4 Damaging Habits Ruining Your Results Most People Do When Trying To Lose Fat

Losing weight ultimately comes down to what you do on a daily basis.

It’s not your herculean efforts every month or so that will bring you results. It’s the small things you do day in and day out. While not hugely exciting, it’s effective.

In the blog post today we talk about: 4 Damaging Habits Ruining Your Results Most People Do When Trying To Lose Fat

PLUS here’s 7 easy habits that will help to accelerate your weight loss journey with simple lifestyle changes:

Track calories
Calories are not the be-all & end-all of weight loss. But they do matter. You need to have a good idea of how many calories you’re eating each day. Download MyFitnessPal. Track calories, daily.
Create a calorie deficit
Now that you have a good idea of how much you’re eating on a daily basis, you need to create a calorie deficit. A good method for this is the following formula:
(Bodyweight (lbs) x 15) — 400
Or use this calculator: tdeecalculator.net
This will give you a rough ballpark to aim for.
Get 8 hours of sleep
If you’re not getting 8 hours of sleep, you’re sabotaging your fat loss efforts. Inadequate sleep makes your body more likely to hold onto fat.It also alters your hunger hormones & decreases willpower, making it much harder to stay on track with your nutrition.
Eat 1g of protein per lb of body weight
Eating more protein will accelerate your fat loss. Protein: Burns calories from digesting it, keeps you full for longer, builds muscle mass, limits cravings.
Limit alcohol, sugar, & processed food
All of these will sabotage your weight loss efforts.They’re packed with calories, mess with your hormones, & will lead to other bad habits. Go out and enjoy your life, but keep these to a minimum.
Lift weights 3x/week, walk 10k steps/day
Lifting weights & walking are key if you want to lose fat. Walking + loading your muscles: burns fat, makes you look leaner, increases your metabolism, improves your muscle mass (which will lead to you burning more calories at rest).
Drink water
Boring, I know. But drinking more water is crucial if you want to lose weight. In order to function properly, our bodies need a lot of water + electrolytes. Water is also highly satiating — meaning you’re less likely to want snacks & will also eat less at mealtime. Drink 1/2 your body weight in filtered water each day.

4 Damaging Habits Ruining Your Results Most People Do When Trying To Lose Fat

the story behind the after photo — You can read more about my journey on how I lost 55lbs & put my Crohn’s disease & bulimia in med free remission via the carnivore diet HERE

#1. Letting a Number Control Your Emotions

The scale can be your best friend or worst enemy.

If it helps keep you motivated & you use it to track your long-term progress, great. But if it’s a source of unending frustration, you’re probably falling into the first & most common pitfall of losing fat: obsessing over the numbers on the scale.

A number should never have the power to make or break your day — especially when dozens of variables affect it.

Though I weigh myself nearly daily, I only do it to keep track of the weekly & monthly averages. Tracking numbers with a long-term view can ensure you keep your goal in sight without falling into the self-doubt rabbit hole.

How to start:

If you like weighing yourself, do it daily or every once in a while, but make sure you only compare weekly or monthly averages. The long-term trend is more important than the random daily fluctuations.
Important tip: Get a scale that measures your fat & muscle percentages. Tracking these values is what matters when losing fat.
If you don’t like weighing yourself, take progress pictures with the same clothing & lighting conditions every week or every month.

#2. Becoming an App’s Prisoner

Many people have developed an eating disorder because they’ve let a calorie-tracking app rule their lives. They feel like a failure if they eat more than the app’s recommended goal or if their macros are off.

They start fearing certain foods, the origin story of most eating disorders.

Now, I tracked for decades, I only do occasionally now. It taught me a lot about nutrition — and food freedom (yes, you read that correctly). As I know how many calories my body needs to maintain weight & function at my best. I learned it SAFE to EAT WELL.

I know how to properly adjust calories & macros to make my body look & feel, too depending on my goals. I use the calorie tracking app to ensure I’m not going overboard with food.

How to start:

If you feel comfortable tracking calories, ensure you do so with a weekly overview. This will allow you to relax on the days you go over. For instance, if your goal is 2,000 calories/day, that’s 14,000 calories/week. So if one day you eat 4,000, ensure that on the other six days of the week, you eat 10,000 calories.
If you feel uncomfortable tracking calories or suffered from an eating disorder, try this tip: 85% of your meals should be nutritionally & calorically on point (protein centric, healthy fats & whole foods). The rest of the meals (15%) are for flexibly enjoying life.

#3. Forgetting Sustainable Fat Loss Habits

Years before I got smart, I felt like a winner because I’d lost some weight while eating nutrient poor, processed diet foods. (Hello Atkins bars, slim fast, & lean cuisines) I reduced my meals from 3-4/day to 2 (& sometimes one) + exercised like 2+ hours a day.

The little food, coupled with excessive exercise + massive amounts of stress, created a hormonal, mental & physical dumpster fire. As I restricted more, & fell into the binge/purge/guilt/restrict cycle, eventually the weight returned & I looked worse. Why? Simple.

I made shrinking my body a hobby & tried to hate myself thin & happy. I learned an essential truth about sustainable fat loss: you have to make it a healthy lifestyle based on the foundation of the big rocks (see photos below).

big rocks of sustainable fat loss — Looking Better Than 99% of People Over 40 is About This One Thing

How to start:

Though you can achieve a calorie deficit by eating whatever you want, try prioritizing nutrient-dense foods that provide your body with what it needs to thrive mentally & physically.
A place to start is to consume an average of 1g of protein/lb of body weight if you’re in a normal weight range or choose your goal weight if you have more weight to lose. Use the TDEEcalculator.net to find your maintenance calories & start there.

https://lilbitoffit.com/the-stupidly-simple-system-i-use-to-stay-in-shape-and-love-my-body-as-an-empath-at-age-40/ — Heres how I do it!

big rocks of sustainable fat loss lilbitoffit's bulletproof routine

#4. Hiding & Feeling Shame

When you’re trying to get healthy & lose fat, birthday parties, weddings — any social gathering can inspire anxiety.

What if I overindulge? What if they judge me? I’ll have to exercise extra hard to burn off that slice of cake!

I have a question: WHY are you trying to lose fat & get healthy?

For most of us, the answer will be something like: to be stronger, healthier, to look better — to be happier.

That last point is crucial. Most of us want to achieve a certain fat percentage because we believe that’ll make us happier. And I won’t lie: Achieving & maintaining the physique you want is incredibly rewarding.

But you know what’s even more rewarding? Spending time with your loved ones.

An 80-year Harvard study found that the #1 thing that makes us happy & live longer is having strong social bonds — not a hot body with a low fat percentage.

So if your ultimate goal is to be happy, neglecting social gatherings forever is your worst decision. Moreover, as I’ve mentioned many times, fat loss should be a long, sustainable process. A process of forever learning & evolving. It requires patience, time, and enjoyment.

