I recently started to dip my toes back into one-on-one nutrition coaching! When I set out to become a Registered Dietitian, my goal was to help people feel their best with healthy eating, fitness, and lifestyle changes. I imagined myself meeting clients at grocery stores to talk about which products are my favorites, meeting clients for walks on a trail and talking through their nutrition questions, and sharing some of my favorite tips and recipes along the way. That dream turned into KERF. While I do hear from you guys in the comments and on social media, it’s mostly a one-way street.
So when I had a mutual friend reach out to me about in-person nutrition coaching, I started to say my usual “Thank you for asking, but I’m not set up for that right now.” Until I realized that this was actually the perfect opportunity for me to see if one-on-one coaching was still something I wanted to do!
I updated some of my materials from years ago when I did Real Food Consultations under another RD, and spent some time polishing up a Nutrition Bootcamp document that I will send to all clients. We met in the Whole Foods cafe (naturally!) and talked and talked and talked. Luckily healthy lifestyle is my favorite topic! I left the session feeling really energized, which is a good sign to me that it’s something I should be doing more of.
All this to say: I think coaching is something I’d like to get back into! I’d like to keep it lifestyle, cooking, habits based, as I don’t feel qualified at this time to take on clients with medically necessary diets. At least not in the short term. And I think sticking with local clients might be the best way to get started.
But I am curious if any of you would be interested in online coaching?
I have thought about doing online coaching for years, and many of you have emailed me asking about it. It’s a bit intimidating to get set up for something like that. However, the more I think about it, I don’t think I’d complicate things by making a bunch of different packages, promising detailed meal plans, or delivering lots of math heavy calculations. I think I’d just charge a flat rate per session and have each session be open for any and all topics based on the client’s interests. (I would do an intake form and ask for a food dairy so we’d have a foundation to jump off from.) This is all just swirling in my head for now and might never come to fruition, but I thought I’d at least mention the idea here.
Nutrition: Keep It Simple
I stumbled upon this little graphic somewhere on the internet and had to laugh out loud (especially the part about intermittent fasting.) I sent it to my client who has tried all of the diets in the world.
Nutrition can be SO confusing. But you know what my response is: keep it simple. Real food. Eating mindfully to hunger cues. A well-stocked fridge. Emphasis on VARIETY and COLORFUL foods. Adding over subtracting. And remembering that the Squiggly Line is more important than obsessing about a number on a scale.
I think it’s great that you’re going back to your nutrition coaching roots! It’d be a big help to many people. š
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
How exciting!! I know that passion & charged feeling you mentioned. When I helped with what was called The Healthy Living Kitchen, I always lit up & had so much happiness. Your clients are lucky to have you! I saw & shared that post too. The media & public tries to complicate nutrition so much! I love your take on it. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you!
This is so exciting for you! As a long time reader, I’ve always thought you would be perfect for this kind of counseling. I’m also an RD (in Atlanta) – if you ever wanted to add another RD to help with counseling, I’d love to help!
Definitely a possibility down the road! And thanks!
That graphic is perfect!! I think one on one coaching would be an awesome service. I recently saw someone ask for healthy meal planning assistance on social media and a bunch of unqualified “nutritionists” that sell diet products responded. It made me sad. All that to say that I think people need more access to RD’s who specialize in prevention and healthy lifestyle so that clients are getting evidenced-based nutrition information instead of being sold a weight loss product or false ideal. Your platform is perfect because people already trust you which makes it easier to ask for help.
Oh my goodness! I almost emailed you a couple of weeks ago to ask if you did this sort of thing!! Iād be a client in a heartbeat.
Loved the graphic as itās so true about what you hear!!
I definitely think you should offer coaching if you have the time. Thereās definitely a market for it. I know people that do it in CA who have no qualifications and it drives me nuts!
I think one on one counseling would be awesome! Also, I would love more nutritional blog posts. Those have always been so informational and helpful!
That graphic is exactly how I feel. There is so much confusing information that constantly contradicts other things I’ve read/heard. I have thrown my hands in the air and “given up” more times than I can count. And then I start over with the next thing to see if that is going to be the key for me. But it never is. I lose 10lbs and stall out (and I have way more than 10lbs to lose). I am more than willing to put in the work but I need to see results. I’m not giving up but some days it is so hard. I would love to have a nutrition coach who could help me figure out what is wrong (I highly suspect my issue is hormonal but I haven’t been able to find a doctor who will help me fix it and the internet is full of things like the above graphic). The last dietician I talked to told me that my eating was fine and she didn’t know what was wrong but maybe try getting more sleep. While I understand sleep is important (I did increase my nightly sleep times and it didn’t help) I was hoping for a little more help than that.
