Met a dietician today, asked her questions, is she right???

[OzzyC]

Hello,

A dietician from my company's private healthcare provider was at our workplace today and I took the opportunity to ask her a few questions. She contradicted alot of theories that are on this board and has put doubt in my mind, who is right?

Here are the questions I asked her and the answers :


-Is there a maximum amount of calories one can ingest at a single time, and if yes, are the remaining calories turned into fat?

There is no maximum calorie intake per meal that the body can digest. The rest will not be turned into fat.


-Does a fish oil supplement help the joints and the bones for a person lifting heavy weights?

No, it's mainly for arthritis. A few portions of oily fish per week should suffice.


-Is a multivitamin supplement necessary in your view?

No, you should get all your vitamins from natural food. Don't believe all supplements producers. You don't really need your protein shake either.


-Should one lay off complex carbs in the evening?

There is no proper eating timetable and it is only after around 7 to 10 days that the body makes a nutrition "report" or "balance".


-So there is no problem if I eat a huge plate of pasta before bed as to feel satisfied?

No. Your body does not shut off at night and still needs carbs.


-What kind of fats should I eat?

One should eat a little of all types of fats.


-My bodyfat %age is going up despite all my exercise, is it because I eat too many complex carbs in the evening, because of a lack or fat burning cardio exercise? I told her I aim for 4000 calories per day and that I don't think that my diet is particularly fat heavy.

It's not the carbs in the evening (see above), it could be the lack of cardio or it could be that your diet is, despite what you think, too rich in fat. I would advise that you lower your total carb intake.



So, please tell me what you think. Obviously, I wasn't very impressed with my discussion because it goes against alot of theories on this board, that I hold as "truth".

Just for the record I have an extremely fast metabolism (+"hardgainer" ability). I workout 4 times a week at the moment + 2 cardio sessions. I'm always hungry, I was thinking of upping calorie intake not lowering it!! And how am I supposed to get 175 grams of protein per day with natural foods? By eating 8 chicken breasts per day? To cap it all she told me to see a Nutritionist... I'm not sure I really need one, my body fat is stable at 15%, not 25% and climbing.

Your input is appreciated

[OzzyC]

doh! Posted in women's board, silly me. Your input is still greatly appreciated though, I don't suppose there are any male specific issues here.

If mods see this, could you please move it to the general Nutrition board? I don't want to double post. Thanks

[pliny_2001]

Originally Posted by OzzyC

-Is there a maximum amount of calories one can ingest at a single time, and if yes, are the remaining calories turned into fat?

There is no maximum calorie intake per meal that the body can digest. The rest will not be turned into fat.

The body can process a huge amount of calories in one sitting, though I suppose that there is some theoretical maximum. Regardless, the body stores excess calories as fat (or excretes some out, I guess - they've got to go somewhere, though that this second path probably doesn't account for too many calories).

-Does a fish oil supplement help the joints and the bones for a person lifting heavy weights?

No, it's mainly for arthritis. A few portions of oily fish per week should suffice.
Fish oil is 1) a good source of good fats, and 2) these fats help to minimize inflammation. Inflammation is present in those with arthritis, and is also present in those who exercise (weights, cardio, whatever).

-Is a multivitamin supplement necessary in your view?

No, you should get all your vitamins from natural food. Don't believe all supplements producers. You don't really need your protein shake either.

You should get all your vitamins from whole-food sources. Tragically, mechanized agriculture has massively reduced the vitamin content of food, making vitamin supplementation necessary for most. Tragically, most multi's are very cheaply formed, and lack the vitamins in the proper form for human consumption. Also, most processed foods have vitamins added to them, making most people over-vitamined, though with forms that we cannot process. One of the many reasons our diets suck.

And it's true, you probably don't need a protein shake. However, they're convenient and tasty, so I'll often have one.

-Should one lay off complex carbs in the evening?

There is no proper eating timetable and it is only after around 7 to 10 days that the body makes a nutrition "report" or "balance".

Complex carbs (vegetables, for instance) are pretty much always good. Lay off simple sugars at night (and really, most of the day, too).

