I’m a dietitian who helps individuals 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 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
Thursdays (VIRTUAL ONLY) 11-5 pm
Fridays 9-3:30 pm

Want to work with me outside those hours? Apply for The Daily Accountability Program or 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:

It wasn’t until I had lost my period for over 6 months that I knew something was wrong. Not only had I lost my cycle, but my hair was dull, my nails brittle, and energy was dwindling. After months of testing, OBGYN visits, and even a stop at the fertility clinic, no one could give me a direct answer as to why my period had disappeared. It wasn’t polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) nor was it early menopause but something was definitely off. I left my last appointment at the fertility with some clues, and I was motivated to figure out how to get my cycle and health back. At this point, I had had a period in over one year.

My reading and conversations with other medical professionals led me to learn about hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA). HA is a hormonal condition where your hypothalamus causes your period to stop, and it’s typically caused by overexercising, stress, and under eating. At the time, I was lifting heavy weights 5-6x times per week, eating a low fat diet, and living on processed protein shakes in an effort to stay lean. Even though I was by no means underweight, I was a textbook case of HA.

At just 25 years old, the only thing I wanted more than to be ripped was to have a baby one day. I immediately cut back on my intense exercise, increased healthy fats and complex carbs in my diet, and gave myself extra rest days during the week. While it was challenging at first to break the move more, eat less mentality, it paid off big time! Within 3 months, I got my period back.

It took losing my menstrual cycle to realize an extreme approach to weight loss is not the healthiest, nor is it necessary! Despite cutting back on HIIT workouts and eating more food, I’ve feel great in my body and maintained a healthy weight for years (well, that was until I got pregnant in 2023 with my first baby!)

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 or apply for The Daily Accountability Program (DAP)!

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 by adopting a healthy, balanced diet. I am fueling my passion and on a journey to raise awareness through speaking, podcasting, coaching, and writing my first book (expected late 2024).

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 host a show (Nutrition) Date with Kait on The TĒM app.

Nutrition date with kait

I have been a dietitian speaker organizations including Orlando Public Schools, Anytime Fitness, The Florida General Baptist Church Annual Convention, A Tribe Called Venus, 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.

Testimonials (over 80 five-star reviews on Google!)

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

  1. I’m a pretty good cook but a terrible baker! My future kids are 100% bringing Publix cupcakes to their 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. Speaking on the Nutrition Awareness Podcast is my favorite pastime (we have over 200 episodes and over 100k listeners!)
  4. I was born on Easter, but I won’t celebrate on the holiday until I turn 104.
  5. 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!
  6. My mini Aussie Grits (pictured below) is the furry love of my life.
  7. I’m expecting my first son in May 2024! I can’t wait to be a mom!
  8. On vacations, I’m not one to lounge around or sleep in. I like hiking, exploring, and getting to know the area!

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