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!
📸Life drop lately + 9 life lessons from 2024 that make me the woman writing this today…
You make the clothes, you define your style, you create enjoyment in your job, your profession, you sexify your weight, your fitness, your energy, your relationship(s), the way you make people feel, etc. YOU wear your “costume”, not the other way around. I’ve embraced the lifestyle of minimalism & it has significantly improved my health too. Read more about that story here.
It’s okay to be weird. Different. Misunderstood. Normal people get normal outcomes. Your weirdness is a gift.
You’re not bad at anything. You simply need more reps. Practice. Stop judging yourself & do the work.
At the end of the day we are a tiny spec within a giant galaxy & when we die nothing matters. So stop worrying & do the sh*t you love & build a legacy.
Emotions & motivation are fleeting but your character is forever & forever changing. Reflect, act, & define wisely. Choose better. Do better.
Your life is a story. When you’re faced with a chapter you don’t like, ask yourself: “What following chapter do I want to write about for what happens next?” I shared my weight loss story here.
Material things are only valuable if they truly give you energy. Same with people, things, environments — basically EVERYTHING you consume. Love people, use things, be USEFUL.
There are no rules, do what feels right. Choose your own adventure. Happy people don’t spend their lives TRYING to be happy, they do what they want & happiness is a byproduct.
The person that’s capable of saving the day and fixing all your problems, is you.
In a world where most try to keep you in a box. I hope I’m the person who shows you there are no limits for yourself.
Oxox Coach K❤️
Like blogs like these? Come adventure & get FIT with me!
Katie Kelly is a nutritionist, writer, travel registered radiologic technologist, Indiana farmer’s daughter, Crohn’s warrior, experience collector, and athlete of life. Former hot mess down 60lbs + financially free with nothin’ but an airfryer & a prayer. Location: Aging gracefully somewhere between scrubs & steak.
On social, she’s better known as Coach K, but most of all wants you to know she’s struggled just like you. More importantly, she wants you to believe in yourself, your health, your voice, & your ability to live your best life!
Looking for more from Katie? Join her newsletter here❤️
I find the topic of minimalism absolutely fascinating, mainly because I always feel like I’m on a quest to remove clutter to live a wealthier, more free & peaceful life.
I will tell you, I was born a maximalist. My immersion into the world of minimalism did not come easy or natural. It was a skill I had to learn.
So if the thought of living with less gives you anxiety, y’all, I feel you. Like how can I live without a dozen cute coffee mugs, 20 pairs of leggings & 30 pairs of shoes?! 😱
The connection between clutter & weight gain
Clutter is defined as “a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass.” But lately, with all the talk on minimalism & doing away with excess stuff, we’ve come to realize that clutter is more than just the physical & tangible things.
There is a deep connection between our stuff & our weight. The more clutter & crap we hoard can be directly correlated to the quality of health we enjoy.
The connection between clutter & weight gain is that body fat & clutter both act as protective layers to help people to feel less emotionally vulnerable. However, the stagnant energy that accumulates around both causes a feeling of stuckness that can be very frustrating & restrictive.
Many of my clients have told me over the years how much easier it is to focus on dieting their home instead of dieting their body. And the great thing is that when they start looking after their environment more, they naturally feel more inclined to look after themselves better too. As one woman put it, “After you have cleared the junk out of your home, it doesn’t feel quite right to keep putting junk food in your body.”
A recent study has found that “stressful & chaotic food environments” influence people to reach for high-calorie snacks. In effort to determine the impact of mindset & environment on eating, researchers from Cornell University invited around 100 women to write about a time they felt out of control, neutral, or organized, then eat snacks in kitchens that were either cluttered or orderly. They discovered that participants who were in a more chaotic mindset in the messy kitchen consumed more cookies than those in the tidy space.
My personal experience on declutterring
I noticed as I started decluttering, not only did I feel more peace & clarity, I also felt lighter — physically, energetically, & emotionally. My finances got better. I felt I could truly focus on what was most important & fulfilling to me in life (most being affordable & free).
I used to be Velcro to clutter. I loved to shop, I loved to fill my life with things & a busy schedule & a go, go, go mentality. And then after a while, it kind of just hit me.
As I started traveling more & more as a travel radiologic technologist, I’d get anxiety with each move because of all the sh*t I had. I had to move it all. Every. Time. It took time & energy.
Do I really need all this? Does it really make me happier? Hotter? Healthier? More worthy? More successful? More loved?
From a young age, I would have something called FOMO, fear of missing out. If I wasn’t invited to something, or if I didn’t have the biggest piece of cake & my brothers had bigger pieces than I had that FOMO.
And probably in my late 30s, I realized that more was not always more, & that I could actually have more meaning & more beauty in life if I could focus on finding the more in the less. I mastered this way of living into my 40s.
And so clutter, most of us think of it as tangible. It is all the things. AND it’s not just all the tangible things.
We carry a lot of mental & emotional clutter as well. And the mental clutter, those are really inauthentic thoughts that we & life should be different. And when we have those thoughts, we experience resistance or we experience such heaviness that that’s another form of clutter.
And so clutter to me is anything that gets between you & showing up the way you really want to or you & the best version of your life, you & the life you want to live.
As human beings, we get really distracted. And we are drawn to the idea of complication. The more complicated, the better. (WRONG.)
Minimalism is about removing all of the clutter so that you can focus on the things that matter most, getting rid of those distractions so that you can hone in on the most beautiful & powerful aspects of your life.
It will take some intentionality. It will really take sitting down & being honest with yourself.
Sometimes that could be relationships. I would imagine you know different circles that you might be floating around in that may not be the healthiest or the most supportive or the most positive.
So sometimes it’s removing people & relationships from your life. It can be removing an ideal of “relationships” you’ve had yourself boxed into.
I had this discussion with my bestie today on this very topic. As a happy, successful, self-loving, confident, self-partnered woman, I don’t feel the white picket fence “traditional relationship” works for me anymore.
