A Simple Guide to Fat Loss Via Fat & Carb Cycling

Before we dive into fat & carb cycling for fat loss on any diet (especially a carnivore/keto/low carb approach) lets reiterate WHY your story & food/dieting/health history matter when it comes to experiences & results.

There’s no shame in the main reason most people choose the Carnivore Diet & a low carb approach because they want fat loss. That’s fine, we all wanna look good nekkid. The difference lies in our starting point: calorically, metabolically, hormonally, physiologically, mentally, emotionally – HOLISTICALLY. This stands for any diet.

We should approach any diet from a health & healing perspective, first, aesthetic perspective, second.


Your Story & Starting Point Matter Significantly When It Comes To Results.

You’ll hear me say it time and time again, we are all coming from 50 shades of our own dieting f*cked upness. LOL!

Some of us come from eating the SAD (Standard American Diet), some have been dieting basically our entire lives & still think 1200 calories is the magic number for weight loss.

Some fear fat, some fear carbs, some are binge eating &/or suffering from disordered eating & still in denial.

Some come from Keto (High Fat Diet), some have been struggling with gut issues/autoimmune stuff for decades & really have no idea what they can eat.

All of these different stories & starting points impact the transition & adaptation to a diet. Some will lose fat immediately, some will gain.

I gained 15lbs when I started the carnivore diet! I needed to heal, I needed more calories, & the weight gained was most likely weight restoration to repair & recharge.

Was it uncomfortable? Absolutely.

Was it necessary for fat loss & progress? Absolutely. Have patience. Put in the time & work.

Things I need as a coach to help you figure out appropriate macros/diet/fitness approaches: Click for Coaching FAQ’s

  • Age, Current Weight, Height⁣⁣
  • Training modalities⁣⁣ (how you prefer to workout. CrossFit vs running vs yoga vs Orange Theory vs walking vs Barre vs Bodybuilding vs power lifting etc)⁣⁣
  • Daily Activity ⁣⁣(steps, job, kids, schedules etc)⁣⁣
  • Training Frequency, Volume, Intensity ⁣⁣
  • Previous Dieting History⁣⁣ (disordered eating, low carb, high carb, low fat, have you been chronically dieting, eating surplus, etc)⁣⁣
  • Medical History⁣⁣ (allergies, IBD, IBS, gut issues, hormonal issues, cancer, thyroid, etc)⁣⁣
  • Your goals, preferences, special needs)⁣⁣
  • Mindset & mental health⁣⁣
  • Lifestyle⁣⁣ & Stress (kids, stressful job, shitty sleep, relationship problems, etc)

That’s a LOT of stuff, right? It’s not as simple as simply picking a set of macros numbers, or calories, or a magic diet camp. You are not a template or calculator, you’re a human.

Usually I see two different stories, & thus experiences, when working with clients. We’ll call them Peter & Patty:

1. Peter

Peter is male, used to over consuming the typical SAD, dad bod (aka looks like he might lick something deemed “healthy” & work out occasionally but really loves tacos & would much rather smash a 6 pack vs have a 6 pack). Simply eating meat & cutting out all the other crap significantly reduces his caloric intake & the fat just falls off.

2. Patty

Patty is female, lets say 30-40yrs old, habitual yo-yo dieter, excessive exerciser, wants to lose fat & build muscle but doesn’t wanna be “bulky” (sigh smdh), scared to eat more than 1200-1500 calories & gaining weight is one of her biggest fears.

She’s tried every diet in the book. Had some success with “Keto” (doesn’t really know what keto means but she’s eating less carbs right?!) but always falls off the wagon, stressful home life/ job, struggled with bloating & gut issues for years. Her neighbor, Peter, looks great since carnivore, so she decides it’s gonna be the magic quick fix to all her issues.

Sooo Patty stops tracking food (because she was told it didn’t matter on the carnivore diet) & starts smashin all the bacon, ribeyes, cheese, ribs, & chicken wings. Her gut issues get better, the first week she dropped 3lbs, but now shes about 6 weeks in & hungry, tired, & the scale is going up! So she decided to start fasting more, & ups her steps to 20k/d. (Further stressing her body out more btw).

She gives it another month with more weight gain. She wants to quit after a couple months despite her gut issues resolving. It doesn’t work she says, “I didn’t lose weight.”

Reasons You May Be Gaining Weight or Bingeing on Carnivore/Low Carb Approach

  • You’re eating in a surplus. As with ANY diet you choose if you are eating in a surplus chances are you will put on body fat. It’s part of it. This is when you should be focusing on muscle gain & strength.
  • You’ve been eating in a chronic deficit & your body is finally getting the nutrients it needs to function & grow muscle. You WANT muscle growth. More muscle=more food=more badass. You can’t have the athletic body without building the muscle underneath FIRST. This weight gain is actually weight restoration.
  • You’re snacking too much on things like pork rinds, fat bombs, or fake keto sugar free junk like Atkins bars. They’re easy to overeat & nutrient deficient. Even no cal artificial sweeteners can trigger hunger, water retention, & over eating for many. Go back to the basics for a while & experiment. Simplify. Meat, eggs, water, coffee, electrolytes, minimal sweeteners. Get rid of the extra butter, creams, & oils on food & in coffee.
  • You’re choosing highly palatable meats & foods like ribeyes, bacon, cheese, butter, processed meats, brisket, etc. They are delicious, YES, but can trigger over eating when you’re not really hungry. It’s like when you’re not hungry but then they bring out dessert. Most of us will want that extra piece of cake. Choose foods that are satisfying & get the job done. My choice (FOR ME) is ground beef & ground chicken cooked in the air fryer. Delicious & satiating, but not so much I’m triggered to eat more for pleasure & not true hunger.
  • You’re overly fasting, overly training, not sleeping, still eating foods you don’t digest well, over caffeinating, &/or consuming excess alcohol. All these things are stressors which increases our blood glucose & cortisol level. Chronically high cortisol & hormone imbalances affect your weight, recovery, energy, & fat loss. Reduce your workout intensity & volume, SLEEP, reduce caffeine/alcohol, cut out foods & habits that hinder your digestion, shorten your fasting window or STOP fasting. Get a @nutrisenseio continuous glucose monitor to track blood sugar levels. It’s a wealth of information & will help you more accurately make adjustments! Code: lilbitoffitCGM10
This is what biofeedback means
  • You’re eating too much protein, throwing hormones & your biofeedback off. Try increasing your fats & start with protein around 1g per lb of body weight or goal weight if you have more to lose. Everyone’s ratio preferences/needs will be different. Remember our optimal energy sources come from fats & carbs, so if you’re experiencing low energy, play around with different kinds of meats & macro ratios. There’s no one-size-fits-all. If in doubt, invest in a coach or practitioner to help! Coaching FAQ’s are HERE
Left I gained 15lbs and got up to 125lbs, Right is more my aesthetic now, sitting around 105lbs at 5’1. 20lb weight loss, which didn’t start till around month 8 after starting a meat based diet. Have patience & learn as much as you can!

