Talk RD to Me
Welcome to Talk RD to Me, the unfiltered podcast where we dissect diet culture, metabolism myths, and unveil the raw truth behind the results you truly crave. Join Cat on the ups and downs in her journey from chasing the leanest version of herself, to the unexpected consequences it brought, and how she is now living her a balanced and fulfilling life. In each episode, we unravel the intricacies of fitness, metabolism, and mindset, guiding you towards a happier and more fulfilling version of YOU. Because, let's be real – it's not about the leanest you, it's about finding the joy in your journey. Get ready for unfiltered dietitian real talk that speaks to your soul and empowers you to live the life you desire.
Talk RD to Me
Embracing Wellness: Breaking Free from Diet Culture with Olivia, RD
Have you ever felt trapped in the relentless cycle of dieting, yearning for a more peaceful relationship with food and body image? This enlightening conversation with Olivia, a New York-bred, Texas-based registered dietitian, might just be the compass you need. Olivia brings her personal tales of navigating a severe dairy allergy and a professional dedication to promoting a "all foods fit" philosophy, challenging the very foundations of diet culture that so many of us struggle against.
Together, we dissect the one-size-fits-all diet regimes that leave many women tangled in insecurity, and we highlight the irreplaceable role of dietitians in charting a path through the nutritional noise. Olivia's approach isn't just about what's on your plate; it's a call to align your eating with your values and lifestyle. This episode is an invitation to find that sweet spot where your health goals and your joy for life can coexist without the scale tipping the balance.
Ending on a note of empowerment, Olivia and I share our own journeys toward self-confidence and the vital importance of self-love in the battle against body shaming. We open up about the moments that led us to shift our focus from external validation to personal fulfillment. The narrative takes a turn towards the critical, yet often overlooked, aspect of seeking professional guidance before reaching a breaking point, and the liberating release from the shackles of unrealistic health timelines. Tune in for a heartfelt guide on embracing your unique path to wellness and nourishing your body and soul.
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Unfiltered Dietitian Real Talk
Navigating Diet Culture and Body Confidence
Empowerment Through Self-Confidence
Empower Women to Seek Health Support
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Welcome to Talk RD to Me, the unfiltered podcast where we dissect diet, culture, metabolism myths and unveil the raw truth behind the results you truly crave. My goal is to help guide you towards a happier and more fulfilling version of you Because, let's be real, it's not about the leanest you. It's about finding the joy in your health and fitness journey and building the life you desire. Get ready for unfiltered dietitian real talk that speaks to your soul and empowers you to live the life you desire.
Speaker 2:Okay, hello. Welcome back to the podcast. I am joined today by Olivia. She is a fellow registered dietitian and she specializes in disordered eating and mindful eating. So welcome, olivia.
Speaker 3:Thank you. I'm so excited to be here and do this with you today.
Speaker 2:Yes, same same, but tell us about yourself. Where are you from?
Speaker 3:So I'm originally from New York but I actually live in Texas. I got my dietitian degree in New York, I went to Queens College and then, after I graduated, I was like sick of the cold as you. I mean, I don't know if you love the cold girl, but like I'm not a cold girl, give me the heat. So I moved to a place that's like 100 degrees for half the year. So I'm in Texas now. I originally wanted to become a dietitian because I have a severe dairy allergy that I've had my whole entire life. I you know my. I have a dairy allergy, like I said, and I was told that, oh, you'll grow out of it, like when I was a teenager. That never happened. It ended up getting worse. So I basically learned how to eat and read like a nutrition facts label when I was five years old, because my mom wanted to make sure that I knew what I couldn't eat so I wouldn't die.
Speaker 3:I know that's not morbid but it's true, my allergy is truly anaphylactic, like if I consume dairy, my throat closes. It's not a fun time, so it just, I don't know. It just clicked to me one day. I was like, oh, I know so much about nutrition, like I should help other people with nutrition.
Speaker 3:And you know, over the past like five years being a dietitian, I realized I really love working with women who, like struggle with their weight, struggle with like emotional eating, binge eating, and may not have the healthiest relationships with food and want to have a better relationship with food and feel good in their body.
Speaker 3:And you know, I think it really hits home for me because it's like I have to naturally restrict every single day, because I have to. And I think it breaks my heart when I see women restricting because they think that that's the only way that they can see progress, that they can lose weight is by cutting out food groups or just cutting out the foods that they love. And you know I really preach like this all foods fit mentality, like you can really eat all foods and still be successful with your weight loss goals, still be healthy and like live your life like I truly believe this is probably like my tagline, kind of that you can have the best of both worlds when it comes to food. I truly believe that, and that's how I live my life personally, as much as possible. So that's just a little bit about how, like what, I do.
