5 People Who Shouldn’t Be Your Weight-Loss Coach

Here, we break down who can help you lose the weight for good and who just wants to help you lose your money. These are the red flags you should be looking out for:

1. Someone Who Is Lacking the Magic Letters.
If they’re “board certified” by a board you’ve never heard of, “certified” by the companies they work for, or literally have no credentials at all, there’s a good chance they aren’t worth your time.

If you want someone to help you lose weight and advise you on what to eat, you need a registered dietitian or a registered dietitian nutritionist (R.D. or R.D.N. respectively). These nutrition experts are legit because they have earned a bachelor’s degree (at minimum), completed a 12-month supervised practice program, have passed a national exam administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, and continue fulfilling professional educational requirements.

Seems easy enough, but what about all those other seemingly legit credentials, like holistic nutrition expert, certified nutritionist, or nutrition and wellness coach?

Unlike becoming a registered dietitian, these programs might involve only a few years of undergraduate training or maybe just a few weeks of online coursework. The problem is that it’s hard to know for sure how much training your coach underwent and what he or she learned. (Want to learn from the best? Check out Women’s Health’s Ignite routine created by Next Fitness Star Nikki Metzger.)

If your coach isn’t a registered dietitian, he or she shouldn’t serve as anything more than a supplement to the plan you and a registered dietitian have created, says Jaime Mass, R.D.

2. Someone Who Doesn’t Understand Your Medical Needs.
If you have a medical condition, you’re pregnant, or you need solid nutrition or weight-loss advice, you need to consult a doctor or R.D.

“Many people who are overweight may have an underlying condition, like diabetes, that a dietitian would be uniquely qualified to manage,” says Samantha Cassetty, R.D. In that case, you need an R.D. with a specialty in diabetes to help teach you to space out you carb intake throughout the day and keep your glucose levels stable, says dietitian Keri Gans, R.D. author of The Small Change Diet.

A registered dietician can also help you get the tests you need to determine your dietary needs. If you have high cholesterol and a health coach suggests you try the high-fat Paleo diet, for example, it could be very damaging, says Gans.

3. Someone Who’s All About the Money.
Not only does a dietitian’s level of experience trump most certified coaches ten-fold, the dedication it takes to become an R.D. shows a commitment to bettering peoples’ lives through nutrition. In other words, an R.D. usually isn’t just some rando who wants to make a buck. 

RELATED: Is It Wise to Choose Your Workout Based on the Instructor’s Body Type?

“There’s a difference between going to school for eight years and spending a few grand on a two-month online course,” says Mass. “Who would you hire for your family member?”

4. Someone Who Puts You on Extreme Diets.
If your coach cuts major food groups like carbs from your diet, that’s a red flag. Any legit nutritionist will tell you that maintainable weight loss is founded upon a balanced diet that includes all food groups, says Gans.

For example, just because a coach has seen great personal success by eliminating gluten from their diet, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to cut it, too, says Gans.

And if they suggest fasting, juicing, or going super low-calorie, do not pass go. These can cause you to lose weight too quickly and make it harder to maintain your weight loss in the long run, she says. (Remember what’s happened to all those Biggest Loser contestants?)

5. A Personal Trainer from Your Gym.
If you’re seeing a personal trainer on the regular, it’s tempting to make them your one-stop shop for all things weight loss, but unless this person is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (C.S.C.S.) and an R.D. (those magical people do exist, BTW), they probably don’t know enough about nutrition to be your main source of guidance.

RELATED: Should Your Personal Trainer Ever Put You on a Diet?

Obviously, your trainer might know a thing or two about nutrition, so there’s nothing wrong with them suggesting you eat more vegetables and less junk food, the same way your R.D. suggests you exercise a few times a week. But when they get too specific about your eating habits, know that they’re taking things too far.

How to Use a Weight Loss Coach
If you’re already working with a weight loss coach who you love, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. (Coaches are especially great for things like accountability, says Cassety.) But Gans recommends supplementing your coaching sessions with a few check-ins with an R.D. to see if your coach’s advice is on the right track.

But if you’ve got a medical condition or need legit health advice concerning your diet, it’s R.D. or bust. “You get what you pay for and since you only have one body, it’s worth the investment,” Gans says.