7 Signs you Should Invest in the Advice of an Accredited Sports Nutritionist

Sometimes it's hard to know who to turn to. In this age of social media and instant information, it's easy to become bogged down with data. As an Accredited Sports Nutritionist, I see this in clients all the time. Lots of strategies are shared, along with lots of conflicting ideas. When we're trying to be the best version of ourselves. Aiming to improve the health of our bodies, it can be difficult to make traction.

We can become stuck.

Often, without even knowing we are stuck.

Nutrition professionals, like sports nutritionists, for example, are a step above your ordinary personal trainer. We undergo thorough training and hold insurance to offer customised diet advice. We can put together meal plans and coach and guide our clients in their food choices.

In today's blog post, we're going to look at 7 signs that indicate you might want to look at some nutrition coaching. If any of the following items resonate with you, that might point towards you being in an ideal candidate who'd really benefit from one of my sports nutrition packages.

An Accredited Sports Nutritionist can help you get back on track if you're not seeing progress

You've tried this diet, you gave that workout plan a go.

The scales have stayed the same for months.

Usually, when we put together some form of diet intervention (for example, a meal plan) we should start to see changes within a couple of weeks. That's the very essence of the scientific process. We look to change something, then measure to see if that change affected what we expected.

So if you don't seem to be making headway in your journey to a fitter and healthier body, perhaps you need more help. An accredited sports nutritionist will be able to steer you in the right direction.

We're trained to understand where you are at the moment, and where you'd like to go. More importantly, we know how to get you there.

So if what you're doing isn't working, it's time to do something different.

You're confused by all the nutrition information out there

To keto or not to keto? Is it time to give veganism a go? Remember when apple cider vinegar was the cure for everything? What about your mate that only eats for a few hours each day, is that what you should do too?

Should you be taking creatine? Do you need a protein shake? What about these fat burners I've seen online?

High carb/low carb, clean eating or paleo? I could go on, but I think you get the point.

Just like there's more than one way to skin a cat, there's also more than one way to follow a healthy diet. The key is following a diet strategy that works for you.

Everyone is different.

What works for your friend might not work for you. Accredited sports nutritionists only offer advice which is backed by scientific research. We can guide towards making adjustments to your diet that are proven to work. No scams or gimmicks here.

We can help coach and educate you in proper healthy eating principles. More importantly, we can help you avoid wasting your money or getting sucked into the latest fad or diet trend.

Your circumstances, training program or schedule has recently changed

With change comes stress.

You might have a new job, or your work hours might now be different. Perhaps your gym has closed for refurbishments so you have to go to another one venue town. Maybe you've moved house and so have less time (or possibly more?) to focus on your diet.

Maybe you have a new goal you want to work towards and will be changing up your gym routine accordingly.

It's common when one aspect of our daily routine changes, other areas must adjust accordingly.

Accredited sports nutritionists can help guide you through these changes. We can take the pressure off you. You can relax knowing that's one less thing you've got to think about. Your diet and nutrition requirements are under control.

We've got your back.

You're unsure of what your goals should be - an Accredited Sports Nutritionist can help you decide

Sometimes, we just don't know what we should be doing. Do I want to build muscle first, or should I look to lose fat then go after muscle?

Likewise, you might have been training long and hard for a specific event. That event might have come and gone and now you're stuck as to what you should be training for next.

Accredited Sports nutritionists can guide you along the correct path. We're trained to coach and identify goals that actually resonate with you. What you might value as being the picture of good health might be completely different from your best friend.

Your mate might believe to be 'fit and healthy' they need to look a certain way, or eat certain foods. You might be more inclined to think that being 'fit' means being strong enough to deadlift 200kg. Other people might aspire to run continuously for 2 hours.

It's easy to become stuck in our own heads with the overwhelming number of daily decisions we have to make. Accredited Sports Nutritionists can free up some of your thinking. We'll guide you and get you on track.

You're finding it difficult to stick to a regime or plan

Easy! That usually means you need to find a new plan. Or a new coach.

Like we said above, there are lots of different roads you can take on the way to better health. Not every method will work for every person. We all have different preferences and habits.

Everyone has varying demands for their time. Some people might be willing to spend 4 hours every Sunday meal prepping their way through the coming week. Others might be hard pushed to find the time to make toast in the morning.

Accredited Sports Nutritionists can help you come up with a plan and a regime that is manageable and makes sense for your daily lifestyle. For a routine to be realistic, it needs to be something that fits in with your day to day living.

There's no point saying you're going to eat chicken and broccoli every night for dinner when after a few days you're bored. Or maybe you don't even like broccoli! (Don't laugh, I've worked with people who force themselves to follow all sorts of plans as they think that's what they need to 'be fit.')

Routines and meal plans are supposed to make your life easier. I'll say that again for everyone in the back row.

Routines are supposed to make your life easier.

If you're finding the plan you're trying to follow is making things more difficult, get in touch for a chat.

You don't have the time to figure out what you have to do - let an Accredited Sports Nutritionist do all the work

Life is busy. Whether you're a busy working professional or a parent with kids. Everyone has lots going on in their lives.

Everyone also needs to eat.

When we have lots going on day-to-day, it's easy for food to become an afterthought. Our priorities are elsewhere. And that's ok.

Putting together a well-structured meal plan, with room for freedom and sensible choices takes time.

Not all of us have that time. We can't commit to hours of research, looking into the pros and cons of different foods and macro splits.

Your Accredited Sports Nutritionist can do all of this for you. That's one less thing you have to worry about.

You are motivated by accurate statistics, figures and data

Some people are happy to just plod along in their own bubble. They go on their merry little way, strutting through life, taking things in their stride.

I've worked with these people. I envy these people sometimes!

Others need facts. We need details. We like to know all the ins and outs of what's going on. In the context of fitness, we measure things. Routines are planned and tracked. We know what we're doing, and when. Additionally, we often know why too.

If this sounds like you, you might get excited by all the data an Accredited Sports Nutritionist can throw at you. We'll take measurements and compared data regularly. We'll know the ins and outs of your macronutrients, your hydration and energy intake and expenditure.

Personally, I take my clients through ISAK anthropometric measurements.

We'll track skinfolds accurately and precisely. Weight is also an important factor to consider, so I track that regularly for you too. I might also take girth measurements - waist and hips usually, but we might do chest, thighs, calves and arms. I work to your goals and choose appropriate tracking methods.

I'd love to know what you thought of the above points

Were there any in particular that struck a chord with you? Let me know in the comments below which point you identified with the most.

And don't forget, if you're ready to take the next step towards improving your diet and fitness, I'm here to help.