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!
The great thing about the fact you’re reading this is that it means you were probably born in the 70s or 80s. So you have a thick skin.
You can be told you’re at fault without taking it personally. It’s like your parents saying, “Quit yer cryin or I’ll give ya somethin to cry about!” I can still hear it.
This is important, because I have to tell you, if you are like me, you were or still are doing all sorts of dumb sh*t that needs to change if you’re feelin bad — overweight, stressed to the titties, tired-looking, demotivated, physically weak & grumpy.
Still reading?
I knew you would be. You’re my people!
I’m 40, born in 1982, & freely admit to having developed all sorts of dumb, counter-productive habits in my teens, 20s & 30s that affected my health, body shape & wellbeing as I approached 40.
The fact I looked puffy & felt like sh*t had less to do with: Genetics Not having time Other people The weight on the scale or jean size Work And really had everything to do with me just not taking care of myself, following what I thought I should be doing as far as diets & workouts, & building healthier lifestyle habits.
I consistently chose to let others & outside factors control my life, which ironically made life harder as I approached 40.
I won’t sugar coat it (literally), if your health & body shape aren’t great, it’s mostly your fault to a larger degree.
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
What if there was a gateway drug that could give you happiness? That could give you focus, discipline, confidence & fulfillment?
What if it guaranteed a life of greater significance, stamina, impact, & success while alleviating depression, stress, & anxiety?
Would you take it?
Wanna know what it is?
This ‘gateway drug’ …is FITNESS.
Fitness isn’t just about the physical. It’s about the mental, physical, & energetic transformation of creating & embracing an evolutionary journey for LIFE.
What fitness really teaches you…
If you’ve followed me for years, you’ve witnessed I’ve been all shapes & sizes. And if you’re new, I cannot wait to get to know you!
I been thru 50 shades of healing, strong af, thiccc af, shredded af, & f*cked up & everything in between.
Struggled like all of you.
And I’m honesty getting emotional writing this, thinking, having spent so much of my energy nitpicking the “perfect” set of macros or training routine. Not going out or dating because I felt less than or I was over my calorie allotment that day.
It’s about finding that perfect blend of balance.
Fitness 100% taught me that I CAN do the hard things👇
➡️It taught me how to stay committed-not just by what I looked like in the mirror, but by keeping promises I made to myself.
➡️It taught me discipline. Getting workouts in, hitting macros, eating whole nourishing foods & not crap.
➡️It taught me the value of hardwork & that I can do anything I put my mind to.
➡️It taught me seasons, how to work with my body, self care, time & energy management.
It’s hard to find something that will teach you how to f*cking finish something more than that.
As creatures on this earth, we either find comfort in not trying or comfort in the extreme. It’s difficult to find comfort in the balance.
I firmly believe pressure creates diamonds, & the challenges endured mentally & physically through fitness have helped reveal my highest self.
Go find your highest self❤️
That’s your gateway drug.
What has fitness taught you?
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
Today, I’m 40 years old & 55 pounds lighter. My heaviest weight at 5’1 was 160lbs & it’s been one hell of a journey living with challenges like gut issues, Crohn’s dis-ease, disordered eating, training as a Crossfit athlete & juggling all the life lessons along the way from the school of hard knocks. My story is not one of overnight success. I didn’t take a magic pill, although admittedly tried diet pills & every diet known to man. The physique I earned today took over 10 years to build. My results were not from a fad diet or a product from an infomercial. My journey has been more like a roller coaster ride of trials, errors, & a collection of milestones along the way, eventually leading to more than I ever expected to gain (or lose). I was an unhappy girl with no self-esteem, trapped beneath a baggy t-shirt & stretchy pants & desperate to lose weight to just “be normal.” I had no idea that it would turn into a journey of self-discovery, freedom, & finding joy. Trying to lose weight & build muscle while working a job(s), commuting, trying to take care of your family & juggling all the adulting can be hard work. But I want you to know that it doesn’t need to take hours each day. In fact, you can make a lot of progress with only 20 minutes of daily effort. The key is that you need to focus on the right lever-moving actions each day. It’s about controlling your environment & creating a success routine with the intentional habits to help you embody the person you wanna be & the life you wanna live. You won’t always be motivated. In fact I loathe the word motivation because I feel people use it as an excuse to not do what you need to do to be better. It comes down to keeping commitments. You’re worth keeping commitments to. A professional is a human who can do their job when they don’t feel like it; an amateur is one who can’t when they don’t feel like it. Which one you wanna be? So here is your 5 step blueprint & simple 6 guide for building a lean, energetic, happy, healthy body for LIFE!
Worrying about my weight was the epicenter of my life for as long as I can remember for about 3 decades. I’m 40 years young today 🙂
From an early age, I struggled with food & body image issues. From being told I needed to lose weight by my doctor to being called chubby by friends & family…well, that stuff sticks with a young, impressionable girl.
I remember counting calories excessively in high school & college, & seriously undereating, especially as I transitioned into a more competitive CrossFit athlete in my early 30’s. I was severely under fueling & my health suffered metabolically, hormonally, & digestively.
In the past, I experimented with Weight Watchers & other extreme diets like crazy “detoxes” & diet pills. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve even bought “tummy-slimming” teas & would exercise for hours to burn off calories. I also suffered with binge eating & bulimia.
Having such obsessive, restrictive thoughts around losing weight made health & fitness feel like a chore. But, upon approaching my late 30s, I had a miraculous epiphany: I needed to fully change my mindset & lifestyle in order to embrace new habits & become the abundant, healthy version of ME!