Speaker 2:I love that. I love that. Yeah, I definitely think finding like the flexible approach to everything is so important, and I was just making even like a reel today about how, in my journey, I've gone from like serious restriction and like thinking about every single calorie and the scale to releasing all of that, and now not, I don't know, like I don't even think about it as much anymore. You know, like, as dietitians like I think so so many people think we're watching what other people are eating and so obsessed about what we're putting in our body, and at this point in my journey, in my health and fitness world, it's like I'm just living and like not worrying about it and just embracing the moment you're in and that is such a great feeling and I'm sure you have that with your clients and probably yourself, of like, when that clicks with your client, it just that's the win we're after.
Speaker 3:So I love that and it's true, like I think you know, like with social media or media in general, like there's so much emphasis on our bodies and what our bodies are supposed to look like and compare ourselves you know, like I think we both would be lying if we didn't compare ourselves to other women in the past or even in the present, like it's not a thing. But there's a place that you get to once you like heal, like heal your relationship with food, heal your relationship with your body, where it's just like you can move on, like you can eat normally and just be okay with that right, and sometimes it does just click. But also there's a lot of times and I be okay with that right, and sometimes it does just click. But also there's a lot of times and I see this with my clients it's like they need the support, they need the education, because I think a lot of women truly don't know how to eat for their body. Because of diet, culture, because of all the things that you've been told you can or cannot have, they truly just don't know how to eat for their body anymore, which is unfortunate. But like that's our job, right Is to teach women how to eat for their body again and feel good in their body at the same time.
Speaker 3:Like I said, getting like that best of both worlds, of like having a healthy relationship with who would also like looking in the mirror and be like, damn, I look like a badass bitch. Like you know what I mean. Like I look good, I feel good, like you can have both. And I think there's this common misconception that you have to choose one or the other, and that's not necessarily true, but also every single person their nutrition needs are different, like me and you like, yes, we're dietitians and stuff, but like we have different lifestyles. You know what I mean. We should not be eating the same and I think I see that a lot of like, oh, my friend did this diet or my friend is doing this, they told me to do that because it worked for them, and it's like you know what your life is. Your life and your eating and your nutrition needs to be tailored to your lifestyle and not other people's. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, and I love that you're saying that and I think, like, as you're saying some of this stuff, I'm just thinking of even other programs that are out there or diets that are out there, and like the restriction behind that and the failure people feel because they are trying to do the same thing that everyone is doing right. Those programs like I don't know I guess we could say Weight Watchers, optavia, like that kind of shit is all like none of that is tailored to you. That is just straight up restriction. So any sort of diet like that, you're gonna see that drop in weight, obviously because it's such a crazy low calorie deficit, but that's not sustainable long-term so and it just creates like this unrealistic expectation of what your body looks like. So when I'm saying that, like what comes up for you, like for clients that you've worked with or you know, things along those lines in sense of like the restriction, and when they've started dieting and comparing themselves to others, like what do you see women coming to you Like, do you see that often?
Speaker 3:Here's the thing, women are not dumb. Like, they know what they're doing. Like I have so many clients who are like I've tried everything, I've tried all the diets and like I know I shouldn't have, I knew it wouldn't work. But there was, like this desperation. And that's my problem with diet culture is they feed off of like women's insecurities, deepest insecurities, and make these promises and I always say this like if it sounds too good to be true. When it comes to like health and wellness, it is right, like if, especially if it's coming from someone who's not a professional, right Like and I mean we could go into a whole tangent about like doctors and stuff, but truly like I always say this too Dietitians are nutrition experts. If you're going to be getting nutrition advice, it should only be from dietitians. Like I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry Like that's the only people you should be getting nutrition advice from, because that's what we specialize in, that's what we're experts in. So it's unfortunate because it's like we women all a majority of women they want weight loss. But what is the reason they want weight loss? They want to feel good in their body. And I think there's this unrealistic expectation of like well, for you to feel good in your body. You have to be like a toothpick, like you have to be super thin where it's like it negates health, where it's like you can be healthy. But you can also want weight loss at the same time, and that's what I'm saying, having the best of both worlds. But this idea that it's going to lurk a certain way, I think needs to be like shifted.
