Here’s why I wrote this story…

I got to a point in my fitness & health journey where whatever I did, even if I bought expensive appetite suppressants, I couldn’t stop eating.

With Crohn’s, hell there were days I didn’t know what to eat because everything seemed to irritate my gut & I was still gaining weight, despite fasting all the time.

Here’s how I lost 60lbs & put my Crohn’s & bulimia in med-free remission here. It’ll answer many of your questions.

The inflammation & weight gain made me want to eat less & workout more, further exacerbating my terrible relationship with food & exercise. I empathize with y’all struggling.

When I was younger, I was following a low-fat, high-carb diet. Fat was the devil. I also observed this undesirable situation happening to friends, family, coworkers, & fellow athletes.

The reasons we couldn’t shed the body fat were ultimately malfunctioning or unbalanced hormonal issues. More explicitly 👉 leptin resistance, insulin resistance, & imbalanced cortisol.

Symptoms of leptin resistance, for example, might include:

• The inability to lose weight even with calorie restriction & extreme exercise
• Extreme cravings for food even if you’ve recently eaten
• Persistent weight gain despite attempts at weight loss
• Lower than normal body temperature & resting heart rate
• Presence of other hormone imbalances (including hypothyroidism, estrogen dominance, low progesterone, low testosterone, or high cortisol)

In this story, my story, & maybe it rings true for your story, I explain why leptin resistance, blood sugar control & cortisol balance matter for fat loss & metabolic health.

Here’s how I fixed mine & created a healthy lifestyle I love!

Keep in mind, some people with underlying health conditions might need medical intervention & support. Therefore, just adjusting our lifestyle might not work for some of us. This is not medical advice or a prescription, simply things I’ve learned & how I improved my health!

Here’s How I Fixed My Leptin Resistance & Helped Balance Blood Sugar & Cortisol

What is leptin, and why does leptin resistance matter?

Like other hormones, leptin is also highly complex. However, I feel we don’t need to know the details unless we work as medical specialists in a field. Lets keep this as simple as possible but still have a solid understanding of the what, why, & how behind it. It is easy for us to manage & optimize with healthy lifestyle changes. Its implications can be invaluable for appetite management & preventing undesirable fat gain leading to metabolic disorders.

Leptin is a hormone that signals the brain we consume enough food. In addition to being a signaling hormone, leptin also regulates energy balance & counteracts the hunger hormone called ghrelin.

Unfortunately, if leptin does not function correctly, we will continue eating & consuming excess calories, which turns into visceral fat. Consequently, this condition can imbalance other hormones & lead to metabolic disorders.

Excess calories might be from carbs, fats, or proteins. However, the ones from carbs can much more quickly turn into fat molecules, & they accumulate, leading to obesity.

When leptin signals work properly, we stop eating naturally as the brain triggers feelings of satiety. Having a leptin-sensitive body prevents us from overeating.

However, leptin resistance is an agonizing health condition if it persists. It prevents the brain from receiving satiety signals causing emotional food consumption of more than what we need.

A leptin-resistant body might lead to binge eating due to the constantly activated hunger hormone ghrelin.

When the body is leptin resistant, the ghrelin hormone creates hunger feelings so strong that we might feel like starving even though the body has adequate stored energy.

This awful & paradoxical feeling encourages us to eat emotionally even if we physically have more energy than needed to survive.

Overeating, unfortunately, causes weight gain, might lead to obesity, & cause metabolic disorders such as type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, & even some cancers.

Based on my past experiences of struggling with weight gain, Crohn’s disease, gut & inflammatory issues, here are shifts that helped me improve leptin sensitivity, lose body fat, & gain my health back!

**My points are not prescriptive, as they might not apply to everyone. However, I emphasize the critical principles here so y’all can learn & can customize these protocols based on your needs.**

• Optimized blood sugar via a meat based “carnivore” diet approach

My first step was to optimize blood sugar & prevent frequent & prolonged insulin spikes. When my blood sugar suddenly dropped, I faced an extreme sense of hunger & craved unhealthy foods like processed foods. I want y’all to understand this process, so dietary changes make sense.

Our bloodstream needs glucose to cater to the energy requirements of cells, tissues, & organs. If the amount passes the threshold, the body perceives the glucose as “toxic” & quickly acts to eliminate it. The pancreas releases insulin hormone & causes the glucose to be quickly removed from the bloodstream.

The first preference is muscles, as they are critical for survival. If muscles don’t need glucose, the body sends the excess glucose to fat cells by converting glucose to fat molecules.

