Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacie Ellis.
Hi Stacie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My interest in nutrition started at a young age. I was overweight as a child, and my mother saw that I had a sweet tooth. Instead of shaming me or making me feel guilty about my love for sweets, she started giving me my own special snacks that were just for me. These snacks were things like carrots and radishes. She didn’t necessarily say I couldn’t have the other snacks, but she added in these healthy snacks. That is when I first realized the importance of eating healthy.
As I grew older I became a ballet dancer. I cared about my appearance and tried my best to maintain a lean aesthetic. I felt being “in shape” meant I was healthy. However, when I was in college I ended up going to the health center for a rash. While I was there, the doctor asked me questions about if I was fatigued or cold. I didn’t think anything of it because I was in college, and sleep deprivation seemed to be a common problem among college students. She wanted to run labs, and as a result I found out I was anemic. It was at that point that I realized that being healthy had nothing to do with how you looked, but also how your body is functioning on the inside. It was at this point I realized that I had to eat certain food items to be healthy. Later that semester I saw the nutritionist on campus. She informed me of mistakes I was making in my diet that I wasn’t aware of. I ate little vegetables and I drank a lot of juice. These experiences sparked my curiosity in nutrition, and I started studying it for myself.
I didn’t go to school originally for dietetics. I had always wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl. So I graduated with my bachelors in science composite with an emphasis in geology and a minor in secondary education. I became a high school science teacher and my dream of being a teacher was anticlimactic. I wasn’t content in my job and didn’t feel like I was making the type of impact that I wanted to. After teaching for 3 years, I realized that it wasn’t my calling, and went back to school to study dietetics and become a dietitian.
I went to school at Texas Woman’s University where I completed another bachelors degree. my internship and continued with my masters and doctorate. Nutrition became easy for me, and I fell in love with the program. After receiving my RD credential in 2015, I decided to start my own private practice part-time and worked contract jobs at various companies, including a few hospitals, home health, and corporate wellness, all while I was still working on my graduate degrees. I became the dietitian at the University of Texas at Arlington where I provided nutrition education and consultations for both students and staff on campus. Upon finishing my PhD, I started full-time in my private practice. My practice focuses on weight management, sports nutrition, eating disorders, and medical nutrition therapy. I feel very fulfilled in my work because I know I am making a difference in people’s lives.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Deciding to go back to school was very challenging for my husband and I. I was in my career as a teacher and making a full-time salary. When I decided to go back to school, I was not working, and so our household income dropped to half. We moved from a 4 bedroom house in a quite town to a 2 bedroom apartment in a large city.
Graduate school was also very difficult. I was working on my PhD during the pandemic. My study got approved the day right when the lockdown started. That put a delay in my research, because my study required me to interact with human subjects. Then when the lockdown got lifted, people were still very hesitant to be involved because of the fear of contracting COVID. As a result, my research took an additional 3 years to complete than I originally planned for.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Excellis Nutrition, LLC is a nutrition based private practice. I provide nutrition consultations, education, and nutrition support to individuals who are trying to better their health. My specialties include weight management, sports/performance nutrition, eating disorders, and medical nutrition therapy.
Most of my clients see me for weight management, especially for weight loss. What sets Excellis Nutrition apart from others is that I don’t try to get you to just lose weight, but make it a lifestyle. 95% of people who lose weight will gain it back. I want my clients to be apart of that 5% that lose the weight, but keep it off. My approach to weight loss is individualized based on the clients current lifestyle and personal needs. Excellis Nutrition uses behavioral therapy along with scientific approaches to help improve your metabolism to help you lose or gain weight.
As for sports/performance nutrition, I have expertise in aesthetically demanding sports and activities such as dance, gymnastics, and figure skating, along with performance based needs for all levels of athletes from novice to professional level. I provide nutrition support for sports teams by providing nutrition education, recommendations for team fuel stations and meals , and consultations for their athletes. I have worked with an variety of athletes from ballet dancers to football players.
Eating disorders and disordered eating is more common than individuals think. Excellis Nutrition aims to treat individuals with eating disorders in a way that makes them feel impowered about their health and well being. Excellis Nutrition believes nutrition education and behavioral therapy are the major tools that help individuals with eating disorders. There is always a “why” to each behavior, and by meeting frequently, we will try to uncover those layers and help you get closer to recovery.
Excellis Nutrition offers a variety of services including nutrition consultations, speaking engagements, cooking classes, corporate wellness offerings and classes, and nutrition support for sports teams, dance companies, and other performance based fields.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I grew up as an army brat, so we always moved around every few years due to my father being stationed in different places. Due to me moving around, I was exposed to many different cultures and types of people. One of my favorite places where we lived was in Germany. It was a very different culture, and this was the first time I learned that food can be different depending upon where you live. Back in the US, I still loved moving around because I met so many people from different places. Most military bases are melting pots. So it was common for me to have friends that were of all kinds of races. In high school, my friends was a diverse array of different cultures including Korean, Puerto Rican, African American, Mexican, Caucasian, Panamanian, Vietnamese, and many more. With so many cultures, I was exposed to many types of foods and ways of thinking. I didn’t realize how unique my childhood was until I went to college and saw that my experience was very different from most other people in the US where most places seemed to be more segregated. Most individuals kept friends in their own race and ethnicity, which was foreign to me.
Pricing:
- Based on your insurance
- Self pay clients can contact Excellis for more details.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stacieellisrdn.com
