Best Weight Loss Plan – Team Member #3
All right, we’ve covered two critical members of your weight loss team – your doctor and your nutritionist. We’re ready to talk about weight loss team member #3.
Personal Trainer
Healthy eating and physical activity go hand-in-hand if you want to successfully lose weight. But, how much cardio do you need? Should you be lifting weights? How often do you need to workout? How long do you need to workout? A personal trainer can design a fitness routine and make sure you’re doing the exercises correctly.
Meeting with a personal trainer can be pricey, but there are alternatives – phone and/or internet coaching for half the cost (or less). There are many programs online that allow you to enter information and download workout routines based on your information. Many programs also allow you to track your progress. For best results, I encourage you to consult with a trainer in person for one or two appointments. This will allow you to have a fitness assessment and time to discuss your goals with your trainer. The trainer will also go through the recommend workout routine with you to make sure you understand all activities and are using the correct form and technique. After this, you can check-in with your trainer via phone or email to monitor program and answer questions. Some trainers even review video footage of workouts.
Don’t worry that working with a trainer means you have to have a gym membership. Trainers can develop a program for you at a gym or based in your home. You can get in a great workout anywhere – gym, home, park, etc.
Another lower cost option would be group training in which a small number of people work with a trainer at one time.
Just as with a nutritionist, make sure your trainer is qualified and has a current certification from a respected organization, such as the American College of Sports Medicine.
Weight Loss Team Member #1
Weight Loss Team Member #2
Weight Loss Team Member #4
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Top 5 Key Strategies to Lose Weight Permanently
Best Weight Loss Plan – Team Member #2
Like I mentioned in the previous post, losing weight and maintaining the weight loss requires several different factors all working together. To increase your success you need a team of experts behind. We already covered consulting your physician as team member #1. Let’s move on to weight loss team member #2.
Nutritionist
There is so much information available on weight loss and what foods to eat it can be very overwhelming to figure out exactly what you should be doing to successfully lose weight.
A trustworthy source to help you sort through the information is a registered dietitian.
Be aware that anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, but a dietitian has received the education and training you’re looking for. There are several options for working with a dietitian. Health departments usually employee dietitians who may be available to work with you at lower fees. I’m available via online forums, such as the Mini Diet Makeover and Balance Program. Being able to offer a service via the web drastically saves on overhead costs (such as office space, utilities, etc.) that the cost of online services are much lower than office visits and still provide the same quality interaction and feedback. Also, some health insurance plans will reimburse the cost of your appointments with a dietitian, especially if you’re are referred by your physician.
A dietitian can assess your current dietary intake, nutrient needs, and assist you with establishing a realistic, practical plan towards meeting your nutrition and weight loss goals. The guidance you receive can range from daily meal plans to not regressing during the holiday’s to healthy cooking tips and much more.
Weight Loss Team Member #1
Weight Loss Team Member #3
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Top 5 Key Strategies to Lose Weight Permanently
