So, I went to a dietician....

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Replies

  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    I agree that he's trying to set up a plan that you will notice quick results. You would be surprised how many people give up too soon because they don't see immediate results.

    Having said that if you are already questioning him I would say find someone else or work with him as long as you are able to articulate what you want out of the experience.
  • xmarye
    xmarye Posts: 385 Member
    The reason why you got sick at that point was maybe because you lowered your calories too much and so your immune system got weak. Also, the reason why you don't see the scale moving much when working out might be because you tear down your muscle and then while it repairs itself it retains water. Once your muscles are repaired the water is flushed out of your system, but if you workout consistently you might not get to see that... which gets demotivating. I would suggest perhaps adding more ways of tracking progress, such as measurements?

    There are a million ways to go about it of course. You might want to train from the start, but I think if you have a lot if weight to shed you should maybe focus on weight loss and then on body re-composition to see faster results and stay motivated. I have found myself that dieting while working out is kinda hard since it makes me feel ravenous. It's easier to lower your calories when you're less active. Faster isn't always better though... but most importantly just find what works for YOU and do that. The only way to figure it out is by trial and error!

    Ultimately, it's all up to you, but it is true that to maintain the most muscle mass as you can while you lose weight you should maintain a good amount of protein in your diet and strength train to ensure you look the best you can once the weight is gone. You won't be building muscle though since you would need to be in a surplus and muscle takes very long to build (like 1-2lbs per MONTH!) so that wouldn't be the reason why you don't see the scale moving. More like water retention as I was explaining.

    Hope this helps, good luck on your journey! And remember, it's not about being perfect, it's about progression! Keep grinding and you'll get where you want to be inevitably :) oxox
  • MarilynCurves
    MarilynCurves Posts: 25 Member
    According to you, you already know what to do; your issue is adherence. Therefore, it doesn't matter what the dietician recommends, since you're not going to follow his advice anyway (I love these "bash the so-called-professionals" posts).

    And I wouldn't worry about losing muscle mass, if you're not losing any weight.

    It wasn't my intention to "bash" anyone. All I meant was that his advice contradicted so much that I'd seen and read in the past, that I came away feeling confused. I also think he should've addressed my concerns a little. Part of my referral for him was to seek help with reflux. He didn't mention it once.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited November 2016
    Great advice here. What a tool. Also, 132 lbs seems low for 5'8".

    Also the reason you lost 3 lbs a week at first is because you lost water weight. It's not sustainable at all. Stick to losing 1 lb a week.
  • MarilynCurves
    MarilynCurves Posts: 25 Member
    Thanks so much to you all! This is why I went ahead and posted - I knew you would give sensible advice and get me back into the right frame of mind. He threw me for a loop. I'm supposed to go back to him for 4 more sessions but I might give it a miss and stick to what I know. Thanks again!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    According to you, you already know what to do; your issue is adherence. Therefore, it doesn't matter what the dietician recommends, since you're not going to follow his advice anyway (I love these "bash the so-called-professionals" posts).

    And I wouldn't worry about losing muscle mass, if you're not losing any weight.

    One can lose muscle mass from disuse, even if one isn't losing weight. It's basically doing a recomp in the wrong direction.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    vingogly wrote: »
    You sure this isn't a personal trainer being marketed by the gym as a dietician? What are his credentials as a dietician? Almost all the advice he gave you was exercise related -- what does advice on weight training have to do with nutrition?

    You're paying him, you're his employer -- the relationship isn't working so it's time to fire him. Just as you would get rid of a mental health professional who wasn't helping you, or a financial advisor who was giving you bad advice.

    OP said it was a doctor referral.
  • red99ryder
    red99ryder Posts: 399 Member
    According to you, you already know what to do; your issue is adherence. Therefore, it doesn't matter what the dietician recommends, since you're not going to follow his advice anyway (I love these "bash the so-called-professionals" posts).

    And I wouldn't worry about losing muscle mass, if you're not losing any weight.

    It wasn't my intention to "bash" anyone. All I meant was that his advice contradicted so much that I'd seen and read in the past, that I came away feeling confused. I also think he should've addressed my concerns a little. Part of my referral for him was to seek help with reflux. He didn't mention it once.

    I'm sure reflux is different for everyone , I have found I can't eat too close to bedtime because of it ,, and pasta type dishes are the worst .. For me anyway ..


    Good luck
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    The fact he said "Muscle weighs more than fat" alone is enough to make me say never go back to him. 1lb is 1lb, though the SIZES may be different [muscle is more dense, so it would be smaller]. He shouldn't be spewin' that crap in the way he is.. You also wouldn't be putting on so much muscle SO QUICKLY as to counteract any of your weight loss. Muscle takes a good amount of time to build.

