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January 8, 2015

Behind the Scenes of fANNEtastic food

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Hi friends! I thought I would mix it up today and do a little virtual coffee date of sorts via a “Behind the Scenes” Q&A series that has been going around the blog world. I’ve been getting a TON of emails lately asking follow up questions on whether going back to school/becoming an RD was worth it – things like how I like what I do, what I’ve been working on/business updates, etc., so I thought some of you would enjoy this!

So, pull up a chair and a cup of coffee (or take a very chilly stroll, like the one I enjoyed yesterday morning with my friend Karen post-CorePower Yoga) and let’s chat.

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Who nominated me?

I was nominated by Robyn Coale of The Real Life RD (back in mid-November – whoops!). I love her blog – wonderful posts about eating intuitively and being kind to yourself and your body.

What am I working on?

This question gets a different answer depending on what day, month, etc. you ask me! Right now, my main focus is finishing up the Nutrition for Runners e-book that I’m co-authoring with Jason of Strength Running. Jason first reached out to me last spring about collaborating (I remember exactly when because it was actually my last day of teaching at George Washington University – I met him right after class and we brainstormed over coffee), and we’ve been steadily working on the e-book together ever since via a series of massive, ever-growing Google documents. It’s been a long process, and it’s definitely been hard to make time for it because it’s one of those things that has to come after many other things on my daily to-do lists (e.g. client work, getting a blog post up, emails, etc.), but I’m really proud of how it has turned out. We are doing some final edits now and sending it to a designer to put together next week. I can’t wait to share it with all of you! I think many of you will find it extremely helpful as you train for spring races – or just for life. The book takes the intuitive eating approach that I preach here on the blog and to my clients, but through the lens of running and training. In addition to extensive discussion of our approach, our top nutrition principles for runners, and a large fueling for running section, we’ll also be including running training plans from Jason (for speed and for weight loss) and a big meal guide and recipe section from me.

The other big thing I’m working on right now is starting to get organized for the Shape Up (<—that’s last year’s) that I co-host with my friend, personal trainer/fitness blogger Gina, twice a year. We share a month’s worth of free video workouts (from her) and meal plans (from me), plus a private Facebook group for motivation. Excited for the launch on January 26!

On the AnneTheRD client front, I have a lighter load right now because I wanted to make sure I had time to finish up the e-book, host the Winter Shape Up, and wrap up some freelance writing I’m doing this month. Last spring/summer, I reached a point where I had over 40 active, ongoing clients, which was wonderful but I realized that between that and all the other work I was doing (teaching nutrition at GW, blogging, working with the Endurance Athlete Center, starting to work on the e-book, etc.) I was stretching myself way too thin. It was one of those times where you are overly stressed, have a mini-meltdown, and then stop and suddenly realize: this is dumb – I can fix this by taking control over my own life. So I decided not to teach again in the fall, I left the Endurance Athlete Center so I could focus solely on AnneTheRD, and I set up a waiting list for clients so I could control the volume and make sure that I was giving all my clients the time and attention they deserved. I definitely thrive on being busy and doing a lot of different things, but it’s important to know your limits, too. I definitely reached mine last year, and want to focus more on self care and slowing down (still keeping busy, but in a more sustainable way) this year.

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That said, I absolutely love working with clients – it’s so rewarding to help others to make positive changes in their lives – and I’m looking forward to ramping up client work again once I get the e-book out the door.

I feel so lucky to be able to work for myself full time – it can be lonely to work alone most of the time (hence starting to work at UberOffices occasionally), but I love the variety and being able to make my own decisions and have control of my own work life and schedule. I wouldn’t trade it for anything! The nearly 4 years of graduate school, working full time for free (internships – actually, I paid THEM to let me work for free…), and studying for/taking the RD exam was so worth it to be where I am now. I remember walking into day one of Chemistry 1 and studying for the GRE in the summer of 2009 and feeling like I might never get here. But guess what? I did. And that’s pretty awesome.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

One of the things I love most about being a dietitian is that it opens so many different doors – all of my friends from grad school and I are doing completely different jobs and using our degrees in a variety ways, which is awesome. I love that I can do a mix of freelance writing and blogging, one on one client work, corporate wellness work (giving nutrition lunch and learns/presentations or working booths at health fairs), and more. I’m someone that thrives on variety and I think I would be bored doing just one thing, so I love the option to mix things up on a regular basis.

