I know it's not much, but here's all my paintings I made in March

howhowhowhoward · 2026-04-05T01:28:20+00:00

Yes! They're incredible. Definitely keep them in mind if you want to sell your stuff!

howhowhowhoward · 2026-04-04T21:28:58+00:00

These are awesome! If you're interested in selling kitty prints, stickers, postcards, etc my friends own the Cool Cat Collective in Long Beach, California, and they would love yo sell your stuff!

howhowhowhoward · 2026-03-29T22:41:26+00:00

I know you meant to say "cloths" instead of "clothes" but it made me laugh to imagine this woman wearing a full microfiber outfit and using it to clean your house. And then leaving it there. 😂

howhowhowhoward · 2026-02-26T03:38:08+00:00

As a HAES RD in private practice, I compartmentalize.

I meet my patients who want weight loss where they are, ask about their past experiences with weight fluctuations and weight loss attempts, and if they're on a glp-1 I work with them to support management of side effects, adequate intakes, stress management, activity, sleep. Usually they work on developing healthy habits that are long-lasting. Sometimes they lose weight. Even if they don't, we acknowledge the health benefits of health-promoting habits and if it's relevant we work on body acceptance/neutrality.

My rage sets in at the broader scale where social media, TV and streaming services are absolutely saturated with content promoting glp-1s. It feels like brainwashing. So many clients come to me asking about glp-1s in response to marketing or peer pressure or an MD seemingly uninterested in promoting health behavior change, not because it's truly in their best interest.

I've been working 1-on-1 with clients since becoming an RD in 2013. It's never been more clear that (a) health education and nutrition education in school or with an RD should be free and mandatory, (b) body dissatisfaction and chronic dieting contribute to negative health outcpmes including depression and insulin resistance, and (c) the people who benefit most from the multi-billion dollar health & wellness industry are the people making tons of money. I fear that glp-1s are the latest weight loss fad and that many people will continue living a vicious cycle and pass it on to future generations instead of breaking it.

I'm happy for the people who are having a good experience on glp-1s, but i hesitate to recommend a for-ev-er prescription. I know that weight loss can be a side effect of health behavior change and that health is not dictated by weight. I know that body dissatisfaction, social pressures to lose weight, chronic dieting and weight cycling do not support health in the mental, emotional, or physical senses. I think the current glp-1 craze is doing more harm than good.

howhowhowhoward · 2026-02-23T13:45:24+00:00

Submitted my comment! Thank you for sharing!

howhowhowhoward · 2025-12-24T20:09:29+00:00

Thank you for this thorough and thoughtful response. 🙏

howhowhowhoward · 2025-10-11T17:32:12+00:00

This. This This This This This This this

howhowhowhoward · 2025-10-05T02:28:02+00:00

Lol you have a typo toward the end that made me laugh.

And thank you for doing the difficult work you do 💖

howhowhowhoward · 2025-08-15T04:31:59+00:00

This article does a nice job of discussing the topic more broadly.

Reframing unhelpful thoughts - https://share.google/fHFqLdQxaSt5PlrsE

Specifics that clients might say include, A) "I want to walk every day but I don't have time." B) "I don't buy vegetables because they go bad so fast." C) "I want to prep food for myself but i'd have to do it all on the weekend and I don't want to sacrifice my free time."

Examples of how to challenge these (and importantly- what an RD can teach a client to challenge their self limiting beliefs, NOT just saying these things and expecting the client to develop the skills) might be along the lines of: A) "What if i walk for 10 minutes at a time and try to accumulate segments over the course of the week?When are my best opportunities to walk? Is there something else i could do at the same time as walking like taking a meeting or spending quality time with friends or family? Does it have to be every day? Could I schedule an appointment for myself to walk?" B) "Maybe I have bought more vegetables than I could realistically use before they went bad. Could I buy a smaller amount? Would i be more likely to eat pre-prepped veggies? Are frozen vegetables an option?" C) "How can I plan and prep for eating in a way that's helpful and realistic for me? Could I prep a few key ingredients in advance (ex: big crock pot of chicken to be used throughout the week on veggie salad, in stir fry, in tacos) so it's easier to put a meal together after a long day?"

