Reach, and Maintain, Healthy Weight Loss Goals with NYC Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Losing weight in New York City — a city with almost 27,000 restaurants, food trucks, diners, and more, 67 of which received Michelin stars in 2021 — is no easy feat. Add the hustle, bustle, and non-stop energy where New York is not only the restaurant capital of the world but also the hurry-up-and-get-going capital of the world, where people don’t take the time to nourish their bodies, sitting down to enjoy a slow meal. It’s no wonder reaching, and maintaining, a healthy weight is a challenge.

An estimated 45 million Americans go on a diet each year spending over 33 billion dollars on weight loss products. Most dieters typically go on a diet four or five times a year, many of whom experience unhealthy weight-cycling (or yo-yo dieting) — losing weight to only regain lost weight plus some.

Gimmicks and trends abound, and the diet industry is incredibly adept at selling self-loathing and one-size-fits-all programs. 

Why don’t diets work?

One of the reasons “diets” don’t work is that people set a goal weight, go on a diet, and never plan for maintenance once they reach their goal. Then they slowly return to their pre-diet eating because the diet was too restrictive, the calorie intake was too low, and it was most-likely unhealthy.

Another reason many people don’t succeed with changing their eating behavior is because they use food for other reasons than satiating physiological hunger. Emotions are a common trigger for eating when you’re not hungry. It’s not uncommon for people to be “nervous eaters” or “sad eaters.” We’re constantly bombarded with messages from the media that food (usually ice cream) can heal all emotional pain. Oftentimes, our patients don’t even realize when they are eating. Many eat because they’re bored or tired, or they indulge during parties and social eating. Some patients have developed habits that include eating in front of the TV or while working. And some simply clock their meals (paying more attention to the clock than their bodies’ signals). Diet fads and unhealthy eating behaviors are barriers to successful long-term weight loss.

So, here at the New York Nutritionist, we work with the what, why and how: what our patients are eating, why they are eating, and how they are eating to develop individualized diet plans and nutrition interventions that are sustainable. And this can include indulging in your favorite New York City food trucks and restaurants. 

Finally, weight loss isn’t a numbers game. It’s about feeling healthy and energized. Successful long-term weight loss comes from focusing on behavior change not just the number on the scale. We are proponents of HAES (Health At Every Size) and honor each person’s body, body type, and individual needs to live a life of health and wellness.

There are many reasons you might want to work with a New York City RND to reach your weight loss goals:

• You feel like you’ve reached a weight plateau.
• You’re unsure as to which foods to eat.
• You’ve fallen into the trap of weight cycling (or yo-yo dieting).
• You are tired of not feeling like you.
• You simply want to feel healthier and more vital.

Together, we will work to set realistic weight-loss and nutrition goals, identify eating triggers, modify eating behaviors, provide actionable tips to continue with behavioral changes, and develop a long-term healthy weight maintenance strategy.

The goal of reaching a healthy weight is to feel more energized and reduce the risk of chronic disease, one delicious bite at a time. (No. We don’t promote foods that taste like cardboard!) We’re excited to be part of your health journey.