nutritionist/dietician?

calliope_music

has anyone talked with one? i'm pretty sure my insurance will pay for one and i am looking into making a few appointments with one. what should i ask them? what did you find helpful?

i am thankful to live in a city with like, 3242389472839 hospitals and health care options around so i doubt i will have difficulty finding one!

TheNewStacie

I saw 2 nutrionist, I live in a smaller town south of Houston, so the one I saw here gave me info I pretty much already knew, but I went and saw a university one in Houston, and she gave me tons of information, including my real BMR a meal plan, and gave several different examples. I say go for it, couldn't hurt. Ask for an example meal plan, and things she suggests, or even recipe books etc she recommends. Good Luck!!

slp2112

Other than meeting my trainer, finding a good nutritionist has been the best thing I've done in the last year. She is a wealth of information, supportive, and remarkably sensible about weight loss/good nutrition, etc.

Things to look for in a nutritionist:
-Find someone who designs a plan for YOU. There are a lot of nutritionists out there (I've met some of them ... ) that are incredibly formulaic and rely on generic rules to help people lose weight. A GOOD nutritionist will use these rules, but adjust them to your specific needs, considering how much you workout, the kind of lifestyle you lead, etc.
-Someone who is attentive. One nutritionist I met kept looking at her iPhone the whole time. I was proud I didn't punch her in the face before I left. You want someone who is really in tune with what you need, and, in particular with what your struggles are. My nutritionist took the time to figure out my habits, neuroses, and all these other little things that helped her create a plan that I could work with, but also a plan that wouldn't feel like a burden but rather something manageable.
-Someone who will provide you with some good example meals (and even entire weeks of meals) planned out for you.

Helpful things I've asked (these are specific to me, so obviously, you might have different questions):
-Advice on eating out
-Advice on surviving holidays (particularly Thanksgiving and Christmas)
-How many times a day should I eat and at what times? (e.g. there are specific times that are great for specific things, like a banana after a workout).
-I asked her about specific foods as good sources of certain macronutrients (e.g. what should I eat to get the appropriate amount of good fats every day?)
-Advice on what to do when you get hungrier (which will happen if you're putting on muscle! My trainer talks about this in terms of car metaphors - i.e. I was some crappy car last August that had very little power and now I'm transformed into a Porsche. A metabolism comparable to the power of a Porsche? That concept makes me giggle ... )

Other added benefits of a nutritionist:
-You'll learn a TON (I for one, had no idea that most vegetables should be eaten with a fat, otherwise you just don't get any of their nutrients ...)
-When the going gets tough, you have someone you can contact and get good, solid advice from. As much as I love the people on here, I'm also aware than are RD is much more likely to provide solid information that comes from (most likely) years of experience.

chelsifina

If you have any special requirements, you can likely find a dietician who specializes in that. For example, diabetes, fertility issues, any type of eating disorder, being a vegetarian, gluten-allergies, etc. Also, just see how you feel with them. Don't stay with anyone who you feel shames you, that just won't work. I've been greatly helped by a dietician, and it took only 4 visits. She did her best to work with my current food preferences, and taught me a lot that I didn't know. For example, I really enjoy my breakfast, so she didn't touch it. I really appreciated that. Good Luck!

natskedat

I'm a personal trainer (and am considering becoming a dietician in my next life (after the kids move out)), and would highly recommend seeing one.

All of the advice given by previous commenters is spot-on. In my job, I use a formula for my clients (and myself!), but have adapted the results to my needs. I encourage my clients to do the same, and I help them find healthy ways to adapt.

Seeing a nutritionist would be wise, although, I knew someone who went to a nutritionist and she put him on shakes twice a day. Bound for failure! Make sure it's someone who is encouraging you to eat real food (not food they're trying to sell you), and giving you tools to make sound choices in the real world.

Best of luck.