I enjoy being in my own company & energy so much, the thought of cohabitating full time with another almost makes me cringe. I’ll admit it.
I love relationships & deep connection & companionship, but I don’t feel seeking “A relationship” or “The relationship” or “The One” applies to my needs today like it did for my fairytale loving 20 & 30 something self.
I’m open & excited for relationships & connection divinely meant for me. But now, I know I attract these people & opportunities.
I have so much peace & space in my life for amazing projects, creativity, collaboration, adventures, experiences, jobs, & new skills not constantly SEEKING a relationship.
Do you realize we can get most of the feelings we desire of being heard, seen, understood, fulfilled & loved from anyone?! Friends, partners, coworkers, strangers, clients, family, as well as yourself. These feelings don’t always have to come from someone you’re romantically involved.
The weight & food connection…
When I was in middle school I had a teacher tell me I was “too big to be a cheerleader.” That I needed to lose weight & do something else. Harsh af, but she was actually was right. I was overweight at 160 on a 5ft frame.
You can read about my carnivore weight loss story here in this blog.
A magical question, just two words.
What if?
What if I address my diet? What if I do things differently?
And of course I had the thought, I don’t eat that bad. And I thought, what if I could eat better? So no judgment.
What if I could eat smarter? What if I could be better to my hormones? What if I could love myself more? What if I could eat & move more lovingly & intentionally?
And so I changed my lifestyle.
I have Crohn’s disease. After a couple weeks of changing my diet to a more carnivore based approach all of my autoimmune conditions & gut flares had subsided.
And I thought, gosh, if I can feel this good, how good could it get? I’m gonna keep going with this food, this new food approach. I’m gonna focus on health & heal.
I realized a lot of the foods that I was eating, like rice & gluten & breads & high fiber stuff — those foods were just cluttering up my body & cluttering up my potential.
As a functional nutritionist & weight loss coach, I’ve heard many clients say, “Oh I cheated. One cheat day turned into a cheat weekend.”
And I remind them that word comes with so much baggage — mental baggage & emotional baggage.
So instead, we like to use the term experimented. That’s what we’re doing, really. We experimented, got some more data on how we felt after eating or making certain choices, & that helps us sometimes see the blessing in a setback.
It creates more lightness, because prior to that experience, you might not have known. And now, you know.
Just like dating 😂
Food clutter
Instead of saying “Eat this way” or “that way” I prefer to help somebody become the expert of their own body & the symptoms that they’re feeling. This includes what foods fill them with energy & what foods fill them with shame & frustration.
Because it’s those foods that are yummy in the moment, but then fill us with the heavy negative feelings & physical symptoms to release. Those are the clutter.
We focus on 3 different areas: clutter in the mind, clutter in the body, & then clutter in the home.
When we’re stuck in our thoughts or we’re stuck in our feelings, or we’re literally physically stuck in a lot of clutter, it does prevent us from really taking the next steps needed to go in the direction that we really want and desire to go in.
FOMO to JOMO
Something beautiful happened…
My FOMO over just a matter of months slipped to something called JOMO — the joy of missing out.
So for me, that joy was, oh, I like the way my body feels. I like the way my clean space feels. I like having mental real estate to think about what I want to think about that’s meaningful.
I like waking up with energy. I like that I don’t have to take medication to control gut flares. I like the feeling of not being bloated and inflamed.
And so do I miss eating cake & sugar & French fries & bagels full of gluten? No, I don’t. Because I like the JOMO on the negative side effects better.
So let’s all join the no clutter club!
Its not about not enjoying life or luxuries, its about investing in what means the most to you. It’s all about releasing the clutter: the mental, the emotional, the physical clutter in life so that we can show up light & happy & healthy!
As Marie Kondo would ask, “Does this bring you joy?”
If it makes you feel light, then it’s right. 😉
Oxox Coach K
Like blogs like these? Come adventure & get FIT with me!
Katie Kelly is a nutritionist, writer, travel registered radiologic technologist, Indiana farmer’s daughter, Crohn’s warrior, experience collector, and athlete of life. Former hot mess down 60lbs + financially free with nothin’ but an airfryer & a prayer. Location: Aging gracefully somewhere between scrubs & steak.
On social, she’s better known as Coach K, but most of all wants you to know she’s struggled just like you. More importantly, she wants you to believe in yourself, your health, your voice, & your ability to live your best life!
Looking for more from Katie? Join her newsletter here❤️
Hey there, I’m Katie. Indiana farmer’s daughter, former hot mess, overweight, shopping addict turned minimalist mindset & carnivore guru. In 5 years, I went from totally broke, to a 60lbs healthier, financially-free minimalist. I joke & say I did most of this with nothing more than an air fryer, ground beef, & a prayer.
I currently am a nutritionist & travel radiologic technologist RT(R) with 20 years experience in the healthcare & nutrition industry. I got rid of my apartment, ditched my storage unit, & now, basically everything I own fits in the back of my 2019 Ford EcoSport (named Ruby btw). We travel all over the US somewhere between scrubs, boots, & steak.
Looking back, there is one thing I wish I had had. A friend to share the journey with me, who actually understood what I was going through. This is my hope for everything I share here & social. It’s is for you.
To be a place where you can shake off the shame of imperfection, the need to people please, & where we can both show up as our authentic selves, even if we’re still in yesterday’s sweatpants.
Think of this as a standing coffee date with an old friend whose only job is to hear you out, hype you up, remind you that you are already enough, & doesn’t mind if you spike your coffee. 😉 🥃
As always, let’s keep this simple.
Let’s keep this real.
Let’s choose our own adventures!
Life is hard enough. Welcome to my storybook & a farmer’s daughter’s guide to life.
I used to be gorger & hoarder of things. Material things.
Emotional things.
Relational things.
Food things.
Minimalism, or peacefully living with less is not something that came easy for me.
Back in my 20s & 30s I racked up those credit cards so high I was drowning in 50k+ of debt. It imprisoned me. I fully admit I was owned & controlled by my addiction to things.
