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!
Garyvee got it right: The biggest poison in us – regret.
But I feel it’s super-tricky.
Regret is not an immediate consequence of your actions. You do or don’t do something today, & MAYBE you’ll end up regretting it years later. I feel it’s problematic because it prevents learning from the feedback of your own life.
To live a regretless life, to me, you have to learn from other people’s lives as much as your own.
An example from my storybook, I had the wrong perception of productivity. It’s something I still struggle with.
I always thought that to be productive, I needed to do & achieve something constantly. If I wasn’t working on SOMETHING, I must not be working hard enough.
This led to much self-imposed stress, criticism, self sabotage, & anxiety. Plus, I wasted time & energy addressing burnout.
I later learned from the book “Deep Work” by Cal Newport that productivity doesn’t mean “doing.” It means less mental clutter that automatically translates into quality actions & habits.
As an experiment, I started deleting my to-dos that I didn’t like or necessarily have “to-do” to eliminate mental chaos.
The major benefit I gained from my not-to-do list: increased clarity & mental stability by reducing guilt & overwhelm.
It also improved my connections with clients, coworkers, friends, & family because it prevented me from making empty promises & over commitments.
In a nutshell, I saved time, freedom, energy, inner peace, & creativity — the most treasured resources.
The “Not-to-do” Life rules for massive success i wish i followed earlier
What would you add to your list?
oxox Coach K
Hailing from Fishers, Indiana, Katie is an aficionado of health, mindset, human connection, & entrepreneurship. Motivational writer, speaker, doer of many things, she grew up on her family’s beef cattle & crop farm where agriculture was her first love. She is a Purdue University graduate well known for her storytelling of life lessons & personal transformation through her own relationships, financial struggles, Crohn’s Disease, disordered eating, CrossFit, & adapting a carnivore diet lifestyle.
Katie also has over 17 years experience as a Registered Radiologic Technologist, Nutritionist, & Sales Consultant. She works with people of all walks of life as a nutritionist & personal life coach to help them authentically optimize their lives to find health, wealth, & happy!
You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com
“Are you ALWAYS this positive?” – I’m asked this question on the reg. “Absolutely, I’m a relentless optimist.” I reply.
Had a guy one time say he thought I was actually being fake via text until he met me in person because he had never met a woman so consistently happy & genuinely positive.
Which is sad & realistically true more times than not.
I haven’t always been this way however. It’s been a skill that I’ve had to sharpen just like fitness & personal development.
I’ve found having an innate sense of optimism has been helpful in every facet of my life from fitness, relationships, & professionally. It’s helped me deal practically with challenges & enjoy life more, no matter what’s going on.
Most of all, it fuels faith, inner peace, mental fortitude, & self love which all remain the antidotes to fear, despair, ego, & sickness.
Optimism is a mindset — a way of seeing things, a different perspective about life & the world. It’s based on the belief that the outcomes of the things we do & experiences we have will generally be positive.
Life’s challenges & “failures or mistakes” are simply seen as lessons & experiences to help us grow & become better.
Studies indicate that having a more optimistic mindset can reduce stress & promote mental & physical health benefits. That’s true — as long as difficult feelings are not stifled or masked with alcohol, substances, excess spending, sleeping around, food & the like.
It’s possible to learn habits that can shift even a stubborn mindset. And even a small change, turned into a habit, can radically improve your life.
Here’s how I’ve been able to transform my mindset & body & wake up to a life I’m extremely grateful for!
7 Habits of Naturally Optimistic & FIT People
Would love to hear your thoughts & experiences too!
Hoosier farm girl & Purdue University grad, Katie is a multifaceted human!
She’s a nutritionist, radiologic technologist, motivational speaker & writer, brand growth consultant, & connectionhttp://www.instagram.com/lil_bit_of_fit 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
Had a message recently from a woman who asked me how she could feel like the “It Girl” walking into a room — the one everyone wants to know & be around.
