What Nutrition 4 Weight Loss Is Really Like - Ask a Nutritionist

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Transcript

Brandy: Hello and welcome to “Ask a Nutritionist”. This is our weekly mini episode of Dishing Up Nutrition. My name is Brandy Buro. I'm a Licensed and Registered Dietitian here at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. If you've been following along with Nutritional Weight & Wellness, you probably know about our Nutrition for Weight Loss 12-week program.

We consider this our foundational class, and we've been teaching this for quite a while, over 20 years. Maybe you've thought about signing up for this class, but you have not yet made that commitment. If that sounds like you, you probably have questions about the program. What is that 12-week program really like?

What do you expect along the way? And what are people actually experiencing once they start putting into practice what they've learned in the class? We've got our next session of Nutrition for Weight Loss starting the week of September 21st. We have virtual classes on Zoom, and we also have several in-person classes at our local offices in Eagan, Maple Grove, and Woodbury here in Minnesota.

Nutrition for Weight Loss-Foundations 

So today, we thought we'd give you a little behind-the-scenes look at what the program entails through the eyes of the people that have gone through the program and the people that have taught the class. So joining me today for this conversation is one of our very experienced nutrition educators, Carol Bowman.

Carol and I have both been teaching the class, Nutrition for Weight Loss for many years. Carol, you were actually one of the people that trained me to be a nutrition educator. So it's awesome to be here with you today and chat about all the participants that we've met over the years and what we've learned about their experience, what we've seen in their progress, what questions they've asked, what surprised them, what's changed for them along the way, and ultimately, what they've taken away from the program.

So Carol, thanks for being here with me today. I'm so excited to chat with you. Before we jump in, maybe you could just give us a little intro. Tell us about yourself.

Carol: Sure. My name is Carol Bowman, and I've been working for Nutritional Weight & Wellness for about 11 years; 10 of that would be teaching.

Brandy: Yeah.

Carol: And I've worked at the front desk. I also do some behind-the-scenes work on scheduling, classes and setting them up and all the things that no one knows about- ... that makes it happen.

Brandy: Yep.

Carol: And so, I came into Nutritional Weight & Wellness as a client years ago, probably in around 2012 or '13, and I had really bad cravings, cravings and blood sugar issues.

Brandy: Yeah.

Carol: And I found out that I wasn't eating quite well, well enough. I was eating too many processed carbs, not enough protein, and that was really messing up my blood sugar. So I was on a rollercoaster all day.

Brandy: Yeah.

Carol: Once I got that under control, that really made a difference, and that was one of my big “ahas”. So it really helps me feel authentic when I'm teaching as well, because I have experience to share.

Brandy: Yeah, so true. Yeah, because you started as a client.

Carol: Right.

Brandy: As a participant of this class. And here we are 10, 11 years later, right?

Carol: Right.

Brandy: That's awesome. So obviously you have a ton of experience with this program, not only teaching it, but living the principles behind it. So can't think of a better person to have to talk about this class today, and we have so many participant stories between the two of us, so I'm excited to kind of dive in and just bring some of those stories to life today.

What surprises people upon starting this program? (#1: sleep improves)

I thought it would be fun to talk about what we've actually seen and heard from participants of this class. So let's just get started with what I think is my favorite question. What surprises people once they start this program? What do you think many people don't expect to get from this class, but end up walking away with when they are in this Nutrition for Weight Loss program?

Carol: I think that sleep improves a lot. I've had a lot of people that come in to- they want to lose weight because Nutrition for Weight Loss is the name of the- our class.

Brandy: Right.

Carol: And they- that's what they're expecting, but they don't realize that sleep is so important to weight loss, and that-

Brandy: Right...

#2: less pain & inflammation

Carol: That is a part of it. When you eat better, you're going to sleep better. So that, and I would say less pain is ... Those are the two top ones I hear in class that are, that are surprising to people.

Brandy: Right. Kind of unexpected side effects of what they do to lose weight, but in the end, they actually experience better sleep, less pain and inflammation.

