ATD: Can A Dietician Help Me Lose Weight?

I just have about 10 pounds to lose: should I seek the help of a registered dietitian for this?  Rekha

Dear Rekha,

Whatever your dietary needs, a registered dietitian can help! You should be able to find one at your local hospital who can make an appointment to see you as an outpatient.  If you can get a prescription from your doctor, it may even be covered by your health insurance.

Dietitians will often not provide counseling unless your request is accompanied by a prescription from a physician.  We must be aware of any and all of your health conditions in order to give proper recommendations and be certain we aren’t misinforming you based on information we do not have about your health.

If you are just looking for some general guidelines to lose weight in a healthy way, there are many reliable organizations that will provide these on their website, such as the National Institute of Health (NIH), the USDA (http://www.mypyramid.gov) and of course the  American Dietetic Association at http://www.eatright.org.

A registered dietitian in private practice will most likely be happy to work with you to help you set and achieve your goals.  We can help you determine what a healthy weight goal is for you based on your height, current weight, usual weight, age, and gender.   You can find one through your local dietetic association, and most likely in your local yellow pages or on line.

I wish you well on your journey to successful weight loss!

Do you have a question for the Dietician?  Submit your question here!

Written by Laurie Beebe

About The Author: Laurie Beebe has been a registered dietitian for 25 years and is certified in adult weight management. Laurie currently serves as a diet coach and life coach at www.mycoachlaurie.com

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