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My workdays are filled with a mix of computer work (blogging, emails, client work, freelance writing, etc.), client meetings (either in person at a local coffee shop or via skype/phone), blog-related phone calls (for partnerships, etc.), and occasional nutrition presentations. I generally work about 8 or 9 a.m. until 6 or 7 p.m. with a break for lunch, but sometimes I take longer breaks during the day and make it up at night, or on another day, instead. It’s really nice to be flexible, and I know how lucky I am that I can have that flexibility. I try to take the weekends fully off from work (although sometimes I get so busy that isn’t an option); I don’t meet with clients on the weekends and I no longer blog on the weekends (I used to for the first couple years I had this blog). When you work for yourself, it’s easy to be CONSTANTLY working – especially when you usually work from home. I’ve been trying to do a better job of turning it off/separating work and life. It’s a learning process. 🙂

Why do I write/create/do what I do?

When I started my private practice in February of 2013, I worked with all sorts of clients, but over the years, I’ve discovered that where I shine is working with clients on intuitive eating and overcoming emotional eating. As a result, I’ve shared more of that messaging here on the blog, as well. (One recent post: How to Eat Intuitively / A Guide to Mindful Eating). It makes me so happy to hear from clients that they are enjoying food again instead of fearing it, or listening to their hunger cues instead of denying them.

On the blogging front, I aim to show others that eating healthy and being active doesn’t have to be hard or complicated – and it can even be fun. 🙂 (See also: How to Love Exercise – or at least not hate it.)

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How does my writing/creative process work?

It’s so important to do what works for you and your personality vs. what others are doing/you think you “should” do. I know some bloggers do great with a very set structure of posts, and write and schedule out posts weeks (or even months) in advance, but if I tried to do that I would get so overwhelmed I would quit. While I do schedule out some posts (but don’t generally write them ahead of time, unless I’ll be traveling) by necessity (e.g. sponsored posts – to make sure they are spaced out/timing makes sense), for the most part my blogging approach is to fly by the seat of my pants. It makes it easier that most of my posts involve my life – so I write based on what I’ve been up to, sharing that morning’s run or workout or a good dinner or lunch I made earlier that week. Topic-based posts – like this one – come when I’m in the right mood for them, or when I’ve had an idea spark from an interesting conversation with a client or friend.

One thing I have been working on lately is to stop multitasking. I find that multitasking leaves me feeling scattered and disorganized, and overwhelmed by how much there is to do. So I’ve been working on tackling one thing at a time – and removing all other distractions while I do it. For example, when I sat down to write this blog post, I closed my email, Twitter, etc., and I don’t give in to the temptation to check them until I’m done. I’m writing a freelance article on probiotics this afternoon, and I’ll be taking the same approach when I write that. Focus! One thing at a time. It will all get done. Right? 🙂

Thanks for reading! Instead of nominating other bloggers specifically to answer these questions, I’m going to nominate all of you! I’d love if you guys picked a question or two to answer in the comments section. It’s always so interesting to see how people work behind the scenes. 🙂

Stay warm out there, friends! I had a 20 minute walk to meet a client this morning and seriously considered taking an Uber. It’s SO COLD out.

