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It’s all about what you eat: Making nutrition understandable, enjoyable, & achievable with nutritionist Michelle Sisk

By Published On: January 21st, 2025

When nutritionist and dietitian Michelle Sisk RD-N, CD-N, LD-N began her career, it wasn’t directly related to food at all. After attaining a BA in English from Williams College, she taught English for a few years at a boarding school while coaching cross country running and leading a fitness class.

Soon, though, her personal interests inspired her to embark on a different path. “I’ve always been a foodie,” she explains, “so at that point in my life before marriage and kids, I was spending a lot of time with recipes, food prep, and fitness.”

From here, she began researching careers in the culinary world but understood that becoming a chef was probably not conducive with the life she saw for herself. Dietetics, on the other hand, felt like a better fit. From here, she attended Marymount College of Fordham University, earning a BS in nutrition and completing a dietetic internship through the University of Connecticut and Hartford Hospital.*

All about the dietetics field & Michelle’s work

Michelle points out that the possibilities within the field are actually quite vast. “The great thing about being a dietitian and nutritionist is that there are so many things you can do with it,” she says. “You can go into so many different areas of dietetics.”

Indeed, from hospitals, to schools, to food companies, to food security, to general outpatient counseling, nutrition and dietetics are crucial in a variety of settings and industries. By practicing medical nutrition therapy, Michelle provides counseling for just about any food-related topic or issue that you can think of, from high cholesterol to disordered eating to diabetes. 

Michelle has her own small business for private counseling, Michelle Sisk Nutrition Counseling LLC, and she is licensed in CT, NY, and MA. Additionally, she holds a Certificate in Adult Weight Management and is a certified FODMAP diet educator.

Now, she resides and does the majority of her work at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT, while also working for Millbrook School in Millbrook, NY, and The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT. In this environment, she works with students in one-on-one counseling to address their needs, which can include food allergies, how sports can impact a diet, and eating disorders. “We dietitians are interested in food as medicine and how food impacts health, emotions, and our every day. I incorporate that in the counseling work that I do,” she describes.

Having had a good deal of time working in classrooms and being a part of school communities, Michelle notes that these skills have been instrumental in her dietetics work. Spreading knowledge about nutrition by presenting to schools and giving talks to students calls on the very same skills she once fostered as a teacher. “My past educational and work experiences teaching have been the most influential on my career path,” she reflects.

A typical nutritionist appointment

So, what can you expect when you go to see a nutritionist for the first time? Michelle says that during an initial consultation, she will discuss with a client why they are seeking out nutrition counseling. From here, Michelle says, “I’ll ask them, ‘Tell me about how you eat. No judgment. Just everything you have to eat and drink in a day.’ Then, I can put the puzzle pieces together based on why they are here and what their goals are.”

Depending on their choice of foods, eating patterns, and the kinds of movement they integrate into their routine, Michelle works with clients to determine helpful adjustments that work for their specific case. Whether they’re worried about getting enough nutrition, controlling their blood sugar, managing their cholesterol, losing weight, or building an athletic diet with more protein, Michelle can meet a person where they’re at and guide them in making effective shifts.

Sometimes, dietitians can be seen as the “food police.” But if anything, Michelle says her role is the exact opposite: rather than judging someone’s food choices, nutritionists want to know “how we can build in what you love to eat and make it last forever.”

“It’s all about making doable twists and tweaks,” Michelle explains. “This often covers not labeling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ learning about nutrition label reading, and helping to find therapeutic diet matches. We also see what kind of movement they do, whether they are an athlete or do yoga, so that they can incorporate joyful movement, which can also help with managing stress. Topics can be very dependent on why they seek nutrition help.”

Setting feasible, valuable goals

This aspect is pivotal to the nature of Michelle’s work: she tailors nutritional goals to her clientele to ensure that changes are both accessible and achievable. When she works with adolescents, she explains, “The goal is to help them nourish themselves enough for their studies and their calorie burning. And I’ll push the message that all this requires fuel and that they’re still growing.”

