Nutritionist? Are they Worth the $$$?
trackercasey76
Posts: 781 Member
I have a friend that has lost 100+ pounds with the help of a nutritionist, he swears by it. However it seems pretty simple to me Calories in VS Calories out... I have lost over a 100 pounds in the past with this simplistic approach but I put 60 back on so I am torn. Your thoughts?
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I'm cheap, so no, not worth it for me. I never pay anyone for anything I can learn on my own. I only pay others as a last resort (when I'm at my wits end....and that happens very very rarely). Losing weight is really too easy for me to ever pay anyone to tell me what to eat. And if you don't have the motivation to lose the weight (which really is why most fail), a nutritionist won't help you in the long run.0
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If calories in VS calories out worked for you in the past why would it be any different now?
Years (15yrs) ago I tried a nutritionist and I found this site in 2008 and I never looked back and kick myself for wasting a lot of money. IJS0 -
bump...curious too. My extended health covers nutritionists as well but I'm not sure if they'll tell me anything I don't already know...0
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You won't need any professional help to get into a normal body weight range. But to see your abs, well that that's a whole new bucket of worms. Same concepts, it's just more difficult to get there. Still doable, you never need to hire anybody, but they have their benefits when you're within maybe 20 lbs or so.0
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In most jurisdictions, a "nutritonist" is NOT the same thing as a registered dietitian.
A registered dietitian must be licensed by the local regulatory body and follow certain standards of knowledge and health. Typically, dietitians work in conjunction with doctors, hospitals or other medical groups. Many insurance plans will cover referrals by a doctor to a dietitian.
A "nutritionist" on the other hand could be anyone. There are usually no laws whatsoever governing who can call themselves a nutritionist. It could be a really knowledgeable person or it could be a quack. Some notable segments of the quackery market (e.g. "holistic nutrition") have tried to co-opt the nutritionist term, so many of them might not be just clueless, but might actually be giving you advice that could do you harm.
Caveat emptor.0 -
A nutritionist: NO.
A Registered Dietitian: Maybe.
There is an enormous distinction in terms of education and certification between the two. Being a nutritionist means exactly nothing, as there are no specific criteria that need to be met to call yourself one. An RD needs a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in nutrition, a year-long internship in a clinical setting, and to have passed a national exam.
If you feel you really need help getting on track and are willing to pay for it, make sure you are paying someone who actually deserves to get paid for their services and aren't full of crap, as many "nutritionists" are.0 -
True, I'd only be able to see a Registered Dietitian as part of my extended health. Has anyone been to one before? I'm 15 lbs from goal weight.0
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Jennifer_Lynn_1982 wrote: »True, I'd only be able to see a Registered Dietitian as part of my extended health. Has anyone been to one before? I'm 15 lbs from goal weight.
With only 15 lbs to lose, I'd say save your money. You can easily do it on your own for freesies. I'd venture to say RDs are mostly beneficial for people who have a LOT of weight to lose, have certain dietary restrictions they need help working around, or are completely utterly clueless. You don'[t sound like you fit any of those criteria.
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Hundreds of millions of folks lose weight and live healthier lives without nutritionists, personal trainers, dietitians, and health coaches.
They are absolutely unnecessary.
If you enjoy just throwing your money away, though, and feel the need - you can feel free to throw it at me..0 -
SergeantSausage wrote: »Hundreds of millions of folks lose weight and live healthier lives without nutritionists, personal trainers, dietitians, and health coaches.
They are absolutely unnecessary.
+1
I don't think normal people without some kind of medical condition need someone to tell them how to eat properly. I really don't understand it.
However, if you have some kind of medically-required need to eat in a particular way (for example, my mother has a condition that requires her to watch her iron intake, as well as some other issues), a dietician--not a nutritionist--can be helpful and a good idea.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »SergeantSausage wrote: »Hundreds of millions of folks lose weight and live healthier lives without nutritionists, personal trainers, dietitians, and health coaches.
They are absolutely unnecessary.
+1
I don't think normal people without some kind of medical condition need someone to tell them how to eat properly. I really don't understand it.
However, if you have some kind of medically-required need to eat in a particular way (for example, my mother has a condition that requires her to watch her iron intake, as well as some other issues), a dietician--not a nutritionist--can be helpful and a good idea.
^^ This.
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I think a visit to a dietician can be well worth it. They can give you some ideas of things you can eat that maybe you never thought of. If keeping the weight off is something you struggle with, then maybe getting some guidance about ways to keep it off would be helpful. There's no harm in trying. I'm surprised by how many people in this thread who say that it isn't worth the money. It doesn't sound like any of them have tried it out. i say go for it.0
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I think at the end of the day what is "worth it" to you will be different that what is "worth it" to me. I wouldn't pay for the information b/c I know I wouldn't stick to the information.
