‘Stay consistent’ – success story: Simone de Pinho

Chat Leave a comment March 18, 2019 nutritionadsa

We chatted to Simone de Pinho about her journey with registered dietitian Michelle McDermott.

Why did you decide to see a dietitian? (the before story)

I have been a yo-yo dieter all my life. I struggled with my weight from the time that I became aware that weight means something in the world. I have lost a considerable amount of weight often but always put it back on as I failed to stay consistent.

The reason that I went to Michelle, which is the reason that I always start, is because I became so uncomfortably large that my only option was to lose weight. Sometimes I wished that I had a medical reason to lose weight (it might have pushed me to be more motivated) but my health has generally not been a factor.

Tell us about your journey with the dietitian?

Michelle is not like other dietitians. Her approach is one of realism, when all I strived for was perfection.

Michelle helped me realise that my excess weight was a result of emotional eating – although this could sound obvious to someone else, I only realised this when I would go to weekly sessions, see weight gain on the scale and then cry while Michelle tried to console me and give me the motivation I needed. How Michelle didn’t fire me during those weeks, months, years, I have no idea!

I think Michelle now knows me so well that she can see when I am motivated and when I am slipping. Michelle also gives the most amazing advice just when I need it. 

I also want to mention that my boyfriend and I see Michelle together. I can see how Michelle’s approach to a man differs to that of a woman and that is a testament to her experience and the wealth of knowledge that she holds! Our sessions are always fun (especially when we know we have stuck to our plan) and Michelle always gives us great feedback and measures all sorts of other things (such as body fat, water retention and metabolic calorie rate).

Tell us about your results / successes?

Most (if not all) of my over eating stems from emotional eating. This is something that I have researched over and over in an effort to understand it. I am successful with my plan when I remember to focus on eating healthily and within my plan. I am unsuccessful when I let me emotions overwhelm me and my brain literally doesn’t engage. Binge eating cannot be stopped no matter how much my brain tries to see the logic!!

I first started seeing Michelle in October 2014 and lost about 30kg’s from October 2014 to September 2015. I then started falling off the wagon and during 2016 and 2017 put all the weight that I had lost (plus an additional 10 kg) back on. In January 2018 Michelle put me on a strict medical weight loss program using meal replacements and I have lost 18.4kg’s in approximately 3 months. 

What was the hardest part of the journey?

Definitely maintaining the weight loss! The hardest part of the weight loss journey is not losing the weight, it’s about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and being consistent, after you have reached your “goal weight”.

The other difficult part is to actually start – for me it’s all about getting my mind right. Learning how to self-motivate has been a journey and is still a journey.

What are the top three tips you can share?

• Stay consistent

• Have treats but make sure you get back on your plan immediately afterwards

• Exercise is key to ensuring that your mindset is correct

What the dietitian says

Simone has been a dedicated patient and is a true example of how you can do things when your mind is in the right place. We have worked together to find a plan that works for her and all I did was provide the tools and the guidance – Simone did all the hard work after that and is achieving wonderful results. Starting on any new plan needs clear guidance,  goal setting and tools to make it work within your lifestyle so that the changes made can be sustained long term.

This is what a dietitian would aim to achieve with a patient as well as offer encouragement and  ways to make easy sustained changes to reach the health and nutrition goals of the patient.

Congratulations and well done to Simone – a few more steps to go!

 

To find a registered dietitian in your area, visit the ADSA website.

‘Notice and appreciate the smallest changes in yourself and body’ – success Story: Kim Gunnell

Chat Leave a comment March 11, 2019 nutritionadsa

Kim Gunnell struggled with her weight her entire life. Her gran’s passing was her turning point, which resulted in her meeting registered dietitian Jade Seeliger and kicking off her weight loss journey and a whole new way of seeing herself:

Why did you decide to see a dietitian? (the before story)

I’ve struggled with my weight throughout my life. No matter what I tried, things didn’t work and neither did my motivation to stick it out when the going got tough.

After my gran past away in March 2017, I decided to get rid of my comfort blanket (my hair) and I donated over 35cm to CANSA. This was the surprising start of my journey and the start of the investment in myself. 

Tell us about your journey with the dietitian?

