Recommended nutritionist or dietitian?

[macski]

Has anyone had a great experience with a nutritionist or dietitian in Canberra? I'm trying to lose weight (8 kgs so far) but have hit a plateau of sorts and thought I'd benefit from some professional advice re designing my diet with the cycling I'm doing.

[nescius]

Sportrition, Erica is a good friend of my partner and she has always given us good advice, she has a solid background as an athlete (represented Australia) so she knows the practicalities as well as the theory involved.

[macski]

Thanks for the recommendation nescious - I'll certainly follow up.

[supera]

I can't remember her name, but a couple of years ago I saw the nutritionist a Peak Corporation in Belconnen.

I was actually there for psychology, but one thing led to another. I haven't used all their services, but I'd have no trouble recommending them for anything.

they promote their experience in working with athletes, but they work with wannabes and average joes like me as well.

[macski]

Thanks for the recommendation supera

[twizzle]

Hmmmm.... Having been given bad advice by a dietician years ago, I don't really trust them any more.

Have a read of "The smarter science of slim". I'm already a Paleo convert due to digestive issues, so Loren Cordain's "The Paleo Diet" is another good read.


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[r2160]

http://www.myfitnesspal.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is also a good place to help with watching what you eat and whats in it

cheers
Glenn

[mrgolf]

If you are interested, I know a dietician through a cycling friend who operates out of Braddon. She completed Tokyo marathon last year, so is in tune with the requirements of endurance athletes. Just dont expect to continue eating butter after your consultation. Let me know.

I'm a vegie (20yrs) and feeling fine and fast enough.

[macski]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Twizzle - I've looked at the Paleo diet previously - it looks interesting but possibly a step too far for me ATM. I've probably been doing some elements - basically been eating minimal grains, no sugar but still having low fat dairy (not butter). Seeing steady results. But out of interest, what bad advice were you given by a dietitian?

Glenn - I've got that app but haven't used it much - will take another look at it, thanks for the suggestion.

mrgolf - have started off with Erica - appreciate your suggestion and will be in touch if I feel the need to change or get a second opinion.

Helen

[twizzle]

Inflammation of the small intestine causing villi damage that made me unable to process disaccharide sugars, but I was given a diet plan full of them. It extended my "personal hell" by about five months. Eventually I was told by someone online about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is very similar to Paleo. Life changing at the time, but it was more a case of enabling me to get back to being able to cope with an "almost" normal diet of first world crap - I now know better, it only took one night in hospital to provide the focus.

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[macski]

Ah, that would explain why you do well on the Paleo diet but disappointing that the dietition didn't pick that up. I know from the experience of others as well that some dietitions have a formulaic approach and don't consider the needs of the individual client sitting in front of them which is why I was keen for a recommendation.

I saw your other posts in a thread on the Cycling Health forum about your impressive weight loss results since going Paleo - leading me to reconsider. I'll have another look at my Paleo book. My main concern is about calcium (being a woman of a certain age who is in the risk category for Osteoporosis).

[twizzle]

Ah, that would explain why you do well on the Paleo diet but disappointing that the dietition didn't pick that up. I know from the experience of others as well that some dietitions have a formulaic approach and don't consider the needs of the individual client sitting in front of them which is why I was keen for a recommendation.

I was referred to the dietician by the specialist *because* I had lost my enzymes - the specialist didn't have a clue what the implications were, and apparently the dietician didn't either!

I saw your other posts in a thread on the Cycling Health forum about your impressive weight loss results since going Paleo - leading me to reconsider. I'll have another look at my Paleo book. My main concern is about calcium (being a woman of a certain age who is in the risk category for Osteoporosis).

There was a mention of calcium in the Paleo book and an explanation as to why it wasn't a big issue... can't remember the details off the top of my head but I'll have a look tonight.

[mrgolf]

Is a vege burger Paleo?

[skull]

Is a vege burger Paleo?

Not if you are using bread.

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[mrgolf]

I would imagine the burger and cheese might be a bit unlikely as well. Paleo aint for me. Veg is enough.

[casual_cyclist]

Is a vege burger Paleo?

Nope. Bread is not paleo, cheese is not paleo, tomato sauce is not paleo and the patty would most likely be made from some type of legume which is not paleo.

