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!
Listen Linda, I dieted A LOT & did a ton of cardio in my teens, 20s, & early 30s.
I had never back squatted or even fathomed stepping into a squat rack until my early 30s.
I did pump classes and ran until my a$$ fell off, literally.
When I started CrossFit I gained about 10 pounds of muscle. I hated it. I didn’t like the scale creeping past a certain number I had in my head that I thought made me worthy and beautiful.
I was afraid to eat anything, carbs especially. Everything hurt my gut. I followed whatever diet Insta famous Sally was doing or my favorite CrossFit athlete.
Tried to eat Paleo forever because that was the CrossFit thing. Everything besides meat that is on the Paleo diet I cannot digest because of my Crohn’s disease. Dumb
My sleep was terrible. Cortisol was jacked up. I never rested. I worked out 2-3 hours a day.
It’s taken me almost 40 years to find my sweet spot & the physique you guys see you today. It took me a decade to build muscle & look like I actually worked out.
Stop saying you’re too old, or you don’t have time, or it’s too late to make a change. Unless you’re freakin dead, you have time.
The biggest shift you can make is your mindset and the belief that you can achieve whatever you want to.
Swipe for a list of truths you may or may not wanna hear, but they’ll change your perspective. Save & share on IG!
What would you add to that list so we can build an Army of well-fed humans & a stronger community?
I made big mistakes in my fitness journey juggling digestive problems, disordered eating, & fueling like an athlete for performance.
I remember starving myself after workouts because I thought I’d “undo” all my hard work.
I thought I’d be “toned” & have better energy but what I actually got was “skinny fat,” weak, & bloated.
What does it take to optimize workouts?
▪️Adequate food quantity & proper meal timing for your workouts
▪️The RIGHT food (what you can digest & absorb efficiently mentally & physically)
▪️Appropriate stimulus (WEIGHTS & cardio)
▪️Consistency (not perfection)
▪️Recovery (SLEEP & rest days)
Liquids & low volume, easy to digest foods will be your best friend when it comes to IBS & IBD & eating closer to workout times.
SWIPE LEFT for all the tips to help optimize food & fitness to LOOK & FEEL like the badass you are!
Athletes have special needs:
🏃🏼♀️ An endurance athlete? You train for high-level competition. You log a lot of high intensity miles each week. For you, carb or fat & calorie needs are likely higher.
💪🏼 Training as a bodybuilder? You lift weights with serious muscle growth in mind. Your protein & calorie needs are likely higher.
👙 Getting ready for a fitness competition?You’re trying to drop to a single-digit body fat %. For you, carbs or fats would be lower depending on the individual & protein would be higher.
Basic Generalizations:
▪️Carbs & Fats are your fuel sources. If you eat carbs, they’re more appropriate for the Crossfits, Cyclebar, Orange Theory, Shred415, F45, etc. We burn a 💩ton of carbs doing high intensity activity for long periods of time. You can also fuel with fat if you’re fat adapted, I do.
▪️Eat 90-120 min prior to exercise, minimize added fats or fiber around workouts for digestive ease. 2:1 ratio carbs to protein for traditional dieters. Ex: 50g carbs, 25g protein
▪️5am’ers training fasted, just eat a delicious carb (traditional) or fat-filled (keto or carnivore) dinner the night before.
Leave your tips to help someone else!👇🏻 I’d be happy to guide you in the right direction, link in bio to coaching FAQ’s.
Had a vegan DM this mornin that said my health would deteriorate & I wouldn’t be able to poop right if I didn’t eat plants & carbs.
🤔 Hmmmmm
So I snapped a picture.
My response, “I think the f*ck not, Karen.”
After 2 years of being meat based, here are some things I know for sure, see below & swipe left👈🏻
I don’t digest plants, fruits, veggies, gluten, nuts, seeds, nut butters, veggie oils, fiber, high fodmap foods, most carbs other than white rice & gluten free rice based products, lectins, oxalates, & excess sugar well
Carbs more likely make me want to binge
85% ground beef is my favorite
I thrive best on 2lbs of beef/day
No, I never get sick of it
Yes, I Crossfit & eat basically meat & eggs
No, I never feel deprived or starving
Yes, the airfryer is life. I have 2, named Albert (Al) & Abe
No, I don’t have trouble pooping, actually it’s better than ever
No, I never have abdominal pain, bloating, G.I. bleeding, or gas anymore
Yes, I still eat occasional white rice & rice cakes when I need them. I’m a liberal carnivore. No haters allowed.
