My appointment with the Nutritionist
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Hi Brooke - I originally started by weight loss journey a few years at 240 lbs and lost about 70 pounds. I had regular visits with registered professional dieticians and never once did they tell me to eat back my exercise calories or calculate net calories. Its different for each person, but I started out on a 1400 calorie per day limit (not eating back calories). Once I hit that marker, I was done with food for the day. Honestly, with eating clean with veggies, fruits, lean proteins, and low carbs, 1400 is a lot and sometimes I struggle to get up that high. It is important to note that its not all about the number of calories you consume...it has a lot to do with what foods make up those calories. Extra exercise calories burned will only help you. if you cut 500 calories per day from your diet, hypothetically you will loose 1 lb per week (3500 calories). Any exercise calories add to that deficit. That being said, if you are exercising quite a bit and find yourself lacking energy, by all means pump up your calorie intake by 100 calories and see if that works better for you.0
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Q: Does this apply the same way if I don't NET 1200 calories.
A: Net calories mean nothing. If you eat your recommend calorie intake for the day then exercise off a good portion, your body still got those calories. Your body still got the nutrients. Don't pay attention to net calories.
Q: Do you recommend eating exercise calories?
A: No. We recommend you aim to eat the same amount each day. So if you start eating your exercise calories your body might adjust to the higher calorie intakes. Plus you might not see as many pounds lost.
As a newbie, I am now extra confused, wahh
- I just barely figured out what net calories are and how they work! (I know, I'm slow, ha ha). So now I am thinking maybe I shouldn't be eating them back? Maybe I need to experiment more..hmmm0 -
Did you see a "nutritionist" or a registered dietitian?
There's absolutely, positively, no way a dietician wrote those replies.
They sound like pretty standard dietician replies to me. They are not the answers I'd expect from a sports nutritionist, but from a medical dietician they sound about right.0 -
Did you see a "nutritionist" or a registered dietitian?
There's absolutely, positively, no way a dietician wrote those replies.
They sound like pretty standard dietician replies to me. They are not the answers I'd expect from a sports nutritionist, but from a medical dietician they sound about right.
What makes you say that?0 -
So how would you have answered them?
I'm only a student but if I were meeting with a client in my supervised practice, this is how I would have addressed the questions.
Q: Is starvation mode real and at what point does it kick in?
A: "Starvation mode" is how the body responds to prolonged periods of reduced caloric intake. True physiological starvation (demonstrated in the Minnesota starvation study, look this up for more info) may be seen during famines for example, or other times of several restricted caloric intake. The body isn't getting the energy or nutrients it needs, and in addition to using it's own fat for energy, the body will start to break down lean body mass as well. It does NOT "kick in" at 1200 calories
Q: Does this apply the same way if I don't NET 1200 calories.
A: Yes. If you eat 1200 calories but then you burn 1200 calories through exercise, you are not providing your body adequate energy to maintain all the other vital functions.
Q: Do you recommend eating exercise calories?
A: It depends upon how you've calculated your calorie needs. If you determined needs based on a sedentary activity level, yes, eat those back. If you set your goal based upon a higher activity level, no, don't eat them back, because that activity is already accounted for in your calorie allotment.
Q: What if I'm really hungry after a hard workout?
A: Eat! Choose a snack that provides both carbs and protein.
Q: Do you promote calorie cycling?
A: I don't promote it but I don't have a problem with it. It can help some people break through a plateau.
Q: Well, I've noticed that when I do calorie cycling I lose more that week.
A: I'm glad you've found something that works for you.
Q: Why am I more hungry some days than others?
A: Day to day changes in the body. I do mostly agree with what your nutritionist said on this question.
Q: What is your opinion on juicing?
A: It's a good way to get a lot of nutrients, but it doesn't have the benefit of fiber that you get from eating whole fruits and vegetables.
Q: What is the recommended weight loss rate?
A: In general I'd say 1 lb a week. For someone who is very obese, it can be more. For someone who is very close to their goal weight I'd only aim for 0.5 lb a week.
Q: How much exercise is enough?
A: General recommendations are 30 minutes a day, five days a week. But it is very dependent upon your own personal goals. Whether you're trying to lose weight, build muscle, etc. The type of exercise factors is too. 30 minutes of running is gonna be different than 30 minutes of walking. Or 30 minutes of yoga.
