11 Jul Nutrition Coaching Client Interview

What were your biggest nutrition struggles in the beginning?

During the last year, my work schedule as a medical student required me to put in 80-hour weeks with only a few days off a month.  I wasn’t able to go to the gym as often and depending on which hospital or surgical unit I was working on, I became less active than usual and gained a significant amount of weight in a short period of time.  I had never gained weight like that before, but I knew how awful I felt and understood that the real reason for the weight gain was a behavioral issue.  I was eating the wrong foods, portion sizes, eating entire meals in under 5-10 minutes due to time constraints, and binging to obtain calories after not eating for extended periods of time.  I neglected the fact that although I was extremely busy, my health was going in the wrong direction quickly.  Regardless of how demanding my schedule was, I understood that there was no excuse for how little effort and serious time I was spending addressing my diet and daily routines.  It was not until I reached a point of extreme frustration that I knew I could no longer address this issue on my own and needed the guidance of a professional like Jennie. 

What were your biggest frustrations about your nutrition history (journey)?

My biggest frustrations that I brought to the beginning of my six-month program with Jennie were the cravings and rigid mentality that I had engrained from not paying attention to what I was eating.  I found that it was a challenge to take the time and effort to reassess the foods I was buying and to spend the proper amount of time preparing them at normal times during the day.  Jennie provided much needed nutrition advice, recipes, and food options which made it easier to shop at the store and to bring food with me to work.  This really helped me from buying less healthy and limited options either at work or in public.  It was also difficult to make sure to get adequate water intake during the day during the first few months, but Jennie was always there for encouragement and provided ways of adapting to my schedule to meet my diet goals.  Although the first few months were a struggle, Jennie was always able to get me back on track in a positive and friendly way. 

What was your experience and first break through?

The first two months of the program were the most difficult, as my body needed time to adjust to the changes I was making.  However, Jennie was right there with me the entire time, and her encouragement definitely made the journey a lot easier than doing it alone.  She made sure that the changes to my daily routines (walking, water intake, eating meals at similar times, implementing new foods, increasing the complexity of my meals) were realistic and obtainable over two-week intervals.  My first breakthrough was during the third month in which I developed an internal sense of how good I felt after eating healthy meals and the confidence I gained after being able to recognize and eliminate cravings through proper meal planning.  The journey became a lot easier during the last three months, especially with Jennie helping me to maintain the healthy behaviors I had developed. 

How is your nutrition & health now in the program?

My nutrition is absolutely excellent now and it has been amazing to see not only my change in mentality around my food selection, but how much confidence and efficiency I have in buying the proper foods at the store, preparing my meals and eating them at similar times, and understanding the importance of presenting my food on the plate which makes me feel more satisfied physically and emotionally! My enthusiasm around making meals is the best it’s ever been in my life, and I now look forward to eating my planned meals rather than worrying about how much work and effort it may take.  My anxiety about losing weight is completely gone and I know that Jennie has helped me develop the lifelong skills it takes to lose weight in a sustainable way, but more importantly to continue to make healthy choices. This will not only make me feel better in the short term but will have dramatic positive impacts on my health later on in life. 

What would you say to someone considering working with Jennie?

As a medical professional, I often see patients who are reluctant to acknowledge that they need to make drastic changes in their daily routine or diet in order to address a significant or emerging health issue.  Many times, their unwillingness to change is due to fear of serious commitment, lack of knowledge or motivation in initiating changes to their health, or the myth that investing in one’s own health will create undue financial burden.  Although I have always been relatively healthy and active, I had my own insecurities and problems making the necessary adjustments to stave off new weight gain over the last year.  That is when I found Jennie Dore, and it was one of the best choices I have ever made to work with her.

After starting my six-month program with Jennie it became very obvious that she is an authentic, skilled dietician and person who truly cares about your success and well-being.  Jennie always stresses the importance of “non-scale victories,” which are small steps in your diet or mentality you have made to address behavioral issues and develop confidence in yourself, independent of how much weight you may have lost.  She also helps you to understand the importance of the journey you are on, and to think of the positive experiences you have made, rather than look at the totality of the endeavor, which can create frustration and self-doubt.  Jennie is there for you 24/7 and always provides encouragement and motivation with the proper adjustments on a weekly basis.  

The diet plan she provides is tailored directly to your lifestyle and schedule and is not a “one-size fits all” or “all or nothing” approach.  With the rigorous schedule I have, Jennie was always there for me and enabled me to achieve changes in my diet behaviors.  She did not allow me to make excuses regardless of how difficult my schedule became but adjusted my individualized program to meet the needs of the moment.  My diet behaviors were more important to me than an overall weight loss number due to my future career as a physician, but Jennie has helped me reach new heights in my mentality around eating and making positive choices pertaining to food and exercise. 

I can’t thank Jennie enough for truly changing my life and for the impact her advice will always have on me.  Her instruction and dedication have not only helped my diet and overall health, but it has extended to other areas of my life, creating more efficiency and less doubt about tackling other important issues.  On a personal level, it is not as important for me lose a significant amount of weight in a short period of time, but to develop the behaviors and confidence to be able to maintain changes in my diet to fit my lifestyle.  As a senior student at a premier medical institution who has experience working with dietitians during patient care, I can undoubtedly say Jennie is a top-notch dietician who will absolutely help you achieve, and most importantly, maintain your diet and health goals to improve your quality of life.