I help people with the ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset stop yo-yo dieting, feel confident in their body, and achieve sustainable results.

Hey there, I’m Kait! I’m a registered dietitian and nutrition junkie (just not in the celery juice, low carb diet way). Having struggled with both my weight, hormones, and disordered eating, I’m passionate about helping men and women break away from the ‘quick fix’ mentality and get results the sustainable way. I believe in the power of eating a balanced diet full of nutritious foods & creating a healthy lifestyle you can stick to for the long haul. (I teach these strategies in my book How to Eat Like A Normal Person: A Guide to Overcoming the “All-Or-Nothing” Mindset with Food & Diet!)

During my 7 years as a registered dietitian, I’m convinced nutrition is personal- what works for your best friend may not work for you. This is why I take the time during our initial consultation to get to know and your lifestyle so together, we can create the eating plan that will work for your body! 

Since many of us live busy lives, I will work with your schedule to ensure you’re fueling with the right foods, in the right amounts, at the right time. My approach is warm but direct. I meet you where you are using a blend of nutrition-science, holistic eating practices, and behavior change.

By working with me, you’ll have a support person who gives you the right tools to reach your goals and enjoy the journey!

My Expertise:

Availability:

Since having my son in May, my hours have changed:

Tuesdays 9-3:30 pm
Wednesdays (VIRTUAL ONLY) 7-8:30 pm
Thursdays (VIRTUAL ONLY) 11-5 pm
Fridays 9-3:30 pm

Weekday afternoon and evening virtual slots available upon request. Email me at kait@orlandodietitian.com.

My Story:

Being overweight in my early adulthood, I know firsthand how eating processed food and being sedentary takes a negative toll on the body. I was always tired, insecure, and wondering why I couldn’t eat just two slices of pizzas instead of the whole pie! After all, I had dieted on-and-off since I was just 13 years old. Shouldn’t I have known to order a salad instead?

Turns out, restrictive dieting from a young age is a recipe for a disordered relationship with food. All of that calorie-counting and avoiding carbs in my teens made me crave them more as an adult! Pair that with lots of social eating, drinking, and no exercise,  and I was destined to weigh more than I felt comfortable. Christmas break 2013 is when I hit my tipping point. I had stepped on the scale and gained over 25 pounds in 18 months. 

“Kait has a very comprehensive understanding of nutrition and clinical experience as a dietitian…..during the three months I’ve been on the DAP program, I’ve lost almost 20 pounds, and lost about 4% body fat.”

-Michael S.
Google Review

I felt defeated and quite frankly, like a fraud! I was in school to be a dietitian after all, it was time to act like it. 

During my 30 days home, I couldn’t control what my parents cooked for dinner but I could commit to using my gym membership. I set a goal to workout every day before the semester and very quickly fell in love with the weight room and building muscle. 

When I returned to campus, I stuck with my weight lifting routine. Being in college, I had plenty of time to hit the gym 5 days per week. Plus, it was MUCH easier for me to build muscle in my 20’s so being as disciplined as I was, I saw results relatively quick. 

I became utterly obsessed with looking lean and toned, idolizing female bodybuilders (who in hindsight, probably had eating disorders themselves!) I ate tilapia and rice, chugged protein drinks, and repeated ignorant diet quotes I saw online such as, “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”

I began to count calories, limit my carb intake to less than 90 grams per day, and swear off sweets. For awhile, I stuck with it and lost more weight. However, my “healthy” eating habits soon morphed into a vicious cycle of restricting and binging.

Afterwards, I’d feel guilty and swear I’d never binge again. (Ha, funny joke!) I started doing high intensity (HIIT) workouts in an effort to burn off calories but these just made me even hungrier!

I’d eat a protein bar for breakfast, a grilled chicken salad at lunch, and an apple for a snack but by 4 pm, all hell broke loose! I was rummaging around in the pantry eating whatever sweets and carbs I could get my paws on- stale crackers, nasty Atkins bars dipped in Jiffy peanut butter, and cheese puffs from my stoner roommates’ stash.

This cycle went on and on for years. Instead of learning how to fuel my body, I attempted to keep restricting it because I was convinced there was something wrong with my willpower. Nope, I was just working out really hard and needed the right food. 

Hitting Rock Bottom:

My wake-up call to stop dieting was when I lost my period for 14 months. As a result of overexercising and undereating, my hormones were all out of whack. Since I knew I wanted a family one day, I needed to adopt a balanced approach to eating that would help me get my cycle back.

So I stopped skipping breakfast and began eating avocado toast with eggs or overnight oats with berries and yogurt. At first, I was nervous the calories and carbs would make me gain weight but those fears quickly went away when I realized how energized I was.

