If you don't know how to eat healthy food or are having a particular difficulty with your weightloss program then i'd say go for it.
But if you are just doing it because you feel you should, i wonder if you are just succumbing to sales pressure. In some way its in the gym guy's interest for the nutritionist to do well. He is surely referring everyone to her even if he's not getting a commission.
It's honestly not like that. She's a licensed nutritionist who "works out of that gym", meaning she's her own company and doesn't get paid by the gym.
OP, does your university offer a basic nutrition class for non-majors? If you can squeeze it into your sched, it would a great way to get the basics of nutrition. They are taught by faculty with solid credentials and who keep up with current research, at least in my experience.
I'm not a student there, I just use the gym as a member of the community. Uni was a while ago for me lol... good suggestion though. It's also a French university and I don't parle the French.
I'm not a student there, I just use the gym as a member of the community. Uni was a while ago for me lol... good suggestion though. It's also a French university and I don't parle the French.
Kaybee1, I'm ignorant of Canadian school system: do you have community colleges? In California, they are public schools that offer the first two yrs of college as well as many many technical, vocational, general interest classes. Some of the absolute best teachers are to be found here because they are not under pressure to publish research like in a 4-yr university.
I feel like they're just going to reiterate to me the Canada food guide...
Years ago when I was a student, I went to the university health clinic. I was over 200 lbs so they told me that I needed to see their nutritionist on staff (for free).
It was an irritating half hour appointment where the nutritionist DID just go over the Canadian food guide!!! She didn't explain anything in depth and she only provided extremely basic information (which to be honest I already knew).
Looking back I assume she was a 3rd or 4th year student and maybe just not well trained yet on how to provide relevant information in a short time frame or something. I was also too embarrassed to tell her that I didn't need a review of the food guide, so part of it is my fault for not letting her know what I needed.
I would expect that a 90 minute appointment for $105 would be a totally different experience.
I think there is great value to in person coaching and accountability and most people including myself could benefit from it. The real challenge is finding the right person who knows enough about the topic to be able to create an individualized plan that encompasses diet and exercise but is still affordable.
The real value, in my opinion, is not information but the implementation and on going coaching around a specific and customized plan.
Along these lines I don't think your money will be well spent but my suggestion is before you spend your money you get an overview of what this 90 minutes is going to cover. 90 minutes is a long time for her to just provide information so I would assume she will also be providing a eating plan of some sort.
I also agree with completely with Pattience's thoughts about sales pressure and supplements. (Hopefully you didn't just fall our of your chair Pattience )
Kaybee1, I'm ignorant of Canadian school system: do you have community colleges? In California, they are public schools that offer the first two yrs of college as well as many many technical, vocational, general interest classes. Some of the absolute best teachers are to be found here because they are not under pressure to publish research like in a 4-yr university.
They're relatively cheap, too.
I guess I don't really know what you're trying to ask me to do lol - like take a course that lasts a semester? Typically you have to be a registered student, but there are programs that you can take part-time on a one-off basis but minimum tuition is usually between $400 - $500 per semester. I've done 5 years of university and also a 3 year college certificate program... so I'm not signing up for anymore classes, I can't afford it!! lol. Our colleges are vocational, our universities are academic.
Years ago when I was a student, I went to the university health clinic. I was over 200 lbs so they told me that I needed to see their nutritionist on staff (for free).
It was an irritating half hour appointment where the nutritionist DID just go over the Canadian food guide!!! She didn't explain anything in depth and she only provided extremely basic information (which to be honest I already knew).
Looking back I assume she was a 3rd or 4th year student and maybe just not well trained yet on how to provide relevant information in a short time frame or something. I was also too embarrassed to tell her that I didn't need a review of the food guide, so part of it is my fault for not letting her know what I needed.
I would expect that a 90 minute appointment for $105 would be a totally different experience.
That's what I mean! I mean, I DO know the basics, and much more. But because I'm fat, I guess they don't think that I would already be aware of this?? According to my trainer she really dissects what you've been eating and analyses it, maybe that's helpful...
I think there is great value to in person coaching and accountability and most people including myself could benefit from it. The real challenge is finding the right person who knows enough about the topic to be able to create an individualized plan that encompasses diet and exercise but is still affordable.
The real value, in my opinion, is not information but the implementation and on going coaching around a specific and customized plan.
Along these lines I don't think your money will be well spent but my suggestion is before you spend your money you get an overview of what this 90 minutes is going to cover. 90 minutes is a long time for her to just provide information so I would assume she will also be providing a eating plan of some sort.