My story was similar to Patty’s.

I gained 15lbs when I started carnivore, gut issues completely went away, energy was all over the place the first 3-6 months, I didn’t track initially until about month 5 & was eating hyper-palatable meats & foods like chuck roasts, ribeyes, ribs, pork, bacon, & pork rinds. But I kept going and experimenting.

I started tracking. I noticed I was eating WAY MORE than I thought. I also noticed I was swelling & not digesting pork well so I eliminated it. I noticed I digested ground beef & chicken best & it was easier to track. I also noticed my fat threshold was lower, so I stopped adding butter & bacon grease to my already high fat meats, I stopped consuming cheese & only eat pork rinds on occasion.

Slowly my performance in the gym started getting better, about month 8 my weight started dropping, I was able to fast longer & was able to really feel & understand what true carnivore satiety felt like, I knew what meats worked best for me, I figured out what calories & macro ratios worked for me, & I discovered the airfryer was my best friend & meat bars were born! I have now lost 20lbs & feel better than I ever have 2 years carnivore!

SO HAVE PATIENCE! Adapt, gain confidence, & self awareness first before trying to mess around with fat loss cuts. Now, I experiment with fat cycling with fabulous results! It comes naturally & I listen to what my body is craving & how I’m feeling.

Fat & Carb Cycling

Before we get started, though, let’s get one thing out of the way, no diet dogma here, we’re neither pro-fat/carb cycling nor anti-fat/carb cycling.

We’re pro-sustainable & realistic results. 

This is also my experience, I am not a physician & learning right along side of you! We’ll learn about:

  • What fat/carb cycling is
  • How cycling works
  • Who should try cycling
  • What is a common cycling strategy
  • Protein & Fat Cheat Sheets to help

What is Fat & Carb Cycling?

Fat & carb cycling is when you fluctuate days between eating lower fat meats & animal products & higher fat meats & animal products. For carbs, you simply eat more carbs one day & fewer other days. People who fat/carb cycle usually end up calorie cycling, too. This simply means they eat fewer calories on their “low fat or carb days” and more calories on their “high fat or carb days.”

For example, a typical fat cycling schedule might look like this:

  • Non-workout days: low fat, lower calorie
  • Workout days: high fat, higher calorie
Examples of how you can calorie cycle via changing your fat macros per day.

So you ask, “Why don’t we just eat low fat or lower our protein?” Well, to be frank, some “not so great” stuff can happen when you don’t get enough protein or fat.

For example, if your fat intake stays too low (& too low calorie), you may lose your menstrual cycle & your sex drive. And if your protein intake stays too low, you can lose muscle, be less satiated at meals, hungrier, & experience mood swings.

What Does Calorie Cycling Do? A Couple of the Big Rocks

  1. Fat & carb cycling may help keep your metabolism functioning more optimally during fat loss. When you eat less, your body responds in a variety of ways. For example:
  • Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) drops
  • You expend less energy when you exercise
  • Your daily activity outside of workouts tends to decrease because you have less energy. You’ll find you move around less.

So as you lose weight, you have to continue reducing how much you eat in order to keep seeing results. You can only reduce calories so much.

Example: Let’s say you start a 2,000 calorie a day diet & lose weight steadily for a while. Over time, you might find that stops working. So you cut back to 1,800 calories to kickstart weight loss again, then you plateau, then you have to reduce to 1,600 & so on…

This is called metabolic adaptation. So all you chronic dieters out there that can’t lose weight & gain anytime you eat above 1200-1500 calories, this is what has happened. You must reverse diet to fix this.

2. Calorie cycling may help regulate hormones affected by fat loss.

Intense dieting messes with your hormones. Specifically: Leptin, Thyroid hormones, & Reproductive hormones (testosterone & estrogen)

If you’re trying to lose fat, leptin’s a particular concern. Leptin is released by fat tissue, & plays a key role in hunger & metabolic adaptation.

The more body fat you have, the more leptin in your blood. Your brain uses leptin levels to make decisions about hunger, calorie intake, nutrient absorption, & energy use. When you reduce calorie intake, even just for a few days, leptin levels drop. This tells your brain you need to eat to prevent starvation.

The kicker: Leptin is one of the reasons you feel so hungry & binge when you consistently eat less. It is also considered the “master controller” of other hormones, meaning that when leptin drops, so do thyroid & reproductive hormones.

So by periodically eating more calories from fats (known as a “refeed”), our leptin levels will temporarily rise, telling your brain that you’re safe & well-fed, causing a temporary decrease in hunger & appetite. The extra calories & energy will also help with performance.

This higher calorie break, might also make it feel easier to adhere to a lower calorie intake. As with any diet, consistency & adherence are key!

Optimizing hormone & metabolic health is essential for any body goal. Learn to work WITH your body not against it!

Who Should Try Fat Cycling Specifically?

Fat cycling isn’t right for everyone, nor is it necessary of any kind of diet. But it can work for specific types of people.

Try it if:

  • You have your big rock habits nailed down & have ADAPTED FULLY to the carnivore /keto/low carb lifestyle

You eat nourishing meats & animal products, you’re eating at your maintenance calories, your gut health is good, sleep is great, exercise habits are routine, your relationship with food is great, you eat mindfully, no disordered eating or bingeing, etc.

  • You want to get leaner & have plateaued

As you diet & get leaner, your body will start to fight every last bit of fat loss. Cycling calorie & fat intake could help minimize the metabolic adaptation that often occurs with a chronic, ongoing calorie deficit. Plus, refeed days & cycling more food can make dieting suck less & easier to adhere to. Carb cycling can do the same thing for those of you who consume carbs & a more “balanced” plate approach.

Common Fat Cycling Strategies & What Has Worked For Me

There is no one size fits all here, again, you can choose any number of days to reduce your fat & calories depending on your needs.

There are many of us in the carnivore & low carb community experimenting with fat cycling. Which, as explained above, simply means cycling periods of days during the week that are leaner (eating lower fat proteins) with days of higher fats (more around your grams for maintenance calories). This naturally will lower your calories when you do this.

I feel its beneficial as a whole to cycle any kind of diet/fitness regimen. Our bodies are smart, they adapt to the same foods, workouts, & stressors.