How to start:

Don’t avoid social contact to achieve a fat loss or health goal unless it’s necessary. Instead, try adopting some best practices that can help keep you on track while enjoying the company of your loved ones.
Prioritize protein to help satiate your hunger while keeping your muscles strong. Ordering something like grilled chicken breast or a steak will keep you satiated & less prone to binging. Eat before you go if you need to, don’t go hungry.
Opt for zero-calorie drinks if possible. Water, tea, coffee, diet pop if you have to. No-minimal alcohol.
Check the menu ahead of time. Load up on protein first. Skip sauces & dressings or have them on the side. Check the cooking method used. Higher cal will be described typically as pan-fried, breaded, creamed, dipped, scalloped, slathered, etc. Low cal will be grilled, steamed, baked, roasted, broiled, seared.
Communicate your needs to others. Bring your food if you’re in prep or cutting for a specific reason that requires rigidity. Especially important if you have specific digestive needs. Use this opportunity to educate your friends & family if they ask you why you’re eating this way. ⁣

Final Thoughts

Long-Lasting Fat Loss is simple once you stop doing these things & make it a lifestyle you love. Many of us hope to quickly shed pounds when a significant event or a holiday approaches, so we:

Obsess over daily & normal scale fluctuations instead of tracking progress over a long period.
Become prisoners of a calorie-tracking app instead of using it for information while keeping a weekly (or monthly) overview.
Forget about the big rocks of sustainable fat loss & fall back into self sabotaging habits.
Get lost in information & think we have to do what everyone else is doing or we just don’t do anything because we’re so overwhelmed.
Avoid social gatherings because we’re afraid of judgement or we can’t manage ourselves instead of understanding that social contact makes us happy & flexibility is totally doable. You can have this AND that! Just takes a strategy & a plan.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Eat the right foods for you. Make habits an effortless LIFESTYLE.
Get exercise, protein, & quality sleep everyday.
Track your data (food/weight/blood sugar/ketones, labs) if things aren’t working. Avoid fake, processed, sugary drinks & foods.
Mind your habits, thoughts, & circle or they’ll mind you.
Enjoy the process! There is no end goal, just the journey!

oxox Coach K

Like this Blog? Follow along for my digital diary plus daily tips & resources on Insta Here!

bio carnivore lilbitoffit katie kelly indiana fishers — Hailing from Fishers, Indiana, Katie is an aficionado of health, mindset, human connection, & entrepreneurship. Motivational writer, speaker, doer of many things, she grew up on her family’s beef cattle & crop farm where agriculture was her first love. She is a Purdue University graduate well known for her storytelling of life lessons & personal transformation through her own relationships, financial struggles, Crohn’s Disease, disordered eating, body transformation, & adapting to a carnivore diet lifestyle.

Katie also has over 17 years experience as a Registered Radiologic Technologist, Nutritionist, Brand Growth & Sales Consultant. She works with people of all walks of life as a nutritionist & life coach to help them authentically optimize their lives to find health, wealth, & happy!

You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com

May 19, 2023

A Disturbing Lesson Everyone Should Learn Before 40

Confessions from a former sick, overweight, broke bitch who had no fucking idea what cadence meant. [𝘏𝘪. 𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘦. 👋]

I remember hearing someone say cadence for the first time in a mastermind. I sat there as the tidal wave of shame washed over me.

I thought, “I have no fucking idea what that means. I don’t belong here. I’m not as “good” as these people.”

Anyone else experience this feeling of shame? Feeling they should know something or be at a particular point in life & not be there?

𝐂𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 & 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯.

In my own words, I would say cadence is the lattice (or path) by which we live life.

Everyone has a cadence in their life.

Two questions that PING💥 punched me in the gut:

👉“Is my cadence life-giving or is it exhausting?”

👉“Does it allow me to flourish & thrive or does it leave me overwhelmed?”

Commanding your cadence…

brings chaos into order

turns hopes into habits

provides flexibility within structure

is critical to choose the reality of your life.

This is the beauty: you get to choose the cadence of your life. No one gets to choose it for you.

As you begin to do this & be intentional & live this way, what you will find is there’s actually an optimalcadence for you.

There are elements that allow you to find the optimal cadence for your own life. Every priority or event has its own optimal cadence (flow/priority of importance/repeatability).

For example, brushing your teeth is a cadence that needs to be more frequent. If you’re going a week without brushing your teeth, we have problems.

Eating & sleeping WELL & working out (SHOULD BE) top priority cadences effortlessly repeated, because they make us our healthiest, happiest, best selves, which transitions into every facet of our lives.

Then there are other shades of cadence that are less frequent: Visiting family or friends across the country or things like indulging in a luxurious vacation.

They’re both priorities.

They both matter, but the optimal cadence for them is different.

A second point is that everyone’s individual cadence is unique to them, just like diets, workouts, relationships, movies, etc.

Each of us has different temperaments, needs, preferences, love languages, etc — wirings.

Some of you might be morning people like me. Early birds. I am a morning person. I love it when it’s dark & quiet. I love watching the sun come up. I get most of my channeled messages and ideas early in the morning while walking. Some people hate that.

Some people are night owls & they produce their best work late at night after everybody’s asleep.

Sometimes work obligations can affect your optimal cadence. For some folks & families, especially people who work in healthcare or sales/business who travel a lot, they might have an on-call schedule or crazy work schedule.

In this case, your optimal cadence as a human or family might have to look different because you know on a weekend you’re not going to get friends & family time. You’re going to have to prioritize that differently earlier in the week to ensure you have time with your kids & spouse & friends because of the fact that your on call schedule or travel is going to be disruptive.

Lastly, every season can have a different optimal cadence.

Right now, I’m healthy & strong living in maintenance, focused on longevity & just being happy.

I haven’t had a Crohn’s flare in four years since changing my diet & lifestyle. [𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘣𝘪𝘰 & 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴, 𝘨𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴, & 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 & 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦.] You can find that here

There was a time I was very sick, very broke, very lonely, & I had to adjust my life to heal those parts of myself.

There was a time I was a competitive CrossFit athlete & had to eat & live differently.

There was a time I was training for a photo shoot in a fat loss cut & had to eat & live differently.

There was a time I was severely in debt, had no idea what my purpose in life was & I lived differently then, too.

All these seasons were confusing & hard as fuck & came with their own sets of lessons, pros & cons.

One idea as you’re beginning to think through cadences in your own life can be to study others around you.

Especially those that you admire or have learned from ahead of you in life.

Remember the truth, you choose the cadence of your life. No one can give it to you. You get to choose.

I’m going to share a few of my personal cadences. I posted my bulletproof daily routine on IG to help y’all see how I prioritize my life so that you can create your own success, routine. You can find that here

These are just examples, this isn’t to say it’s for you, because again, your cadence is unique to you. Hopefully some of the ones I’m sharing here can help you think about things differently in your life.

My cadences are:

Gratitude, Positive Affirmations, & a Walk first thing in the morning. They help me align physically & mentally for my day. They put my mental filter, my heart filter, & my physical filter for the day in the right place.

Right after that I sit in silence or listen to a nourishing podcast while I eat my meaty breakfast in front of my red light. Then I use my infrared sauna. (All resources, guides, products, & discount codes are here in the link in my IG bio)

Sitting in silence after having slept & walking are some of the best processing times for me contemplating what has happened & contemplating what’s ahead.

After the work day, I mentally recap what I did well & what I could do better. I also give thanks for doing my best & remind myself that I live by the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

P. S. read that book.

[𝘈𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴: 𝘉𝘦 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴𝘋𝘰 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵.]

I also write & create every day.

I eat well & move my body every day.

I pray & give gratitude every single day.

I touch base with my family & close circle every week.

I challenge myself & do something new &/or put myself in a different environment every week.

I make saving & investing my time, energy, & money wisely a daily game so that it’s fun & easy for me so that I have more financial & personal wealth.

Notice there’s different timings we talked earlier about different priorities that have different optimal cadences, & that’s what structure here shows.

With structure comes freedom & flexibility because you’re strong in your foundation & what you believe & stand for.

It’s not overly complicated. You don’t have to have it all perfect at once. You just need to start. For me, there’s daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annual, & annual cadences.

Why is commanding your cadence so critical to choose & create the reality of your life?

