I have finally agreed to see a nutritionist and get my eating under wraps, once and for all. I think I've been in denial or avoidance, but I really need my butt kicked!

For those of you who actually saw one, were you at all surprised at how you needed to change your diet (when you thought you were doing ok with it), and did it help things?

I think the obvious is, I'm NOT doing okay with mine or I wouldn't be 175 lbs.!

so, any positive feedback on their visit with a nutritionist?

I saw a nutritionist (or dietician--I forget which she was by title), and it was a waste of time for me. She asked me what I was eating, and I told her, but then I said I already had an idea of what I SHOULD be eating, and I made up a meal plan based on what I thought a good day for me would be. She said that the ideal plan I gave her was perfect and that I could maybe get some more vegetables in, but other than that, she had no advice to offer.

Basically, I already knew what I SHOULD be eating. The nutritionist couldn't make me eat what I'd planned. No one can do that but me.

So I guess I would say the only time a nutritionist might be helpful is when you really have questions about what you should or should not be eating. If you already know what is and is not healthy, then I don't think they're much help (unless you have some sort of particular issue that you need to change your diet for, such as diabetes or high cholesterol).

Thanks Jilly ~ my issue isn't so much as how to eat properly, but to better balance my intake with my output with the amount of exercising and weight training I am doing.

It has taken me 2 years to develop a solid exercise habit and I've been successful toning and losing weight - however, the harder I work out and lift, the more challenging it is becoming for me to lose weight. I either eat too much or not enough. There has to be a balance and this nutritionist will take into acct. my fitness plan...

I have always wondered if it would help too. Would you let us know if you do meet with one, I'd love to hear how it went.

I know I eat mostly healthily, but as you said, being overweight means something is definitely off. For me I'm sure it's portion sizes.

When I started this journey I started out with Lean cuisines. I wanted to lower fat and get my portion sizes in check. Then I went to eating the required amounts of the four basic food groups and set general limits of calories, carbs and fat for myself.

The dietitian/nutritionist I went to see did a couple of things for me. She ( there were two different ones I saw ) confirmed that the amounts I had set for myself were good numbers for me and I was losing weight in a healthy way. They confirmed for me that I might be losing weight slowly, about 1 pound a week, but that it was the best way to lose weight. She said I was learning a healthy life style. I wasn't doing without a thing and because of this I would not fall off the wagon in the future because I am not on a wagon lol.

She also told me that I didn't need to eat all of those required amounts of the four basic food groups everyday. Those are general amounts and not everyone needs all of them each day. She lowered the amounts of 6 bread/cereal to 4. Which was real good for me since I generally can't get in over 4 a day lol.

Most people know what is healthy and what isn't. Doesn't mean they do anything about what they put into their mouths. Sometimes seeing a professional is just what a person needs. For me, I needed it confirmed that I was eating enough ( was one of my problems not eating enough ) and to make sure I was getting enough of each group to have a healthy diet.

If the first one you go see doesn't help go see another one. Some are better than others. They really are there to help and will help you set up a food plan that is right for you. Ask question, don't expect them to read your mind. We are the ones in control of what we eat. We have to talk to the professionals so they can help us. I have to say mine told me not to combine what I eat and what I burn off. She said that is standing on shaky ground. What you burn off you burn off. Get the required amounts of the four basic food groups in and stay within some general set amounts and you can't go wrong.

We happen to have a friend that is a trainer. I thought he would tell me how I need to go to a gym and how I need machines to tone and get healthy. I thought he would say what I was doing wasn't good enough. I was surprised. He said what I was doing was great. Told me a few resistance training exercises I could add for the upper body and told me not to eat back calories. My range was more than enough 1200 to 1400 calories to cover the exercise I do.

I spoke casually with a dietitian once. She showed me these little plastic foods ... serving size representations. I was blown away! I was eating at least three times that amount of mashed potatoes!

susan
I know what you mean. When I started eating the lean cuisines. I was very surprised that I could eat as much as I could of somethings and that I was eating more than I should have of others. That was another thing that I thought the dietitian/nutritionist was good for. She really gave you visual representation of serving sizes.

Thank you everyone! I'm still waiting for that nutritionist to call me back but I think my real problem is the amount of food I'm taking in and the times I am eating. That remains to be seen.. I learned about portion sizes at Weight Watchers and still apply those principals today. I even have their mearsured/serving spoons that are 1 cup and 2 cup portion sizes which I use when I spoon out thing like pasta and potatoes!

I have realized too, that I might be eating until I am *full*. When I"m really losing weight, I never really have the "full" feeling.. a satisfied feeling, but not full. I haven't felt "stuffed" which is how I felt when I weighed over 200, but I'm probably definitely eating too much.

Well, good thing is, that I feel smaller this week after a good 2+ weeks of solid regular hard weight training and cardio...my legs feel smoother and firmer, my (gross alert!) hip bone fat is much smaller and in general I feel great.. I'm afraid to get on the scale and see it either be up, or the same, so I will wait!

I just saw a nutritionist today...

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...84#post2085184

There's my thread on my questions and stuff...

The nutritionist that I saw years ago wasn't very helpful. She just went over the food pyramid with me. I felt like I was back in grammar school or something (although it wasn't a pyramid when I was a kid.)

I think a lot of it may be that nutritionists are like doctors. The good ones are really helpful and the not-so-good-ones are not helpful in the slightest.

Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. I worked with a registered dietician and got excellent help.

I went on Tuesday night and was glad to hear that based on the food diary and eating I have been doing, she was very pleased with my food ratio (protein/fat/carb). It was pretty close to what she wanted me at - which I do not have on me at the moment.

I work out 6 days a week, cardio every day (4 days of spinning high intensity) and based on all that and my lifting 2-3 days a week, she actually said I am undereating at my present 1,500 cal. a day -- that I need to be closer to 2,000 calories a day. She said that I should not be freaked out by that.. (which i was!). I have to say though -- I have adopted the 2,000 cal. a day and made some better food decisions on her recommendation and I actually think it is working!

I don't want to get overly excited, but I have that "it's melting off of me" feeling like I did when I was on the way to losing my first 50 pounds or so.. I am hoping this helps me turn that corner once again. More importantly, I do not feel starving all the time.. I do not feel stuffed either -- Just an even-keeled satisifed feeling. I snack on small (good things) every two hours or in between meals.

Interestingly, I put myself down as "medium" build.. and she said she wants to change it to "slight/small" for her number crunching purposes and evaluation. She said after seeing me, my frame - and she can tell by my small hands and wrists.. she would consider me small. Granted I AM only 4'11", but have never felt "small" at all.. things are startign to look bonier I guess.

Oh, her background is a BS in Nutrition Science and she calls herself a "Nutrition Counselor'. No matter what her credentials are, she certainly is more knowledgeable than I am and I'm looking forward to learning more from her.