I’ve found fat cycling to be helpful if you’ve plateaued on your fat loss journey or not seen any progress (again, your definition of progress will be different depending on your goal & needs) for several weeks.

This is very similar to carb cycling for those of you who follow a traditional diet which includes carbohydrates.

Red light therapy significantly helped my energy, sleep, digestion, & skin! It’s one of my favorite biohacking routines. Read all about it here!

Discount Code to EMR TEK lights and products: lilbitoffit20

I use an EMR TEK FIREWAVE red light. Discount code at checkout: lilbitoffit20

**As always, I am not a physician, always consult with your doctors before changing any kind of protocol, this is simply my experience.

  • My physique is leaner than it has ever been, weight has only fluctuated a couple lbs here & there but I find I wake around 100-105 lbs the majority of the time. I’m 41 yrs old, 5’1, 15k steps/d, active job in radiology, workout 5d/week doing a mix of Orange Theory, lifting, & occasional CrossFit. Protein stays ~130- 175gish (for ME), low fat day ~85-90g, high fat day ~135-150g. Calories range from ~1,550-2100+/d. Surplus/Refeed ~2,200. I always listen to my body and eat what I’m craving. I eat when I’m hungry and fast when I’m not.
  • For supplement support I Take GDA-Max, Utilyze, & Cort-Eaze from @nuethix_formulations to help with stressors for hormone balance. Discount Code: lilbitoffit
  • My Biohacking guides are here!
  • I’m happy with my physique where it is, so I know I need to make sure to cycle in more higher fat days (which means higher calories) if I find I’m too lean or losing too much weight/strength. Naturally I typically cycle 3-4 lower fat days, 2-3 maintenance days, & if I feel like I need more, I’ll throw in 1 surplus (refeed) day. It varies. I don’t have a set program & live vibrationally honoring my energy.
  • Favorite lower fat foods: 90% ground beef, Perdue ground chicken, shrimp, cod, & swai. My crispy airfryer meat bars are life & easy to track. Track. Your. Food. It will help with adjustments. I use MyfitnessPal.

Happy cycling y’all!! I hope this helped! You can always slide into my DM’s on Instagram!

oxox Coach K

bio carnivore lilbitoffit katie kelly indiana fishers

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, & 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!

You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit : http://www.instagram.com/lil_bit_of_fit

Easy Carnivore Macros & Meal Plans For Fat Loss

carnivore meal plan

Meal prep & macro cheat sheets to help give y’all visual examples of how to break down meals.

Cheat sheets on IG here

carnivore macros and meal plans

Included the “meat your macros” with #MeatBars examples if you like 2 meals/d.⁣

These are basic af & utilize 2 lbs of ground meat to keep them as easy as possible. You don’t necessarily have to cook these in the air fryer, you can cook them anyway you want.


Blog for Meat Bars Recipe here

You can eat 2-3 meals/d or even 4 of you need to. You guys can do things however you want, there is no right or wrong way.⁣

Protein requirements will vary for different individuals, your goals, food & training preferences, health history, digestibility, etc…⁣

I recommend weighing out your meat raw, which is the information available on the label. Meat shrinks down 20-30% in weight after cooking. I find most people are either weighing & logging meat incorrectly &/or are inefficient at eyeballing.

Hitting protein goals is a non-negotiable. Starting out hitting your maintenance macros is also highly recommended when adjusting to this way of eating (WOE). Use the tdeecalculator.net to find yours.⁣

Our need for protein becomes even more important if we’re avid exercisers, in a muscle-gaining phase, a fat loss phase, &/or as we age.⁣

My typical range is .8-1.2g/lb of bodyweight for most active individuals. The leaner the individual, the higher protein most can tolerate or require. I’ve had some even prefer up to 1.5g/lb of bw especially if they’re carnivore & in a fat loss phase. Those with more body fat, I’d likely have aim closer towards that ~0.8 recommendation.⁣

Some examples I’ve used with clients:⁣
21-40 y/o, 105 lb, 5’0-5’2 lean individual = ~105-158g protein (~1.0-1.5)⁣
30 y/o, 120 lb, 5’2-5’3 lean individual = ~120-135g protein (~1.0–1.1)⁣
30 y/o, 160 lb, 5’3-5’5 individual = ~130g protein (~0.8)⁣
45 y/o+, 130 lb, 5’3 individual = ~130-145g protein (~1.0-1.1)⁣

Recipe book & guides here

bio carnivore lilbitoffit katie kelly indiana fishers
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, body transformation, & adapting to a carnivore diet lifestyle.

Katie also has over 17 years experience as a Registered Radiologic Technologist, Nutritionist, Brand Growth & Sales Consultant. She works with people of all walks of life as a nutritionist & 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

Hard Truths About Why You’re Not Seeing Fat Loss On The Carnivore Diet And How It May Be Harming You

carnivore hard truths and why you can't lose body fat

Do you know there are people that would trade years of their life to be skinnier?

Hi. It me🙋‍♀️

The FORMER version of me.

You have to get to a point of metabolic & hormonal health to become more flexible with your diet & macros. That may mean scaling back over exercising. That may mean moving more if you are more sedentary. That may mean eating more food & gaining weight in the process.

I gained 15lbs when I started the carnivore diet over 3 years ago & it took me an entire year to adapt & finally lose weight.

Do the hard things. If you keep doing what you’ve always done you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.

Swipe, save & share this post here on Instagram!

  • carnivore hard truths

You CAN eat too much protein, be under nourished & under fueled. Food is fuel. Fat is fuel. Carbs are fuel too if you prefer them as an energy source. We need to start thinking about food in terms of fuel instead of a treat or reward or diet camp.

Machines are all different, right?! They take different fuel sources & parts, right?! Why do you think humans are any different?!

Fat is super important. Protein is not an optimal fuel source. You won’t feel great eating lean meat all the time. If you think I’m full of sh*t, why don’t you eat skinless boneless chicken breast for 2-3 weeks & tell me how you feel (please don’t do that but it will be a rude awakening).

You can’t eat all the meat you want without some educated decision making to nourish your body properly & get the results you truly want. Same with your workouts. If you want to have a certain physique, you have to eat & work out appropriately to get that physique so choose wisely.

Eating as little as possible is not a badge of honor. A toddler can’t survive on 1200 calories a day. Are you a toddler? Have you been conditioned & chronically dieting/under fueling your entire life? The importance of reverse dieting & getting healthy are not emphasized enough over dieting.

