39. Approaching fitness from an anti-diet lens Ft. Gabby Barreto

The Food Therapy Podcast

In order for athletes to perform at their peak and continue to maintain their strength, it is important for them to be referred to a registered dietitian nutritionist for a personalized nutrition plan. However, more often than not, these plans and approaches to athlete nutrition focus more so on the aesthetic behind fitness (e.g. weight loss). Instead, it is important to prioritize cultivating respect for their bodies, understanding how to properly fuel their body and how to maintain a healthy relationship with food. In today’s episode, we talk to Gabriela Barreto, a registered dietician and personal trainer specializing in helping active women and athletes improve their relationship with food. In addition to her private practice, Gabby is a professor of nutrition at St. Joseph's College and also works with professional athletes in the NFL and the Hofstra University dance team. During our conversation, Gabby talks about combating the narrative that fitness and weight loss go hand in hand. She shares why she loves focusing on strength training based on performance-based goals, what being “fit” actually looks like, and the pros and cons the pandemic had on people's relationship with fitness and the gym. In this episode we cover:

• Why fitness and athleticism doesn’t have anything to do with weight loss [2:11]
• Gabby shares her approach to fitness, how she helps her clients and what non-diet exercise actually looks like [5:08]
• What being “fit” actually looks like [10:40]
• Adapting to fitness during the pandemic and the future of fitness [20:27]
• The danger of poor advice and misinformation surrounding the fitness field [27:02]
• Fitness goals you can adopt from a non-diet space [32:14]

Connect with Gabby:

Instagram: @gabbymbarreto

Connect with Brittany & Lauren:

Brittany’s IG: @nofoodfears

Brittany’s Website: https://www.brittanymodellrd.com/

Lauren’s IG: @loandlemons

Lauren’s Website: https://laurenrd.com/