The first is commanding your cadence facilitates your habits. Habits are some of the most powerful elements of our life. There was a Duke researcher in 2006, who did this large study around habits. What he found was that greater than 40% of the actions that we take in a single day are out of habit.

Think about that for a second…GREATER than 40% of the actions you take are out of habit! You do them by default.

You did them because you did them before. When you command your cadence, you facilitate your habits.

The second point about why commanding your cadence is critical is it protects your priorities.

Life comes at us. Life circumstances inevitably will derail us.

If we don’t have a cadence, we’re going to become aimless. We’re going to drift off course from our purpose. You can be listless in life but having command of your cadence actually serves you to get back on track towards your purpose.

Here’s a couple application questions to think about this weekend & into this next week:

👉What priority in my life do I need to command its cadence?

👉Who do I admire in life that I can learn one new cadence from?

As you reflect on those questions, begin to take command of your cadence. When you do, you will begin to live life on purpose. Your body will change for the better, your relationships will change for the better, your finances will change for the better, your sense of inner peace & health will change for the better.

As you become purpose driven, you will live a more FULL & MEANINGFUL life. Remember, you are in control of your cadences in life. What are you going to choose?

oxox Coach K

Hailing from Fishers, Indiana, Katie is an aficionado of health, mindset, human connection, & entrepreneurship. Motivational writer, speaker, doer of many things, she grew up on her family’s beef cattle & crop farm where agriculture was her first love. She is a Purdue University graduate well known for her storytelling of life lessons & personal transformation through her own relationships, financial struggles, Crohn’s Disease, disordered eating, CrossFit, & adapting a carnivore diet lifestyle.

Katie also has over 17 years experience as a Registered Radiologic Technologist, Nutritionist, & Sales Consultant. She works with people of all walks of life as a nutritionist & personal life coach to help them authentically optimize their lives to find health, wealth, & happy!

You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com

May 17, 2023July 17, 2023

The Stupidly Simple System I Use to Stay in Shape And Love My Body As An Empath At Age 40

Yeah but whadda YOU do?!

I get that question from folks all the time, in person & online, when asked to give advice about getting in shape, protecting energy, & preventing self sabotage.

I lay out a really simple, low-maintenance approach. It’s true — I don’t put much effort into all this health & fitness stuff. What I do, I do week-in, week-out, though. And it all starts with self awareness, self love, & frankly, not giving a f*ck what other people think or do.

So yes, over several decades, I have put in A TON of effort in total. It’s taken over 10 years to build the body y’all see today. But day-to-day, not so much. BECAUSE I’ve made it a lifestyle. I eat plenty of food (around 2000 cal/d on avg) & still enjoy occasional social alcohol in moderation.

The Stupidly Simple System I Use to Stay in Shape & love my body as an empath at age 40 — Read about my gut healing, weight loss, & carnivore story here!

I want you to look & feel fabulous as you get older, too, so strap yourself in for a typical, really low-maintenance week for me (that you can copy or use as inspiration) that helps me stay lean & healthy as an empath at 40.

Mapped out my daily routine here just for you in this IG post!

I Train for 5 Hours a Week, Tops

“Ah but you’re a nutritionist & single & have no kids, you can work out all the time if you want to?!”

Yeah, I could…but why the f*ck would I want to?

I’ve been working out for 30 years — believe me, the novelty wore off long ago. Nowadays, workouts are like vacuuming for me — a necessary thing I need to get done so things don’t get messy & I feel my best. We all wanna look good nekkid too!

I workout out for 4-5 sessions of 40–60 mins a week [depends if I get side-tracked by that work thing or extracurricular activities between sessions 🙂 ] Every muscle group gets hit with a wee dose of damage because I am too damn old to waddle around for days after some hardcore leg day or CrossFit workout. Upper body push/pull days & lower body glute/leg splits. Schedule varies with work schedule. (Routines, guides, & resources in link in IG bio)

I Walk 15k Steps/d As A Target

Walking Is a True Health Hack. I have no desire to run at a medium pace for an hour or do hours of CrossFit WOD’s a day anymore, messing up my joints & hormones. If I need to get somewhere 5 miles away, I’ll drive. Thanks.

But I do plenty of brisk walking — 15k steps per day is my target. This has enormous payoffs on several levels:

Low-impact stamina-building.
Vitamin D for hormonal balance cuz I walk outside in the sun.
Clears my head & energy like nothing else does.
Torches tons of calories per week.

Takeaway for You

If you hate a particular exercise, please don’t force yourself to do it — there’s more than one way to skin a cat.

Walking is fantastic. Also, I have no idea how many calories cat skinning burns <opens Google>.

I Take & Use a Few Things To Thrive

You can easily find yourself taking handfuls of pills & powders daily because you think they’ll magically solve all your problems. They won’t if you don’t have your foundational success routine in place first. If you’re eating a varied & healthy diet (for YOU) & exercising, you don’t need to supplement with much at all.

There are a few things I take & use that help me thrive. You can find these along with discount codes in the link in my IG bio & highlights.

Complete Biohacking guide here!

Biohacking that helped me instantly feel better & reverse aging

Nuethix Cort-Eaze for hormonal balance, cortisol control, & sleep. Nuethix Products discount code: lilbitoffit

Nuethix Medipure DS & Gourmet Greens for multivitamin support & detox support

Nuethix Utilyze digestive enzymes prior to meals for better digestion & absorption

Nuethix GDA-Max before large meals &/or meals with carbs for better digestion, blood sugar control, & nutrient partitioning

EMR-TEK Red Light Therapy & Blue Block Glasses – discount code: lilbitoffit20

Infrared sauna – got mine off Amazon

Takeaway for You

If you’re taking tons of shit, do an audit & ask yourself, “What happens if I stop taking this?” If the answer is “nothing,” then save your $$

I Eat 2 Meals & Nothing I Don’t Like

I want to maintain my weight while eating enough to build a wee bit more muscle if I can. This means I aim to eat at my maintenance level in total each week. Use the TDEEcalculator.net to find yours.

I do what works for me, which is a form of intermittent fasting every day in windows that suit my work & social schedule.

coffee & plenty of water + Ultima Replenisher electrolytes
a big breakfast of protein & healthy fats after my walk or workout in the morning
a smaller meaty meal mid-late afternoon
fast overnight until the next day usually 12-18 hrs. No snacking
throw in occasional a large OMAD (one meal a day) on days I work a 1st shift & then a 3rd shift or if I’m just not as hungry

I don’t eat kale — it’s gross. I don’t eat veggies, fruit or fiber because I can’t break them down due to my Crohn’s disease (my whole story is documented in the link in my IG bio & highlights). Carbs & sugar I have a really shitty relationship with so I abstain. I don’t eat any food “because it’s healthy”, I eat what healthy food I like because I like it.

Takeaway for You

Start with the healthy foods you like. Base meals on those. Keep protein high for muscle retention & satiety. Avoid trigger foods, sugar, & junk.

Post workout breakfast. 1.25 lbs of *0% ground beef #meatbars Airfry. 380. 12 minutes. Did not consume the fat in the bottom of the airfyer to make it leaner.

My Weekends Are Never A Shit Show

You could get in great shape if you gave up sugar, alcohol, & junk food & ate only grilled chicken & broccoli for meals for 12 weeks straight. But you’d also hate life & everyone around you, & after 12 weeks, you would probably binge off the rails.