Consequently, our fat cells grow by accumulating visceral fat, especially in the abdominal area. Muffin top ring a bell?

• Optimized blood sugar & prevented insulin spikes by reducing carbs

When muscles and other organ cells stop responding to insulin signals to utilize glucose, a condition called “insulin resistance” occurs. The pancreas creates more insulin to manage elevated glucose. One of the causes of insulin resistance is hyperinsulinemia.

The culprit to raise blood glucose & cause sudden insulin spikes is the overconsumption of refined carbs. Too much protein can also cause more insulin spikes but not as much as refined carbs.

So my dietary solution to optimize my blood glucose & reverse insulin resistance was to cut all refined carbs, particularly bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, candy, & any sugary beverages.

This step primed my body to optimize glucose & make it more insulin sensitive. However, the 2nd step sustainably contributed to making it more leptin sensitive after having an insulin-sensitive body.

• Increased healthy fats and bioavailable proteins via a meat based “carnivore” diet

When doing my research, I learned that there were 2 critical factors determining the relationships between dietary fats & leptin.

The 1st factor is leptin is made up of fat molecules. The 2nd is that leptin informs satiety in the brain when we consume food containing fat in each meal. It keeps us fuller, faster. Leptin also relates to the overall body fat percentage.

Those with higher fat should have more leptin, however, we need to understand the issue of leptin resistance in obese people. Leptin resistance means that the body & brain become unable to respond to this critical hormone so we keep eating more than we need.

One of the root causes of leptin resistance is not consuming enough healthy fats, optimal protein, & too many carbs. Therefore, when I started eating more healthy fats & more bioavailable proteins, my satiety increased, cravings & inflammation decreased, & hormones started balancing out. I no longer binged or craved carbs.

This solution stopped my hunger pangs. I felt great satiety after each meal. I understood more fully my poor emotional relationship with carbs & sugar. I relate it to being an alcoholic. I can’t have one cookie or cake, I’m an addict. You don’t tell an alcoholic it’s ok, just have a drink. Understood?

Nowadays, even if I eat OMAD (one meal a day) for several days, I don’t feel any cravings & don’t consume food emotionally. I only eat when I physically feel hungry.

My diet consists of primarily red ruminant meats like beef & lamb, occasional chicken, turkey, & pork, seafood, eggs, occasional daily (butter/cheese/milk), organic coffee, water, electrolytes, & occasional social alcohol in the form of bourbon or vodka.

The next step focused on reducing oxidative stress & chronic inflammation. With Crohn’s disease these are CRITICAL!

• Improved sleep quality, lowered stress, prioritized self care & “biohacking“

During my research of metabolic hormones causing weight gain, I discovered that the 3rd cause of leptin resistance was sleep deprivation & stress – basically a f*cked up sleep routine & not being able to chill out. They caused both increased cortisol & blood sugar. This was an eye-opener for me.

The solution to balance insulin & cortisol was restorative sleep, self care, & whatever the hell I had to do to chill out, detox, & slow down to lower oxidative stress & chronic inflammation. When I got restorative sleep, my chronic stress & inflammation all but disappeared. As a result, my hunger pangs & food cravings diminished & gradually ended too. Which is why I say NO to going out when I don’t have the energy. My health suffers.

I now incorporate infrared sauna, red light therapy, grounding (earthing) mats, blue blocking glasses, get outside in nature & the sunlight as much as possible, & reduce toxins in my beauty, food, & home products as much as possible too. Biohacking products all posted in my IG highlights & codes in link in IG bio!

Why Stress & Cortisol are Making You Fat

What is Cortisol & why does it matter?

Cortisol is a hormone, which as levels rise in response to stressors, not only affects our blood glucose, but influences our physical & psychological processes including fat loss.

Stressors can include things like:

• Under eating
• Over exercising
• Relationship stress, kids
• Job stress
• Trigger foods, gut issues
• Lack of quality sleep
• Over caffeinating, Alcohol
• Fasting too long

The direct effect cortisol has on insulin is a big contributing factor to weight & fat gain.

For example:

Elevated cortisol levels stimulate gluconeogenesis, the breakdown of non-carbohydrate sources like protein into glucose. This will increase our blood glucose even on low carb diets. If prolonged, this can lead to changes in appetite regulating hormones like leptin & ghrelin, causing us to eat more than we need.

How can we minimize stressors?

