Thinking of training to be a dietician but am I going to be wasting my time?

[ickihun]

Hello

I am having a bug to bear. Something is keep telling me to retrain as a dietician to help insulin resistant and other diabetics in the nhs.

Would I be wasting my time? Or do you think the nhs is ready for a rooky like me?
Would I have to not be overweight for them to take me seriously.
Have you seen an overweight dietician working for the nhs?

Is it only my weight problem which would close the door on me? Or the fact I want to get in there and find out why they believe some of their skills are not wasted on out of date theories?

Anyone with practical experience to advise?

 

[KevinPotts]

I think it's wonderful that you are inspired and passionate and want to give back. Have you considered a stepped approach where you first train as an NHS diabetic educator - there are training courses in Birmingham and your DN/GP can sponsor/mentor you. The visual appearance of weight might be a challenge, but with your sense of call to retrain, I am sure you can make progress with this. Kevin


Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum mobile app

 

[ickihun]

Thanks Kevin. I am on it but had a hiccup with a bad tablet so I'm back on track again.
I can get good bg results but have still not distinguished why I add weight when sugars are higher. I'm told I can run middle range on the hope that helps my weight problem but nope. High insulin lower bgs seem to be helping with 50-100g carbs. 20g carbs make me dizzy and edgy. I've also made an effort to reduce heavy protein too. I love my meats and fish. Cheese isn't a problem. Veg was but not now.

 

[Brunneria]

It is something I have seriously considered.

A few things held me back
- I think that I would explode in indignation at some of the cr$p they taught me as gospel
- I think I would be kicked off the course for arguing
- I am fat - and NOBODY wants to take diet advice from a Fatty, do they? (and after a lifetime of obesity, with the inertia of long term obesity dragging me down, the odds of me ever being not-fat are miniscule)

I could get over problems 1 and 2 by signing up for Trudi Deakins' training, but I don't know how fast her new Eat Fat promotion is going (must be a heck of a lot of resistance entrenched in the NHS), so think it might be a struggle. Plus, of course, the 'I am fat' issue would be there for ever, like a (elegantly dressed and well presented) chubby elephant in the room.

 

[Totto]

I think you are wrong regarding the fat issue. I think people will be delighted to see it's not so f'''ing simple and that you can be in good health even if overweight.

That said, I'm with Brunneria here, nobody in their right mind could stand four years of dietitian training under the current guide lines..

 

[walnut_face]

It is something I have seriously considered.


- I am fat - and NOBODY wants to take diet advice from a Fatty, do they? (and after a lifetime of obesity, with the inertia of long term obesity dragging me down, the odds of me ever being not-fat are miniscule)

I dunno, all my barbers were bald

 

[walnut_face]

@ickihun I think you're entirely honourable in your desire, BUT, would you be prepared to sing from the NHS song book?
You might be better to consider a private practice long term.

 

[SunnyExpat]

I can only speak from the patient side, and I think you should seriously consider doing it.
You have an open mind about the different diets on here, and the differences in the preferences of the posters.

In the past, I saw some brilliant dieticians, both for T2, and for weight loss. They weren't all thin, but then again, they didn't insist there was only one way to diet, which clearly didn't work for them. They focused on me, not what they wanted.
Instead, we worked together, and came up with a personal diet (calorie restricted, low fat) that worked for me, and helped me lose weight, while bringing my BG back into normal range.
So, like you, once they have that attitude, and the knowledge, and take time to find out what the patient needs, nothing else matters. (It's also slightly reassuring when the student becomes the master, and loses weight faster than the adviser)
They're professional advisers, I tried to be a professional patient.
We had many an interesting talk of BG, GI, cholesterol, calorie restrictions, I have to admit the weight loss dieticians weren't all experts in T2, but we chopped and changed bits to reduce the GI of their diet sheets, as things progressed, so that is certainly something you could bring to them. That and advising T2's to test as they altered their diet.

And, you will get a wealth of knowledge from the NHS, it would be interesting, I think, to see the other side.

I'm sure at some stage, someone will ask 'Why are you overweight then?'
Tell them the truth, and tell them the problems you're having because of it, if any.
(I've turned into a right weight nazi, being obese brought on my T2, so, even that can be used as an advantage)

 

[Engineer88]

can I just add that being a dietitian isn't just about diabetes, there are other conditions you will need to treat as well. would you be as interested in those too? if so I would say yes go for it

an example, I'm coeliac as well as diabetic and thats fairly standard as far as I can tell. I'm also lacto intolerant...

 

[Amethyst579]

I agree with Engineer - it's not just about weight reduction and diabetes, there are also people who are underweight and need building up, people who can't eat at all and need tube feeding and lots of other specialisms. Dietitians are regulated by the HCPC and as such can't just work from their own agenda if it's not evidence based, but as other posters have commented, there are dietitians out there working within their HCPC remit who all the same have inspired and helped people on this forum manage their diabetes and weight. Regarding the overweight dietitian bit - I once mentioned that to a dietitian and she said "we are only human and struggle with our weight just as much as the next person". I'm sure that a person could not be rejected from a dietetic course for being overweight as that would be regarded as discrimination, however if they had an eating disorder they might not be accepted. See www.bda.uk.com/careers/careersleaflet

 

[AndBreathe]

Hello

I am having a bug to bear. Something is keep telling me to retrain as a dietician to help insulin resistant and other diabetics in the nhs.