80-90% for Health. 20-10% for Flexibility

Instead of quick fix, masochistic approaches to dieting, we can lose body fat & stay lean intentionally managing calories & eating healthy foods the majority of the time, say Monday to Friday, or 80-90% of the time, meaning things like:

High protein breakfasts (eggs, bacon, sausage, etc)
High protein lunches/dinner (meat, seafood, eggs, etc)
No-minimal sugar & snacks between meals (2-3 meals/day)
Intermittent fasting overnight (12-16+ hours) Do what works for you as far as eating windows.
Use carbs (fruit, veggies, oats, rice, etc) intentionally. Typically the more active, the more you tolerate. If they cause issues mentally & physically, you may do better abstaining.
If you like weekend/social flexibility, use wisely.

Takeaway for You

Controlling your weight long term: control portions & eat your protein. Remind yourself what makes you feel your best mentally & physically.

Health & Fitness Tips As An Empath

Tips that have helped me to eat well, stay fit, & release negativity before self sabotaging & over eating:

Minimize Sugar & Processed Food As Much As Possible: Although you may crave carbs & sugar (as well as alcohol), they will destabilize you mentally & physically. This makes you more susceptible to absorbing unwanted energy & self sabotaging. These kinds of hyperpalatable foods are like drugs, leaving you wanting more.

Prioritize Protein: Protein stabilizes everyone. It gives a sense of grounding & satiation. Get protein at every meal, at least 30g. Big reason many food addicts thrive, lose weight, & heal on carnivore.

Rest: Sleep. Solitude is your best friend to energetically rest & reset. Go take a restorative walk in nature.

Eat Alone & Mindfully: most of us empaths need to avoid outside energy & distractions when eating. It allows us to have full presence, chew thoroughly & savor our food which helps us feel true hunger & satiety cues. This aids in avoiding over eating & thus weight gain.

Manage Your Emotions, Time, & Energy: Managing your emotions actually frees up the energy you’re spending on things that do not serve you. Emotions are messengers. They alert you to boundaries being crossed. If you’re like I was, that is what made me want to stuff my face with donuts, cookies, cake, chips, cereal, crackers, & ice cream & then throw it up. I was suppressing emotions & giving my time & energy to everyone else. UNTIL I realized that self loathing & sabotaging behavior meant staying sick, broke, & lonely AF.

Move Your Body: Walk, go to the gym, get out in the sunlight, connect with friends. We cope with stress, including loneliness, by using dopamine-triggering substances & behaviors as a means of avoiding painful emotions & self-awareness. But if we make a commitment to living a kick-ass life, then moving the body will get the dopamine flowing, reconnecting us to what we truly enjoy, like our friends & families. I will reiterate again, walking is a GODsend. If in doubt, go walk!

Final Thoughts

Most of adult life isn’t about finding new answers, but unravelling the web of misinformation we pick up over the years.

Here’s the truth about exercise & eating well — it’s a lot simpler than it sounds. The more you eat well & exercise, the stronger you’ll get, the better you’ll feel, and, the more you’ll enjoy it. Then it becomes you & your lifestyle.

When people ask my fitness regimen & I respond with “I workout 4-5x per week for 45-60 minutes & walk 15k steps per day.”…I get, “I could NEVER find time for that!” or “How long do you have to do this for? Are you losing fat or on a diet?”

I shake my damn head. Because, society has programmed us that exercise & eating healthy are short-term things to lose weight for an event or to fit into clothes – not a LIFESTYLE.

Like reps & weight, they’re merely tools to build a fulfilling life. On their own, they’re meaningless. I started counting intentional moments & habits. I no longer log hours of workouts a day, binge & restrict food from a place of self loathing, or find myself obsessed with chasing a smaller body. You can’t live a BIG life chasing a SMALL body on an EMPTY tank & TIRED soul.

oxox Coach K

May 15, 2023

If You’re An Empath And Struggle With Weight Loss And Food Addiction You Need To Read This

Lost & found are from the same box. I’m an empath. A highly sensitive person when it comes to environments, emotions & other peoples’ energies. I like to eat alone.
Maybe you can relate too.

I spent decades with food triggers, gut issues, constipation, bloating, G.I. bleeding, unexplained weight gain & disordered eating.

empath weight loss before and after — I’ve lost 55lbs and put my Crohn’s Disease and bulimia in med-free remission via the carnivore diet.

I grew up hearing shit like this:

“You’re just too big to be a cheerleader, hon.” -cheerleading coach, middle school

“Pretty girls are in the front, you’re in the back.” -a mom, childhood birthday party pictures

“Well, you’re just not polished enough.” -recruiter, job fair in college

“I’m sorry I cheated, I like you, it’s just, she was prettier.”
-someone not even worth mentioning here LOL!

Naturally I’d be lying if a part of me didn’t want to tell these people of past chapters of my life they can suck it

People will teach you how to love well by hurting you. They will teach you how to love yourself by not loving you back. Life will teach you evolution & growth thru pain & stagnation.

Hell, crispy airfryer #meatbars were discovered by me being late to work & literally throwin the shizzle my nizzle in the airfryer basket.

meat bars lilbitoffit katie kelly carnivore

This world is made up of a plethora of different people with different priorities with different life situations all 50 shades of f*cked up.

You’re not alone, the difference is how you react to what life throws at you.

Here are things I do & had to learn to do throughout my journey to be my healthiest. They often times are perceived as being rude for those who don’t understand special digestive needs or people who are extremely highly sensitive & empathetic.

The hard truth is, it’s hard to learn to love yourself for being different. So let’s raise awareness on this especially if you’re stuck in self sabotaging cycles!

I’ve lost 55lbs and put my Crohn’s Disease and bulimia in med-free remission via the carnivore diet.

Empaths Are Prone To Addictions

My Take?
Empaths are more prone to addictive behaviors. More importantly, what can we do about the unproductive behaviors, habits, & addictions we struggle with?

We literally feel what others are feeling, which can be a good thing — or not so much. When it’s good it’s fucking great! In fact we amplify those high-vibe emotions which is why so many people seek us out for support.

The downside, it seems, is that we absorb “negative” or low-vibrational emotions. Emotions are energy vibrating at different frequencies, by the way. Joy and love, for example, are high-vibe while guilt and shame are low-vibe. These vibrations impact our vitality, our mental state & quality of life.

When we don’t know how to effectively & efficiently process all that energy, we act out or we hold it in. Neither is healthy. When we hold it in, sometimes that takes the shape of a physical illness & other times it’s mental. Either way that shit gets stored somewhere — in our bodies or our brains.

We then have a toxic build up of low-vibe emotions stored in our entire being, making us feel like crap.

Why Empaths Over Eat

Food is medicine. It can stabilize your sensitive system, but it can also throw it off. I’ve observed in my 18 years of working in healthcare & as a nutrition coach as well as in myself, that overeating & food addictions are common among empaths.

Food addiction is an uncontrollable craving for excess food for which many diets & weight loss programs often don’t succeed. Frequently, the specific addiction is to sugar or carbohydrates, which is a BIG reason I adopted the “carnivore” WOE (way of eating) for both my Crohn’s disease & disordered eating. I’ve lost 55lbs & put my Crohn’s & bulimia in med-free remission for over 4 years.

Excess weight can be a way of armoring yourself to stop absorbing other people’s stress or disturbing behavior. Putting on added pounds can make you feel more grounded, & it can act as a buffer against negativity. But reaching for junk foods for a quick fix, is a short-lived & unhealthy solution that gets addictively repeated.

Diets often fail for sensitive people because they are unaware that they are eating (& overeating) unhealthy foods to protect themselves from overwhelming or negative energy. When I point this out to my empath clients who are struggling with overeating, it’s a life-changing insight for them.

Are You A Food Empath?

