i'm wondering if anyone has ever gone to a nutritionist and if it helped you or if it was a waste of time and money? i feel like something isn't working with the scale going down fast enough and i wondered if a nutritionist would have ideas to fix that. i mean i feel like i know how to lose weight, i've done it before but what worked before isn't working.
what i don't need is to go to someone to explain to me carbs, protein, etc and how many calories to eat... i feel like after reading the twinkie diet as long as you are eating a low amount of calories you should lose weight. i have done weight watchers about a million times and normally every time i start a diet it works. i'm just worrying that if i have something wrong with metabolism and thats why nothing is happening i thought a nutritionist would be able to figure out how to jumpstart it.
If it's been awhile since you've had a health check-up, you should start there. You could have a faulty thryoid or other endocrine issues.
Also, what is "fast enough" weight loss. 1 pound a week? 2 pounds? 5 pounds? Make sure your goals are realistic too.
And yes, I've been to a nutritionist when I developed gestational diabetes eons ago. And it was helpful, mostly in that she helped me realize that my midwives goal wasn't strict enough and I could and should be able to get my blood sugars lower... and I did.
Basically, she taught me about eating low carb and monitoring sugars to find out what the triggers were. Which, I learned, were all starchy, simple carbs except potatoes.
Yes, I've gone to one. I'm a member of a medically based health facility and I get a licensed nutritionist and licensed physical trainer with my premium membership.
She is helpful. She gives me tips on how to cut back on things and why other things are important also backs it up with evidence of why it's good or bad. She encourages me to try new things that I wouldn't ordinarily try and I give her reports on how I liked it. She respects the diet plan that I want and works with me with it.
You know, I thought about going to a nutritionist - but after reading a little about them.. they will only tell you the things you already know. It's not like they hold these "nutritionist secrets". Patience is the best thing I can tell you will work for sure! And some motivation, too. You can do this!
I would try to get a referral to a good nutritionist. The one I saw at my old gym was not helpful to me... just handed me a bunch of pamphlets when I was hoping for a structured diet plan at the time.
I know nutritionists can be very helpful, especially when your weight loss stalls, so ask around to see if there's a nutritionist someone can recommend in your area.
Nutritionists are like personal trainers in my opinion.
A few of them are incredible and will take time to help you determine your goals and put a detailed game plan together based on your specific needs and desires. These people are passionate about their industry and have gone far and above the basic requirements needed to get the job.
Most of them are not worth the money. The best nutritionist I know is Alan Aragon. Maybe you could email him and ask for a local referral.
Hi bellastar!
I noticed in your signature that you say you don't believe in scales, but in your OP you say the scale isn't moving fast enough. How much weight have you lost in what amount of time? Sometimes if we hit a plateau or aren't moving at the same speed as others, we think it's not fast enough. This isn't a race or a contest, so really, there isn't a "fast enough".
Anyway, I had an excellent nutritionist after I had a stroke and she set me on the straight and narrow as far as what are the best things to eat to keep up my energy, keep me filled up, and are nutritionally dense. However, at that time, I really didn't know that much about nutrition. Just reading a lot about nutrition on the internet has given me almost the same information. I also am a person who thinks that you can really save yourself a lot of money and do the work yourself.
I think seeing a nutritionist is a largely a matter of your motivation for seeing one. Just decide beforehand whether you are looking for the information or the regular accountability and support, then let the person you hire know what you want from her. I saw one as part of a class 5 years ago after I'd lost 40 lbs. in just under 4 months. She told me that was impossible. (We ALL know that it is difficult but not impossible. I'd done it by eating significantly less and exercising an hour and a half each day. I was weighing on the same scale everyday.) Though she was an employee of the hospital, she knew less about nutrition than I did. I was so frustrated with her that it contributed very strongly to my giving up and regaining the 44 lbs I'd lost. You can learn a lot by reading.
Nutritionists are like personal trainers in my opinion.
A few of them are incredible and will take time to help you determine your goals and put a detailed game plan together based on your specific needs and desires.
and this:
Quote:
I think seeing a nutritionist is a largely a matter of your motivation for seeing one. Just decide beforehand whether you are looking for the information or the regular accountability and support, then let the person you hire know what you want from her.
I am lucky enough to have a nutritionist at my work who I can see free of charge. I meet with her about once a month. She has given me some good tips I never thought of. And at this point, I mainly check in with her, get weighed, and talk about how things are going.
When I was PG, my OB referred me to a nutritionist that insurance covered. If you ins. covers you seeing one, it wouldn't hurt to make an appointment to see if it was for you.
If you belong to a gym - they may offer nutritional advise, too.
I think it definitely depends on the nutritionist. I went to one many years ago and she just seemed perplexed regarding how to help me. It was an expensive visit for me that I didn't get anything out of.
I saw a nutritionist last month for free through my school/work. I had already been dieting for a couple months and was down about 15 lbs. I brought with me my laptop with all my nutrition data and weight tracking as well as some recent medical test results.
The nutritionist I saw basically took the attitude that if what I was doing was working for me (and seemingly healthy), just keep going. We talked about some small tweaks I could make to my diet - some other ways to get fiber and a greater variety of vegetables in, for instance. I also asked some questions about how Type II diabetes prevention and she was able to answer them with much more depth and clarity than what I had read about on the internet. I came away from the visit very encouraged, and I think she was pleased to have met with someone who was trying to lose weight in a healthy manner rather than by developing an eating disorder, which is rampant on my campus.
Very true that some nutritionists are going to be really worth it, and some not so much, like most things!
I saw one last summer after I had a full physical and it was noted that my blood work indicated I was close to pre-diabetic and also vitamin D deficient (as are a lot of adults, apparently). The doctor I saw for the physical suggested talking to a nutritionist who specializes in diabetes prevention, so I did. She was really helpful - we talked through my blood work results and what they mean, and she went over a five day food journal I had kept. She gave me a lot of literature and went through the diabetes prevention diet guidelines with me. We talked about specific foods that would be good to have in my daily diet and what would be better in very small amounts. It wasn't so much focused on weight loss as on eating nutritious foods, but she said if I followed the guidelines, I would likely experience weight loss.
I wasn't very diligent for a while but now I'm being really aware of what I'm eating. I follow Weight Watchers and I find it very easy to merge the two ways of eating so that I am working to ward off diabetes and also lose weight. I say if you have the funds and are open to the ideas you may be given, it can't hurt to go talk to someone. But definitely get a physical as well - you may have some metabolic issues, and even if you don't, blood work can reveal a lot about your diet and where you are lacking or need guidance.
Nutritionists are like personal trainers in my opinion.
A few of them are incredible and will take time to help you determine your goals and put a detailed game plan together based on your specific needs and desires. These people are passionate about their industry and have gone far and above the basic requirements needed to get the job.
Most of them are not worth the money. The best nutritionist I know is Alan Aragon. Maybe you could email him and ask for a local referral.
Hi bellastar!
I noticed in your signature that you say you don't believe in scales, but in your OP you say the scale isn't moving fast enough. How much weight have you lost in what amount of time? Sometimes if we hit a plateau or aren't moving at the same speed as others, we think it's not fast enough. This isn't a race or a contest, so really, there isn't a "fast enough".
hi! well when i first signed up for this site like 3 years ago, i didn't ever go near a scale, i just based everything on how my clothes fit so i put in "don't believe in scales"
i have to admit i'm a little obsessed with the scale... and i'm trying to go back to my old attitude but it's hard
has anyone here ever gone to a nutritionist?