Please prioritize getting healthy & reverse dieting first. It will be one of the best things you ever do for your body & I promise the results will follow. Most active women getting at least 10,000 steps/day & working out 3-4 times/week average 1800 to 2100+ calories/day for maintenance levels for perspective. What are you crushing? I crush about 2000/day & I’m 40 years old, 105lbs at 5’1.

indiana lilbitoffit maintenance calories chart carnivore reverse diet katie kelly

You cannot look like me. I built my physique via CrossFit & lifting which may be different from what you prefer. It took me over a decade to get the physique you see today.

Not everyone likes the same workouts which will change the way your body looks. Not everyone has the same story, we didn’t grow up the same way, with the same experiences & same level of health or relationships with food & exercise.

katie kelly crossfit indiana carnivore lilbitoffit
I discovered CrossFit at 31 years old. Prior to that I had never touched a barbell in my life. I am 40 years old today and haven’t been healthier or happier!

Not everyone can eat high-protein & thrive. This all goes back to getting metabolically & hormonal healthy FIRST before most people can be metabolically flexible with their macros & diet approaches. Experiment, track data like macros/ketones/blood glucose if things are not working. Take the emotion out of it, you’re doing this from a place of health. They’re just tools to help you. Learn to be objective. Mistakes are how we learn & find solutions.

Here’s an informative video about different troubleshooting with versions of carnivore.

Not everyone can incorporate carbs, sugar, & alcohol & be a moderator. This all goes back to your emotional & physical relationship with food. Not everyone can include plants, fruit, or honey into their carnivore diet because it spikes blood glucose, causes cravings, binge eating, & other physical ailments. These are a drug for many. We don’t tell alcoholics just to have one drink, right?! Sugar & carbs are addictive. Determine if you’re an abstainer or a moderator. Over time you may be able to moderate certain things once you establish a healthy relationship with a substance.

Here’s a blog on how I stopped binge eating, bulimia, & healed my relationship with food!

It’s OK if you have a poor relationship with certain foods or carbohydrates. I do, openly, have a poor relationship with sugar & carbs, which is why I abstain. They also cause physical ailments for me due to my Crohn’s disease an autoimmune condition. My peace of mind & my health takes precedence above all. Which means I do what works for me & I give zero fux if other people judge me for it because I am my healthiest, happiest, & most peaceful & that’s all that matters.

Here’s why I don’t eat plants & changes I made to lose 55lbs!

carnivore diet fat loss transformation guide

Carbs are not the devil. They are beneficial if you are an athlete or avid exerciser to blunt the cortisol (stress) response & help with recovery. They can also help you sleep better when timed & applied appropriately. We must learn to work with our bodies & food to optimize our body function to live our best lives. Work with your body not against it.

Protein sparing modified fasting is not appropriate for everyone. Feasting & fasting is not appropriate for everyone. Extended fasting is not appropriate for everyone. High intensity workouts are not appropriate for everyone. Eating carbs is not appropriate for everyone. Eating vegan or carnivore or whatever diet camp you want to put here is not appropriate for everyone. Again, get healthy first. Pick an approach that is easy for you to implement in life & one that you enjoy. Be willing to make mistakes & embrace a different way of doing things. I promise you will find your solution to diet, exercise, relationships, & life in general.

Why fasting may not be working for you

You will never regret walking. You will never regret eating optimal protein & fat. You will never regret quality sleep. You will never regret being kind. You will never regret eating slowly & mindfully. You will never regret eating the right foods for you no matter what someone else thinks. You will never regret therapy. You will never regret a gratitude attitude & abundance mindset. Set your high value nonnegotiables in life. This includes everything you consume including the people you surround yourself with.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel you just have to follow a way of eating & a way of living that suits you❤️

oxox Coach K

bio carnivore lilbitoffit katie kelly indiana fishers
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.

These 4 Simple Changes Helped Me Lose 55lbs via the Carnivore Diet!

carnivore diet fat loss transformation guide

In the 40 years of my life, I’ve attempted to get into “better shape” & been a plethora of different shapes & sizes depending on what season of life I was in.

I had more than enough phases that sadly, fizzled out in a few weeks. Either because the fad diet wasn’t sustainable &/or I fell right back into my disordered eating habits again.

But this time, something was different. My motivation & drive were at an all-time high. I was sticking to my plan perfectly, & most importantly, the carnivore WOE (way of eating) was turning into my new lifestyle.

  • carnivore diet faq's for fat loss

**Swipe for common FAQ’s & 4 things changes that changes the game!

***I also have a 354 page Meat & Macros Guide where I documented everything I have learned throughout this journey. Click the link in my Instagram bio to snag yours!

Was this journey easy? No.
Did I feel great all the time? No.
But what did happen within a couple weeks, my carb cravings were gone, I was satiated after meals, I was no longer binging & purging, my inflammation & gut issues had all but disappeared & I embraced stepping into my new chapter of life!

What was so different this time?

I started listening to my body & intuition instead of what everybody else was doing.
I put my health first over aesthetics.

I committed to doing the hard things like:
⁃ tracking food & steps diligently
⁃ tracking my weight from an objective point of view instead of letting my emotions get the best of me
⁃ eating more food
⁃ gaining weight
⁃ making mistakes & experimenting with different foods & macros to find my sweet spot.

These 4 major changes over my 1st year on carnivore resulted in 20lbs of weight loss & the ability to consume more calories than I ever thought possible:

  1. I stopped eating sugar, plants, processed foods, fiber, nuts & seeds. Due to my autoimmune & Crohn’s disease I do not digest these well without gut issues.
  2. I eat meat, animal fats, eggs, & seafood.
  3. I don’t binge, purge, or obsess over restrictive calorie counting & dieting anymore.
  4. I eat when I’m hungry, stop when I’m truly satiated, & fast when I’m not hungry.

Notes: I initially gained 15lbs on the carnivore diet but stuck with it & adapted. It took a whole year of experimentation to find my calorie & macro sweet spot. Been meat based for 3+ years. I have lost 55lbs in my lifetimes, I’m 40 years old, been all shapes & sizes. I’m 5’1, & maintain 105lbs +/- a few lbs on 2000+ calories/d.

My weight loss did not happen overnight & you do not always feel fantastic, it’s not linear & requires a lot of patience.

weight loss transformation carnivore diet
I’ve lost 55lbs over my lifetime!

Common Carnivore FAQ’s

What do I eat? Do I need to buy expensive, organic, grass-fed meat? No. buy what you can afford & enjoy. Eat meat, eggs, & seafood. Ground meat & eggs are cheapest, buy what’s on sale. I would eliminate dairy, cheese, pork rinds, & artificial sweeteners the 1st 30-90 days. Most have gut or emotional issues with these things. Drink water, coffee black, unsweet tea, electrolytes.

