First appointments make people nervous. I've seen it hundreds of times — someone walks in holding their phone, already halfway apologizing for what they ate last week.
I want to tell you, before you ever book with me: you don't need to prepare a defense. You need to prepare a conversation.
Here's how to make the most of that first hour.
What to Bring
Recent lab work, if you have it. If your doctor referred you to me because of blood sugar, cholesterol, kidney function, or another clinical concern, bring the actual lab results if you can access them. I can read them, and they give me a much fuller picture than a verbal summary.
A list of your current medications and supplements. Everything — including over-the-counter supplements, vitamins, and herbal products. Many of these interact with nutrition in ways that matter for our work together.
A rough sense of your typical week. Not a perfect food log — just a general picture of what eating looks like for you. What time you wake up, whether you eat breakfast, what lunch usually looks like, how often you cook versus eat out. The pattern matters more than individual meals.
What to Leave Behind
The apology. You don't need to preface anything with "I know I shouldn't have" or "I'm terrible about this." I'm not here to assess your choices — I'm here to understand your life.
The perfect week. Don't eat differently the week before your appointment trying to show me something. I need to understand your real patterns, not a curated version of them. The more honest you are, the more useful our work together will be.
The expectation of a meal plan. You might leave with one eventually. But the first session isn't about handing you a document. It's about understanding you well enough that whatever we build together actually fits.
Questions Worth Thinking About
I'll ask you a lot of questions. But it helps to have thought about a few things before we sit down:
- What's the one thing about your eating that concerns you most?
- What have you tried before — and what happened?
- What does a genuinely busy or stressful day look like for you, in terms of eating?
- What does success look like to you in six months?
You don't need to have answers. But having thought about the questions will make our conversation richer.
The best first session isn't one where you said the right things. It's one where you said the true things.
What Happens After
After the first session, you'll leave with a clear understanding of what we're working on, a starting point — not a complete overhaul — and a follow-up appointment that keeps the momentum going. Most clients leave feeling lighter than when they walked in. Not because anything has been fixed yet, but because they've been genuinely heard. That's the beginning.
Ready to book your first session? We're here — no perfection required.
Book a Session