Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Moran.
Hi Tara, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I had a sense for nutrition from the get go, I loved broccoli as much as cake. My mom and grandma cooking up delicious meals in their kitchens daily. My grandma was a Director in the field of nutrition and had a cooking show called “Naomi’s Kitchen” back in the 80s. She shared recipes and nutrition tips with the world.
I was a cheerleader from Kindergarten until 8th grade, then swam in high school until the end of junior year. I thought I had a grasp on my health, knowing I needed to be fueled and ate however I thought was “healthy”. When I began my senior year of high school, I started utilizing the gym as my form of exercise. Though I was eating “healthy” foods, turns out my eating patterns were not so healthy at all. Growing up with a heavy influence from diet culture, I believed what the internet told me. “Try this vegetable-only detox for seven days and lose 10 pounds!”, “The Atkins diet is the ONLY way to lose weight”, or “Count your points with weight watchers, we provide ‘free’ foods!”. So of course, being a teen with a couple of extra pounds on my body led me to think that I should try each and every diet trend occurring at that point in time. This led into my college days.
Living in the dorms was tough, not being able to cook or eat nutritiously all that often. I ended up falling into the pattern of chronic dieting. I encouraged my mom to opt me out of eating in the dining hall for every meal and just eat there once a day. I got a job hostessing in the evenings so I could buy my own groceries and work with what I had in the dorms to make palatable meals in the microwave. I ate nutritious foods and restricted (several) until the weekend when I would “cheat”. This cycle continued, after dieting for so long my metabolism was damaged, I couldn’t lose those extra 5-10 pounds anymore and instead my weight increased. I truly believed that one of these diets was bound to be my destiny and didn’t have a clue what I was doing to my body (who would? We’re not taught this in school). I was nearly my heaviest and the most uncomfortable I’d ever felt. I knew I could NOT live like this any longer, it wasn’t sustainable.
I was studying to be a speech pathologist, my high school dream. After interning, I quickly realized this was not my forte. I graduated with my degree and felt lost. Luckily, my significant other kept me sane and helped me brainstorm some other career options. He mentioned nutrition and how I have always had interest in it. I knew I wanted to help others to the best of my ability (just unsure how) so this was definitely a possibility. A few months post-graduation, there I was, back in school. I fell in love with nutrition the first course I took. My professor, a Berkeley grad, made this course enticing and I wanted IN! The idea of health began to click, how the human body and food worked synergistically. Courses included anywhere from biochemistry to medical nutrition therapy to the fundamentals of food. I ended up with another Bachelor’s degree, this time in Nutrition. I finally felt confident enough to relearn my hunger cues and follow regular dietary eating patterns. With that, I learned portion control, the importance of macro and micronutrients and how sleep, self-care and movement also play a role in health. I wanted to share this new wealth of knowledge with others in some shape or form (though in today’s world, I prefer to share the plate or macro methods with my clients rather than solely portion control).
I took the path to become a Registered Dietitian. Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree, 1200 hours supervised practice in four settings (acute, long-term, community and food service) and passing the national credentialing exam. I applied for internships, it’s a matching process similar to doctors’ residency programs. I ended up matching to a distance program that included a Master’s (some don’t include them, they’re separate). Master’s degrees for dietitians are becoming a requirement by 2024 so I figured I’d just do it sooner rather than later. I was living in Florida, lined up my rotations then – PLOT TWIST – I had the opportunity to move to Southern California. If I found all 4 of my rotations again there, I’d go. Since I was 3 hours ahead, working full time at a breakfast place, I’d assign days and times to call possible internship places for months on end. Finding foodservice, long-term and community rotations were a challenge but nothing compared to my acute hospital spreadsheet. I ended up calling somewhere near 100 hospitals plus follow ups. I decided I’d just come back to Florida for that rotation and went ahead to California. I nearly pulled into California with a phone call back asking for an interview with a hospital in Mission Viejo. I set up the interview and within two days got accepted and that’s when I fully settled into CA (after rolling the dice). I interned for ten months and around 35-40 hours a week (for free). My final few weeks were just when COVID came around. I had to work from home all while studying for the National Registered Dietitian Credentialing Exam. I finished my rotations, passed my exam and graduated via zoom (what a time!)
I started becoming active on Instagram in the nutrition world. The world was basically shut down (COVID) so social media was IT. It shocked me how people on social media (or in my day-to-day conversations) knew so little about dietetics and health. I knew I needed to attempt to close this gap for as many people as possible stuck in this same dieting mentality, struggling to live their healthiest lives.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business was beyond me. Much more goes into it than I thought. In the beginning, some challenges included choosing a business name and deciding to make it an LLC or sole proprietorship. I ended up changing my business name causing me to resubmit paperwork and that delayed my soft launch, otherwise the paperwork and business set up was more time-consuming than anything. I’ve taken on quite a bit more stress due to starting my company while also working a few days in a skilled nursing facility and a couple of days in a hospital.
With the market becoming so saturated with registered dietitians, it has been hard not to compare myself to those who have been in this field for a long time (hello imposter syndrome!) As a newer Dietitian, the feelings are real! In the beginning (and still at times) I fail to believe that there is space for me in this market. With the assistance of a business coach and continued education, my confidence level has definitely boosted. When I started my company in May, I immediately gained two clients that month. So each month, I’ve challenged myself to gain at least one new client and it has since happened successfully.
As you know, we’re big fans of Nutrition Thyme. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My company, Nutrition Thyme, focuses on helping busy individuals with sustainable wellness alongside hormone health. Nutrition Thyme coaching programs can be completed virtually or in person (if local). Leave restrictive dieting behind and join Nutrition Thyme. You will learn to incorporate better habits (ranging from mindset shifts to enhancing your daily movement) that will provide you a real sense of accomplishment and happiness. My programs are tailor-made to fit individualized needs and teach you how combining holistic and scientific methods will have you well on your way to loving and appreciating yourself the way you should. You’ll notice that I don’t mention weight loss as the goal of my program. This is because weight loss is simply a result of learning to listen to your body and treating it appropriately. That is the energy that drives Nutrition Thyme and that is the energy that will take you to places you never thought you would go, doing things you never thought you’d do. The best part about Nutrition Thyme is there is no “after”. You are going to shift your mindset and be a happier, healthier you!
I’d love the opportunity to help you because I was you. Being on-the-go, putting all my focus into work and not taking the time to understand that my focus should be on fulfilling my own needs was a recipe for disaster. Let’s move forward together!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Just remember, we all have to start somewhere. No one is perfect. If you’ve been on the fence to begin your wellness journey, reach out and schedule your free intro call with me. Looking forward to meeting you!
Pricing:
- 3 Month Basic Nutrition Coaching Program: $1200
- 3 Month Advanced Nutrition Coaching Program (includes extensive specialized testing): ranges from $2000-$4000
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.nutrition-thyme.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutritionthyme_withtara/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nutritionthyme
