A nutritionist’s advice can change your life. However, most people still hesitate to ask for it, regardless of the dietary problems they have.

Some believe their diet is perfectly fine, others think they can find enough information online to help themselves, and some simply don’t care about themselves or their health.

The fourth group are those who are not ready to change their eating habits. Or rather, they believe they are not ready because they have distorted beliefs about what such a change entails.

This article is for them.

A nutritionist is not the bogeyman

If you follow nutrition through the media, you’ve probably come to the conclusion that nutritionists are a strict bunch who will forbid you your favorite food and force you to graze on grass.

That impression is not created by (good) nutritionists, but by pseudo-nutritionists, wannabe nutritionists, and other know-it-alls.

The role of a nutritionist is not to force you to subordinate your life to diet.

The role of a nutritionist is not to scold you when you eat an extra bar of chocolate.

The role of a nutritionist is to show you how to achieve maximum results with minimal sacrifices according to your possibilities, to develop a healthy relationship with food, and to enjoy it while doing so.

A nutritionist is not a menu salesman

Many people think that a nutritionist’s role is to sell them a diet plan which they will either follow or fail to follow. If yes, great; if not, then it’s just another failed attempt. However, the role of a nutritionist is much more comprehensive than that.

A program/meal plan/menu can be the foundation of cooperation, but it doesn’t have to be. Some need just one piece of advice to improve their diet. Some need more consultations. Some need a strict diet plan, some a flexible one. Some need only guidelines for food preparation.

Working with a nutritionist is an individual service tailored to your needs and capabilities.

With a nutritionist, you cooperate

It’s not always changing what you eat that will bring results. Often it is changing your daily organization, meal scheduling, food preparation, or planning your grocery shopping. The nutritionist’s task is not only to show you what to eat but also how to do it.

There are many approaches to healthy eating. Just as many tools we can use to achieve it. Together, through cooperation, we look for a strategy, a “game plan” that will work for you. A way of eating that will work long-term and won’t cause you unnecessary stress.

Every cooperation involves a certain amount of trust. Cooperation with a nutritionist requires an extra dose of trust. Measuring results is not always simple, and progress is rarely linear. The quality of diet has no objective measure and depends on how your nutritionist defines it. Unfortunately, nowadays almost everyone has their own definition.

The process of working with a nutritionist is much more flexible than you think. There is no one single approach that will always work. Cooperation involves a process of finding the best approach for you.

There are many points between Everything and Nothing

There is no obvious point after which your diet becomes good or healthy. Healthy eating is a continuum, and every move toward Perfect Nutrition, no matter how small, benefits your health.

It saddens me to see how few people realize that even small but properly directed dietary corrections can do a lot for their health and wellbeing. Cutting out gluten is neither a small nor properly directed correction. Replacing chips with fruit is.

The fact that you cannot follow a strict diet exactly as prescribed by your nutritionist does not mean you should not seek their advice. The diet plan your nutritionist creates is not meant to be followed blindly. It is a flexible tool that helps you achieve results and teaches you how to eat healthily.

A good nutritionist will adapt advice or the diet plan to your possibilities. Even more importantly, a good nutritionist will show you how to set and achieve realistic dietary goals that fit your lifestyle.

Unrealistic expectations

Unrealistic expectations are the source of most life problems.

Sometimes those expectations are expressed as a low number on the scale combined with a very short timeframe. But much more harmful are the expectations that remain unspoken. They usually come in some variation of “My nutritionist, achieve my goal instead of me.” When that obviously fails, dissatisfaction appears.

As soon as I find the pill that solves all dietary problems, I will share it with my clients and the world. Until then, I expect you to take responsibility for your diet and your health. I will help you, guide you, give you concrete advice and tasks, but I can’t eat for you.

Depending on your starting point and how ready you are to change habits, the process can be more or less painless. Expecting it to be completely painless is unrealistic. Your body is not programmed to seek healthy food, but tasty (read: energy-rich) food. Eating healthily, as counterintuitive as it sounds, is an unnatural process by which we try to extend our lives longer than biologically necessary.

Be ready for problems, obstacles, setbacks, and frustrations. Realistic expectations will increase the likelihood of sticking to the process and thus achieving your goals.

The first step is the hardest

Are you afraid a nutritionist will take away all the food you love?

Good news: if you choose a good nutritionist, your diet won’t become a burden. On the contrary, it can even become fun.

The image of what it means to eat healthily and what it means to be healthy is often incorrect. And that image is one of restriction. However, restriction, although part of it, is not the foundation of healthy eating or health.

Having a healthy diet does not mean counting calories, tracking macros, always being hungry, or fitting into your high school pants. Having a healthy diet means balancing nutrient intake, adapting your diet to your life conditions, and enjoying food without guilt.

The first step is the hardest. But don’t be afraid to take it. Take three minutes to fill out our short questionnaire about the quality of your diet. Find out how (un)healthy it is and what you need to improve. It costs you absolutely nothing.