I found Robyn about a month before my wedding in 2014. At the time I was eating 800ish calories a day (beating myself up if I ate 1000) and gaining weight if I ate over that amount. I regularly ran 4-6 miles 4ish times a week, and I was regularly injured. My hair was breaking off right on the crown (that was fun), and i hadn’t had my period in about a year. All of that said, I was within a “normal weight range” by BMI standards. At a size 0-2 my doctor considered me healthy (despite me telling her I hadn’t had a period in forever. She assured me that it was very common for women that run as much as i was.). My friends and family constantly told me how small and healthy I looked. I defined myself by how much i weighed that day, and it was above all else in my life. Clearly, I wasn’t in a great place. In April of 2014 I moved across the country with my soon-to-be husband (he got a job at a startup in SF), and it was at that point I began realizing something was seriously wrong. The rational side of me realized how bad things were getting and that I needed to find help. The crazy side was like, “hey now, you’re still a normal weight, you can’t have an eating disorder. plus, everyone tells you how amazing you look. just run more and eat a little less. calm down, girl.” Ultimately, rational beat crazy. I remember my husband coming home from work one day and I sat him down and I said, “I think I have a problem. I think we have to talk.” From that point forward he was nothing but supportive. He encouraged me as I searched for a dietitian that I felt I “clicked” with. Enter Robyn and Nutshell Nutrition. 🙂 I still remember my frantic, sad, email to her detailing my situation. And I also remember her warm, kind, response. To this day, I am so thankful that I found her. I’m a pretty stubborn person, and a pretty strong person, so I basically fought her with every big step for the first 6 months or so… which had to make me a difficult client. I would do what I was supposed to do, but I did it begrudgingly. Nevertheless, she was patient, yet firm with me (not an easy task when someone is mad at you for telling them they have to eat more). She respected that remaining vegan was incredibly important to me, and tailored my dietary goals to my deep vegan roots – which is huge. (side note: I went vegan almost 7 years ago for ethical reasons. I am a big, animal loving, bleeding heart, softie. so, my veganism is akin to a core value/belief for me. It was not, and is not, about health or restricting.) The recovery process hasn’t been easy, there have been some big ups and downs, but Robyn has been there every step of the way, encouraging and challenging me. Today, I am able to run again, and be as active as I enjoy being, without constant injuries and fatigue… and it’s thanks to Robyn’s amazing guidance. Recovery has been a struggle, but it has all been worth it, and I can genuinely say that I don’t know where I’d be without Robyn. Thank you times a million. – C.S.”
Robyn is a breath of fresh air in a world of confusing and conflicting nutritional advice. Her approach is real, practical, down to earth (literally) and most of all doable.” – C. G.
“I am beyond grateful for Robyn’s help, guidance, and wisdom as a Registered Dietician. After starting to working with Robyn through Nutshell Nutrition last July 2012, I have see HUGE improvements in the way I view food; including my comfort in grocery shopping, preparing meals and listening to my body. For years I viewed food as my friend when I needed comfort and my enemy at every other moment– feeling frustrated by food choices, my lack of desire to prepare and cook, and overall the “diets” and fads that our culture gets pulled into felt draining and unsuccessful. I love Robyn’s philosophy to eat REAL food. I needed to get away from counting calories and obsessing about labels and instead learn to enjoy cooking and listening to my body and its cravings. I’ve never felt so cared for, valued and comfortable around anyone with my issues related to food until I worked with Robyn!” -W. E.
“Robyn was my saving grace during a really hard period. I had low estrogen and amennhorea, but my doctors seemed to think nothing was wrong. I was totally clueless where to go, but Robyn sat down and made everything make sense. She took time to learn my history, food preferences, and lifestyle so that we could create a flexible meal plan that worked for me. And every time I was feeling discouraged, she was there to respond to a text or email. I got my period back within ONE MONTH of following Robyn’s recommendations, and am so proud to be healthy again! It is a really scary process for girls, especially when it means gaining weight or eating more, but it was so worth it. And of course, Robyn’s still there for me to make sure I’m staying healthy and feeling good!” – C. B.