What are high fat & low fat meats? Your higher fat meats will be your ribeyes, beef chuck roasts, ribs, waygu beef, 75-85% ground meats, pork sausage, pork butt/shoulder roasts, salmon etc. 85% ground meats are my sweet spot. Low fat favorites are shrimp, scallops, fish, 90-93% ground meats, Perdue ground chicken. Grilled chicken breast, egg whites, & chicken thighs without skin are also leaner options.

Can I use seasonings or eat other things besides meat & eggs? I’m all about freedom of choice & flexibility, if you want to use seasonings or consume other foods like carbs, fruits & veggies & they don’t cause any negative physical or mental issues – go for it. It’s YOUR diet. 1st 30-90 days, I’d stay more rigid so you know what works & what doesn’t.

Why did I lose my period? The biggest reasons I see are under eating, not eating enough fat, overly fasting, & over exercising. Keep your stress as low as possible.

I have loose stool, is this normal? I experienced this when I 1st started. Digestive enzymes will help. Take these 5-10 minutes before eating or mid meal. Try reducing meal sizes, increasing meal frequency, & lowering fat/meal. Don’t add extra fat to meals. When we reduce carbs & fiber we loose the “bulk” in our stool paired with the higher fat/protein content in meals our gallbladders release more bile to compensate to digest our meals.

I’m constipated, why? See this most often with clients when they’re consuming too lean of meat, too many processed meats & dairy, & not drinking enough water/electrolytes. Deli meat, pork rinds, dairy & sausage can be culprits, minimize these. Eat natural meat, increase fats by choosing fattier cuts like 80-85% ground beef vs chicken, increase water, & electrolytes. You should be drinking at least 1/2 your body weight in oz of water/d. Always being in a stressed out state can do this too as well as not getting enough sleep. Also, if you’re not eating enough, your digestion naturally slows too. Track your food, make sure your calories &macros are appropriate.

Having leg cramps/muscle soreness? Make sure you’re recovering properly by managing stress, sleeping 7-9 hrs/night, getting in electrolytes & magnesium (I use Ultima Replenisher, link in IG bio), & staying hydrated.

How do you order when you eat out & travel? I typically stick to plain beef patties if I eat out, especially fast food. I’ll order 4 plain quarter lb patties from McDonalds for example. Also enjoy shrimp, scallops, salmon fillets, occasional steaks, plain/naked wings. BBQ places I go for the plain beef brisket. Ask how they cook their food & ingredients. They will custom cook your food. I ask for no oil & no seasonings. At Mexican restaurants I order the fajita meat only, no oil, no seasoning. I travel with my Instant Vortex 6qt airfryer & pack ground meat in a cooler for meat bars. I always book at hotel with a fridge, microwave, & fitness center. Cook your meat ahead of time and keep it in a baggie &/or in a cooler. At gas stations, they usually have hard boiled eggs & a microwave if you need to heat your food. Go to the grocery & stock up when you reach your destination. On the go, I enjoy rotisserie chickens, check the ingredients. In a pinch, most airports have restaurants to order meats & have hard boiled eggs.

What do I do when people question me? Use it as chance to educate on why you’re eating a meat based diet. Most people are just curious. Don’t let it trigger you, if they do give you sh*t, it is because of the way they feel about themselves, not you.

How many meals do you eat? Do you snack? During a 12hr shift work day in the ER, I eat 2 meals/d. An off day I can get away with OMAD post fasted workout. I eat around 2lbs of meat per day. I do not snack, “treat” myself, or earn food. Some days I like higher fat, others days I eat leaner. I trust & listen to my body.

How much protein should I eat/what do you eat? I will preface this with we are ALL DIFFERENT. I thrive on higher protein, I also strength train & CrossFit, have an active job, & get 15k steps per day. I avg 140-175g of protein/d. Most do well on 1g protein/ lb of body weight or goal weight if you have more to lose. I find most females do well around 120-150g of protein daily & keep a leaner physique. Others prefer a 70/30 or 80/20 approach.

Protein per meal? Most do well around 30-60g on avg of protein/meal if you’re consuming at least 2-3 meals/day.

How do I increase fat? Choose fattier cuts of meat like 75-85% ground meats, ribeye, beef chuck, pork belly, & ribs. If you have to you can add some butter, bacon fat, & tallow to meals. Ask your butcher for fat scraps or skins.

How do I know if I’m eating too much protein? The most common symptoms: waking up in the middle of night, sh*tty sleep, peeing all the time, lack of energy, hungry all the time, & excess thirst. Protein thresholds will be different for us all, it is helpful to track your food.

I feel tired all the time, why? Again, track your food. Often times you’re actually not eating enough calories. You may also not be consuming enough fat & too much protein. Most active females who workout 3-4 times per week, avg 10-15k steps/day, & lead an active lifestyle should be consuming around 1800-2100+ calories daily for general maintenance levels. Also take your electrolytes, you excrete more water & lose electrolytes during the transition.

What macro ratios should I start with to find my maintenance calories? I recommend most starting with a 1:1 ratio of protein:fat. For example, I started around 150g Protein:150g Fat then made adjustments off of that foundation. Use the TDEEcalculator.net to help you find your maintenance calories, then set your protein around 1g/lb of body weight or goal weight, then set your fat grams. You just have to experiment.

I can’t tell when I’m full! This happens often in those who come from a background of under eating, chronically dieting, orthorexia, & disordered eating. One of the biggest reasons is chronic dieting. It imbalances our natural hunger & satiety hormones (leptin & ghrelin), causing us to lose “sense” of what our body’s needs & are trying to tell us. We lose sensitivity to true stomach hunger, & get it confused with a multitude of other signals & needs like emotions, thirst, under recovery, boredom, stress, numbing, etc.

What can I do to help me feel when I’m full?

  • Eat regularly scheduled meals: they should be large enough to keep you satiated 4+ hrs. Protein (ex: meats & eggs) should be the center of your meals & around 30-60g of protein/meal. Daily goal around 1g/lb of body weight or goal weight if you have more to lose. (leaner individuals even up to 1.5g/lb for some) **Everyone’s preferences, thresholds/goals will be different as far as daily grams of protein. These are GENERALITIES! Some like higher fat approaches like 70/30 & 90/20 carnivore. Go your own way. I hope whatever you choose you feel AMAZING! 🙂
  • Do not skip meals, allow yourself to get “hangry,” & chronically under eat: especially if you tend to binge &/or emotionally eat. If you cannot control your eating when you’re overly hungry, I do not suggest intermittent fasting or doing extended fasts either. Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your body to sense fullness.
  • Avoid trigger foods: mentally (causes emotional eating, binges) & physically (causes gut flares, bloat, energy crashes, etc) triggering foods like sugar, carbs, highly palatable & calorically dense foods like cheese, nuts, nut butter, bacon, ribs.
carnivore fat loss transformation

Will I gain weight on Carnivore? It depends on the level of healing you need to do metabolically & hormonally when you start. Also, what is your story? Have you chronically been dieting your entire life? If you’re starting from a place of under eating, you will most likely gain some weight when you start eating more food. Its basic science & will happen with any diet you choose.