Carol: Exactly.

Brandy: I kind of come to this from a bit of a different angle because I am a counselor. I see people from the class on a more individual basis, so I get to hear maybe more details about their personal lives. And I have to agree, better sleep, less pain and inflammation are definitely two big outcomes that people don't expect.

#3: the surprise of no restriction or calorie counting

I'm also working closely on meal planning with participants, and I have to say, one of the biggest surprises people talk to me about is how much they are recommended to eat with, you know, our formula, with our guidance.

Carol: Yes. I hear the same, yes.

Brandy: Many times, people are eating more than maybe they are to begin with.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: But it's definitely more quality food, so they're making a lot of healthier swaps. The volume of the food that they might be eating is often much more, but honestly, like, that is often the pathway to success, especially thinking about your comment about cravings. Often, we need to eat more to combat that.

Carol: Definitely.

Brandy: Yeah, so that's a surprise to many people. Something that many people don't expect is that we don't ... This is not a calorie counting or a calorie restriction diet for weight loss, which many people come into this program having so much experience with restriction diets for weight loss.

Carol: Yes.

Brandy: This is not that.

Carol: Yes. I was really happy to hear that myself when I learned about it.

Improvements people may not expect (#1: mood improvement)

Brandy: 100%. So I think those are some of the main surprises or unexpected things about the program that people encounter when they first get started. Well, let's talk about some of the improvements that people may not expect. This is kind of tagging along with what we just talked about, but I think there are a lot of unexpected side effects of what people experience once they start eating the way that we guide you to eat in this program.

So let's talk more about that. Yes, the course is called Nutrition for Weight Loss, but there are so many other positive benefits of eating real food in balance.

So maybe we can just kind of think through what are some of the other things that people experience once they start implementing the program? What else comes to mind for you, Carol?

Carol: Well, I can remember one woman in a class said, "You know, my husband and kids have noticed that I'm not crabby anymore." And I thought that was so funny, because she was having better moods. And so she was really feeling better because she was nourishing herself throughout the day versus blood sugar highs and lows, as we've experienced, and that doesn't help with your mood.

Brandy: Right.

Carol: So that, the mood was a big deal for her.

Brandy: Mm-hmm. And if other people start to notice that, you know that it's real. That's a real, real impact.

Carol: Right.

#2: increase in energy

Brandy: So once you stabilize your blood sugar by eating in this way, you become more stable in a lot of ways. Right? I have to say, too, that I think one of the first things people notice, maybe in the first two or three weeks, is how much more energy they have.

Carol: Oh, for sure.

Brandy: You know? I mean, their productivity, just having enough fuel in the tank at the end of the day to do something. Whether it's, like, a personal errand or something for fun. You know, they're not totally tapped by the end of the, the day. Which is huge for so many people. Does anything else come to mind for you that might be an unexpected benefit?

#3: empowerment to plan & make balanced choices

Carol: Well, you mentioned planning, and I feel like people feel more confident once they understand what they need to eat. You know, if we just say, "Oh, you need to eat more protein and vegetable carbs and healthy fat," that's great, because that is our plan. But when we tell them exactly how to do it and give examples in our classes, I think that's very helpful, and then they feel more confident making a better choice for themselves, either, you know, when they're planning or even if they're out to eat and they're making a better choice at a restaurant or something.

Brandy: So the empowerment.

Carol: Empowerment. That's a great word. Yeah.

Brandy: Yes. Because we do teach kind of like the, the theory, the science behind why we suggest this way of eating.

Carol: Right.

Brandy: So in learning that, you, you do become empowered of how to make decisions independently on your own, even outside of the, the class period, outside of the, the meal plans that we provide. Yeah, I think that's great. You know, I think one other little topic I want to explore while we're here just talking about unexpected side effects, is, you know, this idea that, yes, a lot of people come into the class wanting to lose weight.

What is the “why” behind wanting to lose weight?