I asked myself these questions to navigate through confusion & find answers & clarity as far as the right diet & coping solutions:

Do you overeat when you are emotionally overwhelmed?
Do you turn to sugar, carbs, & junk food to self-soothe discomfort, boredom, or a difficult emotion?
Are you highly sensitive to the effect people & food have on your body?
Do you get mood swings, brain fog, or feel toxic from sugar, caffeine, sodas, junk food, or specific foods?
Do you have food allergies, gut issues, & intolerances such as to gluten, soy, plants, fiber, artificial ingredients, etc?
Do you feel more protected from stress when you are heavier?
Do you feel energized by healthy, non-processed food?
Are you sensitive to certain foods? Feel better on certain foods?
Do you feel more vulnerable to stress when you are thinner?

If you are an empathic eater, you will need to pinpoint energetic stressors that trigger overeating such as a draining coworker, an argument with a friend or family, kids, or feeling rejected. Train yourself to clear the stress as soon as possible to balance your system. Avoid using food as a numbing coping mechanism. I walk & keep my mind occupied instead.

An Empath’s Survival Guide

Tips that have helped me to eat well, stay fit, & release negativity before self sabotaging & over eating:

Breathe: When you feel stress, immediately focus on breathing slowly & deeply. This releases negative energy. Holding your breath out of fear traps toxicity in your body.

Hydrate: Water purifies you. Drink filtered or spring water, especially when you’ve been exposed to negative energy & have the urge to overeat. Consume at least 1/2 your body weight in oz daily. Get in adequate electrolytes. Take a bath or shower. Water washes away impurities of all kinds.

Minimize Sugar & Processed Food As Much As Possible: Although you may crave carbs & sugar (as well as alcohol), they will destabilize you mentally & physically. This makes you more susceptible to absorbing unwanted energy & self sabotaging. These kinds of hyperpalatable foods are like drugs, leaving you wanting more.

Prioritize Protein: Protein stabilizes everyone. It gives a sense of grounding & satiation. Get protein at every meal, at least 30g. Big reason many food addicts thrive, lose weight, & heal on carnivore.

Rest: Sleep. Remove yourself from your busy routine. Regularly. In his book, Willpower Doesn’t Work, Benjamin P. Hardy talks about “enhanced environments” — one that will have you uber productive & one that will allow you to completely reset. If we don’t give ourselves these two distinct environments, everything blends together & we never really disconnect, nor do we really get satisfying results from our work. We stay stuck in the in-between, dissatisfied & seeking something to make us feel better. Solitude is your best friend. Go take a walk in nature. Eat alone & mindfully.

Restore & Release: Self Love. Where there’s suffering there is a lack of integrity & self love. I’m not talking about moral uprightness here. I’m talking about the state of being whole. Part of the human condition is that we come with soul wounds, past trauma, & conditioning. Our job is to heal & reintegrate the perceived “unlovable” parts of ourselves so we can live connected to Self, Source, & each other. The parts of yourself that you’re angry or ashamed of are the source of your suffering. The whole world is “coping” with this dis-ease. Empaths feel that pain & powerlessness. Seek therapy.

Manage: Your emotions. Your time. Your energy. I know it feels like you don’t have the time or energy so you turn to what’s easy & convenient. Managing your emotions actually frees up the energy you’re spending on things that do not serve you. Emotions are messengers. They alert you to boundaries being crossed. What boundaries of yours are not being honored? Do you even know your boundaries? The lack of knowing & enforcing boundaries is causing you more work, frustration, & stress than you can manage. If you’re like I was, that is what made me want to stuff my face with donuts, cookies, cake, chips, cereal, crackers, & ice cream then throw it up — UNTIL I realized that behavior meant staying sick, broke, & lonely AF.

Move: Your body. Walk, go to the gym, get sunlight, connect with friends. We cope with stress, including loneliness, by using dopamine-triggering substances & behaviors as a means of avoiding painful emotions & self-awareness. But if we make a commitment to living a kick-ass life, then moving the body will get the dopamine flowing, reconnecting us to what we truly enjoy, like our friends & families. Oh, and that workout high & lookin good nekkid too!!

Final Thoughts

Addictions can be distracting or completely destroy your life. Empaths are not meant to be average. Stop trying to be normal. You were born with an extraordinary gift. When you learn to use it, your life will light the fuck up. If you don’t know what your gift (or superpower) is, you are missing out on the best life has for you. You will likely fall into the dark hole of suck to cope with feelings of failure & being misunderstood. Don’t let that happen. If you’re there now, don’t worry, there’s a cure.

I used to be addicted now I am aligned.

My addictive behaviors took on many forms over the years. In my twenties I partied my ass off for close to a decade & wrecked my health.

At one point that fix was tied to the attention of men. Another time I couldn’t get enough shopping. Then there was food, specifically sugar & carbs, that were controlling my life. I was bulimic to boot on top of self hate.

For me, being free of addiction was not possible until I got clear about what I am here to do, how to eat right for me, get healthy, & simply do shit I love. I made a commitment to be the badass I’ve always believed I could be, but now there’s a passion & purpose attached to it.

Food can be a source of energy or depletion. You want to develop dietary & lifestyle habits that serve your sensitivities rather than aggravating them. Then you can maximize the energy you receive from food & people, & environments & minimize the protective defense mechanism of empathic over-eating. With these tools to protect & ground yourself, you won’t have the same cravings that used to undermine your best intentions.

Thank you for reading & I’m honored you allowed me to share my story & add value to your lives!

With love,
Oxox Coach K

All guides, resources, recipe books, coaching & more HERE!

Katie also has over 17 years experience as a Registered Radiologic Technologist, Nutritionist, Brand Growth & Sales Consultant. She works with people of all walks of life as a nutritionist & life coach to help them authentically optimize their lives to find health, wealth, & happy!

You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com

May 13, 2023

Looking Better Than 99% of People Over 40 is About This One Thing

I tried every program possible to get in shape in my 20’s & 30’s & I still felt like sh*t. I didn’t “look like I worked out” & had low energy. My gut was a dumpster fire.

I constantly had ‘projects’.

Keto for 30 days. CrossFit competitions. Fat loss cuts on a never ending cycle. Cold showers for… well… I didn’t last long with that one, to be honest. Brrrr. Not my thing.

It seemed this kind of dopamine hit, short-termism was “fine” for me in my 20’s. (I turn 41 this year.)

After 40 your body starts arguing with you a little, you wise up (hopefully), & learn a few things by, frankly, doing a lot of dumb sh*t. Things that don’t work as well as they once did.

So to avoid wasting time on dumb stuff, if you want to:
get in shape
lose weight
look & feel younger than your age
You gotta change & flow in alignment with your season.

Look around you. You won’t see many folks over 40 in great shape & full of energy for the majority. I’ve worked in healthcare in radiology & as a nutrition coach for 18 years. I see it everyday. People younger than me, in worse shape & health because they don’t take care of themselves. Because 99% of people struggle to do something that can’t be found in their social media feeds and Google searches…

…consistently show up & master the big rocks to true transformation, health, & fitness.

Here’s how I do the damn thang. Enjoy!

oxox Coach K

Minimally Optimal Effective Dose

What is M.O.E.D. ?

I noticed after turning 40 my physique & health were actually getting BETTER by doing LESS & simply focusing on enjoying my workouts while staying consistent af. The Minimally Optimal Effective Dose meant doing just enough to move the needle & improve your health, fitness, & body shape as I got older.

For any age, it is better to nail consistency week-in week-out than to only manage to do something much higher maintenance for weeks, while hating life, being desperate to stop, & eventually giving up & falling into bad habits.

