Heather Mackie

Heather Mackie, MS, RD, LD is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro where she received her Masters Degree in Nutrition. She also has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science from the University of Mississippi. During her dietetic internship rotation for her graduate studies, Heather worked as a dietetic intern at the world-renowned Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, North Carolina. That experience heightened her interest in working with patients affected by obesity in order to achieve a better quality of life. It was Heather’s mission to make a healthy lifestyle, including meal planning and eating, something fun and enjoyable for all. This mission landed her a job with a program that exclusively worked with bariatric patients, both surgical and non-surgical. There she got to work with all types of surgical patients (gastric bypass, Lap-Band®, sleeve gastrectomy, duodenal switch, revision, and other types via research trials). She developed the nutrition program for the clinic that was later implemented into the hospital system across the region. It is there that she continuously noticed a common struggle for patients – trying to find a vitamin and mineral supplement that they could be compliant with for LIFE. She describes it as finding that last, missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle so they can continue on their journey to wellness! That puzzle took her to working at Celebrate Vitamins as a Territory Manager and later as the Director of Nutrition. She thoroughly enjoyed her almost 8 years at Celebrate helping patients find supplements that would help them maintain their health and helping professionals better understand the importance of proper nutritional supplementation prior to and following bariatric surgery. During her time at Celebrate, she also co-authored the Path to Success, a medical weight loss program. Heather also obtained experience as the Southeast Regional Nutrition Proctor for Allergan Medical. She was chosen to train other dietitians how to best care for Lap-Band® patients regarding their nutritional status. She was involved in several on-going research projects at her previous employment. Heather holds the following certifications: National Institute of Health for Clinical Research, Bariatric Nutrition Course – BariMD, Lap-Band® Total Care Champion, Lap-Band® Adjustable Gastric Banding System Patient Management and Allied Health Workshops, GE Healthcare iDXA enCORE Operating Training, and Korr Cardio Coach Operating Training. She actively participates in several allied health training sessions, patient education presentations, and community health and wellness events across the region and country. Previously, Heather worked for Frontera Strategies, the leading provider of on-site, mobile diagnostic testing to help make bariatric surgery safer for all patients. She now works for FitForMe as the US Country Manager as they venture into the US market for bariatric supplementation. She looks forward to taking this European market leader to the US to help more patients be compliant with supplementation and reduce their risk of nutritional deficiencies. Heather is licensed to practice nutrition by the State of Texas, and is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Weight Management Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy, the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.