Alyssa Leib, MS, RD
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Alyssa Leib, RD | Fuel For The Mountains
Hailing from Southern Appalachia, the mountains have always played an important part in Alyssa's life. However, throughout her childhood and adolescence, Alyssa's primary focus was soccer. She started running in college, which is fulfilling in so many ways - but she deeply missed the camaraderie of team sports. This all changed when she took up rock climbing after moving to Colorado and was blown away by the sense of community she felt - whether in the gym or at the crag.
However, she soon became aware of just how common under-fueling is in the climbing community - as well as others that she is a part of. This led to her shifting tracks and changing careers to become a dietitian so that she could support athletes in fueling their activities adequately and making peace with food and with their bodies.
After recovering from an eating disorder that occupied most of her early adulthood, Alyssa knew that she could play an important role in preventing athletes from going down that same path. As a Registered Dietitian, Alyssa works primarily with mountain athletes to help them fuel their bodies to perform and FEEL their best... all while cultivating a healthy relationship with food.
Professional Services
I’m an anti-diet sports dietitian and lover of all things mountain sports.
I’ve been there, and I get it.
As a trail runner, I know what it’s like to bonk.
As a rock climber, I understand the frustration of pulley injuries.
I’ve worked through the challenges of packing food for a thru hike, navigated hydration and fueling issues while riding chair lifts and skinning up mountains, and felt the pressure to be lighter to succeed.
Who better to go to for your nutrition advice?
As a dietitian, I believe that physical health matters. As an athlete, I understand the importance of performance. As a human being, I know that setting PRs and sending higher grades isn’t sustainable if it comes at the expense of your mental health.
That’s why I support all of my athletes in building and nurturing a positive relationship with food and with their bodies.
I believe in a focus on what to add - rather than on what to take away - to prevent injuries, perform better, and feel your best.
SPECIALTIES: Alyssa works primarily in sports nutrition and eating disorders/disordered eating, but is qualified to provide medical nutrition therapy in the treatment of certain disease states (ex: gut issues, thyroid disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions). She is also a Certified Lactation Counselor and loves working with pregnant and postpartum women!
LOCATIONS: Alyssa is licensed in Utah, Montana, and Nevada, and can practice unrestricted in Colorado, Arizona, California, and Virginia. For other states, please reach out to her, as she can do some research to see if she is able to work with you.
*Note per Alyssa: Dietetic licensure is tricky! About half of the states do not require licensure unless there is a medical condition involved and some states do not require licensure at all.
FEES: Alyssa does not currently accept insurance, but hopefully will soon! However, she does accept HSA/FSA payments, and can provide a superbill for potential reimbursement. She also offers sliding scale rates on cash fees.
What lessons have you gleaned from adventures have you been able to apply to your personal and professional life otherwise?
To accomplish your goals, you must eat ENOUGH.
Do you have a bucket list of adventures? If so, what's at the top?
I finally started writing down my goals a couple of years ago - more as a way to keep track of cool adventures than as a way to keep myself accountable. Every year, more things get added to the list than get crossed off. One day, I'd love to circumnavigate the Fitzroy massif in Patagonia... but there are so many other places I'd like to explore before returning to that part of the world.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start embracing adventure in their life?
It doesn't have to be grand! Start in your backyard. As a kid, I used to have grand adventures in the woods behind my house. As an adult, I still get stoked when I discover a new trail in the town that I live in. Big expeditions are exciting, but there is so much adventure to be had close to home.
Have you ever experienced a sense of awe or wonder during an adventure? If so, can you describe it?
I've always said that I'm more of a mountain person than a desert person. I've been fortunate enough to see a lot of incredible things in the American Southwest, but nothing that has made me feel like I need to sit down and take everything in quite like alpine mountains do. I have this experience every time I see El Cap in Yosemite or the Diamond on Long's Peak.
How do you handle fear or uncertainty during your adventures?
I used to think that fear was something you had to push past in order to be viewed as "worthy" as an athlete. After a harrowing experience a couple of years ago shattered my confidence, I've spent a lot more time considering how important it really is to push through fear. I think there is something to be said for challenging yourself and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, but the line between this and ego can be thin.
Beth Rodden, one of the best female climbers in history, wrote in her book about how afraid lead climbing has often made her - and how she much prefers top roping. If Beth Rodden can choose top roping, so can I.
Can you share a memorable encounter with wildlife during one of your adventures?
It took me 7 years of living in Colorado and spending most of my free time in the backcountry to actually encounter a bear, and it fittingly happened while climbing Bear Peak - a very popular trail in Boulder.
What motivates you to keep exploring and seeking new adventures?
There are so many cool things to see in the world and not nearly enough time.
What's the longest journey or expedition you've ever undertaken?
It sounds cheesy, but this has been the journey to respect my body. Especially as women, we are bombarded with messaging for as long as we can remember about how we are only useful because of what our bodies look like. Hating and trying to change your body is the norm - and making peace with it is radical in a lot of ways. This was a journey I was on for ~25 years.
As far as mountain adventures go, the John Muir Trail took me 16 days!
What part of adventure is the most exciting for you, and why? (Planning stage, sitting around a campfire, the challenge, packing up, looking at pictures after, etc?)
I am a type 2 fun junkie. For me, the feelings of my lungs burning and my muscles screaming as I push up a climb just can't be beat (except perhaps by that split second when cresting a climb and getting to look down and say "cool, I did that"). I get very involved in planning and have been known to make multiple spreadsheets for longer trips - but I genuinely wish I could be more ok with winging things. Pushing myself physically (and mentally) is what excites me the most.
How do you find balance between spontaneity and careful planning in your adventures?
I'm racing ultras this year in May and September. This question has been on my mind a lot over the last couple of weeks as I try to figure out how to balance needing to maintain fitness for a hard mountain ultra with wanting to say “yes” to adventures that may not fit neatly into a training plan this summer. The key to this I think will be shifting my training week to start on Friday - that way, I can do whatever fun thing comes my way during the weekend and still have time to modify any run-specific training during the week after. Ask me in a few months how this goes - my priority is definitely being able to say “yes” to adventure.
