Is Working With IFN A Good Fit For Me?

Nov 29, 2022 | About IFxN

This is a really important question. If you have already decided that working with a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) is the direction you want to go, the next step is finding who to work with. Most CNSs work with a variety of conditions but have a specialty or main area of focus. The same is true of us at IFN. You definitely want to find the right fit for you.

I’m going to explain in this post the people who fit well at IFN. If this resonates with you, wonderful, we would love to talk more with you about your specific needs. Also, if you are not sure, but think it could be a good fit we have free consultations specifically so you can make that final call.

If you find that this isn’t really what you are looking for, but would still love to find a CNS, please feel free to send an email asking for recommendations. I hope to put together a blog post soon about excellent providers you can seek out, but in the meantime, email and I’ll send you in the right direction.

There is definitely gray area when talking about who fits and who doesn’t. If you check off several different boxes/categories consider a free consultation to discover if this feels right or if you would prefer a referral. Ultimately, we believe that everyone deserves excellent nutrition help and will try to connect you with the right resources for you.

Who fits well at IFN?

Let’s start with age. If you are in age range of 15—50 we are off to a good start. Why these ages? Nutrition for different life stages varies. It is difficult for a nutritionist to be an expert of all the life stages. That being said, there are always exceptions to this age range. As you read if everything else feels like an excellent fit let’s talk. We currently have clients both north and south of this age range who are thriving.

If you are someone who has been dieting for years and years and are tired of this approach to health and well-being you are already in a great spot. Or maybe you are someone who hasn’t ever or has rarely dieted because that didn’t feel right, but you want to work on health and find the right food solution for you. At IFN we practice a non-diet approach to nutrition, which is the perfect approach for these 2 scenarios.

Melanee specializes in nutrition for mental health, the effects of chronic stress, disordered eating, and women’s health. If you are struggling with poor mental health, fatigue, gut distress, headaches, or other nagging symptoms, you are likely a good fit. This covers a pretty broad range of conditions. In that way, it may seem anyone would be a good fit (and many are); however, the right fit is someone who wants to understand their relationship with food and work through that relationship while also improving their symptoms.

At IFN our goal is to make nutrition accessible to everyone. If you are burnt out and exhausted can you start making all your meals from scratch, start a morning walking routine, take a bunch of supplements, and start an organic garden? No! We all come to this work at different stages and with different bandwidths. We will start where you are and work together in a way that is doable for you and your life circumstances.

Many of our clients are people who just don’t feel well in their bodies. They may have a medical diagnosis (like PCOS or Hashimoto’s) or they may appear to be in perfect health according to their blood tests. Yet, they do not feel “right” anymore. They have noticed that they don’t have as much energy. Maybe their depression or anxiety is worsening. Often they have digestive distress like bloating, constipation, or diarrhea. They find they are bingeing or feel out of control with food and feel helpless to fix this. These folks understand that nutrition might help, but they feel overwhelmed by nutrition information. Dieting has failed them in the past, but instead of blaming the diet they blame themselves for not having enough willpower. If this sounds like you, you are likely an excellent fit for IFN.

Who isn’t a good fit? 

People exclusively seeking weight loss aren’t a great fit. At IFN we practice weight neutrality, meaning we don’t use weight as a marker of success. Most clients have the desire to lose weight to some degree or other. However, if you are more concerned about feeling well again, and healing your relationship with food we got you. If you would like a plan exclusively for weight loss this is not the right fit.

On the flip side, people who wish to gain weight for athletic reasons are also not a great fit. Nutrition for athletes is a different world and not one that we have the expertise to dive into here at IFN. If your health has been poor and you feel gaining weight could help, that could be a different matter, but those seeking nutrition for athletic performance would be better served by someone who specializes in that.

Young children need nutrition just as much as anyone else. However, young children are not just small adults when it comes to their nutritional needs. You really need someone who specializes in nutrition for children.

People who are going through menopause can be a good fit, but may also benefit from specific care. As we age our nutritional needs change. Depending on what your main concern is IFN could be a perfect fit, or you may find working with a nutritionist that specializes in menopause is a better option.

Likewise, geriatric clients have very specific nutritional needs and deserve a nutritionist who has taken the time to study and understand those needs.

While people with disordered eating and complicated relationships with food are an excellent fit for IFN, people with advanced eating disorders are usually not. Eating disorders are very complex disorders and can be life-threatening. Finding a nutritionist who specializes in this area is critical for recovery. Outpatient care may not be appropriate at certain stages of an eating disorder. In these cases, in-patient eating disorder clinics can be lifesaving.

Important note about eating disorders: they develop at all body sizes and all life stages. If you are unsure if you have an eating disorder please reach out. We can connect you with resources to help you find out if you have an eating disorder, so you can get the help you need.

At IFN we help clients get functional testing done if that will be helpful for their health journey. These include things like stool tests to understand gut function or hormone tests to understand how nutrition may support hormone metabolism. On occasion, we will have people contact us to get one of these tests done, but they do not want to initiate care. If you fall into this category you will need to find a different provider. The tests offer great information, but we only offer this service to clients who are being seen regularly to ensure that they get proper support once they have results (this may include referring you to a higher level of care if necessary).

If you are a cancer patient or survivor, we would encourage you to seek out an oncology nutritionist. Likewise, if you suffer from kidney failure or advanced kidney disease you need to find a specialist for your specific condition.

Lastly, people who are only interested in receiving a set of meal plans and supplement recommendations without continued support are not a great fit for IFN and would be happier seeking a program elsewhere.

There is a significant amount of nuance when it comes to your nutritional needs. As such, we encourage you to find a clinician who understands the value and importance of individualized nutrition therapy. If you resonated with the description of our typical client here at IFN we hope you will schedule a discovery consultation. We look forward to working with you.

Warmly,

Melanee
she/her/hers

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