Health Coach | Speaker | Writer | Welcome to my digital diary! I'm here to help you blend life & fitness to find your health & happy! Thank you for being part of my family & allowing me to add value to your journey!
I know I’m not the only one who has wondered this exact thing in times of hunger & juggling fat loss &/or physique goals…or playing the ole “macro Tetris”
Basic rule of thumb: if you hungry & you’re choosing to over eat, CHOOSE A LEAN (means lower fat) PROTEIN SOURCE. The higher the fat content, the higher your calories will be.
Carbohydrates typically affect your blood sugar the most.
This is also a reason higher protein carnivore & meat-based diets vs high fat are extremely effective in helping you achieve & maintain a lean, more muscular (athletic or “toned” as a term many of you use) physique.
Also a reason why fat cycling is effective. (which is similar to carb cycling for those who are familiar with carb cycling) It focuses on higher protein and helping you achieve a calorie deficit by lowering your fat on specific days. Basic science and math at the end of the day.
My favorite lean protein sources: Ground chicken Lean ground beef (90-93%) Cod Tilapia Shrimp Scallops Chicken breast
I hate tracking my food. – something I hear every day Let’s have a come to Jesus moment y’all… When you do “structure” “right,” the freedom follows with ease. Which means if things aren’t progressing the way you’d like chasing a specific goal you must gain self-awareness & data to help you make the correct adjustments. Once you do that & create a “structure” that serves you & your goals, they become second nature & aren’t viewed as rigidity anymore. Your habits & routine become part of you. Some things you had to do before you created your structure you may not have to do anymore, a.k.a. tracking. Too many people view “structure” as ubiquitously restrictive in a “bad” way. It’s not bad. Just like fasting isn’t bad or a dirty word unless you abuse it. They’re TOOLS. I get it, you be scrollin the gram & people are telling you you don’t need to track your food, or diet, or eat low carb, or drink, or eat meat, or are a vegetarian – whatever…. But what most of these people aren’t telling you, The ones that have found a solution that works for THEM is that they spent years: ➡️learning about nutrition, different diets, macros, calories, trigger foods, etc ➡️tracking their intake in some capacity ➡️unlearning self sabotaging habits & behaviors ➡️rewiring their eating & daily routine habits (most of us, me included, didn’t grow up with nutritional guidance) ➡️doing the inner work to build better habits, develop better awareness of their body’s signals, change their inner narrative, & spend time in multiple different nutritional “seasons” (maintenance, deficit, surplus), often multiple times “Eating whatever you want” looks easy for these people because they’ve done the work. The freedom I & they have NOW comes from the work we did years, decades prior. You learn thru making mistakes & having patience what actually works for your body. You LOSE the fear & you gain 2 things: 🧠knowledge 🙏self-trust So… you want the freedom? Put in the work. All things we learn when you work with me.
**Warning** This may be sensitive, triggering information for some.**
It’s officia! This is the beginning of my journey as an author. You guys have been telling me for years to write a book about my life…so I’m keeping my promise. Manifesting this sh*t.
I decided to just. start. writing. Here are some bits & pieces from, Confessions of a Sick, Overweight, Broke B*tch.
Enjoy, I hope these nuggets can resonate in a way you need.
How bout that cat shirt tho? 🙂
I remember it well, it was a Saturday morning. I snuck an unopened package of Girl Scout Tagalong Cookies into my bedroom. I ate the entire box while everyone slept.
Who would’ve known the gates of addiction, self sabotage, sickness, obesity, & decades of debt & relationship debacles would follow.
My body image issues, food addiction, gut dis-ease, & disordered eating started at the age of 8 with the opening of a package of girl scout cookies.
I could put away more food than my father did at dinner.
I’ll never forget my mom (bless her heart she meant well) saying, “If you keep eating like that you’ll get as big as a barn.”
I grew up on a family farm in small town USA, Indiana, raising crops & beef cattle. We ate good y’all. ALL the meat, potatoes, home-cooked baked goods, fried spam & bologna. ALL the down home country sh*t.