But, you know, I like to challenge people to really understand why is weight loss important to them? What's behind that goal of weight loss? Because oftentimes it's, it really isn't the weight loss that they are working towards, it's how their life would be different after they lose the weight. And I think that's when we actually start to discover, like, you know, what we're after and what the...

Sometimes it is the unexpected side effects that we're actually after. Better labs, you know, trying to prevent the use of medication to manage a disease, you know, high blood pressure or cholesterol. For some people it might be, "I want to lose weight so that my joints don't hurt, so I can be more active with my grandkids." I think that's the most beautiful part about this process and journey, is that we really start to understand what the motivation is and what people's true why is.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: And that's kind of, to me, what's, what you need to keep going.

Carol: Yes. I have a story about that.

Brandy: Ooh, I'd love to hear it.

Carol: I had a woman in one of my classes who had, she came in using a walker, so she wasn't able to move as freely as she'd like on her own.

Brandy: Yeah.

Carol: And her goal was to be able to walk down the aisle at a wedding of one of her family members.

Brandy: Hmm.

Carol: And, that was a big deal to her. And so she was really, that was her main goal. And so over the weeks, she started doing better. She was walking a little bit on her own without the walker.

Brandy: Yeah.

Carol: And she felt well enough to, when the time came for the wedding, she was able to walk down the aisle. And that was a huge success for her. And then the walker went away. It wasn't coming to class any longer. And by the end of the class, this was a winter start class, so in, by the t- time spring was coming around, her kids bought her a bicycle.

Brandy: Wow.

Carol: And they wanted her to stay with her healthy, her healthy movement. And so, I thought that was really a big win for her. She kept up with it. She saw the changes. She was able to succeed and meet her goal of walking.

Brandy: That's incredible.

Carol: And then she's, now she's biking too.

Brandy: That is an incredible example of where somebody may start just wanting to lose weight and just discovering, like, it, it's much deeper than that. This, we're talking about quality of life here and independence in this case. Trading a walker for a bicycle. How beautiful is that?

Carol: I know.

Brandy: I have a client's story, and your story reminded me of a client that I worked with a couple of years ago, where, again, like, her goal was to lose weight. She was thinking weight loss would help with some joint pain, and she was a big gardener so, you know, she's out there in the garden on her, like, literally on her hands and knees often.

And it was getting much harder to do comfortably, and she was using a lot of pain medication. Y- you know, and within four to six weeks, you know, we're not even halfway through the class, like, she's no longer needing to use ibuprofen anymore because her joint pain had reduced so much. She hadn't met her weight loss goal at that time yet, but she had reduced the inflammation to the point that she really already met her goal.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: In her case, her gut health started to, to improve quite a bit, so an unexpected side effect was, like, her heartburn, you know, improved too. So it's, I mean, it just goes to show that there's a lot of unexpected benefits once you start eating this way.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: And all good things. Definitely. I haven't really experienced anybody say that something negative has happened to them as a result of eating this way.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: Well, I think this is a really good place to just pause, take a break. We're here today, I'm here with Carol Bowman, who's one of the nutrition educators for our class, Nutrition for Weight Loss. My name is Brandy Buro. I'm a dietitian here at Nutritional Weight & Wellness.

We are talking about the Nutrition for Weight Loss program. When we come back, we will hear more about what participants experience when they take this class. We'll be right back.

Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition's midweek segment called “Ask a Nutritionist”. My name is Brandy Buro, and I'm here with Carol Bowman, who's one of our nutrition educators. Today we are talking about the Nutrition for Weight Loss class. We have another session that's coming up the week of September 21st.

What makes this program different? (#1: you learn the whys behind our recommendations)

So today we just wanted to share with our listeners a little bit more about the program, things that maybe you've been wondering yourself as a listener. What's this program like? How is it different than other programs that I've tried? Is it right for me? And I think a lot of people come to the program thinking some version, "You know, I've tried a lot of programs.

I've done a lot of things to lose weight." And from what you've heard from participants, Carol, and what you've observed when you've been teaching the class, what feels different about this program?

