From about March of 2008 until September of that year, I made a good decision. I was sick of guessing what and how to eat and was so fed up and antsy for a solution that I retreated to my computer for some research of my own. I probably didn’t resurface and see the light of day for quite some time, but came out with the most amazing and obvious solution: go to the experts.

During my online investigation, I came across an issue that may be well-known to others but one I wasn’t too familiar with: What exactly is the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian and who should I go to? In most instances, I’ve found people use the terms interchangeably and while they are similar, I found that most Registered Dietitians, in general, have more schooling and experience. Definitely not the case in every scenario, but I found that a dietitian was the way to go and was the best fit for me.

Lucky me, I found this place nearby called the Kingley Institute, located on Federal City Road, sharing a building with a Sleep Research Center. They accepted my insurance and each time I went I forked over a $30 co-pay for some of the best guidance and information I’ve ever received. Unfortunately, I don’t believe that location is still open anymore and they are, on their website, now referred to as Kingley Health.

Anyways, a woman by the name of Casey McKinney became my dietitian. She was energetic, friendly, supportive, everything you would want in someone cheering you on. She talked to me about everything. As far as my health, weight and goals go, going to her and the Kingley Institute was the smartest thing I ever decided to do. I wasn’t guessing what I had to do, I was learning and now I know. If other staff there are just like her, they have no competition.

At my first appointment, I was metabolically tested. The test consisted of breathing into this mask placed over my face, reaching just beneath my eyes, with a tube coming out of the mouth area, hooked into a machine and monitored via computer. The mask looked similar to the one worn by Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, but definitely not as scary, not even close.

A week later I was handed a packet about the size of a small children’s book that basically told me how much of what I was eating: carbs, fat, calories, you name it. It was also a body composition report; a thick booklet informing me of my current habits and what I would need to take in and do to change. This much of my body is made up of fat. This is usually how much time I spend exercising at a low, moderate, or heavy level. It was all there in black and white and looking at it on paper didn’t make it any less shocking. If anything, it made it more of an issue.

Usually, people don’t get things like this telling us exactly what we are doing to our bodies. You can usually ingest your food and forget about it, but it’s completely different when it’s right there for you in the form of a report; there’s no hiding from that.

One of the first things I did there (aside from fill out everybody’s favorite, paperwork) was fill out a Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire addressing things like my goals, feelings, thoughts, etc. because I think these are critical questions to think about before tackling a lifestyle change to become healthy. You need a plan of attack and this is it, laid out in a detailed report.

Although this isn't anywhere close to the assessment I took, (mine was about 4-5 pages long and had about 50 questions) it's a start. Click here to take a lifestyle assessment questionnaire and think about where you are, where you want to be and how to go about making your lifestyle a healthy one.