I am the oldest of 3. I have 2 younger brothers, both “skinny” growing up, I was always the “fat” one. There was a reason I played catcher in softball & threw shot put in track. You wouldn’t think it lookin at my 5’1, 105lb frame today at 40 years old.
Current me 🙂
I remember crumpling the package of cookies under my bed, hiding it in shame. I curled up in pain, stomach so full & nauseous from all the sugar. At that time I willed myself not to throw up. I was swollen, sick, ashamed, & unaware of the drug addiction that had only just begun.
“What have I done? What would my parents say or anyone else if they ever found out?” I thought.
Huge transformations mentally & physically thru my 40 years!
Then the binging & purging began as I got older.
I discovered I could make myself throw up & “undo” what I had done. I could workout more. I could restrict more so I could enjoy my binges more & eat MORE.
F*cked up, right?!
The thing is the “monster” inside of you doesn’t see it that way.
It’s like you have two personalities like an angel and devil on your shoulders fighting for your attention.
Things I used to tell myself, “This must be what all the skinny & popular girls do at school, right?! Because I have to look like them to be loved by all the boys & be successful. I’m just not trying hard enough. Push harder. Oh, you gained 2lbs, great job, Katie, no food for you for 2 days.”
Sound familiar?
As painful as it is reliving these nightmares, I’m writing this for YOU.
I know I’m not alone and I want you to know that someone else gets it.
I know what it feels like to be so full you’re sick, but you can’t stop eating.
I know what it feels like to be lying on the floor with a sore throat, reflux, & puffy eyes telling yourself, “This is the last time” & also knowing you’re full of bullsh*t.
I know what it feels like to feel like you’re not even in your body when a binge is happening. The sugary taste of all the foods you’ve denied yourself & deemed “bad” are orgasmic, the high of knowing what you’re about to do is exhilarating & shameful at the same time. The feeling of letting food control you & sabotage every relationship & facet of your life.
I know what it feels like to feel hopeless. Suffering with gut issues and not knowing what to eat because everything makes you bloated, constipated, & miserable to the point you’re a shell of yourself.
I know what it feels like to live in an abusive relationship with yourself and others, seeking validation through outside sources like relationships, controlling your body, excessive drinking, and overspending to the point you’re over $40,000 in debt. You feel like you’re drowning in a cesspool of your own creation.
The scary thing was I thought I was fit & healthy in the left photo, but I remember what hell I was putting my body thru trying to chase a constant smaller version of myself. I still thought I was fat. Thank God for CrossFit, it made me realize what I was doing was wrong & I needed to eat MORE! Strong not Skinny 🙂
Binging became something I did regularly, pushing the boundaries of “full” further & further.
My memories of elementary & middle school are saturated with the fact that I was fatter than all of my friends.
I had a friend jokingly poke my waist & make a joke about “pinching an inch.” My classmates ridiculed me & called me heifer & lamb chop because I had frizzy curly hair, full cheeks, was a farm kid, & bigger than everyone else.
It became a recurring nightmare until my first bad break up in high school.
I was so emotionally distraught I just quit eating. I lost 15lbs in a matter of 3 weeks before school started.
I didn’t even have the energy to show my calves at the Indiana State Fair. I did, but I thought I was gonna pass out.
Rub some dirt in it right?! Suck it up. Farm kids were raised to be tough. We weren’t allowed to give excuses.
I remember my mom telling me she was gonna put me in the hospital if I didn’t eat.
Guess what happened when I went back to school 15lbs lighter?
All the kids magically loved me.
I was thinner, I was praised for my weight loss & finally got attention!
BOOM!
That moment right there was the pivotal moment I believed in order to be loved, successful, & worthy, I needed to be as thin as possible.
“Bare bones, b*tch, that’s our goal. Don’t f*ck this up.” That’s what I told myself.
At 40 I finally feel whole, happy, & peaceful with my being.
I’m grateful for a meat-based & “carnivore” way of eating. It broke my addiction & healed me in ways physically & mentally I never thought could be mended.
I’m not writing this for pity or attention, I’m writing this for YOU. The ones still stuck in this cycle looking for magic & quick fixes.
