Today on Fit Mama Friday, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Melissa Burton, RD, CDE. I met Melissa at the fitness conference A Healthy U I attended – before I even heard her speak, some of my blogger friends at the conference had already raved about her to me. Listening to her on a panel, I realized why they were so effusive – she is smart, funny, educated, kind and did I mention smart? Melissa is a fit mama to her nearly 8-year old son, Wild Boy, married to her college sweetheart Jay Fleischman since 2000 (they’ve been together since 1991), blogger at The Valentine RD, and a Los Angeles resident with her heart still in Brooklyn, NY. One more thing you need to know about Melissa is that you may never meet a bigger Duran Duran fan in the world. Ever. (Important last minute update: Melissa finally met Simon Le Bon in person two days ago!! So awesome and a dream come true for her.)

Meet Melissa.

Have you always been into fitness and health? What’s your main passion when it comes to working out?

My fitness story was not one of an innate desire to be physical. I came to fitness after college when the debauchery that came along with the lifestyle of living in New York City (drinks and dinners out multiple times a week) brought forth a need to incorporate healthy practices into my life.

As an all or nothing type of person, I went all in with my health and fitness effort. I even ran a marathon in 1999 but despite being in the best shape of my life, I was utterly miserable. I made all the changes most people associate with a happy and healthy lifestyle but I didn’t find much true happiness in my healthy lifestyle until I discovered yoga.

I always looked at running, spinning and other fitness classes as calorie burning and muscle-building instruments that would shape my body into something that would make me content. It wasn’t until I experienced vinyasa yoga at Laughing Lotus on Christopher Street (Laughing Lotus is now a well-known entity with studios in NYC and SF) that I experienced a fitness epiphany – exercise shouldn’t just physically benefit the body, it needs to feed the mind and the soul as well.

A simple freckle on the inside of my arm helped me realize that I had always pushed both my body and mind toward the goal of what I believe health looked like but didn’t really appreciate what health felt like. I had no idea there even was a freckle on my arm until I was in that yoga class. It was there all of my life and it wasn’t until yoga opened my eyes to the world around me (and on me!), I noticed new (but old) things.

Yoga changed the way I thought about exercise forever. It took me a very long time to return to running.  Running used to be a punishing exercise and now, it’s somewhat enjoyable.

That’s so funny, because I think of you as a runner! (Melissa contributed to my round-up of the best places to run in NYC). So, yoga helped you enjoy it – is it still something you like doing?

I’m not a born runner. I don’t looooove running like many other runners but now I run because I want to run, not as an obligation to keep fit. I’m a different person now (I changed careers from marketing to dietetics and became a wife and mother) than when I originally became a runner.

What about when you were pregnant – did you work out during pregnancy? And how did becoming a parent change the way you worked out and approached fitness?

I didn’t run while I was pregnant and my major exercise during pregnancy were the long full-time hours I worked as a Clinical Dietitian in a hospital (you spend a lot of time on your feet and walking from patient to patient, believe it or not).

After having a child, your life changes. You say that it won’t, but it does. The one thing that didn’t change for me was the way that I felt about exercise. The perspective of feeding your body, mind and soul became more evident after becoming a parent.

There are some women who jump right back into fitness after giving birth but I wasn’t one of them. Breastfeeding helped the weight come off quickly but finding my way back to regular exercise took time.

While I loved yoga, getting to a class wasn’t so easy after the arrival of a baby and having a home practice wasn’t something I ever did (even in my heyday of yoga). I returned back to running and after learning that a fellow mom was a 10 time marathon finisher, I ran with her and my life changed again.

Other than the group runs I did while training for a marathon, I always ran alone. I thought about running with someone else.  When my friend stopped running to take a photo, I was shocked. You could stop?!  In my mind, running wasn’t really running unless you were actually propelling yourself forward at all times! I’m not kidding. Learning that a seasoned runner took the time to stop and take photo during a run made me think about running in a new and different way.

After running with this new mom friend, I learned to be bolder with my own running. I went farther distances, took new routes (like the Brooklyn Bridge) and it helped me deal with the stress that comes along with becoming a new mother.

A lot has changed since the days of being a new parent. For one, I moved across the country in 2012 (from Brooklyn to Los Angeles), I’m a health and fitness blogger and my private nutrition practice is about to launch.

With a nickname like Wild Boy, I’m assuming your son has a lot of energy! Has he developed your love of living healthy?

My nearly 8-year-old boy has developed a love of health and fitness of his own. Wild Boy (yes, his moniker is after the Duran Duran song of the same name) and I have run a few 5K’s together (he even got a shout out from Olympian Ryan Hall at his first race).

