They can advise on food, offer you encouragement, but perhaps the function I have valued most was their ability to track your progress as you attempt to gain size.
There are a million different scales in the world, and every one of them will tell you a different number. A top tip is to pick a pair of good scales and ignore all others.
My nutritionist Sonja Gardiner came with a good set of scales, which allowed me to know exactly how much I had gained.
She also came with a much more important method of measuring, which includes taking measurements of the chest, waist, upper arm and thigh.
When your body seems too stubborn for quick changes these measures allow a really nice tangible way of tracking progress, and the fact that my arms and chest grew while my waist shrank meant I wasn't just gaining muscle but also losing fat, albeit in small increments.
I don't mean to downplay Sonja's other roles - the diet plan had some great tips and advice - but for me the ability to track the small changes and see real results was gratifying.
And you can do this yourself.
Just pick one set of scales that will become your only set, buy a measuring or tailor's tape and get some accurate readings.
Make sure you pick the same spot to measure, for example for the chest use the nipple line for a guide, the waist can go over the belly button, and for chest and thighs use the thickest point.
Sonja Gardiner is a Hamilton nutritionist on a mission to bring health, wholeness and happiness back into people's lives. To find out more, see www.sonjagardiner.com