Carol: Well, I think this program is different because we are teaching you about why you're eating differently. So we're not just saying, you know, "Make sure that you get your protein, your fat, and your carbs in your meal," but we're making sure that you know why protein is so important and you know why vegetable carbs are much, a much better selection than, you know, a starchy carb for your main carbohydrate.

So we're, we're giving you the background on why healthy fats are the best thing for your, for eating to balance your blood sugar. We're deep-diving into a lot of the topics each week. So, like, one week we're going to talk all about protein.

Brandy: Yep.

Carol: Another week we're going to talk about, all about fat and then how it compares to how your blood sugar works, so it's a lot of background that you might not get from other programs, and I think that's really important for people to understand why they're doing it.

Brandy: That's right. I agree with that. You are getting the education. You're understanding why these recommendations are the way that they are.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: Again, we're empowering you to make decisions on your own in the event you don't have a meal plan written out for you.

Carol: Right.

Brandy: Right. Because let's face it, like, life, life is going to life, and you're going to have to make some decisions on the fly. But if you are armed with this education and knowledge, the science, the theory, then you can make decisions and know that you are still within the parameters. You're still in alignment with how to eat in a way that supports your health and your goals, and I think you're setting yourself up for success long term.

Carol: Absolutely.

#2: we offer accountability, structure & lasting habit change

Brandy: And I have to say, this program is also different because we offer accountability. We offer structure. This is a 12-week program.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: You know, 12 weeks you are meeting with your nutrition educator. You're also meeting with like-minded people that are in the program working towards similar goals as you. So having that time carved out once a week is going to help you stay focused. Having that time carved out for 12 weeks in a row is going to help you establish habits. You know, that is the evidence-based timeframe that we as humans kind of need to adopt something new and really make meaningful change.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: So that's not, it's not an accident that this is 12 weeks long.

Carol: Exactly. Well, I also think, too, that the, there's such community with coming back to seeing the same group of people each week and sharing stories. And I've had people say, "Oh," at the end, "Oh, what are we going to do now? I'm so sad I'm not going to see you all."

Brandy: Right.

Carol: And so sometimes they, you know, get together and go for walks on their own or maybe, you know, get together on their own just as a social thing.

Brandy: Yeah.

Carol: And I think that, you know, you can, not that that's a friendship, not that we're making it a friendship thing, but friendships develop.

Brandy: Yeah. If it, if it happens, I think that's great. Even just having the knowledge that there are other people like me trying to make these changes, trying to live this life in the real world, I think that can be comforting.

Carol: Yes, definitely.

Brandy: You have your tribe. You kind of have this group of people that has your back. They might be going through similar struggles as you, and the thing about this class is you learn from each other. Somebody's going to have a strategy that works for them that maybe is going to help you get through some kind of a barrier in making these changes.

So I think that's a great thing. Versus you trying to do this program or any program on your own just by following instructions on the internet or something.

Carol: Right.

Brandy: That's where I think this program is very different because we help you troubleshoot through some of the things that might be roadblocks.

Carol: Yes. And we also have people that come back, people that return because they would like, you know, they want to hear the messages again, or maybe they missed it the first time, they want to hear it again, or they need that accountability.

And those are the people that we love having in class, too, because they're offering what has worked for them and where they might have had roadblocks at one point, and how they got over it. It's really helpful to the newer people.

Brandy: Yeah. I love that about the class. At any given class, we have people at different stages in their health journey.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: So it's great when somebody that has taken the class once or twice can share some of the tricks that they've learned and pass it on. That is certainly a benefit.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Nutrition for Weight Loss is a real food program

Brandy: And this is, this is a program that is real in all, in every sense of the word. It is led by real people. This is not a robot or an automated program. You speak to Carol, you speak to me every week. We're going to help troubleshoot, answer your questions. This is also a real food program. This is not something where you have to order a bunch of products online or go to a store to get the things that you need to do this successfully.