I think worth it comes down to did you benefit from it? I'm sure your friend feels that the money she spent was worth it b/c she's at a healthier weight and probably feels much better about herself and her health.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »SergeantSausage wrote: »Hundreds of millions of folks lose weight and live healthier lives without nutritionists, personal trainers, dietitians, and health coaches.
They are absolutely unnecessary.
+1
I don't think normal people without some kind of medical condition need someone to tell them how to eat properly.
Agreed completely. But the sad fact of the matter is, thousands of people with nothing wrong with them DO need someone to tell them how to eat properly. The US as a whole is just getting fatter and unhealthier and more ignorant in regards to nutrition, and now we need people to help. Maybe in a few generations, with enough RDs and other experts in the field, we can reverse it.
I am a dietetics major, and am going to be an RD. Not because I want to capitalize on the ignorance of others, but because it's a field in very high demand and I genuinely want to help people who don't know how to help themselves.
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I think it's worth it for people who really need help understanding the nuts and bolts of nutrition. I think it could be very useful for someone new to macronutrients and the value of carbs vs. protein vs. fat. I also think it would be useful for someone who has not previously tracked micronutrients as well.
Also it could help people who have specific cases i.e. trying to build muscle, trying to burn fat, trying to lengthen the muscles vs bulking, and want a specific body type.
But to be honest, as someone who has been teaching herself about nutrition for the last 5 years, I don't need it right now. Maybe someday, but I'm doing fine on my own at this point.
So it's up to you... are you doing okay on your own?0 -
Well I tried losing weight by counting calories and balancing my macros. I made a conscious effort to eat more fats and protein, even though I love carbs. I ate 4 eggs a week and cheese and meat...
I am glad I went to a doctor! It turns out I have high cholesterol at 24 and my iron levels were pretty high too. I don't even have that much to lose (23.9 BMI).
So for losing weight, there's no need for medical help but for health I would say go for it! Everyone is different and rules like "1 gram of protein per lbs of lean mass" do not fit everyone's needs.
Now a nutritionist apparently is not a doctor, so if he can't do blood work or anything, what is the point?0 -
If they are liscensed then sure. I was always told calories in calories out but there was really so much more that was going on for me. My gym offers a progam that has a group of about eight working with a trainer three days a week and included a nutritionist one day a week. I have a hormone imbalance that she was able to use to help me put certian foods into perspective. We also identified foods that were personally inflammatory to me as well as those that I did not realize that I was mildly allergic to. Also, she helped me identify foods that messed with my sleep cyle or caused me to wake up starving the next day and/or caused me to carb crave like hell. I went from frequent insommnia to mild insommnia and I went from having charlie horse leg cramps at least once a week to not having had a single one in the last two years. Well worth the money for that alone to me.0
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I think a nutritionist is a tool. At the end of the day, no matter what they tell you, it's up to you to do the work and get the results. That being said, some people benefit from it. Hearing and learning from someone who is qualified can be a major asset. It's like personal training, for some, worth the cost, for others they can accomplish the same ends with different means.0
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Sophsmother wrote: »I think a visit to a dietician can be well worth it. They can give you some ideas of things you can eat that maybe you never thought of.
Other things that can do this: restaurants, blogs, cookbooks, the farmer's market.
It's like there's a lack of self-motivation, and people want to just be told what to do. I think that's a bad sign.
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In most jurisdictions, a "nutritonist" is NOT the same thing as a registered dietitian.
A registered dietitian must be licensed by the local regulatory body and follow certain standards of knowledge and health. Typically, dietitians work in conjunction with doctors, hospitals or other medical groups. Many insurance plans will cover referrals by a doctor to a dietitian.
A "nutritionist" on the other hand could be anyone. There are usually no laws whatsoever governing who can call themselves a nutritionist. It could be a really knowledgeable person or it could be a quack. Some notable segments of the quackery market (e.g. "holistic nutrition") have tried to co-opt the nutritionist term, so many of them might not be just clueless, but might actually be giving you advice that could do you harm.
Caveat emptor.AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »A nutritionist: NO.
A Registered Dietitian: Maybe.
There is an enormous distinction in terms of education and certification between the two. Being a nutritionist means exactly nothing, as there are no specific criteria that need to be met to call yourself one. An RD needs a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in nutrition, a year-long internship in a clinical setting, and to have passed a national exam.
