Hi, I'm Caroline!
I am so glad you are here!
I am a dietitian, diabetes educator, and self-proclaimed recovering perfectionist.
My story probably sounds a lot like yours... I spent years of my life chasing quick fixes, feeling frustrated, and overwhelmed with food. Read more about my story below!
Growing Up...
- My family and I moved quite a bit during my childhood. I lived in four states by my 18th birthday.
- Growing up, I was always interested in food, but I never ate a green vegetable unless there was an ultimatum on the table (like most kids if we are being honest).
- My mom was a Pampered Chef consultant and was always bringing home new recipes and fun gadgets.
- In our house, food was how we gathered together. We got creative, and always tried new dishes.
- I always loved to cook, grocery shop, plan meals and recipes. One of my earliest memories is making spaghetti with my grandma. I had to stand on the step stool to reach the sauce, but she would let me stir it.
The Big Turning Point...
- Preparing for college (ahem, move #9 of my life), I decided to “get healthy”. I started exercising after school and eating vegetables for the first time in my life.
- I lost a noticeable amount of weight and got lots of affirmation from friends and family… but by this point, the seeds of disordered eating were already sown.
- I had turned into an obsessive cardio bunny that couldn’t stop calorie counting despite the fact that I was miserable.
- So I packed up, and I went to college thinking it would be the fresh start I needed. College turned into years of disordered eating and exercise compulsion, and of course, deciding to become a dietitian so that I could figure out nutrition once and for all! (Hilariously, I thought more nutrition information would solve my obsession with nutrition.)
- Eventually, things started to change. I was tired of feeling obsessed, chained to the scale and the gym, and tired of poor body image.
- I started noticing how other people acted around food. “Wait… normal people just eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full? But how???” It was a rollercoaster, and took more years of work before I eventually felt like my years of disordered eating were behind me.
Finding confidence with food...
- Today, life is looking quite different from my past. I have a confident, happy relationship with food and my body.
- I learned how to eat in a balanced way that nourishes and fuels my body. I listen to hunger, cravings, and any other signs my body tries to communicate to me. I no longer use food as a coping mechanism to feel better or numb my emotions. I no longer rely on the scale to measure my self-worth. I no longer chase quick fixes because I have finally found a way of eating that works for me — for life!
- In 2020, my significant other Joey, our precious pup Brody, and I finally packed up for Virginia. We wanted to be closer to family, have farm animals, breathe the fresh mountain air, and grow our own food. I started my private practice, and as they say, the rest is history.
- I had what can only be described as a lightbulb moment when I realized that my disordered eating history combined with my education made me pretty dang excited (and hello, relatable!) for helping people heal their relationship with food.
- Along the way, I started acquiring new interests. Now, I am a freelance writer for nutrition publications like Eat This, Not That! and others on the regular. I work as a diabetes educator, insulin pump trainer, and contract dietitian, too! You could say I wear a lot of hats.
- Today you can find us doing all the “homestead things” like walking on an old dirt road, playing with Brody, taking care of the chickens, or planting veggies in our garden.
Want to be closer friends?
Here’s what you can do next:
- Say “Hello!” at info@carolinethomason.com
- Connect with me on Instagram at @dietitiancaroline__ where I love to give a peek at daily life on the farm + all the not your average diet tips you could need!
- Sign up for emails from me below to learn the 5 Non-negotiable Mindsets for a Better Relationship with Food!
