Just what qualifies someone to say they are a nutritionist? Do they go to university for 4 years like a registered dietician does? Do they go to college for several years? Is it an online course they took? Or are they just calling themselves that because they have read some information????

So when someone says they are a nutritionist I wonder what qualifications they have. Just like I wonder about trainers telling their clients they should eat a certain way.

I am not going to dispute the EMTWL theory, I agree with it actually. But there are many many doctors, dieticians that still believe in the calories in calories out theory. To me the EMTWL works well IF you are eating healthy foods and you are working your body with good strength training. I don't know if it would work well if you don't exercise or if you eat a poor diet of junky non nutrient rich foods. I am no expert, I have just started this but this is what I think.

Why do nutritionists/doctors/professionals suggest for people to eat at 1200-1400 calories to lose weight? If eating more to weigh less works, why is it 1200 calorie diets are suggested? I know that if I went to a nutritionist today, they would have me eat about 1200-1400 calories a day. I have a friend who is eating about 1300-1400 calories a day and NOT losing. I tried to explain to her about eating more to weigh less, but she said, "Well my nutritionist told me to eat 1300/day" and that's on top of her working out 60 or more minutes a day.

Why won't nutritionists figure out peoples TDEE/BMR and figure out a healthy way to eat? I can't stand people saying, "well my nutritionist said to do it this way" then they disregard all the "eat more to weigh less" information.

Kiki (I think it was her) posted a response to someone talking with a trainer who told that person to lower their cals and it totally makes sense.

MOST people want quick results. As a culture we are all about that instant gratification. A trainer's or nutritionist's job is based on results, therefore they will tell a client what is going to get the quickest results (most of the time) so the client will stick around. If a person goes to a trainer and they take the slow but hard working approach to getting into better shape which is better in the long run, that person may stop going because he or she naturally wants results RIGHT NOW.

I think that mostly it's lazy and they don't trust people to do it anyway. It's sort of a catch all. Most people don't really know how to count calories, and have horrible estimations of portion size. Even with practice it's difficult to measure some things (like peanut butter- before I started weighing it I used a spoon to measure, and then thought I could eyeball the size, and when I finally started weighing it my "TBSP" was almost 2 TBSP). So, they expect you to overestimate portions and undercount calories. They figure 1200 calories with a buffer of misunderstanding portions is probably about right. And for most people it probably is! The logic falls apart at the truly dedicated or OCD individuals like myself.

Kiki (I think it was her) posted a response to someone talking with a trainer who told that person to lower their cals and it totally makes sense.

MOST people want quick results. As a culture we are all about that instant gratification. A trainer's or nutritionist's job is based on results, therefore they will tell a client what is going to get the quickest results (most of the time) so the client will stick around. If a person goes to a trainer and they take the slow but hard working approach to getting into better shape which is better in the long run, that person may stop going because he or she naturally wants results RIGHT NOW.

^^^^^This...

Yep, it was me. I went into a bit of detail in this thread:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/579202-spirit-crushed-by-trainer-must-rally

Also, most people who become trained (including myself) in personal training, nutrition, doctor, dietician, etc. were taught to "never allow the client to go below 1200 cals"

unfortunately, the industry has taken it and run away with it as a magic weight loss #, when it was meant as more of a "don't get sued for killing someone by allowing them to starve" type statement...... :noway:

But...I digress....

Kiki

Oh my...

I went to see a nutritionist and was told that I only needed to be taking in 1310 calories a day! This was even if I exercise. She asked if I exercised and I told her what all I do and this is the number she gave me. I did not change my goal cals per day to this. I am actually trying to get to where I eat my BMR cals(net) each day. It is a process as I have always had the mentality to eat less and weigh less. I am going to get there though with the help of the wonderful group of friends I have here. If you haven't joined the EM2WL group, you are missing out on some very informative, helpful information. I can't say that it works for me yet because I am trying to transition into this mindset but I can say that a lot of the people in the group can be a testimony to eating more to weigh less!

Did she give you any reasoning for it?