-So there is no problem if I eat a huge plate of pasta before bed as to feel satisfied?

No. Your body does not shut off at night and still needs carbs.

Whole wheat or semolina pasta? She should have known to ask.


-What kind of fats should I eat?

One should eat a little of all types of fats.

All types of natural fat. Hydrogenated fats are not natural, and should be avoided. Cattle that are fed grain produce fats in bad ratios, and should be avoided. Etc.


-My bodyfat %age is going up despite all my exercise, is it because I eat too many complex carbs in the evening, because of a lack or fat burning cardio exercise? I told her I aim for 4000 calories per day and that I don't think that my diet is particularly fat heavy.

It's not the carbs in the evening (see above), it could be the lack of cardio or it could be that your diet is, despite what you think, too rich in fat. I would advise that you lower your total carb intake.

Too many carbs, too much fat --- these are responses of an idiot. The correct answer is: if your weight is going up, you're eating too many calories. restricting carbs, protein, and/or fat - while maintaining the levels of the others - will lead to fewer calories, and therefore less weight.




Just for the record I have an extremely fast metabolism (+"hardgainer" ability). I workout 4 times a week at the moment + 2 cardio sessions. I'm always hungry, I was thinking of upping calorie intake not lowering it!! And how am I supposed to get 175 grams of protein per day with natural foods? By eating 8 chicken breasts per day? To cap it all she told me to see a Nutritionist... I'm not sure I really need one, my body fat is stable at 15%, not 25% and climbing.

If you have an extremely fast metabolism, losing weight isn't a problem (?) - there aren't "chunky" hard-gainers. Feeling constantly hungry isn't good, so try eating the same amount of food, but divided into more meals.

Hitting your protein numbers should be fairly easy, even w/o shakes. It's just a matter of creating a complete diet (BTW - very few people/restaurants/companies in America (and elsewhere, really) do this, so your diet may appear odd to those who consider a pastry and frappucino to be a snack.

[varbo]

I'm not diet professional but I don't think that she is the type of nutritionalist that you should be taking advice from. From the things she says, she seems to be the type of nutritionalist that is there for a normal healty lifestyle. If thats the way she's looking at it then she is right on most points. Here is where I differ:

-Fish oils are not only for arthritis. Fish oils have been proven effective in many different scientific studies for fat loss, heart health, among other things. Look that up. A lot of sports nutritionalists see Fish oil as one of the top 3 supplements to take.

-It would be best to get all of your vitamins through natural foods, but , as pliny said, with todays ways of mass production, a lot of the vitamins and nutrients are lost. Also, those of us involved in intense weight lifting sessions use more of our vitamins and minerals than people who don't exercise very much. Cap all that off with the fact that in todays hectic world, its not easy to always eat right, you get your answer. So my answer is that you should be able to get everything you need through proper diet, you probably aren't

-Studies have should that eating carbs before bed slow down the release of the human growth hormone and that is why those trying to lose wieght or build muscle are inclined to not eat carbs before bed. But the flip side is, that if you are hungry before bed, you may not sleep as well and therefore if you have a bacd sleep, you HGH is not realease as well. So my interpretation of the data that I have seen is that some carbs before bed is OK if it helps you fall asleep but I wouldn't go crazy with big plate of pasta.

- Fats - Look at pliny's

If you are training and looking for nutritional advice, look for a sports nutritionalist. They would have better advice.

I have a story that a guy once told me. He was talking to a doctor and his girlfriend. She was wondering about a supplement for marathon running. He gave her a reccomendation and the doctor told her that she was wasting money. the doctor went on to say that all of this supplementation was bull from what he had read in his journals. A few days later the doctor went back to the guy and bought some for himself. Why? Because on the final leg of their run, when they both usually found them hitting a wall, the doctor was running out of steam but the girlfriend still had loads of energy.

The moral here is that a lot of information that you get is is based on an average person with an average lifestyle. If you are, for example, tall, muscular, and extremely active the information is not valid. Sports nutrition is a difference than normal nutrition. Its even a different based on the activity that you do. Marathon runners have different requirements than baseball players, and both are different than bodybuilders.