My car was even repossessed at one point. I remember sinking to floor, tears streaming down my face, in disbelief & shame that I had allowed myself to get that low.
I bought things to make myself “feel better.” To numb empty feelings of aloneness in my relationship, disappointment with myself, & the void of fulfillment & purpose in my life.
I realize what’s clutter for you may not be clutter for me, & vice versa. Minimalism to me is the willingness to sit with the following question:
How might my life be more with less?
We encounter a lot of temptations in the form of things to be possessed, things to be pursued, things with which to be preoccupied.
And these become little traps for us that lead to a life of defeat, a life of discouragement, a life of distraction & so on. And so, I see minimalism as the willingness to let go of anything that gets in the way of us living our most free, authentic life.
I asked myself one morning: What is my life about? What am I about? What do I fully support & love? What is my why? Why am I here? What is the impact that I am to have? What gives me anxiety & heaviness that I can prevent or improve that will GIVE me freedom & energy?
And “clutter” became anything that got in the way of the answers to those questions.
And so when I think about wealth, I don’t think of it so much in terms of what I have, but what I do with what I have. That to me is having a more spiritual understanding of what wealth is.
For example, you could say if I were to give you a Tesla right now, that would make you wealthy.
What would truly make you wealthy is your use of that Tesla to serve other people, to solve problems, & to create value for yourself & others. That’s what wealth is. It’s defined by what we do.
And so, I like to think of minimalism as not scarcity or being better than someone else because I they’ve on less, but abundance healthfully expressed.
Minimalism doesn’t mean not wanting things or buying things we love but investing in things that make us vibrate & embody our highest selves.
For me, if it isn’t a necessity, or doesn’t bring me extreme joy, or make me money in some way — I don’t buy it or I return it. If it’s something I can’t sell, I donate to charity.
I see hoarding now as hoarding energy & holding me back. I live with an open hand, open mind, & open heart. Which means letting things & people go when it’s their time.
A minimalist lifestyle has been more than just decluttering for me. In fact, it went hand-in-hand with my spiritual awakening.
Have you ever considered the freedom you could find with breaking up with the world? Letting go of what everyone else thinks or expects from you & going with the natural flow of things?
To me, I have worked so hard or let go so much to just embrace the fact that I have no idea what’s going to happen to me tomorrow.
I used to get so beat up, so mad about the fact I used to be angry at myself feeling like I could have changed some of my life’s outcomes. And in reality, the letting go & the accepting of has been one of the best things I have done for myself & my sanity.
And it has truly allowed me to live a richer life just by changing my mindset by breaking up with the world.
I think so often we can become so consumed with the things that we see, the things that we feel, our accomplishments, what we think we are, what we think we’re capable of.
We can get so lost in our jobs, we can get lost in a partner, we can get lost in our looks, we can get lost in the opinions of other people.
And by breaking up with the world, by not letting any of these things define us or control us or rob us of joy in any way, we allow ourselves to be in control of our own joy.
I say that oftentimes the clothes were me trying to be who I thought the world wanted me to be, & the same with my fake lashes, fake nails, fancy apartment, & my “stuff.”
I invest in things now because they bring me joy & creative self expression, not to convince people to see me as I hope they would see me.
Now I love & enjoy thrift stores, consignment, goodwill, & supporting small business.
And by eliminating that “stuff,” I started taking back my power. I started telling the world who I was & who I wanted to be, & not giving a frick what people thought. It’s about boundaries.
The more I have learned to just love everything & everyone & myself as they are, as it is. And saying no to a situation or to a person isn’t me saying no to that person. It’s just me saying yes to how I spend my time, money, & energy. It’s me saying yes to my own sanity.
If I keep saying yes to everyone & everything, I am going to have nothing left to give anyone.
By letting go of my stuff, it was a way of releasing myself from people-pleasing & other people’s opinions.
Minimalism has allowed me to transform my life & release so much of the stress & the pressure of control that I used to carry with me every day.
I have been able to find so much freedom, not only in the time that it has granted me or the freedom that it allows, but the freedom in my soul that I have been able to gain because of it.
Minimalism, though at its core is having less things, but it’s really about intentional living & having the things in your life that are meaningful & energy giving to you.
Marie Kondō helped me take minimalism to another level. She wrote the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Her baseline concept is really looking at the material goods & the things that you have in your life & asking yourself, “Does this truly bring me joy?”
Before I purchase something, I ask myself, “Do I need this? Will I use this? Will this bring me joy, comfort, fulfillment, & creative self-expression enough to warrant investing my money energy on it?”
✅YES = that’s what I call “Happy Money” spent. Highly suggest reading Ken Honda’s book, Happy Money. Also a game changer.
So, for me, that was a really big shift in my mentality when it came to looking at my things. Gratitude instead of shame. Empowerment instead powerless.
That gave me the ability to look in my closet where I felt a lot of guilt when it came to expensive clothing that I bought, maybe clothes that I bought that were cute, but I never actually ended up wearing, nostalgic pieces from old boyfriends or gifts or whatever it was & make a better decision.
Like shirts that I’ve had for a long time & felt like I should still keep. I was able to approach my closet, look at some of those things & say, “Hey, thank you, white T-shirt that I can’t keep clean. I need to release you. And thank you for the good memories sweatshirt from my ex or dress from that amazing party. Thank you! But it time for me to release you & let someone else love you to allow fresh, new, better energy into my life. Thank you for bringing me joy.”
I learned to appreciate what I bought & also know that I could live untethered & separate from them without stripping my worth or a label I somehow received because of them. I really shifted from guilt to gratitude. I could say thank you for bringing me joy & put it in my donate pile with love & release.
There were times I bought something because I thought it was really going to be cute & make me feel a certain way, but the truth is 95% of the time when I go into my closet, I’m looking for something tactical, maybe a certain color, & most importantly, comfortable.
Simply appreciating & acknowledging that fact prevents you from going into the store & making more mistakes in the future.
A promise practice I created for myself: whenever I buy something, I must donate & release something. Eliminates clutter, hoarding & impulse buying.