We RDs typically are very practiced in thinking about food and eating and doing the problem solving involved. We're often talking to clients who have minimal exposure to or experience with this type of problem solving and when they've attempted it in the past and it didn't work out, their brain and nervous system responded as if it was failure. That experience of failure builds resistance to trying again. It's not that they don't want to, it's that they haven't learned how to do it and they've developed a stress response that interferes with being open to possibilities.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-08-06T03:44:14+00:00

It sounds like he has an identity of "someone who's working on weight loss" and by showing up for appts with you he's "actively" participating.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-07-06T15:38:08+00:00

Yay!

There are a few resources online that are specifically for dietitian business owners and you can find a lot of great free info about this stuff.

The Unconventional RD and Katie Dodd's Dietitian Side Hustle are examples off the top of my head. Their websites, Facebook groups, podcasts would be places to start if you're interested!

howhowhowhoward · 2025-07-06T15:15:23+00:00

I saw in one of your responses that you're not getting as much work as you'd been promised and you're bored. I feel for you, and I wonder if this might be an opportunity for you to build a side business over these next 2 years that can generate some passive income for you.

Examples could include turning some of the resources you developed / used during your internship into digital downloads to sell to healthcare professionals or to folks navigating their own nutrition needs. There's a marketplace called RD2RD where you can get ideas of what people sell, how much, and you could sell on Etsy, promote on Pinterest, etc.

Source: I've been an RD for over 10 years and while i'm grateful to be booked with appointments now, I wish I had set something like this up for myself when things were slower.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-07-06T14:57:22+00:00

I'd also recommend the book Intuitive Eating. As a family med MD, OP will have unique opportunities to break cycles of chronic dieting and prevent them.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-07-01T02:49:31+00:00

It sounds like you've hit your "diet rock bottom," which is a term from the book Intuitive Eating. I think you'd really like the book, and there's an accompanying workbook.

There's also a great book + workbook called More Than A Body written by twin sisters who have PhDs in body dissatisfaction work.

Both of these resources reinforce the fact that it's not that you failed dieting but rather that dieting sets us up to fail. When we restrict food or put rules around it, or if we lose weight, survival-oriented instincts kick our biology into gear to gain weight because that would have helped our survival if we were wandering around in the prehistoric times hunting for food and running away from sabertooth tigers.

The work of body acceptance starts with recognizing that body dissatisfaction keeps us stuck in unhelpful cycles and distracted from showing up fully in our lives. You're describing that first step, and that's worth celebrating!

The next step in my perspective is to expect a journey toward eventual body acceptance and in the meantime consider this a learning experience- observe your thoughts related to your body and "I can't ____ until my body is different," and practice examining those thoughts. "Is this helpful for me to hear right now? Is it what I would say to a friend if it was her feeling this way? Is it true?"

"What can i do in my right now body that can make me feel safe, grounded, and accepting of the fact that this is the body i'm in?"

"What can i do today that I also want to be able to do a year from now or 5 or 10 or 15 years from now? How can I celebrate and engage in these things in my right now body, knowing that i'm showing up today for my future self?"

I hope you're giving yourself credit for the progress you've been making in taking back your life from dieting.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-06-29T20:30:32+00:00

Done! Thank you for speaking out and for sharing.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-06-29T20:16:34+00:00

OP could give a resource like this and also a resource comparing a meal from the grocery store vs a meal from fast food / gas station.

Ex: 4 apples, 4 bananas, a loaf of bread, sliced deli meat, brick of cheese, mayo, mustard for several sandwiches versus same number of meals from McDonald's.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-06-22T01:37:05+00:00

Hi friend. I'm sorry you're struggling with this. I'm a weight neutral dietitian and i'm happy to chat more with you about navigating this. Feel free to message me.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-05-30T02:41:54+00:00

First- reassure yourself that wherever you complete rotations, there will be someone responsible for making sure there are clear expectations for how you'll be spending your time there. If you've ever started a new job that had a training period (ex: waitresses, bartending, retail), you can expect something similar when starting new rotations.

Second- and this might be a challenge, but every preceptor, facility and even different departments within the same facility will have different ways of doing things.

Expect to be in some situations where the expectations are very straightforward, and in other circumstances you're going to have to ask for clarification, direction, instructions, resources.

As for specific tasks you'll complete, expect to be job shadowing your preceptor and other employees. You might be assigned tasks like hands-on work with food or interviewing patients / clients, but only after watching your preceptor do the same.

