Matthew Pilgrim

I began my college education by enrolling as a Biomedical Engineering major at the Rochester Institute of technology - a logical major choice for an engineering school. After having my fill of Physics, I switched majors to nutrition - a less obvious choice for an engineering school. I was heavily invested in weightlifting and bodybuilding at this time, and nutrition plays a huge role in these hobbies. After completing my degree, I completed post-grad work at the University of New Haven in CT in order to become a Registered Dietitian. Upon becoming an RD in 2019, I spent 2 years working in a dialysis clinic before setting out for Georgia as a travel dietitian. Once I had spent about a year as a travel RD, I switched gears and landed in my current role of an outpatient dietitian, working with clients to help make meaningful changes in their lives.

I utilize a style of counseling called Motivational Interviewing in my sessions, which means you are in the driver’s seat, and I am here to help you navigate to your chosen destination. Practically, this means that you do most of the talking, and I coach you along to identify practical ideas that will work for you as an individual. Food can be complicated - a lot of our decisions are based on emotions. I find it helpful to bring a degree of objectivity to the equation; by identifying our goals around food, we can create specific criteria that support our decisions and makes us confident in our food choices. My favorite part about working with clients is the opportunity to learn from your questions. I certainly do not know everything about nutrition, but I love to learn and look forward to learning from you!

I no longer work as a travel dietitian, but I have continued traveling around the country with my dog, Maisie. Maisie is a complicated mix who came out looking like a Basenji, and we met in Abilene, TX. I spend much of my free time training Maisie, and I also enjoy reading, hiking, and skiing.