Dietitian -vs- Nutritionist -vs- Bro Science Is A big Difference

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MileHigh4Wheeler
MileHigh4Wheeler Posts: 67 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
One of the hardest things for me was finding a good balance between macros and micros and knowing how many calories are right for ME. MFP is a great tool but the recommended calories are just fuzzy math based on good algorithms but short of the actual data needed to KNOW what you should eat.

In my journey to really figure this out and a lot of trial and error I've finally found the plan that works for ME. First was dialing down MFP's recommended calories by quite a bit - even with hard weight training I found that a 2,000+ calorie goal caused me to gain weight but that around 1,600-1,800 was perfect - so you have to find what works for your body and your stats.

Doing all of this caused me to find so many sources of information that was subjective or just plain wrong. There is a LOT (and by a LOT I mean my experience is the vast majority) of "bro science" out there. Bro science is something someone told you because some body builder told them so (i.e., 20 different supplements a day, eating the eyeballs of a blue rooster on the 3rd Tuesday of each odd numbered month, whatever).

Then there are nutritionists, basically they take a couple of classes, pass an easy exam and *POOF* they are a nutritionist. I've seen several and none of them agree on anything. One that I paid $100 to see actually pulled up her laptop right in front of me and looked at the US Government food pyramid to recommend what I should eat. I paid $100 to do a 1 minute web search. Even my personal trainer, who I adore, is a nutritionist but based her recommendations on "general good practices" rather than hard science.

Recently I settled on finding a dietitian instead. This is someone who had to get a degree in this study, spent years learning the science of nutrition and has to be certified by a board. Dietitian is always a nutritionist but a nutritionist is almost never a dietitian (honestly if they got the degree they refer to themselves as a dietitian and nutritionist not just simply a nutritionist).

The difference is mind boggling. My dietitian specializes in athletes and as such analyzes the actual data to make sure you are on the right path. From blood tests taken by my doctors to the various data points on my various fitness trackers (Apple Watch, heart rate monitors, etc) to know how YOUR body works and what it needs to operate. No bro science here. None of that "well, you should only eat tuna because, reasons" but more of "your body needs X, Y and Z because of your heart rate during exercise and your reported blood glucose levels so it will best perform when you do A, B and C".

Most importantly, and the one I struggled with the most, was: how different should my diet plan be when I'm NOT lifting weights on my off days. It turns out a fairly big one. Once size doesn't fit all, and my macros and calories are seriously altered if I am lifting versus riding versus swimming versus having a rest day. I'm glad I pay for MFP premium for this reason only, different goals and macros for different days and different activities.

Anyway, I didn't mean for this to be a novel but just something I felt compelled to share because I know there are probably a lot of folks out there that get confused by what macro percentages they should be shooting for or who might not be seeing results because maybe MFP recommended a few hundred calories more or less than what they should be eating.

Dietitians aren't cheap, particularly specialized ones like this one I am working with but they might just save you a lot of time, effort and wasted trial and error.

I really enjoy reading my dailies regularly and seeing what other people are doing - or even helping them answer questions if I am able and I love learning how other folks do their thing. If you would like to friend up then send a request and I'll approve it :smile:.

Replies

  • ntw25
    ntw25 Posts: 149 Member
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    Makes a lot of sense. Thank-you
  • youngcaseyr
    youngcaseyr Posts: 293 Member
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    I had a similar discussion about the different between a personal trainer claiming to have nutritional knowledge and a doctor or dietician to someone the other day... It's somewhat reassuring when other people seek facts and science or scientific research/ explanations instead of blindly accepting whatever their trainer or someone they work out with tells them.
  • MileHigh4Wheeler
    MileHigh4Wheeler Posts: 67 Member
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    CarvedTones wrote: »
    I am more likely to look into it if the person making the suggestion is fit and trim (my chosen physique; I don't want to be fat and I don't want to be a bodybuilder).

    I feel much the same. To me if someone says they are a personal trainer but doesn't look like they are very healthy then one has to wonder: are you really any good at this? On the other hand I've worked with yoga instructors that are larger and I had the same thought only to respect them afterwards for being great yogis. That being said, a yogi is not the same as a personal trainer or dietitian or nutritionist - you don't have to be ripped to be a yogi but I sort of expect you to be fit and in shape in the other three claims.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
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    MileHigh4Wheeler wrote: »
    CarvedTones wrote: »
    I am more likely to look into it if the person making the suggestion is fit and trim (my chosen physique; I don't want to be fat and I don't want to be a bodybuilder).

    I feel much the same. To me if someone says they are a personal trainer but doesn't look like they are very healthy then one has to wonder: are you really any good at this? On the other hand I've worked with yoga instructors that are larger and I had the same thought only to respect them afterwards for being great yogis. That being said, a yogi is not the same as a personal trainer or dietitian or nutritionist - you don't have to be ripped to be a yogi but I sort of expect you to be fit and in shape in the other three claims.

    You left off the first part of that sentence where I said I would look into advice that seems sensible, which is far different from paying someone who isn't a professional for potentially dubious information. Advice that seems sensible doesn't always pan out when I look into it. There is a personal trainer here that posts a lot, although I am not sure I have seen anything lately, who had a sig with credentials and what not and an mfp tracker that sat at about 35 pounds to go pretty much every time I saw him post. It did affect credibility from my POV.
  • EliseTK1
    EliseTK1 Posts: 479 Member
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    @MileHigh4Wheeler Thank you for this. I'm an RD/N myself, and I can tell you from experience that we are rarely recognized and utilized for all we can do to help others reach their goals. Congrats to you! The Dietitian gave you the tools, but you're the one who put them all into action.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,130 Member
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    CarvedTones wrote: »
    MileHigh4Wheeler wrote: »
    CarvedTones wrote: »
    I am more likely to look into it if the person making the suggestion is fit and trim (my chosen physique; I don't want to be fat and I don't want to be a bodybuilder).

    I feel much the same. To me if someone says they are a personal trainer but doesn't look like they are very healthy then one has to wonder: are you really any good at this? On the other hand I've worked with yoga instructors that are larger and I had the same thought only to respect them afterwards for being great yogis. That being said, a yogi is not the same as a personal trainer or dietitian or nutritionist - you don't have to be ripped to be a yogi but I sort of expect you to be fit and in shape in the other three claims.

    You left off the first part of that sentence where I said I would look into advice that seems sensible, which is far different from paying someone who isn't a professional for potentially dubious information. Advice that seems sensible doesn't always pan out when I look into it. There is a personal trainer here that posts a lot, although I am not sure I have seen anything lately, who had a sig with credentials and what not and an mfp tracker that sat at about 35 pounds to go pretty much every time I saw him post. It did affect credibility from my POV.

    Y'know, to a certain extent, that sort of thing doesn't much affect me. If someone has the right knowledge in their head, they can help me, regardless of their degree of willpower or personal preference for "fries with that".

    There are lots of ways to evaluate the quality of new information about diet/fitness. The waist size of the person offering the information is pretty far down that list.

    But that's just me.

    (Silly personal anecdotes:

    I used to teach the college-age kung fu club boys how to do tornado kicks, sometimes, even though there was no way as a fat forty-something with bad knees at the time, that I could do them myself.

    Lots of my rowing coaches have been not-so-good rowers in the present moment; some were much worse at their best than many, many they coached from novice to great success.)

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