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Hi collegiettes™!
My success in finally dropping the the freshman 15 with the Jump Start Diet was not only the result of my hard work, but following a nutririous diet in my happy, healthy weight loss. While it’s easy to just blindly follow along in a diet, stop to consider the importance of the nutrition behind Jump Start Diet, or any other diet. What’s it all about? Who’s to say what’s good and bad for us to eat? I decided to give you a different perspective from my journey with SELF’s Jump Start Diet and let a fellow Terp tell you about her own journey to become a Registered Dietician. Today’s guest blog by Christina Sielbeck Vimini, a Dietetic Intern–and former collegiette™– is all things nutrition!
Nutrition is a hot topic for everyone, whether you want to lose weight, bulk up, or improve performance. Getting active and eating healthfully must go hand-in-hand for any weight or fitness goals you may have. But where do you often turn for nutrition information?
Many of us turn to the Internet to find out about supplements, the latest diet craze, or nutrition advice. While the web offers a ton of fantastic resources (see Nutrition.gov and MyPyramid), it can also offer a lot of misinformation.
- Be sure to check out the credibility of the web page by evaluating the presence of excessive advertisements, products for sale, the background of the author, and the site’s mission.
- Many times, personal anecdotes (and not scientific research studies) are the only basis for claims that are not only atypical, but possibly dangerous.
- Follow similar screening methods for books, articles, and other places you may look for nutrition information.
- If you enjoy reading blogs, check out the Nutrition Blog Network for credible information written by dietitian bloggers on a wide variety of nutrition topics.
Most importantly, anyone can write about nutrition or deem themselves an “expert”, but who’s to say they actually know what they’re talking about? If possible, always consult with a Registered Dietitian (RD) for all things nutrition.
As a current dietetic intern, just a few months from holding the coveted “RD” at the end of my name, I know what it takes to become a nutrition expert. RDs must get a bachelors degree in nutrition or dietetics (which actually satisfies most pre-med requirements), complete a year-long post-graduate internship, pass a national exam for credentialing, and maintain registration with continuing education. 
The dietetic internship is the most important part of this training, and the most difficult to get in. (They have a measly 50% match rate, making them extremely competitive!) The internship allows each RD-in-training to acquire supervised practice and staff relief in hospitals, clinics, community settings, and more. All this experience is exactly why dietitians know what they’re talking about. If someone identifies themselves as a “nutritionist”, make sure to find out their background and credentials- it does not always mean that they are certified or an RD.
Have any questions about nutrition? Please let me know! Leave a comment below or Tweet me (@CSielbeck) or follow along with the University of Maryland Dietetic Interns (@UMD_Dietintern).
To find a dietitian near you, visit the American Dietetic Association’s RD Finder.
To find out more about the journey to become an RD, visit my electronic portfolio and blog, Mission:Dietitian.
If you’d like to join Ally in her healthy, happy weight loss (and please do), go register for the Jump Start Diet on SELF.com and be sure to use the SELF logs to keep track of your daily workout and meals, which is an awesome way to keep track of your calorie intake and how much you’re burning off!
To follow Ally’s journey on the Jump Start Diet, check out her out on Twitter (@allylopez), and while you’re at it, follow the latest news from SELF (@SELFmagazine) and Her Campus (@HerCampus)!