I would love to look at a food and lifestyle journal of yours….hmmm
Could you be eating too little?!
I would encourage my husband – a UVA grad (!) – to work with you if you did online coaching. He has a busy job, with long days and work travel and he could benefit from some professional advice (as could I about how to help him).
I’d love to coach a guy!
Maybe nothing is āwrongā with you at all. Have you read about Intuitive Eating? There is a concept called set point weight that was really liberating for me to learn about.
I would definitely be interested in an online option!!
Yes! Yes!! All the yessesssss! ????
Hahaha! Donāt get too excited yet! š
Nutrition boot camp document – great idea! I have followed your blog a long time and always learn something about food, or food habits that resonates with me, and/or I find helpful for my family. I recall when you made your video on how to make a frittata. I didn’t have a lot of confidence in the kitchen and I had never made one. I watched your blog and learned how to make one. It is a regular around this kitchen now! And, we have created lots of variations on the theme. So, thanks to you for your inspiration!
I like how you keep your older videos on your blog. It is fun to see how all our lives change.
My old videos are so embarrassing!! But youāre right I have to keep them!
OMG. I need to stop following everyone who is intermittent fasting. I know that it would simply make me overeat, and I know that there are a few studies on IF being unsuitable to women. BUT MY GOSH, there is so much food noise about it right now.
I feel compelled to write that there are some people without medical conditions who I think would be underserved by your methodā āReal food. Eating mindfully to hunger cues. A well-stocked fridge. Emphasis on VARIETY and COLORFUL foods. Adding over subtracting. And remembering that the Squiggly Line is more important than obsessing about a number on a scale.ā
After years of struggling with diet I worked with a naturopath who helped me ease my way out of compulsive eating, mostly by experimenting with sugar in my diet. It felt like a key for me, an actual remedy. I am so much better now. My compulsive relationship to food wasnāt that bad, though, and I donāt think you would have considered me as someone needing a medically necessary diet. But it would have been a waste of time to try out your suggestions that seem to amount to āmoderationā. I guess I am worried about potential clients who could easily have issues that while donāt sound āmedicalā might require more particular attention than this. I think nutrition counseling is great! It helped me so much! I donāt want to be a debbie downer, but your suggestions would not have worked for me!
This would be something weād talk about one on one. That list is not the end of my toolbox š
I think that sounds amazing & very exciting! I have often considered doing a course in nutrition. Looking forward to seeing where this path may lead you. Good luck!
I am a Cville local with about 150 pounds to lose and would be very interested in some coaching from you. I lost 120 pounds before I had my son and gained it all back so I am starting at square 1 again. I am open to all options.
Shannon email me and we can talk! Katherine.Younger at gmail dot com : )
GREAT POST. I’m a long time reader and I needed this today! I feel like everyone I know is doing keto, or paleo, or whole30, and I’m doing everything wrong. This was my friendly reminder that I too believe in real food and moderation. It’s so easy to become lost in articles from so many sources, especially for someone like myself with no nutrition background.
Yes – please! Id actually be interested in some thoughts for my 1 year old who has some dietary restrictions and my 3 year old who has an insane appetite and metabolism as well as myself!!
You should do it! Ever consider doing virtual sessions? Youāre very tech savvy. Iām an RD in process of transitioning to private practice. You MUST check out Healtie platform. Check it out at gethealthie.com
Thanks for the rec!
Great idea. I would definitely be interested.
I have a virtual practice where I provide one on one nutrition counseling. I love it and it’s fun to help others. I specialize in nutrition for endurance. My website is going through rebranding/revamping but you can look at it if you like. It is initially a lot of work to set up but once you have a good system, it doesn’t take up much time. If you ever want to talk, email me and I would be happy to have a virtual call with you to show you my practice. I am also a first career tax accountant so I know all about business set up (if you currently don’t have all that set up?)
http://www.fuelimentary.com
Jill
Thanks for offering to help!