About Kate
Katherine Bruno, RDN, CPT, CLT
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist · Certified Personal Trainer · Certified LEAP Therapist · Eating Disorder Educator
My Story
My interest in nutrition and health began very personally.
At eleven, I developed anorexia. My recovery changed the direction of my life. As I learned to rebuild my relationship with food, movement, and my own body, I became fascinated by how closely physical health, emotional wellbeing, and the way we care for ourselves are bound together. Through weight lifting, I learned to value strength — and began to appreciate my body as a whole, not just how it looked.
That experience led me to become a registered dietitian. More than twenty years later, it still shapes how I practice.
But my own health journey didn’t end with eating disorder recovery.
Over the years I have also navigated chronic Lyme disease, digestive illness including H. pylori and SIBO, and breast cancer. Those experiences gave me something I consider invaluable in this work: the perspective of being the patient.
I know what it is to live with symptoms that don’t resolve, to sort through conflicting information, to try one approach after another, and to wonder whether you will ever feel like yourself again. I also know how quickly food can become one more overwhelming thing when you are already managing a complicated diagnosis.
Those years reinforced something that sits at the center of my practice: there is no one-size-fits-all approach to health, and nutrition should support your life rather than take it over.
My goal is to help you find an approach that is evidence-informed, practical, sustainable, and right for you — one that honors the physical, emotional, and psychological sides of health together.
The Power of Sharing Your Story
One thing I’ve come to believe through my own experience is that there is real power in telling our stories.
Sharing mine — eating disorder recovery first, and later chronic illness and breast cancer — has been part of my own healing. Each time we give words to something we’ve lived through, we set down a little of its weight. We don’t erase what happened, and we don’t have to pretend it didn’t shape us. But we can begin to carry it differently.
Sometimes healing starts with having someone listen without judgment. That is what I try to bring to every client.
You don’t need to have anything figured out before you begin. Bring the complicated parts, the things you’re still working out, and the experiences that have shaped how you relate to food, your body, and your health.
My hope is that our work together helps you make sense of your own story, find some compassion for where you’ve been, and feel steadier about where you’re going.
In that spirit, here is mine. This recording tells how On Track began — my own recovery, and the decision to build a practice around what it taught me. You’re welcome to listen.
Why “On Track”?
My own experiences have taught me that health isn’t always a straight line. There can be setbacks, unexpected diagnoses, confusing information, and seasons when simply figuring out what to do next feels exhausting.
Being “on track” doesn’t mean doing everything perfectly. It means knowing where you want to go, having the support to navigate the detours, and learning how to get back on track when life inevitably takes you somewhere unexpected.
That’s the heart of On Track Nutrition & Fitness. My goal isn’t simply to tell you what to eat — it’s to help you understand your body, rebuild trust in yourself, and develop tools that let you live a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Professional Background
I studied dietetics, exercise physiology, and psychology at Cornell University, then completed my dietetic internship at Keene State College in New Hampshire and pursued graduate studies in education. While I was in school I worked at a local fitness center as a personal trainer and nutrition consultant, and competed as a powerlifter and triathlete — I still hold several competitive records in New York State.
After moving to Virginia, I began my clinical career at the University of Virginia Medical Center. Working as the nutritionist for UVA athletes let me pursue a long-standing interest in sports nutrition and the female athlete triad, while my private practice in nutrition counseling and personal training grew alongside it, with my specialty in eating disorders in high demand across the region.
Over the past twenty years my work has continued to evolve. Today my practice centers on eating disorder recovery and nutrition therapy, digestive health, chronic illness, women’s health through perimenopause and menopause, sports nutrition, and personal training for strength and healthy aging. I also offer wellness and body image workshops, support groups, and corporate seminars.
I see clients in person in Charlottesville, Virginia, with virtual nutrition counseling also available.
As Featured In
Kate has been featured in People Magazine, The Daily Progress, Alternative Medicine Magazine, and The C-VILLE Weekly, and has appeared on television and radio educating the public about eating disorders and promoting health and wellness.
Credentials & Memberships
Kate Bruno, RDN — Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified LEAP Therapist (Lifestyle, Eating and Performance).
Credentialing agencies: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Commission on Dietetic Registration, American Council on Exercise, Oxford Biomedical Technologies (LEAP).
My Approach
My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and individualized.
I don’t believe in rigid rules, “good” and “bad” foods, or a perfect diet. I also don’t believe that nutrition should become another source of stress, or something you have to get “right.”
Instead, I help clients build a healthier and more trusting relationship with food, movement, and their bodies, while finding realistic strategies that fit their own needs and circumstances.
Sometimes our work focuses on nutrition. Sometimes it involves looking at patterns, beliefs, behaviors, stress, sleep, movement, or the way you’ve learned to relate to your body.
And sometimes the most important thing I can offer is simply a place where you can be honest about what you’re experiencing without feeling judged.
When Your Values Matter
I believe our health is connected to the things that give our lives meaning.
For clients who find faith, spirituality, or personal values meaningful, I’m comfortable thoughtfully incorporating those beliefs into our work when they feel supportive and appropriate.
You don’t have to share my beliefs for us to work together. My role is to understand what matters to you, and to help you build a healthier life that’s consistent with your own values.
I’m Glad You’re Here
Whether you’re recovering from an eating disorder, struggling with digestive symptoms, navigating menopause or another major health transition, living with chronic illness, or simply wanting to feel better in your body and your life — you don’t have to figure it all out alone.
I’d be honored to hear your story.
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