By: Jessie McGinty, Registered Dietitian at Outdoor Women’s Wellness

“So….what is it you do with clients? Do you make them a meal plan, or…?”

There’s a lot of misinformation about food and healthy eating out there, so a friend of a Registered Dietitian (RD) might not know exactly what nutrition coaching looks like unless they’ve experienced it. While not every dietitian will take the same approach, here are a few things you can expect (or expect not to see) when you work with a dietitian at Outdoor Women’s Wellness.

One way to get started is to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call. This is just a chance for you to express your goals, ask questions, and generally see if working together would be a good fit. At this point, you may decide to schedule an initial intake session.

The initial intake session can be considered a discovery session. You’ll discuss your goals, go over your history – such as any injuries, regular activities, or health concerns that may be relevant – and generally give a sense of who you are, what you’re trying to accomplish, and what your lifestyle is like. You may be asked to provide a “recall” of what you ate in a recent or typical day, but only to provide a baseline and get a sense of the types of foods you like.

Then, based on insights you’ve provided and the goals you’ve expressed, you’ll engage in a dialogue together. A good coaching session is client-led and focuses on what YOU are interested in prioritizing.

By the end of the session, we’ll have co-created goals. These will be as SMART as possible, meaning they’ll be specific in nature so you have a plan and know how to overcome any potential barriers. It will be measurable so there’s no question about whether or not you met the goal. Goals will always be achievable – coaching is not about flipping your lifestyle on its head or creating goals that are out of reach, but making smaller and sustainable progress. Of course, the goals will be relevant to your main priority, whether that’s a race, a big climb, or just feeling better when you’re active. Finally, the goals will be time-bound so you have a sense of how long you have to work towards making them happen. The frequency of sessions is also in your court: we can meet as often or as little as you want, as long as you feel like you have the support and accountability needed to reach your goals.

A dietitian at Outdoor Women’s Wellness is not:

·      the food police! It’s likely every dietitian has heard “well I’m not sure if I should eat this in front of a dietitian…” but the truth is – we’re human, too! Food is for enjoying and we’re not here to judge or shame you for your food choices. In fact, we’ll help strengthen your relationship with food so you trust your body when it tells you it’s hungry or satisfied.

·      going to tell you that you shouldn’t eat your favorite foods. We’ll help you figure out how they fit into a balanced eating pattern that works for you and supports your performance goals.

·      going to tell you to follow a trendy or fad diet. Rather, we’ll help you make small, long-lasting adjustments that fit into your lifestyle and have lasting impact.

·      creating a meal plan for you. Instead, we meet you where you are and celebrate all wins, big and small.

Ultimately, we just want you to feel good, feel strong, and have the best possible experience in the outdoors. However you want to get there, we’re your resource to science-based answers to your questions, collaborative guidance, accountability for your goals, and a cheerleader for your wins. Nutrition coaching doesn’t have to be a mystery – or intimidating. Nutrition coaching can be whatever you want it to be. After all, it’s all about you!