This is going to your grocery store and purchasing fruits and vegetables and meat. You know, it's as simple as that. We give you, we give you the nuanced guidance of how much of what.

Okay, well, I think that covers a lot of the aspects of how this program is a little different than other programs you might have tried. So if you've been listening to the show for a while, and you're thinking, "Well, everything you're saying, you know, blood sugar balance, protein, fat, carb, you know, that's not news to me. Do I really need the class?” Well, a question that does come up, how is taking the class different from just listening to the podcast and trying to practice some of the things that we talk about on the show?

Huge benefit of taking the class: the structure we provide

Well, I think one of the biggest benefits of actually taking the class is the structure that we provide, you know. It is a 12-week course. It is structured very intentionally, where we have a lesson, week one. You have a week to practice some of the strategies that we discuss. The following week, we build on that.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: So it's very incremental. It's a gradual progression throughout these 12 weeks. And there's a lot of intention a way, in how this is structured and designed. What's your thought, Carol?

Carol: I agree. I think that all of the learning and practicing that you do each week really helps build on each other. So like you said, each week builds upon the next, and, it's helping us to develop skills that are things that you can continue long after the program is over. You're going to have, you know, different planning skills, different food choice skills, different grocery shopping skills.

Brandy: Right.

Carol: Mindful eating type skills, you know. You're going to have all sorts of new things that I don't know that that would happen in a less structured type program.

Brandy: Mm-hmm, right. And the structure really helps you stay focused.

Carol: Yes.

Brandy: You're focusing on one or two strategies per week.

Carol: Right.

Brandy: And you're not getting, you know, muddled by, "I need to do everything all at once." I think just that alone can help people stay engaged, and it is the consistency over time that yields results. So having this structure, I think, is just setting you up for success long term.

Carol: I agree. And having the weekly support. You know, we talked about accountability, but it's also support from each other, from your educators- from the dietitians if you choose to meet with them. It's really great.

Brandy: Yeah, and the support, I think, is what helps people stay engaged.

Carol: Yes.

Brandy: It's really easy to try to do something by yourself and become overwhelmed and give up after two or three weeks. Very common.

Carol: Yes.

Is this plan realistic for me?

Brandy: But that 12-week weekly check-in with your, your tribe, that's going to help you continue the full 12 weeks. Okay. Well, all of this sounds amazing. I hope that I've convinced a lot of our listeners that maybe this is the right choice for them. I'm guessing there are still some people that have some reservations, so maybe we could just kind of shift into a conversation about, you know, what are some concerns people might have or some anxieties somebody might have when making the decision about enrolling in this class?

Is this realistic for my life? You know, this is a real food plan, but I don't really like to cook. Do I have time for something like this? Is my family going to be on board? How is this going to impact my, my budget? So these are just a few things that might come up if you're wondering if this is a good fit, if a real food eating plan could work for you.

So let's just talk about that, because this, these are questions that come up a lot for most of the participants we work with at some point in their journey. So we've encountered this. We have some workarounds for some of these barriers.

Carol: Right.

Brandy: Let's start with time. What do you think? The time commitment.

Start with manageable changes

Carol: I would say start with some manageable changes. You don't have to change your eating all at once. You can do it in little steps. So start with something small, like if you're someone who doesn't eat breakfast normally, maybe you would put that on your list of that's what I'm going to start with is eating breakfast. Or maybe drinking more water. Things that are small, simple tasks that you can get into your life at first.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Carol: And remembering too, real food doesn't have to be some elaborate recipe.

Brandy: Mm-hmm ...

Carol: Or cooking. You know, you don't have to put on a show for anyone. You're cooking to nourish yourself.

Brandy: That's right.

Carol: And so you want to make sure that you're eating the balanced way that we teach, but also it's not too hard, you know? It can be as simple as, you know, buying some vegetables at the farmer's market, for example, and then, having some, chicken breast that you're going to grill on the grill.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Carol: And do that, grill a whole bunch of meat, and then you've got leftovers for other times, but you don't have to plan out, like, the whole week. You could just do a day or two at a time.