Speaker 3:And I think when women come to me, they realize like okay, I've done these diets, I've lost the weight, but you know what? I was the thinnest version of myself, but I didn't feel good Like. They recognize that and they're like I want, like truly. They want both. They're like I want to be healthy and I want to look good and I want to feel good. I don't want to go back to that place anymore. And they recognize that all those things that they've tried truly didn't work for them because it wasn't made for them. And they want a sustainable, individualized approach. And that's why they come to me. And this is why, like you know, you're funny, because you're like well, what's your title? Like what kind of dietitian you are?
Speaker 3:I usually like hate that question, because I wouldn't consider myself like an intuitive eating dietitian. I also wouldn't consider myself like a macro dietitian, like truly. I call myself a mindful eating dietitian because I think that's the middle ground of both. I teach women how to eat for their body, how to eat normally again and how to have a healthy relationship with food. But I also don't negate the fact that they want to lose weight if that's their goal, where with intuitive eating, you can't want that and then with macros it's just like, oh, you just only want weight loss, it's like no, you can have both. And I think that's why a lot of the women come to me because they realize like okay, I'm not going to shame you for your goals, because that's not my job. My job is to help you feel good, look good and be the healthiest version of yourself, and the only way that that's going to happen is if you learn how to eat for your body. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think people have to get to almost that, that breaking point of, and like there has to be something that clicks in their mind of like okay, I love how I look in this old photo of me, but at the same time, like that, like, if you can insert yourself back to that moment of what it took for you to get there, like that's a point I always like to put my clients in of like, what were you doing to look like that? Oh, I was running for two hours in the morning, I trained, then after for an hour and then, you know, I was eating like chicken and broccoli for my entire day. Okay, well, does that fit into your lifestyle and what you value? Because I think that's something that's lacking in a lot of programs right, like the lifestyle piece and what you value in life, like that is very important when it comes to choosing your next program, because you, like you said you and I were dietitians. Our job is to design the protocol, the outline, the steps you need to take that fit with your lifestyle, that fit with your values.
Speaker 2:And when I say that I mean like me personally. I like love going out to eat, I love pretty cocktails. Give me a burger, Like I. Like I want to travel and not worry about what I'm eating. So like being on a chicken and rice diet is not in line with my lifestyle and I think people need to like realize that and be okay with, like that one 19 on the scale maybe isn't realistic with what you want out of your life, and that's okay. And just to be okay with being normal and being present and living your life, versus only stressing about the scale. So, yeah, that's a huge piece.
Speaker 3:And I think it's kind of a hard pill to swallow, though, too, it's almost like a. It's almost like an identity crisis too, because I think a lot of women they're like oh well, they can think like the time in their life where they felt like they looked the best but, like you're saying, they felt miserable. It's like on the outside everything was fine, but on the inside everything was terrible. Out when we talk about health, because I think there's this whole big idea that you can tell how healthy someone is, or their, their nutrition status, just by looking at them. And that is not true, because, let me tell you, I work with a lot of women from on the outside they look normal, right, like they, their normal body weight, but they have unhealthy relationships with food. Who overeat, binge eat, restrict, you know, have eating disorders. You can't tell that by just looking at somebody. And I think, to the other extreme too, I think people assume if someone is heavier or like a bigger body that they're unhealthy. Now, of course, there's outliers to these types of things. If someone I think of my 600 pound life I don't know why I used to watch that show I feel like that's probably a dietician thing. Oh for sure Someone who's on my 600 pound life. They are not healthy, okay. But also someone who is less than a hundred pounds and is a grown adult is also not healthy. So there's extremes to both sides here.
Speaker 3:But I think a lot of the times, what these women choose is based off of what other people look like, and I think that that's very detrimental. If you're choosing a dietitian based off of like their body type, I don't think that that's necessarily something you should be doing. Like oh well, I'm gonna look like her, right? You know what? I don't, because health isn't a size. But again, like I said before, you're not wrong for wanting to look a certain way or having like body aesthetic goals, but it's all about doing it in a healthy way, and I said this the other day on my page. I was like, because I really pride myself in being super confident in my body, like that's a huge part of my brand is body confidence.