I also agree with completely with Pattience's thoughts about sales pressure and supplements. (Hopefully you didn't just fall our of your chair Pattience )
I hear you on the supplements. But these people at the gym are not pill pushers. It's literally nothing like you're average commercial gym where you pay exorbitant amounts and are locked in contracts. I pay month-month and most trainers are graduates of the university's kinesiology program. My trainer looks like a lacrosse player, not a 'roid filled meathead if that puts it into perspective lol. I asked him yesterday about what he thought about protein powders and he right away got a calculator out and did the numbers for me to see if it might be worth it - my point is, they are truly in it for right reasons - they don't sell merch/supps/whatever, very legit business model overall.
I mean, if I was going to say Goodlife, then yes I would be totally dubious of almost anything they've said to me because they're renowned for their sales tactics, commissions, overall not-caring attitude.
So i don't think they're trying to get me to see the nutritionist just to get my money, they seem to think the information she gives is actually worth it.
Sounds like a nice set up. I personally wouldn't spend $100 without knowing if I was getting more than just information but based on how the gym operates I can see why you're willing.
I am also in Canada, and I went to see a registered dietitian last year.
My experience was that the dietitian focused almost completely on the Canada Food Guide, and suggested it was necessary to eat a lot of foods (such as low fat dairy products, which I had recently given up in favour of whole dairy products) that I am not comfortable eating. She also suggested products with sugar replacements, which I am not comfortable with, and a low ratio of meat products which isn't realistic for me.
Although I am very overweight, I feel like the food I have eaten has been okay for my health (just in too high of quantities). I have low blood pressure, good cholesterol levels, and my lean mass and bone mineral density are very high, even for someone of my height (5'10) and weight. So it seemed counterproductive for me to start eating more heavily processed foods because they're apparently the most-recommended way to cut calories.
But the problem is, advice is different from every source.
At the cardiology clinic I go to, there are still 20-year-old posters on the walls talking about vegetables and whole grains, cutting out salt, reducing fat intake, and so on. The (skinny) nurse at the clinic told me some calculation for water intake that meant I should be drinking 18 cups of water a day - which is ridiculous. And then my cardiologist herself told me that the only statistically proven way to lose weight is to use smaller plates, which makes me want to throw everything else out the window.
My favourite nutritional advice (I won't say the best because I'm heavily biased towards whole foods, and because he's technically got the fewest credentials in the bunch) is the guy who does my DXA scans, who also works in the cardiac clinic I go to. He focusses on macronutrients (i.e. getting enough protien to maintain your lean mass), and general caloric intake. I know he favours the whole foods approach I'm taking, but he doesn't press about it, he just gives great suggestions about how to get the macronutrients through food, and what your caloric intake should be based on your DXA scan. (If you're in Vancouver, BC I can send on his info, but I'm sure there are similar people in your area).
A few years ago I was seeing a personal trainer, and he was also a great resource for meal planning and nutrition. Usually the body-builder types are really aware of their macronutrient intake and have a good idea of what it really takes to gain and lose muscle and fat.
But again, just because I like their advice doesn't mean it's really the best. They're not doctors or researchers and neither am I.
Has anyone gone to see an actual nutritionist? The gym I go to offers a session with a nutritionist for $105.00 CAD that lasts an hour and a half. Thoughts?
I wouldn't do it unless I was at a loss for what to eat. As it is, I know what I like and want to eat better than any nutritionist might. I also know the basics of healthy eating. So no, I'd rather spend my $105 on a killer outfit and maybe a fancy coffee. Just me, though.
Not sure if my experience is helpful because we only have nutritionists and nutrologists in Brazil. Nutritionists study Nutrition while Nutrologists study Medicine and specialise in Nutrition. Nutritionists study for 4 years to get their degrees, nutrologists for 8 years+, so not sure if this applies to other countries. Not sure if what they study is diferent from other countries also. Never heard of dieticians. Here nutritionists learn diferent approaches when it comes to nutrition and weight loss. They might choose an approach they find it's best and use it when treating all patients (which i hate) but most of them adjusts to their patients needs and previous experiences. I've had 2 appointments with a great nutritionist who helped me a lot and i would recomend it, but she was really open minded and in touch with diferent perspectives on weight loss, healthy eating and exercising.
Last edited by Marina Brasil; 10-16-2014 at 01:32 PM.
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