A lot of people ask why I became a dietitian. I’m obsessed with being a nutritionist and I actually came to it a bit later in my life; a ‘second career’. The reason for this incredible career came out of necessity and ethics actually. I wanted to share my story with you below but in short, my history as a trainer and in the fitness industry really fueled my passion for helping my clients with nutrition for fitness.
As a younger person, I was a personal trainer at a big Seattle gym years ago. I loved working with my clients and I believe deeply in the power of physical activity but trainers had to meet sales goals selling supplements. My manager told me to put “nutritionist” on my business cards because “anyone can say they are one”. I remember feeling so uncomfortable, barely making it through the script we were required to sell people on multivitamins and other energy enhancers. After failing to meet my goals a couple months in and seeing trainers doling out nutrition advice to their clients right and left, I just knew that it wasn’t sitting well with me. I remember thinking that nutrition for fitness sounded so interesting but knowing that I didn’t have any training in the subject. That’s right all – people without any training at all are in the market of selling you nutrition advice. I knew it was wrong so I started looking into what it takes to actually know about nutrition.
The answer is that it takes years of professional medical training, a degree in nutrition, hours of supervised practice and a nationally certified exam. So I started the long, slow process to taking all my prerequisites in chemistry, anatomy and physiology and psychology. I got into the masters program at Bastyr University and I spent two years there basically getting my butt kicked by school. I moved across the country to Chicago to train at a huge VA hospital – a year of supervised practice with a variety of registered dietitians in clinical, community and food service settings. I’m so, so proud of what I’ve done and I am 100% confident now that I can talk supplements, I can help with your disease state, I can make you feel better and I can definitely talk nutrition for fitness.
That’s why the theme this month on the blog is Nutrition for Fitness – I’m getting back to my roots! Not surprisingly, I do a lot of interviews about this and I talk a lot about it with my clients. For many (not for all), talking about fitness is a critical piece of their health and I’m happy to go there with most of my clients depending on their needs and interest.
I’m still really into fitness, myself. I have blog posts for you about my journey – “I did Crossfit for a year and this is what happened” and “I did Orange Theory for a year and this is what happened” because I love the group fitness aspect. Not everyone does but it worked for me. I’m on to F45 now in Seattle – a HIIT-based circuit workout and all in 45 minutes. Shorter is best for me and my schedule. I’d love to know what you’ve tried lately and what you’re passionate about with your fitness.
Articles for you on Nutrition for Fitness
If you need more specifics about your nutrition for fitness questions, I’m interviewing about it all the time – I’ve got you! Here are some of my favorites. I’m featuring these and many more on my facebook and my twitter accounts this month so please follow me there to stay part of the conversation:
King 5 TV – pre and post-workout snacks
Runner’s World – how to calm stomach upset while running
Reader’s Digest – weight loss myths busted!
Prevention– carb cycling for exercise
Men’s Health– fueling pre-workouts
Please let me know what you think in the comments! I’d love to hear your questions about physical activity. If you want to better understand how to fuel your workouts or even how to find your passion around working out, hit me up and see if working together might make a wonderful difference in your life.
And please sign up for my newsletter so that you can follow along with important topics like this one in the future!
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