More on Nutrition Counseling & Health Coaching
Health Coaching is a funny thing when you're struggling with disordered eating. It's not as if you don't know what you should be eating. It's that there is a disconnect between your knowledge of what is good for you, psychologically and physically, and your ability to carry this out. That's why it is very important that nutrition information and strategies be provided bearing in mind the psychological underpinnings of how and why we eat the way that we do. Perhaps you have met with dietitians who did not believe you had food allergies or did not believe you truly didn't like a certain food. Often when people with eating disorders express food preferences or lifestyle choices related to food they are met with skepticism. While the eating disorder can often color our food preferences (and Meghan will work with you to challenge this), people with eating disorders should not be reduced to a diagnosis and treated as only such. Together, you and Meghan will explore your body's true likes and dislikes and work to cultivate what your own unique and individual relationship with food will look like. Some clients are looking for accountability and want to have a meal plan and keep food logs. Others have done this before and found the process either unhelpful or triggering. Meghan prides herself on meeting people where they are at and thinking outside the box to come up with strategies that will work for them. She does not believe that nutrition can be a one size fits all approach. Whether people need help meal planning or not, Meghan believes the ultimate goal for everyone is eventually enjoying the freedom of intuitive eating.
In addition to disordered eating, Meghan regularly conducts health coaching with individuals struggling to care for their bodies in the way that they would like to due to life stressors, such as work, menopause, childbirth, and more. Some of these clients are also looking for support in losing weight or need help evaluating whether bariatric surgery is right for them.
Pre and Post-Bariatric Surgery Evaluations and Support
The decision to get Bariatric Surgery is a major one and it's not something that one should be strong-armed into by the medical establishment, if underlying psychological issues relating to food have not been addressed, as the results for the client will likely not be lasting. Meghan works in a non-judgmental way to help clients decide for themselves if bariatric surgery is right for them. If so, she helps them prepare mentally and helps support them psychologically afterward, as this major lifestyle change can have profound psychological implications. With empowered decsion-making and proper support, weight loss results are more likely to be lasting, but that isn't the whole story. Losing weight doesn't guarantee health or happiness. In fact, often after weight loss surgery, people are left to reconcile other issues that they had assumed would get better if they "could just lose weight." For this reason, it is important to have realistic expectations for what weight loss surgery can achieve, both physically and psychologically. If someone decides not to pursue surgery, Meghan can help them identify and address issues with food and weight through other empirically supported means. Meghan is an advocate of Health at Every Size and believes there is no wrong way to have a body! Meghan is a member of the Association for Size Diversity and Health.