The average person has an idea of general nutrition information. Most people recognize that grilled meat is better that fried and wheat bread is healthier than white bread. However, people get confused when trying to piece together what they should be eating at meals and snacks on a daily basis. Often times it takes a registered dietitian to help someone understand how many calories he/she needs, where those calories should come from and how to fit them into nutritious meals and snacks throughout the day.
In 2008, Gary Bishop decided to work with me to help himself lose weight and improve his health. Here is his story:
"I have always been consistent in working out, particularly cardiovascular exercise. However, I have never seemed to do very well on the diet part. I guess I was like many other people who felt like you could eat as much as you want as long as you exercised. This worked fairly well in my younger years but after passing age 40 it did not work as well. Like everyone else, I would try the latest ideas of "hunger curbing methods" such as drinking water before and after meals, but they would only work temporarily. Finally I read about Texas Health Fort Worth Executive Health Program’s registered dietitian Amy Goodson in my City Club newsletter and decided to set up an appointment. I thought I should finally find out what is truly the best way to eat by a professional. During our meeting she asked many questions such as what I ate currently, where did I eat out, what did I eat for each meal, how often did I exercised, etc.
Next, Amy explained to me about nutrition including protein, carbohydrates, fiber - soluble and insoluble, portion size, number of meals per day, proper calorie intake, good fats and bad fats, what to eat at different kinds of restaurants (Mexican, Italian, Chinese, etc) and the correct combinations of food for each meal. Finally after all the years of conflicting information , I felt I had finally heard the correct answers.
Within a couple days, Amy sent me a personal meal plan that included all sorts of ideas for meals and snacks. The part I liked the most was the plan for eating at fast food restaurants for lunch. I consider this real information for the busy lifestyles all of us live today. There was also a list of different foods and brands to pick up at the grocery store that were healthy. I would take the information that Amy provided to grocery store to make sure I picked the proper brands and types of various food products.
I began to lose weight steadily and did not get hungry. I really felt good about eating healthy and of course, excited about the weight starting to come off. I lost 20 lbs easily within about 5 months but still needed to lose another 10 to reach my goal. I felt like I had reached a plateau. So I emailed Amy and told her my situation. Within hours, Amy emailed me back with 3 options that she would guarantee to take off the remaining weight. I picked the additional day of exercise. It worked quickly and the additional weight came off. A few weeks later it was time for annual physical. I was very anxious to see if the weight loss would improve my cholesterol readings. Well, my reading had dropped over 40 points since the previous year and my doctor allowed me to come off my cholesterol medicine. I was very excited! I admit that I have days when I don't eat like I should, but 90% of the time it is easy to stay on track. It has been 15 months since meeting with Amy and the weight continues to stay off.
If you have a question for the dietitian, visit www.texashealth.org/askamy
Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
Registered Dietitian
Ben Hogan Sports Therapy Institute
Executive Health Program
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