Once I cultivated these important mindset & lifestyle shifts, I lost weight without thinking much about it 7 have kept it off for over 3 years adopting the carnivore WOE (way of eating).
I hope you find what works for you & these tips can serve as a beacon of hope!
Resources to help you are available in the link in my IG bio. My DM’s are also always open to listen!
4 Important Mindset Shifts That Actually Helped Me Lose Weight
“All or Nothing” Perfection → Grace with Myself: When I attempted to lose weight before, I maintained a toxic, all-or-nothing mentality that left me striving for unattainable perfection. If my diet started that day & I “fkd up” by eating ice cream or not exercising, I would mentally beat myself up. The perfection mindset made me crazy & left me in a constant cycle of yo-yo dieting. But when you have grace you understand that you are just a human, doing your very best. If you miss a workout one day, it’s okay. You can always try again tomorrow. Perfection is not the expectation — progress is.
Exercise as a Punishment → Exercise as a Celebration: Far too often do we allow ourselves to view exercise as an obligation or worse — a punishment. With this connotation of it, why would we ever want to exercise? Back in college, I would force myself to run 5 miles on a treadmill every weekday. Why? To punish myself for the calories I ate or drank the day prior. When I shifted my mindset to seeing exercise as a celebration rather than a punishment, I started finding workouts I loved, rather than workouts where I felt I was going through the motions. Soon, I started finding gratitude in movement. Gratitude for my body, its strength, & what it could do. I started finding joy, especially with the release of intoxicating endorphins.
Viewing Food as a Treat or Reward → Viewing Food as Fuel & Eating Healthy as a Form of Self-Love: Once you start eating a little healthier, something beautiful happens: you start to feel better, overall. Your energy levels increase. Your mindset has newfound clarity, inflammation is down, your gut feels better. Feeling these natural benefits to eating well made me want to continue doing it, as it was no longer an obligation, treat, or reward. It was a form of self-love & life fuel to be my best! Food is not a treat, reward, or something that needs burned off. It literally makes US! The better I felt the more I began to love myself exactly how I am.
Numbers-Focused → Feeling-Focused: Seeing the numbers can make us feel like we’re on the right track. But, weight fluctuates hour-by-hour. If you’re constantly stepping on the scale to gauge your progress, you may feel defeated more often than not. That was the case for me, I had to take to take a break & make peace with the scale. Instead, I started viewing numbers simply as data, I took the emotion out of it & focused on how my body & mind were feeling. How did I feel during & after my workouts? How was my sleep? How did I feel after consuming certain foods & drinks? Staying attuned to my feelings helped me gauge my progress more than the numbers on a scale ever could.
Lifestyle Changes That Actually Helped Me Lose Weight
Low intensity, stress relieving movement all day: Our bodies were not made to be sloths. Break up periods of sitting. Ideally, for every 25–30 minutes that you sit, you should move for 5 minutes. But at an absolute minimum, get up every hour. I have a non-negotiable goal of taking at least 10-15k steps/d. Find a goal that is achievable for you — something you can achieve every day, but not too easy. Set alarms if you have to. I walk circles around my CT machine & around the building in between patients at work. I also workout in the morning.
Weightlifting – pick heavy sh*t up & put it down: Lifting weights is an effective way to increase metabolic efficiency, as well as increase muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn on a daily basis. Lift heavy things 2–3d/wk. Focus on compound movements, such as the big 5 — deadlift, back squat, bench press, barbell row, & overhead press. These movements engage a lot of your muscles all at once, making the lifting benefits even greater.
Get your heart rate up a few times per week: One of the biggest benefits of getting your heart rate up (HIIT) is its impact on boosting the metabolism. Not only does it burn more calories than steady-state cardio of equal length, but you will also continue burning calories long after your workout is finished. Incorporate cardiac conditioning into your workout regime, 1–2x/wk. If you like group classes, there are tons available out there like CrossFit, F45, Orange Theory, Spin, etc. You can also YouTube & Google search HIIT workouts! Do your own life admin.
Reduce sugar, processed food, & veggie oils: I’ve adopted the carnivore diet as my lifestyle of choice to suit my Crohn’s disease & special autoimmune needs. Sugar is highly inflammatory, & leads to large blood glucose spikes & crashes. This can lead to issues such as insulin sensitivity & diabetes, & an inflamed body is more likely to put on fat & hold onto it. Processed foods & vegetable oil essentially clog up your metabolism & makes it really hard for your body to burn its own stored fat for fuel.
Eat optimal protein: Protein is vital, whether we’re exercising or not. It is the building block of our tissues, from muscle & skin to our DNA. Protein also has a thermic effect, meaning we burn calories breaking down protein during digestion & metabolizing; protein takes energy to digest. Furthermore, protein is highly filling, meaning if we’re eating adequate protein, we’re likely to be too full for other, less healthy foods. Aim to consume at least 30g-50g of protein at each meal during the day. Pick a meal routine that works best for you. Most have 2-3 meals/d. The primary driver of muscle protein synthesis is leucine (an amino acid), not total protein. We need 3g of leucine to trigger MPS. Protein is ~10% leucine, so we need to eat 30g+ of protein to hit this.
Tips & Final Thoughts
Get the trigger foods & temptations out of your house & environment. Set your environment up for success. Communicate your needs to family, friends, & coworkers if you need to but remember you don’t owe anyone anything or an explanation. You are ultimately in charge of what you put in your body.
Remind yourself you’re not going to stay stuck in the restrict/reward/binge cycles because they do not serve you in a positive light. Our habits make US. Thoughts & the story we tell ourselves become our reality. So what are you telling yourself?
