Three Important Lessons That I’ve Learned as a Registered Dietitian

November 1, 2018
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This post was sponsored by ABEO® Shoes. As always, all opinions are truly my own!

I’m just going to go ahead and say this…I think that Registered Dietitians are seriously underrated! We go through a strenuous amount of coursework, internships, registration exams but it seems like the majority of the world thinks we sit down all day and play with food models! Lol! Well I’m here to tell you that is completely FALSE! And I’ve got the bunions to prove it!

I have acquired some major foot discomfort during my practice as a registered dietitian. Like most dietitians, I am on my feet almost ALL day long and without the proper shoes, this can cause a lot of foot pain! I’m going to share my three important lessons that I’ve learned as a registered dietitian, starting with the most important one…shoes!

Lesson #1: Take care of your feet!

When I landed my first job as a clinical registered dietitian, I was super excited! I went out and bought a whole new wardrobe! I bought new dresses, a lab coat, and lots of heels! I wanted to make a good impression, but I also wanted to look cute…and possibly attract a husband in the process! (Hey, I was single at the time ?). I wore 4-inch heels almost every day, not realizing how much damage I was doing to my feet! By the end of the day, my feet were screaming!! I would soak them in a hot bath and repeat the same thing the next day…after all, beauty is pain right?? WRONG!

After years of this nonsense, I acquired some serious foot issues and even had to wear a walking boot for a few months! Because of this, I have not put on a pair of 4-inch heels in almost 5 years! The old me would’ve been devastated by this, but the new me, who happens to be a wife and a mommy, has learned that comfort is crucial! That’s why I choose to wear ABEO® shoes! These shoes are extremely comfortable and come in so many different styles! They even have boots, which are my favorite!! I love ABEO footwear because they come with a custom-fit footbed/arch support/orthotic for the ultimate customized comfort! It’s amazing!

When I went into The Walking Company, the sales associate was super helpful and led me through the entire process to find the right shoes just for me! They actually utilize a state-of-the-art 3D scanning technology to determine your arch type and match your foot type to your ABEO footwear choice!

And there are tons of choices…sandals, dress, athletic styles, casuals & more! Depending on the style, ABEO features interchangeable 3D3 orthotics or built-in orthotics custom matched to the foot! Since I love wearing boots during the Fall season, I chose to get a super cute bootie! Thanks to ABEO, I’ve learned that I don’t have to compromise style for comfort!

Lesson #2: Keep your reference materials!

As I mentioned before, registered dietitians go through tons of strenuous coursework! From several biology courses to intense medical nutrition therapy courses, we have obtained so much knowledge and let’s not forget textbooks! I kept all of my nutrition textbooks because I knew that I would possibly need them later on.

I’m so glad that I did this because I still use them to this day! I would love to say that I remembered EVERY morsel of nutrition info since my college days, but that’s just not practical for me! Lol! It makes me feel comfortable knowing that I can refer to my trusty textbooks to give me a little refresher, if needed!

Lesson #3: Be confident!

When I started out as a young, clinical dietitian, I was a little intimidated by those seasoned RDs. I mean, those women could calculate BMIs and TPNs in their heads! Okay, I may be exaggerating just a little bit, but compared to them, I didn’t feel confident in my ability to be a great registered dietitian.

My approach was laid back and more individualized in comparison to the others, which naturally made me feel as if I was doing something wrong. This all changed when one of my patients called my supervisor to compliment me on giving her “life-changing” nutritional advice! I was completely shocked because I didn’t realize that my 30-minute nutrition intervention visits were that significant! At that moment, I realized that every dietitian has their own unique style which is completely okay! You just have to own it and be confident in yourself and your ability as darn good registered dietitian! ?