I’ve noticed as I’ve aged, if I push it too much in the gym I get puffy, inflamed, gain weight & experience fatigue as a negative stress response vs if I take it “easier” on my body with lifting, simple movement & keeping my heart rate at a more moderate pace.

My workout M.O.E.D. methodology: 45 min-1 hr of resistance training 4-5d/wk paired with short bursts of cardio + daily walking (I get 15k steps/d).

Slice & dice it any way you want, do what works for you. You can do two 20 minute workouts a day, 1 long workout, etc.

This will:

build strength & muscle
improve cardiovascular fitness
help you burn body fat & transform your body shape in no time

You can fit this in every single week because you haven’t had to turn your busy work & family life upside down.

Zone Training Basics

Training zones allow us to understand which energy systems & muscle fibers we use at a given exercise intensity level.

There are 6 zones. Zone 1 is the lowest intensity (for example, sitting on the sofa to watch Netflix), while Zone 6 is the highest (for instance, all-out sprinting).

Zone 1: Energy source mainly used: fat (and oxygen)
Zone 2: (easy jog; relaxed biking). Energy source mainly used: fat (and oxygen)
Zone 3: Energy source mainly used: fat trending into carbohydrates
Zone 4: Energy source mainly used: carbohydrates
Zone 5: Energy source mainly used: carbohydrates
Zone 6: (all-out sprinting). Energy source mainly used: carbohydrates trending into creatine phosphate.

**The fuel type you burn to create ATP changes with exercise intensity. In zones 1 & 2, you are primarily burning fat. In Zone 2, you also exercise at a level that optimally stimulates your cells’ mitochondria.

The Benefits of Zone 2 Cardio

Why do I spend much of my physical activity time in Zone 2 cardio?

First, I want to increase the number & efficiency of my mitochondria. In Zone 2, I maximally stimulate my mitochondria to produce ATP (energy). Your body will create more mitochondria in response. With more mitochondria, I can create more ATP through fat oxidation.

As you work in Zone 2, your body will get better at burning fat for energy. You may lower your risk of health problems such as insulin resistance, cancer, & dementia.

I do Zone 2 training to improve my health & longevity. I also have more energy throughout the day, I’m not as sore, my mental clarity if better, & my heart rate has lowered.

I get my heart rate up higher 2-3 times a week but no longer redline my CrossFit workouts daily like I used to.

Healthy Eating & Fat Loss M.O.E.D.

80-90% for Health. 20-10% for Flexibility

You can still lose weight after 40. Yes, I do feel the levels of indulgence we could get away with in the past bite us in the ass pretty quickly. <weeps quietly>.

Instead of quick fix, masochistic approaches to dieting, we can lose body fat & stay lean using the minimally optimal effective dose of dietary effort — intentionally managing calories & eating healthy foods the majority of the time, say Monday to Friday, or 80-90% of the time, meaning things like:

High protein breakfasts (eggs, bacon, sausage, etc)
High protein lunches/dinner (meat, seafood, eggs, etc)
No-minimal sugar & snacks between meals (2-3 meals/day)
Intermittent fasting overnight (12-16+ hours) Do what works for you as far as eating windows.
Use carbs (fruit, veggies, oats, rice, etc) intentionally. Typically the more active, the more you tolerate. If they cause issues mentally & physically, you may do better abstaining.
If you like weekend/social flexibility, use wisely.

Energy Boosting, Stress Reducing, Biohacking

Sleep & Walk more while balancing hormones.

The people I meet over 40 who have boundless energy & seem younger than their years all have a few things in common:

they are conscious of managing stress
they prioritize their sleep & get outside in the sun
they understand the importance of hormonal balance

Ultimately all those things are interconnected.

Sleep helps you manage stress & regulate hormones
Reducing stress helps you sleep & keep Cortisol low which again regulates hormones
Keeping hormones balanced improves mood, energy levels, libido, & metabolism

So what are the tiniest, simplest yet most effective steps for us to achieve all that? 2 simple habits:

Fit in as much walking as you can each week. This reduces stress, helps you sleep, builds stamina, burns calories, & lifts your mood.
Prioritize sleep by getting 7-8 hrs/night. Avoid screens, alcohol, & heavy meals before bedtime.

Looking Better Than 99% of People Over 40 is About One Thing — Link here

You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com

May 12, 2023May 12, 2023

LIES told by your food addiction. My story.

sad girl eating disorder food addiction scale

It can take decades to unlearn. My relationship with disordered eating & poor body image started when I was just 8.

I spent the majority of my childhood & early adulthood overweight & unhealthy. I was told in middle school by a teacher I was too big to be a cheerleader. Kids were cruel, calling me names like lambchop because I had big 80’s hair & even thicker thighs.

My disorder began with overeating & then restricting to punish myself. I’d try to skip breakfast & barely eat lunch (which I’d “allow” myself sugar free jello, a small travel size cottage cheese & 5 Ritz crackers).

My stomach would growl. I remember being embarrassed if the classroom was quiet enough for others to hear. Inevitably, I’d return home in the afternoon absolutely ravenous & binge on cookies, candy, cereal, chips, & junk food.

These episodes got more & more out of control. I continued eating less during the day, binging at night & sometimes I’d take cold medicine to make me sleep to keep from eating.

Years passed, & my eating habits fluctuated. I had never even considered throwing up until I saw a Lifetime movie about a girl who had bulimia. The process seemed easy. Eat whatever you want, throw up. The first time I purged was in middle school after eating a tub of ice cream.

Bulimia became a sort of coping mechanism for me. I told myself my obsession with diets & exercise were normal. It was about control. I was dealing with a lot of stress: school, college, later on, relationships, a failed marriage on top of debt & drinking too much.

There were lots of things in my life I felt I wasn’t able to manage. I’d binge & get a rush. Then I’d get an even bigger, better rush after getting rid of it all.

Takeaway: Don’t make my mistakes.
If you’re dealing with an eating disorder or disordered eating & exercise habits, I encourage you to seek help.

Life is more than choosing to shrink yourself as a hobby. Eating disorders like bulimia are often not just about losing weight. They also revolve around issues of control or negative thoughts, like having a poor self-image.

The first step is admitting that you have a problem & you WANT to break the cycle. Don’t make my mistake & fill your memory book with reminders of your eating disorder instead of the truly important moments in your life!

Lies told by your food addiction.

I can’t abuse food & exercise. I’m fine.

Receptors in our gut respond to certain foods we consume by triggering release of dopamine in our brain. Exercise & social media can do the same thing. One of the hallmarks of any addiction is tolerance: progressively needing more & more of a certain substance to get the same effect. When the brain’s reward system is repeatedly flooded with dopamine, it responds by reducing the receptors as a protective mechanism. And as with drugs, people who are addicted to food often binge in order to get the same dopamine rush. The more sugar, alcohol, carbs, fat, & salt (for examples) the greater release of dopamine & “reward” we experience. Dopamine-enforced sensory cues mean we are motivated to have the substance again just by the sight, smell, & sounds of a food (like bacon cooking) or an endorphin high after working out.

I don’t have a problem. I’ll just have 1.

Addiction & recovery don’t discriminate. Most of us that have an emotional trigger to sugar, carbs, & hyperpalatable foods like dairy, cheese, bacon, keto/sugar free treats, ribeyes, ribs, nut butters, etc are abstainers when it comes to food. Abstainers usually have an all-or-nothing mentality. It’s far easier for abstainers to give something up altogether than to indulge moderately. Trying to moderate becomes an internal struggle & justification of actions like: Should I? How much? Can I stop? I’m a failure! Small portions intensify cravings & lead to wanting more. Avoidance of food helps cravings pass. We do better with food rules, meal plans, tracking food/macros, fasting windows, & meat based diets. avoiding trigger foods like carbs & sweets.