Do not “save” calories, excessively fast, or let yourself get too hungry in between meals or social functions. Eat regularly scheduled meals centered around protein. Keep meats on hand & meals simple.
The answer is always WALK & SLEEP! We tend to think we’re hungry or need carbs/sugar when we get bored, we feel we lack purpose, we’re thirsty, we’re stressed, lacking sleep, numbing emotions, & wired ourselves to want these things like after dinner, in front of the tv, in certain social situations, or if we see or smell food.
Make sure you’re eating enough food to support optimal body function and your activity level. Under eating is a huge culprit of disordered eating, metabolic & hormonal imbalances. Also make sure you’re getting ample fat. Add fat like butter & tallow to meals if you have to. Choose higher fat meats like ribeyes, ribs, salmon, 80% ground meats & whole eggs. If you’re constipated, adding fat will help that too.
Remove or significantly minimize artificial sweeteners. The more sweet things you consume, the more your brain is wired to want them. The sweet taste is like a drug, it’s a dopamine hit. Especially if you’re an abstainer when it comes to food. The “right” way is to abstain – that’s what that means. It’s ok if you’re not a moderator, you’re not alone. Do what you need to do to be successful.
If you’re bored with your food, increase your variety of meats, change the way you cook them, add different seasonings. Be mindful of cheese & dairy too, they are also addictive similar to sugar. You can airfry, pan fry, bake, instapot, slow cook, crockpot, smoke, grill, etc. There are tons of seasonings without carbs & all kinds of different meats & eggs. If you manage to resist & reset, the cravings will get weaker over time & eventually disappear, I promise!
Hoosier farm girl & Purdue University grad, Katie is a multifaceted human!
She’s a nutritionist, radiologic technologist, motivational speaker & writer, brand growth consultant, & connection maker working with individuals, businesses, organizations, & executives. She specializes in mental health, IBS/IBD conditions, sports nutrition, disordered eating & how to organize/optimize life for better health, increased wealth, & happiness! Katie welcomes all preferences & skill levels with a no diet dogma or one size-size-fits-all approach to health, fitness, & nutrition. After decades of struggling with her own health issues from Crohn’s, obesity, disordered eating, infertility, hormonal imbalances, & being a competitive athlete, she is passionate about helping others find self love, achieve their goals, & create sustainable success habits for an EXTRAordinary life! You can find her on the gram at http://www.instagram.com/lil_bit_of_fit
If you’d have said that at 40 I’d be fitter, healthier & more attractive than my 25-year-old self, I’d have laughed in your face. (Then secretly hoped you knew something about my destiny than I did.)
Optimistic me likes to hang on to any glimmer of hope, while gullible me will believe anything that you tell me if it’s going to make me feel good. Yet the bizarre thing is, it’s true, along with many of my fellow 40-somethings who are refusing to attach themselves to the notion of what 40 should look like.
Not one to pigeon-hole an age or say what’s right or wrong, but in my 20s I had already decided that once I hit 40 I’d be old af. Lackluster weekends would consist of goin to Lowes & cartin kids around only to complain about my 9-5 every day (thank you Jesus my life is far from that description & perfectly imperfect in it’s own right).
I think back to how I was behaving at 25 & I realize I am one of those late bloomers. I’m totally ok with it, now, but thought there was something wrong with me because I hadn’t lived a traditional “timeline” by old school society’s standards. I felt a failure for decades going thru 2 divorces, living with extensive gut issues & a shitty relationship with food & body image.
There’s always a catalyst to a radical lifestyle change & I suspect that the end of my marriages were mine. Both times I had to rediscover myself & learn to live again. I grew the most in my last relationship & it was full of more good experiences than bad. I understand many people aren’t as fortunate to say they were able to lovingly go thru a conscious uncoupling. I’m extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to spend a season of my life with an incredible man, still evolving & trying to be better just like me. We were simply victims of life & poor timing. Still great friends to this day.
At 40 I have no hesitation in admitting my age or my mistakes. One thing I’ve learned which comes with age, aside from a lil wisdom & a chunk of hindsight, is the confidence to not give a shit what others think of you. It’s freeing, you should try it.
Believing in yourself is your most potent weapon & defense mechanism — guard it well! If you believe & have complete confidence in your body, mind, now, & future, there’s no need to ever think about your age again.
Sharing some shiz I’ve learned along the way, enjoy!
Make the most of every day, & love it! Age is just a number that most pay far too much attention to.
You have 2 ages:
Chronological Age — your actual time alive
Biological Age — how you look & feel The choice is yours: You can go with the clock OR you can choose the body & mind option, keeping yourself fresh af.
Hoosier farm girl & Purdue University grad, Katie is a multifaceted human!
She’s a nutritionist, radiologic technologist, motivational speaker & writer, brand growth consultant, & connection maker working with individuals, businesses, organizations, & executives. She specializes in mental health, IBS/IBD conditions, sports nutrition, disordered eating & how to organize/optimize life for better health, increased wealth, & happiness! Katie welcomes all preferences & skill levels with a no diet dogma or one size-size-fits-all approach to health, fitness, & nutrition. After decades of struggling with her own health issues from Crohn’s, obesity, disordered eating, infertility, hormonal imbalances, & being a competitive athlete, she is passionate about helping others find self love, achieve their goals, & create sustainable success habits for an EXTRAordinary life! You can find her on the gram at http://www.instagram.com/lil_bit_of_fit
The carnivore diet is simple. It worked for me. I’m not here to tell you it’s right for everyone but I want to share my story in hopes of helping at least one person out there that has also struggled with weight, gut issues, & a poor relationship with food & self.