Fall in love with your journey & slow down, it’s a long one but well worth the work & effort & patience. YOU ARE WORTH IT! You are worthy just because you exist. And you are fabulous at whatever weight & size you are your healthiest.
Love the skin you’re in, it’s the only home you have forever!
Book to be continued 😉
Things that helped me break my binge eating
They may seem small, but these lil tips make a huge impact on your healing. No need for perfection here, but it does take making & KEEPING commitments to yourself.
I think I can speak for all of us who struggled or are currently struggling with 50 shades of a fuxked up relationship with food & exercise.
Like I spoke about earlier, I chased bare bones, wore restriction like a badge, & was abusing carbs like a drug (let alone with my Crohn’s, my body couldn’t digest & utilize carbs & fiber like a normal human being. I was in agony).
The disordered eating & carbs, they’re like a high for us, like a drink to an alcoholic, or a high like that first kiss from that boy you’ve loved for so long.
Some signs of a disordered relationship w/food & exercise:
Refusing to eat foods you love due to fear of weight gain.
Avoiding social situations, anxiety.
Compensating by “working food off,” “earning”, or using food as a “treat/reward.”
Obsessing about food, tracking, exercise.
Addiction to specific foods.
Not being able to moderate specific foods like carbs, sugar, hyperpalatable & caloric foods like bacon, cheese, high fat meats, etc.
Letting the weight on your scale or missing a work out ruin your day.
Obsessive body checking in the mirror.
Constantly seeking validation from things &/or others.
Falling into the restrict, binge, self hate cycle. Yo-yo dieting.
There’s so many more but the above were biggies for me.
Tips that helped me:
Find your triggers (food, stress, emotional situations, comparing, etc) write them down & journal or talk to yourself about why you react to them the way you do. You have to gain self-awareness.
Eat regularly & eat enough for your goals & activity. Binging comes from overly restricting. It’s your body’s survival mechanism. It affects you physiologically & psychologically.
Eat larger meals with plenty of protein & healthy fats. Carbs & highly palatable, calorically dense foods seem to be a big trigger for most people.
Determine if you are an abstainer or a moderator. Abstainer’s typically do better with food rules, also get the trigger foods out of your house.
Eat with friends & family. STAY BUSY to avoid emotional eating or boredom eating. Get out of the house, WALK, clean, call someone, read, watch a movie, color.
Eat mindfully, chew your food, slow down, portion food on a plate, avoid tracking & weighing yourself if those are triggers.
On the other hand, tracking & weighing can also help some of us that have lost our true hunger & satiety cues. Often we can’t physically tell when we’re full, so tracking will give us the data for us to make decisions about proper portion sizing.
Wear comfortable clothes & stop body checking in the mirror. Get new clothes that fit & are flattering. You wear your clothes, they don’t wear you! Stop keeping smaller items in hopes you’ll fit into them again. I find it just causes more disordered behavior & thinking.
Strive to be self aware rather than judgmental. You are simply on a fact-finding mission to uncover patterns of feelings & behavior so you can work to change them.
Journal! I cannot tell you how many epiphanies I have had while journaling about food. You don’t have to sit and write out a lengthy entry, brain dump. I’ll just make a list of what I’m feeling & thinking, not worrying about how it sounds or if I use proper sentences or grammar. It releases emotional weight. Use the prompt, “What is the feeling I am trying not to feel?”
Remove your food triggers & get on a meal plan that works for you. For me, this was the carnivore diet. I have an addiction to carbs. I also do not digest them well, causing physical harm. I cannot stress enough how important it is to eat enough food for proper body function & activity. You should be eating at your maintenance caloric levels the majority of the time. We shouldn’t be chronically dieting. It will really help cut down on overeating & binging & help you relearn portioning & true hunger/fullness cues.
Opt out of others’ ideas of health, beauty, & diet culture. Cut the toxicity out of your life & monitor what you consume. This means relationships, social media, your environment, what you read & watch – it’s not simply just food. I remind myself:
One, there are things that are easy for me that are difficult for other people.
