Most Common Q&As

Please read through the following common Q&As.

Other nutrition / mindset questions:

Post them in the Facebook group,
Ask them in a group coaching call, or
Book a 1:1 call

Customer service questions: Please email us at rachel@nutritionbyrachel.com

Creating Your Plan

My calorie goal seems high… is it too high?

I generally prefer you keep your calorie goal at the 1/2 pound loss per week mark, and setting your exercise level to “somewhat active”
It’s best to have a large calorie goal, even if you don’t end up eating all the way to it, to create long-term habit changes
You never have to “force” yourself to eat; stop eating whenever you’re full
One note: If your 1/2 pound loss per week calorie deficit is more than 2000 calories, it’s ok with me if you want to move the goal to 1 pound lost/ week
Rewatch this lesson.

Should I focus on macros?

I don’t recommend focusing on macros – it’s unnecessary and not realistic for everyday life.
Rewatch this lesson (around min 13).

Should I take a supplement?

In general: I recommend vitamin D, and omega-3 if you don’t eat fatty fish (e.g. salmon)
It’s also recommended that a person takes a multivitamin if they’re eating less than 1600 calories / day, consistently
Always talk to your doctor before starting something new
Rewatch this lesson.

I don’t want to track. Do I have to track calories?

You don’t! However I do see better results with those who track, at least at first. Tracking is a great way to learn portions right for your body.
Still complete your plan, in this lesson, even if you’re not going to track calories.
To clean up your mindset around tracking, rewatch this lesson.

Can I have more than 1 starch or 1 fruit per day?

Of course! You know your body best. Do what works for you.
Rewatch this lesson.

Should I eat more if I exercise?

It’s a natural consequence of high-intensity exercise that we get more hungry. I recommend instead, focusing on low-intensity exercise types like walking, yoga, pilates, barre, or light weights. This way, you’re still building muscle, increasing your metabolism, and moving your body, without having to deal with excess hunger.
Rewatch this lesson.

How much WATER should I drink?

If your pee is a light yellow, you’re likely fine. Non-starchy veg counts towards your water intake, so the conventional “8 cups a day” isn’t necessary if you’re eating a lot of veggies. That being said, is it bad to have a goal of drinking 8 cups of water a day? No! Drink away!

I’m constipated.

Try adding these foods to your meals (high in soluble fiber): broccoli, avocado, have beans/ lentils as a protein sometimes, carrots, beets, Brussels sprouts, almonds.

What about artificial sweeteners? E.g. diet coke, yogurt flavored with aspartame, etc.

It’s a personal choice, but they’re fine by me. Is it better to not have them? Yes. Are they super terrible for us? No. I have a diet coke every day!

The Meal Planner

I don’t like/ can’t eat a certain food. Can I swap out it out for another?

Yes! Swap out any food for another in its same food group. Learn which foods are in which food groups, here.

Does this certain food count as a starch?

Look on the nutrition facts label. If the food has more than 15 gm carbohydrates per serving, AND one of the first 3 ingredients is a starch food (rice, wheat, quinoa, potato, peas, etc.) then I would count it as a starch.
Remember, you can have more than 1 starch per day, if that’s what you prefer.
Rewatch this lesson.

How do I increase the calories of my meal plans?

Watch the video “Adding Calories to Your Meal Plans” on this page.

How do I edit the meal plans?

Watch the short how-to videos on this page.

Weight Loss Plateaus

I’m not losing weight – what should I do?

My first question is: are you tracking accurately, 7 days a week? Are there times during the week that you aren’t measuring? Are you not tracking everything you eat on the weekends? This is the problem 99% of the time! 🙂
If you are tracking accurately for 7 days a week, for at least 2 weeks, you can either increase exercise a little bit, decrease calories a little bit, or wait it out.
As we get closer to our goal weight, the body’s biological response is to hold onto weight as a survival mechanism (helpful thousands of years ago, but not so much anymore!). Nothing is going wrong here, it’s just biology. What does NOT work, is eating off plan.
Rewatch this lesson.
Join a coaching call so we can work through this with you!