Brandy: The way I like to think of it is progress-

Carol: Mm-hmm ...

Brandy: Not perfection. So even if you make one recipe from real food to start, and maybe it is just that, you're grilling some chicken, you're sauteing some zucchini. Like, that could be the progress. You upgraded one meal this week.

Carol: Right.

Brandy: Doesn't have to be everything all at once. In fact, I wouldn't recommend that.

Carol: Exactly. It's a little overwhelming if you do it that way.

Brandy: Mm-hmm. So we're just really encouraging people to start where they are, and we meet you where you are, and progress from there. So for some people, it is they're starting by switching soda to water.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: And that's amazing progress. And then maybe it's they're looking at breakfast. How could I improve breakfast? And then they're building from that. You know, the slower you integrate change, the more successful you are over time, and you learn how to incorporate and budget for the time.

Carol: Exactly.

This eating plan works for families & ALL ages

Brandy: What about working with families? Because this is a question that comes up a lot, that, "Okay, I could eat this way, but my kids aren't going to," or, "My partner isn't going to necessarily be on board." Any thoughts on how you've approached those conversations?

Carol: Sure. We've had those questions come up, and sometimes, if it's a couple situation, then one person eats what they, you know, they're eating on our plan, and the other person fixes what they want.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Carol: Sometimes, whatever's made is whatever gets eaten.

Brandy: Yep.

Carol: Which is fine. When there's children involved, it depends on if they're really little or if they're teenagers. I mean, there's going to be a big gap, a big difference there, in how the kids are responding to the food. Younger children might not be as picky as older kids, so.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Carol: But it depends on your family. And it's more like, in my family, my mom said, "If, if you don't want to eat this, then you'll go hungry." Right. So, so we just ate what was given to us.

Brandy: Yeah. Well, and I like to encourage this idea that, you know, this way of eating is not radical. We are not suggesting anything extreme here. This way of eating is a great way for anybody to eat.

Carol: Correct.

Brandy: Whether you are a four-year-old, a 17-year-old, or a 60-year-old, you know, this is just foundational eating for health. So that, I mean, that's good information that can be very empowering to know that you are not putting anybody at risk by trying to demonstrate this for your family, and also if you provide this meal that follows these guidelines for your family, it, it's doing everybody a favor. It is a nuanced conversation that I have a lot in counseling, but-

Carol: Mm-hmm...

Brandy: It's a transition, it's a change for everybody.

Carol: Right. I think sometimes, you know, you, you do it one way at the beginning of the 12 weeks, and maybe towards the middle to the end of 12 weeks, maybe your family becomes more on board.

Brandy: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Carol: You know?

Brandy: Well, that actually reminds me of a client that I'm working with right now. You know, I've been working with her for about three months. She's taken this class, so she's beyond the class at this point. Right away, you know, her husband was on board, wanted to be supportive and just kind of be there on the same page, and that's been great.

Their 12-year-old daughter has not been necessarily adopting all these changes with enthusiasm. But here we are, month three, month four. The last time I met with this client- Her daughter is now taking an interest in vegetables. She's putting them on her plate and eating them.

Carol: That's great.

Brandy: There was some resistance at the beginning, but with time and exposure, people come around. So I think that’s a great outcome if other people in your orbit are adopting some of these practices. It's just going to make it easier for everybody. But don't give up.

Carol: I agree.

What happens after the 12-week program is over?

Brandy: Well, let's talk about what happens after 12 weeks. What happens when you finish this 12-week program and you've completed all of the lessons, you've practiced all of these changes? How do you keep going? What happens months or years after you finish Nutrition for Weight Loss?

You know, we do see a lot of repeat participants. They come back and take the class again. You've mentioned that, Carol. I'm sure you've seen ... I've seen some participants take the class three or four times.

Carol: Yes. Me too.

Brandy: Yeah.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: You know, and that's not because they weren't successful the first time.

Carol: It's because they want to keep going.

