Meet Carla

This is how it all started…

I was only 12 years old when I realized I had to lose weight. And so I did.

During preadolescence everything related to the body can be, for most of us, a nightmare. The trauma of not finding any clothes to wear, among many other issues typical of that stage, were my driving forces to take action.

I made up my mind and hopped to it. I designed a diet (yes, by myself) and, feeling remarkably determined, I started following it in March — which is casually Nutrition Month.

I designed the diet by myself not because I had enough knowledge to do so, but because my determination drove me to take action. I just sat down and I designed my weekly menu in some index cards.

My goal was to lose 35 pounds by my birthday in August. That date was perfect because I would look renewed when going back to school.

To reach my goal, I kept a diary where I wrote everything down in detail, including my meals and my workouts at Nu Lady gym. I would check my weight every week and write it down too. I still remember that diary. It contained ring-bound sheets with dividing lines. That diary with my notes in it represented the strong commitment I had made with myself.

It was a solid commitment. In the afternoons, after school, I would go to the gym. If no one could bring me there, I would follow aerobic videos at home (do you remember Gilad’s Bodies in Motion?). I would also go cycling on the weekends.

My grandma helped me as well. Many times, I asked her to prepare some grapefruit frozen ice limbers for me. I was convinced that grapefruit was good to burn fat (one of the many myths I believed in at that time).

As regards the diet, it wasn’t very complex: turkey sandwiches, oatmeal, salads… everything in small portions.

Eventually, August came. I will never forget how excited I felt that first day of my eighth grade. I had made it! I looked slim. I didn’t lose 35 pounds, as I had resolved, but 40 pounds instead! I was no longer size 14, but 4! It was such an amazing feeling. Casual days would no longer be a nightmare.

I maintained the same weight for a couple of years, but then, when I turned 15, I regained about 20 pounds. I did no longer feel troubled about it and I had given up working out.

One day, after returning from a holiday, I remember noticing that my clothes didn’t fit me. Yes. It was time to restart the divine plan. I had to lose weight again.

My priority was to find a sport that I liked. I started running and enjoyed it a lot! I managed to lose weight and, this time, the fact that I didn’t want to regain it was crystal clear to me. The thing is that, when an obese person loses weight, the fat cells (adipocytes) decrease in size but never really disappear. Therefore, at the first minor disarray concerning the diet, those nostalgic cells start collecting the fats you take in and accumulate them eagerly.

Nowadays, physical exercise is an essential part of my life. I work out every day, and with great pleasure! If I don’t move, I don’t feel good. It’s something I truly enjoy.

And, of course, when it came to deciding what to study, I knew I was passionate about nutrition.

We can all feel at ease with our bodies and enjoy the wellbeing that comes with a healthy lifestyle.

I know how challenging it can be to fight against weight and lifestyle changes. That’s why I’d love to help you.

Let’s give it all!

Carla L. de la Torre Castrillo, M.Ex.Sc., RD, LND, CSSD, ED

Academic preparation

• Postgraduate degree in Nutritional Coaching and New Approaches to Patient Care (Barcelona University, Spain, 2018)

• Master’s in Nutrition in Physical Activity and Sport (Barcelona University, Spain, 2017)

• Master’s in Exercise Sciences with a concentration in Exercise Physiology (Puerto Rico University, Río Piedras, 2008)

• Internship in Dietetics (Puerto Rico University, Medical Science Campus, 2005)

• Bachelor’s in Nutrition and Dietetics (Puerto Rico University, Río Piedras, 2004)

Professional certifications

• Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP Institute Barcelona, Spain, 2017)

• Master’s in Coaching with Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP Institute Barcelona, Spain, 2015)

• Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) (2014)

• Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) (2012)

• Registered Dietitian (RD) (2006)

• Licensed in Nutrition and Dietetics (LND) (2006)

Professional recognitions

• Leader in Emerging Dietetics of 2024 (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

• Outstanding Dietitian of the Year 2020 (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

Work experience

• Carla Mi Nutricionista (San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2006-present)

• Nutritionist for the Wellness in Action Program of Para la Naturaleza (Puerto Rico, 2014-present)

• Restoravita (San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2014-2016)

• Nutritionist for the Wellness Program of Kimberly Clark (San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2008-2014)

• Professor of Sports Nutrition for the Exercise Sciences Program of the Sagrado Corazón University (San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2006-2010)

• Clinical Dietitian, San Juan Capestrano Hospital (San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2005-2006)

I worked as a consultant for:

• Pueblo Ciudadela

• DOVE

• To Go Stores

• Kimberly Clark

• UNICA

• La Vuelta Puerto Rico