Two options for a paleo 'burger' equivalent:

(1) roast or grill some slices of sweet potato and cool. Assemble in a lettuce leaf: carrot, tomato, sweet potato and any other salad you like. Add a fried egg if you eat them.

(2) grate some sweet potato into a whisked egg and fry. Assemble in a lettuce leaf: carrot, tomato, sweet potato/egg pattie and any other salad you like.

Becuase I am not paelo, I would add cheese and tomato sauce. Apart from that, I reckon it would be pretty good.

[casual_cyclist]

The idea of seeing a nutritionist/dietician is interesting but you would have to be careful to find one that is up on the latest research, which is constantly evolving our understanding of nutrition. Of my close personal acquaintances that have seen either a nutritionist or dietician, none have really had stellar success in terms of weight loss.

Conversely, I decided to research my own solution after ballooning out to over 110 kg. Being 187 cm tall, I actually reached the 'obese' category. After months of going nuts reading internet wisdom (fat is poison, fruit is poison, grains are poison, dairy is poison, nightshades are poison, meat is poison etc) I started to sort through the nonsense and filter out some actual good advice that made a difference for me.

Sitting at a comfortable 87/88 kg, I can reflect on what worked for me. My essential strategies are: (1) eating more vegetables and fruit, (2) portion control, (3) less refined carbohydrates.

(1) as a vegetarian, I would have thought that I was eating enough veggies and fruit. An audit of my weekly food intake indicated a drastic under consumption of vegetables and fruit. To rectify this I bought fruit for my working week and put it on my desk at work. I found it easier to eat the fruit than leave the building in search of junk food.

(2) because I refuse to weigh my food or calorie count, I just used a tea cup to measure portions which I slowly reduced over time. I have cut the size of my evening meal roughly in half.

(3) in refined carbohydrates I include flour, sugar and potato chips (crisps). Prior to adopting healthier eating patterns my food intake consisted predominantly refined carbs. Besides lacking in basic essential nutrients, these foods made me feel more hungry. So even though I had already eaten 6 times by the time I got home from work I felt 'starving'.

I went from eating 9 times a day to 3 or 4, added in some nuts, more olive oil and more coconut oil (because I wasn't getting enough fat) and full fat dairy and that is pretty much it. This resulted in a 'weight' loss of around 1-1.5 kg a month, which seems slow but adds up over time. 20 something kilograms later I am feeling a lot better. Something else that was important to me was to focus on eating nutritious foods rather than focussing on what I "couldn't" eat (deprivation) and feeling like I was switching to healthier eating patterns rather than "going on a diet". The volume of nutritionally dense foods is huge compared to energy dense foods and nutritionally dense foods are harder to eat. When I first switched, by the end of the day I was actually tired of eating. Of course as my size has decreased, I have decreased my volume of food so this doesn't happen anymore. I did hit a plateu about 3 months in where my 'weight' loss stalled. I found that I had to actually increase the amount of food I was eating to continue to 'lose weight'.

If you turn to the internet, you are going to discover some popular memes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) that have been around for a while. Here are the most common ones I have found:
(a) it's calories in vs calories out
(b) carbs make you fat
(c) grains are toxic
(d) no carbs at night
(e) modern fruit is bred to be sweeter

After extensive research and based on my own experience I have found each of these to be untrue. Personally, I would say:
(a) it is the quality and quantity of food that will determine your size
(b) an overconsumption of refined carbohydrates will result in storing body fat
(c) grains contribute little to nutrition and should not displace nutritious foods from your eating plan
(d) quality carbohydrates (such as legumes and vegetables) at night can assist weight loss subject to portion control
(e) modern fruit is bred to be high yielding, to look good, be large, be easy to transport, have a long shelf life, not to be sweet or taste good

If you are not sensitive to particular food types and don't believe everything you read on the internet, basic nutrition isn't that complicated. It mainly revolves around eating a variety of whole foods, reducing refined foods and making sure you eat enough fat and protein along with your quality carbs.

[macski]

Casual cyclist - thank you for taking the time and trouble to write such well considered and valuable advice. I appreciate your help.