Two, people generally share successes & highlights, but not the effort or failed attempts that lead up to them.
Three, I am making progress doing what works for me.
Start prioritizing sleep! We NEED sleep, 7-9 hrs/night. It not only affects you cognitively, but physically. When we don’t get enough sleep, it throws off our hunger & satiety hormones, leptin & ghrelin, making us hungrier & typically crave carbs, sugar, & high fat foods. Getting enough sleep is as important as diet & exercise in fat loss. People who get enough sleep not only physically are healthier but also cognitively make better choices.
If you do binge or overeat, focus on moving forward. One of the single biggest things (other than the carnivore diet) that helped me was not responding to a binge by restricting the next day. Go back to your normal meal schedule, otherwise, you’re stuck in the restrict & binge cycle AGAIN.
My Crispy Airfryer Meat Bars are LIFE! I have an Instant Vortex 6qt airfryer from Target, also on Amazon- Link in IG Bio under Amazon Favorites. I cook about 1-2 lbs of meat at a time, usually 85-90% ground beef & Perdue Ground Chicken, Airfry, 380, 12 minutes!
Seek therapy &/or help from a coach or practitioner. I have a lot of difficult conversations with my therapist. When it comes to conflict & relationships, I’m an avoider. I hate talking about difficult topics, I hate conflict, I feel angry & anxious when I do. But the way to get rid of a monster’s power is to shine the flashlight in the closet and see it for what it is. Talking about a negative thing gets rid of any power it has over you. A surprising thing about therapy is that every time I tell my therapist something I’ve been too embarrassed to tell anyone before, she tells me how normal it is & how it’s in a cause & effect relationship with other things in my life & absolutely can choose again. Amen, right?!
Keep a compliment journal, write affirmations on post-its & put them on your bathroom mirror, write out positive intentions in your scheduler everyday, list things you’re grateful for every morning. I even save a board of inspiration on Pinterest when I’m feeling low vibe. I always feel better after reading through!
Be compassionate with yourself when you’re not perfect. Recovery is not linear. Think about how you’re feeling & how to redirect instead of punishing yourself for feeling & thinking certain things. Its like punishing & rewarding yourself with food & exercise. Food is fuel, not a reward. Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do, not punishment. Another reason I loather the word & use of “cheat day.” You’re only cheating yourself.
If you’re hungry, eat, if you’re not, don’t. We do not need to over complicate things. There is also no one-size-fits-all to anything in life, especially food & fitness. You don’t have to choose a specific diet camp, fitness modality, fasting regimen, etc. Do what feels good & authentic to YOU!
Yesterday I pulled over at Hardee’s & ordered 3 chicken boobies, grilled, plain. (I had to refrain from sayin “chicken boobies”😂)
Back to work today after a fun few days in Nashville!
The dude looked at me like I had 4 eyes. He was like, “Oh you want the chicken club sandwich?”
I’m like 🙄, “No b*tch, I want exactly what I ordered.” My carnivores, I know you feel my pain when ordering out.
Point of this post, CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
video here
My past self would’ve simply settled for the sandwiches when it wasn’t exactly what I wanted because I would’ve been afraid to order something different.
Do you know we all just supposed to be here Vibin, enjoying ourselves?! That’s it.
Why do we over complicate things?
-Because we fear judgment & not being accepted.
Manifesting the life & body you want is not about changing your current reality, it’s about shifting into the reality you desire.
Speak up for yourself.
You still have to do the work with food, exercise, money, & relationships.
The biggest steps are self-awareness & learning not to give a 💩about what other people think.
For example: my diet is 99% meat & egg-based. How dare I post me enjoying alcohol or coffee because that makes me different. It opens myself up to criticism.
I’m not sorry they bring joy to my life in moderation & I don’t give 2 fux what anyone else thinks. And neither should you.
It would’ve saved me much heartache in relationships. Because I was too afraid to ask for what I needed in fear they wouldn’t love me.
It would’ve saved tons of debt because I wasn’t buying sh*t I didn’t need just to impress other people or numb my unhappiness.
