Inspiring Conversations with Mary-Catherine LaBossiere of Defy Nutrition

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary-Catherine LaBossiere.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up, I was a competitive athlete. In fact, I started competing at the age of 8.

At that time, I was considered obese for my age. I channeled it as being the stronger of the girls, but in reality, my weight resulted in bullying and being told I was too slow, too fat to be a competitive athlete.

I started paying attention to what I was putting into my body in middle school, but then took it too far and struggled with an eating disorder during my high school years. While battling my own self-image issues, I lost a family member to a missed cancer diagnosis. She previously was told things like, “Well, if you just lose weight, XYZ symptoms will go away.” When the doctors finally found malignant tumors throughout her body, the oncologist identified that they had been growing for 1.5 to 3 years.

This family member was my mom, and she was eating everything I did. How was it possible that while I was at my lowest, unhealthiest weight, my mom – who was following the same diet and exercise regimen – could be dismissed as just too fat, just eating too much, and as a result, growing sicker by the day without anyone noticing? At that point, I decided I wanted a career on the prevention side of health. I used the unexpected loss of my mom to propel me forward. I earned my degree in nutrition, became a registered dietitian, and then earned my master’s in public health.

I became determined to never dismiss someone based on their weight, but instead to learn about them, their lifestyle, and their family and then come up with an individualized nutrition plan. Today, I own and operate Defy Nutrition, where I treat each individual like the unique person they are and help them with their health goals through balanced, whole-food nutrition.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
If we’re talking about the entrepreneurial journey, I would say it’s more of a rollercoaster ride than a smooth road.

I’ve learned that there are always peaks and valleys to entrepreneurship.

One day, you’re riding the high, as you help a client finally break through the diet mentality and attain food freedom, no longer labeling foods as “good” and “bad” but instead focusing on nourishing their mind and body. Another day, you’re struggling; I went to school for nutrition and public health, not business. I’m a one-woman show. Some days it’s exhausting to do it all, from bookkeeping to social media to blog posts and actually showing up for clients.

That being said, I embrace this rollercoaster ride because being a business owner has allowed me to show up as my best self and have the greatest impact on my clients’ lives.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a registered dietitian, and my business is Defy Nutrition. I specialize in helping individuals elevate their health and eat like human beings again. I am most proud of the fact that I embrace food as part of the bigger picture and truly take an individualized approach – whether that’s through nutrition counseling or meal planning.

For one client, that may look like eating a diet that supports fertility (I have my certificate in functional and integrative nutrition!). For another client, it might be going through a fast food menu together and figuring out which items fit best for their goals.

At Defy Nutrition, I help clients create sustainable habit changes and ditch the drastic, sure-to-fail-you diets that leave you feeling defeated.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I am a military spouse who loves working with the military, veteran, and first responder populations. Individuals in these populations have unique needs that their civilian counterparts may not typically experience. Serving these communities fuels my passion.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.defy-nutrition.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/defy.nutrition/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DefyNutrition/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marycatherinelabossiere/ 

Image Credits
MadFaith Photography