When my family of three (including an 11 year old) decided to abruptly change to a plant-based diet after seeing the documentary Fork Over Knives, we sought the advice of Robyn. From the very first meeting, she used the perfect combination of teaching us what we needed to know and how incorporate the changes into our very busy lives. From meal planning to a grocery store tour to a plethora of recipes and resources, Robyn provided us all that we needed to gain confidence that we could attain our goal. Her personal philosophy of simplicity combined with her contagious enthusiasm and passion really spoke to us and were ultimately the keys to our success!” – C H.
Over the past 18 months, I developed every symptom associated with undereating: not experiencing hunger signals, absent/irregular menstrual cycle, sudden excess of cellulite in regular places and new stores in unexpected places, not being able to lose weight no matter how little I ate or how much I worked out, and more. Thanks to Robyn’s consultation advice 3 months ago, I am making progress!
I have started feeling hunger pangs again – not every meal, every day, but at least a few times a week. This is exciting considering that before I spoke with Robyn in September, I literally could not remember the last time I had felt hungry. To avoid over-sharing, I’ll just say that my period has gotten more regular (at least for me). Also, I am slowly losing weight without dieting. In the past 8 weeks, I have lost almost 3 lbs. I know that sounds trivial, but the fact that I am eating 600-800 more calories a day than before and working out less and STILL losing weight (slowly) is just astounding to me. Besides, slow progress is still progress. I am holding out hope that as I keep on this path, the cellulite part will take care of itself. If not, psh, I’m still awesome 🙂 It is liberating to eat without restriction. I focus on nutrients and variety, but heck, cupcakes happen and I don’t feel bad about it anymore! Food doesn’t consume my thoughts anymore and if I don’t end up getting to my workout for the day, I am not plagued with obsessive guilt. 2013 was a tough year, but I can honestly say that my mind, spirit, and body is healthier right now than it has been in years even if I am 17 lbs heavier than I used to be. Thank you, Robyn, for going against the grain and telling girls to EAT to be healthy! It is something I had never heard before and the “nutrition” and “health” messages that are being shared by others are wrecking bodies and minds. You’ve helped me change for the better and I am so grateful. Here’s to a healthier, happier new year! – R.K.
“I reached out to Robyn as I was starting to increase my running mileage to train for a marathon. I had run long distance races before but I had always felt lethargic during training cycles and like I couldn’t hit the mileage I wanted to before becoming injured or too tired. After reading Robyn’s blog for a long time, I started to realize that I needed to increase my food intake if I was ever going to be successful at training without injury. Robyn and I had a Skype consult and I instantly felt comfortable with her and also like she knew exactly what I was going through – which she did since she was training at the time as well! Robyn told me exactly what I already knew but she was able to back it up with sound science and her own knowledge about fueling needs for an active person. I credit Robyn with a lot of what it took for me to cross that finish line and break my goal time. I know I wouldn’t have gotten there without her support. She gave me the tips and tools I needed for figuring out how to make eating right for my needs extremely easy and she is never more than an email away – even if you just want to know a quick snack to have before you head out on a run!”
– M. B.“When I first contacted Robyn, I was frustrated. Months after discontinuing birth control, I was still not menstruating. Despite multiple doctors telling me that it was normal and I shouldn’t worry about it, I knew something was wrong. I was gaining weight in spite of strictly watching what I ate and exercising nearly everyday. Things needed to change. I stumbled upon Robyn’s blog and finally found something that made sense. In the midst of all the conflicting advice and theories about what to do, Robyn’s advice was logical and practical and feasible.
“Honestly, I was apprehensive at first about following Robyn’s advice. For someone who has always struggled with weight and food, increasing my intake and discontinuing my exercise was terribly frightening. But Robyn was there every step of the way. She was so encouraging and understanding. There were days when I was so discouraged and frustrated, but Robyn was there for me. She didn’t seem to mind my long, rambling emails where I just dumped out all my fears and frustrations. She was always quick to respond and answered all my questions. She taught me how and why my body was responding in this way, and she taught me how to fix it.“A few months of following Robyn’s advice almost to the letter, I finally got my period back! It’s been a long journey, but Robyn has made every step of it so much easier. As scared as I was beginning, I will be forever grateful to Robyn for her help and guidance. She truly cared about my health and wellbeing. Because of her advice, I am no longer a slave to food and exercise. I have a much more healthy way of looking at both, and I am finally learning balance. Robyn has taught me that I am beautiful and courageous. Without her, I would still be stuck in the mire of over exercising and under eating. Thank you, Robyn, for all that you have done for me. You have helped me through a tough time, and I will be forever grateful.” -L.E.