Jade has become a part of my life, from when I stand in the queue at Woolworths and am tempted by sweets to when I am having a bad day and am not wanting to go to the gym. 

It’s so important to have a honest relationship with your dietitian, you can only BS your way to a certain extent as they honestly become a part of your life as you cover everything from bowel movements to menstrual cycles.  

Jade has shown me that my relationship with food was they way it was because of my home environment, no concept of portions and a lack exposure to variety. This was all that I knew for 25 years of my life. However the past 365 days have opened my mind and mouth up to new foods, recipes and cooking methods. 

Our relationship has well surpassed that of client and patient as she has not only guided me throughout the process but when I had stumbling blocks, she was able to recommend the next steps that were beyond her expertise. 

Tell us about your results / successes? 

To date, I have lost just short of 20kg’s in less than a year – with ups and downs along the way and with Jade being on maternity leave. 

I hated running since I was a child. I used to dread having do it from both a physical and mental perspective and was never been able to wrapped my head around it. In 2016 I attempted the 10km Soweto Marathon race and it was one of the most eye opening experiences of my life at nearly 130kg (I cried all the way to the finish). However, this has changed since I decided to start running at gym and to enter the Spar Series, JP Morgan and my nemesis Soweto again. Needless to say, I finished my 10km in 1h19min which was 2 minutes faster than the time I set myself as a goal and I am now hooked. I’m participating in Park Runs every weekend and clocking a minimum of 10km a week at gym. Further to this, I have a goal of doing at least 10 x 10km races before the end of the year.

I’ve always put off things which have a predetermined weight restriction or will make me look ‘silly’ for trying, but I have now gone for a wake boarding lesson and learnt to ride a scooter. To some this may seem like small, but for me those were a big deal and something I’d always put off. 

What was the hardest part of the journey? 

There were two parts of my journey that were really hard and I still work on them daily: 

1 – Loving the Scale (well trying to) – The scale was avoided for years prior to my choice to confront it. I had to learn to love and understand it far beyond the numbers that are displayed. 

2 – Self Love – I’ve had to learn to love myself and recognize the change that I have undergone, past the numbers on the scale. This has been my biggest challenge as I have always done everything for everyone else, except myself and have been the size that I am for as long as I can remember. It has affected me from clothes shopping to getting in a aeroplane and feeling as if there is now more space. I am a work in progress as 25 years of negativity cannot be undone overnight or in a few months. 

This is still a challenge for me, as I have to completely adapt my mindset and way I perceive myself and the world around me on a daily basis. 

What are the top three tips you can share?

• You aren’t going to lose weight every time you get on the scale – make peace with it 
• Notice and appreciate the smallest changes in yourself and body
• Stick to it, but don’t be too hard on yourself – even wheels fall of wagons

What the dietitian says

Some clients have the ability to not only to motivate themselves in their health journey, but in fact everyone they come into contact with.  Kim was such an inspiration to me, to see someone turn their entire life around through the lessons they learnt in health made the journey a deeply fulfilling one for me as a dietitian. 

To find a dietitian in  your area, visit www.adsa.org.za

 

Weight loss – a journey, not a destination

Chat 2 Comments August 13, 2018 nutritionadsa

Today we meet Debbie de Coning who after many years of trying to improve her health and loose weight unsuccessfully, reached out to registered dietitian Monique Piderit.

She shares her journey with us, as well as some great tips for anyone embarking on a journey to better health:

Why did you decide to see a dietitian?

I had been on a quest to improve my overall health for many years and as a result had developed an interest in nutrition and healthy eating. I had already eliminated several food groups in my efforts to reduce inflammation, sinus and increase my energy levels. I had cut out sugar and refined carbs; wheat; as well as dairy – and while I did feel some benefits from significantly reducing all these – my energy levels remained low and the weight refused to move.

I had got to the point where I felt there must be a missing link somewhere and that if I could find out what it was, I was sure that I would be able to lose weight. I had tried so many approaches – and even although my health improved – the weight did not budge. Quite simply, I was tired of all the guesswork.

I kept researching, and after reading about DNAlysis, decided that I was going to invest in my health and get my weight sorted out once and for all.

Tell us about your journey with the dietitian?

