Seeing a registered dietician?

ellioc2

I’ve been struggling with some obsessive thoughts around food/exercise (currently eating 1200 calories a day, working out 3-4 times a week). I’ve decided it’s time to see a dietician to help me because I’m just struggling and my weight loss has stalled out which I’m not happy about. I understand they’re the expert but I’m so worried she’ll have me on a plan I actually gain on. I feel like my body needs a serious deficit to lose (even under 1200, seeing as I’m stalled out). I’m just wary about trusting her. Or it might be the whole “trust your body, eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full” thing and not even a real meal plan which is what got me in this mess to begin with. It’s just so hard for me to find a middle ground. Has anyone sought the help of a registered dietician, and were they helpful? I’m having a hard time with it but I’ve been pretty miserable lately and so think I need some help. I just feel like I can’t trust anyone anymore, especially my own body which is a really sad and lonely feeling. All my progress and goals are being hindered by me feeling inadequate and like I need to do so much more to never be fat again.

Kdp2015

Do you need to lose weight, what are your stats and goals?
How accurately to you track food and how long have you been on a diet for?
Don’t hate on yourself, life’s too short x

TavistockToad

ellioc2 wrote: »

I’ve been struggling with some obsessive thoughts around food/exercise (currently eating 1200 calories a day, working out 3-4 times a week). I’ve decided it’s time to see a dietician to help me because I’m just struggling and my weight loss has stalled out which I’m not happy about. I understand they’re the expert but I’m so worried she’ll have me on a plan I actually gain on. I feel like my body needs a serious deficit to lose (even under 1200, seeing as I’m stalled out). I’m just wary about trusting her. Or it might be the whole “trust your body, eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full” thing and not even a real meal plan which is what got me in this mess to begin with. It’s just so hard for me to find a middle ground. Has anyone sought the help of a registered dietician, and were they helpful? I’m having a hard time with it but I’ve been pretty miserable lately and so think I need some help. I just feel like I can’t trust anyone anymore, especially my own body which is a really sad and lonely feeling. All my progress and goals are being hindered by me feeling inadequate and like I need to do so much more to never be fat again.

from what you have said, it sounds like someone who specialises in eating disorders would be better for you to see than a dietitian?

what are your stats?

collectingblues

You absolutely need to see a dietitian who has a background in eating disorders.

jjpptt2

collectingblues wrote: »

You absolutely need to see a dietitian who has a background in eating disorders.

Agreed.

deannalfisher

at 160lbs you are barely outside the healthy BMI range for your height - 1200cal is likely a too agressive calorie goal for your needs; in addition to your working out (are you eating back exercise calories?)

concur with a dietician who has experience with eating disorders and maybe even a therapist to discuss your issues

deannalfisher

MFP is designed to eat back at pleast a portion of your workout calories - at your height/weight - 1200cal is less than your BMR (what your body would burn if in a coma)

jjpptt2

ellioc2 wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

at 160lbs you are barely outside the healthy BMI range for your height - 1200cal is likely a too agressive calorie goal for your needs; in addition to your working out (are you eating back exercise calories?)

concur with a dietician who has experience with eating disorders and maybe even a therapist to discuss your issues

I am not eating back exercise calories. I want to get to the lower end of my BMI range - more “insurance” that I won’t get fat again

That's not insurance that you won't gain again. If anything, it's the opposite.

Insurance that you won't gain again comes from knowledge, experiences, and building good habits.

jjpptt2

ellioc2 wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

MFP is designed to eat back at pleast a portion of your workout calories - at your height/weight - 1200cal is less than your BMR (what your body would burn if in a coma)

Isn’t that the point of weight loss though? To be eating at a 500-1000 calorie deficit a day?

Sort of.

The size of the deficit varies person to person. And the deficit is relative to their TDEE, NOT from their BMR.

deannalfisher

here is a rough estimate: https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&age=30&g=female&lbs=160&in=66&act=1.55&bf=&f=1

maintenance - 2267cal
to lose a lb a week - 1700ish cal

kimny72

deannalfisher wrote: »

here is a rough estimate: https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&age=30&g=female&lbs=160&in=66&act=1.55&bf=&f=1

maintenance - 2267cal
to lose a lb a week - 1700ish cal

This. Deficit should come off your TDEE, not your BMR. BMR is what you would burn in a coma. And with 20-25 lbs to lose, you should be aiming for no more than 1 lb per week, or a 500 cal deficit. 2 lbs per week is only realistic and advisable for obese folks.

deannalfisher

ellioc2 wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

here is a rough estimate: https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&age=30&g=female&lbs=160&in=66&act=1.55&bf=&f=1

maintenance - 2267cal
to lose a lb a week - 1700ish cal

So to lose 2 lbs a week, I’d be at 1200 calories

yo don't need to lose 2lbs a week - that agressive of a deficit with you only needing to lose 20-30lbs - can cause muscle loss/hair loss and a miryad of other health issues

estherdragonbat

ellioc2 wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

here is a rough estimate: https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&age=30&g=female&lbs=160&in=66&act=1.55&bf=&f=1

maintenance - 2267cal
to lose a lb a week - 1700ish cal

So to lose 2 lbs a week, I’d be at 1200 calories

But with less than 75lb to lose, it's not healthy for you to lose 2lbs per week. Or, by another reckoning, at 160lbs, the MAXIMUM safe loss is 1% of your body-weight, i.e. 1.6 lbs per week. And frankly, with only 20-30lbs to go, that still sounds extremely aggressive. You don't have that much fat to burn, which means your body will start on muscle. Your heart is a muscle.

estherdragonbat

This isn't a sprint. It's a marathon. You didn't gain 30lbs in a couple of weeks. You won't lose it in a couple of weeks.

deannalfisher

sustainable weight loss isn't a race

jjpptt2

ellioc2 wrote: »

kimny72 wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

here is a rough estimate: https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&age=30&g=female&lbs=160&in=66&act=1.55&bf=&f=1

maintenance - 2267cal
to lose a lb a week - 1700ish cal

This. Deficit should come off your TDEE, not your BMR. BMR is what you would burn in a coma. And with 20-25 lbs to lose, you should be aiming for no more than 1 lb per week, or a 500 cal deficit. 2 lbs per week is only realistic and advisable for obese folks.

kimny72 wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

here is a rough estimate: https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&age=30&g=female&lbs=160&in=66&act=1.55&bf=&f=1

maintenance - 2267cal
to lose a lb a week - 1700ish cal

This. Deficit should come off your TDEE, not your BMR. BMR is what you would burn in a coma. And with 20-25 lbs to lose, you should be aiming for no more than 1 lb per week, or a 500 cal deficit. 2 lbs per week is only realistic and advisable for obese folks.

That’ll mean I won’t be at my goal for a minimum of 5 months, which seems so long :-/ I feel so gross right now and I’m tired of being judged

IMO, you need to work on the mental part more so than the dietary part.