I have made a difficult decision to discontinue seeing my nutritionist. After two appointments (at $60 each, no less), I felt that the education I had hoped to gain by seeing her just wasn’t there.
Granted, the fundamentals of nutrition and weight loss were there (e.g., calories-in/calories-out, low sodium, and appropriate amounts of carbs), I just felt there was more technical information I had hoped to gain. What do I mean? I’m not sure.
After my first appointment, I felt pretty “meh” about the experience. I had hoped that it was just the standard first-timers visit that lacked luster. After all, I really didn’t get any new information (though I will attribute SOME value to a professional confirming what I already know/thought). The second visit I thought would get more detailed. Again, not really sure what, exactly, but I thought there might be more specific info on supplements (e.g., Fish Oil), or specific foods.
I was not looking for some miraculous speed pass to weight loss, trust me. I just felt there should be more science to it.
Here is how my 2nd appointment went down:
1.) I shared with her two weeks of my calorie tracking, including information on carbs, fats, protein and sodium.
2.) She expressed impression
3.) She says “Ah ha! I think I see a pattern” (smirks with knowledge I supposedly don’t have)
4.) She confirms that I am having one sweet a day (such as a milky way fun size, or a Cadburry egg)
5.) I confirm that I have one candy a day (or a Starbucks, or something else)
6.) She tells me to keep it to one sweet per day (umm, as you see in my records, and as I’ve just told you, that’s what I do…)
7.) She points out that a few of my meals are carb heavy even though the calories were reasonable (ok, this ONE tidbit was new…) We talked about how meals should be 30-45 carbs, and snacks should be 15-30 carbs).
8.) As she continues to review my food journal, she asks ME what I think my biggest problem is. Dinner I say. She agrees. This is actually where I start taking issue. Maybe she would have pointed this out anyway, but it’s like going to a doctor with a sore throat and her asking “What do you think the problem is?” Me: “Strep throat.” Doctor: “That’s just what I was thinking!”
9.) I share with her a print out of a meal plan. It has 7 days of meals planned out and then the associated grocery list. Nutritionist: “Where did you get this?” Me: “I made it. I do this often.” Nutritionist: “Wow!” This strikes me as odd, too, because what I’m showing her is practically something I would have expected her to provide to me.
10.) We weigh in. 2 pounds lost in 2 months (yeah, the February/March plateau). She suggests I come back in 4 months, to which I think, “What for?”
I did make the appointment, but at $60, I just feel I should be getting more. Everything she has told me has come from a book I’ve already read at some point. It is info I have already known. Sure, having a medical professional reiterate it face-to-face makes a difference, but not a $60 difference.
I decided to pull the plug after talking to my Chiropractor. Now, I LOVE my Chiro. She’s my ultimate source of natural health and healing information. Without being preachy, she’s expressed her distaste for antibiotics, gotten me on fish oil, shown me stretches to help with my hip and knee pain, and commiserated with me when I hated my physical therapist. Here is how my last appointment with HER went:
1.) Me: I had to go to another chiro last week because you were booked and I was in pain. He was awful. Here’s what’s wrong: ever since I saw him, I have numbness along the outside of my right thigh from time to time. I saw him because my left hip has really be bugging me since I hurt it playing tennis, and it’s just been getting worse (despite seeing him). Also, my left ankle/heel has been really tight. He adjusted it, but it doesn’t feel better.
2.) Her: You poor thing! Where do (all those things) hurt, exactly, and when do they hurt most? What’s the pain level. How is your neck? Hmmm. Do you have any ear aches?
3.) Me: Yes!!! I thought I was getting sick!
4.) Her: And what about headaches?
5.) Yes! I’ve been having a weird headache throughout the right lobe of my brain. Usually they are on the surface, but this was was IN my head.
6.) She works on my body. For my left heel, she does some deep tissue work in my left calf, which was painful at the time, but it no longer feels like it needs to be stretched. For my hip(s), she massaged my butt and worked out some of the really tight knots in there (again, ouch at the time). She adjusted my back, then worked on my neck.
7.) The results: headaches – gone. Earache – gone. Ankle/heel pain – gone. Hip(s) – still on the mend but better.
8.) We talked about stretches, particularly for my front left hip. I am convinced that stretching that muscle is particularly difficult anyways, and more so when you have fat that prevents you from what would otherwise be your full range of motion. Think about doing the splits at 240+ pounds. Your muscles may have the flexibility, but your butt fat on that back leg will simply be in the way.
Anyways, without meaning to, the Chiro convinced me to quit my Nutritionist. She assured me there is more science to nutrition and that my nutritionist just maybe isn’t all that good.
And so, with that, I cancelled my last appointment and am now nutritonistless. For the price my insurance charges, I think I’m done with nutritionists for now. I will rely on books and magazines that site nutritionists for that sciency info I hoped to get from the nutritionist, and continue my calories in, calories out, plan that’s been working for me.