Q: I'm kinda all over the place with exercise. Haven't found anything I love so I mix it up. Is this ok?
A: That's fine. I am glad to hear you're doing strength training. Just be sure you are doing a strength training routine written by a professional, at this point in your fitness journey. Order and type of exercises is important. Going into the weight room and just doing whatever you feel like isn't going to be quite as beneficial.
Let me know if you want me to elaborate on anything and I'd be happy to.
This was very interesting to read. Thanks so the reply.
As far as strength training I met with a personal trainer and we created a plan based on my needs and injury history. : )0 -
I think it all sounds very reasonable to me. Maybe the people saying she is a moron are actually morons themselves.
Hey now, I'm not a doctor but I play one on MFP. And a dietitian, and a personal trainer, and a sports injury expert. I read a couple books and webpages and I KNOW I'm right. Now back in the corner with you troll. How dare you question my wisdom.
Yep.
I got credentials.0 -
This was very interesting to read. Thanks so the reply.
As far as strength training I met with a personal trainer and we created a plan based on my needs and injury history. : )
Oh great! I am glad to hear that. Working with someone who knows what they're doing is especially important if you've been injured in the past.0 -
They really said that the body could survive on say a net of 500 calories? For example, you ate 1,200 and burned 700 with excercise? That's somewhat frightening to me.
That's what I thought also. That's what prompted me to ask her. I eat 1700 calories. Some days I burn 1000 in exercise. So I net 700. I think I will just listen to my body on this one. If I'm hungry I'll eat a little more. Not the full 1000 since MFP over exaggerates calories burned.0 -
Even experts (like say the FDA, USDA) tell people information that THEY think the individual needs to hear to better themselves.
Nobody really wants the truth, because no one wants to admit how truly incompetent our available knowledge base is on mosts subjects.
So very, very true!0 -
Did you see a "nutritionist" or a registered dietitian?
There's absolutely, positively, no way a dietician wrote those replies.
They sound like pretty standard dietician replies to me. They are not the answers I'd expect from a sports nutritionist, but from a medical dietician they sound about right.
What makes you say that?
I work in healthcare and until she switched her focus, my daughter was studying to be one so she has a lot of friends who are now registered dieticians. Plus, I'm just really interested in nutrition (from a health perspective more than body composition). So I've talked to quite a few and read more than a few articles by them.0 -
Did you see a "nutritionist" or a registered dietitian?
There's absolutely, positively, no way a dietician wrote those replies.
They sound like pretty standard dietician replies to me. They are not the answers I'd expect from a sports nutritionist, but from a medical dietician they sound about right.
What makes you say that?
I work in healthcare and until she switched her focus, my daughter was studying to be one so she has a lot of friends who are now registered dieticians. Plus, I'm just really interested in nutrition (from a health perspective more than body composition). So I've talked to quite a few and read more than a few articles by them.
Like I said earlier, I'm studying to be a dietitian myself and from the dietitians I've worked with, I don't think those sound like standard responses. At least not from someone who's focused on evidence-based practice and keeping up with current research in the world of nutrition.0 -
They really said that the body could survive on say a net of 500 calories? For example, you ate 1,200 and burned 700 with excercise? That's somewhat frightening to me.
That's what I thought also. That's what prompted me to ask her. I eat 1700 calories. Some days I burn 1000 in exercise. So I net 700. I think I will just listen to my body on this one. If I'm hungry I'll eat a little more. Not the full 1000 since MFP over exaggerates calories burned.
The body can survive on 700 total calories. It's not the ideal but there is an increasing movement in the medical field to reduce weight quickly for those that have a lot to lose. Many doctors now even advocate surgery intervention before morbid obesity because of the mounting evidence that it can reverse diabetes.
Being obese is worse for your health than starvation mode, and a lot easier to correct. You can rev your metabolism up a lot quicker than you can drop 100 lbs.
Other than possibly smoking there are few things worse for your health than being very overweight.0 -
Did you see a "nutritionist" or a registered dietitian?
There's absolutely, positively, no way a dietician wrote those replies.
