Before diving into more nutrition-related blog posts, my goal for this first post is to introduce myself.
My name is Tina and I’m a Registered Dietitian. While nutrition is one of my favorite things (I’m a huge nutri-nerd), I enjoy traveling, working out, hiking, going to the beach, and spending time with good company (my dog may or may not be on the top of the good company list).
Over the past six years, I’ve dedicated countless hours to learning all things nutrition – from nutrition basics, to how our bodies metabolize nutrients, to using medical nutrition therapy in the treatment of diseases, to nutrition needs for athletes, and more.
I started my nutrition career off at the University of New Hampshire. Well, actually. Scratch that. I started off my college career as a Marine Biology major. I grew up going to the beach almost daily in the summer, so I thought that that was the perfect major for me. By the end of my freshman year, it was safe to say that I felt lost. I wanted to set myself up for success, and I just didn’t know what I wanted to do with a marine biology degree (swimming with dolphins for a living would’ve been successful, but probably not too realistic).
I ended up registering for Nutrition 401 – Introduction to Nutrition my sophomore year, and, long story short, I absolutely loved it. Everything I learned was applicable to life (whether or not I actually applied it to my own life during college isn’t important for this post). From there, I applied to switch my major, and three years later, graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics.
Now, to become a Registered Dietitian, I knew I still had a ways to go. I applied to one school, Oklahoma State University (OSU), for my masters and dietetic internship. No one fully understood why OSU was my first and only choice, but next thing I knew, I was packing up my things, leaving Massachusetts, and starting a new life in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Moving halfway across the country was hands down the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. The culture shock and lack of knowing friends and family out there hit me pretty hard. Luckily, I was able to connect with some amazing human beings who helped me get through the tough times (you know who you are!).
While the experience was challenging and included quite a few bumps in the road, I don’t regret any part of it. There is no doubt that the pros of attending OSU outweighed the cons. In addition to meeting some great friends, the doors to some incredible opportunities were wide open, and I was able to walk right through them. I’ll never forget the day where I told one of the strength coaches I worked with about how lucky I felt to have such great opportunities. He replied with, “you’re not lucky,” and reminded me of how hard I had worked to get to where I was. Here are some highlights:
Now after all of that, I moved back to Massachusetts last July, passed my board exam, and am working as a Registered Dietitian at an eating disorder clinic and at a gym. You may be thinking that these two populations are drastically different from each other and that it’s difficult to switch your brain from helping someone heal their relationship with food to then helping someone reach their weight loss goals, but you’d be pretty surprised by how often the education and counseling I provide overlap.
Just like any other job, both of these have their ups and downs. Overall, I have learned an indescribable amount of information from both, and I wouldn’t change that for the world. While I enjoy working in these settings, during my dietetic internship I discovered that my dream job is to be a Performance Dietitian with tactical populations. After conducting research with tactical populations and completing part of my internship with the military, my awareness on the impact I could have on Soldiers’ health, occupational performance, and overall physical readiness to protect the nation was enhanced. Whether it’s as a civilian or Active Duty, I would be honored to give back to those who serve us.
So, with all of that being said, what’s the actual point of this blog, Tina????
The nerd in me is super excited to start sharing all things nutrition on here. I understand that there’s a lot of nutrition information out there. I’d be lying if I said I never once fell into the diet culture trap. I’d also be lying if I said I never once had a bad relationship with food or my body. Even as a dietitian, I’ve been there. Through years of learning, I’ve ditched the diet mentality and have found success in reaching my own personal health and fitness goals. You bet I want the same for you. At the end of the day, I hope you can turn to this blog (and me) to help you better understand evidence-based nutrition, bust nutrition myths, and have some guidance towards crushing your goals.
Have a specific topic you’d like to read about? Email tinasergi.rd@gmail.com or send an Instagram message to @tinaafit.