It’s crazy to think I’ve been a practicing dietitian for almost 20 years. Wasn’t it just a few years ago I was in grad school, hitting up the clubs on the weekend with my girl friends, telling the bar scene boys that I made neuticals for a living? Yes… I said neuticals. Go ahead, Google it.
In that 20 years of working in different facets of nutrition either in long term care, hospital work, consulting and again in private practice I’ve realized some strange phenomenon’s; you might call it Clinical Intuition? I referred to these as “Kim’isms” or when talking with a patient or client, I’d preface with “this crazy dietitian” thinks you should try… fill in the blank.
And honestly, most of what I said wasn’t backed up by science. And if you know dietitians, we love us some research!!
However, I could never find an article that backed up why when I did my “crazy dietitian” recommendation to have patients try Fritos, their chronic nausea disappeared. Oh I could find research articles on electrolyte imbalance, yada yada yada, but it was Fritos, not potato chips, Gatorade, etc, etc that worked.
Enter chocolate cake. In my early days of private practice when I was young, unmarried, no kids, working 2 jobs so I could afford to travel the world, I would meet with clients in a doctor’s office often for weight loss counseling.
A few months in after steady weight loss, the dreaded “P” word would happen.. Plateau. The “nails on a chalkboard” of all words to the person diligently trying to lose weight.
Once again I would start the conversation with “I know this sounds crazy” but eat a piece of chocolate cake. I lost many clients after I would tell them that. Why in the world would you believe some 25yr old, skinny girl who (probably) never had a weight problem in her whole young life? But the ones that didn’t desert me, would lose 3-5 more pounds when their best attempts at eating all the salad in the world wouldn’t make the scale budge.
Now into my 40’s I generally still give the same advice when dealt with the uber frustrated woman who is doing “everything” right! She’s logging her food, exercising on the regular, drinking more water (ok maybe not drinking more water. That’s a hard one for most.)
In fact, this just worked the other day for a great friend of mine. When I met up with her, she was all smiles saying she finally lost more weight. When I asked her what changed, she did the once over glance and said “chocolate cake.” We both laughed. Another Kim’ism success.
THIS time however, I recently came across an article written by fellow dietitian Nancy Clark who wrote about a research study from 2012 (how did I miss that one?!?!). The study placed obese men and women on a 600 calories high carb, high protein breakfast vs. a 300 calorie high protein breakfast. The high carb/high protein group not only lost just as much weight as the other group at 16 weeks but kept losing weight. Where the high pro, low carb group regained much of the weight they initially lost at 16 weeks. Eek. What was part of their high protein, high carb breakfast? Chocolate cake! Catch that article in CuencaHighLife.com here.
Now, before we get all excited, I wasn’t able to find the research article to read through the fine details. And it’s important to note, that the overall calories the weight loss groups were on above were low calorie diets. I also didn’t look at other research studies to confirm this 2012 study, but I must admit I did find a study from 2017 looking at over 30,000 healthy peeps with lower BMI’s when they had their biggest meal at breakfast, averaged 2 meals a day and no snacking. Things that make you go hmm???
Now it’s your turn! Tell me what’s worked for you if you’ve ever reached the weight loss plateau. Comment below.
And feel free to tell me I’m crazy. I didn’t create Misfit Nutrition on a whim. It’s in my blood.
Interested in working with a Misfit on weight loss, that may just involve chocolate cake? Next month, I’m accepting new clients and offering a $100 discount on my 1 month and 3 month plan (for being a guinea pig on a new software platform I’m checking out.) Email me at Kim@MisfitNutrition.com if interested and I’ll send you the link and a coupon code. I’m only accepting 3 new clients in each plan at the discounted rate.
Care to take a glance into the world of Misfit Nutrition, make sure and sign up below for the Misfit Nutrition Ultimate 7 day Meal Planning Guide; it’s free. And of course there’ always some Misfit Nutrition Facebook love here.
Misfit Hugs! Kim
Hi Kim! My sons pediatrician suggested today that we speak to a nutritionist and right away you came to mind! I am struggling to keep us on track to eating healthier and losing weight & I am so embarrassed about it!!
Parenting is hard enough! Don’t be embarrassed about it. Our children no matter what age still control what they will and will not eat. We just have to create an environment to support overall health. I’m going to email you so we can take this conversation off-line. You are a rock star! As are your sons! You guys can do this!! Lots of Misfit Hugs all around!!