If you are a middle working (or busy) mum in their late 30’s / early 40’s, what is your main criteria that will ultimately help you make the best decision on which nutritionist to work with?
Would you prioritise the services of a “Nutritionist who specialises in weight loss for busy mums in their 40’s” as a priority over another more generalised nutritionist?
I’d love to hear what your primary criteria would be, and whether finding a specialist like this would influence your final decision. Thank you!
I’d care most about their credentials.
Depending on where you live, anyone might be able to call themselves a “nutritionist” and push whatever fad diet they like on you. A “registered dietician” is usually someone who actually has years of schooling and training in the field of nutrition.
Credentials aside, nutritionists should work with the base line of their client and start to move them I’m the direction they need them to be with a slow ans steady approach away from their existing diet and lifestyle. You cant expect to flip someone’s eating and living habits and make them do a full 180 degrees, and then expect the client to be compliant and consistent with that diet.
That said, it’s on the nutritionist to decide what style of diet and approach to nutrition and lifestyle changes will best suit the client based on their existing state, and what their end goal is.
Everyone is different. You csnt apply a one size fits all cookie cutter approach to everyone. It just doesn’t work that way. People’s bodies also respond differently to varying diet styles for ex. If you try a lower fat or lower carb variant etc. It comes down to your gut microbiome setup, your daily energy requirements, how active etc you are. Tons of variables to consider. Then pre existing conditions or hormonal imbalances that need addressing etc.
A good thing to remember is: not all nutritionists are dietitians, but all dietitians are nutritionists.
Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist as it is not a protected term. There are loads of charlatans out there that read a couple of books then call themselves nutrition experts, pushing fad diets and doing harm. Extensive schooling, clinical practicum, and registration exam are required to become a Registered Dietitian (RD). Looking for an RD is a good start but it’s not everything.
Dietitians specialize in all types of things (diabetes, weight loss, autoimmune disease, intuitive eating, gut health, brain health, weight gain, etc.) and not all dietitians provide the same type of care for this reason. So the most important thing to consider is what YOU look for in a dietitian. Do you want a meal plan? Someone who specializes in weight loss? One who is anti-diet with a more holistic approach to nutrition? Nutrition is highly variable and ideal results vary from person to person. Narrow down what you’re looking for and take it from there.
You can have all the credentials in the world and still be a crappy caregiver. There are bad doctors, lawyers, and nutritionists. Find some with whom you seem to agree and then give them a try. It’s trial and error. There’s someone out there for everyone, and what works for one person could be entirely counterproductive for another.
I would definitely do some research on my own first, based on my personal health issues to figure out the basic dietary approach. Then I would contact a dietitian, maybe more than one and see how they approach my health health problems and see if we are a good fit. It can be quite complex…