So, I finally saw the new nutritionist, and she was FANTASTIC!!! I can't tell you how lovely it was to discuss SBD with a knowledgeable person who did not treat me like a freak!
Anyways, here are some things I learned that you might be interested in:
Since I am eating ample amounts of protein, and exercising regularly (including strength training) and at a high weight, she truly believes that it's okay for me to be losing as fast as I am. She also thinks I am losing primarily fat. She did note that this will slow down eventually, but not to stress about it for now.
She talked about foods as falling in three categories: protein, carbs, and fats. She explained that milk and yogurt are carbs while cheeses (soft or hard) and cottage cheese are proteins (or meat). She noted that the cheeses will help reduce cravings when I eat them with fruit and grains, while milk and yogurt may not. In addition, she noted that the three servings of dairy a day to reduce belly fat only works with milk and yogurt, NOT with cheese. Interesting!
Protein vs. fat: she noted the though natural peanut butter is a much better choice than the sugar stuff that we used to eat, it is still, technically, much more of a fat than a protein. Granted, not a saturated fat, totally, but still a fat. She said that PB was moved from the "fatty meat" section into the "fats" section in the 90's because of the fat content. In fact, a serving of PB has more fat than a fatty cut of meat, like prime rib or liverwurst. Does that make it a bad choice? She said, "You could make worse choices, like pop tarts!" (that seems to be her bad word of choice...she says it like Ruth says Frankenfoods ) However, it's basically saying that we should choose cheese or lean meat rather than nuts when we are reaching for protein. I'm, of course, not stopping from eating my PB...but I'm definitely going to try to measure more carefully and keep that fat content in mind.
Ever concerned about pregnancy and such, I asked about Omega-3 and fish. She did note that most people who are eating tuna (not albacore) once a week are safe from mercury concerns. However, for somone considering pregnancy or who is pregnant, she recommends two Tbsp. of ground flaxseed daily instead, since it gives you the right amount but without the mercury worries.
Also on the pregnancy front, she noted that when I become pregnant, I can safely use unlimited amounts of Splenda, but only four servings of Equal a day and NO sweet-n-low. Interesting! Makes me wonder what the Equal is doing to me now...and how much research has been done on Splenda.
She asked me to add a little bit, like a Tbsp. of wheat germ to my yogurt, to increase my consumption of magnesium, which appears to help reduce the chance of Type II diabetes.
She asked me to add another fruit to my diet. I'm trying it, and so far, no gains. Interesting!
Overall, she was very impressed with the healthiness of SBD. Though she noted none of Dr. A's theories have been scientifically tested (other than on his own patients), she seemed to feel that they were working well for me. (and I agree! )
Overall, it was a good visit and I'm thrilled to know that I'm doing healthy things for me!
Laurie, I'm so glad you found a good nutritionalist!! That other one was a quack!!
What a lot of good information you got from her... thanks for sharing it with us, hon!
Thanks for the information Laurie. I was adding a few more starches and fruits to my diet over the weekend because my weight loss has stalled (no badly, but I seem to go up over weekends and then by the end of the week lose 1 net pound), and I don't want to do the increase on the weekends. It's not even that I eat differently on the weekends - however, I don't do any power walking, so that is the main difference.
Anyway, I did kick up the servings of starch this weekend and maintained my weight. That's the first time in several weeks that I haven't gained 2 or 3 pounds. Anyway, like your nutritionist suggests for you, I think I will try adding another serving of fruit everyday and see what happens. Thanks again for the info.
that was a great post, lots of wonderful reading.. thanks laurie and tell me where to find a good nutritionist! I'm with ellis, mine was a total wackjob.
Laurie... Thank you so much for sharing! That's funny about poptarts. I think just about anything is better than one of those and my DD eats them every morning!
Thanks for being so understanding! Firefly, my first one was a total "whackjob" too! I think the only way to find a good one (barring recommendations from others) is to try them and be honest about what you need. You might call beforehand and ask what types of people they currently work with. The one I'm seeing now works with mostly elderly and overweight people who don't have any major problems with eating disorders. The one I saw before sees primarly people with major eating disorders and mental issues. What a difference!
One thing I forgot to post that I thought might be helpful for everyone is the calculation for amount of protein you need. She said for a healthy person, you need 0.8 g for each kilogram you weigh. So to figure out how much you need a day, just multiply 0.8 by your weight in kilograms (find your kilograms here: http://www.123easyaspie.com/converter.html )and that tells you how many grams of protein you need. . Mine is 73g, which is 10 and a half ounces, approximately (7g in an ounce).
No prob....I know I was totally confused about how much protein to eat in order to keep my muscles (small as they are). I was eating twice what I need just in meat every day!
Isn't that surprising, Artemis? I know I was really surprised!
The thing is...if we don't eat enough, our hair falls out, our nails become brittle, and even scarier...we lose muscle! But if we eat too much, we risk all kinds of health problems too. I'm glad to know the equation so I can safely monitor it. As Schoolhouse Rock taught me when I was a kidlet- "KNOWLEDGE is power!"
Lessons from the Nutritionist
I can't tell you how lovely it was to discuss SBD with a knowledgeable person who did not treat me like a freak! 
She did note that this will slow down eventually, but not to stress about it for now.
Does that make it a bad choice? She said, "You could make worse choices, like pop tarts!" (that seems to be her bad word of choice...she says it like Ruth says 
) However, it's basically saying that we should choose cheese or lean meat rather than nuts when we are reaching for protein. I'm, of course, not stopping from eating my PB...but I'm definitely going to try to measure more carefully and keep that fat content in mind. 
)
I think the only way to find a good one (barring recommendations from others) is to try them and be honest about what you need. You might call beforehand and ask what types of people they currently work with. The one I'm seeing now works with mostly elderly and overweight people who don't have any major problems with eating disorders. The one I saw before sees primarly people with major eating disorders and mental issues. What a difference! 