It would’ve saved years in agony trying to eat fruits, fiber, vegetables & foods that absolutely tore my insides up, exacerbating my Crohn’s.
You don’t have to be perfect or fit a mold to be worthy, to matter, or for your voice/story to impact others.
I thought living with an autoimmune disorder was just going to be my story until I decided to rewrite it.
I’m fortunate enough to be med free, to have my health, to have jobs I love, & a friends circle that is nothing short of bombdiggity!
I’m not one to slap labels & fit into any certain “camp.” I’m an advocate of being EDUCATED & FLEXIBLE, eating foods that are nourishing, suit YOUR lifestyle & specific needs.
Your questions around fueling like an athlete with special digestive needs➡️here are my top tips living with Crohn’s as an athlete! Swipe!
Why do I eat a meat based diet?
I’m over 2 years carnivore! Healthier than ever!
— I’m sensitive to lectins, oxalates, high histamine, high fodmap foods & phytates.
I wondered for years why I felt like 💩 after eating nut butters, high amounts of veggies, fruits, fiber, sweet potatoes, breads, & any nuts & seeds. Basically my body hates anything but coffee, gf alcohol, eggs, & meat😂
Why I choose a diet based on animal foods👇
✅Majority of my calories are from the most nutrient-dense bioavailable foods
✅I LOVE & thrive off meat with no digestion issues. BM’s more normal. Maybe TMI but for those of us who struggle with gut stuff — shxt matters — literally 💩
✅Minimal fiber, meaning everything is easy to digest.
✅Low to no sugar, or highly palatable processed carb based foods. I found these are my biggest triggers when it comes to binging or basically eating like an a$$hole.
✅Natural fats & plenty of protein. I’m fuller longer, I don’t have energy crashes, I can eat 1-2 meals & be happy all day & not have to worry about having a bunch of meal preps.
✅My body is more recovered, less inflamed, I eat more food & stay leaner with no binging. My workouts feel great & I simply do what I love.
I modify my carnivore diet to my preferences. There is room for leniency, you are in charge of what you put in your mouth. (Get your mind outta the gutter)
If there is a food not animal based, that doesn’t trigger symptoms for you, don’t feel pressured to avoid it.
Dieting from the inside out & “How long will it take me to lose the weight”…
It’s so much about your mental state and internal work when it comes to finding a diet/workout/lifestyle that works for you.
I really don’t think you can have one without the other. The mental health world and the fitness world should be mutually inclusive.
The problem is too often people are not willing to address their emotional, headspace, inner narrative problems — they just want someone to give them the diet or the workouts or the solution they think is going to solve all their problems when they are the ones that really have to solve the problems. No one can tell you what is going to work for you.
We can tell you as coaches & practitioners what to do but unless you see what the root cause of your issues are & take action to execute the plan, you’re never truly going to make a life change. You’re basically going to yo-yo diet through life
tough love.
When you just simply lose the weight but stay the same you mentally, most often you’re going to find the weight you lost again eventually. — Because you didn’t up level to who you truly want to be.
It’s like building a house with no foundation.
Swipe for all the deets & a reality check on how long it REALISTICALLY will take you to lose 30lbs.
I replied, “Commitment is defined as a willingness to give your time & energy into something you believe in, a promise or firm decision to do something.
What more worthy thing to believe in, commit to, & invest in than yourself?
It isn’t always, & most often is not, pretty or glamorous. It starts with honestly viewing your current condition with blunt af transparency, awareness, & acceptance.I’d rather be an imperfect human working on relentless betterment, than a facade of a perfect human surviving on bullshxt sandwiches.”
The process… Truly look at yourself & current state. What are your goals/desires? What do you need to improve to move the needle forward? If you’re clearly not where you want to be, you need to own that. You control how you react & respond to all stimuli.
Picture your future self & condition. Thoughts become things. What thoughts & reality do you want to grow? How would you feel?
A practice that helps me visualize & shift my mindset & energy to a positive place: Pull up Pinterest & consume positive quotes, images, videos, anything that shifts my state to a happy place. I’ve made boards & folders there with intentions & desired goals. These things you’re seeing, feeling, & saving are YOU as your future self.