I put a request out on Facebook asking for recommendations of dietitians who worked with DNAlysis. Someone tagged Monique in that post, and Monique reached out and offered to assist me on my weight loss journey.

What I really loved about working with Monique was the holistic way in which she approached this ‘project’. While we waited for the DNAlysis results, we had an in-depth consultation about relationships with food, family and friends. We also spoke about lifestyle. She found out which foods I liked and which I didn’t. We did a comprehensive set of blood tests and adjusted my supplement intake. By the time we had the DNAlysis results, we had a sound scientific platform from which to work.

The test showed that my body does not metabolize fat well. So, I went onto a low-fat eating plan. When I received my eating plan from Monique, it was scientifically worked out. There was nothing on it that I didn’t like and so it all felt pretty normal and do-able.

I now knew, that if I put something fat (good or bad) into my mouth, it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon! I drastically reduced my red meat and chicken intake. I had to learn to use different sources of protein that were lower in fat, and had to make decisions to cut back on foods though they were healthy fats, such as peanut butter, almonds and avocados, and watch portions. No more guesswork: we had an informed strategy. Having the scientific knowledge has really helped me to rationalise making the right choices.

I really recommend working with a dietitian. Healthy living and good nutrition is a science. You need someone with the knowledge and skills to assist you, and it’s a real plus to find someone who is your champion as well.

 Tell us about your results / successes? 

In a relatively short time (8 months) and with what felt like minimal effort I lost 20kg. My waist and hips reduced by 14cm each. I also reduced my insulin by half and reduced my cholesterol count. My energy levels have also increased.

I went to see a biokineticist to get the appropriate exercises to tone and strengthen my muscles. My fitness is the next leg of the journey that I need to work on. Before losing weight, I wouldn’t have been able to complete even half of the exercises, but after the weight loss, I was able to complete all the sets of repetitions, albeit slowly.

When I first picked up the 2 x 2kg weights, I could hardly lift the 4kg. It was a shock to realise that I had been carrying five times that weight all day and every day. No wonder I had no energy!

What was the hardest part of the journey? 

Being a people pleaser, it was often hard for me to say no when being offered well-intentioned albeit wrong food choices. I had to become firm in making decisions to decline food without being apologetic and feeling the need to explain myself to others. Drinking enough water is always a challenge. And of course, who wants to offend a Lindt chocolate on offer?

What are the top three tips you can share?

1. Be pedantic about portion sizes. Have a good food scale and measuring cups to make sure you stick to your portion sizes. If it’s 80g of chicken, then it’s 80g and not 95 or 100g. Also, split portions to allow for variety and texture. Instead of a full starch portion of mealies, have half mealies and half couscous. This helps to make food interesting with a variety of colour and texture. The minute food becomes boring, you are sabotaging yourself and feel hard done by.
2. Embrace the new normal. I only told a few people about my weight loss journey while I was in the trenches, those I knew would support me. I did not want people watching me, watching what I was eating and passing judgement. There will always be pessimists and naysayers. Limit your exposure to them. It was a personal journey and I just wanted to get on with it. Sometimes the downside of setting a goal is thinking that when you’ve reached it the journey is over. Embracing the new normal means exactly that. When you’ve reach your goal weight, your healthy lifestyle continues.
3. Celebrate a range of milestones. It’s not just about the weight. Celebrate reducing your insulin or centimetres lost. I celebrated cleansing my wardrobe and adopting a minimalistic capsule wardrobe approach. It’s not about buying things to reward yourself necessarily. You are making a conscious lifestyle change, so why do you need to be rewarded for that? Celebrate mindshifts and lifestyle choices. They are rewards in themselves.

What the dietitian says 

Monique says: “A key lesson is how Debbie approached this change in her life as a journey and not a destination. Right from the beginning, she chose to embrace the process of change by eating healthier, controlling portions, and making better food choices every day and at every meal, consciously avoiding dieting and the deprivation that it entails. Debbie’s dedication to her health is a great inspiration to other women. I am so proud of you, Debbie!”

To find a registered dietitian in your area, visit the ADSA website!

It is never too early to change to a healthy lifestyle

Chat Leave a comment July 18, 2016 nutritionadsa

We are sharing success stories to find out why people decide to see a dietitian, what happens on the journey, what the hardest part of that journey is and what results are achieved.