My mindset shifted from “what should I avoid?” to “what can I eat more of?” 

I added quinoa and cheese to my chicken salads and allowed myself to enjoy fruit and nuts as an afternoon snack. Artificial protein supplements were replaced by full fat cottage cheese and rice cakes for sourdough bread. My body started craving fruits, veggies, and high quality protein because of how great they made me feel. 

And a crazy thing happened- my afternoon and late-night cravings for junk went away.

I found that by fueling my body with a balance of protein, fat, and carbs from nutritious sources throughout the day, I didn’t feel like eating through my whole kitchen. Not only was I fueling with more healthy foods but I was eating less processed snacks, sugar, and junk. As a result, I didn’t have the urge to “burn off” all the calories at a crazy workout because I was guilt-free! I actually enjoyed my workouts and saw more progress when I gave myself rest days.

It only took 3 months to get my period back, and I’ve never thought about dieting since.

This was over 6 years ago, and I’m proud to say I’ve never felt more confident, healthy, and fit (even in my postpartum body)! 

These days, you can still find me lifting weights and eating healthy… but don’t be surprised if you catch me sipping a whole milk latte after an afternoon a pilates class, serving some pesto chickpea pasta with my grilled chicken salad, or treating myself to a scoop of homemade ice cream on date night. I don’t binge because I don’t restrict. I fuel my body with it’s perfect combination of healthy carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein (psst- it doesn’t look the same every day!)

It’s all about balance and for me, I find an 80/20 lifestyle works best. If you want to work with a dietitian to find the approach that work for you, book an initial consultation.

Pictured: me, at the FMA conference posing with my book How to Eat Like a Normal Person! I was 3 months postpartum and running on no sleep.

Client Testimonials:

Professional Background:

When I was in 7th grade, I decided I wanted to be a dietitian. Ten years later, that dream came true when I graduated with my degree in dietetics and nutrition from Missouri State University. I completed my 9-month Dietetic Internship at MSU with an emphasis in public affairs. During college, I taught group fitness classes and worked in the fitness facility at our campus gym.

After passing my board certification exam and officially becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist, I accepted a position as clinical dietitian at Florida Hospital (now AdventHealth) in Orlando. I worked in many areas of the hospital from oncology to intensive care before specializing in cardiopulmonary nutrition. I began working on the side at Nutrition Awareness until March 2019 when I left the hospital to work full time in private practice.

I am now is on a mission to help individuals break free of disordered eating behaviors and improve their confidence, health, and hormones by adopting a nutritious balanced diet. I am fueling my passion and on a journey to raise awareness through speaking, podcasting, coaching, and my book How to Eat Like A Normal Person: A Guide to Overcoming the All-or-Nothing Mindset with Food & Diet.

Since starting at Nutrition Awareness, I co-host the Nutrition Awareness Podcast and have been featured on 1520 WBWZ, Keeping it Positive Podcast, The Culinati Podcast, Marky Mark and the Fitness Bunch Podcast, Interested Eater Podcast, and The Nerds Adulting Podcast.

I have been a dietitian speaker for many retreats and organizations including Florida Medical Association, Emerald Coast Medical Association, Orange County Bar, Orlando Public Schools- Head Start, Anytime Fitness, The Florida General Baptist Church Annual Convention, Women in Power Wellness Retreat, Gainesville Academy of Nutrition And Dietetics, F45 Downtown Orlando, and Primus CrossFit. Want a dietitian to come speak? Check out our speaking packages.

I have been featured in Food and Nutrition Magazine, Parade Magazine, & I served on Central Florida’s Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as the Communications Chair for two years.

Still here? Kudos! Here are some random things about me:

  1. I’m a pretty good cook but a terrible baker! My son is 100% bringing Publix cupcakes to his school bake sales.
  2. If I were on death row, my last meal would be chicken nachos smothered in queso with a prickly pear cactus margarita… and a slice of red velvet cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory.
  3. Nikki Glaser is my favorite comedian.
  4. Speaking on the Nutrition Awareness Podcast is my favorite pastime (we have over 200 episodes and over 100k listeners!)
  5. I was born on Easter, but I won’t celebrate on the holiday until I turn 104.
  6. My first book How to Eat Like A Normal Person: A Guide to Overcoming the “All-Or-Nothing” Mindset with Food & Diet is available for preorder-check it out!
  7. My mini Aussie Grits (pictured below) is the furry love of my life.
  8. On vacations, I’m not one to lounge around or sleep in. I like hiking, exploring, and getting to know the area!
  9. I get so much slack for this, but I think deviled eggs are disgusting. Really, anything with mayo is a “no” from me.

Ready to connect? Click here to schedule your initial consultation with me. I can’t wait to get to know you!