Welcome, I have been in the health and fitness industry for nearly 15 yrs. Some good, some not so good. I’ve been working in weight management as a registered dietitian Technician/nutrition specialist for six years, but before that I was a fitness instructor/master trainer for 10 years. I’ve been around people who struggle with their weight and want to lose weight for most of my adult life. On top of all that, I myself am not blessed with the skinny gene. What you see in my health/fitness results is me putting my knowledge to action. I struggle with PCOS and Hypothyroidism. I have a family history of obesity and I’ve always had to work at keeping weight off, and as the years go by I feel like I have had to do more and more to keep my weight in a healthy range. Naturally, once I became a DTR, I gravitated to specialize in weight management. I used my knowledge from years as a fitness instructor to help people eat less and move more. For some clients, it worked, and for many it did not. Most get lost because they lack motivation and need daily support, especially at night, after the kids go to sleep. I personally struggled to find a program or a plan that I could implement to help my clients succeed when it came to losing weight and more importantly, managing to keep it off. Many times, my clients would start off motivated, but eventually drop off because they were not seeing results or life threw them a wrench in their plan. I never tried to implement restrictive principals or hard diet therapies, as I know they are not evidence-based, but at times I wondered if there was something more I could offer to help my clients move toward achieving the results they desperately desired. This is when I starting noticing this growing movement of challenge groups online. So I started watching and learning. I spend time researching and understanding shakeology and how it worked in the system and why it worked in the system. I knew the home programs would offer an option for those who work flexibility to get in 30 mins of exercise and have the flexibility they desired. But Shakeology? REALLY? I needed to learn more if I was going to truly help people, I had to be sure I fully understood. SO, I sat with my Endocrinologist and we talked about it in detail, matter of fact he knew the formulator and said it’s a great supplement and can be used as a meal replacement, its unlike what you can buy in a GNC or the other companies he had seen. After doing more talking to other colleagues whom I trust I decided to try implementing this in my own life. To see if I would feel better, maybe I can get off my prescription medications, have more energy and just feel better. What happened in the next 4-5 months of my health and the health of my husband was unreal! At first we both felt we had more energy, then we noticed improvement in digestion, soon my husband stopped waking up at night with leg cramps and said he has no joint pain. He who suffered from migraines has not had one in over 2 yrs. I came off the higher dose of my medication and both our cholesterol is at an all-time low. I’ve been using my knowledge the past 2 years running private online groups and I haven’t looked back. I agree that the plan isn’t for everyone that I speak with, but for those that struggle with their weight, or need help with meal planning, have high cholesterol, blood pressure, circulatory issues and digestive issues it has been a relief to them, and myself to find something that is working. Maybe this program is right for you? Here is just a sample of things covered in a challenge group
● Platforms of weight management by offering daily support
● Call to Action ( accountability)
● What is ‘too much’? portion size and control?
● Key nutrients and minerals, what is their role.
● What is going on inside our bodies?
● Can you burn the fat away?
● Do diets work? Does willpower really exist?
● Making changes; clean eating; what is the ‘carb message (grains)?
● Eating patterns; eating out; taking in; snacking; buffet eating
● Keys to meal balancing; how much protein is the best to help your patients; does journaling really work? Daily success strategies
● Damage control; beverages do count
● Meal replacements = shake anyone.
● Fortified nutrient dense foods
● Role of exercise without ‘the Biggest Loser’
● Do calories get burned efficiently, do those calorie counters work
● How much is too much exercise and what is best for me
● Managing your diabetes
● Research on dairy
● PCOS – what to focus on
● Does mom’s diet matter; maternal weight gain; vitamins & minerals
● Food environment; business & industry – this is multifaceted
● Motivation in weight management; increasing their health beliefs not worry about scale.
● Mindful vs. mindless eating
● Private online groups for food journaling, for meal planning, peer support and accountability
I would love to hear from you, help you or someone you know looking to make changes in their life. Even the smallest step can redirect you to healthier path! Looking forward to hearing from you,
In health,
Rachel Harshfield DTR/NS
Obesity is a growing problem in our country, this is a fact!! If I can reach one person and help them change, my hope is that the effects of this positive change will trickle down to someone else causing a ripple effect in more lives!