If you feel you really need help getting on track and are willing to pay for it, make sure you are paying someone who actually deserves to get paid for their services and aren't full of crap, as many "nutritionists" are.
+1 for these.
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Some years ago I had a dietician review a week of my eating. She was well respected in Toronto, writing a column in the Toronto Star, tv appearances etc. She told me to add calcium supplements and gave me these delicious chews. I was surprised because I thought I had plenty of dairy and other good sources of calcium in my food diary. But those chews were really yummy. So I bought them and just enjoyed. The visit with her was part of an executive annual medical that was incredibly thorough. The following year they found a tiny kidney stone. I didn't put two and two together until after I stopped eating the chews and the kidney stone disappeared. Subsequent years I asked to skip the visit with the dietician.0
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shadowofender wrote: »I think a nutritionist is a tool. At the end of the day, no matter what they tell you, it's up to you to do the work and get the results. That being said, some people benefit from it. Hearing and learning from someone who is qualified can be a major asset. It's like personal training, for some, worth the cost, for others they can accomplish the same ends with different means.
Agree completely I was referred to one by my doctor think went for one session and never returned. I was still in denial at that stage. My wife was with me and laughed when they showed me portion of steak I could eat which by the way is the same portion I am using today. So it's like any other tool and depends on how you use it. Similarly like these programmes that prepare you meals for you I feel that they are a waste of money, for me at least since I am now using MFP to determine my portion of food each meal.0 -
Went to a well known nutritionist and it worked. I had to be accountable so more than anything it helped that way. That was a long time ago
Started seeing a Dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic last week who specialized in sports. Eye opener. Lots more knowledge transfer. A lot of training/exercise knowledge as she works with pro athletes and Olympic athletes.
Dietician might be a bit more but totally worth it. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. I'm a nutritionist. there...see? easy0 -
If it was free, I'd totally go. I'm having success on MFP, but this could be useful too.0
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I have a friend who has had a personal trainer/nutritionist for about three years now, and she sees her once a week ... and honestly, I think it's a total waste of money. She has lost maybe 10 lbs in that time (heck, I have lost 30 since April 2014 w/o a paid person); granted, she does not log as consistently as she should, so it's a lot on her. What really bugs me about the whole thing though is that she has some back/hip problems that, with proper exercise, should have gotten a lot better but have not. I know she works out, so I am always wondering if her trainer actually gives her the wrong advice *shrug*
But I think that by experimenting with the macros and then sticking to them for a while to see if it works is a really good approach. And it's free. Besides, if you want to, you can always monitor micros as well. Your body will tell you if you are doing the right thing (at least mine does with being less exhausted etc.) Just my two cents.0 -
Lots of RDs work with diabetes clinics or in other specialties where people frequently need to "un-learn" or "re-learn" everything they thought they knew about nutrition. Being diagnosed with a condition that forces you to dramatically change or restrict your diet can be daunting, and the help of a dietitian can be really important in the early stages.
Also, people who have many food allergies, are very picky eaters or who have food phobias can find dietitians helpful when trying to plan a meal plan that includes all their required nutritional need.
So no, they're not useless. They can be very helpful.
BUT... if you're generally doing okay and you have no specific health or food issues, most of the info can be easily learned just by reading up and doing.0 -
If you already know the diet side of losing weight, maybe you need more in terms of emotional support? I don't know if this is the same for you, but I lost and gained about 50 pounds, and I think while I knew all about how to lose weight, my head wasn't in the right place. If you think having someone support you along the way like a nutritionist would work, and if you have the money for it, then that's your call.0
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If you already know the diet side of losing weight, maybe you need more in terms of emotional support? I don't know if this is the same for you, but I lost and gained about 50 pounds, and I think while I knew all about how to lose weight, my head wasn't in the right place. If you think having someone support you along the way like a nutritionist would work, and if you have the money for it, then that's your call.
In that case, a psychologist or therapist might be a better bet than a nutritionist.
Seriously, beware people billing themselves as nutritionists.0 -
I starting going to a nutritionist about a year ago. I was so fed up of food and feeling sick all of the time and I didn't know where else to turn. It's honestly been one of the best things I've done for myself. It's made me make better choices about food in general and it helped me to figure out what foods work for my body. I knew the general principles surrounding nutrition and weight loss to begin with but she provided me with so much more insight than that. In terms of weight loss, that wasn't a priority for me but eating better in general has helped a lot. I saw her for a few months until it got to the point of me being comfortable figuring out my own meal plans and recipes. Now I email her on occasion if I need help but that's a rarity.0
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