We should be eating our maintenance calories the majority of the year, not dieting more than 1-2x/year for no longer than 12-16 weeks. You can use the TDEEcalculator.net to find your maintenance calories. Any weight you gain through making changes for better health & healing was most likely weight you needed to gain. Yes, you will lose the weight more easily & optimally the next time you try to diet after going through this period of taking care of yourself, eating more, focusing on muscle gain, & repairing any downregulation & imbalances from the years of undereating.

I hope there is something you can take out of this read!
Good luck on your journey wherever it may find you!

oxox Coach K

bio carnivore lilbitoffit katie kelly indiana fishers
Hoosier farm girl & Purdue University grad, Katie is a multifaceted girlboss! She’s a nutritionist, radiologic technologist, personal coach, executive assistant, motivational speaker & writer, & brand growth consultant working with individuals, businesses, organizations, & executives.
She specializes in gut health, sports nutrition, disordered eating, social branding, human connection, and how to optimize life to attract health, wealth, & happiness.
Katie welcomes all preferences & skill levels with a no diet dogma or one size-size-fits-all approach to health, wellness, fitness, & nutrition.
After decades of struggling with her own health issues from Crohn’s, obesity, disordered eating, infertility, hormonal imbalances, & being a competitive athlete, she is passionate about helping others find self love, achieve their goals, & create sustainable success habits for an EXTRAordinary life!

You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com

If you’re lost in the information, here’s your reminder & simple guide to stick to the nutrition basics.

men and women working out simple nutrition guide

Y’all things aren’t as complicated as you think they are. Get healthy first. I promise everything else falls into line when you put your health first over aesthetic fat loss goals.

You just need a WOE (way of eating) that serves you best mentally & physically & is easy to implement into your lifestyle & stick to.

The big rocks rule:
-getting good, restful sleep
-getting sunshine & outside
-getting daily movement
-eating nutrient dense, whole, unprocessed foods
-managing stress
-cultivating nourishing relationships
-setting boundaries & knowing it’s ok to say NO
-reducing your toxin load & exposures as much as possible
-drinking pure, natural water

Each person is unique & will require a different balance of macronutrients for optimal health, which can change throughout one’s life.

But, there are general guidelines for both men & women, which is a great starting place & should be helpful for most people.

➡️I personally believe you should earn your carbs through activity. Not everyone chooses to eat carbs & that’s OK too.

➡️Research has shown that the body can use (burn or store) about 40g of carbs after a meal. Your body uses carbs more efficiently if/when you’re active. Meals that exceed 40g require more insulin & often times extra carbs to be converted into fat for storage.

➡️High-quality protein is the bomb 💣 & foundation. 1g/lb of ideal body weight for most. Experiment, you can go higher if you want.

Always listen to your body, keep track of how you feel & enjoy the journey!

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  • simple fat loss guide

General simple Guidelines & Tips to Help You

Pick a WOE (way of eating) that serves you best mentally & physically, is easy to implement, adhere to, & stay consistent with.

Carbs are determined & “earned” through activity level & physical needs & preferences. I find most don’t need more than 100g if you’re fueling properly with appropriate quantities of protein & healthy fats.

Keep meals under 40g of carbs if you choose to eat carbs. Some of us prefer a meat-based “carnivore” approach & that is ok too. Goes back to point #1.

Most do well with meals around 30-60g of protein. Protein I personally like around 1-1.2g/body weight or goal weight if you have more to lose. Leaner, smaller individuals can typically get away w/ranges up to 1.5g/body weight. Ex: I’m 105lb & eat around 170g P/d. Go your own way & experiment, we’re all different.

Fats, depending on your carb intake should be at least 25-35% of our daily calories. A general goal is .7-2.2g/kg of body weight. Those doing high fat carnivore may be around 80% fat/20% protein. Others that choose higher protein carnivore may be around 70/30, 60/40, or even 50/50 fat:protein as far as macro ratios. Experiment to find where you thrive & feel your best.

Choose a meal frequency that works for you. Some like OMAD, some like 2 meals/d, most stick to 3 meals/d.

Most of us should be fasting at least 12hrs overnight. No snacking & making sure our meals are protein centric with adequate healthy fats. No low quality veggie oils.

Gratitude Attitude & Get Outside: red light therapy, walks in nature, get outside at sunrise. Mindset & thoughts matter. You can’t be a negative Nancy & a Positive Patty at the same time. Who would you rather hang out with?

Realize you can eat more than you think you can & maintain a healthy weight. You do not need to eat 1200 or even 1600 calories/day to lose/maintain your weight. I have maintained my weight on around 1800-2000+ calories per day for almost 2 years. Please reverse diet if you’ve been chronically under eating. It’ll be the best thing you’ll ever do for your metabolism, hormones, health, mood, energy, sex life – everything! You’ll quickly discover life doesn’t suck when you finally start eating more than a toddler.

Focus on the big rocks: Sleep 7-8 hrs, shoot for 10k steps/d, eat your meat, drink water, minimize stressors. Being stressed to the titties is not a badge of honor. EX: sh*tty sleep, over exercising (1hr/d, 5 d/wk is enough), too much HIIT (waking 10k/d is a standard goal), under eating (most active females require 1800-2100+ cal/d for maintenance), overly fasting (12-16hrs overnight is sufficient), over caffeinating (<300-400mg/day).

Find your maintenance calories if you don’t know using the calculator on tdeecalculator.net This is what you should be consuming the majority of the year for optimal health & function. Shoot for these calorie goals 1st. I suggest getting comfortable with this before playing around with sexy stuff like fat loss cuts, fasting, & fat cycling. Especially if you come from a place of chronic dieting & disordered eating. This may mean you need to reverse diet & handle your relationship with food first before heading into a fat loss cut.

How to handle food pushers: Use this as an opportunity to educate them on why you require specific foods for your needs, preferences, dis-ease, etc. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, a simple, “No thank you, & I appreciate you.” is all you need to say. You do not owe anyone an explanation of your needs. You are in charge of what you put in your body.