No, I don’t binge anymore, my appetite has corrected
Yes, my sleep & energy are great
Yes, it took a long time (~1year) to find my groove, lose body fat, & adapt. Have patience.
Yes, I tracked macros & my food to figure shit out, & you should too if things aren’t working.
I think that rounds out the questions I got this morning, too.
Oh, & to the vegan that messaged me this mornin, if you wanna challenge this farmer‘s daughter to a bale throwing contest, I accept.🦾🙋♀️🥩🐮
I’ve talked about it openly through the years via my Instagram.
For yrs my reason for diving into these fad diets were focused around self loathing, lack of education & wanting to shrink my life away.
I’m grateful, however, bc I learned how my body responded to different foods, different quantities, my energy level during training, my crohn’s & digestion, recovery, & realistic sustainability.
I don’t believe in any perfect way of eating — only the perfect way of eating for you. So I don’t bash anyone who hates meat or prefers a certain way of living.
💁🏼♀️Golden rule: basically don’t be a dick.
I simply want to educate you on my journey & why I utilize specific methods.
Currently I’m going through a reset diet. I found with my high carb approach I was feeling inflamed, blood sugar consistently high, digestion off, hungry more often than I should’ve, energy was all over the place, & I was having to eat an asinine amt of food to feel full to keep from wanting to binge during my cut.
Obv life has been pretty crazy for everyone recently so stress levels high. I felt I needed to hit the redo button.
Why I choose a diet based on animal foods👇
✅Majority of my calories are from the most nutrient-dense bioavailable foods
✅I LOVE & thrive off meat with no digestion issues #farmersdaughter yo 🐮❤️ BM’s have been normal! Maybe TMI but for those of us who struggle with gut stuff — shit matters — literally 💩 😂
✅Minimal fiber, meaning everything is easy to digest. I’ve talked before about my special needs — I don’t digest vegetables very well at all. Gritty, tough textures like skins, nuts & seeds, gluten, dairy, high FODMAP foods are a no no FOR ME.
✅Low to no sugar, or highly palatable processed carb based foods. I found these are my biggest triggers when it comes to binging or basically eating like an asshole.
Cereals, cakes/donuts/cookies/chips. I told you I’m an all or nothing person — I’m not a moderator. I can’t have any of that stuff in my house bc I know if I have it here, I have a higher probability to binge. KNOW THY SELF!
✅Natural fats & plenty of protein. I’m fuller longer, I don’t have energy crashes, I can eat 1 to 2 large meals & be happy all day & not have to worry about having a bunch of meal preps.
I work in healthcare — I don’t have a lot of time to fuggn worry about 100 perfectly measured out meal preps. I like to live life simple, this takes the guessing out. It was driving me nuts.
✅My body is more recovered, less inflamed. I do have to take it easy with higher intensity work like CrossFit. Yes, I love it but trying to do a 30 minute metcon on no carbs — let’s be real people, you’re gonna have to change your training.
Don’t be a dumbass & try to do Orange Theory & CrossFit on zero carbs thinking you’re going to perform like a games athlete. It’s not gonna happen. These are highly glycolytic sports & the most efficient fuel for these will be carbs. They’re not your enemy.
I modify my #carnivorish diet to my preferences. There is room for leniency, you are in charge of what you put in your mouth. If there is a food not animal based, that doesn’t trigger symptoms for you, don’t feel pressured to avoid it.
Some I include in my diet are:
💟 nut butters (pb @sunbutter & coconut)
💟 eggs & egg whites & spray butter (vice)
💟 @strongcoffeecompany & coffee
💟 water flavoring (dudes I hate water, whatevs, pick your poison)
💟 @zevia & occasional alcohol
💟 Plant based protein powder
💟Jasmine Rice or Rice Chex around training
I loosely track & eat till I’m satisfied. I still eat mainly animal foods, but this is what works for me. I don’t beat myself up if I want nachos. I make them fit. They’re still my #bae