As long as you are eating exclusively animal products, you’re on a carnivore diet, or a meat based diet as I like to say. I simply hope that everyone that finds a solution that helps them feel & look their best!
Tips:
Make fatty red meat from ruminant animals the staple of your diet. Ground beef is my go to & it’s a budget buy! They can also be from steaks & roasts. Eating leaner cuts can be okay too on occasion but you’ll want to add more fat (butter, tallow, etc) to make sure you’re getting in enough calories.
I love to dip my meat in butter. It tastes delicious, is anti-inflammatory, & is a cheap/tasty/easy source of fat-soluble vitamins. Tallow & other real animal fats are great too!
Eggs are magical & contain a powerful punch of healthy nutrients we need to function at our best including protein, healthy fats, iron, phosphorus, selenium, & vitamins A, B12, B2, B5, etc.
Dairy is also a source of healthy fat & protein as well. Consume obviously only if you don’t have a sensitivity to it. Read your labels & choose those low in carbs & zero sugar. The more natural the better.
Non-ruminant meats like seafood, chicken & pork are a great affordable option for many too. They taste great & offer versatility. Pork can be a trigger food for gut issues & histamine responses for some. Just pay attention to how you feel after you eat any food. It’s a trigger for me & I have to consume in moderation. Seafood can be good as well, but are generally too lean.
Organ meats are without a doubt the most nutrient dense foods on earth. Once a week is more than enough, eat as needed. Try out different animal organs, some taste better than others. I personally don’t like them & take a beef organs supplement from @ancestralsupplements
Hoosier farm girl & Purdue University grad, Katie is a multifaceted girlboss! She’s a nutritionist, radiologic technologist, personal coach, executive assistant, motivational speaker & writer, & brand growth consultant working with individuals, businesses, organizations, & executives. She specializes in gut health, sports nutrition, disordered eating, social branding, human connection, and how to optimize life to attract health, wealth, & happiness. Katie welcomes all preferences & skill levels with a no diet dogma or one size-size-fits-all approach to health, wellness, fitness, & nutrition. After decades of struggling with her own health issues from Crohn’s, obesity, disordered eating, infertility, hormonal imbalances, & being a competitive athlete, she is passionate about helping others find self love, achieve their goals, & create sustainable success habits for an EXTRAordinary life!
“Abs are made in the kitchen.” — possibly every fitness trainer & influencer who ever lived. LOL!
We’ve all heard this statement before as we try to figure out why the countless hours we have spent sweating in the gym & eating all the “healthy diet food” have yet to turn into that chiseled six-pack we desire.
While the obvious answer is that regardless of how hard you work in the gym, if you don’t eat “right” FOR YOU, you’re only working against yourself. Health first, aesthetics will follow.
What if I told you the quality of what you’re eating every day was related to & a predictor of the quality of your life?
We’ve all heard how important healthy eating is, but we all tend to put it on the back burner because we’re too focused on working harder in the gym & chronically dieting.
While I did hit several personal & fitness goals by just outworking my former self (to my demise in the long run) what I recognized was that by focusing on self love & my eating first, I didn’t have to work as hard in the gym anymore & discovered a number of other areas of my life became much easier & better to manage.
I’ve lost 55lbs in my lifetime, put my Crohn’s disease in remission, & live med-free via the carnivore woe (way of eating).
One positive change led to another that created an almost domino effect of favorable results in my life, ultimately leading to a more well-balanced, happier life!
Hoosier farm girl & Purdue University grad, Katie is a multifaceted girlboss! She’s a nutritionist, radiologic technologist, personal coach, motivational speaker & writer, & brand growth consultant working with individuals, businesses, organizations, & executives. She specializes in gut health, sports nutrition, disordered eating, social branding, human connection, and how to optimize life to attract health, wealth, & happiness. Katie welcomes all preferences & skill levels with a no diet dogma or one size-size-fits-all approach to health, wellness, fitness, & nutrition. After decades of struggling with her own health issues from Crohn’s, obesity, disordered eating, infertility, hormonal imbalances, & being a competitive athlete, she is passionate about helping others find self love, achieve their goals, & create sustainable success habits for an EXTRAordinary life!
You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com
Do you know there are people that would trade years of their life to be skinnier?
Hi. It me🙋♀️
The FORMER version of me.
You have to get to a point of metabolic & hormonal health to become more flexible with your diet & macros. That may mean scaling back over exercising. That may mean moving more if you are more sedentary. That may mean eating more food & gaining weight in the process.
I gained 15lbs when I started the carnivore diet over 3 years ago & it took me an entire year to adapt & finally lose weight.
Do the hard things. If you keep doing what you’ve always done you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.
Swipe, save & share this post here on Instagram!
You CAN eat too much protein, be under nourished & under fueled. Food is fuel. Fat is fuel. Carbs are fuel too if you prefer them as an energy source. We need to start thinking about food in terms of fuel instead of a treat or reward or diet camp.
Machines are all different, right?! They take different fuel sources & parts, right?! Why do you think humans are any different?!
Fat is super important. Protein is not an optimal fuel source. You won’t feel great eating lean meat all the time. If you think I’m full of sh*t, why don’t you eat skinless boneless chicken breast for 2-3 weeks & tell me how you feel (please don’t do that but it will be a rude awakening).
You can’t eat all the meat you want without some educated decision making to nourish your body properly & get the results you truly want. Same with your workouts. If you want to have a certain physique, you have to eat & work out appropriately to get that physique so choose wisely.
