Sigma Nutrition Radio #597: Behavioral Psychology in Diet & Health Counselling – David Creel, PhD, RD
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Mar 10, 2026 Dr. David Creel, a clinical psychologist, registered dietitian, and exercise physiologist working in weight management at the Cleveland Clinic. He discusses tailoring recommendations to real-life contexts. He highlights collaborative communication, self-monitoring, habit-building, relapse prevention, and practical movement strategies like exercise snacking. He also covers how GLP-1 medicines change motivation and the need for structured behavior support.
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Self-Monitoring Reveals Hidden Patterns
- Self-monitoring is a core behavior-change tool that reveals real-time patterns in eating, emotions, and context beyond retrospective rationalizations.
- Use curiosity-focused logs that include hunger ratings and location/emotion notes to tell a useful story.
Help Patients 'Make Friends With The Scale'
- Use regular weighing as a monitoring tool for many patients, not to induce shame, and tailor frequency (daily to weekly) based on the individual's response.
- Teach patients to interpret normal fluctuations (e.g., menstrual cycles, holidays) rather than overreact.
Prioritize Functional Non-Scale Victories
- Shift focus from aesthetics to function by tracking non-scale victories like 5K times, strength, labs, blood pressure, energy, and clothing fit.
- Use functional goals to build positive body image and durable motivation.