It is never too early make lifestyle changes and start a nutritional journey that will benefit you for the rest of your life.  This week we chat to 16-year old Chad Niebur, who started seeing Registered Dietitian Zelda Ackerman last year:

Tell us about your journey with the dietitian?

The journey with my dietitian was definitely a very insightful one. We’d usually arrive in the morning just before we headed off to the grocery store to stock up on the newest list of food products suggested, and reducing the amounts of some of the others that we’d usually buy. From the first to the last session, there was always something new to learn. A new food item to add, another one to reduce. We’d be asked how the week prior went, if we were keeping up with our exercise regime, etc. All and all, it was very insightful and much more easy going than I expected.

Tell us about your results?

My results were definitely more prominent than I expected. Within two months I went from baggy tracksuit pants and to skinny jeans. I can remember within the first three weeks losing just over four kilos, and went on to lose much more over time.

What was the hardest part of the journey?

The hardest part of my journey was cutting out Coca-Cola, but over time I grew to miss it less and less. To this day I don’t drink Coca-Cola at all, nor do I miss it.”

What are the top three tips you can share?

• Find a healthy substitute to you favourites drinks and snacks. I replaced Coca-Cola with carbonated water and a low-cal fruit juice concentrate.
• Don’t really make a big deal out of it, treat it as something you’ll be doing for the rest of your life and you’ll come to accept, get used to, and genuinely favour it over the way you used to live.
• Try and get the rest of the family involved, it’s definitely easier since there will be a lot less junk food in the house.

Feedback from Chad’s dietitian, Zelda Ackerman

Few patients really make a complete lifestyle change, and Chad really did! He changed his eating habits and became much more active. He used the eating plan as a guide, not as something that controls him. He learned to make healthy choices and be in control of his own eating habits. His mother was extremely supportive without being controlling, an attribute that is vital for parents to help their children attain an ideal body weight. I am very proud of Chad and his mother Sharrin.

To find a Registered Dietitian in your area visit: http://www.adsa.org.za/Public/FindARegisteredDietitian.aspx

Making sustainable lifestyle changes and creating new habits – Michael’s success story

Leave a comment June 9, 2015 nutritionadsa

This week we chat to Michael North, as part of the series of success stories we will be sharing over the next couple of months. Michael started seeing Registered Dietitian, Elienne Horwitz, when he started gaining weight and feeling unhealthy:

Why did you decide to see a dietitian? (Michael’s before story)

The short answer is I was getting fat and feeling and unhealthy and all my attempts at watching what I ate and drank were short lived and unsuccessful. I was exercising a bit, mountain biking on the weekend and playing the odd game of squash, but these were usually followed by reward lunches with my friends.

Combined with this was that some friends who I would generally beat up the hills and round the trails started beating me! I also started noticing how slow I was getting and how steep and more difficult the hills were becoming. I guess when the lunches were getting longer and more taxing than the mountain biking, I knew I needed some help.

Tell us about your journey with the dietitian?

My first visit to Elienne was for a Discovery Vitality assessment that a friend from work said I should do to get points on my card to qualify for the discounts. After doing this and realising that the dietitian was not a scary food nazi intent on making me feel useless unless I weighed the same as I did in primary school and only ate salad and tofu, I knew that I needed to step up if I wanted to make any changes. Elienne was really friendly, honestly wanted to help and also had a nice, but slightly strict way about her.

She made me aware of what I ate but also explained why things were good or bad. If I didn’t like some of the food items she suggested, she always had several alternative options and by explaining why I needed those food choices I was, over time and with some practice, quite easily able to choose my own alternatives.

Elienne started out by giving me a breakdown of the number of carb, protein, dairy and fat portions I should eat a day and when and how I should eat them; breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon and dinner.

I started swimming with a group at my local gym and was still mountain biking a bit so she showed me how I should adjust my diet during exercise and for recovery after.

The basic principle was not a quick weight loss scheme but more of a healthier living choice, which facilitated weight loss until reaching a weight appropriate for my height and age, etc. So my journey was not a very quick one but my weight loss and fitness levels gradually but consistently went in the right direction.

Tell us about your results / successes?