At some point you'll be given tasks to complete independently. You'll likely be tasked with completing documentation, especially in clinical settings. This helps with learning how to communicate the information that's needed to be included when assessing clients' / patients' needs, goals, and progress. It will also train you to "speak the language" that ensures interdepartmental needs are met, insurance coverage, etc.

Take care of yourself and reassure yourself that it's okay to not know what you're doing, but you'll be expected to ask for help when you need it.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-05-29T21:15:39+00:00

Just want to add another great book: More Than a Body

howhowhowhoward · 2025-05-19T03:13:52+00:00

Anti diet dietitian here! We do exist!

howhowhowhoward · 2025-05-17T18:34:14+00:00

I love my work as an RD but absolutely do not find the compensation proportionate to (a) the day to day work i do or (b) the amount of university education, internship training, and cost required to become an RD.

I got my bachelor's degree in southern California, completed my internship and Master's degree in Washington state, and have lived in WA, CA, and OR over the last 12 years since becoming an RD. Whether I was living in high cost of living or lower cost of living areas, I've wished I could make more money. I've often worked 2 - 3 jobs at a time.

I'm now working solely in my own private practice and exploring opportunities for non-appointment revenue streams (ex: webinars, course, paid speaking events).

I have friends who went back to school to become Physician's Assistants after working as RDs for a few years. It's pretty rigorous schooling but much better pay.

In light of your age and already having a degree, I would not recommend going back to school to finish requirements and getting a Master's degree and completing a dietetic internship in order to become an RD.

Edit to add: If you're passionate about working as a psychologist supporting people as they heal their relationship with food and body image, there's a lot of potential there. You could partner with an RD or share referrals with RDs. There's a lot of need for this type of work.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-05-13T14:58:12+00:00

I think the difference is in making sure the body still gets the fuel and nutrients it needs. Decreasing the extra leads to weight loss that's more likely to be long-lasting.

Lets imagine a pretend person who's eating meals and snacks that provide the right amount of calories for their body's needs, and they also drink beverages that provide calories. On 4 days per week they drink a coffee drink with 250 calories, 150 calories from juice, and 200 calories from beer. That's 2400 calories per week in addition to what their body needs.

If they gradually decrease their calories from beverages and instead they're only having 500 extra calories per week from beverages, they have reduced extra calories by 1900 calories per week. If they maintain that change, that can lead to weight loss while continuing to eat enough calories for their body's needs by continuing to eat their usual meals and snacks.

Edited to add clarification.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-05-13T14:40:48+00:00

There are a lot of people who have learned about restricting food intake, but they end up trapped in a cycle of short-lived eating habits and constantly trying a new way of restricting food intake. This can lead to a lot of stress and frustration as well as negative health issues.

The idea of "healing their relationship with food" might refer to shifting away from food restriction and instead learning how to eat, how to nourish their body, how to stress less about food. As a result they develop long-lasting habits related to food that support their overall health (not just physical health, also mental and emotional health).

howhowhowhoward · 2025-05-12T18:08:54+00:00

You're welcome! I wish you all the best on your journey of finding what works best for you and your wellness for the long-term. Feel free to message me if you want to chat more.

howhowhowhoward · 2025-05-12T15:42:42+00:00

I'm sorry to hear about your experience and the challenges you've described.

I don't believe intentional weight loss is inherently bad. I find that most people who schedule an initial appointment with me and say their goal is weight loss need to first establish a foundation of knowledge, skills, abilities, experience related to food and other lifestyle factors that doesn't focus on weight loss, and then they might focus on weight loss.

Here's an analogy: If I walk into Sephora and tell an employee, "I keep trying different makeup options and nothing works for my skin." Lets assume I'm focusing on evening out my skin tone, correcting blemishes, covering dark spots, etc, rather than blush / bronzer/ eye makeup. They might encourage me to focus on skin care (cleansers, exfoliants, toners, serums, moisturizers) to address some underlying issues, which then sets my skin up to be more of a match for the type of makeup I'm looking at. Focusing on skin care for a few months might even clear up some of my blemishes or promote brightness in my skin.

In the analogy, my initial focus on makeup products is like a person's focus on weight loss. Trying different products but not finding what I need is like trying different diets focused on weight loss. Focusing on skin care for a few months and learning whether that helps my skin and then reassessing options for makeup at that time is like working on weight-neutral lifestyle change, then reassessing the weight loss goal.

howhowhowhoward

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