motivations and resources is the best way to make safe, sustainable, and healthy changes,” she says. “It’s important to have a realistic conversation about how you will be able to incorporate and manage any lifestyle modifications.”
Being completely honest with your provider during these discussions is key. Be ready to talk about your family history, daily routine, and previous efforts to make diet and exercise changes. It’s also important to discuss how much financial flexibility and time you can realistically devote to adopting new behaviors, as some diets and exercise programs can come with a high price tag. If you’re concerned about financial resources, your doctor can help you investigate more affordable options that are still safe and effective for you.
Making safe changes on your own
Although it is best to talk with your provider before making drastic changes, Dr. Moni says you can safely make moderate changes on your own.
“Mindful eating habits help you develop the most sustainable lifestyle changes,” she says. “And, as long as you’re aware of your limitations, moderate-intensity exercises are OK to do on your own without talking with your provider first.”
If you’re changing your diet, she recommends following the U.S. Department of Agriculture food plate. This model teaches you about portion sizes. It also shows you how to create meals that include a healthy amount of protein, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables.
To reach the recommended goal of 150 to 300 minutes of weekly exercise, Dr. Moni suggests these safe, moderate exercises:
Whether you’re considering making a significant lifestyle change—or even a slight one—Dr. Moni suggests scheduling a dedicated appointment with your provider.
“Ultimately, I always encourage patients to talk to a provider when they’re considering a change,” she says. “There are so many things a provider can uncover during a patient visit. So, these focused conversations can significantly contribute to a patient’s successful long-term health and well-being.”
Are you thinking about starting a new diet or exercise program? Make an appointment with one of our primary care providers.