So, you're ready to make some changes to your health—whether it's losing weight, reducing cholesterol or managing your blood sugar levels.
You dive into a strict diet, cutting calories, fat, carbs, salt, sugar and pushing yourself to the limit with extra workouts and skipping meals. At first, you might see some progress with this strict regimen and then the inevitable LIFE happens.
You lose motivation
You have a stressful day…week…month
You have a string of events that don’t work with your strict plan
As you wait for the perfect window of time to come back, you lose all the gains you made. So frustrating right? We’ve all done it.
It’s time to see it for what it actually is - instead of a plan to move forward, it is actually a plan that keeps you stuck on repeat. When you try to force your life into a rigid plan, it is never a lasting fit because….
👉🏼 It doesn’t allow for foods you enjoy, look forward to and miss when they are taken away
👉🏼 It doesn’t teach you how to roll with with a busy week
👉🏼 You don’t learn how to navigate stress and its impact on food choices
👉🏼 You don’t learn how to move confidently through different social situations
What if you did it differently this time?
"Maybe, just maybe, it’s not your lack of willpower or motivation
that has been the barrier to success in the past,
rather, it was that you were trying to fit your life into your diet,
and not the other way around."
Today, I want to take you into a counseling session for a glimpse at how working with a registered dietitian can help you. Take a seat in my counseling chair and lets get started.
ME: "It sounds like you are looking to…(insert your goal here - lose weight, lower cholesterol, mange blood sugar...). May I share with you the recommendations to help you achieve your goal?...
Now that you have the relevant information you, let's talk through some changes that you would like to make, and that you feel are doable, based on your life.
YOU: "I can see trying to include a vegetable with dinner at night to help me lower cholesterol, and a planned afternoon snack to manage my hunger at work so I don't hit the cookies in the break room."
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ME: "These are 2 great places to start making changes. What are your ideas about how you can you bring in these new habits in a way that doesn't stress you in the kitchen?"
YOU: "I can definitely start by adding a few more veggies to my shopping list. I can also cook some extra veggies on the nights that I do cook to have enough for leftovers."
ME: "Should we also talk through an extra busy week, when you may not have time to cook extra vegetables at dinner? What would help set you be consistent in times like this?"
YOU: "When the week starts to turn crazy, I could plan my meal around a store bought rotisserie chicken. I was wondering, are frozen veggies ok? I can also plan to pick up a salad kit. Having these foods in the house would take a lot of stress off me on nights like this."
ME: "Store prepped items like rotisserie chicken, salad kits and frozen vegetables are great ideas. All the washing and chopping is already done, making them an easy addition to your meals. How can I help you - do you need meal prep strategies, recipes, anything else?"
YOU: "Yes! Can you help me with some ideas for make-ahead dinner recipes with veggies? And I definitely need to talk through some healthy snack ideas with you."
ME: "Absolutely! For dinner, let's start with talking about your favorite foods, then we can come up with a few new ingredients to add onto your shopping list and into these meals. I have some easy sheet pan recipes that can work perfectly for you. After that, let's brainstorm some easy to pack snacks built around whole foods. I have some thoughts."
YOU: "This feels so practical and manageable. I can definitely do this!
How did your session with an RDN feel? Did it feel different than how you may have approached your goals in the past? Does it feel like maybe, just maybe, it’s not your lack of willpower or motivation that has been the barrier to success in the past, rather, it was that you were trying to fit your life into your diet, and not the other way around?
I hope you enjoyed your insider insights. Wherever you are in you health journey, I’m here to listen, guide, and support you with the resources you need to get the outcomes you desire.
NEW This Month!
Handouts
Recipes
Sign up for a FREE trial of my meal plans, no no credit card required. The Simple Eats plan is filled with recipes with a short list of ingredients. Perfect if you are living in an off campus apartment. Search through the library of recipes to find your top 10 favs that you can cook with your eye's shut. Perfect for those weeks when your workload is high.
*Disclaimer: Ellen Petrosino Consulting has no affiliation with any of the mentioned brands on this website.