What Happens in a Dietitian Session?

It’s pretty clear that when you go to a session with a personal trainer, you’re going to work out. Likewise, you talk with a therapist, get your teeth cleaned at the dentist, and get your eyes checked at the optometrist. But most people have no idea what is going to happen at their appointment with a dietitian.

So, what the heck happens in a dietitian session?

Is it just talking about good and bad foods? *yawn*

Or does the dietitian spend the whole time talking about “healthy swaps” you need to make?

Maybe you expect the dietitian to criticize all the foods you currently eat, start you on a new diet, or make you do yet another pantry and fridge clean-out.

While many people have had experiences similar to these when trying new diet/wellness programs or meeting with a nutritionist or dietitian, I can promise that these experiences are not the focus nor common practice of the dietitian at Western Racquet.

Before really explaining what a dietitian DOES, maybe it is better to understand who a dietitian IS.

In other words, what are the differences between a dietitian and a nutritionist? And what differentiates both of them from a health coach?

This is best summed up at EatRight.Org:

“Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, but only a registered dietitian or registered dietitian nutritionist has completed multiple layers of education and training established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics.”

In other words, anyone can do a weekend nutrition certification or a few nutrition classes in college and call themselves a “nutritionist”. A registered dietitian is recognized as a licensed healthcare provider who can make nutrition prescriptions to address specific health concerns. A dietitian is trained in understanding and assessing health issues and then making nutrition suggestions that meaningfully and safely address these. Whether it’s gut health concerns, diabetes management, heart disease risk reduction or management, or even injury recovery, a dietitian can intervene. Furthermore, a dietitian is also trained to collaborate with other healthcare professionals when they know it is time to ‘refer out’ to a specialist or provide a team-based approach.

On the other hand, a nutritionist who is not a registered dietitian is not trained and practiced in making these types of interventions. Nutritionists/nutrition coaches can provide general nutrition goals and strategies (e.g. eating more fruits and veggies for improved health, increasing protein for fitness goals) but can’t make nutrition recommendations to directly treat any health conditions. Any non-RD-nutritionist making nutrition suggestions to address specific diseases or conditions is actually working “out of scope”, which is not only illegal but also potentially dangerous for the client.

How do a dietitian and nutritionist then compare to a health coach? A health coach is an individual certified and trained with a variety of coaching strategies primarily rooted in motivational interviewing. A health coach is not a healthcare provider but typically someone with a health or wellness background who has usually gotten additional training and certifications from a recognized coaching organization. Health coaches are often experienced with nutrition but also work on helping clients find their own answers and strategies to obstacles they face.

Most dietitians have undergone the same education and training that nutritionists and health coaches do, except they go on for more detailed education and skill development. I don’t share this as a point of pride, but to explain why dietitian services also come with a higher price tag than nutritionists or health coaches (so no, it isn’t just to pay for those fancy letters after the name).

Once you understand the education and training a dietitian has, you can understand what to expect from a dietitian session.

I like to refer to dietitian sessions as a food-focused “choose your own adventure”.

Have nutrition questions you want clearly answered (rather than conflicting answers from Google)?

Bring them in and use the session as a Q&A.

Feel like you need some coaching through making large (or even small) nutrition and health changes?

A dietitian can help you understand the obstacles, problem-solve realistic and research-backed solutions, and provide accountability along the way.

Are there certain health issues you’ve been battling but can’t seem to get a clear answer?

A dietitian is adept at evaluating not only your diet but also your overall lifestyle. Often, many medical professionals overlook nutrition or lifestyle when making a diagnosis (likely because many healthcare workers receive very little nutrition education in their schooling). Even If the dietitian doesn’t have the exact answer, they could point you toward a person who does.

Maybe you feel like you “know all the right things to do” (nutritionally) but “just can’t get myself to do them.” If this is you, you’re not alone.

The dietitian could help you unpack and discover what exactly is keeping you “stuck” and how to get “unstuck”. Because there is such a strong psychological component to nutrition coaching, some dietitians are even beginning to refer to themselves as “food therapists”.

Some people come to sessions unsure of how or what they want to change. In that case, the dietitian can assess your current health, nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle and provide feedback on potential avenues of improvement.

In short, you can get out of a dietitian session whatever you’re willing to put into it.

The more you share with the dietitian and the more direct you are with expectations or goals, the more likely you are to be satisfied with the results.

Still not sure what to expect from a dietitian appointment or how a dietitian could help you? Consider trying out a consultation to find out for yourself! Email me, Tad Taggart, RDN, CD, ACSM-CPT, PN1-SSRC, at tad.taggart@westernracquet.com to book your nutrition consultation!