Lecture from a Nutritionist Today…
Posted by jennifer on 28th March 2008
So I’m a medical student… in less than a year, I’ll be a doctor. A pediatrician in fact 
Today, we had a lecture from a registered dietician about obesity and how to counsel our patients to lose weight. Well, I’m sitting here going through all the things she’s saying against what I’m doing, and I realized there are some things I’m just not doing!!! It’s amazing how your eyes can be opened like that, especially when I feel so AWARE of what I’m eating and how I can lose weight more efficiently. Here are some things she pointed out (that I can remember ha):
1. Pick good fats (15-25g a day max): I’ve made a BIG effort to do this better. I am FRUGAL (my husband calls it cheap ha) when it comes to groceries since we’re on a tight budget (he’s in medical school, too, so there are lots and lots of tuition bills!)… but most “cheap food” is “cheap quality” in that the fats are not natural. I’m not just talking trans and saturated, but also just how quality the fats are. Avoiding things like “palm kernel oil” and “coconut oil” often found in cookies to make the shelf life longer. Look out for those! Stick to names you recognize, too! AND PLEASE AVOID HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP! It’s a recipe for future diabetes.
2. It’s not just what you’re eating, but it’s the quality of what you’re eating. I need to tell myself that everyday when I’m hungry and that 100calorie pack seems so tempting. I should put it down and pick up a piece of fruit and some popcorn instead, or maybe just drink a big glass of water to see if I’m really hungry at all! That’s one point that I need to keep feeding to my mind each day.
3. Eating three meals a day of about the same size is really how to lose weight: This was a big eye opener for me today, and one thing I’m going to try to do better. And physiologically, it makes good sense… it’s difficult to explain, but stick with me here. Our body has the capacity to burn only 300-500 kcals (think “three to five 100 calorie pack snacks” haha) at a time. Let’s say you’re on a 1500 calorie a day diet for weight loss. If you eat three regular meals a day, evenly divided with 500 calories each, your body is able to use up ALL of those calories each time. But then again, let’s say your friend eats 1500 calories a day also, but she eats a little brunch and a biiiig dinner (say, 300 calories for breakfast and 1200 calories for dinner). She also is eating 1500 calories a day, but her body is buring ALL of her breakfast off (which probably leaves her hungry), and then when dinner comes around and she eats 1200 calories, her body can only burn up to 500 of those… leaving 700 to store! She, overtime, is either going to gain weight or have to work much harder to lose. I am the friend…that’s how I eat! I eat a decently sized breakfast (4 points), leaving 18+ for the rest of the day… I think I need to space out those points more effectively!
4. You have to exercise. Period. I am so bad about this because literally there is just NO TIME. We live in a condo community so there’s no “neighborhood” to walk around… and we don’t belong to a gym…. and I work most of the year from 4:30/5am to 9pm at night! Plus seeing my husband, church, friends, activities, STUDYING, and some sanity time. I need to work in it somehow, but after standing on my feet and running around the hospital all day, I’m tired. But that’s not real “exercise”… this is a big time challenge for me.
5. “Five servings of vegetables a day. And fruits and vegetables are NOT the same thing…” Now I love both fruit AND vegetables, but I don’t eat 5 servings of veggies a day… maybe combined I get in 5 “fruit/veggies.” I’ve been trying to work in more veggies, but they aren’t as “on the go” as fruits for me. I’m trying though You see lots more salads on my list than previously!
6. With a BMI >30, it’s okay to counsel your patients to use a pharmacological method for weight loss. Now this one, it blew me away. Over thirty?! I bet that is (or was!) all of us!!!! I am NOT going to use any kind of drug, I don’t care how safe, to lose weight! That is not going to fix my probelm! I understand her point, though… some people need some help while they’re figuring out their body/eating habits. But I think that’s bad, and I will not be prescribing those to my patients.
The list could go on and on… but I don’t have that good of recall Those were some highlights that stood out to me. Any comments from anyone? What things do you KNOW are healthy/good for you but you still struggle to do?
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