With traveling somewhere new about every 13-26 weeks as I do for my career as a travel radiologic technologist, you realize you have to pack light & smart. You learn what you really value & what’s important to you because moving a bunch of sh*t all the time…well, you ain’t got the time or energy for that. It used to give me anxiety. Now everything I own fits in the back of my 2019 Ford EcoSport.
Screenshot
A big part of cutting down the clothes was doing a capsule wardrobe.
So what’s a capsule wardrobe?
So glad you asked 😊
Capsule wardrobes are where you intentionally buy things that are tactical, of similar style, similar color, so that most of the pieces will flow & piece together well with each other no matter what season. You have outfits that work together. So it’s just easier to pick out your clothes.
Not only will a capsule wardrobe make your life easier, but it is also:
Sustainable
Saves time & money
Timeless
Longer-lasting fashion
Start with a small selection of clothing pieces that make up many different outfits when combined. Part of the concept is having an overall neutral color palette with a few pops of color, maybe a stylish jackets or sparkly funsies thrown in there.
Hugely helps with decision fatigue!
There is no strict rule for the number of items in a capsule wardrobe, It all depends on your lifestyle & your preference. Usually, a capsule wardrobe doesn’t exceed more than 50 items.
If most of your clothes fall under a certain color scheme, you can really mix & match whatever you need to.
Here’s a little checklist if you’re unsure of how to get started. The following items are basic items that get you covered for most occasions, including work. If you’re not sure what color to pick, I recommend going with neutrals, such as navy, grey, black, beige, or white.
Sweatpants, shorts, t shirts, sweatshirt (think gym wear that double as pajamas)
Here are some suggestions to think about when putting together your capsule wardrobe: a timeless blazer, a button-down shirt that fits you well, a sleek pencil skirt, a sweater that can be layered, a fabulous pair of jeans, and a versatile dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the accessories.
These pieces can be combined in various ways to create outfits, and you can also incorporate seasonal trends to keep your wardrobe interesting and up-to-date.
To expand your women’s capsule wardrobe, you can consider including a few essential items like a striped shirt, basic T-shirts, a sweater, a blouse, a cardigan, a denim jacket, and black leggings.
This same principle can also be applied to accessories and footwear by ensuring you have at least one representative item from each category.
This just makes it easier to take things out. When I was going through my wardrobe the first time, I realized that there are certain colors I don’t wear. I don’t wear anything that I have to iron either haha! So now I don’t buy things that I have to iron, but little things like that are helpful to acknowledge.
Another big thing for me too when it comes to wardrobe is I realize that sometimes I do know right away after I bring something home that I don’t like it, but I’m used to be so terrible about returning things! So now I only shop at places that have a very generous return policy because for me, sometimes I still have the tag on it three months later. Amazon is also awesome. Easy returns.
Now I fearlessly just buy the clothes, but keep all the receipts & keep the tags on until I wear it. I have a receipt drawer/folder, and if needed, I can return anything that needs to be returned. I also always get digital receipts if that’s a possibility.
Another thing that can be helpful as far as avoiding accumulating things is not purchasing things the moment they go to your mind. Because now with Amazon online shopping, you can literally think of an item and then purchase it in that second with one click purchasing.
Instead, you can write it on a list and wait a few weeks to see if you still want it. I really only give myself 24-48 hours. And it turns out that’s all the amount of time I need to control my impulse shopping. Because a lot of times I really, really, really think I need something. And then after sleeping on it, I just realized that that was an impulse purchase.
Another tip, never enter Target. Hahahah!!! But for real, I try to avoid Target & TJ Maxx as much as possible.
I hope this inspired you a little bit today! And feel free to reach out on social media or via email (katieokelly2@gmail.com) & let me know how you feel about it all because I always love to hear from y’all as well!
Oxox Coach K
Like blogs like these? Come adventure, get FIT, & live your best life with me, too!
I posted this picture of myself sitting in my living room one morning 7 years ago. I used to hate looking at Facebook memories. Now I admire in awe at the beautiful transformation of my life & spirit this go round.
I actually enjoy checking memories. They remind me I’m alive. They remind me I lived. They remind me I still have a lot more AMAZING life to savor. To learn. To adventure. To experience.
Some of these memories bring pain. Like salt on a wound. Some are sweet like the most decadent treat. Some sting & burn so good…So. Good. Like a fine bourbon or strong coffee.
Some simple thoughts of awareness. Some things I enjoy, things I’ve learned & simple raindrops of life sprinkled on the pages of my storybook thus far…
I like cutting my meat with scissors ✂️ Easier. More efficient.
I love supporting small business & giving back to others as much as I can. It brings me more fulfillment than any fancy stuff I could buy for myself. I love & welcome in all the money into my life so that I can invest it into others & things that truly matter.
I’m way prettier in my more natural state without make up & fake stuff on my face. With age comes wisdom, thank goodness. And thank goodness I didn’t have social media back in college😂
I really love embracing this life of more minimalism. It has given me much freedom & energy to focus on things that truly mean the most to me versus worrying about what I’m going to wear or dreading packing up all this “stuff” when I leave to another travel Xray assignment.
I really, really love my careers & my life at 42. It’s far from perfect & makes absolutely no sense sometimes 😆 but I am infinitely happy in the now & for the woman I’ve become. For the loving family & friends I have, have made, & will make.
And if I was to pass on today or tomorrow, this would be enough❤️ And I’m forever grateful.
Oxox Coach K
Like blogs like these? Come adventure, get FIT, & live your best life with me, too!
I had a patient tell me I had really BIGblingy earrings in the ER one day💎✨😂…
I find in general people are afraid to step outside the norm.
Y’all, the more we embrace the concept of being colorful & XTRA, the more we will normalize people feeling comfortable in their own skin.
When my patient commented on my appearance in the ER, I was so freaking proud of myself in that moment because instead of being triggered, I thought f*ck yeah, I’m doing my life right.