Some deep sh*t, right?! I’m thinkin now what kind of baggage do we have to unpack for this one?
cause we all have our bags.
I brainstormed.
I feel it comes down to charisma & mindset. As you sharpen your ability to be more charismatic & growth minded, you open up a plethora of doors.
The work is dirty. It may hurt. It may make your eyes well up. That inner work is absolutely necessary more times than not to find your sparkle.
A lil bit about my story struggling with a growth mindset…
This child was called fat. This child was called ugly. This child felt she would never be the girl that sparkled when she entered a room. This child was me.
I was told to lose weight & tried to diet before I was 10. My self-esteem & body issues started at 8.
I hated my body. I had gut issues.
I was told on numerous accounts, “If you just lost weight, you would be as pretty as all the other girls in school.” Stung every time. Stung with shame.
This translated into: You’re not special. You won’t be successful &/or loved unless you’re thin & look the part.
It’s taken me 40 years to become the happy, charismatic, & proud woman writing these words today.
I hope you enjoy these golden nuggets I’ve learned along my journey about finding your sparkle & becoming a human worth knowing that commands a room.
Swipe thru, continued with much love, growth, & inspiration on your Sunday
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!
Gut check moment: I realized I felt incapable of discovering who I was or what I wanted on my own.
This was why I couldn’t find the right diet, career path, or relationship. One of those “Fxck, it WAS me all along” moments.
Now, hear me out, I see no problem in seeking guidance when searching for your life path. And I know part of finding your path includes finding your identity & making mistakes. In fact, it’s essential to know who you are to discover your purpose in this world.
What I did & what I take issue with is when people feel incapable of discovering who they are or what they want on their own, placing their value in people pleasing, diet & exercise “camps,” what they look like, achievements, titles, &/or how much money they have in their bank accounts.
Ya feel me?
On the evening he died, Buddha delivered his final, but one of his most powerful teachings for generations to come.
As recounted by many historians, he gathered with his monks encouraging them to continue practicing everything he taught them long after he was gone.
His words, translated into modern English: “I was only able to point the way for you.” He furthered: “All individual things pass away. Strive on with diligence.” He also told them: “Be a lamp unto yourself, be a refuge to yourself. Take yourself to no external refuge.”
Essentially, he was telling them that he himself & his teachings were not the source of happiness, well-being, peace, & wisdom. Instead, he reminded them that to become FULLY FREE, they needed to find their truth FOR themselves & WITHIN themselves.
I feel Buddha was urging us to see this truth: although you may search the world over trying to find it, your ultimate refuge is none other than your own being.
In other words – You do you, Boo.
Hope this meets you where ever you need…the hard af truth why you struggle in life, with food & fitness + a few rules will make you stronger than you’ve ever been.
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!
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!
This photo was from 2018. I was living out my office & tryin like hell to pay off $45,000 in debt…
I told a coworker the other day, she was asking if I ever struggled.
Basically, “struggle bus” was my middle name y’all
As one who has made all the wrong decisions before making the right ones, one thing I am most grateful are the things I’ve done wrong that didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped because they taught me how to do things better — with health, relationships, & finances.
Sometimes it takes a heart break & f*cking up royally to shake us awake, to help us see we’re settling.
I refuse to live a life of mediocracy.
The last straw was 2018, when I was livin out of my office, showering at gyms, goin thru a heartbreak & no idea what the f*ck I was doing or going.
I was eating at the hotel across the street, breakfast was free.
I did get caught sleeping in my office, which forced me to make the painful decision to move back in with my parents.
My health & gut issues exacerbated. I was 20lbs heavier. Yet I knew I was meant for more.
Each year I made different choices to move the needle forward no matter how small.
“Never did the world make a Queen of a girl who hides behind a facade of perfection in a house of guarded walls but an imperfect woman of wisdom in a house of mirrors & glass.”
I’m not afraid to admit there’s many things I still have not mastered & that’s ok.