Would I be wasting my time? Or do you think the nhs is ready for a rooky like me?
Would I have to not be overweight for them to take me seriously.
Have you seen an overweight dietician working for the nhs?

Is it only my weight problem which would close the door on me? Or the fact I want to get in there and find out why they believe some of their skills are not wasted on out of date theories?

Anyone with practical experience to advise?

I don't have any practical, or professionally associated advice for you, but to be hoinest, I would be horrified if your weight were any barrier to you - unless it significantly impacts on your life, making you unable to attend for training/work. It could be a bit like saying if an individual was ever knocked over by a car they would be barred from teaching road safety. In so many ways, I would say you are more likely to have patient empathy for those struggling with their diet, for whatever reason.

Go for it, if that's what you want to do.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. It would be great to have someone with an open mind becoming a dietician but I suspect you would be fighting against the establishment tide and in the NHS staff are pretty well forced to follow a party line. Have you ever looked at the British Dietetic Association website diabetes advice? Scary - Eat Well Guide etc. I think you need to research the various qualifications needed, relevant courses and try to avoid the 'low sugar, low fat, low salt' robots. May be by the time you were qualified the establishment will have updated their advice?

 

[Brunneria]

When i talked about weight being a barrier i wasn't referring to peer discrimination, i was referring to customer discrimination.
(Although i think peer discrimination would be endemic in the NHS -and almost impossible to prove, or push back against)

It even appears on this forum, regularly, by people who really should know better.
I have seen each of the following said in posts here:

'I'm not taking advice from that nurse, she is fatter than me.'
'She sat there with a chocolate bar on her desk and tried to tell me what to eat.'
'You say you have been dieting for years but are still fat and are giving out advice. All that proves is you don't know anything.'

Clients seeing a dietician may not say those things, but by heck they will be thinking them!
And then they will come on forums like this and complain - as shown above.
Whatever sensible useful message is given by the dietician then becomes lost.

 

[Totto]

If I met with a fat dietitian who told me to eat plenty of healthy carbs but generally cut down on food portions and run more I'd probably ignore her, chocolate or no chocolate.

If I met with a fat dietitian who explained this is about hormones and to tweak my diet accordingly I'd listen carefully.

After all, it is mainly about hormones. And gut flora possibly.

 

[Totto]

Let's start a Healthy Diet Advice Centre. I can teach people to cook proper food, like gluten free and sugar free liver paté, chicken in aspic and make sauerkraut, sausages, fat bombs and coconut butter.

 

[Brunneria]

Let's start a Healthy Diet Advice Centre. I can teach people to cook proper food, like gluten free and sugar free liver paté, chicken in aspic and make sauerkraut, sausages, fat bombs and coconut butter.

You are making me hungry now.

 

[Engineer88]

Let's start a Healthy Diet Advice Centre. I can teach people to cook proper food, like gluten free and sugar free liver paté, chicken in aspic and make sauerkraut, sausages, fat bombs and coconut butter.

Can we make it a decent quality food and have courses how to shop for less money too?

 

[Totto]

Yes of course, that's the whole point! Cheap cuts of meat, vegetables, proper food in short. You don't have to read the small print on packages that way as you don't buy things in packets.

Can you get herring in the UK?

 

[ickihun]

Thank you. I've taken on board all the posts and it just makes me more determined to train to be an asset to the nhs.
I do feel I owe the nhs a lot.
Yes I feel a bit let down by myself and nhs dieticians. As noted its a joint venture. I was thinking I'd go to a recent appointment feeling enlightened and rejuvunated to tackle my weight and I think my poor dietician was overcome with my weight and strong mind. Strong minded because on my notes it had said weight loss but on her previous advice I broke lchf for porridge and the thoughts of good gi foods in every meal to add weight. Medication let down too.
The poor woman nearly had a meltdown and she told me she was going to tell my dn about me, as if I'm in trouble.
I am a confident person which must come across as unusual for a fat lass from Sunderland? However being overweight all my life has never stopped me doing anything. I've travelled the world. I've interacted with very very wealthy friends and very important people, in a sense of careers. I've been alongside poor, homeless and very poor waged staff in the London bombings and other times of distress. I've been infertile, fertile, fat and much slimmer.
Ultimately I've just been me.
I think I'd be an asset to any company. But then I'm bias. Ha ha

 

[noblehead]

Would I be wasting my time? Or do you think the nhs is ready for a rooky like me?
Would I have to not be overweight for them to take me seriously.
Have you seen an overweight dietician working for the nhs?

No you wouldn't be wasting your time, if you have a genuine interest in the profession then go for it, there's nothing lost if you don't make it but you may regret later in life that you never tried.

I don't think they would judge you on your weight.

Not personally but I'm sure there's a few around, like other professions dietitians will come in all shapes and sizes.

@Engineer88 makes a great point, it isn't all about diabetes and there's many other health conditions that need the assistance of a dietitian, just go for it @ickihun and keeps us informed on your progress. Good luck.