Greg was sceptical about seeking support from a Dietitian because he felt he had a pretty good idea of what a healthy diet looked like.
His spinal surgeon suggested that he needed to address his weight to support a longstanding spinal issue and cardiac health. After a few sessions with me, his attitude evolved and through coaching conversations Greg adjusted his food and eating habits to support his long-term health.
I had the pleasure of working with Greg over a 12-month period supporting him with adjusting his food intake and eating habits. He was kind enough to write the following words about his experience of working with me.
“I had been sceptical about seeing a Dietitian or nutritionist on the suggestion of my spinal surgeon. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what a nutritious regime looked like and that I just needed to apply myself with more discipline.
However, after sessions with Lydia my attitude has evolved. Why? Firstly, I had the twin objectives of needing to lose weight and pivot my diet to support a long-term spinal condition and some cardiac issues. As a 74-year-old male I needed urgently to establish a healthier lifestyle within these constraints. My resistance was partly due to knowing that ‘diet’ is not just a matter of curating information but is in good measure a behavioural issue.
If people could be relied upon to regulate their own behaviour long-term they might not need professional help. This is where Lydia’s approach is so helpful. Firstly, she is properly qualified in a field where there is a lot of uninvited and suspect advice flying around.
Secondly, she gathers relevant information from you before starting out which helps her to get to know about your history, medical issues and objectives. She has a brief talk with you before you get going so you can get to know each other a bit and discover if you’re dealing with someone you will be able to talk to. In the unlikely event that you don’t click, you don’t have to proceed.
Lydia has a very welcoming conversational style. She is pragmatic and not dogmatic about the weight loss agenda. This is not a weight loss crash course but an opportunity to make some considered adjustments calibrated to achievable weight and other goals – in my case, energy and pain management and more broadly-based sources of nutritional value to promote health and well-being.
Everything is discussed in an adult to adult ‘coaching conversation’ underpinned by expertise and information aligned with your experiences and perceptions. Lydia is very good at correcting misleading or incorrect assumptions you may have without ever making you feel as if you’re before the headmistress for a misdemeanour.
She also offers you a mixture of tools and aids, some widely known and others she has created or customised. Of particular value is her Food Diary. This provided a structured means of recording what I had eaten and drunk on a daily basis. It might seem obvious, but it helps to make you honest with yourself and Lydia identified a key issue for me from looking at my initial food diaries. The diary is adaptable to formats that might suit you more including diary apps.
Lydia notices specific needs as they emerge and, if necessary, researches them and offers you further suggestions in sessions or via email. I have also found that, as someone who reads around a topic, Lydia helps clarify misunderstandings and makes reading suggestions herself. I realised through our sessions that I needed to adapt some cooking practices and also discuss what I was learning with my wife. Although there is emphasis towards a more plant-based regime Lydia is not an anti-meat and dairy purist and in fact is keen to ensure that a balance is made between the essential requirements of sound nutrition.
I have found that following initial wariness, my attitude to seeing a qualified Dietitian has been transformed by Lydia’s approach. She is filling a much-neglected gap in the spectrum of health and well-being services and from this client is highly recommended.”
Each of my clients has their own unique story and set of circumstances. This is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach. It’s based on years of experience and a toolkit of strategies, backed by science.
If you’d like to talk more about working with me then I’d love to hear from you.
