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Nutritional Therapy Guide

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2025-06-11 20:32

Your Complete Guide to Nutritional Therapy and Weight Loss

Nutrition is one of the cornerstones of living a healthier life and losing weight. Are you looking to achieve your health goals but don’t know where to start with developing or enhancing your current nutrition plan? Nutritional therapy with a qualified dietitian can offer you the guidance, accountability, and education you need to succeed.

What can better nutrition do for you? It’s not only about losing weight.

It can give you more energy to play with your kids after work. It can allow you to enjoy a beautiful summer walk in the park without joint pain. It can help you sleep a little easier each night. The antioxidants gained from eating fruits and vegetables support immune function and can aid the body in fighting off infections, including the common cold.

The following guide will help you learn about nutritional therapy and how a dietitian will work alongside you to help you reach your health and weight loss goals.

What is the Importance of Nutrition?

Nutrition plays a critical role in your health. Not only can eating a balanced, nutritious diet help you lose weight, but it also affects your energy levels, immune system, mental clarity, and sleep. It can even help you prevent you from developing certain chronic diseases.

In recent years, processed foods have taken over what people eat. A study by Martínez Steele et al. found that 57.5% of an average American’s daily calories come from ultra-processed foods, while only 30.2% of calories come from whole or minimally-processed foods.

Ultra-processed foods often lack essential nutrients, and many products have high levels of refined carbohydrates, added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats.

Whole and minimally processed foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and lean meats provide essential nutrients and sustained energy, helping you feel full longer and supporting overall health. Whenever possible, opt for whole and minimally-processed foods over ultra-processed options.

Proper nutrition is not only about achieving weight loss. It’s about fueling your body to help it perform at its best. It’s also about giving you back your health so you can do all the things you want to do.

What is Nutritional Therapy?

Nutrition therapy is a highly personalized approach to improving health and managing medical conditions through dietary strategies. It involves assessing a person’s dietary pattern, lifestyle, nutritional needs, and health goals to create a tailored nutrition plan. You’re a unique individual who’s bringing your own health history and goals with you to an appointment with a dietitian. Not every diet or lifestyle change works for everyone. That’s why your dietitian will partner with you to create a personalized plan tailored to your unique needs and goals.

What is Nutrition Therapy’s Role in Obesity Care?

A dietitian can play a pivotal role in managing obesity. They will work with you to go beyond diets and other short-term fixes you might have tried in the past.

First, your dietitian will analyze your blood work to better understand your current health status and any potential nutrient deficiencies. They will also discuss your medical history, including discussing what weight loss methods and diets you’ve tried before.

Dietitians are flexible and know that one solution does not solve everyone’s problems. As well, they understand that not everyone has the same background.

For instance, if you rarely ate vegetables as a child, you may not know where to begin with incorporating them into your kitchen and life. Your dietitian can help you find ways to try new vegetables in ways that make them delicious and exciting to eat.

Dietitians will meet you where you’re at. Whether you’ve tried for years to lose weight and need an accountability partner to help you set goals, or if you have a lot of questions about nutrition and want to learn more, a dietitian is here to help work together with you as an ally in your journey to better health.

Dietitians can work with you to help you better understand meal planning, nutrients and how to incorporate more nutritious foods into your life. Each month, they will provide ongoing support through regular check-ins and adjustments, helping you maintain your progress.

How Much of Weight Loss is About Diet?

Diet is an important cornerstone of any sustainable weight loss plan. However, healthy weight loss is a holistic process that also relies on making multiple changes to your life, including combining physical activity with a balanced diet. One meta analysis conducted by Clark suggested that people who combined diet and exercise lost more weight on average than people who only dieted.

It’s hard to give an exact number for how much of weight loss is caused from dietary choices, but the majority – as much as 70 to 75% – can be attributed to it. Research suggests that diet plays a large role—often accounting for 70–75%. For many, it’s easier to reduce calorie intake through mindful eating than it is to exercise to burn off excess calories.

How Can Drinks Affect Weight Loss?

Nutrition isn’t just about food. It’s also worth considering what you’re drinking.

Sodas and other sugar-sweetened drinks also contribute to weight gain. They are high in calories and they lack fiber so they don’t leave you feeling full. This can lead to an excessive calorie intake and ultimately weight gain.

Are juices good for you if they’re made from 100% fruit? While juice may have more vitamins than soda, it still has a high sugar, low fiber content and won’t leave you feeling full.

How are Chronic Diseases Linked to Diet and Nutrition?

Why are type 2 diabetes and heart disease frequently seen in people who also deal with obesity as a chronic disease? It’s usually linked to nutrition. Over time, dietary choices and habits can contribute to the development of a number of chronic diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension.

