Exploring Life & Business with Katie LeMair Nutrition LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie LeMair.

Hi Katie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in a small town in Northern Iowa and ran track and cross country for my local high school. I was always interested in cooking/baking and was an avid ‘Runner’s World magazine reader. While in college at South Dakota State University for Dietetics, I learned about the potential career path in sports nutrition, and the rest is history. This path blended my interests in health and nutrition with what I knew and loved from competitive sports. I had finally found my ‘calling’ within the nutrition space.

I went to the University of Nebraska for graduate school and to complete my dietetic internship. There, I was immersed in their sports nutrition department, working as an intern to help provide nutritional support for football, wrestling, and women’s gymnastics teams. After becoming a Registered Dietitian (RD) and completing my graduate degree in 2018, I was accepted to Gatorade’s Sports Nutrition Immersion Program (SNIP) at the University of Texas. I spent the next 8 months being a sponge and learning from some of the best sports RDs in the business, working with football, softball, and M/W tennis teams there. From Austin, I spent the next 4.5 years in the ‘Little Apple’ of Manhattan, KS working as an Assistant Sports Dietitian at K-State. I enjoyed working with men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, track and field, tennis, and rowing during my time with the Wildcats. In 2021, I became a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD), considered the highest certification level for RDs working with the athletic population. In December 2022, I launched my virtual private nutrition practice: Katie LeMair Nutrition LLC. I aim to take what I learned from 6+ years working in NCAA Division I collegiate athletics to help athletes and active individuals simplify their nutrition. I am incredibly passionate about assisting clients in navigating RED-S, disordered eating, and eating disorder recovery. I offer 1:1 nutrition counseling sessions and group/team presentations on various nutrition topics in person or virtually.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Collegiate sports nutrition is no joke. When I say that, what I mean is this. A college athlete’s workout/practice/school schedule is jam-packed. At times, an athlete may have a 6:00 am Lift session, sometimes with rehab/treatment with their athletic trainer before and after the lift, followed by class schedule, watching film/meeting with coaches, then coming back for more rehab/pre-practice mobility, etc., then practice, then treatment, then homework/group projects, etc. Now, remember that during all this, that same athlete must eat to meet often incredibly high energy needs. For some athletes, eating upwards of 6-7 times a day in some form. Enter: sports dietitian/sports nutrition department. That’s where we come in to help make meeting those energy and hydration needs as simplified as possible. This often means some not-so-glamourous working hours (think report times before 5:00 am and getting home past 10-11 pm after that late-night basketball game) and a non-traditional schedule that often is 7 days a week. There was a personal sacrifice in choosing this career, including moving halfway across the country to Austin, TX, where I did not know a soul to chase the dream. While my days and work hours no longer resemble a collegiate athlete’s, there was incredible value in that career phase. During those early morning or late night hours, I truly got to know the athletes I was working with, what motivated them, what struggles they had, what foods they loved, and which they disliked, etc. Trust and support were often built over those hours. What was gained through those sacrifices and experiences, I would not trade for a moment!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a Performance Dietitian making fueling simple for athletes at all levels of play; passionate about helping clients navigate RED-S, disordered eating, and eating disorder recovery. My business is a virtual nutrition private practice, providing 1:1 nutrition counseling sessions and group/team education in person or virtually.

What sets me apart is my depth of experience in working with athletes at the NCAA Division I level, including athletes that have gone on to play professionally in their sport. I also have the confidence and experience working with complex eating disorder clients while simultaneously understanding the nuances that come with the client also being a competitive athlete.

My approach is relational & individualized. What that means to me is this: no two people are the same, and no two people will have the same relationship/experience with food and nutrition. My job as your dietitian is to listen, observe what works for you, and gather information to create a path to reach your nutrition goals: no judgment, no lecturing, but support and positive encouragement from me along the way. My practice is rooted in evidence-based sports nutrition recommendations. I want to help you meet your health and performance goals. I value you as a wonderful human first athlete second. That’s me as your RD.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Books:

• Sports Nutrition: A Handbook for Professionals by Christine Karpinski, Ph.D., RD, CSSD, LDN, and Christine A. Rosenbloom, Ph.D., RDN, CSSD, FAND
• Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders, by Dr. Jennifer Gaudini, MD, CED-S, FAED
• Finding Your Sweet Spot: How to Avoid RED-S (Relative Energy Deficit in Sport) by Optimizing Your Energy Balance by Rebecca McConville, MS, RD
• Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN

Podcasts:

• The SeasonED RD, by Beth Harrell, MS, RD, LD, CEDRD-S
• We Do Science – The Sports Nutrition Podcast, by Laurent Bannock/Institute of Performance Nutrition
• Sports RD Snippets by Liz Wluka, MS, RD, CSSD, LD

Professional Organizations/Resources:

• Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietetics Association (CPSDA)

Pricing:

• Initial 1:1 Nutrition Session (1 hour): $150.00
• Follow-Up 1:1 Nutrition Session (30 min.): $50.00
• Group Nutrition Education: Cost varies; contact for a quote

Contact Info:

• Website: https://katielemairnutrition.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katielemairnutrition/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091854266449