I think it took me about a year but I lost 18 kg and quite a few centimeters. I also started cycling more, doing events like the Argus and several open water swims. Most importantly, I just felt better.

After a while I started looking for other challenges to help keep me active and on track with my plan instead of back to the pub everyday! I joined a group called Embark, in Sea Point to train for the Ironman 70.3 event in East London and not only completed the triathalon, but also won the Embark “Most Improved Over All” award at the club after party. I was quite proud of that, considering that I had sworn to never run more than 5km in my life!

The following year I joined another triathlon group (My Training Day) and in April 2014 completed the full Ironman. Now the bug has bitten and this year I improved by time by about 30 minutes.

I still keep pretty much to the same eating plan that Elienne put me on in the beginning but am able to eat a bit more now with all the training I am doing. What is great though is that I now know that when I go off track a bit and maybe pick up a kilo or two and it doesn’t take much to fall back into the routine of eating properly and losing the excess again.

What was the hardest part of the journey?

Avoiding beer, red wine and pizza!

In the beginning, the hardest part was eating 5 times a day. Generally in the past I would not eat breakfast or eat very little, then be so hungry by lunch that I would eat a big, junk food lunch and would justify it by saying that I hadn’t eaten all day “so it was ok”. Then I did the same for dinner.

What are the top three tips you can share?

• If you want to eat more, exercise more and substitute some of the bad stuff for good stuff.
• If you want to lose weight, don’t make excuses, you know that pies and chips are not going to help.
• If you can, go to a dietitian or someone like that to help get you started on your way and explain the ins and outs of the process. Being held responsible for your progress with regular weigh-ins can be a real help and motivation to say no to the extra beer or second helpings.

What the dietitian says

Michael lost 18kg, 13% body fat and 15cm around the waist over 16 months. He slowly changed his habits and started putting more energy into planning and preparing his meals and increasing his levels of exercise. He maintained his weight even a year later.

The most important reason Michael managed to lose the weight and keep it off was because because he did not diet – he made sustainable lifestyle changes and slowly created new habits.

Liquid Assets

Leave a comment April 9, 2015 nutritionadsa

Considering a juice fast? Read this first. Lauren Shapiro from My Kitchen magazine chatted to ADSA spokesperson and Registered Dietitian Nathalie Mat to find out if this is just another fad diet or if there is more to it:

http://www.tfgclub.co.za/mykitchen

Success Story – Carla Schoeman

1 Comment March 31, 2015 nutritionadsa

Over the next couple of months, we are going to share some success stories with you and find out why people decide to see a dietitian, what happens on the journey, what is hardest part of that journey and the end result from the client’s point of view.

First up is 32-year-old Capetonian, Carla Schoeman, who consulted with Registered Dietitian, Catherine Boome:

Why did you decide to see a dietitian? (Carla’s before story)

I have lived a relatively healthy life, eating what I thought was a balanced diet, and exercising regularly but not really seeing or feeling the results I felt I deserved with the effort. I do have some hormonal challenges that also complicate weight loss and felt that I was just getting heavier and heavier –despite pretty much always being on some form of a diet.

I tried my best to hate all carbs and mostly avoided sugar. But not only did I not lose weight, I gained weight, a little more every year. I’ve always been a runner and despite drastically increasing my mileage over the years, I kept getting slower.

At the end of 2012, I just decided enough was enough! I needed to get really serious about my health. I clearly didn’t have all the answers so decided to find someone who does. This was a big step for me – I’m a very proud person and asking for help didn’t come easy.

Tell us about your journey with the dietitian?

I was referred to Catherine Boome by a friend who raved about her holistic, “normal” approach to food and nutrition. I wasn’t too keen on weighing things or counting points, so this was a big plus. I met with her at the end of January 2012 and told her my story.

I expected her to be as perplexed as I was about my weight gain/lack of weight loss but she wasn’t. She was convinced she could help me. After spending about 90 mins with her going over my routine, my likes and dislikes etc. she developed a personal plan for me.

A week later, after spending some time explaining to me how my hormonal imbalances are impacting the way food behaves in my body, she presented me with a plan that not only compensates for that, but also included carbs! (I was worried about that!) .

The main focus was on portion control – helping me understand what my body really needs, how much and how often. She also spent quite a lot of time preparing me mentally – calling me out on being too hard on myself and not having faith in my abilities to accomplish my goals.