Eating as little as possible is not a badge of honor. A toddler can’t survive on 1200 calories a day. Are you a toddler? Have you been conditioned & chronically dieting/under fueling your entire life? The importance of reverse dieting & getting healthy are not emphasized enough over dieting.
Please prioritize getting healthy & reverse dieting first. It will be one of the best things you ever do for your body & I promise the results will follow. Most active women getting at least 10,000 steps/day & working out 3-4 times/week average 1800 to 2100+ calories/day for maintenance levels for perspective. What are you crushing? I crush about 2000/day & I’m 40 years old, 105lbs at 5’1.
You cannot look like me. I built my physique via CrossFit & lifting which may be different from what you prefer. It took me over a decade to get the physique you see today.
Not everyone likes the same workouts which will change the way your body looks. Not everyone has the same story, we didn’t grow up the same way, with the same experiences & same level of health or relationships with food & exercise.
I discovered CrossFit at 31 years old. Prior to that I had never touched a barbell in my life. I am 40 years old today and haven’t been healthier or happier!
Not everyone can eat high-protein & thrive. This all goes back to getting metabolically & hormonal healthy FIRST before most people can be metabolically flexible with their macros & diet approaches. Experiment, track data like macros/ketones/blood glucose if things are not working. Take the emotion out of it, you’re doing this from a place of health. They’re just tools to help you. Learn to be objective. Mistakes are how we learn & find solutions.
Here’s an informative video about different troubleshooting with versions of carnivore.
Not everyone can incorporate carbs, sugar, & alcohol & be a moderator. This all goes back to your emotional & physical relationship with food. Not everyone can include plants, fruit, or honey into their carnivore diet because it spikes blood glucose, causes cravings, binge eating, & other physical ailments. These are a drug for many. We don’t tell alcoholics just to have one drink, right?! Sugar & carbs are addictive. Determine if you’re an abstainer or a moderator. Over time you may be able to moderate certain things once you establish a healthy relationship with a substance.
It’s OK if you have a poor relationship with certain foods or carbohydrates. I do, openly, have a poor relationship with sugar & carbs, which is why I abstain. They also cause physical ailments for me due to my Crohn’s disease an autoimmune condition. My peace of mind & my health takes precedence above all. Which means I do what works for me & I give zero fux if other people judge me for it because I am my healthiest, happiest, & most peaceful & that’s all that matters.
Carbs are not the devil. They are beneficial if you are an athlete or avid exerciser to blunt the cortisol (stress) response & help with recovery. They can also help you sleep better when timed & applied appropriately. We must learn to work with our bodies & food to optimize our body function to live our best lives. Work with your body not against it.
Protein sparing modified fasting is not appropriate for everyone. Feasting & fasting is not appropriate for everyone. Extended fasting is not appropriate for everyone. High intensity workouts are not appropriate for everyone. Eating carbs is not appropriate for everyone. Eating vegan or carnivore or whatever diet camp you want to put here is not appropriate for everyone. Again, get healthy first. Pick an approach that is easy for you to implement in life & one that you enjoy. Be willing to make mistakes & embrace a different way of doing things. I promise you will find your solution to diet, exercise, relationships, & life in general.
Why fasting may not be working for you
You will never regret walking. You will never regret eating optimal protein & fat. You will never regret quality sleep. You will never regret being kind. You will never regret eating slowly & mindfully. You will never regret eating the right foods for you no matter what someone else thinks. You will never regret therapy. You will never regret a gratitude attitude & abundance mindset. Set your high value nonnegotiables in life. This includes everything you consume including the people you surround yourself with.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel you just have to follow a way of eating & a way of living that suits you❤️
Hoosier farm girl & Purdue University grad, Katie is a multifaceted girlboss! She’s a nutritionist, radiologic technologist, personal coach, executive assistant, motivational speaker & writer, brand growth consultant, & connection maker working with individuals, businesses, organizations, & executives. She specializes in gut health, sports nutrition, disordered eating, social branding, human connection, and how to organize/optimize life for better health, increased wealth & happiness! Katie welcomes all preferences & skill levels with a no diet dogma or one size-size-fits-all approach to health, fitness, & nutrition. After decades of struggling with her own health issues from Crohn’s, obesity, disordered eating, infertility, hormonal imbalances, & being a competitive athlete, she is passionate about helping others find self love, achieve their goals, & create sustainable success habits for an EXTRAordinary life! Katie currently resides in Fishers, IN where she has worked in the health, sales, and nutrition field for over 17 years.
In the 40 years of my life, I’ve attempted to get into “better shape” & been a plethora of different shapes & sizes depending on what season of life I was in.
I had more than enough phases that sadly, fizzled out in a few weeks. Either because the fad diet wasn’t sustainable &/or I fell right back into my disordered eating habits again.
But this time, something was different. My motivation & drive were at an all-time high. I was sticking to my plan perfectly, & most importantly, the carnivore WOE (way of eating) was turning into my new lifestyle.
Was this journey easy? No. Did I feel great all the time? No. But what did happen within a couple weeks, my carb cravings were gone, I was satiated after meals, I was no longer binging & purging, my inflammation & gut issues had all but disappeared & I embraced stepping into my new chapter of life!
What was so different this time?
I started listening to my body & intuition instead of what everybody else was doing. I put my health first over aesthetics.
I committed to doing the hard things like: ⁃ tracking food & steps diligently ⁃ tracking my weight from an objective point of view instead of letting my emotions get the best of me ⁃ eating more food ⁃ gaining weight ⁃ making mistakes & experimenting with different foods & macros to find my sweet spot.
