Hi, I’m Kristin McDaniel.
A non-diet dietitian and lover of many things- but especially coffee, books, 90’s country music, my plant babies, my human babies, and my incredibly cute hubby. I have been a dietitian for over thirteen years - receiving my bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University and completing my internship in Charleston at the Medical University of South Carolina.
What is a non-diet dietitian you might ask? Well, here are the highlights of my own food journey!
Food was never an issue for me growing up, but once I started college that all changed. I was in school to learn about nutrition, but began adopting a lot of food rules along the way. I was convinced that weight could simply be controlled with a few calculations for calorie needs, reading food labels, meticulously counting everything, and running 5k’s to “earn” my desserts. This method actually worked for a while, until I started having babies. After my third, my weight would not budge, and the more rules I took on the less joy I found in eating. I was flooded with guilt and shame and mad at myself for “failing”. I just wanted to fit into my cute pre-pregnancy clothes!
A few years ago, I participated in a challenge and things began to shift. As part of the challenge, I had to put my scale away for a month. Until that moment, I had no idea how much power I was giving to that number. After experiencing that little hint of freedom away from a weight-focused life, I wanted more!
I found intuitive eating and instantly knew this was my path. I read every book I could find about intuitive eating. I listened to podcasts. I followed all the popular intuitive eating dietitians on Instagram. I read all the research papers I could find. I did a deep dive into the whole process, and I finally found food freedom!
Now, I no longer think and obsess about food all day.
I’ve learned to listen to my body and gently nourish it.
Food is fun and not scary anymore.
My thoughts about my body are more kind now and I can finally see it as good (stretch marks, rolls and all!)
After experiencing this freedom from diet-culture and from living a weight-focused life, I am passionate about helping other women find this freedom too!