Why I Wrote How to Eat Like a Normal Person

A Dietitian on a Mission

How to Eat Like a Normal Person was the resource I needed when I was in the midst of my battle with disordered eating. For over a decade, I was so desperate to be thin that I’d consume nothing but diet books encouraging me to cut carbs, skip breakfast, and suppress my roaring appetite with a glass of warm lemon water. 

From middle school to young adulthood, I couldn’t enjoy a slice of pizza or a bag of movie theater popcorn without obsessing about the calories. While I exercised daily, my routine was anything but healthy. On an empty stomach, I’d sprint, lift, and pedal on the elliptical until I was ready to pass out. Once I was home, I’d chug a protein shake and choke down dry chicken… just to later binge on an entire sleeve of low fat cookies and microwavable Lean Pockets (yuck!)

Afterwards, I’d feel immense guilt. To make up for my binge, I’d try to “eat clean,” reduce my calories to 1200, or go keto. I’d follow whatever plan for a couple of weeks and even lose a few pounds but inevitably, I’d give up and order Chinese take-out.

What’s wrong with me? I’d think but never say aloud. How come everyone else can stick to a diet, but I can’t? 

Little did I know, hardly anyone was actually sticking to their diet. And nothing was wrong with any of us! We were simply led to believe eating less and moving more was the secret to losing weight and keeping it off. It was not until I ditched this mentality and began fueling my body that I was able to heal my relationship to food while reaching my goals.

As a registered dietitian with 7 years of experience, I’ve heard hundreds of stories from women who’ve also battled binge eating, emotional eating, yo-yo dieting, and body dysmorphia. They’re all-or-nothing with food- either they’re following a strict plan or completely off the rails with their eating habits. The more diets they follow, the more confused they become about how and what to eat. Unfortunately, their shame keeps many of them quiet and stuck in restrictive eating patterns until they seek out help.

Countless times an exhausted dieter has sat in my office and said, I’m done dieting- I just want to eat like a normal freakin’ person!

In an effort to help more women feel less alone in their struggles and find peace with food, I wrote How to Eat Like A Normal Person. This book is not another dry manual instructing women to “eat this, avoid that.” Rather, it’s a collection of stories and strategies that teach readers how to adopt a balanced diet they can stick to for life.

The concepts in How to Eat Like a Normal Person transformed my clients’ relationship to food as well as my own, so I wanted to bring them to women who may not have access to a registered dietitian. My mission is to help readers feel confident, boost their energy, and experience control around food for perhaps the first time in their entire lives. After applying the strategies in this interactive workbook, readers will never need to diet again!