Cut toxicity from your life: Control what you consume. What you focus on will have an enormous impact on your mindset, attitude, perspective, & what you attract into your life. It is mostly a result of 3 things: What you consume (what you eat, read, listen to or watch), Who you hang out with, Your inner dialogue & self-talk. I like to refer to it as “garbage becomes garbage.” We truly become what we consume physically, mentally, & emotionally. To have a healthier life, take responsibility for what you consume.

Bring your own food to social functions, eat before, or custom order. Check the menu ahead of time. Most places always have meat. Ask them to cook your food the way you need. I ask for my meats to be cooked in no oil with no seasonings. Skip sauces & dressings or have them on the side. Skip pan-fried, breaded, creamed, dipped, scalloped, slathered, etc. Lower cal will be grilled, steamed, baked, roasted, broiled, seared.

If you’ve struggled with disordered eating/chronic dieting & can’t “feel” true hunger/satiety cues, slow down when you eat & stop fasting too long. This one – HUGE. You should be able to distinguish between true physical hunger & emotional hunger/habits. Meals should be large enough to keep you full for 4+ hrs, they should be protein/fat centric, & you should not be snacking in between meals. We numb emotions with food, we eat too fast, we eat our kids food, we eat in front of the tv, we wire our brains to think these self sabotaging habits are normal. You can choose to change those habits & re-write your story.

Realize the adaptation period takes a lot longer than you think. It’s a journey! Ya gotta give it more than 2 weeks to a month y’all. I gained 15lbs initially on the carnivore diet because my body needed to heal. Yes, it was uncomfortable, but I knew & always say any weight you gain trying to gain HEALTH is weight you NEEDED TO gain.

Have patience & commit to doing the hard things that are right things to give you long-term health & longevity.

If you’re looking for more guidance, coaching FAQs & helpful guides/content are in the link in my IG bio.

Oxox
Coach K

bio carnivore lilbitoffit katie kelly indiana fishers
Hoosier farm girl & Purdue University grad, Katie is a multifaceted girlboss! She’s a nutritionist, radiologic technologist, personal coach, executive assistant, motivational speaker & writer, & brand growth consultant working with individuals, businesses, organizations, & executives.
She specializes in gut health, sports nutrition, disordered eating, social branding, human connection, and how to optimize life to attract health, wealth, & happiness.
Katie welcomes all preferences & skill levels with a no diet dogma or one size-size-fits-all approach to health, wellness, fitness, & nutrition.
After decades of struggling with her own health issues from Crohn’s, obesity, disordered eating, infertility, hormonal imbalances, & being a competitive athlete, she is passionate about helping others find self love, achieve their goals, & create sustainable success habits for an EXTRAordinary life!

You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com

Why 80/20 Higher Fat Carnivore May Not Be Working for You

lilbitoffit katie kelly carnivore indiana high fat carnivore

Quick Tips with Coach K! Why 80/20 higher fat carnivore may not be working for you.⁣

Highly asked question the past few weeks. Here’s input based upon my experience & people who may fit an avatar like me. ⁣


**DISCLAIMER: I want you to find an approach & WOE (way of eating) that makes YOU feel AMAZING no matter what it is. This is not to throw shade on any diet approach, simply sharing my experience & reason why it may not be working for you if you’re similar to me.⁣

Summary in a shot glass:⁣

  • I personally do better on a higher, optimal protein approach. I’m an avid exerciser, athlete, do crossfit, lift weights, & live an active lifestyle. I want to build & maintain as much muscle as possible.⁣
  • I have Crohn’s disease & don’t have a gallbladder, my fat threshold is lower (means I can’t eat as much fat) than someone with a gallbladder who digests & absorbs fat well. Through personal experience tracking food & experimenting for DECADES I discovered when I ate higher fat over 150g/d, my digestion was terrible, I had slow motility, became constipated, inflamed, & gained weight.⁣
  • I am lactose intolerant. Dairy causes gut upset. I’m unable to add large amounts of butter & cheese to help me increase fat. I also don’t digest pork well & bacon fat in larger quantities also causes digestion & histamine issues.⁣
  • I lived decades with disordered eating. I binged & purged & also had bouts of anorexia. I am a volume eater, which means I feel more satiated & “safe” on higher volume foods like meat vs low volume food like fats & oils. It is difficult for me to feel when I’m full on high fat, which leads to overeating & thus gaining weight. Self awareness is everything y’all.⁣

    Thank you for allowing me to express my experiences & I hope they help you! ⁣

    If you need additional help, I would love to listen & assist. ⁣
    ⬇️Coaching FAQ’s in link in IG bio⬇️⁣
    https://lilbitoffit.com/coaching-faqs/⁣

    oxox Coach K
bio carnivore lilbitoffit katie kelly indiana fishers
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.

My Top Transformation Success Secrets on the Carnivore Diet

women eating meat lilbitoffit katie kelly carnivore

The biggest question I get, “What is your secret to body transformation change and being consistent on the Carnivore Diet, especially at work?

scrubs katie kelly lilbitoffit carnivore fishers indiana
I’ve worked in radiology for 17 years! I’ve been Carnivore for 3 years and counting! It helped me heal my disordered eating & put my Crohn’s in remission.

A: 👉🏻self awareness. A woman who knows herself & what she brings to the table is not afraid to eat alone. Remember that. Go your own way.

They’re not really secrets, it comes down to self-awareness & success habits. 

I’ve lost 55lbs in my 40 years. My body has been all different shapes and sizes! I’ve learned so much throughout my journey!

One BIG success habit that changed the game for me, I bring an airfryer to work. I like my meat cooked fresh. I’m more satisfied with my meals & I have control over what I put in my body.

I also make sure I have a variety of meat for my 12hr shifts in radiology. If I need groceries & to optimize my time, I use @Instacart & have them delivered to work.

**PS. here are the meat bar cheat sheets on Instagram**

On Amazon favorites list! Click Photo

If you’re new around here, I talk about my story, gut issues, triggers, transitions & experiences on my first year on Carnivore here in this blog interview. It’ll answer the majority of your questions!

**I’m speaking from my experience here, remember, we are all beautifully unique & different human beings. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to anything in life. You have to find your special blend. That’s what I help my clients do!

DAILY SUCCESS HABITS, TIPS, ROUTINES

🥩For ME, I prefer 2 meals/d on avg. The largest after my workout for recovery, the 2nd late afternoon around 2-3pm. My digestion is slow & not as efficient in the evening, therefore I keep my largest meals early in the day & fast anywhere from 16-20 hrs naturally overnight depending on my work & workout schedule. I DO NOT do extended fasting & do not force my fasts. I eat when I’m hungry, fast when I’m not. Fasting is not a dirty word. It is simply a tool & strategy to optimize fueling your body. Just like macros.

