I posted a while back on my Fat to Freedom Facebook page that I decided to start meeting with a dietitian. I then wrote on Her View From Home about asking for help. I got questions asking what exactly meeting with a dietitian is like.
When I decided to meet with a dietitian I was on my third round of whole30, I wasn’t seeing the same benefits I did the first round and knew this wasn’t a true lifestyle. It felt too restrictive and wasn’t allowing me to live life the way I wanted. I was also to the point where I knew too much information and couldn’t figure out what truly worked for my body. I needed to have someone else tell me what to do for once. This whole journey, I have done on my own. It was time for help.
First off let me be honest by saying, I had NO idea what I was expecting when I decided to meet with Kaiti, a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee*.
A few things I knew I was looking for and expressed to her through email before we set up our first meeting:
- Finding a balance
- A simple yet personalized plan
Our first meeting consisted of me telling her a little about my story, going over the plans I have tried and discussing what I liked and didn’t like about each one. Based on what we talked about that first week, she gave me two options to try first, carb cycling or calorie counting. I really wanted to stay away from counting calories because it is very easy for me to get obsessed over it! Numbers are not good for me, in any aspect! I had heard about carb cycling but didn’t know a lot about it.
I finished whole30 and then the next week we discussed the plan she came up with. Kaiti came up with a personalized carb cycling plan that involved no calorie or carb counting and has a reward day! That’s my kind of plan! On high carb days my focus for each meal is a carb and a protein. On low carb days my focus are a fat and a protein. It’s very black and white, which is how I operate best.
However, transitioning from whole30 to carb cycling was hard. I still had an unhealthy relationship with food and thought of most non whole30 foods as ‘bad.’ Kaiti has helped me to start getting over that and find a healthy relationship with food again.
The thing I have appreciated the most is this plan is very personalized and we change and adapt it to how I feel. Each week we have had to overcome some hurdles and make changes to the plan. With out exactly giving away my meal plan some changes we have made are balancing out my high carb and low carb days, changing the day after reward day to a low carb rather than a high carb and finding foods that eliminated the food guilt!
Each day I have been tracking my food and emailing them to her daily. This has been huge, not only to track my food but knowing someone else is looking at what I’m eating makes me that much more accountable. I have been focused yet still able to live life a little more like a normal 21 year old.
Mentally I have overcome a lot of hurdles in the last 6 weeks while working with Kaiti and have started gaining a healthy relationship with food. My body hasn’t been so nice and is deciding to rebel against any kind of weight loss. It’s been frustrating but when discussing my frustrations with Kaiti, we talked about changing my plan and getting the weight off fast but there is no guarantee it will stay off and it definitely wouldn’t be a healthy lifestyle or relationship with food. I opted not to take that route even though I was tempted a little.
The things I have found the most beneficial about meeting with a dietitian:
- She gets it! There are just some things people who haven’t been there don’t understand! It’s nice to check in with someone who gets it!
- Being accountable
- Having a personalized plan
- No numbers
- Having her not worried about the number on the scale but more worried about finding a balance for me. I just need to get myself on the same page.
- Not feeling restricted and stuck. I can see a dim light at the end of the tunnel.
If you are thinking about meeting with a dietitian I highly encourage you to!
*Kaiti George, RD, LMNT, has been a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Medical Nutrition Therapist in Kearney since 2003. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in nutrition science and dietetics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and completed her dietetic internship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Kaiti is also working on completing her Master’s degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Kaiti’s diverse experience includes pediatric and adult weight management, sports nutrition, wellness, heart disease, healthy cooking and food allergies. Kaiti is certified in Childhood Weight Management through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Kaiti George, RD, LMNT
Kearney Hy-Vee Registered Dietitian
5212 3rd Ave
Kearney, NE 68845
1-308-236-0020 (store)
1-308-236-0024 (direct)
[email protected]