On the other hand, one of her private clients is constantly on-the-go and has slightly high cholesterol, so their goals revolve around not skipping breakfast, having quick protein-packed snacks and carbs to grab amidst a busy schedule, and preparing small meals to take in a cooler bag. The specific overarching objective for this person was to make meals so straightforward and easy that they would eat more regularly.

In other cases, when meeting with someone who experiences disordered eating, prioritizing which foods bring the person joy is one of the main goals set along the journey to establish a regular eating pattern.

“You try to read the person you’re working with,” Michelle acknowledges. “Some people have already made some dietary changes or have done research about what they need. But it’s all about finding three or four manageable things they can work toward.”

After meeting and setting these goals, that might be all a client needs: getting the education they were looking for and adopting the necessary framework they need to move forward. In other cases, people prefer having regular check-ins to hold themselves accountable.

The importance of nutrition education

If you’re unsure if consulting a nutritionist is right for you, Michelle believes that anyone can benefit from the experience. “Unless we pursue it in college—I took one nutritional science class when I was working toward my English degree at Williams which definitely piqued my interest—we don’t usually get an education in the real stuff that would truly help beyond, maybe, learning about the food pyramid (now MyPlate) in elementary school,” Michelle admits.

She jokingly remembers that when she was in college the first time around she used to think getting a bagel with cream cheese and a cranberry juice drink for breakfast was covering three food groups—dairy, grain, and fruit. “I was under the impression I was having super well-rounded meals, but I was not,” she remarks. “I wasn’t really getting fiber, or real fruit (100% juice is the only kind that counts as fruit), and that isn’t something I would have known if I hadn’t gone to school for it.”

Photo by iStock user jenifoto.

And with social media making misinformation more accessible, it is crucial to have a trustworthy resource regarding what you eat. For example, a super eliminating and restrictive diet is one concerning, but all too common, trend. “If you don’t have an allergy to something or a real medical reason, a diet telling you to cut out a whole food group is probably not the way to go,” she observes.

Meeting with a nutritionist can not only clarify the truth about what we eat but make the day-to-day experience less stressful while creating lasting health benefits. “We all have to eat every day,” Michelle explains. “Ultimately, you want to get to the point where you don’t have to think about it that often. Building an enjoyable, tasty, and nourishing base of food intake will definitely benefit you in the future because hopefully, it will be super preventative against common disease.”

A fresh start in the New Year

Entering 2025, and all the years before it, many people have made resolutions about eating better and maintaining a healthier lifestyle. If you’re trying to meet nutritional goals this year and keep them up long-term, Michelle notes that meeting with a nutritionist—if possible—would be a great first step. 

Here, you can personalize your plan and get super accessible ways to accomplish your goals. “This way, it can be tailored to you, and you can get a closer look at how it can work for you. There are no blanket recommendations for everyone’s schedule, work life, and family life.”

Even if you don’t come in with a diagnosis, Michelle recognizes a few steps that can be pivotal for people wanting to revamp their eating habits and become healthier: not skipping meals, being plant-forward (not necessarily even vegetarian or vegan, but consciously incorporating plants—fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains), and designating a like-minded friend or family member who can help hold you accountable and vice versa. “Be thoughtful about starting small,” she advises. “Don’t throw away everything in your kitchen and restart.”

The same can apply for those trying to save money in the new year, too. If you’re constantly buying lunch out while you’re at work, for instance, consider how you could both save money and have more control over what you eat by figuring out what to pack ahead of time.

At the center of this all, though, Michelle emphasizes the importance of being easy on yourself. Trying new things requires being thoughtful and forgiving. “Everyone has a diet. We don’t ‘go on a diet.’ Our diet is just our way of eating and what we choose to eat. We’re trying to create something that’s going to last the rest of your life and that you’ll enjoy doing.”

For more information about Michelle Sisk Nutrition Counseling LLC and her work, you can contact Michelle at siskrdn@gmail.com

Cover photo by iStock user Prostock-Studio.

*Disclaimer: All medical claims made in this article are information provided by the subject. The information is general in nature and not specifically meant for any particular individual. You should always seek out medical assistance from a medical professional based on your individual needs and circumstances.