Elissa Lueckemeyer RDN, LD, owner of Food 4 Success, LLC

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to introduce myself and share my passion. Let me start off by saying, I really like good food and want you to enjoy good food too. Life is way too short to not enjoy your food, or let feelings of uncertainty or guilt get in the way.  I have experienced those feelings myself first hand, actually. Before dietetics, my passion was becoming a professional ballet dancer. Unfortunately, not understanding how to properly fuel my body really stunted my performance goals with fatigue and injury. I also had friends and family that were struggling with chronic diseases they were trying to manage, but were left frustrated and confused by an overload of misleading and conflicting diet advice.  Thus, another passion was born. I attended Texas State University to earn my Bachelors of Science degree in Nutrition with a minor in Chemistry from Texas State University-San Marcos, and then graduated from Texas State University’s Dietetic Internship in 2010.  As a registered dietitian licensed in the state of Texas, I have been equipped with the education, life experiences and training to provide individuals of all backgrounds CREDIBLE, evidence-based nutrition therapy and recommendations. These services provide results for life, while facilitating positive relationships with food. It brings me such great joy to see my client’s health improve, see their goals being reached, and have them STILL enjoy what they eat! What a blessing to get to do this for a living!

I am a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, South Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and have experience in many clinical settings including long-term care and rehabilitation, as well as in personal nutritional counseling. I have enjoyed writing numerous online and print nutrition publications including Moxie Magazine, TheNest.com, LiveStrong.com, Modern Mom Nutrition, and for the Houston Chronicle, as well as maintaining my own nutrition blog, Wholesome Simplicity.  I have served as the company dietitian for Ballet San Antonio and as the lead dietitian at New Braunfels Regional Rehabilitation Hospital.

I am a firm believer in natural, whole foods, and that a healthy eating lifestyle should be about the small, positive changes rather than achieving “diet perfection.” I do not condone diets for weight loss. They stink, have the word “die” in them, and as I’ve seen time after time, DO NOT WORK. Diets in this case are temporary and usually cause more harm than good, including destroying your metabolism with yo-yo results. I am much more interested in helping individuals achieve permanent results through behavioral change lifestyle therapies and nutrition education. I am also very passionate about medical nutrition therapy – using food to help manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, cancer, and more. I provide enteral nutrition support for individuals on tube-feedings. I also enjoy helping medical organizations and businesses help their patients or employees meet health goals through wellness presentations on a variety of topics. I love developing online courses, so people can gain helpful tips whenever is convenient for them.

Other fun facts: I am a very messy cook–ask my husband. I love seafood, chocolate, and doing pirouettes in my kitchen without breaking anything. I am the very proud mama of Matthew and Emily. When I was pregnant, I craved Whataburger. Much of this business has been built on nap-times.

Kelci Baez MS, RDN, LD

Hi, I’m Kelci! As a registered dietitian I hold a Bachelors and Masters in nutrition and foods from Texas State University. What that means is I am a specialized and legally licensed nutrition nerd that loves helping others achieve their nutrition goals through an scientific evidence based approach. I am also a very busy mom and dog mom. My passion is helping people reach their health goals through nutrition and physical activity, especially when our schedules get so busy.

My approach to care is empowering you. I’m here to give personalized nutrition advice that is easy to understand and easy to achieve through simple and sustainable lifestyle changes.

Favorite nutrition topics

• Maternal and child nutrition. This is largely because I had my children while studying nutrition.
• Sports nutrition
• Whatever you want to talk about. I love answering questions!

Some fun things to know about me:

• I speak Spanish as a second language and have lived in Hermosillo, Mexico and Spain.
• I am a workout enthusiast and have experience in bodybuilding, CrossFit, powerlifting, and cycling.
• I like to get crafty and love artistic outlets! Often that looks like doing something crazy with my kids, drawing, or creating digital art.

Let’s work together to find the smartest choices to accomplish your goals. I hope to see you soon.

Brianna Gillespie MS, RDN, LD

Hi y’all! My name is Brianna, and I am so excited to be a part of the Food 4 Success team. My passion for nutrition started over 10 years ago when I was a new mom. I wanted a better understanding of how to nourish my growing family and decided that I also wanted to make it a career. Shortly after starting my undergrad I realized that I had absolutely no clue about nutrition or how to eat for health. What I thought was “healthy” was actually a disordered way of eating and I began to see the tremendous amount of diet misinformation that surrounds people everyday. I earned my Bachelors of Science degree in Nutrition Science and started working as a health and nutrition educator focusing on debunking fad diets, and teaching young people what a balanced and healthy diet really is, while also focusing on helping them establish a healthy relationship with food and exercise.

