Not Meeting Your Health & Fitness Goals? Why it Might Be Time to Call in The Professionals.

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Check out this helpful guest post (linked & below!) from one of our partners, DEXA SCAN:

Do you have things you want, financially, mentally & physically? Like most people, I’m sure the answer is a resounding YES! 

Often people have high expectations, but when the reality of doing what it takes to achieve the goal. The steps/work/effort aren’t clear or become overwhelming and they aren’t sure where to start. That’s why it is so important to set a MAJOR Goal, with attainable benchmarks at predetermined dates.

DEXA SCANFor example, let’s say your goal is to run a 5K in 90 days, but you have NEVER run in any race before. 

Where do you start? On Day 1 do you attempt to run 3.1 miles? HECK NO! The best solution would be to start by pacing yourself and run/walk a short distance, adding to this each day until day 90 when you are running more than you are walking. There are many resources available on how to achieve your running goals. Ones that we love are Couch to 5K and Running for Beginners Both of these are easily accessible and provide great strategy.

With other goals, it may not be so easy to find the right solution. 

Weight loss is an excellent example, there are so many solutions available in the market but how do you know if it will work for you? Realistically, you don’t know until you try it but many of the diets identified here by US NEWS HEALTH  provide short term effects and sometimes even worsen your health. For example, many people claim the KETO DIET has helped them lose weight & improve athletic performance but there are many risks associated with KETO as well and the long term effects on the body have not been determined either. 

With so many options and each person’s body, goals completely different, it is often best to hire a Registered Dietitian (RD or RDN). An RD is a health professional who has special training in diet and nutrition. Registered dietitians offer advice on nutrition and healthy eating habits to help people improve their health, well-being and achieve fitness goals.

How Do Dietitians Make a Difference?

An RD can provide insight, direction and help provide healthy recipes, meal plans and accountability to any individual or group of like minded people. 

In fact, Dietitians follow a standard process and create an individualized plan for their clients that is wholly encompassing of the individual and their goals.

It starts with a Nutrition Assessment, where the dietitian collects and documents patient nutrition history, laboratory data, medical history, body measurements, and other relevant data. This phase often includes a DEXA SCAN as part of the body measurement that provides a baseline to the clients health. The DEXA SCAN provides the breakdown of Bone, Lean Muscle and Fat in all areas of the body as well as provides an overall total of fat in the body. This together with the results of lab tests & Resting Metabolic Rate Test help the RD provide a Nutrition Diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is established the RD is able to complete a plan with food recommendations that will help them achieve their goals. Once implemented the Dietician then begins the monitoring and assessment of the program and makes changes accordingly.  

While the entire process has significant value, the monitoring and assessment is vital, it allows for real time/customized changes and corrections to the diet based upon the client’s goals and needs. This is a benefit that you do not normally receive with online solutions similar to MyFitnessPal and NOOM.

A structured approach to diet helps people accomplish weight loss and reduce diabetes risk factors than those performed by non-dietitians. This 2017 study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, concludes that dietitian-delivered program performed better at helping people accomplish weight loss and reduce health risk factors than those performed by non-dietitians.

If we have convinced you to bring in the experts, a great start is with Nutrition in Motion, a group of Dietitians who are changing lives by educating, motivating and supporting people in achieving their individual health goals. 

They provide programs and plans for many different conditions, including:

  • Sports & Performance Nutrition
  • Weight Management
  • Functional Nutrition
  • Chronic Disease Prevention & Management
  • Diabetes Prevention & Management
  • Food Sensitivity
  • Gut Health & GI Nutrition

 

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