I feel amazing, regal, beautiful, luxurious, abundant & I’m not afraid to show up. I no longer live life trying to shrink myself. (Note most of my jewelry is affordable & from Amazon. These particular earrings were Kate Spade AB crystals. LOVE. OBSESSED.)
There are threads that connect our past, present & future selves together. 🧵🪡🧶They’re unique to us. No thread is identical.
Btw… my patient smiled, I looked at her with loving eyes, & I said, “Hell yeah, I love my big earrings 👉just like life. Little person, big personality. That’s how my mom describes me.”
I experience JOY crafting & creating my character of the day. That’s me creating my heaven + my reality. You can create yours too! That’s the magic of thoughts become things. 🪄🦄
💫I manifest the feeling of my reality via my writing, my words, my wardrobe, my accessories, the way I take care of myself, the way I present myself. 👉It all comes from me. We co-create life. Utilize your resources & inner beauty.
I truly do enjoy the “ #travelnurse “ life. (I’m a travel Xray tech & clinician for newbies here) The decision to partake in this unique lifestyle didn’t come lightly, however. I did it scared shitless & had self doubt, too.
What if I suck?
What if I’m homesick?
What if people don’t like me?
What if I hate my assignment?
What will people think of me?
What if, what if, what if…
I’m elated embarking on this journey. It’s exciting, enlightening, challenging, adventurous, fulfilling, pleasurable & painful af too.
You become a more resilient, able, adaptable, loving, insightful, resourceful, badass & bombdiggitty human in my opinion.
Dudes, we rock 🤘🫶💀💕🚑🏥 Travel healthcare workers UNITE!
I realized in a rock-bottom point in my life years ago that I was stuck in a stagnant, hyper vigilant state. I was addicted to the complacent, “busy life” instead of one of inner peace & fulfillment.
GSD (get shit done) is a dopamine hit with pros & cons on both ends of the spectrum.
On one hand, it made/makes me super successful, productive, & proud, but on the other hand, also burned out, tired, cranky, oftentimes sick. It can feel on occasion I’m stuck in a phase called “chasing the next best thing,” missing out on the sweetness of life. I forget to be present.
I’m clearly aware of it. Back then I simply didn’t know how to change it or how to evolve into a better version of me. Some things that helped me understand myself & other people to get what I wanted 👇
I’ve lost 60lbs in my life’s time and kept it off. I documented my healing, weight loss, & carnivore journey HERE just for you in case you’re struggling like I did.
My complacency with life was a protective mechanism. I armed myself with “safe” decisions & stagnancy because of past trauma:
being a people pleaser
always feeling like I had to achieve to receive love
feeling I had to look a certain way or weigh a certain weight to be seen as beautiful & worthy of love
wanting to change myself to be accepted & validated…I could go on & on here.
Ego got me into debt because I would buy shit just to look the part instead of because it made me feel amazing or enabled me to express my creative authenticity.
It’s taken over 40 years for me to acknowledge & accept the following things that are seen as weird & non-traditional to society.
I’m exuberatingly proud to say that I am OK living an extremely satisfied, loving life being self partnered & non traditional.
Self partnered to me is living life on my own terms to feel, look, & be my best…AND THAT MEANS designing a life optimized to help me live my most peaceful, happy, easy, joyous, abundant, loved filled, & purpose driven life possible.
I don’t give a shit that my light shines differently. And you have permission to shine bright yourself, as bright as you want, however you want! ✨🪩✨
Huge observational revelations I scripted one morning trying to make sense of myself & life. They’re a tad bit triggering but honest af. Maybe you’ll relate to them too!
🧠I sleep in cycles & when I’m tired, I don’t pay attention to the time or whether it’s deemed morning or night. Chock that up to probably working weird 3rd and first shift cycles. I am always responsible/respectful of my work schedule. I feel my best when I honor my natural sleep/wake cycles. I sleep really well 😆 in the back of my Ford Ecosport (named Ruby btw 🚗) where I’ve made a little bed. I had to take naps on my lunch breaks to conserve energy on many travel assignments and road trips. I travel often & this has been a Godsend in keeping my energy/health as a priority.
🧠 I am a biohacker 🤷♀️ To answer y’all’s questions about my anti-aging & biohacking routine, I wrote a blog HERE for you.
🧠Music is my life force just like food. So is my wardrobe, colors, & the vibe of my environment. They immensely influence my mood & energy. I’ve learned how to change & utilize these to my benefit. I have playlists & colors that I’ll wear & listen to to reflect the mood I’m in or vibe/state I need to be in. Playlists I enjoy are my Denim & Rhinestones list, coffee house jazz, classical pop, nature sounds, country, red dirt music, caffeine & kilos playlist, etc. morgan wallen, post Malone, & Warren zeiders always 🙂 A HUGE VARIETY! 🎶 Spotify playlist HERE
🧠I feel my best when I’m caffeinated. Haha! I do enjoy coffee & occasional alcohol in moderation. I don’t drink alcohol much tho. If I’m going to partake in alcohol or a cocktail, it’s to enhance an experience like a special occasion or my favorite venue. I don’t drink to get drunk anymore. Not worth it, dims my light & numbs my abilities. I’d rather go to bed early & get up early. If I’m going to partake in alcohol, it’s usually early in the day, socially.
🧠I eat when I’m hungry & eat what I’m hungry for. I do whatever form of exercise/workouts feel good to me in that moment. Here lately it’s Orange Theory, zone 2 cardio, walking, occasional CrossFit & strength training. I look & feel my best when I honor my body without force. I do better digestively & energy wise eating one large low carb, MEATY meal early in the day & sipping on my daily chocolate nutritional shake from @acheiveequilife or @nuethix_formulations Medipure DS during daylight hours. (LINK to discounts & products IN IG BIO & HIGHLIGHTS btw)
OR one larger meal in the morning post workout & a small snack around 1pm-ish.
Meat bars and my airfryer are my jam. You can find recipes and videos in this blog HERE.
Post workout breakfast. 1.25 lbs of *0% ground beef #meatbars Airfry. 380. 12 minutes. Did not consume the fat in the bottom of the airfyer to make it leaner.