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- anne
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52 comments
  • Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona
    January 8, 2015 · 12:55PM:
    I'm looking forward to the Shape Up again. I participated last time and had a lot of fun.
    Reply
  • Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork
    January 8, 2015 · 1:05PM:
    Such an interesting read. Thanks for sharing how you do your thing! I love these "real life" types of posts! Can't wait to see the eBook. I'm sure it will be really good!
    Reply
  • Kylie @ immaeatthat
    January 8, 2015 · 1:06PM:
    LOVED this post. I'm in the "I'm never ever going to finish my dietetic internship." Not loving having to pay someone so I can work for free;). Hurry up May!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 8, 2015 · 1:11PM:
      Right?! That was the worst - I think the system needs some serious work. It will all be done before you know it, though. You've got this!!
      Reply
      • Stephanie
        January 15, 2015 · 12:44PM:
        I am working on my Master's in Occupational Therapy right now and we are kinda under the same set up -- 6 months of clinical rotations (which are for credit hours, so you're paying for it), no paycheck! I am trying to save up and figure out how I am going to financially survive that now! Any suggestions?!
        Reply
        • Anne
          January 15, 2015 · 1:24PM:
          I basically just ended up with a boatload of loans!
          Reply
  • Les @ The Balanced Berry
    January 8, 2015 · 1:07PM:
    Anne - I absolutely loved this post! Your blog has been and continues to be such an invaluable resource for me. A few of my answers to questions below :) What are you working on? I'm a little crazy and wear a ton of hats! I currently work full-time in a corporate job and am in school part-time completing my RD prereqs - very similar to your story! I also am getting into blogging regularly, occasional freelance work and I recently started working as a Nutrition Education Instructor for a local non-profit teaching 4th graders about nutrition and food additives. Phew! What does your creative/writing process look like? I'm a pen to paper kind of girl. I can't start any piece with a blank word document staring at me. I have to physically write then fine-tune on the computer.
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 8, 2015 · 1:10PM:
      Awesome, Les! Love hearing you're an RD-to-be. Sounds like your plate is full, too, but with a lot of fun stuff! I did some teaching to kids about nutrition when I was interning and it was a blast. Thanks for reading and good luck on your RD journey! :)
      Reply
    • Annie @ Annie Get Your Run
      January 8, 2015 · 2:05PM:
      Les, we're in the same boat. My pre-reqs just began this week! Best of luck! Thanks for the post, Anne!
      Reply
      • Anne
        January 8, 2015 · 2:06PM:
        Good luck! !
        Reply
  • Amber Madden January 8, 2015 · 2:45PM:
    Hey Anne. I absolutely LOVED this post. Although I am very interested in the food/fitness aspect of your blog, one of the MAIN reasons I read is because you are such an inspiration in your business and entrepreneur skills. I aspire to have a similar practice and business model for my counseling career. Thanks so much for all you do!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 8, 2015 · 3:39PM:
      Thank YOU, for reading! And for this sweet comment. :) I'm honored to have inspired!
      Reply
  • Dietitian Jess
    January 8, 2015 · 2:51PM:
    You do so many cool things, it definitely inspires me! (Might reach out to you in the future for some RD business related questions). I give props to the bloggers that write posts out weeks in advance... I'm a fly by the seat of pants type of girl too. Can't wait til e-book comes out!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 8, 2015 · 3:39PM:
      Sure! Happy to help. :)
      Reply
  • Jen@ Pretty Little Grub
    January 8, 2015 · 2:52PM:
    By far my favourite thing about being a Dietitian is the variety. There are so many venues you can take with Dietetics. Even at one time I'm like you working on a variety of different projects. it means never being bored.
    Reply
  • Shel@PeachyPalate
    January 8, 2015 · 3:28PM:
    Congrats on the nomination and nice to hear a little bit more about why you do what you ! :)
    Reply
  • Kath
    January 8, 2015 · 3:59PM:
    I love reading about other people's work flow! Thanks for sharing!
    Reply
  • Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment
    January 8, 2015 · 4:06PM:
    Fun post! It was great to hear what you are up to right now. What is going on for me? I am working on getting my personal training certification so I am hitting the books quite a bit. :-)
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 8, 2015 · 4:58PM:
      Awesome! Good luck with the test! :)
      Reply
  • Jessica Kiebler January 8, 2015 · 4:14PM:
    Loved this post! I'm happy in my career but seeing how much your dietitian career can make a difference for people and knowing how much I love nutrition I feel like I could totally change careers in the future. What am I working on? As an academic librarian at a small college, I'm working on an informal study about my students' attitudes and knowledge about our eBooks and how we can improve their use of the resources. Why do I write/create/do what I do? I love being a librarian, specifically in academia, because it's am amazing combination of teaching, coordinating and being creative. I market, I teach classes, I talk to people about books and their education. Growing up I used to play teacher and also ask my mom if there was a job where I could organize things for people for a job and I know I found that combination in my career!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 8, 2015 · 4:58PM:
      This was so interesting to read! I'm so glad you're happy in your career - it sounds like a lot of fun - and you're doing helpful, important work, too!
      Reply
  • Amanda @ Slimplify Life
    January 8, 2015 · 4:55PM:
    I enjoyed every word of this post, thank you!! I am almost done with all of my RD grad school pre-reqs and am waiting to hear back from schools. UNC is my first choice and I am so encouraged that two of my favorites RDs, you and Elle, came out of that program. Thanks for inspiring us all each and every day, I absolutely cannot wait to continue down my journey of doing the same.
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 8, 2015 · 4:57PM:
      Fingers crossed for you on UNC! Best of luck on your journey! :)
      Reply
  • Roadrunner January 8, 2015 · 5:31PM:
    Thanks for sharing all this, Anne. Very, very interesting. Wonderful to see someone who has a mix of endeavors about which she is passionate and on which she has increasingly become an authority. Terrific! Thanks again -
    Reply
  • Julianna Foster
    January 8, 2015 · 6:32PM:
    i always love reading surveys like this! can't wait for the ebook, sounds like it's going to be great!
    Reply
  • Lauren
    January 8, 2015 · 7:28PM:
    Totally understand! It can be hard to find the balance because I love more clients...but I also need my weekends + self-care time to be able to be the best dietitian for my clients. Since last year was really my first year full-time in my business, I've learned a lot about things and am starting to realize I love a few different projects but can't thrive while doing a zillion things all at once.
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 8, 2015 · 7:30PM:
      Yes, exactly!
      Reply
  • Kris S January 8, 2015 · 7:33PM:
    Awesome post! And I agree on the multitasking bit- it's funny how in the late 90s/early 2000s multitasking was seen as this great thing, amazing skill to cultivate! Now I find myself more and more (maybe as technological distractions have ramped up over the years) trying to get rid of distraction and focus on one thing at a time as well. Disconnecting the internet while I was writing my dissertation was totally necessary- just straight up turned off the wifi or pulled the plug for 3 hr chunks of time or I never would have finished!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 8, 2015 · 8:22PM:
      Yeah, I definitely think a lot of it has to do with technology... there's always something to distract you!
      Reply
  • SS January 8, 2015 · 7:33PM:
    This is a great post! Just found your blog thru Kath eats and am also a real life rd fan! I am an RN in Womens Health and have a daughter in Nutrition Science program. Always interested in what graduates are involved in. She and I also love to cook together whenever she is home from school. Thx for sharing your ups and downs! I am also interested in how to find out when winter shape up program is avail for this year!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 8, 2015 · 8:21PM:
      Just keep reading the blog! :) I'll share all the shape up details on here.
      Reply
  • Ali
    January 8, 2015 · 8:24PM:
    Thanks for sharing! It's neat to read about the variety in your work and how you help people. I work with RDs regularly at my work, and their input is invaluable. What am I working on? I graduated from UNC (go heels!) last May with my Master of Social Work, and now I'm a medical social worker at a local hospital. I'm working on my clinical license, which takes 2 years to get, and I'm about to start working with my first therapy client to treat her depression. I'm nervous but excited! Why do I write/create/do what I do? I chose social work because I love working with people, and I like that my field tries to look at all aspects of a person's life. I'm especially interested in how physical health affects mental health and vice versa.
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 8, 2015 · 8:59PM:
      What an interesting career! Good luck with your first client - and go heels! :)
      Reply
  • Sam @ Grapefruit & Granola
    January 8, 2015 · 8:51PM:
    I am also an RD and I completely agree that there are so many different avenues you can go in this field. I work in clinical and I love it!
    Reply
  • Carolyn January 8, 2015 · 8:59PM:
    I must have missed something. Nominated for what
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 9, 2015 · 10:41AM:
      "Nominated" just means that Robyn tagged me in her post like this and asked me to do one, too!
      Reply
  • Amy Hughes January 9, 2015 · 6:58AM:
    Hi Anne! I am still so inspired by what you have done with your career:) I have been working for "free" for almost 10 years now as a stay at home mom & look forward to switching it up if/when I get into the dietetics program at Eastern Michigan. What are you working on? After not getting into Boston for a second time I signed up for a spring marathon-ever the optimist, lol! I am also taking 2 more classes of prerequisites-Microbiology and Human Nutrition. I had a very poor semester last term & was feeling a lot of self doubt due to my Chemistry class. (I did get an A on my "Interview with an RD" paper and powerpoint that you very kindly discussed with me!) I sucked it up, finished Chemistry and hope to leave all of that insecurity behind me! Of course I am trying to be a good and present mom and wife, too;) I am looking forward to checking out 'Shape up' and appreciate all the time and information you put into your blog!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 9, 2015 · 10:40AM:
      Good luck with the spring marathon, and with your classes! I totally hear you on the Chemistry - I passed my prerequisite intro to biochem class by the skin of my teeth (it was my only non-A - I got a C - of the prereqs). I struggled a lot with biochem while at UNC, too, but thankfully ended up finding a really good study buddy that made all the difference - I learn best when talking my way through things with others, and so did she! It basically saved me (and her). :) Don't let self doubt creep in - you can do this, and you will be a great RD. I'm so glad you got an A on the interview with me paper/PPT! Happy to help! :) Best of luck!