I too have been the human who:
◽️was living in the cheapest apartment she could find
◽️was going thru a 2nd divorce feeling like a failure & confused about identity
◽️had a car repoed, $45,000 in debt, $5 to my name
◽️thought being single meant there was something wrong with me & I needed to settle instead of realizing I needed be the person I wanted to be with 1st
You CAN do & be anyone you want to IF you believe. I’m here to listen. Y’all can book calls to discover your hope, solutions, & start fresh start! 🔗📲Link here:
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 with 17 years experience.
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
After 40 years, I realized I had it all wrong for decades. In fact there are STILL a lot of humans on this Earth living for the wrong reasons like the 7 deadly sins : Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, & Pride.
Remember the movie, Seven? How f*cked up & powerful at the same time was that?!
The secret to a happy life wasn’t looking a certain way or weighing a specific tiny number displayed on a dirty box that sat on my floor — it had more to do with purpose, fulfillment, & the energy behind decisions, habits, & behaviors.
I thought about it today, if I wanted to live my best life, I needed to address these 7 things…the C’s.
Some basic universal needs can help us live our best lives.
I don’t need to live a lavish, flashy life to live my own slice of heaven right here & now. Every day I make magic.
I listened to a podcast yesterday & it blew me away when I heard them say, “People have it all wrong when they say they die & go to heaven if they did everything “right.” You do it “right” when you make your every day reality heaven.”
When our universal needs are met, we can flourish right now. These needs go beyond the fundamental requirements and help us stay engaged & motivated in our personal & professional lives.
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!
I’ll be the first to admit I realize now I was in an abusive relationship the majority of my life.
– with myself.
I did some pretty f*cked up things to this 5’1 frame. Reflecting back, they were a result of childhood trauma from bullying, being called the “fat girl” & believing the lie I wasn’t enough unless I was a certain teeny tiny size.
It caused food addiction, body dysmorphia, orthorexia, a cultivation of self sabotaging habits, scarcity mindset, & a dangerously poor relationship specifically with carbohydrates. They were my drug of choice.
Basically, dieting & chasing a smaller body were my hobbies. I thought, “Well, every woman I know talks about dieting. The most admired are thin. I must not be trying hard enough. Eat less & workout more.”
You’re brainwashed to think chronic dieting & living off diet & sugar free foods are just a “normal” part of being a female & a requirement to attaining better body. They can reap long lasting issues that affect every coat of paint you throw on your life.
I remember being as young as 8 comparing my body to skinnier girls in class. I was teased & the disordered eating & bad body image grew — to the point I remember putting a belt around my tummy rolls in middle school under my jeans so I looked thinner. I needed to “suck it in” then maybe they’ll be nicer to me.
At 16, lunch was cottage cheese & a few ritz crackers, no more than 5 crackers I reminded myself. And I thought that was too much. I wore restriction like a badge. The smaller I got, the more attention I got. After a traumatizing break up in high school, I lost 15lb in 2 weeks right before the end of summer break. Everyone raved how “good” I looked.
The bottom photos I was struggling significantly with my disordered eating. I never thought I was thin enough.
The more praise, the more I craved the look of bones in the mirror.
Being thin meant I received love & was more worthy.
In college, I obsessed with working out to counter my binge drinking/eating. I threw up my food & took diet pills. I just wanted to be thin like the other sorority girls.
Even when I married at 22, I hid my binge eating & orthorexia. The drinking also spiraled out of control. I ended up in the hospital on a vent one time with a BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) of .346. Talk about a wake up call, I almost died.
I later divorced at 27, had a handful of failed relationships thereafter. I always numbed & sought control by not eating or excessive drinking. I’d take shots of cold medicine at night so I’d go to bed earlier to avoid eating.
I remember after one breakup I got so thin people started talking, I lost my period. I went to my OBGYN, she checked my urine. She said, “Your ketones are high, your weight has dropped. Has your diet changed? Are you feeling ok?” My blood pressure was 80/58. I didn’t know what that meant. My body was literally eating itself.