These 4 major changes over my 1st year on carnivore resulted in 20lbs of weight loss & the ability to consume more calories than I ever thought possible:
I stopped eating sugar, plants, processed foods, fiber, nuts & seeds. Due to my autoimmune & Crohn’s disease I do not digest these well without gut issues.
I eat meat, animal fats, eggs, & seafood.
I don’t binge, purge, or obsess over restrictive calorie counting & dieting anymore.
I eat when I’m hungry, stop when I’m truly satiated, & fast when I’m not hungry.
Notes: I initially gained 15lbs on the carnivore diet but stuck with it & adapted. It took a whole year of experimentation to find my calorie & macro sweet spot. Been meat based for 3+ years. I have lost 55lbs in my lifetimes, I’m 40 years old, been all shapes & sizes. I’m 5’1, & maintain 105lbs +/- a few lbs on 2000+ calories/d.
My weight loss did not happen overnight & you do not always feel fantastic, it’s not linear & requires a lot of patience.
I’ve lost 55lbs over my lifetime!
Common Carnivore FAQ’s
What do I eat? Do I need to buy expensive, organic, grass-fed meat? No. buy what you can afford & enjoy. Eat meat, eggs, & seafood. Ground meat & eggs are cheapest, buy what’s on sale. I would eliminate dairy, cheese, pork rinds, & artificial sweeteners the 1st 30-90 days. Most have gut or emotional issues with these things. Drink water, coffee black, unsweet tea, electrolytes.
What are high fat & low fat meats? Your higher fat meats will be your ribeyes, beef chuck roasts, ribs, waygu beef, 75-85% ground meats, pork sausage, pork butt/shoulder roasts, salmon etc. 85% ground meats are my sweet spot. Low fat favorites are shrimp, scallops, fish, 90-93% ground meats, Perdue ground chicken. Grilled chicken breast, egg whites, & chicken thighs without skin are also leaner options.
Can I use seasonings or eat other things besides meat & eggs? I’m all about freedom of choice & flexibility, if you want to use seasonings or consume other foods like carbs, fruits & veggies & they don’t cause any negative physical or mental issues – go for it. It’s YOUR diet. 1st 30-90 days, I’d stay more rigid so you know what works & what doesn’t.
Why did I lose my period? The biggest reasons I see are under eating, not eating enough fat, overly fasting, & over exercising. Keep your stress as low as possible.
I have loose stool, is this normal? I experienced this when I 1st started. Digestive enzymes will help. Take these 5-10 minutes before eating or mid meal. Try reducing meal sizes, increasing meal frequency, & lowering fat/meal. Don’t add extra fat to meals. When we reduce carbs & fiber we loose the “bulk” in our stool paired with the higher fat/protein content in meals our gallbladders release more bile to compensate to digest our meals.
I’m constipated, why? See this most often with clients when they’re consuming too lean of meat, too many processed meats & dairy, & not drinking enough water/electrolytes. Deli meat, pork rinds, dairy & sausage can be culprits, minimize these. Eat natural meat, increase fats by choosing fattier cuts like 80-85% ground beef vs chicken, increase water, & electrolytes. You should be drinking at least 1/2 your body weight in oz of water/d. Always being in a stressed out state can do this too as well as not getting enough sleep. Also, if you’re not eating enough, your digestion naturally slows too. Track your food, make sure your calories ¯os are appropriate.
Having leg cramps/muscle soreness? Make sure you’re recovering properly by managing stress, sleeping 7-9 hrs/night, getting in electrolytes & magnesium (I use Ultima Replenisher, link in IG bio), & staying hydrated.
How do you order when you eat out & travel? I typically stick to plain beef patties if I eat out, especially fast food. I’ll order 4 plain quarter lb patties from McDonalds for example. Also enjoy shrimp, scallops, salmon fillets, occasional steaks, plain/naked wings. BBQ places I go for the plain beef brisket. Ask how they cook their food & ingredients. They will custom cook your food. I ask for no oil & no seasonings. At Mexican restaurants I order the fajita meat only, no oil, no seasoning. I travel with my Instant Vortex 6qt airfryer & pack ground meat in a cooler for meat bars. I always book at hotel with a fridge, microwave, & fitness center. Cook your meat ahead of time and keep it in a baggie &/or in a cooler. At gas stations, they usually have hard boiled eggs & a microwave if you need to heat your food. Go to the grocery & stock up when you reach your destination. On the go, I enjoy rotisserie chickens, check the ingredients. In a pinch, most airports have restaurants to order meats & have hard boiled eggs.
What do I do when people question me? Use it as chance to educate on why you’re eating a meat based diet. Most people are just curious. Don’t let it trigger you, if they do give you sh*t, it is because of the way they feel about themselves, not you.
How many meals do you eat? Do you snack? During a 12hr shift work day in the ER, I eat 2 meals/d. An off day I can get away with OMAD post fasted workout. I eat around 2lbs of meat per day. I do not snack, “treat” myself, or earn food. Some days I like higher fat, others days I eat leaner. I trust & listen to my body.
How much protein should I eat/what do you eat? I will preface this with we are ALL DIFFERENT. I thrive on higher protein, I also strength train & CrossFit, have an active job, & get 15k steps per day. I avg 140-175g of protein/d. Most do well on 1g protein/ lb of body weight or goal weight if you have more to lose. I find most females do well around 120-150g of protein daily & keep a leaner physique. Others prefer a 70/30 or 80/20 approach.
Protein per meal? Most do well around 30-60g on avg of protein/meal if you’re consuming at least 2-3 meals/day.
