Leave it to the professionals

lovejoydavid

While I actually am a health professional, and had at one point spent 13 years working directly in exercise science, I actually handed over my independance today to a fellow health professional. That's right, I hired a sports dietician. I have always had access to one (my wife works directly with the director of orthopedics and sports med for my hospital system), but I have never really made the effort to see her outside of casual conversation. Pride, perhaps. I wish I had done it years ago. She is currently taking all the information I have compiled on this site in the last couple of weeks to build me a meal plan consistent with my training schedule. She is going to test my actual RMR next thursday (you have to fast, so I am waiting for a morning appointment). She is going to bod pod me for a true body fat analysis. She has already completely restructured how I fuel before, during, and after exercise. She even showed me how to do appropriate sweat replacement during intense workouts. For goodness sakes, I might actually lose the weight I want, and be ready for my next half marathon in August. For anyone else struggling with all the conflicting data, feeling a bit awash in their goals, I can't recommend this enough.

Collinsky

I really need to do this, I think... my friend has been recommending her nutritionist to me for months, and I keep putting it off. She's not an RD, but she's been really helpful for my friend and it can't hurt to give her a try!!

lsd007

Too bad everybody can't afford all of that.

Good for you though, and good luck on your half marathon!

AniMarieSt

I personally cannot afford it. All the conflicting information does get to be quite mind boggling. I'm constantly reading articles that conflict and I don't know who to believe.

Please feel free to share anything you learn from her that might help we poor college students, single moms, and the working poor.

~ Joanna

Elleinnz

It is great if you can get access to the right person......I went to see a very reputable dietician here in Auckland, but she was actually very dismissive of my efforts in the gym, and kept on trying to give me goals to walk more etc even when I told her that I really enjoyed my gym training......and believed that woman need to build more muscle, and for bone health as we get older.....

Luckily I am doing reasonably well without her, and I will keep on looking fro a proper sports nutritionist that will not be dismissive of my lifestyle choices.....sounds as if you have found the right person...

lovejoydavid

Too bad everybody can't afford all of that.

Good for you though, and good luck on your half marathon!

I got the most comprehensive package she offered, which came to about $300 dollars. I actually paid for it with flex spending money. I don't know how many people are familiar with that program, but it is essentially the feds allowing you a certain amount of money contributed pretax that then have to be used in the same year for health and wellness programs. Frankly, if you omit the RMR and body pod, and just get a couple of counseling sessions, you can reduce it by more than half. To reduce insurance premiums, some companies are offering employees access to free sessions as part of wellness packages.

RangerSteve

I really need to do this, I think... my friend has been recommending her nutritionist to me for months, and I keep putting it off. She's not an RD, but she's been really helpful for my friend and it can't hurt to give her a try!!

It can hurt if the person gives you bad information that is dangerous. I've seen plenty of "dieticians" recommend extremely low levels of certain nutrients to people who exercise 3+ hours a day. Sitting through some classes and passing with a C average doesn't make someone an expert. Being an expert is a title that is earned.

lovejoydavid

I personally cannot afford it. All the conflicting information does get to be quite mind boggling. I'm constantly reading articles that conflict and I don't know who to believe.

Please feel free to share anything you learn from her that might help we poor college students, single moms, and the working poor.

~ Joanna

Oh yes, of course I will. I must say, though, that the personalization is part of the genius of it.

RangerSteve

It is great if you can get access to the right person......I went to see a very reputable dietician here in Auckland, but she was actually very dismissive of my efforts in the gym, and kept on trying to give me goals to walk more etc even when I told her that I really enjoyed my gym training......and believed that woman need to build more muscle, and for bone health as we get older.....

Luckily I am doing reasonably well without her, and I will keep on looking fro a proper sports nutritionist that will not be dismissive of my lifestyle choices.....sounds as if you have found the right person...

What you posted basically highlights a lot of the problems I have had with so called nutrition experts.

"Why do you want to lift weights?"
"You shouldn't lift weights so much!"
"You only need 40 grams of protein a day."

It seems to be the canned response from a lot of them. Just because they want to look like a twig doesn't mean that the rest of us do. Like you mentioned in your post, a sports nutritionist would seem to be the better choice. At least they're more open about people who actually play sports.

lovejoydavid

I really need to do this, I think... my friend has been recommending her nutritionist to me for months, and I keep putting it off. She's not an RD, but she's been really helpful for my friend and it can't hurt to give her a try!!

It can hurt if the person gives you bad information that is dangerous. I've seen plenty of "dieticians" recommend extremely low levels of certain nutrients to people who exercise 3+ hours a day. Sitting through some classes and passing with a C average doesn't make someone an expert. Being an expert is a title that is earned.

