January is halfway over and over half of those that made resolutions this year have given up. Whether you are on track, have found yourself at a pit stop, or are still waiting to jump aboard, I am here to tell you that you don't need a January 1 to start working to reach your goals; especially if your goal is to sweat it away for your wedding day. All you need is a little motivation and some specific tools to get where you want to be.
Fortunately, we live in a social media world and with the scroll of a finger and click of the thumb we can find a diet that guarantees we will lose weight. No gluten, no meat, fasting, anti-inflammatory, clean foods, whole foods, Paleo, Warrior, no carb, low fat; you get the picture! Unfortunately, this leaves us overwhelmed and we often don't get started because we don't know how to start. While my white dress was boxed up many many years ago, I still find myself with this struggle year after year and what I've realized through my own research this year, is that I have developed an unhealthy relationship with food! This led me to seek help, and again with the scroll of a finger and a click of the thumb, I found dietitian, Whitney Long, in Charleston, WV.
Whitney completed her Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Marshall University in Dietetics, then headed to Oklahoma and completed a summer sports nutrition internship at the University of Tulsa. When she came back to West Virginia, she started her career at the Disordered Eating Center of Charleston, worked in long term care and behavioral health in contracted positions, and now owns her own private practice. She brings her diverse experience when working with clients and now specializes in an intuitive eating approach. This approach "encompasses finding balance with food" and allows her clients to not categorize food as good or bad.
I contacted Mrs. Long, as I recognized that my relationship with food was spiraling down hill, and wondered if there was a general formula that everyone can follow or is healthy living truly an individualized process? We see so many advertisements and are being sold on so many different products, especially this time of year, but is there just one way to do it? According to Long, no person is the same and so the approach is not the same. She likes to not focus on weight as a goal, but make behavior changes the top priority. When making a move toward healthy eating, this allows her to start with each client where they currently are and create a specialized plan specific to the client.
On top of being a rock star dietitian, and just an overall cutie (isn't she adorable?), Whitney also just got married in September 2018 and is very familiar with the stress of planning your perfect wedding day. I asked, if she had one piece of advice to give a bride, what would it be? She stated, "The wedding planning process can be a stressful time, so make sure you're taking care of yourself from the inside out- whether that is going to a therapist, doing yoga, whatever it is - make sure that you take time out for you! After all, this is your special day, marrying your person. It is easy to forget that when so much goes into planning a wedding."
I will be making my official appointment with Whitney soon, and if the White Dress Diet has become too stressful for you, I encourage you to do the same! She offers in-person appointments as well as virtual appointments, for your convenience! In the mean time, you can find out more on her website, wellnesswithwhit.com and be sure to follow her on Instagram @thetacoeatingdietitian and on her Facebook page Wellness with Whitney, MS, RDN, LD.
Cheers!