Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. 

Happy What I Ate Wednesday. Hope you’re having a great week so far. For today’s edition of the weekly “What I Ate” link party, I’m taking a cue from a recent assignment and sharing a glimpse of my schedule at a day in the life of a registered dietitian. One of the things I love about my field is that you can do so many things as a dietitian and in many different settings: clinical, community, education, corporate, culinary…the list goes on and on.

For me, I wear a lot of hats and do a mix, depending on what day of the week it is. For example, Wednesdays are my day at the ALS clinic. Mondays and Thursdays (and sometimes Tuesdays) are corporate wellness days. I usually set Fridays aside for private clients as well as recipe and writing projects unless I cover a shift at the hospital or do a one-off corporate event or public speaking engagement. Weekends are usually used to catch up on projects and schoolwork (and life), but sometimes I fill in at the hospital.

So yeah. The freelancer/private practice/per diem lifestyle certainly requires a lot of organization and planning, but I’m happy with the big picture. Most of the time is hardly feels like work at all!

Anyway, here’s a look at a typical Monday for me. I’m a little nervous to share because now you’ll know what a total grandma I am, but hey. Whatever works. Some days are more grandma-ish than others, but Mondays are the ultimate in early-to-bed, early-to-rise-ness 

5:15-Alarm goes off. Time to go to the gym. I do weights and some cardio.

6:30-Shower & get ready and then square away some blog and email stuff

7:45-Breakfast: This morning is was savory oatmeal topped with leftover cooked veggies, tahini , and goat cheese. While I eat, I jot down some notes in my journal and set a few goals for the day.

8:30-Leave for work. It’s a corporate wellness day, so I’ve got my backpack with all the things I need (computer, change of shoes, food).

9:30-Start my workday. Lots of clients on the schedule! I tend to book 30-minute sessions, so the back-to-back keeps things flying. I take notes as I go so I still remember what we talked about when I chart. I also like to send recap emails after sessions so my patients can recall what we discussed.

12:15-Lunch: A salad with chicken, olives, roasted veggies, and balsamic; an apple mid-afternoon between clients. Maybe at some point I’ll be able to get myself away from the computer at lunch, but in all honesty, this is when I work on notes and draft those recap emails. I also attempt to look at my personal email inbox and catch up on voicemails.

5:15-Snack: Plain whole milk yogurt with some Fiber One cereal (trying to finish off a box). I don’t get home until pretty late most Mondays, so a filling snack is key.

6:00-Leave work and go to a doctor’s appointment

7:45ish-Finally get home and make dinner: This night it was soup from the freezer and avocado toast on Ezekiel Bread.

9:00-Bedtime snack: Still hungry after getting myself cleaned up for the night (I always take a short shower at night, even if it’s just to rinse off—it helps my body get to a sleep-appropriate temperature). I didn’t feel like being creative, so I had more yogurt. It’s all I want lately. I stirred some cocoa powder into the yogurt and added some PB2 on top (mix 1 tablespoon of the peanut flour with 1 tablespoon water). Sorry this picture is so ugly! I swear in taste good. While I eat, I look back at my day and jot down some notes about how I did with meetings those goals and take stock of what I ate and how I feel.

9:45ish-Grab a book and get into bed. Earlier this year I stopped making myself getting into bed extra-early and turning off the lights and now just read until I get too tired to keep my eyes open. I may not always get exactly 8 hours of sleep, but I find when I do hit the lights I fall asleep more quickly and the quality of my sleep is much better!

Is your schedule consistent day to day or does it change a lot? What do you love about your profession—or the profession you imagine is right for you?  
To see more WIAW, check out founder Jenn’s blog Peas & Crayons or visit hosts Laura and Arman‘s blogs.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.