This is the last binge. Diet starts tomorrow.

Habits, habits, habits. Our habits make US. The issue with food vs drug addiction is we HAVE to eat. We cannot live without food, it is literally life fuel & what we’re made from. We often use it as a reward or punishment. When you chronically restrict, then binge over & over again, it becomes a cycle we deem as “normal” (as f*cked up as it is we justify it). We also physiologically cause imbalance & lose the ability to sense true hunger cues & satiety, making over eating & binging more prevalent. This happens by throwing off our hunger & satiety hormones, leptin & ghrelin. The more we participate in these behaviors, the more our brain is wired to believe they’re accepted & normal. Ima be blunt when it comes to sugar & carbs, the more you eat, the more you crave them & harder it is to stop the cycle.

I’ll stop once I reach my goal weight.

“You’re just not trying hard enough!” Sound familiar? I remember telling myself I “just didn’t want it bad enough.” Once I was skinny all my problems would go away & I’d be happy. Guess what? They didn’t & I still wasn’t happy even when I reached my “goal weight.” I still had an addiction to food & exercise, I still binged, & my health was worse. I gained weight back because it wasn’t sustainable, physiologically trashed my hormones, gut health, & metabolism. I ignored the poor relationships I had with myself, food, & exercise. Have you ever told yourself you, “Didn’t deserve to eat & needed to workout more!?” Let’s try harder to love ourselves & seek help over restriction & self loathing. I promise you’ll get a lot further & life will suck a whole lot less.

I’m just health conscious. I’m not obsessed.

NO. This is called Orthorexia & leads to you chronically yo-yo dieting, exercise hopping, over training, pissed off & life sucking all the time. Orthorexia nervosa is perhaps best summarized as an obsession with healthy eating with associated restrictive behaviors. However, the extreme attempt to attain optimum health through attention to diet may lead to malnourishment, loss of relationships, & poor quality of life. Basically, this is you making shrinking your body your biggest hobby & priority in life. It gives you food anxiety, social anxiety, & you lose yourself. You compare to everyone, often get lost in all the information, & are confused af all the time. Hire a coach or practitioner to help guide you. More does not always mean better results when it comes to over exercising & restricting food.

The weight on the scale doesn’t trigger me.

Ever wake up & feel great only to step on the scale & see you gained 3lbs & instantly you hate yourself & the whole day turns into a dumpster fire? You look in the mirror & tell yourself you’re “fat” & only eating bread & water or whatever specific diet food all week simply because you base your worth on your appearance & number on the scale. Fat is not an emotion. You most likely are FEELING: stressed, sad, anxious, vulnerable, angry, ashamed, jealous, alone, etc. These feelings are often triggers for continual emotional eating &/or exercise abuse if you use food & exercise as numbing & coping mechanisms. Complete this statement: “_____ happened & triggered me. I am not “fat” & do not need to punish myself. I am actually feeling ______ & choose to do _____ instead.”

Orthorexia Warning Signs

Compulsive checking of nutritional labels & obsession about the “health” of ingredients & specific foods.
Obsession with steps, fit trackers, & calories burned.
Feeling compelled to exercise to compensate for what you ate, when you’re ill/injured, sacrificing your mental health/work/social life to burn off calories & workout.
Refusing to eat anything but foods that are deemed ‘healthy’ or ‘clean’.
Unusual interest in the health of what others are eating, fitness goals, & exercise routines.
Food consuming your every thought & feeling guilty if you didn’t workout or “ate the wrong things.”
Showing high levels of distress & anxiety when ‘safe’ or ‘healthy’ foods aren’t available or you’re presented with social situations.
Obsessive following of food and ‘healthy lifestyle’ blogs on social media.
Body image issues such as body dysmorphia.

Watch your words. Common phrases that encourage disordered eating & exercise habits:

“Diet starts tomorrow, or Monday, or January 1.”
“I deserve a ‘cheat meal’ or ‘treat’ because I’ve been, ‘good’ all week.”
“I already messed up my diet, might as well splurge & start again tomorrow or Monday or January 1.”
“If I eat that I’ll need to make sure I workout enough to burn it all off.”
“I’ll be happy when I reach my goal weight.”
“I don’t deserve to eat that.”
“I can’t do that until I lose the weight.”
“You just don’t want it hard enough.”
“It’s fine, we’ll work it off in the gym tomorrow.”
“Whatever, calories don’t count today.”
“I already messed up, might as well make a whole day/week/month out of it.”
“Ugh, look at everything I ate. I’m so fat.”

Final Thoughts

When you are scrolling thru pictures on social media, remember your worth lies in your essence & your heart. You’re amazing for the sum of everything that you are. What you look like is the least most interesting, magnificent thing about you. What is: Your intelligence. Your kindness. Your relationships. Your smile. Your wrinkles. Your impact. Do not let comparing pictures & the constant pressure to shrink yourself believe that you aren’t enough & you need to be more. Go build your life & embody your big beautiful world. Self-love is an important part of a happy life. When we love ourselves, it becomes easy to go through life. There’s no judgment, fear, or low self-esteem, & instead, there’s immense gratitude & compassion towards our own selves.

The best thing is that self-love helps us have healthier relationships with the people in our lives. It’s a true win-win situation!

Oxox
Coach K

You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com

May 7, 2023May 7, 2023

My Biggest Fears Used To Be Failure And Getting Fat

I shuddered. “What would it take to lose you?”

“To be disappointed again?”

— “To abasemently change.” I replied.

𝘈 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘐 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘦 & 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴.

Learned a new word today as I was searching for an adjective to describe the emotion of abandoning yourself to change for another or some thing for this blog.

𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚗: 𝚊𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝

𝟷. 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚔, 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎, 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚞𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗.

My biggest fears used to be failure & getting fat.

Now, at 40, my biggest fear👉abandoning myself.

I did when I was younger (along with struggling with obesity, bulimia, & Crohn’s disease) resulting in decades of pain (physically & mentally).

weight loss before and after carnivore lilbitoffit katie kelly — I’ve lost 55lbs & put my bulimia & Crohn’s disease in med-free remission via the Carnivore diet

Funny🤔 I wouldn’t change a thing because that mess, my storybook, has made the woman writing these words for you.

Words in hopes of by sharing my story & things I’ve learned that you can live your best life, one that nourishes your body, mind & soul.

Here’s your permission🎟️👉do things your way.

When you’re being yourself & living authentically, sink into how fucking good that feels while you sit back & watch everything fall into alignment🙏✨ 👐🧿🪬

Life is like beautifully constructed architecture. If designed well, it works! It stands with regal command.🫡🇺🇸🏁

🚫It’s not vanilla.

It’s like exquisite, intimate, passionate sex that’s better with the lights on🔥

(𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘩? 🙈🙉🙊𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵😉)

Make space for that shit.

Oxox Coach K

You can find this post here & others just like it on the gram❤️

#sundaychurch #loveindy #mystory #rev2023 #revindy @revindyevent @iuhealthfdn @indianapolismotorspeedway @lisamitchellindy

May 6, 2023May 6, 2023

7 Fat Loss Mistakes That Are Keeping You Stuck

Misconceptions & confusion that are most likely holding you back…

Like these: “I am not losing weight on the scale but am losing inches. Is this working?“ & “Muscle weighs more than fat”

Which isn’t actually true.

A lb of muscle weighs the same as a lb of fat. Just like a lb of chicken breasts weighs the same as a lb of ribeye…YES, one is fattier than the other, but a lb is a lb.

The more accurate way of saying this & probably what most people mean when they say this is “Muscle is more dense than fat.”