That being said, these are all my ipinion based on the articles that I have read and the research I have done. I am not a nutritionalist, doctor, or have anything to do with the medical field so I'd say, do your own research and talk to people in who are qualified to answer your questions based on a knowledge of the needs of your lifestyle.

[Carnitas]

My dad actually asked a nutritionist about protein shakes, and she said the same thing. She said people do not need them, and do not need to be taken as much as they are advertised to be taken. However she went on to say she gets all of her protein from meat and poultry. So not everyone is lucky enough to get their right amount of protein from natural sources, and so thats where the protein shake comes into play. It is there for when you cannot meet your needs, even though many people rely on it for as their main source of protein.

[varbo]

Yeah, I think protein shakes are in the same boat at multivitamins. If you can get what you need by eating right and enough thats the best but we can't all do that.
Plus, again I'd have to ask if the nutritionalist who says we don't need a lot of protein thinking of somebody who is training to get big or someone who just wants to be in good shape and healthy.
If you ask a nutritionalist a question about something and they don't ask any questions back regarding your lifestyle, goals, and (if they aren't looking at you when you ask) physical make up, I would ask a different one.

[OzzyC]

Thanks alot guys, been real helpful

[Italianangel]

I think alot of those questions are subjective and cannot be answered so easily, she is not right nor wrong and neither is the info you read here, its all relative to the poster or individual. Maybe she answered this relative to you and your situation and also anyone who is regulated has to be very careful what they say, so she has liability to fear where as many of us do not.
As a trainer, if you work for say, fitness world, you cannot do some things you want even so your idea may be right or best, they have their lawyers who tell them what can and cannot be said.
This is very true with dietitions and nutritionists although with a nutritionist their level of education and expertise can vary greatly. Unfortunately this particular one who you spoke to strikes me by these replies to you to be under some regulation so the info is not all about truth or health in these cases, they can be biased. Like biggest loser, they have companies like jello who sponsor so they have to show how you can use jello for a fat loss diet.................of course I would not normally suggest jello in a diet but there are the exceptions but my point is sometimes you have to take info from anyone with a grain of salt because there are exceptions, perceptions, bias and as far as misleading info just to sell or promote or control.
I agree you should get all your nutrients from food but that is a fantasy now in this age, foods are denatured at crazy rates unless you grow it and reap it, and don't use chemicals and dont have to ship and freeze etc etc..............soils are denatured, there is much on this subject but it is like the doctors who say 'take this pill' when it would be better instead to get alternative treatements. Pills kill too............but still its is their solution, they are paid to do this and taught to do this.
So dietiticians and trainers can also fall into these gaps. I can see some valid points in her reply but could scientifically argue many of her replies and find them a bit bland, no back up info to prove her point, flat answers - nothing is black and white, almost everything has exception and grey area especially with diet and exercise but maybe she is not as well rounded or well informed and works off her basic info given rather than keeping up with all sides of fitness/diet.
Linda

[Insex]

Protein shakes are not necessary. But getting nutrients in you immediately after your workout (post workout) is necessary. That's where protein shakes come in handy.

I personally use powdered milk as my protein shake. I also consume powdered Gatorade for simple carbohydrates. In the past, I used to buy all those popular protein shakes in the supplement market. But the amount of chemicals I find in those shakes scares me, so I switched. Plus, I found out that an ingredient in my glutamine powder was known to the FDA to cause birth defects. All the supplements out there are not regulated by the FDA, so you really don't know what you're getting when you take them, or if you're really getting anything at all.

Also, I learned this in my sports nutrition class, your body only needs approximately 1 gram of protein per kilogram in body weight. One kilogram is approximately two pounds, so go figure.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Carnitas

My dad actually asked a nutritionist about protein shakes, and she said the same thing. She said people do not need them, and do not need to be taken as much as they are advertised to be taken. However she went on to say she gets all of her protein from meat and poultry. So not everyone is lucky enough to get their right amount of protein from natural sources, and so thats where the protein shake comes into play. It is there for when you cannot meet your needs, even though many people rely on it for as their main source of protein.

True!
thats why its called "SUPPLEMENT" instead of "replacement" lol