• Eat enough food for optimal body function & activity. Typically called our true maintenance calories. You can use the TDEEcalculator.net to find yours.
• No chronic dieting or yo-yo dieting. Periodize nutrition. Eat meat & healthy fats. Minimize processed food.
• Get to sleep! 7-9 hrs of quality per night.
• Limit caffeine intake to mornings only.
• Cultivate a positive environment & monitor what you consume from social media, to food, people, tv, books, podcasts, etc. GRATITUDE.
• Take time for self care. No excessive fasting, find an optimal fasting window for you. Most do well 12-16 hrs overnight.
• Recover from workouts efficiently, take rest days, walk.

Here’s my daily routine. I created a guide for you!

The best pre-workout: sleep, proper hydration & electrolytes

The best fat burner: sleep, stress management, & a calorie deficit

The best workout & training plan: The one that you’ll do & stick with longer than 2 weeks.

The best diet: The one that you’ll do & stick with longer than 2 weeks. (Meat-based for people with gut issues, autoimmune needs, & emotional issues with food addiction & carbs imo.)

The best protein & multivitamins: meat, eggs, & healthy fats from animal sources.

Realize the body you want requires you to eat more & lift heavy stuff, not living in a constant state of restriction & extremes. Your weight & what you look like are the least most interesting things about you. You can look good nekkid at any weight, it’s about perception & confidence. Health looks good on everyone.

Why Your Blood Sugar May Be Affecting Your Fat Loss

Tools I’ve Used To Check Mine

Keto Mojo: checks both ketones & blood glucose. Has app, blue tooth, syncs with phone, got mine off Amazon.

Nutrisense Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM): my top pick. Painless application, has app, syncs with phone, no pricking your finger, continuous monitoring, access to their nutritionists. Discount Code: lilbitoffitCGM10

Times to Check Blood Glucose

• Fasted 1st thing when you wake before any food or drink: to gain data & a biomarker of metabolic & hormonal health. This is when I weigh myself too.

• 2 hours after eating combo meals: to see how they interact with one another & affect your digestion & blood glucose. Quality & quantity matter. Ex: combos like carbs + protein +fat, high protein + low fat, high fat + lower protein, carbs + protein, carbs +fat, etc.

• After eating singular foods: to see what spikes your blood sugar more than the other. Ex: like testing after eating carbs, diet pop, chewing gum, using sweetener, eating dairy, after a larger high protein meal, after a bolus of fat, etc.

• After periods of stress: to see how your body handles stress. Ex: after a hard workout, a poor nights sleep, after a stressful life experience, etc.

FAQ’s & Tips To Help

• What can I use to track? I’ve used a keto mojo & my top pick is a NutriSense CGM. You can get a simple glucometer from your local drugstore too. Discount Code: lilbitoffitCGM10

• What range should my blood sugar be for optimal body fat loss? I like MINE in that 70-90/dL range fasting. Normal fasting ranges will vary but for most are in the 70-100 range. Mine tends to run higher, around 85-100 while others may be lower around 65-80. Lifestyle, genetics, & environmental factors all matter & can affect ranges.

• How long should I wait after meals to check my glucose? I recommend checking prior to your meal then 1-2 hours after eating for your “peak” levels.

• What diet works best for food/sugar addiction? Low carb & meat-based hands down in my opinion.

• What are normal blood sugar levels?

They’re less than 100 mg/dL after not eating (fasting) for at least 8 hours. And they’re less than 140 mg/dL 2 hours after eating. During the day, levels tend to be at their lowest just before meals. For most people without diabetes, blood sugar levels before meals hover around 70 to 80 mg/dL. For some people, 60 is normal; for others, 90. Again, we’re all different.

• Why does it matter if my blood sugar is high, like around 120-200ish sometimes?

It is very important to keep your blood sugar level under control. It affects everything really, mood, fat loss, weight gain, hunger, satiety, energy, performance, sleep, etc. When your blood sugar level is high, it can cause damage in your veins & arteries. This damage could lead to complications later such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, neuropathies, vision problems, etc.

• What foods spike my sugar most? What food has carbohydrates? Carbs typically spike blood sugar the most, then protein, then fat. Fruits, starchy veggies, milk, dairy, yogurt, rice, cereals, bread, grains, basically think anything sweet all have carbs. High glycemic foods affect glucose the most, ex: bread, cereal, candy, baked goods, fruit, honey, rice, crackers, cookies, rice cakes, sugar, pancakes, waffles, potatoes, corn, most processed foods.

• If it is sugar free, I can eat as much as I want, right? SF foods can be part of your diet in moderation. Abstainers typically do better abstaining from any carbs, sugar, or SF substitutes. Many cause gut issues like bloating, constipation, & pain due to added fibers, fillers, gums, sugar alcohols & artificial sweeteners. Some of these foods still have carbs (in the form of other sweeteners such as sorbitol, isomalt, & mannitol) & may affect your glucose levels.

