Has anyone consulted with a dietician or physician along the way at all? If so, what pieces of advice did they share with you?

I counsulted a dietician and got tons of information and encouragement but my best friend went to a dietician yesterday and the info she received didn't seem to make sense to me.

We weigh and are the same height, and without doing any testing on my friend, the dietician told her to do 1700 calories per day to loose 2 lbs a week! To me, that's strange considering that my dietician recommends 1200 to lose, and remind you, my friend and I are the same weight/height..

I asked my friend if the dietician did any BMI etc and she said no that she didn't even weigh her! WOW!

Do you think she got ripped off there or what?

What has been your experience with dieticians /physicians on the subject of weightloss? I'd love to hear from you!

I went to a dietician specifically trained in eating disorders. She was very gentle with me, which I liked. We spent the better part of the first half hour discussing my dieting history, my habits, what I've done in the past to try to get healthy, and my relationship with food.

Because of my eating disorder, my dietician specifically told me she didn't want me counting calories (although during the conversation it came up that 1500 calories a day is sufficient for females). Instead, we focused on thinks like making sure I got enough fruits, veggies, and fiber in my diet. We also focused on doing away with my "all or nothing" mentality of exercise. (I used to think I either had to go to the gym and sweat for an hour or it wasn't worth doing anything.) We also talked about the "all or nothing" mentality I have with food, where one treat would send me into a binge. She was very understanding when I talked about trigger foods, and she said that once I got healthy I might find that the trigger foods wouldn't set me off anymore. (I'm not sure I want to trust that bit of advice, though.) She did weigh me, but she didn't measure me. She asked about my family, and I left with a ton of brochures covering teenage eating habits (for my kids) and obesity and heart disease (for my husband). The visit cost $100, and my insurance will not cover it, but I thought it was worth it.

Along the same lines, has anyone ever consulted a therapist to deal with the underlying reasons why you overeat? I might be an exception to the rule in this bunch because, for me, this is just way more than a case of poor eating habits, but a few visits with a therapist really helped to turn me around and let go of a lot of pain I'd been hanging on to.

Thanks Jennelle. I understand that there are different dynamics that come into play to help determine a good plan. People are different. I just feel as if she was rushed or didn't really take the time to examine my friends situation or eating habits.

Sounds like you got together with a good dietician! I haven' been to a therapist. I am surprised at my control with eating so I am lucky in that regard.

Thanks again for sharing!

I plan on visiting one in the next month or two. I've had to wait my 90 days before I could sign up for insurance here (I'll be filling out the paperwork this week.) The both your visits went is how I would expect a visit to go with a dietician.

Gretchen I definitely think your friend may have gotten slighted.

Nutritionist - yes
Therapist - yes

My nutritionist was really good. She asked about my food habits and took a history and worked up a food plan which was roughly 1600-1800 calories. I'm 5'6". Gretchen - how tall are you? She was having me count carbs and the calories kinda worked themselves out. She did weigh me.

The therapist was a weight loss specialist. I only went to him for 4 weeks, but I quit because I didn't feel like I was getting very much out of it. When I went to him, I was doing very well. I think maybe I should have gone to him when I wasn't doing very good.

I have always heard that 1200 is the minumum calories you should consume.

Sandi I'm 5'4". And your right. 1200 is minimum. Anything below 1000 is considered dangerous. Although, I have no room to talk, I did 800 for months! My dietician said that its rare that people stick with a VLCD (she did not recommend it for me) and/or your body starts to hoard the calories and you end up not going anywhere, lose muscle etc. I know the negative aspects of it very well from research and countless sermons from everyone I know-- hee hee. On the flip side, just recently she said..( her words) "I have to admit although I don't recommend the VLCD, it is working for you! You seem to have plenty of energy and your BMI looks good too" (I have my ankle measured.) "You are definitely an exception to the rule". I guess I'm just a freak of nature!

Is your friend more active than you or have a more physically demanding job? Those might be factors in the dietician telling her to eat more calories.

I went to a dietician in 1995, but her advice was gold.

STOP DRINKING YOUR CALORIES. A bottle of Snapple has the same calories as half a tuna sandwich, some pretzels & a cup of milk. Which fills you up more? Save your calories for solid foods. You can drink iced tea, unsweetened, water, seltzer, hot tea. Milk is something else you can and should, have.

EAT BREAKFAST. You need to get your body's furnace going early in the day.

STOP EATING NUTRIGRAIN BARS. Have a piece of fruit & some whole grain toast instead.

Really, the nutrigrain bars? Yeah, you're right... tons of sugar and no real protein etc.. I love those though!!! UGH I guess I knew that, just didn't want to admit it! Thanks SAPF!

I am working with a nutritionist, personal trainer, and a therapist (who specializes in eating disorders). They have been so much help to me. My nutritionist has me on 1600 to 1800 calories a day, but I am very physically active. I had been losing 1 or 2 lbs per week until I hit my recent plateau. I've been sticking it out as my nutritionist advised, and the scale is starting to move again. My focus is increaing the fiber in my diet (through fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and drinking lots more water.

