You Don’t Have to Choose Between Health and a Healthy Relationship with Food

If you’ve been told to “just lose weight” for your health, you’re not alone. Many of the women I work with come to me feeling caught between two things that both matter deeply to them:

• Wanting to improve their health after a diagnosis like prediabetes, high cholesterol, or PCOS
• Wanting to cultivate a healthy relationship with food and body image, not trapped in diet culture or perfectionism

And they wonder: Can I actually work on improving my health without wrecking my relationship with food?
My answer is always: Yes. And you shouldn’t have to choose.

What We’ve Been Taught Isn’t the Full Story

From a young age, we’re taught that “healthy,” “thin,” and “attractive” are all the same goal. Lose weight, look better, and your labs will follow. But the truth is, those are three separate things—and they don’t always line up.

I help my clients start by gently pulling those concepts apart so we can focus clearly on health—not chasing a number on the scale, or a version of your body that feels impossible to reach or maintain.

A sustainable approach to health means understanding that health is not synonymous with appearance. Whether you're trying to improve your A1c or manage a chronic illness like PCOS, focusing on healthful behaviors—without the pressure to conform to an unrealistic body ideal—can make a world of difference.

What It Actually Looks Like to Work on Health with Me

Here’s how I approach nutrition counseling for women with chronic, nutrition-related conditions like prediabetes:

• We define what health means to you. That might include lowering your A1c, improving your energy, or preventing future complications. It’s never just about weight.
• We make nutrition and movement changes that are realistic, flexible, and sustainable. No “good” vs. “bad” food lists. No crash diets. We’ll set specific goals together that make sense in your life.
• We notice—and gently challenge—food guilt, body checking, and all-or-nothing thinking. If you’ve been stuck in a cycle of “being good” then “falling off,” we’ll work together to shift that.
• We celebrate non-scale progress. That might be cooking more meals at home, sleeping better, or noticing fewer cravings. And yes, we can track medical markers like A1c or cholesterol along the way.
• We talk about the hard stuff. Body image. Shame. The fear that if you stop fixating on your body, you’ll stop taking care of yourself. We create space for those feelings—with zero judgment.

This Work Isn’t Always Easy—but It Is Worth It

You don’t need to have it all figured out before you come see me. You don’t need to “try harder” or have the perfect plan. My job is to guide you—not just when things are going well, but especially when they aren’t.

We’ll face the challenges together. We’ll build goals around what’s doable for you. And we’ll work toward a version of health that’s rooted in self-respect—not self-punishment. This process doesn’t have to involve extreme dieting or restrictive eating. It’s about understanding nutrition for your specific health goals, like preventing the progression of prediabetes or supporting metabolic health.

You Deserve Care That Sees the Full You

You are not just a diagnosis.
You are not a before-and-after photo.
You are a whole person—worthy of a healthy, peaceful relationship with food and your body, no matter where you’re starting from.

If you’re ready to work with someone who understands both the science of nutrition and the psychology of eating, I’d be honored to support you in achieving health without the extremes of diet culture.

👉 [Get started today] with a one-on-one consultation.