They sound like pretty standard dietician replies to me. They are not the answers I'd expect from a sports nutritionist, but from a medical dietician they sound about right.
What makes you say that?
I work in healthcare and until she switched her focus, my daughter was studying to be one so she has a lot of friends who are now registered dieticians. Plus, I'm just really interested in nutrition (from a health perspective more than body composition). So I've talked to quite a few and read more than a few articles by them.
Like I said earlier, I'm studying to be a dietitian myself and from the dietitians I've worked with, I don't think those sound like standard responses. At least not from someone who's focused on evidence-based practice and keeping up with current research in the world of nutrition.
I've seen numerous posts on MFP from members who have met with dieticians that say pretty much the same thing. They are all met with responses similar to those on this thread. The dietician is wrong. S/he is a quack. Get your money back.
But they all pretty much say the same thing.0 -
Well if that's the case, sounds like there are a lot of crappy RDs out there. Makes me sad to hear that. I guess I've been fortunate to be around ones who know what they're talking about.0
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Sounds spot-on to what my dietician told me earlier this year, also. When I mentioned eating back exercise calories, she was genuinely surprised anyone would want to do that. But, that's a different conversation that's happened 187,000 times on these boards. I think like most people say, there's no definite right or wrong, just listen to your body.0
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Well if that's the case, sounds like there are a lot of crappy RDs out there. Makes me sad to hear that. I guess I've been fortunate to be around ones who know what they're talking about.
Or they just know more than a student.0 -
Well if that's the case, sounds like there are a lot of crappy RDs out there. Makes me sad to hear that. I guess I've been fortunate to be around ones who know what they're talking about.
Or they just know more than a student.
It's not nice to make someone laugh that hard, especially when drinking water. Ouch.0 -
After #1 I stopped. She is a quack find someone else. And maybe recommend that she read the entire study that the starvation mode lies are based on. It is a Minnesota study, here is the Wikipedia article, which is not the full study -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment
If she has issues getting the facts from it, maybe she can go back to school and learn reading comprehension.0 -
I think it all sounds very reasonable to me. Maybe the people saying she is a moron are actually morons themselves.
No, they are just smart enough to be able to read and comprehend all at the same time.0 -
I think it all sounds very reasonable to me. Maybe the people saying she is a moron are actually morons themselves.
This is what drives me nuts
"i don't' like your opinion so i'm going to result to petty name calling" I'm sure i will come under fire for saying this, and it might mean i'm stooping to your level.
We are adults, act like one. People come here for support not to be **** on.0 -
Q: Does this apply the same way if I don't NET 1200 calories.
A: Net calories mean nothing. If you eat your recommend calorie intake for the day then exercise off a good portion, your body still got those calories. Your body still got the nutrients. Don't pay attention to net calories.
Q: Do you recommend eating exercise calories?
A: No. We recommend you aim to eat the same amount each day. So if you start eating your exercise calories your body might adjust to the higher calorie intakes. Plus you might not see as many pounds lost.
As a newbie, I am now extra confused, wahh - I just barely figured out what net calories are and how they work! (I know, I'm slow, ha ha). So now I am thinking maybe I shouldn't be eating them back? Maybe I need to experiment more..hmmm
Do what works for your body. I think the key is to figure out how much you need to eat and exercise in order to lose 1% of your body weight per week. If you're obese your body is able to shed more weight quickly. I started at 220, which was about 20 lbs into obese for my height. I was eating 1400 cals a day as a base and I ate my exercise cals back. I do not have a heart rate monitor, so I always record my exercise cals conservatively. I started out aiming to lose 2lb per week, but typically lost 2.5 until I broke through 200 lbs. I lost at 2 lbs. per week for about another 10 lbs, but then started to slow more after that. I play with my base cals and I always eat back a conservative amount of my exercise cals. I did have the occasional cheat for special occasions and what not, but I never ate over maintenance cals on those days. I don't know if I got lucky when it came to figuring out what my body needed or if it was me deciding to be completely honest with myself about how much I was eating and exercising. I think it's honesty. I used a few tools to keep me honest as well. I bought a reliable bathroom scale and I weigh every day. I also have a food scale and lots of measuring cups and spoons. I weigh or measure everything. This is after all about reteaching yourself how to eat right, which includes portion sizes.0 -
After #1 I stopped. She is a quack find someone else. And maybe recommend that she read the entire study that the starvation mode lies are based on. It is a Minnesota study, here is the Wikipedia article, which is not the full study -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment
If she has issues getting the facts from it, maybe she can go back to school and learn reading comprehension.