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I need to find a post that someone posted a while back.. i'll bring it forward once I find it.

wow, there are pretty many of us consulting dieticians!! Awesome!

I've never been to a dietician, although I've consired it as my dad had lots of success with one. Although, thanks so much for sharing your experiences... Gave me some great insight.. I've been doing between 1600-1800 cals per day, and it seems to be working for me.

SAPF - I totally know what you mean about the not drinking your calories.. that was one of the big realizations I made on my own... Although I do still have at least 1 glass of juice a day but I count it into my plan.. But, for say Snapple or regular pop.. Good god, NO WAY would I waste all those calories on a just a drink when they could be saved for a snack later... As for the nutrigrain bars, i still have about 1 per week if i'm on the run and miss breakfast...

I didn't consult a dietition, but I did many, many hours of research on nutrition before devising my plan. And then I invested in some excellent nutritional software to support my program.....I figured it would be hard to see where I was going if I didn't know where I was, you know? The plan that I came up with was one that I believe many dietitions would have recommended for me:

1500-1700 calories/day on average (my overall average since March 1 is 1536)
30-40 grams/day of mostly unsaturated fat
10 grams/day of cholesterol maximum
35-40 grams of fiber/day minimum
2000 grams sodium/day maximum
30 grams sugar/maximum
Overall ratio of 40% protein / 35% carb/ 25% fat on average
Carbohydrates almost always low-glycemic
Proteins almost always from lean sources (the worst source I regularly have is 93% lean beef)
Fats almost always unsaturated
130 oz. water/day minimum (usually 160 oz. now)
Soy protein, yogurt, and fish containing omega-3 oils, each several times/week
High quality multivitamin, potassium, and calcium supplements every day
6-8 servings vegetables/day
1-2 servings fruit/day
Eat 5-6 balanced meals every day (balanced meaning protein AND carbs)
Rarely consume processed or refined foods, no soda, no alcohol

On a couple of things, I had to work my way up to the above totals: water, and my protein/carb ratios (started out with higher carbs than protein, and my water intake was only 80-100 oz.)

The first time I went to a physician about weight loss I was soooo nervous. I got choked up and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to say, "I need help." So, I went into his office and spilled the beans and he rolled back in his chair and said,

"Well, I don't know what to say. I can't talk from experience since I've never struggled with my weight. I mean, can't you eat carrot sticks instead of crap?"

With my mouth gaping open, I stared at him and then finally managed. "Well, that advice sucked." Needless to say, his 1200 calorie plan from the 80's he dug up didn't help either. Sometimes, I can't believe family doctors don't just say, "Hey, I'm not qualified but I know someone who is." Grrr.

My current doctor and I fight constantly over my weight. Not because I'm not losing weight but mostly because he recommends diet plans without anything to back them up. When I first went to him, he wanted me to go on Atkins, so I asked him about all the Ornish evidence of high fat diets and heart disease. He just shrugged his shoulders and said, "the nurse here lost 20 pounds on it." Well, that an F-ing endorsement, thanks! My boyfriend went earlier this year and he recommended South Beach. Why the switch? Who knows.

Sorry, it's just irritating. I don't know anything about wiring a house, why would I give someone advice on it?

Oh man what a touchy subject.

In 1995-1996 I lost 100 lbs putting me at the thinnest of my adult life (123 lbs, 5'8). At the same time my DH acted out very badly with other women, drugs, and gambling. Less than a year later I was tipping the scales at 265 lbs. A new job and a gym membership got me down to 175 lbs. and then the day would come and I would say **** it and becan to eat and I flew back up to 221. I was feeling desperate and went to a nutrionist who told me that my weight was all my fault and I just needed to take some accountability. I don't remember her giving me any solid advice, just buck up and shut up and we will give you diet pills if we feel like you need them. I responded by going up to 230 and then sliding down into the 180's. Then my grandfather died and hello 230's again.

We moved and we had a gym in the complex. Prozac helped and I got down to about 200 and then I found BFL and found 185 lbs again. Then a nice crawl back up to 221 by last summer. At this point I was practically in my Dr.'s office begging for them to do something, but my problem wasn't severe enough. I can never assert myself with Dr.'s. Besides sometimes I think when they see me crying its just time to adjust my psych meds.

I was purging with hours of excercise and also when Iwas eating too much, too fast. Do you think it ever accured to me that I would tall anyone about these behaviors? Or that my rapid weight loss and gains were not a good sign of soemthing wrong with me. It took an accident (God) to say hey I have a freaking eating disorder.

The food is my freaking nightmare. Sometimes its good and loving food choices, connection with God, and my program seem second natured. Other days the voice that says the really ugly things about me and wants me to eat the house is so loud I just want it to stop.

So I go to therapy and though most days when I leave I want to act out some how food or otherwise. I just don't, because I am healing. Some days its tangible and you can see it in my tears. Sometimes I feel ridiculous for spending half my session talking about food, what I do and think about it.

And days like today I just accept that it is and that this whole weight thing is bigger than me, and there is this thing called life, and we are all on a journey. When we are ready to hear what is the right path for us all we have to do is listen to the sound of God's voice.

Chris