Frequently Asked Questions About RxRD Nutrition Plans

Both are being used as fad diets and have recently been glorified in social media and in our society as the next best way to lose weight. 

The ketogenic diet- focuses on the majority of caloric intake coming from fat, thus limiting the calories from protein and carbohydrates. Once depleting the body’s carbohydrates stores, your body starts using “ketones” as energy, resulting in being “ketosis”. 

Intermittent fasting- focuses on fasting for 12-16 hours per day and eating freely for the remaining time. Most people who experiment with intermittent fasting will stop eating at 8pm and not eat anything until 12pm the next day, resulting in a 16-hour fast.

These are both very restrictive and difficult to follow, so please see a Registered Dietitian if you think these are right for you so it can be monitored and structured properly. 

Bottom Line: If your goal is to lose weight/ body fat mass, then you need to be in a caloric deficit. Meaning, if you consistently expend more calories than you consume, you will lose weight over time, it doesn’t matter what “diet” you are following.

No, diet sodas are not “bad” for you but should be consumed in moderation. Diet sodas are made with low-calorie sweeteners limiting the caloric load compared to a regular soda. Low-calorie sweeteners have little to no glycemic impact, thus they don’t alter your blood sugar levels. Both of which can help reduce daily caloric intake and help sustain mood and energy levels by not going on the rise and fall of blood sugar spikes. Like most things, they should be consumed in moderation due to the evidence supported by the American Heart Association that consuming large quantities of diet sodas “adversely altering feelings of hunger, fullness, reducing awareness of calorie intake, altering the gut microbiota, increasing glucose intolerance, substituting for healthier beverages…”.

Resource: https://professional.heart.org/professional/ScienceNews/UCM_502150_Not-So-Sweet---AHA-Review-of-the-Potential-Risks-and-Benefits-of-Consuming-Low-C.jsp

Before Workouts: Try to eat a small meal or snack 90-30 minutes before a workout. These foods should be high in carbohydrates and moderate in protein to help you utilize them for energy.

Foods to eat: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, hummus and pretzels, banana, applesauce pouch, a small box of raisins, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and berries, a glass of chocolate milk

After Workouts: Try to eat foods or drinks high in carbohydrates and protein. Foods to eat: chocolate milk, protein shake, fruit smoothie, deli sandwich, tuna sandwich, egg white omelet with toast, Greek yogurt with berries, cottage cheese with berries.

No, fruit is DEFINITELY not bad for you, in fact, it’s really good for you. In fact, studies have found increasing not only fruit but also vegetables in your diet has shown improvements in mood, creativity, motivation, curiosity, improved memory, and fighting inflammation. Fruit has received unwarranted scrutiny lately due to them containing sugar. The small amounts of natural sugar we get from fruit are also paired with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. All of which are extremely important in our overall health and wellness

Resource: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25080035

Short answer, only if you want too. Our plans are set up to help you create a lifestyle that is easy to maintain and still allow you to reach your goals. If you want to drink alcohol, go for it! You don’t need to completely eliminate alcohol to reach your desired nutrition goals. With that said, alcohol does provide empty calories, so the more empty calories cut from the diet, (potentially) the quicker you can get to your goal. But that doesn’t mean you have to TOTALLY eliminate it. Try cutting down the total volume and/or total nights/week to help cut down alcohol calories.

We shoot for 1-2lbs/ week. This has been found to be the best way to lose weight and keep it off for the long term. Fad diets that promise bigger drops in weight in shorter periods of time are often very restrictive and not built to last. Statistically, people who lose large amounts of weight quickly will regain weight and more. So, the focus should be on losing small amounts over a period of time. That’s why all of our programs are at least 3-months because we want to provide the counseling and support to get rid of the weight and keep it off.

Resources: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/74/5/579/4737391

Only if it doesn’t make you feel good or causes an allergic reaction. Cutting out dairy for everyone is unwarranted and uncalled for. In fact, dairy is very good for you, it provides loads of vitamins, minerals (like vitamin D and calcium which is hard to find in other foods/beverages), and all three macronutrients. However, if dairy causes an upset stomach, gastrointestinal discomfort (gassy, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.), or skin irritation, then you should stop consuming it. All of our customized plans take food allergies, intolerances, and/or sensitivities very seriously and will be eliminated from your plan to improve your wellness.

Yes, you can eat past 8pm! Your body has no idea what time it is, time is man-made. Your body will consume and metabolize any food or beverage substance you give it no matter the time. However, what you eat and how much you eat past 8pm can directly impact your nutrition goals/ quality of sleep. This also correlates with how many calories you burned throughout the day (activity level, job, exercise, etc.) because all excess calories not utilized for energy will be stored as fat.

We all live a busy life and we never want to be caught feeling “hangry”, so packing snacks whether you are on the go or for work is important. Look for snacks that have a good number of calories from all three macronutrients, carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Some great snacks can include Greek yogurt, milk, fruit, jerky, protein bars, trail mix, veggies and hummus, pretzel and hummus, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, nut butters, tuna packets, protein bars, protein drinks, fruit and protein pouch, etc.

Eating at restaurants will always pack a caloric punch, no matter what you choose. Restaurants care more about their bottom line than your waistline. In order to get their food to taste better, restaurants will always add additional salt, sugar, and fat to entrees to improve the taste. To make sure we don’t overindulge at the restaurant:

• Try eating a small snack before eating out. This will make you less hungry and less likely to over order.
• Try looking at the menu online before walking in. Having a plan on what you will order will most likely keep you on track and limit you from ordering anything extra.
• Either skip or split appetizers with the others you are dining with
• When ordering salads, ask for all dressing to come on the side and only use ½ of what they give you.
• Your salad dressing should be oil-based, refrain from ordering the higher calorie creamy versions.
• Substitute any fried foods for grilled/ baked options
• Substitute any fried sides (French fries, onion rings, hush puppies, etc.) for vegetables or a salad
• Cut your portion in half right from the start. Upon receiving your plate, ask the staff to take half of your meal and box it right away. This will limit your portion size on your plate so you will be less tempted to try to finish it all. Bonus, you have lunch for tomorrow, no need to meal prep!