Refined carbohydrates are a prime example of why nutrition matters. Refined carbs are highly processed foods, and include:

Sugar

High fructose corn syrup

White flour

White bread

Other refined grains like white rice

Refined carbohydrates have been stripped of most vitamins, fiber and other nutrients. They are quickly digested, causing blood sugar and insulin levels to spike rapidly. As blood sugar levels drop, it can lead to hunger shortly after eating.

Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables contain fiber that slows glucose absorption and improves cholesterol levels. Instead of eliminating bread and rice completely, consider switching to whole grain alternatives and foods like quinoa – these options help manage blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and keep you feeling fuller longer.

What Role Can Weight Loss Medications Play in Nutrition Therapy?

Medications like GLP-1 RAs are increasingly common in treating obesity. While they’re not right for everyone, your doctor can help you decide if they would be a good option for you.

GLP-1 medications help patients lose weight by affecting parts of the brain that affect satiety and appetite. While they will suppress some natural appetite, it’s important to note that these drugs will not get rid of your appetite or desire for food completely, and you may still experience cravings.

Additionally, medications do not fix everything. It is not enough to simply take medication and not make any other changes to your life. Eating more nutrient-rich foods, portion control and exercise can help your medication work better, sustaining your weight loss for years to come.

Is Working with a Dietitian the Best Approach for Weight Loss?

Working with a dietitian is highly effective for many people, as it provides one-on-one consultation to meet your unique health goals. However, it’s not the only option out there. Whether it’s right for you depends on your individual needs and preferences.

Here are just a few other popular weight-loss programs and how they compare:

Noom
Noom is an app that focuses on behavioral psychology, helping users understand their habits and triggers. The app offers daily lessons, food logging, and goal-setting features. However, Noom’s advice is generalized and lacks the personalized, clinical expertise of meeting one-on-one with a dietitian.

Weight Watchers (WW)
Weight Watchers (rebranded as WW in 2018) has been around since the 1960s and is one of the most well-known weight loss programs in America. WW uses a points-based system to guide food choices and encourage portion control. While they do offer dietitian support with certain plans, as an app-based program, WW has been known to oversimplify nutrition and metabolic therapy.

Calibrate
Calibrate offers a structured coaching program that offers a comprehensive, science-backed curriculum focused on metabolic health. Participants meet with health coaches and clinicians who specialize in obesity medicine. Calibrate’s coaching program is holistic and comprehensive, although they do not offer appointments with a registered dietitian.

What Makes the Accomplish Health Approach Different?

If you’ve been trying to lose weight for years, chances are, you’ve tried other programs and diets before. What makes Accomplish Health stand out from the rest?

Accomplish is a medical weight management platform that serves patients and health systems via telehealth. Our mission is to help people of all body sizes find access to care.

We deliver expert medical treatment, ensuring that our patients achieve their optimal weight loss result. We’re a patient-centered telehealth solution that offers practical, evidence-based health solutions that you can implement into your life to make lasting changes.

As a chronic disease, obesity affects all parts of your life. When you work with us, you’ll have access to a holistic, multidisciplinary team with a range of unique expertise. Depending on your health goals and needs, you’ll meet monthly with a doctor/nurse practitioner and a dietitian.

Accomplish Health is Accessible

For many people, finding in-network, in-person care in your local area can be a real challenge. Driving to monthly appointments can take time out of your already busy life, especially if you’re seeing multiple specialists.

That’s why telehealth works. Our doctors and dietitians work 100% online and can call you at a time and place that works for your schedule.

Another barrier to entry can be cost.

At Accomplish Health, we accept most insurances, as we believe that obesity should be treated with the same care and concern as the rest of your health. Obesity and nutrition impact your health and well-being on all levels, and you deserve to find an affordable treatment solution that works for you.

Final Word

Nutrition therapy is a flexible, highly personalized approach to obesity and weight loss care. Nutrition is often one of the root causes of obesity as a chronic disease. By prioritizing sustainable eating habits and fostering a supportive provider-patient relationship, nutrition therapy can empower you to achieve meaningful health outcomes that improve their long-term health.

Ready to start your nutrition journey? Schedule a consultation with an Accomplish Health dietitian today!

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any weight management program.

References

Blaak EE, Riccardi G, Cho L. Carbohydrates: Separating fact from fiction. Atherosclerosis. 2021;328:114-123. Read More

Clark JE. Diet, exercise or diet with exercise: comparing the effectiveness of treatment options for weight-loss and changes in fitness for adults. Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders. 2015;14(1). Read More

Mayo Clinic. Whole grains: Hearty options for a healthy diet. Published December 10, 2022. Read More

Martínez Steele E, et al. The share of ultra-processed foods and the overall nutritional quality of diets in the US. Population Health Metrics. 2017;15(1). Read More

Nguyen M, et al. Consumption of 100% Fruit Juice and Body Weight in Children and Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Pediatrics. Published online January 16, 2024. Read More