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Conference rocks::weight_control

Title: Weight Loss and Maintenance
Notice:**PLEASE** enter notes in mixed case (CAPS ARE SHOUTING)!
Moderator:ASICS::LESLIE
Created:Tue Jul 10 1990
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:933
Total number of notes:9931

350.0. "Nutritional Counseling" by SOFBAS::RHODES () Tue Aug 23 1988 14:55

    Has anyone out there ever visited a nutritionist/fitness consultant?
    I briefly spoke with someone in this business the other day.  He
    told me that they first ask you to record what you eat for 3 days.
    Then, you come in and they analyze the composition of your diet.
    They look at things like number of calories; percentage of fat,
    carbohydrate, protein, etc.; the food groups you tend to choose
    from most often; and so on.  
    
    Next, they do an evaluation to determine what your ideal weight
    should be.  I think they do a skin fold test to find your percent
    body fat.  They claim to be able to help people who have been
    yo-yo dieting and, as a result, have increased their fat:lean
    tissue ratio.
    
    Finally, they prescribe a low fat/low protein/high carbohydrate
    diet geared to *your* particular lifestyle.  I shouldn't say "diet"
    exactly.  It's more of a modification of your current eating
    habits.  They don't put you on a calorie restricted diet--they 
    encourage exercise and moderate caloric consumption *for a lifetime*.
    
    My questions are:
    
    1)  Has anyone tried this type of analysis/counseling?
    2)  Did you find it helpful/benefitial?
    3)  Did you find yourself regressing into old habits once
        the counseling sessions were over?
    
    Feel free to respond here or send mail to me directly at
    CPDW::RHODES.
    
    Heather

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350.1It did wonders for me.SCENIC::RODRIGUEZThu Aug 25 1988 15:0736
    
    Hi Heather,
    
    Yes, I've been to a nutritionist off and on for several years. 
    I used to be a chronic yo-yo dieter and my nutritionist (along with
    a therapist) helped me get off the cycle.  My nutritionist helped
    by giving me alot of information about what diets do to us (chronic,
    constant, dieting anyway).  I knew quite alot about nutrition but
    we discussed this in great detail also.  We decided that my problem
    was emotional eating and my program was geared to paying attention
    to what my body was "telling" me.  She helped me define what true
    hunger pangs were versus emotional pain.  Mostly I had to fill out
    charts (scale of 1 to 10 indicating degree of hunger and where on
    the scale I stopped eating at - meaning how full/stuffed I was when
    I stopped).  Yes, she was also interested in the types of food I
    enjoyed eating and just gave me some pointers on what foods I could cut
    out or down on in order to cut calories.  
    
    I was at a point where my body would only loose weight when I ate
    500 calories a day, and would maintain a weight at 800 - 900 calories
    a day.  As soon as I ate 1200 calories I gained weight.  This was
    due to 13 years of constant dieting.  She basically helped me to
    become more healthy in my food patterns.
    
    I think a nutritionist is trained to work with individuals and their
    individual needs which is good.  However, the bottom line is you,
    the individual, still has to be willing to do the work, and keep
    working at changing eating behaviors and patterns.  There is no
    simple, easy way out.  One of my favorite expressions is "the only
    way out is through".
    
    Hope this helps,
    
    Michelle
    

350.2Try it.ANT::WOLOCHAnother open book of pages in my lifeWed Sep 28 1988 17:1429
    There is a health club in Auburn, Mass. that does Nutrition Counseling.
    (I am a Nautilus Instructor there but before I worked there, I went
    through the Nutrition Counseling and fitness test.)  The name of
    the club is Your Life Center.
    
    There was a nutrition questionaire to summarize eating habits and
    a % body fat test was done using calipers.  A strength test,
    felxibility test and endurance test were performed to help determine
    optimum pulse rate for aerobic activity.  There is also cholesterol
    screening.                                         
    
    New members are analyzed and given an exercise program based on
    their present level of fitness and interests.
    
    After three months, the tests are again performed to see what
    kind of progress has been made.
    
    By going through nutrition counseling, people are educated on
    what they are doing wrong and what gradual changes can be
    made to existing eating habits to improve health.
    
    Coupled with a SENSIBLE exercise routine and monitoring by the
    staff - many people have gotten excellent results.
                                                      
    my two cents -
    
    nance

350.3going to do it for once and for allTLE::TLE::D_CARROLLa woman full of fireThu Mar 05 1992 19:437
    Does anyone have any recommendations for *good* Nutritionist (not a
    nutritional counselor, or a nurse with nutritional training, but a
    real, honest-to-goodness Nutritionist), esp. in the Cambridge or
    Nashua, NH area?
    
    Thanks,
    Diana