Speaker 3:People say body positivity. I guess you could say that too, but that doesn't mean that I don't have goals for myself too. You know what I mean. Like I work out, like I want my body to look a certain way, like I'm working towards things, but that doesn't mean I'm not confident, right. But I also think what this topic, too, is that confidence isn't just from your body size either. It's a both thing. It's internal and external. And I think this goes back to what we were talking about is I think a lot of women think like oh, once I reach my goal weight, I'm going to be super happy in my body. No, you're not. If you don't do the internal work to focus on your confidence and like what else makes you feel good, it's just going to be this like game of like well, how low can I go? Like what's going to be the point where I'm super happy in my body? If you're only focusing on that external factor, you're never going to be happy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I stress that so much too is like finding the confidence now in your size now, whatever it might be, because, like you said, confidence is not going to change when you see the number on it. If we woke up tomorrow and we have this idea of like I don't know, I said 119 earlier, that's just what's in my head right now, okay, I want to see 119 on the scale. You know, if you woke up tomorrow and that was the number you saw and nothing else changed, would you feel happier? And a lot of the times the answer is no.
Speaker 2:When I ask that question and I think like that's something I would love to ask you is like how can we really work on loving our bodies right now and building that confidence, even though you want to change your body right? Like we all have some sort of body goal, even if you know, I'm saying right now I feel great and I feel pretty confident where I'm at, we all have some sort of physique we're working towards on the other end. So I'm curious, like what do you feel really helps to build that confidence before even diving into, you know, losing weight or seeing the number change? Like where does that start?
Speaker 3:Yeah, before I answer that question, I think it's interesting what you said about the scale, how you were like. If you ask your clients, would that change how they feel? With my clients it actually does, because they have disordered eating right. They let the number on the scale dictate how they eat, what they eat, what they don't eat. That number is so powerful to them that it digs.
Speaker 3:I literally had this conversation with a client today because she was like I feel skinny, I feel strong, I feel toned, but I want to get on the scale to confirm that and I'm like for what? Like for what? Can that feeling that you feel just be enough? Why do you need to validate that with the scale? Right, like your feelings about your body are valid and that can be enough. And I think this kind of answers your question a little bit too is like how do you get to a place where you're confident and happy?
Speaker 3:Is you just let yourself be happy for yourself, like and I think this goes back to comparison syndrome, and I mean comparing yourself to who you were before, who you want to be, your friend, your sister, your mother? If you just only focus on yourself and your goals and be in the present moment. That helps, right, like also knowing that you are working on yourself. It'd be one thing if you're just like wall and like, oh, like, I hate my body, I hate the way that I feel, but you're not doing anything about it. Right, like you're continuing the behaviors that you know are unhealthy, whether that behavior is you overeating or binge eating or whether that behavior is you not eating. Right, you know what you're doing and it's like the only way that you're going to feel better is if you change those unhealthy eating behaviors. Right, so it's like if you are working on it, you are working on it.
Speaker 3:I think giving yourself grace is super important and I think another piece like going on, like on body image and stuff is like, no matter what size you are, no matter when you get to the place where you're super happy, super confident, you're still to have bad body image days, like we are. Nobody is exempt to that. As confident I, as I am in my body, I still have bad body image days, but I know how to handle those because I have a healthy relationship with food, I have a healthy relationship with my body. I can just let it be there and just get over it where, instead of spiraling and letting those thoughts dictate what I do, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and just like, as you're talking about, like your confidence and your journey, like do you mind if I ask like what, what got you here to being like like? I know you mentioned the dairy allergy and things like that and and just noticing other women, but have you overcome anything?
Speaker 2:or like were you at a point ever where you felt like really low confidence in your body and like, do you feel like that shifted at any point? Or do you feel like you've always felt like just really passionate about like good body image and things like that? Like you said, everyone has bad body image days, but sometimes that consumes people. So I'm just curious what, like where did, where did that happen for you?
Speaker 3:So honestly, I was made fun of for like the weirdest things. Like I was made fun of for my voice, for having hairy arms, for being short, for looking like a little girl and not being like super skinny Cause I'm not. I'm like curvy and like own that and I'm fine with that. But I would get a lot of comments about my body and just myself specifically and that really like tore me up growing up, especially like in high school and stuff, and I didn't have a lot of confidence and I'm very outspoken and stuff, but I wouldn't really speak up for myself but like just becoming an adult and truthfully learning about nutrition and coaching right Like my business, and just growing like it. It just kind of happened because I decided that I was only going to do what felt good to me. I was no longer going to live my life based off of what other people told me I was supposed to do. Because people told me I couldn't do what I'm doing right now. You know like no one would take me seriously. People tell me all the time like, oh, you shouldn't be wearing like bikinis, umbrellas on social media. I don't give a fuck what you say about me, like that you feel good and you want to know something the clients that come to me they love that about me, they love my confidence and I show that and I'm not afraid, and they want that too. So it's like when I truly finally decided to just do what feels good to me and not care what other people think, that's what shifted for me Right.
