As is typical of private consultations with a registered dietitian (RD), our work together will center on us developing a personalized plan to address to your nutrition and health goals. Here’s what you can expect:
Initial Assessment
During our first formal consultation, my focus is on getting to know you and building rapport. It’s your story – your journey up to that moment with nutrition, health issues, previous attempts at weight loss, etc. – that is most important. My job is to listen and assess the situation, to see how we can work together to set new goals and create a personalized plan of action. Initial consultations are typically between 60 and 95 minutes long.
We’ll review your health history so that I can learn about your medical history, dietary habits, lifestyle, and any specific health concerns or goals. And I’ll evaluate your current nutrition, which may include assessing your current diet, any food allergies or intolerances, and lifestyle factors that affect your eating patterns.
Then we’ll set some personalized goals based on the assessment – realistic, achievable nutrition goals tailored to your needs, whether it’s weight management, improved energy levels, or managing a specific health condition.
I’ll also provide some nutrition education that will aid you in reaching those goals. You’ll learn about macronutrients, micronutrients, and how to make healthier food choices. I may include information on meal planning, portion sizes, and understanding food labels. The guidance i share will depend on the specific factors that brought you to seek my counsel.
Finally, we’ll discuss behavioral strategies for changing eating behaviors, such as mindful eating techniques and how to handle cravings or emotional eating.
Follow-up and Support
Follow-up visits are all about helping you stay on track, and to course-correct as needed. I prefer to see clients for follow-up every week or every other week, depending on the action plan or goals. At each follow up-appointment, we’ll go over the goals set at the previous session, and discuss your findings.
You may have met your goals easily – or you may have discovered they were perhaps too lofty. In any case, we review what you experienced, work through any obstacles, and set new goals. This could mean changing a weight loss plan, setting up new menus or adjusting meal plans, altering an elimination diet to better suit you, etc.
We also set up exercise goals as needed, and work on ways to tweak them each week depending on your needs. And I’ll provide you with any resources you may need (handouts, recipes, or meal plans, for example) that align with your dietary goals and preferences.
Generally speaking, most people don’t come to me with just one concern. The experiences that lead people to choose nutritional counseling are often multi-faceted, for example, they want to lose weight loss and also have IBS or food intolerances. All of your goals and follow-up really depend on what the consult was originally for. I also expect you to do the work to make change over time!
And of course, all our discussions are confidential, allowing you to speak openly about your concerns and challenges. MY goal is to empower you to make informed dietary choices that align with your health goals, ultimately fostering a sustainable and healthy relationship with food.
Ready to get started creating a personalized plan for your success?