I took Beth to a nutritionist on Monday. We checked in and she filled out the paperwork, then we waited to be called.
Claire (she looked like she was around 30) came out to get us and took us into a private room. She talked with Beth about why it's important to eat healthy, and asked her why she wants to lose weight. She spoke directly with Beth the whole time and Beth answered every question.
When Beth went dairy free I typed up a list of things that she could eat. It's on her bulletin board and she's starting to make better choices when she shops.
One thing Claire gave her was a list of what each food offered: protein, carbs, good fats, and how eating them together is better. Plus portion control, what to do if she's still hungry after she eats... things that sound better coming from someone other than your mom.
We were in there for over an hour and Beth seemed to be pretty excited about it. On our way home we stopped at the grocery store for just a few things and one thing I grabbed was an apple. Beth asked me about the pears and when I pointed to them she said, "No, not that."
"Those are pears Beth. What were you thinking about?"
"They're like apples."
I pointed across the aisle and asked if she wanted a peach or nectarine?
"Yes. A nectarine."
She had to use two hands to put the twist tie on, but she was excited about buying a nectarine!
Tonight we did our weekly shopping. It was kind of weird, do you have a regular routine when you go grocery shopping? The Safeway we go to has two entrances and I had to put a letter into the blue mailbox that's on the other side of the parking lot, so we went in the other door, and started our shopping at the other end of the store. We started on the deli side instead of the produce, went down the aisles from the other direction, we saw the store from a whole new perspective! It was like we'd never been there before!
We loaded everything in the back of the car and after we got in she tells me, "I did not buy my licorice." (She usually buys two pounds every week.) "What?! Beth that's fantastic! That was a great choice!" And I gave her a high-five.
Here we are on the road to a healthier lifestyle!