    All the bad advice that was given and you lock onto that little bit of petty semantics??
  • amy_kee
    amy_kee Posts: 694 Member
    There are many good Registered Dietitians out there. Don't waste any of your good time thinking about this guy. He's not even practicing what he's preaching. Please go to another RD. Try to see a female RD too. That might help you feel better too, when you go. Try seeing which other RD's you can see, and check them out online before making your decision.
  • Fidelmahayes
    Fidelmahayes Posts: 2 Member
    Hiya,
    I did a plan a while ago and they had calories for my training and non training days. Both days were under 1500. They had me doing weights all the time at home. In the 6 weeks I lost 9% body fat. If you work out using weights your body is still burning calories a few hours after. Regarding cardio you burn calories while working out but it's not as effective. If you combine the two weights first and cardio after you tap into your glycogen stores. It's meant to be great if you want to lose bodyfat. Hope this helps
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    edited November 2016
    SideSteel wrote: »
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    Look, I don't want to be narrow here, but the man is significantly overweight (or over-fat), right? Even if his advice were solid, it would seem he himself is not able to follow it. So how is it supposed to work for you?

    If the advice is solid then I don't see how the physique of the person giving the advice is relevant as far as the value of the advice.

    I put it forth as potentially relevant since, even if the method suggested would indeed cause weight/fat loss if it could be adhered to, if it is not doable even for the person suggesting it, that really doesn't point to it being a sustainable plan.

    There are loads of ways that absolutely solidly will lead to weight loss; a percentage of these will be sustainable/practical. Many eating plans will lead to weight loss but if you can't stick with them, well...

    I should have specified that when I said "solid," meant: legitimately will or should cause fat loss. That doesn't automatically mean reasonable or practical or sustainable. Sewing your lips shut will solidly lead to weight loss too.

    I didn't see the man and don't know his health history; I am going only on the OP's comment.
  • rennickm1986
    rennickm1986 Posts: 70 Member
    I only skimmed the OP but I'd look at whey her he calls himself a dietician or he's a registered dietician. A registered dietician would give you sound advice. Look up his name, otherwise he might be another quack "nutritionist"
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    @red99ryder that was my experience also. When I ate lighter in the evening and not too close to bedtime my reflux resolved itself.
  • Traveler120
    Traveler120 Posts: 712 Member
    He was right about the cardio though. If you do an hour almost every day, you will start seeing some progress because it will boost your deficit, assuming you keep your calories same as now and are unable to eat less. If you're unable or unwilling to eat less, like me, then your only other option is to move more.

    If you want to continue lifting, fine, but at 200 lbs, you have such a high level of body fat that you really shouldn't worry about losing muscle. Usually, it's those with very low levels of bf and shredded that are at risk of losing muscle when they lose weight. Our bodies are not stupid. If you're in a calorie deficit, it will not cannibalize your muscles when there's so much fat available to use for energy. And even cardio helps preserve muscle. Any exercise does. Plus, there's a certain amount of non-fat mass that is lost and is normal during weight loss.
  • njk0215
    njk0215 Posts: 10 Member
    Sounds like he's working off outdated information. He needs to catch up if he wants to continue in his career.
  • MarilynCurves
    MarilynCurves Posts: 25 Member
    So much good advice, you guys. Many thanks! I feel heartened and re-energised. Thank you all!
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,159 Member
    Time to try another dietician. I :heart: mine. She's on staff at the Wellness Center I'm a member of, which is a bonus. I started going to her when I was having some issues and she's been a tremendous help. I work weird hours 7P-7A, three times a week. No other dietician I've ever used has been able to help me figure out how to work with this schedule as far as food, but she does. Others I've used in the past gave me stock answers, generic meal plans and made no effort to personalize what would work for me. She doesn't push me towards any particular diet (other than keeping the carbs under control since I have PCOS). She helps me figure out how to make what I like work for me. I get the tough love when I need it. She recommended a trainer when I lost some muscle mass with doing all cardio and no strength training and I :heart: her too. I think it's a matter of finding someone you click with.
  • katandwaves
    katandwaves Posts: 67 Member
    You sound just like me! I'm extremely all or nothing. I also went to see a dietician. She spent most of the session talking about herself and she served wine in one of our sessions! I ended up quitting after a couple times because it was just a total waste of money.
    We know what we have to do, we just have to do it, and do it consistently.
    Best of luck to you :)
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