Ok, so I guess it is the whole New Year thing but the last few weeks, I have had more diet conversations and here is another one from a great client who just wants to lose a few pounds. She asked me about trying a diet plan that is run by yet another “nutritionist” and this one is a commercial plan, very low calorie and very low carb and not personalized at all and it comes with a lot of foods that you can purchase “optionally” to help with the program. I am always suspicious of a diet person selling a product on the side, sometimes it is just protein or a helpful thing and sometimes it is a whole program of preservative laden foods and you wonder if the program is designed to sell those items.
Anyway, she went to the “consultation” and they told her they do not recommend working out during the first 30 days of the program. She is already on a fitness program and works out several times a week and meets with me once a week. So, she should drop this SUPER HEALTHY habit because of her diet? What? So she asked about that and I gave the program the benefit of the doubt at first because for a newbie, it is probably easier to JUST do the diet and add the workouts later (or vice versa) because you won’t be so overwhelmed. Then she told me that the “nutritionist” lady told her it was because the diet was so low in carbs, calories and protein that she might be too exhausted to work out so they don’t recommend it.
My client told me she didn’t know what to do because it took her years to develop a healthy workout plan and to get out for almost daily walks in addition to her workouts and it wasn’t something she wanted to give up. I told her to forget that diet and look at something more natural that she work into her daily life. I suggested she look at Whole30 or Weight Watchers if she wanted a “program” but really focus on healthy foods and smaller portions.