Dietitian, Nutritionist or neither?

Wow. Thanks for all the replies, links and advice everyone!

Can I cook? Meh, my skills are pretty limited, but I'm not afraid to learn. I've relied too much on fast food chains and easy to make processed foods to do my cooking for me over the years. Now I am paying the piper. It seems obvious that learning to cook is going to be a basic skill I need to acquire to be successful, so I will learn. Though I love chicken breast it is definitely getting tiresome using it as my main staple, especially without the benefit of buttered mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce.

xrachel2014 brought up a point that I feel is important. She mentioned that though she is a dietitian, she works in a hospital setting and wouldn't be able to give "exercise dietetic advice". The dietitian I was referred to and spoke with over the phone has 30 years experience, but her expertise is in working with senior citizens combating diabetes. She may not be the best fit for me and my goals. Against all odds, I still have a good amount of muscle under this fat and I do not want to lose it during weight loss. I don't want a one size fits all meal/nutrition plan. I need one tailored for my goals. I know that with the right information and advice I can make a sustainable plan for myself. I believe in the give someone a fish, feed them for a day. Teach someone to fish, feed them for a lifetime approach to life. I don't want to depend on a health professional to keep me on track. I believe that's up to me and I have to own that. I just need a little help acquiring the knowledge and some guidance in using it. I am starting to think I can get a lot of that here on MFP.

There is so much contradictory information online that I sometimes feel like I am chasing my tail. That's why I considered a dietitian. It's not difficult to start to feel overwhelmed while trying to sift through it all. Coming to MFP has already helped me. I will take a look at the skinnytaste link and the books mentioned.

Thanks again to everyone that's responding. I do appreciate you taking the time to offer me guidance. (*)

Thank you jgnatca. You don't know how badly I want a cheese burger. I will give that a read.

Thanks for that link Lounmoun. I didn't know about it and the info looks useful. I haven't had any bread or milk in 2 weeks. Part of the reason is that I am trying to veer away from eating so much of both as bread and milk have been daily staples for me for years. Some of the reading I've done demonizes bread as the great evil. Now I see the I should probably include some in my diet.

Thanks for the reply JPW1990.

Thanks rabbitjb! Oh, sweet cheeseburgers! Life is good.

From the replies it looks like most favor a dietitian over a nutritionist. Noted. Thanks for the responses. I am going to put a dietitian visit on the back burner to give myself enough time to research and absorb the info on the links folks have posted for me. I am going to go forward with starting free weights and using a PT to correct my form. If it takes more than one session for me to be doing it right, then so be it. It's a good investment.

Thank you everyone who's tried to help. This was my first post after reading the forums for a few days looking for answers. You guys have taken some of the stress I was feeling off of my shoulders and I absotively appreciate it!

Thanks jgnatca.