Brandy: Yeah...

Carol: They want to keep that accountability, the support. And coming back as much as you like, we, we love that.

Brandy: Absolutely. You know, and something that I hear from participants that maybe it's been a whole decade since they've taken the class.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: One of the biggest reasons is they remember how good they felt when they took the class.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: And over the years, maybe some of those habits have slipped, reverted back to some of the old ways of doing things, or maybe life circumstances have thrown them off track and they just want to get back to their baseline. And this is a great way to do it.

Carol: Right.

Developing an attitude of wellness

Brandy: I think after the 12-week class is over, something that I've seen in a lot of the participants that I've worked with is that their attitude is a little different. They have, over the course of the last 12 weeks, developed what we call the attitude of wellness, where they are now eating in a way to support their health.

You know? That the priority has shifted a little bit. One of the clients that I'm working with right now, she said something, I just love this phrasing. She said, "I am no longer living to eat. I am eating to live my life."

Carol: That's a great phrase.

Brandy: And I just thought that was so beautiful. She's just recognizing that, like, eating in this way has sort of elevated her to a different experience in life, making the connection between what she eats and how she feels, and utilizing this way of eating as a tool in, in doing that. I think a lot of people walk away with that, that new perspective.

Carol: Yes. And we talk about the attitude of wellness each week in our classes in a different way. Like, how can you get more movement into your life, or how can you make one small change? And so it is that it's still with that structure of the program, but we're also talking about how can you make it work for you and your wellness.

Brandy: 100%.

Carol: And I do see that. That's what I love most is seeing people transitioning from being maybe a little bit skeptical at the beginning to changing their mind a little bit over, over time.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Carol: And then they're willing to just go for it and really take control of their eating, take control of their nutrition, their lifestyle, and it's all combined. It's not like I'm eating this way, but I have this different lifestyle. It's really part of their lifestyle.

Brandy: Absolutely.

Carol: And I think that is what's important and what people are noticing over time.

Brandy: Yeah. And that is my biggest hope for participants is that they enter this class and have this perspective that what they learn here is intended to become their lifestyle. This is not a temporary quick fix. We really hope that people adopt these practices as part of their life moving forward. You know, and one of my favorite things to see at the end of the 12 weeks or beyond is, is that transition. The transition, the transformation that takes place in people. It's sometimes I'm meeting a whole different person at the end of those 12 weeks than day one.

Carol: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: Completely different mood, demeanor, perspective on life.

Carol: Yes. That is so fun to see.

Brandy: Well, I think that is a great place to end for today, because one thing you can probably hear through all these stories is that there really isn't one single Nutrition for Weight Loss experience.

People come into the program with very different goals, different challenges, different levels of knowledge, different places in their health journey. Some have even listened to this show, Dishing Up Nutrition, for 20 years before deciding to take the class.

Maybe that's you. What we hear again and again is that 12 weeks give people the opportunity to take what they are learning and really put it into practice in their own lives, and that's what we're helping people do throughout the program, understand how food impacts their body, learn practical ways to build balanced meals that are satisfying and focused around real food, because that's going to support their health goals. We give them the education, the support, the accountability to help them make these changes long-term and to be consistent with it.

Carol: Right, and remember, our next session starts the week of September 21st. We have Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday options, both virtual and in three of our Twin Cities offices: Eagan, Maple Grove, and Woodbury. So sign up, and you can visit our website, weightandwellness.com, or you can talk to someone over the phone. Give us a call at [651] 699-3438.  

Sign Up for Nutrition for Weight Loss-Foundations!

Brandy: Well, Carol, thank you so much for joining me today. It's been so much fun chatting with you. It's always fun to compare our notes and share some of the things that we've seen in our classes over the years.

And thank you everyone for listening today. This was a really special episode of “Ask a Nutritionist”. Hopefully, you join us again here on Dishing Up Nutrition, and hopefully we see some of your faces in person or over Zoom at one of our classes really soon. Thanks so much. Have a great day.