Fast forward a few years, and the world shut down due to worldwide pandemic. This lit another passion inside of me; the passion for helping people understand the relationship between nutrients and long-term health outcomes. But, I also understood from my time as an educator that many people were never taught the connection between nutrition and long term health. I then obtained my Masters of Science in Human Nutrition from Texas State University and completed my Dietetic Internship. Since then I have worked in both clinical and outpatient settings, as well as private practice helping people to optimize their nutrition.

I really feel that it is imperative to have practitioners in this field who understand the relationship between nutrients and disease prevention, management, disease progression and treatment. Being a dietitian, I get to help people bridge the gap between the science and help them apply it in their own lives in a realistic and sustainable way. I absolutely love teaching patients how their body actually works and supporting them as they break up with toxic diet culture mentality. As a result, they become empowered to confidently make food choices and sustainably reach their goals while improving their relationship with food and impacting their long-term health.

Fun facts about me:

• I am a mom to 3 energetic boys
• I love being outside – I am the happiest at the river or beach
• I always choose what I order at a restaurants based off sauces/spreads
• I was a military spouse for 15 years and have traveled all throughout the U.S

Bowie Hand MBA, MS, RD, LD, ACSM PT

My name is Bowie–pronounced like buoy–the floating marker in water. I have a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M College Station, a M.B.A. from Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and a M.S. in Nutrition from Texas State University.

I am a registered dietitian, an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, and a Nutrition Instructor at Texas State University. I am also a member of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American College of Sports Medicine.

I’m a proud husband and father to a four-year-old son—with and another child due in October 2025. Our family also includes two dogs: an Australian Shepherd and a Border Collie. Nutrition and exercise are foundational to our lifestyle. We hunt, fish, and garden to source food, and we love sharing those experiences with others.

We enjoy a wide range of activities–resistance training, endurance, HIIT, yoga, CrossFit, jiu-jitsu, and anything that gets us outdoors. We also love diversity in our food, and eat everything from Texas BBQ and TexMex to traditional Japanese and Thai.

In my practice, I provide personalized care that focuses on sustainable, long-term goals achieved through small changes. I believe diet and behavior change is a continuous process–not a one-time fix. Food is more than fuel; it is also culture, emotion, and psychology. I help clients explore each of these to find solutions that work for their lifestyle. I work with a broad range of nutrition-related conditions but specialize in sport/performance nutrition and nutrition support for digestive disorders.

Sarah Horner MS, RDN, LD

Hi, I’m Sarah — a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Foods (Concentration in Dietetics and a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from Texas State University.

My choice to pursue a career in nutrition was unexpected. I grew up singing and performing, and a music career was all I ever wanted. But my goals started to shift after years of dealing with chronic pain and GI issues. I explored both conventional and alternative care and tried various medications and supplements. Some came with unwanted side effects, while others didn’t seem to help at all. Eventually, I began to explore the connection between diet and chronic health conditions. Along the way, I came across a variety of restrictive diets online, each claiming to be the “fix” to my problems. The problem with those protocols? They were stressful, unsustainable, and mostly anecdotal. I knew I was missing something important and felt a deep desire to learn science-based nutrition approaches. That curiosity set me on a new path, and I decided to go back to school to study nutrition.

When I first entered the nutrition program, I was stuck in a mindset full of rules surrounding food. But as I continued my education, I came to understand the importance of balance, flexibility, and restoring joy around food. I’m passionate about providing evidence-based, individualized nutrition guidance that supports behavior change and long-term, sustainable habits.

My Focus Areas:

• Autoimmune conditions
• Diabetes management
• GLP-1 nutrition support
• Intuitive and mindful eating
• Sustainable behavior change
• Worksite wellness

Outside of work, I love spending time with my pups and traveling with my partner, Troy. I also enjoy singing, writing, doing yoga and Pilates, creating or modifying recipes, baking, and watching Christmas movies (no matter the season).

My approach is rooted in compassion, personalization, and evidence. Whether you’re navigating a chronic condition or just looking for a more balanced approach to eating, we can work together to create a nutrition plan that feels sustainable and right for you.