      Reply
      • Amy Hughes January 10, 2015 · 6:43AM:
        Yes, I also ended up with a C- in lecture and a B+ in lab; tough to swallow for someone who's used to a 4.0, too! I have to take survey of organic & fundamentals of biochem this year-ahhh! Thanks for you words of encouragement!:)
        Reply
        • Anne
          January 10, 2015 · 8:08AM:
          I totally feel you. You can do it!
          Reply
  • Eva January 9, 2015 · 7:49AM:
    wow great post! i'm feeling wordy this morning so this may be a lengthy response... we'll see.. just of note, i really appreciated this sentence: "It was one of those times where you are overly stressed, have a mini-meltdown, and then stop and suddenly realize: this is dumb – I can fix this by taking control over my own life." it amazes me how i let myself get SO stressed out sometimes that i literally feel like its the end of the world. and then i take a step back and i'm like-- wait? why is this such a big deal again? lol. and then i feel like silly =P i'm in my last year of pharmacy school right now, and during my pediatrics rotation i actually got a chance to shadow an RD in the neonatal intensive care unit for a few days. she used her degree to go into clinical nutrition so her work focuses on neonatal nutrition, specifically total parenteral nutrition, breastfeeding/formula, etc. it was so interesting to step into her shoes for a few days! i personally think i would lean towards the one-on-one clientele setting and focus on lifestyle changes with a mix of diet and fitness (similar to what you do i suppose). her job was wayyy too much math for me haha. in pharmacy, there are also lots of avenues you can go with your degree and while i do like pharmacy, i now think that if i hadn't pursued it, i'd be interested in going into physical therapy or being a dietician. also, cool that you're working on a paper about probiotics! i'm looking into topics for a research paper right now and was thinking about prebiotics/probiotics specifically in IBD-- but it seems like that is a popular subject so i'll have to keep looking for another topic ;)
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 9, 2015 · 10:37AM:
      Haha yes, exactly - it's so easy to get wrapped up in everything and stepping back makes all the difference in the world. :) That's cool you shadowed a NICU RD - they do fascinating work! I never did a NICU rotation (apparently the NICU RD where I interned didn't want to deal with an intern, ha), but I did a lot of TPN and you're right - sooo much math. I have so much respect for clinical dietitians! It wasn't for me but I learned so much and enjoyed (surprisingly) my time interning in clinical. More than I thought I would! Good luck finishing pharmacy school, and with your paper! I think IBD would be a great topic - so hot right now, and there's still a lot of confusion out there.
      Reply
  • Robyn @thereallife_RD
    January 9, 2015 · 9:17AM:
    Love reading behind the scenes of what life looks like for you! The e-book sounds awesome sounds awesome and a good read especially when marathon training and I'm like "I can eat carbs in the worllldddddd all the time" Stay warm! It's mind numbingly cold up here.
    Reply
  • Kaci @ Running the Next Step
    January 9, 2015 · 10:09AM:
    Thank you for sharing this! I love your posts like these. I start my first two prerequisite classes on Monday (I was also a sociology major) and truthfully I'm terrified of the amount of work ahead of me. Reading how happy you are doing what you do reassures me that it will be worth it in the end!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 9, 2015 · 10:34AM:
      How exciting!!! It will be scary and overwhelming, but try to hold on to the excitement of following your dreams and making a big change. You'll be happy you did - good luck!
      Reply
  • Sabrina January 9, 2015 · 12:48PM:
    Anne, thanks for reminding me why I am working so hard at school and working a full time job. Like you dietetics will be my second degree and I'm currently in the marketing/PR field. I was accepted into a dietetics program last spring and am finishing up my "junior year." Being part time makes it seem so much longer but I did finally realize I only I have 9 classes and an internship left. Phew!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 9, 2015 · 1:47PM:
      You'll be done before you know it! Good luck!
      Reply
  • Erin @ Erin's Inside Job
    January 9, 2015 · 3:36PM:
    It was good to read what else is going on in your life. I aspire to have a job that is flexible like yours, which is one of the reasons that I changed career paths to become a personal trainer. I can have more flexible hours and use that certification for a number of other things. I am also putting more time into my blog and just lined up some freelance work for the end of this month. It's slowly getting there; I just have to practice some patience!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 9, 2015 · 5:17PM:
      Sounds like you're off to a great start!
      Reply
  • Rainey January 10, 2015 · 11:31PM:
    Hi Anne I just wanted to say that I absolutely love your blog, and infact, it is my favorite of the ones I read! I find your enthusiasm for fitness and your approach to healthy eating refreshing and inspiring. You have inspired me to make little changes in my lifestyle that have added up to big rewards...and I thank you! Keep up the good work!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 10, 2015 · 11:40PM:
      Thank you so much for reading! :)
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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