The bingeing, purging, restriction, & eating diet foods tore my gut up — all spiraled into a mess of health problems later. Which initially was diagnosed as IBS, then in 2018 as Crohn’s.
Left at my heaviest weight at 160, center struggling with Crohn’s flares, right after transitioning a whole year on the Carnivore Diet.
It didn’t stop there.
In 2013, my gallbladder quit functioning after so many years of disordered eating. I got cervical cancer, had to have part of cervix removed, & royalty f*cked up my hormones, metabolism, & gut function.
At 31, I discovered CrossFit. I dug myself a hole of further metabolic adaptation over training & undereating. Struggling with eating so many carbs & foods I didn’t realize my body wasn’t digesting and absorbing. It wasn’t that the carbs or foods were “bad,” it wasn’t that I didn’t need them for fuel or that they weren’t “healthy” – it was my relationship with them, the emotional triggers, & the physiological fact that my body couldn’t digest or absorb them properly.
One of the best gifts I ever gave myself was the permission to view these years of hardships as lessons to become a better human, and thus, help you all learn from my experiences.
True freedom is gained by learning to love your seasons, honoring what works for you as far diet and exercise, & simply appreciating your body for keeping you alive — not just for what you look like.
I 100% believe the Carnivore Diet put not only my Crohn’s in remission, but cured my disordered eating and food addiction. It gave me a new start at life.
My lens is clear now. Food doesn’t control my every thought. I don’t binge. I know exactly what to eat to stay my happiest & healthiest. It is simple & delicious. My health, mentally, emotionally, & physically haven’t been better.
It took faith, patience, & much experimentation. I had an interview where I talked about my whole first year and what I experienced going carnivore HERE. It will answer most of your questions.
Did you know about 45% of women and 23% of men within a healthy weight range think they are overweight, & at least 20% of women who are underweight think they are overweight, according to Eating Disorders Victoria.
How to learn to love your body
STOP IGNORING YOUR BODY
Get to know your body, it keeps you alive. Your body is a miraculous creature it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Every bump, crevice, scar, sunspot, stretch mark, freckle, wrinkle — those are badges of LIFE. You earned it!
•Don’t avoid mirrors.
•Spend more time naked.
•Wear the bathing suit
•Buy clothes to flatter your body not the other way around. You wear clothes they don’t wear you. You don’t change your body just wear clothes.
•Touch your body, sexuality is NATURAL & NECESSARY. Take pictures. CELEBRATE your body.
•Learn your true hunger cues & when you’re emotional eating. If you have a poor relationship with specific foods, OWN IT. Make changes and choose different foods. For me, carbs trigger poor habits, meat and eggs are satiating, nourishing, and delicious. They give me food freedom. Yours may be different. Experiment.
•Eat what you’re craving & don’t restrict all the time.
•Ditch the scale and focus on how you FEEL. The more you do to get in contact with and accept your body the way that it is, the more you are likely to develop better body image.
STOP CHECKING YOUR IMPERFECTIONS
Are you the one who does the ab check at every mirror? Pinch fat? Guess what? Our body changes & fluctuates every day, every hour sometimes. You don’t have flat abs all day, it’s called eating food, which keeps you alive. When you sit, we all have rolls! It’s called skin.
Write a list of your “checking” behaviors. Once you become aware & how often, slowly try to reduce the times you engage in these behaviors. I promise it will become easier & less work time & awareness.
STOP COMPARING
It’s a challenge, I get it. Especially with social media at our fingertips. We spend so much time rubbing a freakin piece of glass. Make that time a positive impact on your life. Unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself. Follow those who are uplifting, love their bodies, and resemble a body like yours!
Again, note when this happens. What & who were you looking at? Is that body a realistic goal for you? How do you want to FEEL? Often that has nothing to do with your aesthetics. Happiness starts on the inside. Follow podcasts, accounts, YouTubes, whatever media you want that promote health and body positivity and acceptance.