I have been a yo yo dieter for many years so have heard (and indeed tried) all of the maxims you quoted. I am currently following a regime very similar to the one you outlined (although not vegetarian). The main reason I was keen to get advice from a nutritionist was about balancing lowish carb intake with training. So far Erica has given me some good advice about aligning carb intake with cycling efforts etc as well as quantities.

I've been losing about 500 to 750 gms per week which I'm happy with because in the past I've lost weight more quickly and needless to say put it all back on and then some. I'm aiming for sustainability this time.

I really like your idea about focussing on eating nutritious foods rather than dieting. This has to be a lifestyle change not a temporary deprivation.

Only 15 kgs to go so around 30 weeks until I will have reached my goal. That will be 25 kgs lost overall.

[casual_cyclist]

Casual cyclist - thank you for taking the time and trouble to write such well considered and valuable advice. I appreciate your help.

No problems.

I have been a yo yo dieter for many years so have heard (and indeed tried) all of the maxims you quoted.

Same. I have been a chronic overeater all my life and yo-yo dieter since 19 (I'm now 42). I have probably been through about 6 major boom/bust cycles but each time I ended up heavier than the last time by the time I got back to 'normal'. That's why I realised that this time I had to define a new 'normal'.

It has really been a mental shift that has made a difference this time. Something that drilled it home for me was something I caught on biggest loser which I didn't watch much of because I don't agree with crash dieting. Anway, the big guys were complaining about the meals that commando was serving up. He just looked one guy in the face and said "look at you and look at me, this is how I eat" (pointing to the plate of food).

[gassyndrome]

It has really been a mental shift that has made a difference this time. Something that drilled it home for me was something I caught on biggest loser which I didn't watch much of because I don't agree with crash dieting. Anway, the big guys were complaining about the meals that commando was serving up. He just looked one guy in the face and said "look at you and look at me, this is how I eat" (pointing to the plate of food).

Ouch! I do think the 'miracle' weight loss (unsustainable) perpetuated by that show isn't particularly helpful, inspiring as it may be to some.

[macski]

Same. I have been a chronic overeater all my life and yo-yo dieter since 19 (I'm now 42). I have probably been through about 6 major boom/bust cycles but each time I ended up heavier than the last time by the time I got back to 'normal'. That's why I realised that this time I had to define a new 'normal'.

It has really been a mental shift that has made a difference this time. Something that drilled it home for me was something I caught on biggest loser which I didn't watch much of because I don't agree with crash dieting. Anway, the big guys were complaining about the meals that commando was serving up. He just looked one guy in the face and said "look at you and look at me, this is how I eat" (pointing to the plate of food).

I haven't quite used the same language but that's what I want to do too - define the new normal. My closest friend lost 20 kgs about three years ago and has kept it off by doing just that. Your term is a perfect descriptor. Thank you for contributing to the thread - it's been inspirational.

And I love the biggest loser example. I never watched the show but saw weekly previews so I can imagine the scene.

[casual_cyclist]

It has really been a mental shift that has made a difference this time. Something that drilled it home for me was something I caught on biggest loser which I didn't watch much of because I don't agree with crash dieting. Anway, the big guys were complaining about the meals that commando was serving up. He just looked one guy in the face and said "look at you and look at me, this is how I eat" (pointing to the plate of food).

Ouch! I do think the 'miracle' weight loss (unsustainable) perpetuated by that show isn't particularly helpful, inspiring as it may be to some.

Don't get me started on the damage that show does.

In other news, there is some sensible lifestyle advice around from well educated public figures. Dr Joanna McMillan, who has a PHD in nutritional science, springs to mind. I saw some of excess baggage, which I found a lot more useful, which approached lifestyle issues of participants by addressing nutrition, physical activity and psychology. It also targeted fat loss, not weight loss and effectively rewarded particpants for gaining lean muscle. That was where I picked up the idea of focussing on eating nutritious food rathern than focus on what I wasn't "allowed" to eat. It is an important disctinction because one mental attidude feels like temporary deprivation while the other feels like a sustainable lifestyle.

[gassyndrome]

Absolutely agree. A plate of good veg or OMGosh a perfectly ripe apricot at the moment is incredible once your taste buds have sensitivity from kicking sugar and assorted other junk.