Life As a Registered Dietitian in a Weight-Obsessed World

Living in a world obsessed with weight loss, fad diets and 21-day workout plans is hard and confusing. Being an RD that is not overly focused on weight loss is shocking to some people. I get this look as if to say: “Wait — if you’re an RD and you don’t help me lose weight, what do I need you for?”

Well, that’s a fair question. What do you need me for? I guess that depends on who you are. What’s your story? How much do you think about food? Do the news headlines about nutrition make your head spin? Are you wondering if fasting is for you? There’s a lot to navigate out there! No judgement, seriously.

As a Registered Dietitian, I understand the science behind our food and metabolism.

I’ve been trained in Medical Nutrition Therapy, completed a 1200-hour dietetic internship, studied and sat for a national exam, and am required to complete continuing education for the duration I hold this credential. I know what food can do for our health — I’ve spent 6+ years translating the science behind our food. But I also know that health is not solely determined by what we eat or the size of our body.

As a registered dietitian who lives in a weight-obsessed world, it’s sometimes hard to communicate the benefits of my work because I don’t typically use weight as a parameter of success.

And I hear you — you like numbers and tracking progress. Me too! I just think there might be another way. Here are a few examples of “achievements” that my clients report:

• Decreased food anxiety and increased brain space to think about other things 
• Ability to tune into their hunger and fullness cues
• Develop a more positive view of and language around food
• Build balanced meals and snacks
• Understand the purpose of carbohydrates, fats and protein in the body
• Learn to incorporate healthy additions to their eating habits, instead of focusing on what that should cut out
• Ability to sift fact from fiction when it comes to fad diets, nutrient claims, and food labels so they can stress less
• Learned to decipher nutrition news headlines (aka spot “red flags” so they don’t fall for the scary headlines!)
• And most importantly, expand their definition of health and prioritize nourishing and satisfying meals and snacks

Just as food is more than the sum of its parts, so are you. All the nutrients and science are important and essential to my understanding of you and your health (and to debunking all the crazy fads out there!), but there’s more to it. There’s more to you than your body size and food choices, and it’s my hope that I can help you figure out a way of eating that makes the most sense and brings the most joy to you.