I have a whole recipe book full of low carb deliciousness! 👇👇
I prefer eating alone or intimately with few people vs eating out. My energy is best with liquid meals (I am more satiated with real food however, that’s why I keep one large meal in the morning) I do fab fasting longer hours overnight (like 20 hrs) That’s when my digestion is the best.
🧠I prefer being a lone wolf. I am social, but do it in doses on my own terms.
I have very few people I am comfortable sharing my space with (traveling, sleeping over, adventuring, etc): my parents, + my 2 besties @lisamitchellindy & @just___jess___
They are my persons & make my life FULL❤️ no matter how little or how much we talk, or are/aren’t physically around one another, I know they are always there & we pick up where we left off. People that feel like Freedom & Home. Thank you for being my biggest adventures + safe spaces.
🧠I define & base my relationships on how they make me feel. Traditional relationships, the married then kids then picket fence things, feel like masks & facades people put on to appease society. They simply don’t feel aligned. It’s not that I haven’t tried being the bride with the white picket fence in the past, &/or I’m not open to love, I’m just open to love & relationships on my own terms that serve me best. And why is it that the majority still feels they HAVE to have kids?
I understand this is “weird” for most people. Let me explain what is aligned to me…
💕I typically don’t stay over at peoples houses. I feel more comfortable in my own home around my own energy.
💕I enjoy driving myself, Uber, & travel solo.
💕I enjoy & sleep better alone.
💕I like going to bed early + getting up early. My mornings are everything to me & set the tone for my entire day.
💕I am energetic in the morning & more productive. I don’t lay around in bed when I first wake & I’m not one to lay & cuddle for hours. (I like cuddling & I love physical affection, but I don’t want it first thing in the morning I have things to do 😂 Same with Sex…I LOVE passionate sex, but would rather have it spontaneously throughout the day or in the middle of the night. I don’t like it first thing in the morning because ya girl dedicated to her routine)
💕I love people & being in an aligned relationship. I’ve realized I am frankly super happy & satisfied doing my own thing on my own time and I would hope that other person would feel the same. Then when the time is right, we come together later when our energies & attention are aligned to be a freakin POWER COUPLE.
🧠I love being by myself🤷♀️ Took me decades to get here. One thing I’m SUPER proud of myself for cultivating. It’s effortless. I am my own best friend, in my own energy. I openly love myself a ridiculous amount👉 I’m not afraid to admit that. It’s taken me over 40 years to love the essence of my being & my body & being able to just BE me.
🧠I don’t feel the need to be a wife. I look forward to a life partner that agrees with my lifestyle, my ambition, my goals, my personal boundaries, & similar beliefs. I prefer someone that compliments me in their own unique way. I prefer diversity, someone not exactly like me. I like the wisdoms that comes with challenge & variety. I like someone that wants to build something together, I like someone that is OK with me striving to always be my best.
🧠I desire someone that doesn’t want to change me. I am able to evolve & compromise but the moment you tell me what to do when I don’t want to do it & it doesn’t feel aligned, you’re trying to change me. The relationship will not work. I say this with love because I want you to be your best too. (I’m speaking to whomever my life partner is here.)
➡️➡️I call this kind of writing/journaling scripting. Simply get your thoughts out. I suggest trying it to everyone out there! Visualize/journal your thoughts & what you desire! That’s why I write all of these down in the morning on my notes page in my phone. It has helped me make sense of my life, myself, make better business decisions, relationship decisions, health, & body decisions, money decisions, etc.
🧠I am an impulse shopper. I’m an emotional being & I buy shit on a whim. 😂 I’m aware of this. I don’t shame myself for it. It just is what it is. If I buy something when I’m being emotional & I don’t love it, I require myself to take it back. It’s a self love boundary. Because money is freedom and I want to utilize it in the best way possible. I’ve made investing & saving a game that is SEXY & FUN TO ME! That’s how I’ve been able to create wealth, including getting myself out of 50k+ in debt! If finances & wanting to be a high performance achiever are things you struggle & want to improve, book a consult call with me. I’ll coach you how to do this specifically for your situation. I’m not just a “ nutrition coach “ 😉. Email me, katieokelly2@gmail.com
🧠I love to save time & make my life effortless. I love Amazon➡️easy returns, effortless shipping. I love Instacart. They save me time going to the store & having to be around other people when my energy is low.
🧠I don’t shop in stores often because I buy shit I don’t need 😆another reason I like Amazon. I tend to only get what I’m inspired to buy. I love goodwill and thrift stores. Sometimes I just want to dress in a different style or a different color for a day or a week. I don’t need to buy designer I just buy what I feel good in. It can be a dollar or it can be $500
🧠I invest in what I feel is worthy of my well earned and deserved money. I tell myself I’m gifting the universe when I invest in other peoples crafts and skills or wardrobe. I don’t care my hair extensions and lash extensions are expensive 💁🏼♀️they make me feel amazing! The same with my lip injections. I love the way I look & I don’t care that other people criticize me for investing in this form of self-care.
🧠I love an effortless, energy giving life. I like auto brew on my coffee maker, I organize my space in a way that makes sense to me. I purge and clean old energy & stuff constantly. I update my wardrobe all the time with the seasons, with my seasons. If something frustrates me, I get rid of it, I change it, I cut it out of my life, I optimize it, or I delegate it in someway. I am here to love every bit of my life and I have the power to change whatever I want.
🧠I know I don’t have to do everything myself. I can utilize my resources. I am worthy and deserving just being me, I deserve being paid for just being me, in whatever form that means, I don’t have to perform or achieve or look a certain way to be incredible.
I record these reclamations/thoughts/acknowledgments simply for observation & self nourishment reasons with so much self-love, not ego.
And now I can go out & serve everyone to my best ability because I know my blueprint.
Oxox Coach K
Love you. Mean it.
Who’s Coach K? Wrote this for you, my fellow warriors working to be the best versions of yourselves!
