I Get Tired of Explaining

I saw a different nutritionist today because my regular one was out due to an emergency.  Had I known, I wouldn't have even gone, because it's such a pain trying to explain to people my strange food list. I'm on my way to raw so 1) not all my foods are raw 2) some of my nonraw foods are highly processed (but I haven't chosen them haphazardly) and 3) there are still foods I eat that really don't "belong" - these are the junk I eat when I give in to cravings or temptation.  I'm still dealing with food issues, so combine that with the first two things and people don't know what to make of my diet!   Sure enough, the new nutritionist asked me what I was doing, because although she'd heard I was eating raw, she couldn't tell that from my food lists.  I explained to her that I'd done 100% raw last year and that I am headed in that direction again, but easing into it this time so that I don't lose weight too quickly, and so I can avoid the low protein levels I experienced.  Yes, I eat the occasional weird item when I give in to temptation, but I don't want to punish myself over it. 

So she reads my food list to herself and makes a point of reading out loud only the brownie and pizza. GRRRR.  I don't go to a nutritionist to have my foods "checked"! I go primarily for education, and secondarily for weight tracking.  I politely exlained the stage I am at in this raw odyssey of mine, and told her that I am not striving for perfection, and that I will eat the occasional treat.  She recognized that I was not going to act sorry or feel chastised, and agreed with me that perfection is not a good goal.   She weighed me and said that despite those  two foods, I didn't gain. Well, the reason I didn't gain is because my other meals that day were raw (very low calorie and very low fat, too)! The pizza and brownie therefore didn't put me over the fat or calorie amounts that I aim for each day. 

I am learning that I have to teach the nutritionists how to help me as much as they need to teach me about nutrition.  They are used to playing cheerleader, lecturer and scolder, but I'm through with those approaches.  I'm even rethinking asking for support for my long history of "food issues."   I think all I really want is the nutritional education and weight tracking.  The cheerleading doesn't make me happy, and the "naughty girl" stuff just gets on my nerves. They still give me advice for cooked foods and try to get me to buy their vegetarian cookbook, but I just smile and say no, thank you- and they say, "oh, that's right! You eat raw." But I do have to say that overall, I like the service I am getting from the nutritionists and feel it is worth the price. Having knowledgeable people to keep tabs on my nutritional intake and give me feedback is all I'm really looking for. What I'm doing is new to them, but because of their vegetarian backgrounds they are supportive of a raw diet. And I've lost 20 lbs!