93: Weight Inclusive Approach To Sports Nutrition

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with anti-diet weight inclusive registered dietitian Heather Caplan. We start off by defining the terms: weight inclusive care, being an anti-diet and non-diet dietitian, and Health At Every Size (HAES). We discuss the importance of a weight neutral approach to nutrition because science proves that weight does not determine health. Heather and I explain the many limitations of BMI and defining health based on body size and shape. Heather talks about the Health At Every Size movement and its mission of inclusion to bring healthcare to all.  Heather talks about her introduction to dietetics and her own struggles with disordered eating that caused her to question the current weight-centered approach to nutrition and diet culture. She shares her career path from practicing in a weight-centered setting post college to discovering intuitive eating and weight neutral approaches to dietetics. We discuss studying nutrition in college and the many flaws with the curriculum.  We discuss the intersection between running and nutrition, and how sports dietitians can have a Health At Every Size approach and debunk the myths surrounding weight and performance. Dieting and weight loss may improve performance in the short term, but we explain how the sustainable path to long term success that allows athletes to reach even higher levels of performance must prioritize health first, regardless of weight.  Heather talks about founding WIND, Weight Inclusive Nutrition and Dietetics, to educate other dietitians, practitioners and more about inclusivity and diversity in nutrition.  Heather was the host of the RD Real Talk podcast for 5 years and she explains how shifting priorities have led to its end. We discuss the importance of change during different seasons of life, including new motherhood, in order to keep pursuing our ultimate passions and goals. We talk about the myth of doing it all and how what we see on Instagram and social media is not reality: the struggles are rarely shared.  Follow Heather on Instagram @heatherdcRD  Find Heather online at https://heathercaplan.com/ and WIND at https://weightinclusivenutrition.com/  Heather’s Official Bio: Heather Caplan, pronouns she/her, is a weight-inclusive registered dietitian. She's the founder of Weight Inclusive Nutrition and Dietetics (WIND), which hosts continuing education and connection events for dietitians. Heather hosted the RD Real Talk podcast for over 5 years, having hundreds of conversations about non-diet nutrition. She also co-founded the Lane 9 Project, a community for athletes struggling with disordered eating and eating disorders. Her work in the non-diet spaces—including working with clients, organizations, and healthcare providers—has been featured on The TODAY Show, and in magazines like The Washington Post, Runner's World, Outside Magazine, and EatingWell. She's a parent to three littles, likes to run long distances, and wishes it was always Summer Ale season. Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.riseupnutritionrun.com Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/reds