Today’s theme for self/life improvement/optimization: UPLEVEL & UPCYCLE
⭐️Uplevel: Having greater capabilities. To transform & grow in an area previously stagnant. To make progress or improve in a specific skill or area of one’s life.
⭐️Upcycle: form of recycling where instead of turning waste into new materials, you can take a product that you would otherwise throw away & give it a new use in life.
Being frugal & living as a minimalist aren’t about restriction &/or living a life less than…it’s about freedom & living MORE with LESS.
Moi
Photo dump of my morning loves & the simple things!
Found this dropped on my floor. Somehow it was attached to my clothes. Happy angel blessings & reminders. Mom left this before I left for my new travel xray job in Omaha, Nebraska.
Spending is massively influenced by advertising & marketing. Don’t fall to consumerism. I did in my 20s & 30s, resulting in $50,000 of debt which I payed off 3 years ago👉an achievement I’ve most proud of to have overcome & continually evolve to improve.
Learning about health & money haven’t been easy or natural for me either. I simply do the best I can every single day to live my best life as my best self, physically, mentally, spiritually, & financially.
It’s not about perfection or feeling guilty every time your spend money, it’s about investing in what is important to you & detoxing the clutter. That’s it. You determine your rules.
I sat down & wrote out how I wanted to feel in life. Where was my resistance? Fear? Frustrations? Most orbited around having too much clutter. Having too many unnecessary decisions. Saying yes, when I should say no.
Freedom, ease, & joy. Bingo 🎯
Enjoy all these tips, tricks, & #lifehacks I’ve learned about #lifeoptimization & #minimalism . Lots of brain vomit here, but I promise they’re worth their weight in gold + time reading.
I’ll continue to add to & improve these✨
One of my favorite go to books! Lifts your vibe & improves your perspective about money! I listen to it on Audible!
Blueprint on how I optimize a simple, more peaceful, successful, & abundant af life!
Lessons learned the hard way. Anyone else belong to this club? 💁🏼♀️work smarter, creating more flow.
** These are recorded for me & from pages of my story book. They’re things I’ve learned. These are from my perspective & my experiences. I am in no way telling you exactly what’s gonna work for you, but these have worked for me. Enjoy. Take what you need, leave what you don’t **
➡️ @instacart & @amazon prime delivery. Saves time, money, stress, & energy. Allows you to get other sh*t done during your day without having to run errands. prevents impulse shopping.
**I noticed if I shopped in store i bought tons of crap I didn’t need. I’m an emotional buyer. I reduce this as much as possible. All comes down to self awareness. I ask myself before I make a purchase if it will make me feel amazing in my soul & is NOT AN EGO OR NUMBING BUY. (Like making me feel “better” like a dopamine hit. These are short term & usually don’t last & make you happy long term.) if I don’t love & use something consistently I have to take it back, another reason I like Amazon, easy returns. If I buy something I also have to get rid of something. Reduced clutter & attachment to things.
➡️ Workout 1st thing in the morning & get sunlight. Get up early & have an easily adaptable success routine nailed down. Works wherever you go. Walk after meals, set an alarm every 20-30 minutes to get up & walk around at work, take stairs, park further in parking lots, take the stairs, walk hallways. Easy changes to get more movement.
➡️Bought a cheap treadmill off Amazon & simple set of dumbbells (15, 10, 5, 3 lbs weights) I workout at home with to save on excess gym memberships & keep fitness at the forefront. You can google & YouTube free workout ideas. Luckily, the treadmill fits in the back of my car, as well as the dumbbells, and I take these with me on travel assignments, which eases my mind not finding a convenient gym.
➡️ Get easy tasks & must do‘s done 1st. Work 1st, play later. Creates energy of achievement & peace vs anxiety & procrastination.
➡️ I have multiple income streams (both active & passive) & do travel healthcare (I understand this isn’t for everyone or does everyone have the lifestyle to allow it). Transparently, I make 3x as much working less as a travel healthcare worker vs a staff healthcare worker. I also get insurance & benefits through my company.
**I view ME as a business. I know I am my product. I have coaching & Xray as active income sources, meaning I trade my time for money. My passive income comes from e-books, courses, & partnering with other aligned people/businesses for the greater good. Social media is also viewed as a business. I use it wisely + with intention.
**I do my research on travel Xray contracts that I take, I’m smart about cost of living, location, & expenses. I don’t take time off much, I don’t go out excessively & I save as much love-earned money as I can to invest where I please& pay off any debt that I have. This gives me peace of mind, freedom, happiness, and everything I’ve ever wanted. I also feel free and easy vsdown the road I go. It’s help me live simple and actually with Wess. It’s made me a more well rounded person as well as healthcare, professional, and has allowed me to travel while making really good money!
➡️ I use clear storage bins & containers to help organize closets, shelves, cabinets, pantry’s & drawers when I plant roots somewhere longer term & aren’t traveling. Creates peace of mind & order.
➡️I purge & clean every week unnecessary items & any items attached to old energy no longer serving me. I take old clothes to stores like Plato’s Closet or Clothes Mentor. They give you money for old clothes to resale. Learn to live unattached to things. They weigh you down. This also means social media & media on your phone. I clean my car completely out once a month.
➡️ Organize shelves, cabinets, drawers, pantry’s, & closets by color. It creates a beautiful aesthetic look & you know exactly where to find things. this make me so happy 😀 which helps user more abundance into my life because I feel good. Manifesting what you desire is all about feeling. Feel good juju, get good juju.
➡️ Clean 1 area of my home every day. No dirty dishes in the sink. Declutter. Simplicity & detachment are bliss.
➡️ Get movement & steps in while your food cooks. Sometimes I do a mini workout with bodyweight or dumbbells while my meat Airfry‘s or meal is cooking.
➡️ If you’re 1 that travels often, have pre-packed bags with essentials ready to grab & go. I have an overnight bag with me at all times, I keep it in my car & closet. I also invested in an Anytime fitness membership because wherever I travel, I always have a gym for low cost.
