Aly Haebig
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist MS, RDN, LDN
Think a dietitian is all about diets & meal plans? Think again!
As a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), I have dedicated my career to empowering my clients to reclaim their body autonomy by finding food freedom and making peace with their bodies.
My compassionate approach is informed by the core truth that we are all born with the ability to intuitively nourish our bodies. Mixed messages around food propagated by our culture (i.e. diet culture), however, threaten to disconnect us from our body autonomy and this innate skill. Cue the self-limiting beliefs and shame and, well, you’ve got yourself a messy relationship with food!
As your dietitian, I will work alongside you to help you rediscover your ability to intuitively eat as well as work towards healing your relationship with food. Through my practical, yet empathetic approach, I can help you break down big, scary goals into smaller, manageable (i.e. less scary) ones. This ensures that the skills we are working on are sustainable - which is kinda the point!
It is my belief that you are far more than what you eat and that everyone deserves a life free from intrusive thoughts about food.
What to expect in a session:
Zero judgment
A compassionate and empathetic approach
Validating your lived experience
Making goals manageable & tangible
Healing your relationship with food should put YOU at the center.
I was taught to be a “nutrition expert,” but I realized that my clients were experts too.
In training to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), I was taught that I would leave being a “nutrition expert.” And I did. I learned all the formulas, calculations, complex biochemical interactions, and could recite vitamin & mineral benefits. I felt ready to heal the world! (…yeah, I’m rolling my eyes too)
Being passionate about Intuitive Eating and desiring to practice from a weight-inclusive/HAES (Health at Every Size) approach, I decided to work in the treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating. Since then, I have worked at many levels of care in the treatment of eating disorders. I have been with clients at mealtimes, encouraging them to take the next bite of food; I have composed countless meal plans designed to help restore depleted bodies; I have sat with my clients as they grieved the loss of their eating disorder.
My favorite moments were always the sessions with my clients - learning about what motivates them and drives them; celebrating their wins and holding their hands with setbacks.
As time went on, I began to see more and more clients coming into sessions feeling disempowered and disconnected from their bodies and their relationships with food. Whether through diet culture or disordered eating (likely both), they felt defeated, tired of feeling at war with their bodies. They felt powerless in their lives and in their care. Their experiences weren’t validated. And I realized that, while I may be a “nutrition expert,” my clients are the experts of themselves and their bodies, and that should factor more into their care, treatment, and recovery.
In my work with clients, the client’s experience is of utmost importance and my expertise is used as a guide rather than a dictator of their care and treatment.
By using a compassionate and empathetic approach that prioritizes your experiences, I can help you discover a recovery and a relationship with food that is YOURS.
Ready to start?
I want to take a moment to acknowledge that I identify as a cisgender, white, able-bodied woman with educational & financial privileges that shape my lens.
Additionally, I live in a smaller body, which grants me privileges that, while I have not earned, make walking through aspects of life easier. While I cannot begin to fully know what it means to live in a body that is not mine, through my work with clients I have developed a window of understanding. In working with me, please know that your lived experience will be validated and prioritized. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about this!
Qualifications
Education:
Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor - in progress
Masters of Science in Nutrition from the University of Illinois at Chicago
Bachelors of Arts in History from University of Wisconsin Madison
Presentations:
University of Illinois at Chicago, Guest lecturer: Presented on the intersection of medical nutrition therapy with concepts of intuitive eating and Health at Every Size, November 2018, March 2019, July 2021
Ballet Chicago, Invited speaker: Developed and presented Nutrition 101 seminars, July 2020, June 2021
International Conference on Eating Disorders, AED, “Expanding intersectional approaches to include body size: Practical ways to cultivate size inclusivity in the treatment of eating disorders,” June 2021
Heartland iadep Chapter Event, Virtual presentation: “Preventing Size Discrimination in Eating Disorder Treatment,” September 2020
Grayslake Community High School, Invited speaker: Developed and presented Nutrition 101 seminars, December 2018
Lake Forest Academy, Invited speaker: Taught 3 classes on nutrition & healthy eating to high school students, November 2018
Lake Forest Country Day School, Invited speaker: Presented foundational nutrition content to 5-8th grade students, October 2018
Oak Park Recreation Center, Oak Park, IL: Developed and presented Nutrition 101 seminars, March-April 2017
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