When you’re losing inches but not weight, this means that your body is going through what’s called recomposition or you’re losing body fat, which takes up a significant amount of space, & you’re left with a greater proportion of muscle, which takes up less space (i.e., more density)

This is actually a great sign due to the positive changes your metabolism & overall health are undergoing as you continue to build muscle!

Muscle is the organ of longevity & metabolically taxing. This means that the more muscle you have on your body, the leaner you will be. The less muscle you have, the less efficient your body is at using the calories you consume on a daily basis & the greater decline you will have in your overall health.

The scale can be a useful tool to show long-term trends but it doesn’t give you the entire picture. Additionally, fluctuations in your scale weight can happen for SO many different reasons that have absolutely NOTHING to do with body fat gain or loss.

With that, here are 7 fat loss misconceptions that are most likely keeping you stuck!

Hope these deets help!

7 Fat Loss Mistakes That Are Keeping You Stuck

You Can Spot Reduce Fat

Doing 200 ab crunches to reduce belly fat is commendable for effort, but you are naïve if you think you can dictate your body where to lose weight.

When you get into a caloric deficit, you will naturally begin to lose weight. This weight loss is global, it’s not isolated to 1 specific area of the body.

You train muscles to make them bigger, your body will decide how much body fat will cover those muscles. What you can do is, eat whole, nutrient dense foods the majority of the time & exercise regularly.

These 2 combined actions will give you the best opportunity to lose fat, & over a period of time, give you an opportunity to lose that extra stubborn body fat!

Weight Loss vs Fat Loss

This vitally important difference is often overlooked. Fat loss means exactly what it says — the reduction of body fat.

Whereas, weight loss can be a combo of a loss of both fat & muscle. Realizing the difference is crucial!

You really don’t want to be losing any muscle. Muscle burns cals, & gives your body that much desired shape. This shape is truly accentuated when you only lose body fat. Your body composition will improve & the appearance of your body will look leaner & fitter.

When you lose both muscle & fat, then a case of “skinny fat” occurs. Essentially, you just become a smaller version of your overweight self, you don’t have any real shape because you don’t have any muscle.

You think you are doing great because you see the scale moving down, but not realizing that any muscle you have on your frame is being used as fuel & gonezo.

weight loss vs fat loss woman with a tape measure

Under Fueling & Protein Problem

Under eating + over exercising = bone loss, muscle loss, & a hot mess for women, hormonally & metabolically. Osteoporosis may seem like an older person’s problem, but what we do before we hit 50 sets us up for our later years.

Under eating is part of the problem. Many women I work with, especially those over 25, are not eating enough protein.

Restrictive, chronic low calorie diets & excessive fasting, concern me. Skipping breakfast & eating only once a day mean many women are missing out on vital protein (& fat) if meal quantities aren’t large enough.

We underestimate the protein we need, especially if we’re active. Repair & regrowth of muscle mass & recovery build a healthy, lean physique. We need protein for “tone”, & if we’re not careful when we lose weight, we’re actually losing muscle instead of fat.

Life compounds on itself. Building strength, protecting our bones, good digestion, & learning to eat right for our bodies before 40 & beyond is crucial.

For most, .8-1.2g of protein/lb of body weight or goal weight if you have more to lose (or even 1.5g/lb for some more petite, leaner, active women) is appropriate. Choose what’s right for you.

Cheat Meal Problems

First off, food shouldn’t be viewed as something you earn or burn. The very life force that fuels you should not be something you feel the need to have to CHEAT on. If it is, you’re doin something wrong.

Cheat meals should be kept to a minimum in general. Also, avoid letting a cheat meal snowball into a cheat day or week or fuck it attitude completely. This scenario quickly undoes any of the good work you have done.

A cheat meal that is high in cals, carbs, and fat, can be a problem. Fat & carbs are converted into body fat with very little energy used in the process. Protein has a higher energy expenditure level during the digestion process.

Drinking alcohol with a high fat cheat meal is throwing fuel on the fire. Alcohol blunts fat burning, which will accelerate the body’s tendency to store fat. It also makes you sluggish, disrupts sleep, & can take away your zest for working out!

Guessing Caloric Intake & Expenditure

This is for my “I don’t need to track my food but things aren’t working” crew. My reply when I hear this, “Okay, what are your maintenance calories & how many are you consuming right now?”

Normally, I don’t get a definitive answer. Specific macros & diets don’t make you fat in & of themselves, it’s when you intake more calories than you expend over a consistent period of time that will make you fat.

You need to figure out your total daily energy requirement (TDEE), which is basically the calories you need based off how active you are on any given day.

It can fluctuate daily, but when you figure it out, you will know how many you need. Avoid guessing. The people who continue to guess, are normally the people with high levels of body fat, struggling with every diet known to man.

Develop healthy habits & educate yourselves. There are tons of tools to help you like counting macros. Make a mental & physical lifestyle change.

before and after weight loss transformation photo

Cardio Is Better For Fat Loss

The problem with cardio only options is that they don’t optimally build muscle. So, when your body burns fuel, it’s not only burning fat, it will also use any muscle tissue you have for fuel.

When you only do cardio, there is a strong possibility that you will become either skinny or skinny fat because you aren’t building any muscle.

Muscle is metabolically active, meaning it burns cals throughout the day to maintain itself. That’s why it’s hard to put a definitive number of how many cals you can burn with a resistance training workout.

The burning continues long after the workout, something you just don’t get from many of the cardio options.

Ideally, you build your exercise program around lifting weights & sprinkle in cardio for cardiovascular benefits, stress management, & to be intentionally used as a lever or fat loss.

cardio vs weights better for fat loss fit woman barbell

Carbs & Fat Make You Fat

Regardless of the macro or diet, if you burn more calories than you intake, you shouldn’t put on fat, it’s that simple.

Body composition may look different depending on your diet, health status, inflammation, hydration, etc.

Having said that, you should keep processed carbs to minimum. Processed carbs are calorie dense & easy to overeat with very little nutritional value. The majority of your carbs, if you choose to consume, should come from unprocessed, low to no sugar options.

Food should be protein & healthy fat focused. You need protein & strength training in your life.

Figure out your total daily energy requirement (total number of cals you will burn based off activity) & maintain around this number the majority of the year for optimal health & fitness. The diet is up to you. I like the TDEEcalculator.net

carbs and fat make you fat fit girl flexing in mirror

How I’ve been able to maintain my 55lb weight loss

I maintain the same habits & commitments to myself as when I was losing weight because I want to be the healthiest, happiest, & strongest version of me I can be. You must make a lifestyle change.

I don’t let the scale determine my success or worth. I know the scale will fluctuate naturally with sleep, stress, food intake, hydration, workouts, etc. I do not cut food & punish myself when it goes up. I stay consistent & take it simply as data to help me.

I prioritize health & how I feel with food, workouts, & movement. My mindset determines my reality. I know I cannot hate myself thin, happy, strong, successful, & fulfilled. The inside determines the outside physically & mentally. Movement & lifting are always priorities no matter what age or season I’m in.

I eat simple, easy, basic af food that serves me best physically & mentally. I stick to meat, eggs, animal fats, seafood, & dairy in moderation. My gut/carnivore story is in the link in my IG bio for more info on specific diet needs & gut healing solutions. You can find that blog HERE.

I am patient & consistent af. I know body change & health take time. I leave room for flexibility. I do not cheat, earn, or burn my food. It is fuel, not a treat.

Thank you for allowing me to add value to your lives!

Coaching FAQ’s, guides, recipe book, discount links & resources HERE!

oxox Coach K

You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com