Rebecca Toutant, MA, RD, CSSD, LDN, CEDS, CDCES, cPT

I’ve been passionate about diet and exercise since I was a chubby 6th grader trying to find my way. When I discovered the magic of running and healthy food, I dreamed of a day that I could teach others my “secrets.” In about 6 months, I had lost 50 lbs by eating less and running 1 mile a day.  I remember the moment during a frigid fall run in 1997. With burning lungs, I finished my daily run. My mind wandered to visions of my friends and family who were struggling with weight. I thought, “It doesn’t have to be hard! Just eat less and move more!” My young brain fantasized about bonding over low fat foods (it was the 90s).  I just assumed people just didn’t “know” what to do.  Yup, I was wrong.  

I assumed weight loss was hard because people didn’t know what to do…
​I have never been so wrong

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At that point in my life, trying eat less and move more was cerebral. It was an uncomplicated decision that I just made. Nothing got in my way because life was pretty simple – wake up, run a mile, go to school, play a sport, repeat. The fridge had enough food, there were options at school, the schedule was the same every day, and I only had me to worry about.

As I got older, life happened and suddenly the simple weight loss strategy of “eat less, move more” became more difficult.  I found myself spinning my wheels because it was impossible to maintain my old balance while working jobs at odd hours, going to school, moving around the country, and trying to have some kind of a social life. My simple approach didn’t have an answer for those times when you eat because you’re happy, sad, tired, hanging out with friends, celebrating, or just plain bored. I’d eat, feel bad, try to eat less and/or exercise more. But this just made me hungrier! I felt out of control and just couldn’t find balance in the chaos. I even chose to study dietetics because I wanted to find the “secret” to eating healthy.  It took me over a decade of practice, experiments, training, and mindfulness to find my solution. 

The truth? There is no “right” or “wrong” way. Instead, it’s about finding your own personal health formula where you feel nourished – not deprived. This blog is dedicated to that practice:


Learning a bit and enjoying a bite
​while nourishing your mind, body, and soul.