“I had struggled for many years with over-exercising and undereating and finally it caught up with me. I was at a place where I was at my heaviest weight yet being way healthier about it than I had in my younger years. Feeling frustrated and defeated I found Robyn’s blog and saw that she had Nutshell. I immediately contacted her after reading a few of her blog posts. Working with Robyn was exactly what I needed. She helped me overcome my fear of fats and also get it out of my head that we only needed a specific number of calories per day. She showed me our bodies need fuel to function at their best! She showed me how to listen to my cravings and go with them instead of against them or eat what I “should”. She showed me eating and food choices should be anything but stressful! Working with Robyn has given me confidence in figuring out what is best for me and my body and that is something I will be forever grateful to her for!” -J.D.
“I’m so fortunate to have come across Robyn’s blog a few months ago. She helped me reach a place of balance in my life that once seemed like an imaginary state that would be difficult to achieve. I have a history of disordered eating and body image, and had been seeing a therapist for quite some time prior to working with Robyn. Therapy played a big part in my overall recovery, but everything seemed to come together and just “click” when I started working with Robyn. She helped me make small changes that added up to a larger shift in my overall lifestyle and viewpoint of food/eating. I honestly never thought I would get to a place where I don’t see good foods and bad foods; where I don’t punish myself for eating certain things; where I honor hunger signals instead of congratulating myself when I ignore them; where I my focus isn’t on food/eating 100% of the time. Robyn has most definitely helped me get to that place and I couldn’t be more grateful. I would recommend Robyn without hesitation to anyone who is looking for guidance in creating sustainable changes to reach their health goals.” -M.R.
“Reaching out to Nutshell Nutrition truly changed my life. After nearly four years of a disordered relationship around food and exercise my body started to shut down; my hair was brittle, my energy was low, my mental health was a wreck, my period was unpredictable and my GI system was way out of whack. The GI problems were what finally what brought me to Nutshell; after other medical professionals prescribed incredibly restrictive diets to fix the problem (which ultimately never worked, and only heightened my eating disorder tendencies) I was desperate for a different way to heal my GI system, my body and my relationship with food. Working with Cody turned out to be my saving grace. She was attentive, encouraging and very accessible whenever I needed her. Though there were challenging moments, Cody met me exactly where I was at in my journey and walked right alongside me. Cody taught me to look at food, as exactly what it is, just food; learning this has allowed me to achieve such freedom. Today, food and exercise are simply a part of my life; they no longer control my life or dictate my self-worth. I eat what my body is craving when my body is telling me that it needs nourishment; that may sound simple, but learning and practicing it, with Cody’s help, has brought me to a place of such freedom. I now have the energy and the brain space to engage and be present in my life again, I’ve never felt healthier. I am so grateful that Cody was able to help me to this place of freedom and true health, I would highly recommend her to anyone! Reaching out was scary at first, but believe me, it was so, so worth it.” – RR
“As with most brides to be, I wanted to get in better shape for the big day, so I started increasing my exercise routine. I was doing double sessions about 6 days a week and was able to “look my best” for our wedding. A couple of years after my husband & I got married, we wanted to start a family and I stopped taking my birth control. After a few months, I still had not started my menstrual cycle, so I made an appointment with my doctor. As with many other testimonials on Nutshell nutrition, my doctor said I was perfectly healthy and within the “normal” weight range for someone my height and age. She also said that since I was an avid runner it is normal that it might take longer for my cycle to start up on its own. I waited another three months before I called my doctor back and met with a specialist OBGYN who reiterated what my physician said and prescribed a medication that would force my body to have my cycle. I didn’t want to have to take a prescription drug in order to get my menstrual cycle, and new there had to be a better way of living. I reached out to Nutshell shortly thereafter with my brief history and my concerns. Robyn reached out to me almost immediately, and while her plate was full between school and Nutshell, she suggested that I start working with Cody. Cody alleviated my fears and said that this is something that many women face and that she believed without a doubt that we could get my body back on track. What I really enjoyed about working with Cody is that she went over the scientific explanation of why with all my exercising my body was suppressing my menstrual cycle. She really made sure she understood me, my food & exercise preferences and mapped out a very specific food and exercise plan for me to follow. She made me feel like I was a person or even a friend she was giving advice to instead of a patient or some other person. After about a month of following Cody’s plan and advice, I started getting my menstrual cycle again on my own (no medication), and have done so for almost six months. I’m not going to lie, it was (and still is) very mentally tough for me to keep at the reduced exercise level. I exercise less, and sometimes fight with my internal body image of not being as “trimmed” or “in-shape” as I was before. Cody and I are still in regular contact, she is still answering any questions I may have, and helping me out when I get down on my body image. I know reaching out to Nutshell and working with Cody was the best thing I could have done for my overall body and health and recommend Cody and Nutshell to anyone who is having trouble balancing life with overall nutrition and exercise.”- J.M.