The plan was so simple, I couldn’t believe it. It was applicable to pretty much every part of my life. Even when I went out for dinner with friends, I was able to make smart choices within the eating plan, no matter what restaurant I was in.

Once I understood why my body was being so stubborn about weight loss, I could work with that to make smarter food choices. Even after the “diet” finished.

Catherine was also fantastic in providing leadership when I decided to enter the Argus – helping me make the best choices for my body’s needs over such a long distance. She helped me prepare for holidays, giving me tips on what types of foods I should favour when I’m in another country and not in control of the preparation or the menu.

Every time I had a question (or a meltdown), Catherine calmly provided me with the information I needed to make the right choice. She is part and parcel of my success story – she provided the framework I needed to get to where I wanted to be, and which allowed me to be “in charge” of the decisions I made.

Tell us about your results?

I refuse to weigh myself so the only times I’ve been on a scale in the past 5 years has been in Catherine’s office. Three months into the plan I had lost about 6kgs. No one was more surprised than me.

I continued to lose another 8kgs by the end of 2013. That was 14kgs in about 11 months. I dropped 2 dress sizes and my entire body composition changed. Also, I went from average runner to a really good one – taking almost 30mins off my average time for a half marathon.

At the end of 2013 Catherine gave me a maintenance plan. I check in with her every 6 months to keep myself accountable and I’ve managed to keep my weight consistent over the past 15 months, since finishing the plan. I also talk to her regularly for advice on changes in my routine, or when I’m training for a particular race. I feel so in tune with my body, I can feel when I’ve had an unhealthy couple of days – and I know exactly how to fix it. No need for a panic, or a crash diet. I just go back to the basics that Catherine gave me.

What was the hardest part of the journey?

For me the biggest hurdle was to actually make the appointment to go and see her, as I couldn’t imagine that she would be able to tell me something I didn’t know. I was very wrong!

That first winter was pretty tough too because I was less active and therefore home more and wanted to eat more! Catherine provided some great advice and ideas that got me around those hurdles without any long-term damage. Socially I struggled a bit with friendship-dynamics changing when I gave up alcohol, but mostly I was very well supported in my journey. I haven’t given up alcohol completely – I love my red wine, but now have it as a treat when I’m with friends. It’s not part of my daily routine anymore.

What are the top three tips you can share? 

1. The dietitian’s advice won’t help you unless you do what she says.
2. The only way to get lasting results is to make lifestyle changes. You can’t do a fad diet and expect a long-term result. It must be about being healthy, first. Weight loss is a consequence of that.
3. It’s TOTALLY worth it

What the dietitian says (feedback from Catherine Boome)

Carla was destined to succeed right from the minute she walked into my rooms. She was very motivated to be healthy but just so confused with what, when and how to eat in order to manage her weight. She had been making a great effort to lose weight but she was not being rewarded with the results she deserved. Something just did not make sense and she decided to approach an expert in food and nutrition to help her make sense of it all.

We started with basic Nutrition 101. Nutrition Education in order to facilitate a good understanding of food as a source of nutrition and fuel for the body, understanding metabolism and how certain food choices and eating habits can affect the body’s metabolism, hormones, insulin response, fat burning capabilities and therefore the ability to either gain or lose weight.

It was important for me to find out a bit about Carla – her food preferences, type of work, lifestyle patterns, exercise and hobbies in order to put together something that would fit into her way of life so that it would be practical for her to follow.

I then put together an individualized eating plan for Carla to follow and encouraged her to return to me periodically (as and when it suited her) for more support and motivation. This would also be an opportunity to tweak the plan if we needed to, or to answer any questions she might have had.

Incorporating healthy eating habits into Carla’s life did not appear to be too difficult, in fact she made it look very easy! This was a result of her motivation levels and go-getter personality. I believe that benefits of her improved energy levels, vitality and overall health served as a great motivator for her to keep going.

I believe that one needs to learn HOW to eat in order to manage weight, as opposed how to learning NOT to eat. This is such a valuable lesson for many of my patients.

To find a dietitian in your area visithttp://www.adsa.org.za/Public/FindARegisteredDietitian.aspx