It isn’t easy to find time, motivation and desire for fitness once you become a parent but for me, it’s necessary for my sanity. I may not run far or fast but the fact that I’ve gotten the chance to complete two 200 mile relay races at the age of 44 (one as a sponsored athlete), proves that strength and determination can take you far. I’m amazed at what I’ve accomplished and love that I’ve been a role model while doing so.

You obviously love music – do you always have music when you’re working out and running? Have you ever exercised without it?

I absolutely love music. I’ve been an 80’s geek (and Duran Duran fanatic) for a very long time. I was warned about putting my love for Duran Duran front and center in my branding but it’s who I am so I’m letting my music freak flag fly!

Yes, music has always been important in my fitness life. Way back when, I was the weirdo running with a Discman while training for my (one and only) marathon in 1999. For me, a spin class is nothing more than torture if the music is lousy. One of the reasons I became interested in the blogging culture was because I was always on the hunt to add music to my playlists and in the early 2000’s, my favorite running/fitness bloggers had a playlist page or had posts about playlists they used for their races/classes.

I have exercised without music but often it hasn’t been by choice (battery died, no Spotify connection etc.). I’m definitely not one of those people who is motivated by my own breathing (quite the contrary, in fact. I’m often horrified at what I sound like). I wish that I could say that I was intrinsically motivated to run/exercise for the purity of fitness but I’d be lying.

When did you become an RD? Was it something you’ve always been interested in, or was it a change in career for you?

I went back to school to become a Registered Dietitian at age 30 (in 2000) after being in entertainment and marketing. I was in marketing during the e-commerce web development boom era and reached heavy burnout. I took a few months off to re-evaluate what I wanted to do with my life and after a recreational cooking class at the Institute of Culinary Education, it reignited my love of food and healthy living so I decided to start on the path to become a Registered Dietitian. I was a psychology major and intended to go into health psychology but my path after college took me in another direction. Who knew that I’d be in school full-time for 2 years (with requirements like Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry) and a year-long internship (unpaid) before embarking on a new career?

Are you working as an RD now? 

Yes, as a WAHM. I’m a Registered Dietitian who does per diem nutrition education for corporate clients, a regional community center for expectant and new families and I’m building my private practice focusing on women’s health.

What’s the difference for you living in CA now, after Brooklyn living? Is the year-round lovely weather more conducive to staying active all year long?

There are many differences living in California after my many years (17!) of Brooklyn living. I drive now (I had a license but only used it about 12 times in my entire life before I moved to Los Angeles). I miss public transportation, my beloved bridges for running and the many fitness options and restaurants (that deliver!) all being in such close proximity. However, the weather definitely doesn’t suck. I was a weather wimp way before moving west and the gorgeous weather 90% of the time certainly does encourage more outdoor fitness activities. I love living in California but I miss New York very much. There’s a vibe in New York that is unlike anywhere else and I’m sad that my son won’t grow up with it in his veins organically. #heartinNYbodyinLA sums it up well.

When you spoke at A Healthy U, you said something that really resonated with me – that you’re not a fan of the phrase “eating clean”. I’m not either, if only because I feel like it means that if you’re not following clean eating “rules”, then you must be eating “dirty”. What’s your general philosophy on healthy eating?

My philosophy about eating in general is that we eat not only to optimize health and fuel our daily bodily processes but that food (and the way we eat) has a social and emotional component beyond the basics of nutrition and physiology.

To me eating healthy has to come with a sense of being content. There are no “good” foods or “bad” foods, it’s just food. Yes, some foods have more nutrient value than others but food is meant to nourish us in ways beyond the physical. Personally, I live to eat and find pleasure in it. Obsessing over macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat and protein) or calories is no way to live. I believe that health is more than just a number on a scale or blood work alone.

To me, balance is a crock – that one little point where everything is perfect is the unicorn that doesn’t exist. Instead, when referring to health, I like the word “blend” rather than the word “balance”. In my mind, “blend” gives a little more leeway than the tiny point upon which “balance” can be achieved.

Thank you so much for being part of the Fit Mama Friday series this week, Melissa! I loved getting to know a few new things about you and I love your perspective on life and health. 

Want to connect with Melissa? You can read her blog, The Valentine RD, as well as follow her on Instagram, or Twitter.

 

Fit Mama Friday – Fit Dad Friday

Every Friday on Fine Fit Day I feature a Fit Mama or a Fit Dad story of how and why a fit and healthy mama or dad ensures fitness is a priority in her or his life. You’ll read about all kinds of parents and their fitness stories. Some are stay-at-home parents, some are single parents, some juggle more than one job on top of parenthood, but they are all committed to a fit and healthy lifestyle. As you’re getting ready for your weekend, I hope you’re inspired to be active after reading about these kick-ass mamas and dads on Fit Mama Friday – Fit Dad Friday!

 

Do you want to be featured on Fit Mama Friday? Or do you know someone you’d like to see featured? Please contact me for details!