For sure, which is why I sought one that had advanced certs in, and specialized with, sports dietetics. I also had the advantage of a wife who is a licensed athletic trainer (not a personal trainer) who could recommend her.

RangerSteve

I personally cannot afford it. All the conflicting information does get to be quite mind boggling. I'm constantly reading articles that conflict and I don't know who to believe.

Please feel free to share anything you learn from her that might help we poor college students, single moms, and the working poor.

~ Joanna

It's hard to sift through the BS but the best method is look for articles that have PEER REVIEWED studies backing them. If they don't, chances are it's just some random opinion from a person. Opinions do not matter, data matters. Data is compiled by statistical analysis in controlled environments. If you can sift through the harsh mathematical language of pub-med, that would be a good place to start. If not, the next time you read an article, look at the bottom for the sources. If the source is "Oprah.com" then you can ignore it and stick to things that say "American College of Sports Medicine" or something similar. Best of luck.

RangerSteve

I really need to do this, I think... my friend has been recommending her nutritionist to me for months, and I keep putting it off. She's not an RD, but she's been really helpful for my friend and it can't hurt to give her a try!!

It can hurt if the person gives you bad information that is dangerous. I've seen plenty of "dieticians" recommend extremely low levels of certain nutrients to people who exercise 3+ hours a day. Sitting through some classes and passing with a C average doesn't make someone an expert. Being an expert is a title that is earned.

You seemed to have hit the jackpot then. I hope it works out well for you. As for the bod pod, it's quite a fun experience. You should update us and let us know what your results are. Good luck.

For sure, which is why I sought one that had advanced certs in, and specialized with, sports dietetics. I also had the advantage of a wife who is a licensed athletic trainer (not a personal trainer) who could recommend her.

lsd007

Too bad everybody can't afford all of that.

Good for you though, and good luck on your half marathon!

I got the most comprehensive package she offered, which came to about $300 dollars. I actually paid for it with flex spending money. I don't know how many people are familiar with that program, but it is essentially the feds allowing you a certain amount of money contributed pretax that then have to be used in the same year for health and wellness programs. Frankly, if you omit the RMR and body pod, and just get a couple of counseling sessions, you can reduce it by more than half. To reduce insurance premiums, some companies are offering employees access to free sessions as part of wellness packages.

Sorry if what I posted sounded rude, I didn't want it to come across that way. It really does sound like it would be worth the money!! I am just one of those on the "if it isn't a bill, groceries, or gas I can't afford it" budgets. Hopefully someday!!

Xandi

I went to my General practitioner to get some blood work done.
I haven't had the success here that I should be having ( and am now being dragged under the wagon - I fell off, sort of).
I guess the big question is why?? so far everything is normal... although I am confused how 1200 calorie diet can be normal.
I think it is one of those things where I was hoping for an easy fix.. if there was something wrong... then I could fix it.

lovejoydavid

It is great if you can get access to the right person......I went to see a very reputable dietician here in Auckland, but she was actually very dismissive of my efforts in the gym, and kept on trying to give me goals to walk more etc even when I told her that I really enjoyed my gym training......and believed that woman need to build more muscle, and for bone health as we get older.....

Luckily I am doing reasonably well without her, and I will keep on looking fro a proper sports nutritionist that will not be dismissive of my lifestyle choices.....sounds as if you have found the right person...

What you posted basically highlights a lot of the problems I have had with so called nutrition experts.

"Why do you want to lift weights?"
"You shouldn't lift weights so much!"
"You only need 40 grams of protein a day."

It seems to be the canned response from a lot of them. Just because they want to look like a twig doesn't mean that the rest of us do. Like you mentioned in your post, a sports nutritionist would seem to be the better choice. At least they're more open about people who actually play sports.

It is helpful to remember that a nutritionist, in the vast majority of states, does not have to have any credentialling at all. Not a thing. A registered dietician, however, is licensed in all 50 states, has to sit for boards, and is required to have a degree. A sports dietician usually has an advanced cert beyond that. That gives them quite an advantage is sorting through research, as a nutritionist is not even required to take a basic statistics course. Heck, not even chemistry.

lovejoydavid

Too bad everybody can't afford all of that.

Good for you though, and good luck on your half marathon!

I got the most comprehensive package she offered, which came to about $300 dollars. I actually paid for it with flex spending money. I don't know how many people are familiar with that program, but it is essentially the feds allowing you a certain amount of money contributed pretax that then have to be used in the same year for health and wellness programs. Frankly, if you omit the RMR and body pod, and just get a couple of counseling sessions, you can reduce it by more than half. To reduce insurance premiums, some companies are offering employees access to free sessions as part of wellness packages.

Sorry if what I posted sounded rude, I didn't want it to come across that way. It really does sound like it would be worth the money!! I am just one of those on the "if it isn't a bill, groceries, or gas I can't afford it" budgets. Hopefully someday!!

