Fiona O'Donnell MSc Nutritionist

Fiona O'Donnell MSc Nutritionist Empowering change for a healthier, fitter you. Nutritionist and lifestyle coach. Founder of Feedback is more than welcome and is very much appreciated.

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.

Delighted to share that I am now a fully certified facilitator of Lego Serious Play. This medium, when used in a coachin...
20/02/2026

Delighted to share that I am now a fully certified facilitator of Lego Serious Play.

This medium, when used in a coaching relationship, allows us to think with our hands and gain very valuable insights into our thinking patterns and behaviours.

When I first engaged with LSP, I didn’t quite believe in its potential - however after both leading (as a facilitator) and partaking in over six weeks of LSP sessions, I couldn’t wait to get my qualification and bring it to my clients.

If you would like to discuss bringing an LSP workshop to your organisation, email info@fionaodonnell.ie.

Or send me a DM entitled LEGO

Bags packed for a night away to celebrate kissing my love for 25years today! It all started after I had received a compl...
18/02/2026

Bags packed for a night away to celebrate kissing my love for 25years today!

It all started after I had received a complaint at work (inappropriate dress wear …. Sleeveless polo and pencil skirt) (locking staff out of my files on the computer because they kept going in and changing things round)….

Anyway…. I was having a bad day.

He thought I was engaged….

I thought he was living with a girlfriend….

So it was two colleagues heading for a drink to blow off steam…

After a pint, I told him he should go….
“Won’t your girlfriend be wondering where you are….”

He looked at me with shock:
“I don’t have a girlfriend…. Anyway…. What about your fiancé….”

And realisation dawned!

Engaged 7 months later.

Married a year after that….

25 years of laughing, crying, adventuring, and growing together.

In the interest of preserving his social media free life, I won’t post him!

Happiness is…..
Sharing our most precious resource…. Time… together!

Fate, by Susan Marr Spalding - Happy Valentines peeps. Grateful every single day to have found my match.
14/02/2026

Fate, by Susan Marr Spalding -

Happy Valentines peeps.

Grateful every single day to have found my match.

13/02/2026

I’m really not doing myself any favours on the algorithm at the moment with these long form videos -

But really, it’s about honesty - not popularity.

Take a look at this and tell me what you think.

12/02/2026

As my attempts to provide education to the masses this week have failed miserably (from an algorithm perspective)…..

I’m hopeful that Pippy the Viszla might re-establish my good standing on your screens.

If you’re seeing this, let me know in the comments - and give me an idea of what kind of content you might like to see more of on my grid.

10/02/2026

Please remember - I am explaining these mechanisms outside of a conversation around dieting.
Chronic energy surplus will contribute to greater fat storage - however, where we store and how we use fat changes as we age.

Let’s get straight to it:

1. Perimenopause & oestrogen decline

You’ve heard this one before - there’s a shift of regional fat storage from hips and thighs to the abdomen. We see an increase in visceral fat. But we also see a shift to peripheral upper body.

2. A shift towards higher alpha:beta adrenergic receptors locally means that lipolysis (breaking down fat stores for fuel) is reduced

3. Recomposition
Increased age is related to reduced mechanical loading of the upper body.

Older women walk more, lift less.
So we see fat infiltration between the muscle fibres. Our arms become a passive storage depot for fat storage as we continue to reduce cross sectional muscle density.

4. Insulin resistance
Peripheral insulin sensitivity is reduced and subcutaneous fat cells expand to help buffer circulating lipids.

This actually means that expanding arm size means our bodies are working hard to keep us healthy!!!

5. Cortisol and chronic stress signalling.
Here’s where the influencers make their $$$$

Chronic stress and higher cortisol levels do promote the creation of fat cells. Muscle synthesis (growth) can also be impaired.
The perfect storm of lower oestrogen and higher cortisol interact to amplify fat deposition through the mechanisms we have already discussed.

So….. you know the way you thought you were doing something wrong..

I’m here to tell you that these mechanisms are normal.

In the final post in this series (I’ll post it tomorrow) I’ll explain the steps you can take to support your body and diminish the effects of these mechanisms.

Hit share if you feel this information would be useful for a friend.

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Clonakilty

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