What is your job?
I’m a weight inclusive HAES®️dietitian. This means I work with people to improve their health behaviours, without the focus being on weight change. I specialise in working with people recovering from disordered eating and eating disorders. The thing I hear most from my clients is ‘I know what to do, I just can’t do it’. I work for myself and have done for more than 10 years now, it suits me perfectly.
How did you get it?
I have two masters degrees in Food and Nutrition and Nutrition and Dietetics. But they’re from 20 plus years ago! My professional development interests are in counseling skills, motivational interviewing, trauma sensitive practice, body image, Health at Every Size ®️. I didn’t really enjoy my dietetics degree and couldn’t see myself working as a dietitian (which was not good as I already had a hospitality management degree that I wasn’t really using). So for a long time I worked as a nutrition sales rep, and then I had children. I had discovered there were different ways to work with people than I had been taught, so I decided to set up my practice Zest Nutrition, and I still love it today.
Why do you love it?
I love the experience of genuinely helping people particularly women heal their relationship with food and with their body. Our society doesn’t encourage us to trust our body or to love it and care for it as it is. It’s so hard for us to take genuine care of ourselves and our health when it’s always tied up in weight loss and thinness. I love being able to provide an alternative to the rampant diet culture that infiltrates everything to do with health. I’m not for everyone and that is okay with me
What is your connection to Penrith?
Back in the days of my hospitality degree I lived in the Hawkesbury. I had to undertake 400 hours of industry experience as part of my studies. I got a job at Panthers in Dominique’s Cocktail Bar, one of my colleagues showed me a trick to open cocktail umbrellas and it was true love!! We are married and have 3 daughters together. I’ve lived in the Penrith and lower mountains region since 1995.
What is Women of Penrith?
An opportunity to take those negative comments that girls and young women hear and turn them into a positive reflection of their personality and skill.
I have so many more female ambassadors lined up, join my mailing list (click here) to make sure you get the bios for these inspirational women to your Inbox.
Who is Susan?
Susan Williams is a HAES (health at every size) dietitian and you can find her at Zest Nutrition on Facebook, on her blog and on Instagram.