No no! I understand completely, and can relate. I just feel that I wasted more money, time, effort, etc on not doing it. That being said, I think much can be accomplished just using this site.

Collinsky

I really need to do this, I think... my friend has been recommending her nutritionist to me for months, and I keep putting it off. She's not an RD, but she's been really helpful for my friend and it can't hurt to give her a try!!

It can hurt if the person gives you bad information that is dangerous. I've seen plenty of "dieticians" recommend extremely low levels of certain nutrients to people who exercise 3+ hours a day. Sitting through some classes and passing with a C average doesn't make someone an expert. Being an expert is a title that is earned.

Well, that's true, if I take bad info, that could hurt. I saw a nutritionist in January, and he was really, really nice... but completely useless for what I needed. I had to discard almost all of what he said to me, because it was just wrong for my situation. This nutritionist will do an intro consult for very little, so I can get a feel for how well she listens and understands my needs and goals, and what I'm doing.

lovejoydavid

I personally cannot afford it. All the conflicting information does get to be quite mind boggling. I'm constantly reading articles that conflict and I don't know who to believe.

Please feel free to share anything you learn from her that might help we poor college students, single moms, and the working poor.

~ Joanna

It's hard to sift through the BS but the best method is look for articles that have PEER REVIEWED studies backing them. If they don't, chances are it's just some random opinion from a person. Opinions do not matter, data matters. Data is compiled by statistical analysis in controlled environments. If you can sift through the harsh mathematical language of pub-med, that would be a good place to start. If not, the next time you read an article, look at the bottom for the sources. If the source is "Oprah.com" then you can ignore it and stick to things that say "American College of Sports Medicine" or something similar. Best of luck.

Darn right. I admit to the great advantage of a degree focused on physiology, a statistics course of two, and several courses on just health research. Not to mention a wife who spent three years just living that crap! The oprah thing was hilarious, BTW.

lovejoydavid

I went to my General practitioner to get some blood work done.
I haven't had the success here that I should be having ( and am now being dragged under the wagon - I fell off, sort of).
I guess the big question is why?? so far everything is normal... although I am confused how 1200 calorie diet can be normal.
I think it is one of those things where I was hoping for an easy fix.. if there was something wrong... then I could fix it.

I am sorry, that sounds discouraging. It might help to have you RMR tested, and to have a pro review your diet. Without seeing your panels, I cannot help you with interpreting your labs.

Collinsky

I went to my General practitioner to get some blood work done.
I haven't had the success here that I should be having ( and am now being dragged under the wagon - I fell off, sort of).
I guess the big question is why?? so far everything is normal... although I am confused how 1200 calorie diet can be normal.
I think it is one of those things where I was hoping for an easy fix.. if there was something wrong... then I could fix it.

Xandi - there are some things that GPs just aren't always trained to look for. One thing is hypothyroidism -- your thyroid hormone levels can come back within the "normal" range that they were taught, and they'll say, "Oh, that's not it, then!" But if you showed that same level and gave your symptoms to an endocrinologist, they may have a very different diagnosis and treatment. That's just one example of something that can be missed easily.

Xandi

Thanks,
I will at least be able to talk to the Dr. about other tests that can be done and other people to see.

lovejoydavid

A quick note to everyone, I just tested RMR on a fun little device with my nutritionist, and despite rigorous training and an increase in muscle mass, it actually has gone down somewhat! It would appear that as we train, our bodies become more efficient, and our calories need lessen (for our resting). My RMR was only 1860, quite below what this site predicted, and about 8% below average. I have adjusted my goals accordingly.

mynameisnutz

A quick note to everyone, I just tested RMR on a fun little device with my nutritionist, and despite rigorous training and an increase in muscle mass, it actually has gone down somewhat! It would appear that as we train, our bodies become more efficient, and our calories need lessen (for our resting). My RMR was only 1860, quite below what this site predicted, and about 8% below average. I have adjusted my goals accordingly.

Your RMR can also fluctuate based on hormonal (im)balances. That's where micronutrients start to come into play.

lovejoydavid

A quick note to everyone, I just tested RMR on a fun little device with my nutritionist, and despite rigorous training and an increase in muscle mass, it actually has gone down somewhat! It would appear that as we train, our bodies become more efficient, and our calories need lessen (for our resting). My RMR was only 1860, quite below what this site predicted, and about 8% below average. I have adjusted my goals accordingly.

Your RMR can also fluctuate based on hormonal (im)balances. That's where micronutrients start to come into play.

Are you caling me hormonal?!! It was just an Indirect calorimeter to measure oxygen consumption, so I assume a greatly reduced resting heart rate and increased biochemical effciency had quite a bit to do with it. However, I did just flip between my night shift position and my day shift life, so you may be on to something.