Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Selecting a dietitian, any advice?

I need to lose another 45 lbs to reach my ideal weight. I'm doing well, having lost 20 lbs in the last 6 months.

My General Practitioner recently provided a Rx for a dietitian. How do I select? I will continue to ride 100 miles plus weekly until January and I would like to continue my weight loss.

Michael

My suggestions is to try to find a male one. In my experience I found that the women had a background in eating disorders and tried the one hammer for every nail approach. Find someone who can understand your lifestyle, your level of exercise, your social habits and be able to create meals that fit that instead of being unrealistic. Think you'll have the most success that way. This isn't meant to be sexist but it's hard being male and being treated as a male while we change our diets and eating habits.

+1 on that advise.

Not trying to play doctor here, but I would doubt you get any more advise from ANY dietian than to discover how much you are actually eating with a food diary, be shown/educated to what a protion of food is, and what you should be taking in and of what.

Jerry

Find one that has an understanding of the impact cycling has on your diet. I had the misfortune of going to a one that my doctor highly recommended. She could not help me. When I went to a Diabetes conference I met one that was also a cyclist. She was able to help me.

try weight watchers it works fantastic

+1 on that advise.

Not trying to play doctor here, but I would doubt you get any more advise from ANY dietian than to discover how much you are actually eating with a food diary, be shown/educated to what a protion of food is, and what you should be taking in and of what.

Jerry

Well, that's the basic START of nutritional counseling. Of course, what a person should be taking in is an oversimplification of the multiple variables impacting what a person should be eating.

I don't think male/female is necessarily a critical factor, but I would suggest looking for one that is:
1 - local
2 - specializes or has a professional interested in sports nutrition
3 - specializes or has a personal/professional interest in cycling or similar cardio-type exercise
4 - willing to work with you in a series of multiple follow up sessions rather than just a 'one time catch all' session.

The American Dietetics Association's website (eatright.org) has a nutrition professional finder, which would make a good place to start the search.

FYI - I'm a registered dietitian

You are going to get lots of different types of advice here. Your own personality will mostly determine which or any type of dietitian will work for you. If your doctor prescribed it, then I DO think that it is a good idea to go.

Lots of people, including me, know in their heads what they are supposed to be eating. Many of us, however, have a big-fat-giant disconnect between what we THINK that we are eating and what we eat in reality.

I would suggest getting a dietitian that specializes in weight loss. One that is familiar in dealing with the behavioral issues that come with compulsive or emotional eating patterns and behaviors. A vast majority of dietitians get paid to work with people that have other food issues like heart patients, diabetics, people with bad food allergies, etc. Ones that specialize in those areas tend to prescribe a food plan that will make you lose weight...if you can stick to it. And that is the problem with most people like me that have eating issues. Using just my willpower has proven NOT TO WORK over the long-run. Maybe that makes me a wuss, undisciplined, and all that, but that is the truth of the matter. My doctor had me go to a dietitian that specialized in LONG TERM weight loss, and it made a world of difference.

Most dietitians that specialize in weight loss, will make you log each bite that you eat, and bring that list in to them at every visit. This is not to yell at you, but to make you really see what you are eating. Your food journal will point out to them what types of situations and foods give you the most trouble with sticking to a sensible food plan. They can then work with you to design a food plan that will work for you. Losing weight will feel uncomfortable, but you should not feel like you are being tortured, start losing sleep, or not have enough energy to work, get light-headed every time that you stand up, etc.

I also don't think that it matters if you go to a male or a female dietitian. If you don't like the touchy-feely, emotional connection approach that some dietitians are taught, then pick out another one that suits your needs. My dietitian was a woman, and I could tell that she treated me a lot differently than she did some of her women clients. But...she specializes in weight loss and customizing diets for elite aerobic athletes that need to eat a lot of calories when they are training. Some of the ones that specialize in anorexia can be a little...smothering, from what I've seen.

Hope you find a good one! Take care.

I have trouble sleeping so my doctor started insisting on a sleep study. I swear that he would use any quirky excuse possible to get me to come in for more visits and tests. So I take the majority of doctors advice with a grain of salt. My "ideal" weight is 50 pounds less that I currently weigh and I do not look fat. 45 pounds to lose when you have already lost 20 is a major accomplishment.

Before I would go to a dietitian, I would take at least a week and log every bite that I took into a journal to get a guideline of where I am at regarding calories, fats, carbs, etc. I am tend to get more satisfaction out of any overcoming challenges by myself though.

Just my thoughts.
Ride safe.

In 2003 I weighed around 300 lbs and a doctor told me I'd never be 50. (I was 40 at the time). He sent me to a nutritionalist who actually taught me a lot of things I did not know. I guess the first and foremost thing was that liquids usually contained remarkable amounts of calories.

After seeing her a few times she had me keep a food diary and geek that I am I found a software database program called Diet and Exercise Assistant.

That was some years ago and I now use a program called Calorie King. I weigh right around 190 or so and went from wearing 46" pants to 34" pants.

I read a lot about nutrition and the one thing I can tell you is everyone has an opinion and everyone's opinion is different from everyone else's.

Knowing what I know now 5 years later I wouldn't go to a nutritionalist now however having said that I'm certainly glad that I did see one several years ago.

John

In 2003 I weighed around 300 lbs and a doctor told me I'd never be 50. (I was 40 at the time). He sent me to a nutritionalist who actually taught me a lot of things I did not know. I guess the first and foremost thing was that liquids usually contained remarkable amounts of calories.

After seeing her a few times she had me keep a food diary and geek that I am I found a software database program called Diet and Exercise Assistant.

That was some years ago and I now use a program called Calorie King. I weigh right around 190 or so and went from wearing 46" pants to 34" pants.

I read a lot about nutrition and the one thing I can tell you is everyone has an opinion and everyone's opinion is different from everyone else's.

Knowing what I know now 5 years later I wouldn't go to a nutritionalist now however having said that I'm certainly glad that I did see one several years ago.

John


Keeping a food diary is a real PITA...but it works. I lost 55 lbs 2 years ago. I got lazy, stopped the food log and guess what? I'm gaining it back :mad:...but I am riding my butt off and that helps.

Read the book "Eat to Live". My doctor suggested it and after reading I thought there was no way I could make a lifestyle change like what is described in the book. Well, after 4 weeks I have lost 27 pounds. Its a vegetarian diet and the first couple of weeks are tough, but once I realized how much better I felt it really got easier. Its an easy read, I read it 2 days, not alot of medical terms just straight forward good info about how humans should eat. There are tons of threads on this subject, just search "eat to live".

Read the book "Eat to Live". My doctor suggested it and after reading I thought there was no way I could make a lifestyle change like what is described in the book. Well, after 4 weeks I have lost 27 pounds. Its a vegetarian diet and the first couple of weeks are tough, but once I realized how much better I felt it really got easier. Its an easy read, I read it 2 days, not alot of medical terms just straight forward good info about how humans should eat. There are tons of threads on this subject, just search "eat to live".


If you really want a lifestyle change book, try "The China Study".