SEPARATE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS FROM FEELING FAT
Often when we have a bad day, a fight with a friend or partner, maybe our clothes don’t fit “just right,” or someone made a comment that made us feeling uncomfortable, we let those emotions wreck our entire day. Those emotions have nothing to do with what we look like but what we feel about ourselves.
They’re triggers. If I tried on a bathing suit & it looked hideous, I’d be pissed off all day & want to starve myself as punishment. Sound familiar? When this happens, remind yourself that your weight & reflection were the same before the incident.
CHANGE YOUR SELF TALK & PRACTICE ACCEPTANCE
Would you talk to your best friend like you talked to yourself? Remember thoughts become things & you attract what you put out.
The more negative self talk, the more it makes you feel awful, because you believe it. The more your feel awful the more likely you are to restrict, binge, emotional eat, & self sabotage because that is what you’re attracting into your life.
Instead of saying, “I look horrible in this outfit, I need to lose 20lbs.” Say, “I’m excited to make healthier changes to feel my best. Everyday in every way I am better and better.”
A big key to changing negative body image is to kill the critic.
FORGIVE
For me, I forgive the human who made the human mistakes. For without that version, she wouldn’t have learned her lessons and turned into the woman she is today. ❤️
Sending you a great big virtual hug! If you need to talk, don’t hesitate to reach out on Instagram!
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 make the life you want. Oftentimes this begins with hitting the reset button. What better time than NOW?!
The change you want in your life begins with you. If you can change your inside, the outside will fall into place.
Remember, your most significant obstacle to success is you. It’s not time, money, or your situation.
Life is a learning experience, and you’ll learn some essential life lessons along the way.
Some of these lessons come from your own experience, some from watching others, and some from reading books and articles like this one.
A pep talk you may need to hear!
Here are life lessons that can change your life and help you live it the way you want. These allowed me to manifest a better life!
1) Embody the person you wanna be. Be a person of VALUE! To progress & succeed, this may mean shedding the old version & reinventing you. Most don’t: sleep/eat well, don’t have a success routine, don’t have self awareness, learn new things daily, choose positive thoughts & energy. You need to: build mental fortitude, execute desires, keep commitments, realize motivation is fleeting, create a routine & + environment. If you wanna be a high value, successful, & well respected big boy/girl, f*ckin act like one.
“Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.” — Albert Einstein
Prove your worth every day and show your colleagues, friends, and family that you are worth the time they have invested in you. To succeed in life, you must tell stories about yourself in an authentic, humble, and business-focused way. Do more than is asked of you, be a thought leader. Under promise, over deliver 😉
2) Health is your biggest wealth. Develop good habits! Steps to a healthier, leaner, happier life:
Prioritize protein & nourishing, unprocessed food. Eat food you can digest & absorb properly with no negative physical or emotional issues
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” — Jim Rohn
The key to success in life is building tiny habits that can significantly impact your life. Little things, such as good habits, add up over time. Good habits can help you live a more fulfilled and happy life, while bad habits can cause you to spiral downward.
Success lies in what you do every day. Most of us are not aware of our bad and good habits because we live on autopilot
If you want to succeed in life, your good habits must outweigh your bad habits. If you think you have some toxic habits in your life, you still have time to unlearn them and change your negative tendencies.
3) Obsess over purpose/something larger than yourself. Make today count! Being interested or wishing are not enough, you need to be obsessed with becoming a better, more EXTRAordinary version of yourself. Embrace being an evolving human. Perfection is not needed. Once you make your mission & legacy your purpose for living, you will find & attract opportunities & people to help you achieve your goals. Live & vibrate intentionally, the Universe will show you the How.
“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Breault
Make every moment and day count. Be mindful of where you are in the here and now, savor each moment. Life goes by faster than you think. Live each day to the fullest, happiness is a state of mind.
