Lifestyle & Weight Management Counseling
The food we eat plays a crucial role in improving and maintaining our health and overall well-being. At North Jersey Nutrition, we provide one-on-one lifestyle nutritional counseling designed to help you make positive changes in your diet. Our counseling program is highly customized and tailored to your specific needs, goals, and preferences.
It is highly encouraged that everyone starting lifestyle and weight management nutritional counseling performs a Med Gem metabolic test to obtain a precise measurement of individual calorie needs.
Our lifestyle and weight management counseling program comprise of the following sessions:
Initial Evaluation
The initial evaluation focuses on gathering information and sets the foundation for subsequent sessions. You will discuss your health and diet history with our registered dietitian, the reasons for seeking counseling, and your expectations. By the end of the session, you will have a better understanding of yourself and how you will achieve your goals with great motivation.
Metabolic Testing
Metabolic testing involves using the Med Gem’s indirect calorimetry to calculate your resting metabolic rate (RMR). Your RMR serves as your metabolic fingerprint and helps our registered dietitian provide nutritional counseling and create personalized weight management and meal plans tailored to your needs. Knowing your RMR allows you and our dietitian to determine the amount of calories you need daily to maintain your weight or reach your goals by a specific date.
Strategy Education
The strategy education visit typically lasts 45 minutes. During this session, you will work with our registered dietitian to review the meal plan or “blueprint” created specifically for you. The plan considers your current lifestyle, health, and diet history to help you reach your goals. You will learn how to eat in a way that supports your goal and gain an understanding of its importance for your success. Additionally, you will be taught how to choose foods that are not part of the meal plan.
At the end of the session, you and our dietitian will discuss the ideal frequency and length of follow-up sessions to suit your needs and optimize your success.
Follow-Up Sessions
The duration of follow-up sessions is determined when you schedule your appointment and can range from 30 to 60 minutes. During these sessions, you will discuss your progress since the last appointment and address any questions or concerns you may have. The content of the session will be tailored to your personal history, behavior patterns, and goals. Our dietitian will help you navigate obstacles and barriers you may encounter before the next meeting.
Topics covered may include eating at restaurants, modifying recipes, adopting behavior modification techniques, and practicing cognitive therapy. Each session will focus on developing healthier perspectives on food, mindful and intuitive eating, making nutritious food choices, meal preparation, and managing eating during special occasions and vacations while maintaining everyday lifestyle choices.
Ultimately, our dietitian will provide you with the necessary nutrition tools to enable independent eating for life. Since nutrition counseling practices are personalized, the specific content covered during follow-up sessions will depend on your preferences.