What is the most feared word? DIET
But it doesn’t have to be.
What defines a diet as good or bad? What is considered a person’s “bad” diet, might be another person’s “good” diet. Why is this word feared so much? Because it’s automatically associated with the word, “restrictive.”
But it doesn’t have to be.
As a personal trainer and nutritionist for over 20 years, I have heard many clients complain about the concept of going on a diet. But I don’t like to present it that way.
My initial assessment of a client’s nutrition begins with normal daily tracking for about 5 days, including the weekend. I have them track as if I was not watching. I am looking for an average calorie and macro intake because this give me a starting point.
Once I get this data, I look at what they are eating and when they are eating, therefore establishing more trends. When I can see into the client’s nutritional world, I can envision the changes that would make the most sense to them.
I’m not trying to change their personality and I’m not trying to dramatically alter their lifestyle. What I am trying to change is how they think about their nutrition, therefore making their lives better. I want my clients to focus on having enough energy, feeling satisfied, and focusing on their health. I want them to make that mental shift to cognitively making decisions that are best for them.
It’s through my clients gaining knowledge about nutrition. Without proper knowledge, clients could never learn HOW to make good nutritional decisions. When my clients see how better nutritional choices can impact how they feel, that’s when the magic happens.
As I slowly integrate knowledge, tips and ideas into a client’s nutritional database, they are able to see the problem areas and make their own suggestions for changes. It could be creating an action hour around the time they snack most often, it could be making a better plan for grocery shopping and menu planning, or using pre-measured portion control containers rather than eating directly from the box or bag.
There are many different areas where we can improve our nutritional standing, we just have to take that step back and be able to really see where we can do better.
This isn’t about “good” or “bad” diets, this is about making the most out of your nutritional decisions so that you feel the best you possibly can. I teach my clients to start small, and be open to gaining knowledge so that when I am not coaching them, they are still making the best decisions possible because they know that in the end, they will improve from the benefits of a nutritional program. It doesn’t have to be a “diet.”
Descending Dove 