Things That Elevate Blood Sugar You May Be Overlooking

• Coffee: Increases adrenaline, cortisol (stress hormones) & blood sugar which can cause a release from our liver glycogen even when fasting. This was one thing I tested, luckily black coffee only affected my blood sugar like 2-5 points. Best to drink with food 90 minutes after waking for more optimal hormone balance.

• Fasting too long: Again, increases body stress which increases your cortisol level which will cause liver glycogen to be released & your blood sugar to rise. Are you waking up in the middle of the night? Is your fasting AM blood sugar high (>95)? Try eating more, shorten fasting windows

• Dehydration: Less blood volume=higher concentrations of glucose in the blood. Shoot for 1/2 your body weight in Oz of water daily.

• Over exercising, under eating, &/or eating trigger foods: All huge stressors on the body which increase cortisol & thus blood glucose.

• Carbs: No they’re not the devil. Typically it’s our relationships with them & our habits that are. Carbs do keep us calm by serotonin & cortisol. Our tolerances vary bioindividually. Typically in a healthy individual the more active the more carbs we require & tolerate. Carbs do spike your insulin higher than protein or fats. Carbs obviously spiked my blood sugar higher than any other food even experimenting consuming 2lbs of a high-protein meal. 3 rice cakes spiked my insulin to 160. The 2lbs of beef #meatbars spiked my insulin to 130.

• Artificial sweeteners & sweet beverages: If it tastes sweet typically it will cause a reaction in your body & spike your blood sugar to some degree. I’m all about moderation but don’t have the majority of your diet full of diet foods & Splenda just to save a few calories & carbs. They lack in micronutrients which your body needs to function properly. In my experience with the CGM, they did elevate my blood glucose slightly but not very much, maybe 5 to 10 points max.

• Alcohol: I’m just leaving this one there, y’all this is common sense. The higher the calorie, the higher the sugar, the higher the carbs the more it is going to spike your blood glucose. The “worst” options are beer, wine, sugary cocktails like White Russians, margaritas, Mojito‘s, Long Island iced teas, etc. I know it’s heartbreaking right ?!

• Sleep: Not only does this disrupt your satiety & hunger hormones like a leptin & Ghrelin which can cause you to crave carbs & feel like a bottomless pit, it also spikes your blood sugar, & your performance, fitness goals & recovery suffer. I found lack of sleep, not getting sunlight, & high intensity workouts especially fasting were the biggest culprits that spiked my blood sugar & made me feel like trash. Get outside at sunrise, take sun breaks midday. Use blue blocking glasses. Reduce caffeine. Utilize red light therapy. I have an @emrtekinc Firewave light. Discount Code: lilbitoffit20

Helpful Charts

Conclusions and Takeaways

In summary, I owe a healthier, leaner body to 3 simple lifestyle habits:

• The 1st was to refrain from refined carbs & sugar.
• The 2nd was to increase healthy fats & consume adequate bioavailable proteins via a meat “carnivore” based woe.
• And the 3rd was to get restorative sleep, reduce stress, & increase self care via “biohacking.”

However, I also incorporated a 4th solution, which was time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting. It indirectly contributed to making my body more leptin sensitive because it made it insulin sensitive & fat-adapted, too. No excessive fasting, I am intentional & follow my body’s natural hunger cues. I fast 14-20 hrs overnight on avg. Just wanted to create awareness. It’s optional as it might not be feasible for everyone & might not be needed if the 3 mentioned steps are in place.

When we make the body insulin & leptin sensitive, keeping a healthy weight can be a breeze. Therefore, we might not need expensive supplements, fad diets, or excessive exercise.

Thank you for reading my perspectives & experiences! I wish y’all the healthiest, happiest, & most badass life ever!

Like this blog? Find it helpful? Interested in trying carnivore & fasting with me?  Join our coaching community!

oxox Coach K

Katie Kelly is a nutritionist, writer, travel registered radiologic technologist, Indiana farmer’s daughter, Crohn’s warrior, experience collector, and athlete of life. Former hot mess down 60lbs + financially free with nothin’ but an airfryer & a prayer. Location: Aging gracefully somewhere between scrubs & steak 🙂

On social, she’s better known as Coach K, but most of all wants you to know she’s struggled just like you. More importantly, she wants you to believe in yourself, your health, your voice, & your ability to live your best life!

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