“Before I reached out to Robyn, I was struggling. I was compulsively exercising and I felt like I had to have the perfect diet. Meal planning and thinking about what I was going to eat next took so much of my time and energy and I would get so worked up, anxious, and guilty if I didn’t eat according to plan or missed a workout. Oftentimes when I was hungry I wouldn’t let myself eat more because I thought I had already “had enough”. Ultimately, exercise and healthy food became very unhealthy for me. I finally got the courage to reach out after a few months of reading Robyn’s blog and I am so, so glad that I did. I had the privilege of working with Cody and she is amazing. She was so understanding with my struggles and always encouraged me with truth. She also helped me to make some important changes in my life, specifically my mindset regarding food and exercise, and challenge some of the false beliefs I had been holding on to for so long. I was a little hesitant at first but she continually gave me so much grace and was patient with me. She also helped me realize that it is so life-giving and necessary to let go of the need to control and to trust our bodies and the process of healing in general. I am eating more now than I probably ever have and am so grateful to finally be experiencing the freedom that comes with listening to my body. I also finally understand that my worth is not related to what/how much I eat or exercise in the least. It’s not always easy but in times when it is tempting to control or find my value in food/exercise/other things that shouldn’t define me, I remember the truth that Cody continually reminded me of: that I am so much more than what I eat or how much I exercise. I’m forever grateful for Cody and Robyn and the way they continue to speak truth into the lies we hear so often in society.” – B.L.
“Cody has been an amazing resource for me. Even though she is my supportive coach through all of this, I feel like she is also my friend. Cody is incredibly warm, patient, approachable, bright and encouraging. She is honest and forthright with me. Some days are good for me and some days are tough. But she is there to help me along my journey. She truly listens to my concerns and questions. I feel like we have dialogue and I’m not just being told what to do or how to change. We are figuring out what works in my life. I have gotten more out of my sessions with Cody than my experiences with any of my previous RDs combined. Cody is incredibly knowledgeable. She helps break down how the decisions I make regarding food, nutrition, exercise and stress management are impacting my body. She helps me problem solve with a judgment free attitude and a loving spirit.
The most helpful thing has been having a say in how our sessions go. I can email Cody questions beforehand that we make time for in our calls. She asks really probing questions to get at how things are going with me. We set really realistic goals together that allow me to feel as if I am making progress and gives me a focus in between our sessions. Cody consistently reminds me of our ultimate goal – a happy, healthy balance. For me, that is what freedom in food and body will mean. I’m not there yet but Cody assures me that we’re making strides. Cody is very patient with me as well. I often think too much and too deeply about all of this food/body stuff. She helps to simplify it all, reduce the rigidity, and create comfortable boundaries that bring some peace and confidence. She allows me to tell my story and she respects the challenges I have had. I can be incredibly hard on myself and Cody is there to remind me to be gentle and care for myself without guilt. And honestly knowing that your RD prays for you is the most amazing thing ever. Thank you, God. Cody helps me believe I can and will achieve my goals. She makes my experience feel normal and yet helps me to see that this won’t be forever. I feel unconditionally supported by her which has been wonderful. I have regular access to Cody which is not something I experienced with any other RD in the past. We have quite the journey ahead but I am confident she is the right person to help me find peace with food and my body in the long run. I would absolutely recommend working with Cody. She is not only an amazing RD but she is an amazing person. If you have loved Robyn and her blog, just know that Cody is cut from the same cloth. Cody is passionate about helping people find freedom in food and body. She has a natural ability to connect with people. She makes you feel like you’re the most important person to her when you are working with her. Her philosophy and passion is contagious. Cody and I live miles apart but she never feels far away. For anyone that is seeking a normal, natural and happy relationship with food, exercise and body, I highly recommend reaching out to Cody.” – N.L.