10 lessons from working as a bariatric nutritionist
For the past three years I’ve had the privilege of supporting more than a thousand clients with their nutrition after going through bariatric surgery. It’s been such an insightful role, and I’ve learnt so much from my clients who take on this life-changing journey.
When I first took on this role, I’ll be completely honest, I wasn’t sure if I would love it. I never weighed my clients or encouraged this as a particularly useful metric to focus on. Fortunately, I’ve worked within a clinic which very much aligns with my values of taking a health-first approach, and working with clients over a long period of time to help build a healthy and sustainable relationship with food. I should also mention that working as part of a multi-disciplinary team with a group of very talented medical staff, psychologists, exercise specialists alongside my nutrition team has been invaluable to the success of my clients (and my own professional growth).
My own perspectives on health, weight loss and nutrition have certainly grown through working in this role, so I wanted to share with you some of my biggest insights.
10 lessons from a bariatric nutritionist -
If we all ate the same thing (or were in the same calorie deficit) we would still lose weight at different rates. Because…
The calories in vs calories out model does not show the full picture. Whilst a calorie deficit is fundamentally required for weight loss, there are also many other factors which also have an impact - gender, sex hormones, thyroid function, inflammation, insulin function, chronic diseases - to name a few.
Men tend to lose weight more easily than women. Of course this largely depends on individual health circumstances, but differences in sex hormone levels (esp testosterone) and muscle mass mean that men often lose weight more easily.
BMI is not the best measurement to use. A more accurate marker of health is waist circumference - in other words fat accumulation around the visceral organs is more concerning than a higher overall body weight in relation to height (BMI).
Bariatric surgery is not the ‘easy option’ and in fact is (at times) a very challenging journey which requires lifelong commitment to a changed lifestyle and nutritional adaptation.
Loving your body and pursuing weight loss are not mutually exclusive. You can appreciate your body for all that it does for you, and you can also strive to lose weight if it benefits your health.
Skipping breakfast as an attempt to ‘save calories’ often backfires with an overconsumption of snacks later in the day. If you struggle with overeating in the evening, the first thing I’d do is ensure you’re eating a high protein breakfast.
A lot of challenges with low energy, hunger and cravings could be resolved or drastically improved if we met our daily protein and fibre needs (and these are two things which are lacking in an ultra processed diet).
You can eat the most ‘perfect’ diet in the world but if you’re constantly stressed about what you’re eating, that’s not healthy. In my (bias) opinion, having a harmonious relationship with food is one of the most important aspects of health.
Never judge someone based on their weight. You have no idea about their unique circumstances and passing judgement on a person’s body size is unwarranted, hurtful and extremely unhelpful.
I hope this has been insightful! There’s so much more I could say, but I wanted to keep this short and sweet. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you found this helpful or had any points to share of your own. Reach out to me via email or on socials!
With love,
Nic
Please note this blog is intended for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace individualised medical or nutritional advice.