Speaker 3:And, like I said, like I've had moments where I wasn't super confident. I've, you know, like my weight has fluctuated for whatever reason and things like that but I still always felt confident in myself. I don't know, it's just something that I pride myself and I do a lot of body image work to this day, like it's not something that I stop. I think one of the biggest things I do and I talk about it all the time I'm like I constantly like every morning not every morning every morning, but most mornings I'll just get up like dance around in my freaking like underwear and bra and just like tell myself how awesome I am and it like fuels my day. And I know not every woman woman can do that right now, but like you can get to a place where you can to show yourself that like what matters is what you feel, and I say that all the time. The only thing that matters about your body is you. It doesn't matter what other people think about your body. The only person is you, and maybe your partner and I say maybe because it just depends. You know what I mean. At the end of the day, the only person that matters is you and how you feel in your body.
Speaker 3:And if you don't feel good in your body, can you do something about that? Can you change it? Yes, but it has to be done in a healthy way or else you're going to be in this constant spiral. You know what I mean. So that's why I also talk a lot about like confidence, body confidence. Like, I think and I'm sure you do the same with your clients Like I don't just talk about nutrition with my clients because they're not going to be the most successful versions of themselves.
Speaker 3:I'd be doing a disservice to them if I only talked about nutrition, because it's so much deeper than that. You know. Like, yes, I'm going to teach you how to eat, what to eat, I'm going to give you meal plans and all that stuff, but that's not the reason why you're in the situation that you're in. But it's not all of it. You know what I mean. So I think when women and people can recognize that, like this journey is truly going to be a forever process and knowing that you have to focus on just yourself and how you feel, it gets to be a lot easier.
Speaker 2:And I love that you're saying that, because I think so many people can relate in the sense of are you doing the things you're doing for yourself, or to get the compliment from someone else, or to prove someone else wrong, because they're looking at your body in a certain way? And I think that was definitely the case for me when I decided to compete and that was why I was so unhappy in my body, because truly, I didn't want to fucking do that. I didn't want to starve myself and I didn't want to train like that. Like that was not fun. But I was like everyone like that ever thought I couldn't do it. I'm going to prove like all of them wrong. I'm going to get the compliments. I'm going to like feel so much better once I get to that that 119, like whatever. When I have the bikini on and people tell me I look good, that's when I'm going to feel better.
Speaker 2:And it was all like external validation than just like being able to look in the mirror and love what I where I was at in that moment, versus like waiting for the stage look to come.
Speaker 2:You know, and I think I realized that after I did everything, I was like none of that was like for me, you know, like I wanted all of the compliments and I wanted other people to be praising me in a way which is like weird for me to say out loud, but it's true, and I think so many other women want that Like I my clients tell me they want that, like they want other people to notice that they are getting more toned or losing the weight, like they want other people to say it to them. And I think, like you guys need to say it to yourself and believe in yourself first and like cut that. Like cut that, win out of your whatever we want to say goals, whatever that is, and like really find what feels good for you and like what feeling are you going to? Like, how are you gonna feel? Like and putting a feeling towards it versus just the scale number? So I love that you said that, because it's like those boundaries are so huge.
Speaker 3:And that's the thing. Like you're saying, it's fine to get external validation, but if that's all you're relying on, you're never gonna be happy. It's almost like external validation is like a cherry on top for me.
Speaker 3:It's like, and it's not a cocky thing, it's truly like a confidence thing.
Speaker 3:Like if a girl is like, oh my gosh, girl, like you, look like, I'm like thank you, yeah, I know, like I don't need, but here's the thing. People tell you that because they can feel it from you. They can feel it from you, they can see it from you and that's why, like, I get that a lot. It's like, oh my gosh, like I walk into a room, like if I own the damn place, I, because I want to, I want to be seen. That's not a bad thing, but I feel good about myself. If you don't feel good about that, people can sense that. And I think this is maybe off topic to relationships and stuff, because I also work with a lot of, like, single women. They talk about that. They think like the only way that they will be attractive to a man is if they're super skinny. Like they have that deep belief and I'm like that's not true. You know, like there's so many women out there, I think I think Lizzo I always say Lizzo because I feel like she's the perfect example of this right, like I mean, I don't know if she's in a relationship or whatever, but like she's confident and she's not a skinny mini. You know what I mean. Like confidence doesn't come from your body size. It truly comes from within and how you portray yourself and people feed off of that. Off of that, and they can sense it, you know. So if you're just only relying on external validation of like oh, I just want to, you know, lose weight to please somebody else, you're never going to be happy. And I can totally resonate with what you were saying before of like doing things to prove other people wrong.