Triggered much? Good. Know you know better. So go DO BETTER. Right meow
Listen, I belonged to the “I’m working my azz off (literally) club why am I not seeing results?” for decades. Weekends were always excuses, social time was always an excuse, Ive been good all week so I deserve this…it’s easy to make excuses. Happy swiping! Answers to your fat loss questions! Tons of cheat sheets, these are all included in my 300+ page Meat & Macros guide, by the way, which you can check out & snag in the link in my Instagram bio under Coaching FAQs!
The majority of the questions asked this week were centered around not seeing body change or fat loss despite cutting food & hormone basics. Most of the time they come down to these things that you don’t want to hear. If you keep doing what you’ve always done you will always get the same result. You deserve to look & feel great! You’re worth the change. Feel free to save tag & share, what’s mine is yours! I create these for you guys! You don’t have to ask my permission 💕💕 (I appreciate those of you who do🙏) Oxox Coach K
“You know it’s actually rude for you not to eat their food.” or “Oh come on, one won’t hurt you.” 👉🏻Things I used to hear when I was going through my own food battles. Holidays & social functions were the worst.
On the outside we may look fine but on the inside we’re suffering.
I spent decades with food triggers, sensitivities, gut issues, constipation, bloating, G.I. bleeding, unexplained weight gain & disordered eating on top of it all.
I spent way too many years of life with social anxiety, especially challenging when dating or trying to be social.
I’m also a highly sensitive person when it comes to environments, emotions & other peoples’ energies. I like to eat alone.
Maybe you can relate too.
I don’t shame myself for all of these things that make me different anymore.
These 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.
The hard truth is, it’s hard to learn to love yourself for being different. And it sucks being called or thought of as rude. So let’s raise awareness on this!
Tag, save, & share freely via IG! Show this post or use the tips to help others out there who don’t understand or are struggling too💟🌈☀️🥩🥰🙏
I made big mistakes in my fitness journey juggling digestive problems, disordered eating, & fueling like an athlete for performance.
I remember starving myself after workouts because I thought I’d “undo” all my hard work.
I thought I’d be “toned” & have better energy but what I actually got was “skinny fat,” weak, & bloated.
What does it take to optimize workouts?
▪️Adequate food quantity & proper meal timing for your workouts
▪️The RIGHT food (what you can digest & absorb efficiently mentally & physically)
▪️Appropriate stimulus (WEIGHTS & cardio)
▪️Consistency (not perfection)
▪️Recovery (SLEEP & rest days)
Liquids & low volume, easy to digest foods will be your best friend when it comes to IBS & IBD & eating closer to workout times.
SWIPE LEFT for all the tips to help optimize food & fitness to LOOK & FEEL like the badass you are!
Athletes have special needs:
🏃🏼♀️ An endurance athlete? You train for high-level competition. You log a lot of high intensity miles each week. For you, carb or fat & calorie needs are likely higher.
💪🏼 Training as a bodybuilder? You lift weights with serious muscle growth in mind. Your protein & calorie needs are likely higher.
👙 Getting ready for a fitness competition?You’re trying to drop to a single-digit body fat %. For you, carbs or fats would be lower depending on the individual & protein would be higher.
Basic Generalizations:
▪️Carbs & Fats are your fuel sources. If you eat carbs, they’re more appropriate for the Crossfits, Cyclebar, Orange Theory, Shred415, F45, etc. We burn a 💩ton of carbs doing high intensity activity for long periods of time. You can also fuel with fat if you’re fat adapted, I do.
▪️Eat 90-120 min prior to exercise, minimize added fats or fiber around workouts for digestive ease. 2:1 ratio carbs to protein for traditional dieters. Ex: 50g carbs, 25g protein
▪️5am’ers training fasted, just eat a delicious carb (traditional) or fat-filled (keto or carnivore) dinner the night before.
Leave your tips to help someone else!👇🏻 I’d be happy to guide you in the right direction, link in bio to coaching FAQ’s.
