A Non-Diet Dietitian’s Take on Nutrition
You might be reading the title of this blog and thinking…what does non-diet even mean?! How can I be healthy if I’m not dieting? Well I’m here to explain a bit more and reassure you that health has nothing to do with dieting or weight loss. That might be very different from what you’ve heard or been told. Let me start by saying, the research we have on weight loss all points to the same conclusion – approximately 80% of the people (and sometimes higher) in research studies who lose weight, gain it back – and of those 80%, ⅔ will gain back more than they lost in the first place. Now if you’ve ever been on a diet or know someone who has been on a diet, it usually goes something like this: lose>gain>lose>gain and so on. The reason for that is because our body has mechanisms to keep our weight within a certain range and to defend what is sometimes referred to as our “set point”. Our bodies also don’t know the difference between a diet and starvation, so cutting calories basically sends an emergency signal to the brain leading to increased cravings for food (because we need it!). These two podcasts do a wonderful job of explaining this in more detail:
https://www.bodykindnessbook.com/podcast/ (Episode 96)
http://www.laurathomasphd.co.uk/podcast/ep-89-blowing-lid-off-weight-science-w-fiona-willer/
Now, what does it mean to be non-diet dietitian or should I say what it is like to work with one? We certainly won’t be telling you what to eat or hand out meal plans (*disclaimer: unless you are in recovery from an eating disorder and need a structured plan). It’s a collaborative process which includes listening to what you want and also helping you explore and figure out what that looks like for you. There are no blanket recommendations and we focus on behaviors that are realistic and important to you. We also teach intuitive eating which is essentially helping you tune into your unique needs by listening to hunger and fullness cues (and much more, there are 10 principles). Think of how an infant will eat from the breast or bottle and turn their heads away when they’re done. We are all born with an innate ability to regulate our own intake but typically that wisdom gets thrown off by external cues (typically diet culture). So for example, maybe you grow up eating rather intuitively but something happens that changes that like a comment about your body from someone at school or a parent who micromanages what you eat or a coach that tells you not to eat too much, and so on. We’re really working from a whole-person approach and considering other things that affect health like sleep, stress, self care, movement, environment, body image, and yes – nutrition. We’re more likely to recommend adding in foods to your diet than subtracting them as all foods are equal and hold no moral value. The idea is to have as much variety as possible (and that includes things that are typically considered “off limits” like sweets, pizza, and the like). We also do something that most traditional dietitians don’t do – and that’s explore what your relationship to food is like now and how that developed. Many of my clients have a history of dieting, disordered eating, or an eating disorder so there are a lot of foods rules and experiences to work through. Non-diet dietitians work from a Health At Every Size (HAES) lens which is described on the Health At Every Size website as:
“It supports people of all sizes in addressing health directly by adopting healthy behaviors. It is an inclusive movement, recognizing that our social characteristics, such as our size, race, national origin, sexuality, gender, disability status, and other attributes, are assets, and acknowledges and challenges the structural and systemic forces that impinge on living well.”
If you’re curious about working with a non-diet dietitian feel free to reach out, I’m happy to answer questions. More blogs on this topic and more can be found at The Real Life RD website and more information on working with us can be found here.
Crystal is a non-diet dietitian offering virtual services as well as seeing clients locally in Somerville, MA in addition to working at an eating disorder treatment center in the Boston area. Crystal’s goal is to help each of her clients embrace flexible eating so they can live their fullest life. She specializes in nutrition for disordered eating and eating disorders, chronic dieting, and digestive, mental, and women’s health. In her work, she bridges both psychology and nutrition in her approach to counseling, which allows her to provide effective therapeutic treatment. Her care is tailored to each client’s unique needs utilizing a weight inclusive and compassionate practice that empowers the individual by focusing on sustainable behaviors for a healthy mind, body, and soul. She is active on instagram where you can follow her @brainutritionrd.
