Sarah Wenig: Your New Favorite Dietitian

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By Lauren Ofman, EIC

Heath and fitness can be a daunting subject for many college students. Especially during a pandemic, it can often be difficult to find the motivation to work out and eat healthy. I spoke to Sarah Wenig, a dietitian and pilates instructor living in NYC to learn more about how to live a easy, healthy lifestyle!

Why did you choose to become a dietitian?

“It’s interesting because it was never a pre-planned goal of mine. I ended up studying human development during my undergrad because I’ve always been interested in what motivates people and what influences us to make decisions. After college, I was living in New York City pursuing a career in acting, and needed a supplemental income between auditions so decided to go for my Pilates certification – I figured it was a great, flexible way to stay fit while making money and having control of my schedule. I quickly fell in love with the way Pilates made me feel and how strong I felt in my own body. Throughout teaching Pilates – which I did in NYC, Tel Aviv and Los Angeles – a lot of my clients wanted my advice on nutrition and would ask me questions about what they should be eating.

The reality was that I myself struggled with food in many different ways, for many years, but I discovered that how I was feeling was greatly influenced by how I was taking care of my body, both physically and nutritionally. I did an online health coaching certification to get my feet wet, and after completing it wanted an even deeper understanding of the science behind it all. So, I decided to jump in and pursue the path of becoming a registered dietitian.”

What do you think are the 3 main components of a healthy lifestyle?

“First and foremost, you have to do what makes you feel most comfortable in your own skin. It sounds cliché but learning what works and what doesn’t work for you is crucial in making the healthiest choices for yourself. Second, everyone needs to find some sort of movement that makes them feel great in their own body, even if it’s just for 10 minutes a day. There are tons of different workouts out there, so although you may not be a Pilates person, it’s important to find something you enjoy because it’s in that movement that you can shake off a bad day, think through your thoughts, gain clarity, and learn to feel good in your own body. Consider this your daily dose of physical meditation! Lastly, you need to enjoy life. You don’t have to be perfect and model-citizen healthy all the time. At most it’s the 80-20 rule: 80% of the time follow whatever your healthy regimen means for you. And then that last 20% of the time indulge, enjoy and don’t stress over it. Have a day where you binge watch Netflix all day and eat all the junk food, but be mindful of that being your indulgence and then go for a long walk the next morning and cook your meals that day; have a night where you drink tequila, stay out ‘til 4am and miss your AM workout, but then make sure you drink a ton of water and eat a bunch of veggies the next day. It’s all about balance and still enjoying your life.”

Tell me a little about your services as a dietitian?

“As a dietitian, I’m here to support my clients and help them reach whatever their specific goals may be. For some it may be weight loss or weight gain, for others it could be dietary changes in relation to an illness or disease. It could even be those who decided to take a different approach to their wellness routine and are simply learning how to read a nutrition label for the first time. Regardless of the starting point, I work hand in hand with each client to assess their current lifestyle and help them map out a plan to get them where they want to go. This includes a combo of exercise that works best for the client – I also teach strength training and functional movement. Wellness is a state of mind – we want your physical body fed just as much as your soul, so it’s about making sure you’re enjoying life with the right balance of food and fitness.

Short list, I offer nutrition education sessions, grocery store tours, fridge makeovers, recipe development and fitness/nutrition combo packages, as well as private one-on-one consulting sessions.”

What has teaching Pilates taught you about leading a healthy life?

“Teaching Pilates to other people actually helped me understand more about my own wellness boundaries. In college, I thought I was “healthy” but the reality is I was killing myself with endless amounts of cardio and wasn’t eating nearly enough as I should have been for my body to be in peak performance. A lot of people can easily fall into the trap of thinking they’re being healthy by fully committing to whatever the latest diet or exercise trend is. People are quick to apply it to their life without any other context. I realized the importance of listening to my own body and nurturing myself just as much as I had been doing with my clients – which for me meant things like getting proper sleep and following a balanced diet.

Pilates has also shown me the importance of striking the right balance between mind and body. Beyond the physical demands, Pilates is just as much about controlling your breath to be in sync with the movements. When class is done it’s almost as if you’re coming out of a meditative state – which may sound weird considering we’re talking about an exercise class – but because of the focus on the breath throughout the exercises, there’s a calmness and simultaneously a release of endorphins that occurs. There’s something to be said about the feeling and Pilates is truly something I crave.”

Why should college students use your service?

“The earlier you start tuning into your body, the further ahead you’ll be later in life. Awareness is a powerful tool and will help you navigate life post-college in more ways than one. By starting now to lay down a foundation with your own version of wellness, it will put you so much further ahead than most people. So often I’m seeing clients in their late 20’s/early 30’s that are essentially playing catch-up; they’ve never felt they had to think about diet or exercise in the past and now all of a sudden they’re facing new health struggles that they’re never seen before. These issues may not be serious, but it’s hard to break years and years of habits. This all culminates to me saying how you feel on the inside impacts how you portray yourself on the outside. I’m simply here to help you put your best foot forward.”

Sarah’s business site is in the works! Until then, you can find her on social media @sarahameliawenig or reach her by email at Sarah.amelia.wenig@gmail.com.

Bio:

Sarah Wenig is a dietitian, Pilates instructor and a board-certified health coach based in Manhattan, New York. She has over 8 years of experience working in fitness and wellness both in the United States and internationally. Sarah currently is pursuing a dual Masters of Science in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at Columbia University, with an emphasis on sports nutrition.