What sort of coach/RD/trainer/professional do I need?

[Jo]

I’m ready to change things up. I exercise daily (running and hiking mostly), have cut out sugar from my diet and limit processed foods, and am healthy-ish. But I need to lose real weight (30-40 lbs), and I want to work on getting faster and stronger. I feel like I’m ready to put in 110%, to prioritize health and fitness, and to do whatever it takes to get there. 

I just don’t know how.

is there someone I can hire that will work with me on all these things, on food and nutrition and developing an exercise program and adjusting it over time? If so, what’s their title and where do I find them? I think I must be missing something here. I could find diet and nutrition support, or personal training, and I want a combination of both, with the food part and the exercise part working together to get me where I need to be. 

Who do I want to hire, and where do I find them? 

[al320]

Id go to two different people. First, an RD for the food, which your health insurance may cover (you can find one through your insurance like any other hcp), and also a personal trainer/coach depending on what kind of fitness goals you have. I know my gym also offers all of these things (its associated with a hospital) so that could be a route to look into also.

[gt7301b]

I think there are several things going on in your post and it is hard for me to focus on all of them. 

Just based on my personal experience I am able to lose weight the most quickly when I cut back on carbs, but when I cut back on carbs I do feel my running suffers. When I am cutting back I have a hard time with intense workouts.  However, on the flip side I also tend to be faster when I weight less. 

[Jo]

May 17, 2019 15:59:55 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

I think there are several things going on in your post and it is hard for me to focus on all of them. 

Just based on my personal experience I am able to lose weight the most quickly when I cut back on carbs, but when I cut back on carbs I do feel my running suffers. When I am cutting back I have a hard time with intense workouts.  However, on the flip side I also tend to be faster when I weight less. 

I see weight/food and fitness/training as so closely related that I don’t want two separate people who each focus on one area without thinking about the bigger picture. I’ve also had the experience of changing food and finding my workouts suffer, and the flip side of changing my exercise routine and finding my food needs change. 

Am I asking for something impossible? What am I missing here?

[boiler717]

My CrossFit gym has a coach who does nutrition counseling.

[al320]

May 17, 2019 18:09:29 GMT -5 Jo said:

May 17, 2019 15:59:55 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

I think there are several things going on in your post and it is hard for me to focus on all of them. 

Just based on my personal experience I am able to lose weight the most quickly when I cut back on carbs, but when I cut back on carbs I do feel my running suffers. When I am cutting back I have a hard time with intense workouts.  However, on the flip side I also tend to be faster when I weight less. 

I see weight/food and fitness/training as so closely related that I don’t want two separate people who each focus on one area without thinking about the bigger picture. I’ve also had the experience of changing food and finding my workouts suffer, and the flip side of changing my exercise routine and finding my food needs change. 

Am I asking for something impossible? What am I missing here?

No its not impossible. You can find someone who is an RD and a personal trainer, or you can go to two people who are both aware of your broader goals. Theyre related, but theyre both such specialized training, that id personally prefer two specialists. Like, i wouldnt go to a dentist who also cuts my hair (thats a ridiculous analogy lol). It's preference though and really depends on what youre trying to achieve.

[Jo]

Thanks. That’s helpful. Ok, I can find two. I still think the two areas are so closely related that there should be a specialist who looks at both but if that doesn’t exist, then I’ll work with what’s out there.

[foundmylazybum]

Your OP says that you are willing to put in 110% to make this change, but you really only want to work with one person, even if two or three are the best?

Ethically, a lot of professions wont actually allow people to give advice in areas they arent trained in and these areas are specialized.


I keep trying to imagine my weights coach giving really good dietary advice and it really crosses into a grey area for me. That person better have both an RD and good training certs (which you can get online so...🤷‍♀️).

Idk, find the right person for your goals, it might not be 1 stop shop

[campermom]

May 17, 2019 18:19:08 GMT -5 boiler717 said:

My CrossFit gym has a coach who does nutrition counseling.

I did this. I wasn’t a member of the gym but only paid for the nutrition program. I’ve had an RD before in the past, this seemed more advanced and more of what I needed. They subscribe to a national program that is run by an RD, and he had the exercise expertise. (I did end up joining for this month).

Also I’ve lost about 12 lbs in 3 months.

[Jo]

May 19, 2019 14:23:21 GMT -5 foundmylazybum said:

Your OP says that you are willing to put in 110% to make this change, but you really only want to work with one person, even if two or three are the best?

I didn’t know. It still makes sense to me that these two things should be seen as parts of the same whole. I wasn’t looking for a shortcut - I was trying to figure out why I couldn’t find this person. 

[chitownbelle]

Years ago when I had a personal trainer, he made me keep a nutrition log (i logged calories on MyFitnessPal) and taught me how to count macros, so it made me more aware of what I was eating, but there wasn't time during our training sessions to really discuss diet extensively, and I think this should be reserved for an RD for sure. I think you haven't found this person, because that sole title doesn't exist. My current gym has an RD on staff that can work with the trainers to create the best plan for clients, so maybe you need to look for a place that will offer you these two options. Do you live near a gym that has RDs on staff?

ETA: j/k, I see you are making an appt with an RD at your gym! :-)  

[jennybee1018]

In case it helps, I wanted to provide information about why these are normally two different people.

I'm currently taking my PT training, and they're very specific that we do not go outside of our scope of practice. So while we can provide you with tools for eating healthier, we cannot provide full meal plans because we are not trained to do that. We would have to refer you to a RD for that matter.

Hope you are able to find both :-) Good luck!

[Pibs]

You could look into Renaissance Periodization. They've got a variety of options available, from a go-it-alone templates for diet & strength training, to a diet app, to one on one coaching, to one on one coaching with a registered dietician, to coaching with a doctor who is knowledgeable about sports nutrition. I've always found their online chat to be really helpful when I have a question about something, so you could send them the same thing you posted here and see what they suggest.

[cuadrado]

There are lots of dietitians out there who are also personal trainers and their business is centered around what you’re looking for. PP is right that health insurance might cover nutrition counseling at no charge to you. I would make sure you’re seeing a sports dietitian or someone who works int fitness field. Just look for someone who has both Rd and CPT behind their name. One thing though is that while it’s great to be motivated and want to tackle everything, this can easily get overwhelming and exhausting and you may have a harder time sticking with things long-term.