How do I increase fat? Choose fattier cuts of meat like 75-85% ground meats, ribeye, beef chuck, pork belly, & ribs. If you have to you can add some butter, bacon fat, & tallow to meals. Ask your butcher for fat scraps or skins.
How do I know if I’m eating too much protein? The most common symptoms: waking up in the middle of night, sh*tty sleep, peeing all the time, lack of energy, hungry all the time, & excess thirst. Protein thresholds will be different for us all, it is helpful to track your food.
I feel tired all the time, why? Again, track your food. Often times you’re actually not eating enough calories. You may also not be consuming enough fat & too much protein. Most active females who workout 3-4 times per week, avg 10-15k steps/day, & lead an active lifestyle should be consuming around 1800-2100+ calories daily for general maintenance levels. Also take your electrolytes, you excrete more water & lose electrolytes during the transition.
What macro ratios should I start with to find my maintenance calories? I recommend most starting with a 1:1 ratio of protein:fat. For example, I started around 150g Protein:150g Fat then made adjustments off of that foundation. Use the TDEEcalculator.net to help you find your maintenance calories, then set your protein around 1g/lb of body weight or goal weight, then set your fat grams. You just have to experiment.
I can’t tell when I’m full! This happens often in those who come from a background of under eating, chronically dieting, orthorexia, & disordered eating. One of the biggest reasons is chronic dieting. It imbalances our natural hunger & satiety hormones (leptin & ghrelin), causing us to lose “sense” of what our body’s needs & are trying to tell us. We lose sensitivity to true stomach hunger, & get it confused with a multitude of other signals & needs like emotions, thirst, under recovery, boredom, stress, numbing, etc.
What can I do to help me feel when I’m full?
Eat regularly scheduled meals: they should be large enough to keep you satiated 4+ hrs. Protein (ex: meats & eggs) should be the center of your meals & around 30-60g of protein/meal. Daily goal around 1g/lb of body weight or goal weight if you have more to lose. (leaner individuals even up to 1.5g/lb for some) **Everyone’s preferences, thresholds/goals will be different as far as daily grams of protein. These are GENERALITIES! Some like higher fat approaches like 70/30 & 90/20 carnivore. Go your own way. I hope whatever you choose you feel AMAZING! 🙂
Do not skip meals, allow yourself to get “hangry,” & chronically under eat: especially if you tend to binge &/or emotionally eat. If you cannot control your eating when you’re overly hungry, I do not suggest intermittent fasting or doing extended fasts either. Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your body to sense fullness.
Avoid trigger foods: mentally (causes emotional eating, binges) & physically (causes gut flares, bloat, energy crashes, etc) triggering foods like sugar, carbs, highly palatable & calorically dense foods like cheese, nuts, nut butter, bacon, ribs.
Will I gain weight on Carnivore? It depends on the level of healing you need to do metabolically & hormonally when you start. Also, what is your story? Have you chronically been dieting your entire life? If you’re starting from a place of under eating, you will most likely gain some weight when you start eating more food. Its basic science & will happen with any diet you choose.
We should be eating our maintenance calories the majority of the year, not dieting more than 1-2x/year for no longer than 12-16 weeks. You can use the TDEEcalculator.net to find your maintenance calories. Any weight you gain through making changes for better health & healing was most likely weight you needed to gain. Yes, you will lose the weight more easily & optimally the next time you try to diet after going through this period of taking care of yourself, eating more, focusing on muscle gain, & repairing any downregulation & imbalances from the years of undereating.
I hope there is something you can take out of this read! Good luck on your journey wherever it may find you!
Hoosier farm girl & Purdue University grad, Katie is a multifaceted girlboss! She’s a nutritionist, radiologic technologist, personal coach, executive assistant, motivational speaker & writer, & brand growth consultant working with individuals, businesses, organizations, & executives. She specializes in gut health, sports nutrition, disordered eating, social branding, human connection, and how to optimize life to attract health, wealth, & happiness. Katie welcomes all preferences & skill levels with a no diet dogma or one size-size-fits-all approach to health, wellness, fitness, & nutrition. After decades of struggling with her own health issues from Crohn’s, obesity, disordered eating, infertility, hormonal imbalances, & being a competitive athlete, she is passionate about helping others find self love, achieve their goals, & create sustainable success habits for an EXTRAordinary life!
You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com
When we think of weight loss & happy living, the immediate reaction is to downgrade our food, increase exercise, work ourselves to death & become deprived for the rest of our lives.
Well, that’s one way to pursue weight loss & success, & it might work for some. But at what expense?
I spent a big chunk of my life that way — a very long & hard pursuit in my 20’s & most of my 30’s.
You end up putting weight back on, becoming miserable & embarrassed about your body. You chase all the wrong things & end up pissed off & unhappy wondering if this is all there is to life? One struggle bus after the other.
If you have been dieting & seem to feel like you’ve been unhappy & unfilled forever, not gaining any momentum, it’s time to flip the switch. It’s time to rewrite your story.
Thinking about health & happiness in terms of peace & fulfillment rather than scarcity will create a new environment for success in fitness & life!
It’s not about being as lean as possible. It’s not about being as monetarily rich as possible. It’s not about being married, or partnered, or single, or divorced, etc. It’s about love & savoring the journey!
What’s the point if you’re not enjoying life?
Here are some huge playmakers I’ve learned in the game of life! Get off the bench.
Your #1 focus should be on reducing stress & optimizing hormones.