Speaker 3:I think I don't feel that way with like my body, but definitely with my career. For sure, a lot of it like well, people said I couldn't do this. People told me I couldn't own my own business. And look at me now you know what I mean. So it's like I get it. I think when someone tells you that you can't do something and maybe that's not every person I want to prove to them that they're wrong. But at this stage in my life, like, I'm not about proving anything to anybody, I'm truly about doing what feels good to me, you know, and like us being business owners and being entrepreneurs, like that's, that's something that can be really hard right, because people tell us all the time what we need to do to be successful, but it's the same thing, right? Because people tell us all the time what we need to do to be successful, but it's the same thing, right Is the only way we can be successful is doing what we love, not doing what someone else told us to do, you know.
Speaker 2:Absolutely and as you were saying all of those things, like you, I know you're a confident because I follow all of your stuff, but it's interesting because so many women, even like, if they do get the compliment like, your response is like hell yeah, like I know, like I know I look good, but other people I almost feel like it's invalidating for them of like no, I don't. Like, why are you saying that? And like they so, like my, a lot of my clients, probably yours too when they get a compliment, they're like that, why did they say that? Like that's not true.
Speaker 2:I still have so much further to go and like I think that's even something when it comes to confidence and building that like accepting compliments when people say it too, like that's another like aspect of all of this. You know so many women. They're like oh my God, someone told me like I look like I'm getting smaller, and I was like so many women, they're like oh my God, someone told me, like I look like I'm getting smaller, and I was like, why? Why are they lying to me, like you know, and that's their first fault too. So I think that's also something I really work with clients Probably you do too of like just accepting, you know, like a compliment, like, and not you know coming up with a story of like, oh well, thanks, but I have, like all this weight to lose, still like, no, just like owning that moment and being proud of yourself, and you know, that's a huge thing when it comes to the confidence thing as well yeah, and honestly too, and this kind of ties into what you're saying.
Speaker 3:It's actually why I don't love when people make comments about someone's body, specifically because for that reason, because also you don't know what they're doing. And again, because I I work with a lot of women who have disordered eating, who have eating disorders. I, I and, like I said before, you don't know what someone's going through. So it's like if someone says that, like if someone says, oh, my gosh, like you look, like you've lost weight, like you look so good, if someone who has an eating disorder that's just going to continue, it's going to tell them, oh, you should keep doing. What you're doing don't think is like the best, but it's like you can compliment someone. But also there's so many other ways to compliment someone without talking about their weight or their body size. You know, and like I don't care what your goal is, but it's.
Speaker 3:It's uncomfortable to hear too, because I've even experienced that. I experienced that all the time, you know, with like friends and stuff, and they'll ask I think it's the worst when it's like someone, oh, did you lose weight? Like I don't, like I was there for that conversation, you could just sense the awkwardness behind it. I think also too, like asking someone if they're pregnant. Like you know, there's just things that I feel like you don't have any business in saying, like you can there's another way to say it and I think that would really help if people didn't make comments about people's bodies. I think it would help so much more, like it's different to say like oh girl, you look hot, like you look good, you look sexy, whatever. Instead of saying, oh, did you lose weight? Oh, I noticed your stomach is flatter. Like why would you say that to somebody? Like I don't, I don't know, but people do make those comments and I I think that that's something that we shouldn't do as a society, because it can be really harmful. You know what?
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, there's definitely a lot of like. It's like the tip of the iceberg, like we can only see so much and we only know so much about what someone's going through for sure.
Speaker 2:But, yeah, I love, I love all of these, this, these points in this conversation so far. But like I'd love to hear, like you're, someone comes on to you and as talking about like they're having a really negative relationship with food. They want to fix it Right, they're working on their body image. Like, what is your biggest piece of advice for someone who's thinking about changing it? Because I do think people need to be ready to make the change as well. But if someone is like on the edge of like they want to start dipping into this food freedom journey, we can call it like what is your biggest piece of advice?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I usually ask them like what is it that you really want? Like, how is it that you want to feel like when you live your life, when you go out into the world, when you go out to eat because, I mean, I work with a lot of women who are afraid to go out to eat they're like no, like I can't do that, I can't control myself, I don't know what to eat, and all those things. I think you have to really ask yourself how is this truly impacting your life? Because I think sometimes it's very easy for women to be in denial. I'll be like, oh, it's fine. Like, oh, there's nothing wrong with me, like I'm fine. But deep down, you know, like no, this is, this, is I'm unhappy, right? It's kind of like what you mentioned earlier.
