Why You Should NOT Listen to Your Dietitian

March 19 2014 by in Diabetes, Success stories

Here’s another good reason NOT to listen to your dietitian if you get diagnosed with diabetes*. A reader sent me her story:

The Email

Here’s my success story: I was diagnosed with diabetes shortly after the first photo was taken. Fortunately, I didn’t listen to the dietitian who “educated” me about what to eat. While doing research online I found a low carb forum for diabetics, where I learned about the LCHF way of eating. I wasn’t even trying to lose weight, my only thought was to normalize my blood sugar. Losing weight was a very pleasant surprise and the pounds just seemed to melt off without my ever being hungry. My family fully supported me by eating LCHF along with me and we all lost weight!

Thank you for your blog, it’s a wonderful resource!

Congratulations, anonymous reader!

Note

*/ Unless, of course, you have a smart dietitian who recommends you to cut your carb intake.

LCHF for Beginners

How to Lose Weight

PS

Do you have a success story you want to share on this blog? Send it (photos appreciated) to andreas@dietdoctor.com, and please let me know if it’s OK to publish your photo and name or if you’d rather remain anonymous.

20 Comments

1
Steph
March 19 2014 2
Congratulations on your weight loss! I was diagnosed as prediabetic in June 2012 and even before I started LCHF I knew that a dietitian wouldn't really help me. That belief was solidified when I actually got on the program. I'm so glad for you and I know that if I remain consistent then I would be just as successful.
2
Nan
March 19 2014 2
Wonderful transformation in health and weight, congratulations! I went to a nutritionist thirty years ago and got the old CW, whole grains, eat a little of everything, and it cost me several years of struggle to keep my weight in check. Without discovering first Atkins then the paleo, then the LCHF communities, I have little doubt I would have finally gotten diabetes.
I'm glad she found better information sooner.

http://www.sugaraholics.com
http://highfatlowcarbrecipes.wordpress.com/
3
C.H.
March 19 2014 4
Congrats! I know how empowering it can be to discover first-hand what a body really needs to be healthy. I have low-carb eating to thank for restoring my fertility and giving me two beautiful daughters. Go all of us!
4
tz
March 20 2014 1
Apologies for the sexism in advance, but you have more than enough for a LCHF calendar.

Reply: #5
5
Reply to comment #4 by tz
bill
March 20 2014 1
No apologies needed. There's enough of both guys and
gals to make a great calendar.

Great Idea!
6
Quana
March 20 2014
Hey congrats! What type are you?
7
Quana
March 20 2014
And just to clarify, what type of diabetes do you have?

Reply: #20
8
Bill UK
March 20 2014
tz, great idea, funds could be used for promoting this web site and LCHF and or research institute set up by Gary Taubes (spelling?), supporting independent research.
9
Jesse
March 20 2014 4
As a dietitian, I'm definitely offended by the title of this post. Not all dietitians think the same and this title generalizes a little but much. I could say the same for doctors, but I know not all have the same perspectives on health issues so I am respectful enough to never make a blanket statement about them like this does.

Replies: #10, #11
10
Reply to comment #9 by Jesse
Murray
March 20 2014 5
Yes, Jesse, I have met a dietician open to facts, so I wondered how the banner line should be qualified. But she also pointed out to me that she is constrained professionally in what advice she can actually give to patients and clients. So one should at least second guess advice from dieticians, as it might well be advice they do not believe themselves. So perhaps the headline she be , Why you should second guess the advice you get from a dietician.
11
Reply to comment #9 by Jesse
Francois
March 20 2014 2
Point well taken, Jesse. Not all dietitians follow the "party rule". Unfortunately, most still do. Maybe the title should have been: Why You Should NOT Listen to Your Dietitian when all you get is the "party line of high carbs-low fat because saturated fats are sooo dangerous for your health"... A bit long for a title, though.
Do realize though that the official teaching of both physicians and dietitians is dictated by both Big Pharma and Big Food. Just take a look at who heavily subsidizes our (medical and nutritionist/dietitian) conferences: PepsiCola, MacDonalds, Mars and the like for nutrition and all the big Pharmaceutical companies for the "serious stuff" as diet and lifestyle are still paid lip service in the medical profession.

Prescribing pills is so much easier and faster. And often times, since we physicians practice by guidelines set up by Big Pharma heavily paid "specialists", our income is dependant on whether or not we follow these guidelines and prescribe pills as we were told to do.

Jesse, you are / we are / still exceptions. I understand there is a registry online for physicians with an open mind to dietary approach to disease treatment. Is there such a registry for dietitians? The more there are, the greater the odds of changing the party line and following science.
12
Johnny D
March 20 2014
I'm glad you found the alternative answers that the dietitian was not willing to offer you. I to had a similar experience, but at that time an alternative theory was not popular. I am thankful for this web site and many others that have gone back in the history and experience of others so we can sort out the facts and learn the truth about dietary health and nutrition.
13
Sam Mackrill
March 20 2014
lbs 223 > 175 > 154 > 132
kgs 101 > 80 > 70 > 60

Impressibly round numbers in kg :) I guess those were target weights. Well done!
14
Paul the rat
March 21 2014
It is not only dietitians we should not listen to (what a waste of taxpayers money on CSIRO scientists)

http://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/health/this-weekend-try-10-wa...

Reply: #15
15
Reply to comment #14 by Paul the rat
BR
March 22 2014
Great find, Paul. With that kind of advice it's no wonder that "around one in 12 Australian adults are now living with diabetes".

Another great pearl of wisdom was "eat healthy fats such as vegetable oils".

How much more backwards can it get?
16
Sandra B.
April 1 2014
Hi There,
Is it OK to take a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil each day by itself? I am not getting enough good fats in my foods.Thanks to anyone that can answer.

Reply: #17
17
Reply to comment #16 by Sandra B.
Zepp
April 2 2014
Thats what people do if they dont like to eat the fatty rinds on meat!

MBC is a popular variant taking Coconut oil in the morning coffe!

But you can altso let butter melt on your meat.. or sprinkel a good olive oil on your veggies!

Its always better to eat proper meals.. whit fat to it.. becuse then it could be a life style that last!
18
Tonya Cather
April 16 2014
Do you have any meal plans or recipes for me? Just need some ideas. Thanks.
19
Zepp
April 16 2014
There are a lot on internet.. just Google low carb menues!

Here is one to start whit.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbmenus1/tp/12lowcarbmenus.htm

Or here.

http://authoritynutrition.com/low-carb-diet-meal-plan-and-menu/
20
Reply to comment #7 by Quana
anonymous reader
October 5 2015
Quana, sorry my reply is a year and a half late! I have type 2 diabetes. My FBG was 303 mg/dl and my HbA1c was 13.3% at diagnosis. My latest A1c was 5.2.

And just to clarify, what type of diabetes do you have?

Why You Should NOT Listen to Your Dietitian

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