Stress, anxiety & depression are huge factors that inhibit weight loss & quality of life. If you experience chronic, excess stress on a day-to-day basis, this needs to be at the top of your list. This also means eating well & ENOUGH. Chronic dieting is also a stress.
Sometimes it’s a challenge, well, because life – we need our jobs to make a living, or perhaps our children are driving us crazy. Do the best to control what you can control.
Elevated cortisol levels have a sneaky way of increasing your hunger & cravings for junk foods (or overeating good food sources, too!). This can easily escalate to overeating & weight gain.
Some natural alternatives that help mitigate stress & anxiety:
Spending time in nature, walking is always the answer
Listening to your favorite music while your kids are b*tchin
Exercising so you don’t punch the offending person (I recommend lifting weights)
Meditation, yoga, have a spa day
Stretching & massage (even if you have to do it yourself)
Spending time with animals (especially the cute ones)
Get more sleep & get movement in 1st thing in the morning before you eat.
Sh*tty sleep makes you tired throughout the day, throws hormones off, makes you hungrier, & causes you to give fux about things you most likely don’t need to give fux about. All can cause more fat gain.
A study in 2010 found that adding 3 hours of sleep resulted in burning 400 calories at night. Subjects who slept for 8.5 hours/night lost 60% less muscle than those with 5.5 hours of sleep/night. In addition, extra sleep helped them boost their metabolism.
Also, stop telling yourself you’re not a morning person. Knock out 20 minutes of movement 1st thing in the morning before you eat. When your body is in a fasted state, you are more likely to burn fat for energy since there isn’t any instant fuel available.
Lift weights & simply do sh*t you love to celebrate what your body can do.
I modify CrossFit classes + Lift & “body build” 5d/wk. Haven’t looked or felt better! Lifting heavy weights not only burns calories (because it takes a lot of energy to do this), but it helps you build extra muscle. This is important for us seasoned ladies, who lose muscle mass more rapidly as we age.
Lifting weights helps keep your bones strong & healthy & eliminates your chances of fat gain as menopause starts to creep (as in, belly pouches & weight gain as long as you are also prioritizing stress management & happy hormones).
The more muscle you have, the better you look nekkid & the more food you can eat because muscle allows you to burn extra calories at rest & throughout the day.
The hardest climbs lead to the best views.
I wake up early, get outside in the sun & nature as much as possible, walk 15k steps/d, eat plenty of protein & healthy fats via meat & eggs, & give gratitude for all that I have now & every mistake that has made me better.
It’s the struggles in life that shape us & determine who we become. My elderly patients & clients frequently tell me that they have finally been able to see their difficulties in life as sources of both strength & character. They are proud of the challenges they have faced & wish they had adopted this thinking when going through difficult times.
As one patient told me, “Just keep moving. Minutes of pain can lead to years of growth.” You can use this mindset to achieve your goals, both in life & fitness.
You are the main character of your life.
A lot of us forget that each of us has a different story. When we try to align our stories with what other people expect or want, that’s when we lose our own.
Think about dreams you want to fulfill. Whenever we don’t know what to do, we should ask ourselves, “Will this make me happy? Will it add legacy to my story & value to other people?”. “Rich & successful” mean different things to us all!
In your healthy living journey, remember that you are the main character. You don’t need to compare your results to others; they are your own! Your story will unfold, maybe just in a different way.
Embrace aging is inevitable, but living well with a young spirit & nourished vessel is a choice.
Resting doesn’t mean quitting.
Sometimes life gets really hard & common wisdom tells us to keep persisting. We should, but what’s often left out is that it is ok to take a break. Taking a break from challenges in our lives makes sure that we have the time & energy to come back with a better mindset. Taking a break does not have to mean “giving up”… it just means we’re re-energizing ourselves for a bigger comeback!
How does this lead to happier living? If you find yourself completely stressed out, take a break! It’s ok! You can meditate or just rest your mind & body. When you come back after this rest period, you’ll have a clearer mind & renewed purpose.
The secret to having it all is believing abundantly you already do! A healthy, happy mind & spirit mean a healthy, happy life. That also takes rest & presence.
It’s the little things & There’s no such thing as false hope.
Yeah, the big things are great but if you sit down & talk to the elderly, they rarely talk about what they’ve achieved. They speak of candid moments of generosity & kindness that they still remember, even decades later.
We often forget that making others happy can also help us become happier too. So be kind, both to others & yourself!
Hope is the desire that a situation or circumstance will turn out favorably. By its definition, it can’t be false. It’s either there or not there. Would you rather spend time with someone who lives a life of positivity & optimism or despair?
It is possible for you to become healthier, happier, more fit, etc…whatever you want is possible! Have faith because sometimes it’s all we have & you create your reality!
Share with a friend who needs this too!
There is a light inside all of us. No matter how hard we try to shove it down.
It glows. Always glows — even the faintest, no matter how dark it may seem.
Hoosier farm girl & Purdue University grad, Katie is a multifaceted girlboss! She’s a nutritionist, radiologic technologist, personal coach, executive assistant, motivational speaker & writer, & brand growth consultant working with individuals, businesses, organizations, & executives. She specializes in gut health, sports nutrition, disordered eating, social branding, human connection, and how to optimize life to attract health, wealth, & happiness. Katie welcomes all preferences & skill levels with a no diet dogma or one size-size-fits-all approach to health, wellness, fitness, & nutrition. After decades of struggling with her own health issues from Crohn’s, obesity, disordered eating, infertility, hormonal imbalances, & being a competitive athlete, she is passionate about helping others find self love, achieve their goals, & create sustainable success habits for an EXTRAordinary life!