4) If it isn’t a hell YES, it’s a hell NO This makes decision making much simpler. It requires sacrifice & a shift in perspective. I had to shed toxic habits, addictions, friends, & old versions of myself. I had to give up excuses, playing it safe, fear of mistakes, shrinking myself, & FOMO in order to UPLEVEL body, mind, & spirit. Sacrifice is a choice & it doesn’t seem like a negative thing when you want something bad enough. Embrace JOMO: JOY of missing out.
5) Realize the power of influence. Develop meaningful, deeper relationships! What you consume, consumes you & what consumes you, controls your life. Our consumption is not only what we eat/drink but also what we watch, listen to, social media, & environment (people & places). If you want to change, become a healthier, wealthier, happier version of yourself, you have to change your behaviors & consumptions. Listen to a podcast, motivational speakers, surround yourself with successful, high value people.
Our lives are built around our relationships. Our interpersonal skills are the keys to your success. You must improve and deepen your relationships through interpersonal intelligence and your ability to understand and interact effectively with others.
When you can gracefully navigate social settings with good verbal and non-verbal communication, you build strong connections with all types of people and show them you value them.
Deep conversations with the right people are worth their weight in Gold. Katie Kelly, @lil_bit_of_fit
6) Realize the power of discipline It is what it is – you either do or you don’t. There’s nothing worse than rolling thru life in the passenger’s seat. It’s about keeping commitments to yourself. If dieting & obtaining the physique & level of health & success you desire were easy, everyone would be lean, happy & rich. Goals don’t mean anything unless you ACT. Just like knowledge isn’t power unless there’s application. We were made to be ACTIVE participants in life. The word ATTRACTION includes the word ACTION.
7) You can’t please everyone & your Character matters! “But one of the big lessons I have learned from my journey is you can’t please everyone, so don’t try.” — Chris Colfer
It’s impossible to please everyone in your life. Not everyone will agree with you or even like you. You don’t need to get the approval of others, especially if you strive for excellence over perfection.
Stay true to who you are. Find people who believe in you, and you believe in them. Find your tribe and stay loyal to those who give to you.
A person’s character is about their value systems and defines their behavior. Your behavior can be traced back to your values and beliefs. Your view of the world influences your behavior. Having good character helps you make good choices and decisions.
Good character is the foundation for good decisions
When you have a good character of honesty, loyalty, and perseverance, you’ll feel good about yourself while earning the trust and gaining the respect of others. People with solid moral character find happiness and success in their life and grow their relationships with others because of honesty, transparency, and mutual respect.
8) Be like water, flexible & adaptable. Realize good things are worth patience & sacrifice.
“A bad plan is better than no plan, and the most important quality of any plan is the flexibility to change.” — Judson L Moore
When you are flexible and adaptable, you more easily accomplish your goals. You find ways to cope and succeed when circumstances are not in your favor.
Learn to bend without breaking. Adaptability helps you handle and embrace change in order to be able to thrive in whatever situation life throws at you.
“The best things in life don’t come easy, but those things are the ones worth the sacrifice.” — Adriana Locke
A good life is up to you. The amount of effort you put in every day, the ability for you to learn from your mistakes, and how you cultivate a trustworthy network of colleagues and friends are up to you.
Your life is all about contrast. Nothing in this world is worth having if you don’t have to go through some hard times. The key is to have mental toughness, self belief, & an endurance mindset.
When you have these mindsets, you view failure as an opportunity to improve yourself, you are unafraid to take risks, and you make sure you continue to have a positive outlook on life because you know you’re worth it.
There you go, 8 life lessons that can change your life for the better!
You won’t learn these life lessons at one time. Be mindful that change takes time and allow yourself the time you need to grow. The key is to be aware of life lessons and apply them to your life. The change you want in life begins and ends with you.
“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” — Bernice Johnson Reagon
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. You can find her on the gram, @lil_bit_of_fit
