My Personal Journey & Professional Experience

Personal Journey

I didn’t grow up in what I consider a “health conscious” environment. Like many other families, our schedules were PACKED. Meals consisted of takeout, a frozen pizza, mom’s gumbo, or a bunch of snacks. Food was a reward and the center of everything that we did (and still do) here in Louisiana!

I began to gain weight rapidly early in high school after experiencing an injury that removed me from competitive dancing. I had already been the “bigger” girl in my friend groups, but I started to become uncomfortable with how I felt due to my size. This sparked my desire to start my weight loss journey. Not knowing where to start, I googled things like: “healthy recipes, weight loss meal plans, and the quickest way to lose 10lb.” One month I would eat plain egg whites and oatmeal for breakfast followed by several small chicken and vegetable meals during the day. The next month I try to avoid all carbs and cut out dairy. On the weekends, I would dive into unlimited indulgence.

My desire to achieve and maintain a healthy weight led to large cycles of weight loss and weight gain. I’ve been 30lb heavier and 30lb lighter than my current body weight. For reference, that’s a pretty big fluctuation for my 5’3 height. In 2015, I entered into the Bikini division of bodybuilding. Wooooof. My idea of “healthy” at the time meant being as lean as possible and having perfect control over every single thing I ate. This experience was followed up with a poor relationship with food, body image problems, an unhealthy outlook on exercise, amongst other issues like losing my cycle. Today, I describe it is “not fun.” At my worst, I couldn’t help but feel like there had to be a better alternative to what I was doing and how I was feeling.

Cue the years of investing in professional nutrition coaching, coursework to become a dietitian, working hands on with elite athletes, and being mentored by 6 incredible Performance RDs. I began to surround myself with those that did not tolerate the quick-fixes or rigid diet trends. I knew I wanted to dedicate my career to nutrition and lifestyle strategies to help others adopt a flexible approach to nutrition.

I’ve personally been able to improve my body composition and maintain my results without the all-or-nothing mindset. More importantly, my outlook on what it means to be healthy has completely transformed.

Professional Experience

I attended LSU for my Bachelor’s degree in Food and Nutrition Sciences with a concentration in Dietetics. During my undergraduate career, I interned exclusively with LSU Performance Nutrition helping to fuel all of the LSU Tigers. I attended Tulane University for my Dietetic Internship and then returned to LSU as a Graduate Assistant Performance Dietitian to pursue my Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology.

During those 2 years, I served as an Assistant Dietitian with LSU Football. I had the opportunity to travel and the incredible experience to be a part of the National Championship Team – Geaux Tigers! I was also responsible for Baseball, Women’s Basketball, and Men’s & Women’s Tennis. Once I completed my graduate degree, I transitioned to a full-time Performance Dietitian working directly with Baseball, Indoor Volleyball, Women’s Basketball, and Men’s & Women’s Tennis.

In 2021, I decided to let my passion from my personal journey & professional experience take the lead in my career. I launched my nutrition coaching business, Goldin Nutrition LLC, focused on helping active individuals master flexible eating strategies to improve their body composition. I am thrilled to add my passion for recipe development and food blogging to the list with this adventure!