Speaker 3:Unfortunately, a lot of times, women have to get to their breaking point in order to make a change, which I would love for that to not be the case. I would love for women to be like oh, like you know, I think I'm getting there. Like I don't want to, because when you reach your breaking point, it's kind of's tough, because then you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself to be successful very quickly, versus, like, if you know you're heading down the wrong path, it's like okay, like I should probably like get a handle on this, you know, it becomes less emotional and then you can really start making the changes. And it's not going from like a zero to like 100 thing. And I think that's the biggest thing is, you know, when someone comes to me and they're like I'm really struggling, I really want to make changes, I meet them where they're at. You know, like I'm not gonna just tell you you have to do all these things. I'm going to ask you what you're most comfortable with and that's controversial, right? Like, especially if someone you know has an eating disorder or really strong disordered eating, there's like a protocol you're supposed to follow. Do I follow that? Not really, I help them do what they feel the most comfortable with, right, because you don't want to push someone too far because then you're going to lose them, right?
Speaker 3:I think it's kind of like a good example of this is that I don't know, like someone who's like an alcoholic or something right, like, if they're not ready to make the change, you can't force them, right. Like you just have to meet people where they're at and I think I do a really good job of that, and why my clients are so successful is because I never push them to do things that are way outside of their comfort zone. Don't get me wrong I'm sassy. I'm going to give you the tough love that you need, but I'm also not going to push you to a place where you're just going to be like, screw this, I don't want to do this anymore.
Speaker 3:It's that discernment there, but I think it's reaching out and having a conversation and asking for help, and sometimes I know that that's one of the hardest things to do. Right is ask for help, and that's what I'm saying. Like, yes, I'm very sassy, I'm very tough, but like, I'm also very caring and empathetic and I'm not going to judge you for what you're doing, the behaviors that you're engaging in, but I'm just going to ask you, what is it that you need? And I'm going to help you regardless, because you deserve that. You know what I mean. So I think it's just having the courage to reach out and ask for help, and that's the biggest step, but it's also the most rewarding thing in the long run.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I feel like so many people, not even just women, like have this, I guess, misconception about what dietitians are and do, which is a great piece of social media, because you and I both can show people like we're pretty honest, we're pretty authentic with what we're saying, you know. So it's not just about the diet, like you said. It's not. That's a piece of the puzzle.
Speaker 2:And when you actually work one on one with a coach, you yourself, me, with my clients like we're looking so much deeper than me telling you what to eat, like half of the time. Like we have communication on a weekly basis, daily basis, with our clients, because usually it does not have anything to do with the meal plan, with the food, and I think, like just from you know, an outsider's perspective, like letting go of what you think that, like working with a dietitian, it's going to be like like we're just going to give you the meal plan, we're just going to tell you your macros and move on with the day. Like I think your approach, my approach, we are getting the full story, we're understanding where you are at, what you have been through your relationship with food, your relationship with diet, before we even start any sort of protocol, like you were saying so it's a holistic approach.
Speaker 3:It's. That's truly what it is, because that's what is required for you to be successful, because you and I both have clients who have tried all the things, but it was only diet related, only nutrition related, and that wasn't successful.
Speaker 2:So it's like you need to do something different, you know yep, looking into the habits, the patterns, the routines, yes, and undoing some of that, and it's all. I think the most successful people that I work with probably you as well just let go of the timeline. Like, let go of the pressure you're putting on yourselves, because when you do something and you sign up maybe if you have, I don't know I do like three, six or 12 months. So if you put a timeline on that, I feel like you're like, oh my God, we only have three months together. Like I, what if I don't reach my goal by then? And blah, blah, blah. Like you have to dissolve the timeline because you're putting extra stress, extra pressure, more anxiety on the the goal you're trying to reach.