➡️ I lay clothes out for the next day, brush my teeth in the shower, set my coffee on auto brew. It speeds up the process. I bring my own coffee & maker when I travel. Saves money & energy. I also utilize hotels free breakfasts/coffee/& amenities to save money. Research hotel beforehand. Book this with the amenities you need like free breakfast & fitness center.
➡️ I delegate things I don’t like to do or hire it done. saves energy & frustration in the long run which again, make me happy & user more good energy & wealth into my life.
**I have people drop me off when i don’t wanna drive or get an Uber or Lyft. I get to meet new people & have a more peaceful life not living in stress when I don’t wanna do something. I also feel good paying someone for their services & allowing them to have abundance in their life too. I call it gifting the universe. I find if I drive or do something I don’t wanna do, negative shiz like getting a ticket or having to pay for parking or car trouble is more likely to happen therefore costing me more in terms of money, time & energy.
➡️ Have ready to go or go to meals or snacks. I keep a freezer full of sale & budget buy meat (like steak or rib sales & ground meat. They’re cheaper). Go to snacks are deli meat, @applegate brand sausages, string cheese, & packets of tuna just in case I don’t have time to go to the store. I grab rotisserie chickens at the store & keep pork rinds in my car to carnivore on the go. Most hotels also have free breakfast with eggs/sausage/bacon. Also travel with an air fryer & grab my meats when I get to a destination.
**Cheapest low carb, carnivore foods I love: eggs, chicken drumsticks, stew meat, & fattier ground meats. Chicken/Turkey/pork is cheaper than beef/bison/lamb/seafood
➡️ I save & fill up my water bottles in natural springs or filtered water fountains at the gym. Reduces trash, helps with detox, & saves a TON on money on a budget.
➡️ I do my own nails. I order press on nails + glue from Amazon. I also do my own toenails. Have days I wear no make up & only wash my hair once a week. Saves time & money.
➡️ I don’t use much makeup. Again, simple is best & less is more. Reduces toxic products, your hormones and body will thank you. I use tallow lotion on my face & natural lotions, beauty products, deodorant, shampoo etc. as much as I can. Shop sales, places I have coupons or discounts for cleaning, beauty products & groceries. Love Aldi, amazon, TJ Maxx, thrift stores, goodwill, garage sales. Just do the best you can.
➡️ Pay your bills on time! I have credit cards that are cash back, I use these for purchases, shop sales, & then pay them directly off vs use my debit card. I also keep cash on hand, this will help reduce charging things. Set a loving boundary to only buy what your cash will purchase.
➡️ Shop at second hand stores like thrift stores, goodwill, & the Salvation Army. Most of my favorite clothes have come from thrift stores! I also love to buy kids clothes & shoes, one benefit of being a petite person 😂 saves a ton of money! Some of my favorite budget buy stores are Walmart, Marshall’s, tj maxx, old navy, kohl’s, meijer, & shoe carnival.
➡️ I don’t go out excessively. A benefit of being an introvert, I save a ton of money not going out. I also don’t drink alcohol or fancy coffee drinks much. I go out like once every couple weeks & set a 1- no more than 2 drink limit.
➡️ If you get a large sum of money, like a promotion or inheritance, or a happy surprise, put that towards your debt or something you really really want/need like a vacation or hair extensions or whatever the hell you want here.
➡️Set YOUR nonnegotiables & services/products you LOVE. Mine are my hair extensions & lash extensions. They help me feel incredible and save me money on make up, time, and energy. That is worth it to me. Don’t spend it all frivolously. Remember, love and respect your money. Give it a good/quality purpose.
➡️ Close any “leaky faucets” like services/subscriptions/memberships/products I don’t need or use. Motto: saving & investing are sexy. Travel & experiences are wealth, don’t be afraid to invest on self care & things that bring you expansion, joy, freedom, fulfillment, & help you vibrate at your highest. This helps me attract fulfillment in the ways I need.
➡️ Be open to accept income from endless opportunities available. Create opportunities to welcome income for your unique abilities & gifts. Do shit you love & get paid for it. Mindset is everything. I Repeat, “Whatever I spend comes back to me x10!” And I treat $1 like 1 million. Money has ears, loves love, & loves purpose👉give it purpose.
✨Remember, your energy allows you to attract what you want, but your aligned action allows you to claim what you want. You still have to act. Simply wishing & creating a vision board won’t magically make it happen.
✨Outer order, inner calm. An organized clean environment welcomes & attracts more abundance. Think less & simple, not more & complicated.
✨The most successful people are organized, honest, frugal, invest wisely, service driven, prioritize health & education, & communicate effectively. Above all they KNOW THEMSELVES & are KIND TO EVERYONE no matter who they are. They know people remember how you made them feel. And how you make them feel ultimately determines how you’re remembered & treated. Remember that thing called the Golden Rule? It’s like the Universal Laws & Karma. They aren’t bullsh*t.
✨I vow to spend my time working on improving my health, environment, attracting wealth, educating myself & others, & embracing different ways to utilize my gifts to better other peoples lives. I live by a personal creed & set of values I’ve written down. You should do this too.
Now go get sh*t done ✅
Oxox
Coach K
Enjoy this blog & like free stuff? Sign up for my email list here!
Hailing from Fishers, Indiana, Katie is an aficionado of healthcare, fitness, & personal development.
You can find her personal weight loss & healing story here.
She’s been involved in travel nursing & radiography for 20 years! She’s a writer, connection maker, nutritionist, branding consultant & entrepreneur who loves helping others & squeezing every drop out of life!
Katie grew up on her family’s beef cattle & crop farm where agriculture & healthcare were her first loves.
She is a Purdue University graduate well known for her storytelling of life lessons & personal transformation with weight loss & Crohn’s disease.
She competed as a competitive CrossFit athlete in her early 30’s. After decades of struggling with her own health issues from Crohn’s, obesity, disordered eating, infertility, & hormonal imbalances, she is passionate about helping others find self-love, achieve their health & business goals, & create sustainable success habits for an EXTRAordinary life!
