Venues offering Nutrition Counselling

Nutrition counselling is a service in which a dietitian assesses your eating habits, health history, daily routine and goals, draws up a personalised nutrition plan and follows it up through regular sessions. In the spa and wellness world it is mostly offered at fitness and wellness clubs, as a complement to exercise programmes. The most common aims are weight management, sports nutrition and building balanced eating habits.

How does nutrition counselling work?

The first session begins with a detailed assessment. The dietitian asks about any known medical conditions, the medicines and supplements you take, your recent blood tests, your meal pattern, and your sleep and activity habits. Your height, weight and waist circumference are measured; at sports clubs this may be supplemented by an estimate of body fat and muscle percentage made with a body composition analyser. Based on this information, a realistic goal is set and a nutrition plan that fits your daily life is drawn up.

At follow-up sessions your progress is reviewed and the plan is updated around the points you are finding difficult. A good plan is made up of small, sustainable changes rather than a long list of forbidden foods; as well as what to eat, it also covers meal timing, portions, water intake and practical options for days when you eat out. Sessions can be held in person or online.

Session length and frequency

The first session usually lasts 45-60 minutes and follow-ups 15-30 minutes. Follow-ups take place every one to two weeks at first and become less frequent as the new habits settle in. Nutrition counselling is best thought of as a process spread over a few months rather than a one-off service; changes in habits take time to stick.

Who is it suitable for, and who should go ahead together with their doctor?

Nutrition counselling suits people who eat irregularly, those aiming to manage their weight, people who exercise regularly and want to adapt their diet to their training, and anyone who simply wants to learn to eat a more balanced diet. Running it alongside a fitness or Pilates programme makes it easier to bring exercise and nutrition goals together in a single plan. For people who train regularly, the plan takes into account the difference in energy and protein needs between hard training days and rest days.

In cases such as diabetes, kidney, liver or heart disease, pregnancy and breastfeeding, a history of eating disorders, recent surgery and regular use of medication, the nutrition plan should be managed together with your doctor. Very low-calorie diets, prolonged fasting and programmes sold on the promise of detoxing should not be followed without medical supervision.

How it differs from similar services

Nutrition counselling is different from the general dietary advice given by trainers at gyms: a personal trainer's field is the exercise programme, whereas drawing up a personalised nutrition plan is the dietitian's job. Wellness practices such as yoga and meditation deal not with nutrition but with stress and body awareness; some facilities offer the two in the same programme.

A common misconception about spa treatments also comes up often in nutrition sessions: the weight lost by sweating in the sauna is water, and it comes back as you take in fluids. Saunas, massages and body wraps do not burn fat; lasting weight change comes from your eating and activity patterns.

Questions to ask before the first session

• The training of the person giving the counselling, and whether they are a dietitian
• The time allowed for the first session and for follow-ups, and how often follow-ups take place
• Whether the fee is set per session or as a package, and whether it is included in club membership
• Whether the plan is taken from a ready-made template or prepared specifically for you
• Whether a body composition analysis is done and how the results are interpreted
• Whether there is a way to get in touch with questions between sessions