Speaker 2:So like letting that go, too, is so important. And like, like you said, just reaching out to someone and taking the first step before you hit the breaking point of like I don't even know what else to be doing. And I think, like there's just so much information out there. Like people are scrolling TikTok and you know all the different diets are coming up, supplements. Like people come to me and tell me what they should be doing already because of Siri. My God, my Siri goes off all the time. I hate that, but anyway, like they already have this idea of what they should be doing and none of it is in line with what they, either you know what is needed for their body.
Speaker 2:I don't want to be say, say, should be doing, but what is needed for their body, their body style, their activity level, you know. So I think, just like taking the jump and finding out what a dietician's perspective would be on what we should actually be working on, because I think it would surprise you that it's not just food.
Speaker 3:I feel like there's so many misconceptions about what we do, because I think it would surprise you that it's not just food. I feel like there's so many misconceptions about what we do and I think the only way for you to really know is to kind of just take a leap of faith and have a conversation Like that's the thing you don't bite, like our job is to help you. You know what I mean. We actually care about you, your health and your goals, unlike these diets that just care about you, your health and your goals. Unlike these diets that just care about taking your money. You know it, we truly do care, and sometimes I feel like it's a blessing and a curse because I think sometimes I care more. My care, care more about my clients goals than they do.
Speaker 3:But like, like you were saying too, is like your health, your health and wellness journey. It's it's a forever journey, right? Like it's not something where you just stop. You have to eat every single day. That's never gonna go away, so it's gonna be something you always have to be working on, but I think once you have the tools, the education and the support, it gets to be easier to do that. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:And it's easier to like wrap your head around it all. Like there's no timeline, there's no end goal, like you're always pivoting on your health and fitness journey. Your goals can always change. So you know like that's another piece, like it's not the same goal 365 days a year. If you come to us and you have one goal as your starting goal and it changes, that's totally fine too. So you know that that's the importance of coming to someone who. This is their job. We went to school, we went to an unpaid internship. Here we are running our own businesses. We've been through it all. You know, like just taking the time to like see what someone other than your weight watchers and beach body coach has to say about your yourself, your eating, your your history, medical history, all of the things.
Speaker 3:Like that's what you know, I think and I think, a lot of women too. They want certainty. And here's what is certain the more you keep looking for a quick fix or looking for a new program to try, instead of actually working with a dietitian to figure out what you're actually getting, what is certain is you're never going to reach your goal. And that sounds like sassy, but that's the truth and I think that's why a lot of women buy into these things, is because that's why a lot of women buy into these things, is because they tell you what is going to happen. And the truth is is like we ethically, it would be wrong for us to say you're going to lose X amount of weight and X amount of time. We are not genies, like we can't predict that for you. But what you will get is an individualized approach. You're going to get support and you're going to learn exactly what you need to be doing for your body Like that is certain. I can tell you that.
Speaker 2:Yep, I know, and I think sometimes I see other things guaranteeing stuff. There. There's no guarantee. You're signing up and like you're taking the action, so you also have to put that into perspective of your willingness to change and like your expectations and your actions making sure that all aligns as well, because we can't do it for you, so we'll we'll tell you all of the things and we're there to support you and answer your questions and be your support, but you have to do the things. So you know that's also something else that I think a lot of people struggle with to an extent of like, all right, just one step at a time, like baby steps. The foundations are what is going to lead to a transformation. Whatever that transformation you're looking for is so, yeah, awesome. Well, thank you so much for this conversation. I loved every piece of it for this conversation.
Speaker 2:I loved every piece of it. So tell us, tell everyone where they can find you social media and anything else you want to throw in there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so you can find me on Facebook, instagram, tik TOK at Olivia joy Castellanos I know that's like a mouthful. If you are looking for support, if you are struggling with your relationship with food, if you're struggling with binge eating, overeating, and you want to just overcome that and need support, I have open spots in my one-on-one coaching program and I also have a community, a membership community, where I, you know, drop meal plans, education. So if you're really just looking for a place to learn what and how to eat for your body, my membership is for you. It's called what to eat with live community and you can join that so you can reach out to me and we'll kind of have a conversation and see what the best place is for you, I love it and we'll link.
Speaker 2:I'll link everything in the show notes here so they'll have all access to all of your things, but also definitely go give her a follow. I love your content. It just when I see you I'm like look how like great she's just radiating. So I love it, I love it. So everyone have fun on my page. Yes, you do, I love it. It definitely shows. So thank you so much for listening. I'll drop everything below and, as always, like feel free to reach out to Olivia or myself with any questions, any thoughts. If you're struggling, like we are here to help you. So thank you so much for being here and I'll see you on the next episode.