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Fiona O'Donnell MSc Nutritionist, Clonakilty (2025)

I built this page initially to chronicle my journey from marathon running to competing in figure competition. I love training and I also love eating - so dieting is a big challenge for me. For this reason, I try to develop new recipes which are gluten free, sugar free, low carb (for the most part) and highly nutritious. I am open to learning as much as I can whilst on this journey. Following completion of my MSc in Exercise & Nutrition Science, I am now working through a post grad in Applied Nutrition with the CISSN.

27/09/2025

Look….. we need to talk.

It’s not me….. it’s you.

I know that’s difficult to hear…. But, it’s the truth.

If you feel angry enough about a potato waffle …. On a nutrition post that’s clearly designed to make a point using humour (even stated in the caption)….

Then you’re definitely better off stepping away from social media…

Folks, it might surprise you to know this…

But I don’t promote over reliance on highly processed foods.

In many households - there is no option BUT to rely on these meals…. For many different reasons.

I’m suggesting that shaming people for these choices is not the way to go.

Did you know that living with renal failure means I have to significantly limit my intake of processed foods…. Not because of seed oils or cHeMiCaLs….

But because of normal things like salt (blood pressure risk) content, sugar content (higher diabetes risk) and things like phosphates and potassium.

Vigilance with my nutrition is literally keeping me alive.

And I still don’t read labels in the supermarket.

I just try to eat whole foods where I can and limit processed foods when it’s possible to do so.

Understanding labels is great.

If you’re trying to reduce saturated fat in your diet, increase your fibre or protein or vitamin D…. It’s a useful skill.

Understanding that clever marketing isn’t always truthful marketing…..also useful.

AND finally…. Realising that fear is the marketers TOP tactic to drive sales….thats an excellent 🚩 for making you aware that someone is trying to sell you something.

Now, let’s all just calm down.
Take a breath….

If you want to debate, I’d be happy to.
Once you engage with respect ….
And bring evidence to support your claims.

23/09/2025

As part of our MA in Applied Psychology, myself, & delivered a LEGO Serious Play workshop.

We were facilitating learning around fixed & growth mindsets and how your thinking can either hold you back or allow you to flourish.

What an incredible workshop with incredible people in the most magical space.

My heart is full and the gratitude I feel to have been under the tutelage of for this workshop is huge.

I’ve gone from feeling curious and a little doubtful to excited and a firm believer that LSP will soon become one of the modalities I use with in person coaching.

20/09/2025

A lot of what you see on social media uses persuasion to change behaviour.

The promise of a reward ….
Before and after photos….
A promise that ‘my way is the easiest way…. The secret step to getting what you want’…

That works!

Short term.

And that’s why once you reach your goal, everything gradually moves back to where it was before.

Heuristics is a word you may not have heard before…

But it basically translates to all the short cuts we take in our behaviour without thinking…

Even our brains are incredibly efficient. They spot a behaviour that works, create a habit, and then automate.

For example, you don’t wake up in the morning and have a long think about which side of the bed to climb out of ….

That would be wild!

Many of our behaviours around food are automatic.

That includes the behaviours that support health and the ones that don’t.

Maybe you automatically cook a vegetable …. Any vegetable … at dinner time.

Do you automatically stick in the coffee machine when you go downstairs?

What about when you sit down in front of the TV at 9pm with a cup of tea and a purple snack….. every evening….

Now what if I said ‘stop doing those things for a week’.

You would REALLY have to think about it. What will I have instead of veg?

What will I do without my coffee (the emotional load that goes with this….. phew)

No more chocolate….

It’s a lot of work to change everything - all at once.

And yet, we take that route time and time again - even though it’s not sustainable.

We value something MORE when we feel we have to work harder to put it together.

And THIS is why when we are given complex training protocols, nutrition plans to follow, and a list of foods we can’t eat…..

It’s almost appealing!
A complex plan to follow and feel good about.

It’s how our brains are wired.
But the pity is…. We always revert to the status quo.

We always go back to baseline.
When stressed, tired, emotional….

That’s why WE work at helping you to change YOUR status quo.

Craft a picture you want for yourself.

We aren’t here for just the good times - we are here to support you for the bigger picture.

DM with OCTOBER to chat

18/09/2025

This client wasn’t even part of our main programme.

Last year, I offered low cost coaching as part of my masters in applied psychology - and she applied.

We worked together weekly in November, then went to fortnightly sessions.

She had such a huge understanding of what we call ‘food on paper’ ….

The numbers.

She knew which foods had all the fibre.
….where to get more protein in her diet.

She had figured out which chocolate bars provided the lowest calories to fit her day.

But here’s where she recognised she had to change.

Her favourite chocolate bar became scarce. The ‘animal bar’ that was ‘allowed’ in her diet was no longer on the shelves and it made her feel stressed.

She said she felt like she did when she smoked and she was going on a long haul flight….. consumed by worry about where she would get her next opportunity to smoke.

And she hated it.

Prompted by previous experience of giving up ci******es, she decided to give up chocolate.

She was ‘so good’ Monday to Friday and by Sunday evenings she always felt the need to break out before heading into another week of ‘being good’

We worked together to identify and reframe her right/wrong, good/bad ideology around food.

For someone who believed that the only potential metric for success was the weighing scales, she started to explore other things she could celebrate.

These included consistent improvements to fitness (strength, cardiovascular and consistency).

We worked on reframing her internal narrative - how she spoke to herself about perceived failures.

But most importantly, we used proven strategies to shift her locus of control so that she felt in control of her decisions and her outcomes.

How she felt in her body wasn’t in anyone else’s hands….

We finished working together in February.

She signed up with a weight neutral PT who wasn’t asking her about her weight or dress size.

And 7 months later, she is still committed to her growth.

This sounds like success to me!

If this sounds familiar and you’re ready to work on YOU, pop me a DM and let’s get started.
Or
Info@fionaodonnell.ie

Address

Clonakilty

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+353873841233

Website

http://www.fionaodonnell.ie/

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Fiona O'Donnell MSc Nutritionist