Saying that medical professionals don't have good reading comprehension just because they say something you don't agree with is ridiculous. Perhaps it varies state to state, but where I live RD is an 8 year degree and it requires annual CEU's to keep your license.
The OP got advice from a licensed medical professional for her specific needs. The advice for someone else might be different, and it might not. But I hope she is smart enough to take the advice from the professional over random internet users. If something seems confusing or contradictory to what you read on the web, discuss it with the professional. But don't expect the advice to always be what you want to hear.0 -
I agree with Jadenwind17! Some of the replys to posts I've seen lately are downright rude and not supportive at all, which is the opposite of what I thought this website was about. Everyone will always have their opinions so take them with a grain of salt and keep moving forward
Thanks for sharing your appointment with us! 0 -
Well if that's the case, sounds like there are a lot of crappy RDs out there. Makes me sad to hear that. I guess I've been fortunate to be around ones who know what they're talking about.
Or they just know more than a student.
Damn, you're really hurting my feelings.
As someone who's currently in school studying the latest research and in the midst of a clinical internship, I feel like I do sorta know what I'm talking about. I guess a license is the only thing I'm lacking if I want people to take me seriously. Because having a license automatically means you're right, obviously.0 -
Amazing how a post from someone that clearly states what was told to the for their situation by someone who has studied and went to school to learn a profession must be completely wrong, a moron, stupid etc simply because you do not agree with them. I have read plenty of articles and talked to numerous people with degrees in nutrition and related fields and my sister in law is a Endocrinologist with her PhD and getting her degree in nutrition as well. I have picked her brain for info. I am currently about half way through my Certified Personal Trainer course through NASM. I have lost 67lbs went from a 42 pants waist to a 29, so with all that said can I give advice at this point and say I must be right over all others and these others are morons? NO!
Ease up on people, it helps no one when you bash others to make yourself feel better then others because you think you know more then EVERYONE else.
Enjoy your journey to getting and staying healthy for what ever reason you choose.0 -
This site promotes eating back calories. Nutritionist and Dietitians do not usually. I will tell you that when I was eating my exercise calories back I did not lose. When I eat 1200 a day (balanced and good foods) and exercised I lost MORE. Yes, I have done this over 3 months...Some things work better for others. My mom is the opposite. She has to eat her exercise calories back to lose weight.0
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I think it all sounds very reasonable to me. Maybe the people saying she is a moron are actually morons themselves.
Yeah... calling someone a moron that was obviously educated in this field?? Pretty funny if you ask me.0 -
I never called anyone a moron lol. Just that the advice sounded fishy and not like something I would expect a dietitian to say to a client based on my experiences and observations.0
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Like, it's ridiculous to tell someone you MUST workout for an hour a day, six days a week. That is a flat-out lie.
^^ I head this from a dietician as well. I'm pretty sure I was told that is the new guideline--can't remember exactly though.
I find the answers interesting because they are what I have been told by dieticians as well (as a Type 1 diabetic, I've been seeing registered dieticians for years). Of course, the things I was told in 1990 are not the same things I am being told today.0 -
^^This^^Amazing how a post from someone that clearly states what was told to the for their situation by someone who has studied and went to school to learn a profession must be completely wrong, a moron, stupid etc simply because you do not agree with them. I have read plenty of articles and talked to numerous people with degrees in nutrition and related fields and my sister in law is a Endocrinologist with her PhD and getting her degree in nutrition as well. I have picked her brain for info. I am currently about half way through my Certified Personal Trainer course through NASM. I have lost 67lbs went from a 42 pants waist to a 29, so with all that said can I give advice at this point and say I must be right over all others and these others are morons? NO!
Ease up on people, it helps no one when you bash others to make yourself feel better then others because you think you know more then EVERYONE else.
Enjoy your journey to getting and staying healthy for what ever reason you choose.0
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