🥩I set realistic expectations as far as aesthetic goals & know I don’t always have to have an aesthetic goal. Right now I’m just chillin in maintenance. Some days I eat leaner low fat days, other days I cycle in high fat days because I’m craving fat. After about 2-3 lean days I need a high fat day. Favorite lean meats are shrimp, 90% ground beef & chicken. Higher fat meats I enjoy ground waygu beef, 80-85% ground beef, eggs, ribeye, & salmon.

🥩I realize a certain level of leanness is going to require sacrifices. You will be hungry. If you’re eating leaner meat, you’re cutting calories, so yes, it will suck. If you want shredded abs, stop complaining & put in the work. That work requires mindset shifts as well. If you’re not willing to do what it takes to look that way, set another realistic, attainable & SUSTAINABLE goal. As a coach, my job is to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Sometimes that means setting a new goal, eating more food, committing to a healing process, resting, & learning to love yourself first. 

🥩Balancing blood sugar is the key to fat loss, feeling satisfied, & minimizing cravings. Keep meals protein & fat focused. You should not be snacking in between meals. If you feel the need to snack, your meal either didn’t contain enough protein &/or fat or was not large enough.

🥩Protein is the most satiating. General range: 1g/lb of body weight or goal weight for most. Avid exercisers, athletes, people lifting weights, & older people require more. Most do well spreading out around 30-50g/meal, 2-3 meals/d without digestive distress. Take a digestive enzyme prior to eating, it will help increase stomach acid. I use Utilyze by Nuethix Formulations. Discount Code: lilbitoffit

🥩For carbs, most people do well controlling blood sugar regulation with meals under 40g of carbohydrates. The less active you are the less carbohydrates you typically require. The body optimizes carbohydrates most efficiently post workout & in the evening before bed because it reduces your cortisol (stress) level & can help you sleep better. Nail your protein first & then determine what fuel source is most appropriate for your health needs, digestion, training & fitness goals. Your fuel sources are carbohydrates & fats. So if you’re lacking energy, & you’re “carnivore,” try upping your fats.

🥩I work out fasted at 5 AM most mornings. I feel best working out 5 days/week. A mix of cardio & strength training like CrossFit, walking, & bodybuilding. Do sh*t you LOVE that keeps you active & in the gym. TAKE REST days. I prefer 1 active recovery day & 1 full rest day. You do not need to be working out 7d/wk.

🥩Manage stress. Schedule self care & rest days. Sleep 7-8 hrs/night. If you’re sleeping less than 6 you did not earn your workout. My favorite selfcare is walking, coloring, saunas, hiking, fishing, nature, writing, & creating graphics for y’all.

🥩I don’t ‘treat myself’ or ‘cheat.’ Food is not a reward/something to earn. I also dislike saying cheat because it implies it’s going to benefit you in some way. Cheaters cheat to win. You’re not winning by cheating yourself. I also stay away from sugar and carbohydrates that are physical & mental triggers for me. I am an abstainer, not a moderator.

🥩I eat 2 meals/d on avg as I said before. My days off or if I can sleep in, I can eat 1 larger meal post workout as OMAD. (One meal a day). You must experiment. Your experience/needs will be different than mine.⁣ It takes TIME. It took me an entire year to fully adapt to a meat- based lifestyle, & yes, I gained 15lbs initially. I’ve now lost around 20. Have patience.

🥩The majority of meals are my Airfryer Crispy meat bars. 85% ground beef & ground chicken. I avg 2-2.5lbs of meat/d. If you have a problem with feeling if you’re full, cook 1lb of meat & eat it. Wait 20 minutes. And if you’re still hungry cook a little more. That will keep you from over eating &/or eating too fast. I removed most pork & dairy, I don’t digest them well. I don’t add extra fat. Choose meats that are higher in fat. No, I don’t like organ meat & I don’t worry if my meat is grain fed vs grass fed. It doesn’t affect me.

⁣🥩I stick to beef bc it’s satisfying & delicious but not SO delicious I want to binge. Food addicts tend to have issues controlling carbs, sugar, sugar free substitutes, keto treats, dairy, butter, cheese, bacon, pork rinds, hyperpalatable & processed meats.

🥩There are 50 freaking shades of the carnivore diet. We all have different tolerations & needs. I have MANY sensitivities so I typically only season with salt. The majority of my food is meat & eggs. Rice cakes on occasion pre/post workout if I have an evening workout & feel I need them. I’m rarely above 50g of Carbs/d. I do fine on white rice, rice cakes, & rice Chex cereal as far as carbs. I do not digest fruits, vegetables, lectins, oxalates, high fodmap foods, nuts & seed well at all due to my Crohn’s. I feel better not eating them.

🥩Yes, I drink coffee. Preworkout & morning drink I enjoy @strongcoffeecompany in my coffee. It’s kind of like a creamer for me. It does have caffeine. I blend about 4oz coffee, 5-6oz hot water, & 1/4 scoop of the strong coffee company latte. Use a packet of stevia if you want yours sweeter. Link in bio on Instagram. Discount code: KatieKelly 

🥩As far as macros **these numbers are for ME** 

I hesitate to give any specific numbers but I want to show you guys how much food you can actually eat & enjoy when you commit to healing & eating foods that work for you!

I’m 5’1, around 105-107lbs, crossFit & bodybuild 5d/wk, average 15,000 steps/d, active job in radiology. Macros vary, I leave room for flexibility. These are my avg ratios: 0-10% Carb, around 30-40% Protein, & 50-70% Fat. I do cycle lean, lower fat days with higher fat days because that’s what my body likes. I avg ~1800-2100+ cal/d. The lowest my calories get on a lean day may be around 1550. Protein I avg 160-200g. Yes, I realize that’s a 💩ton but I thrive on higher protein & moderate fat. I don’t have a gallbladder so my threshold is lower than most keto, low carb, & carnivore enthusiasts.

🥩I hit 15k steps/day⁣, even on rest days. When I’m at work I walk around my CT machine or I take laps around the building when we are not busy. I drink a ton of water (around 100-120oz/d) + electrolytes. I like Ultima Replenisher Electrolytes in grape, raspberry, watermelon, & cherry pomegranate flavor. Link in my IG bio too!

🥩I do drink coffee daily. Have Zevia & cocktails socially. Stick to vodka, bourbon, & seltzer’s mainly. I don’t typically eat & have cocktails, I choose 1 or the other. Set a 2-3 drink max limit & I order a shot & typically a Diet Coke & mix my drinks myself when I go out so I can moderate how much alcohol is in it. Some months I won’t drink at all, others, I’ll pick 1 or 2 days & go out on the weekend. I’m an adult it’s my choice. I don’t deny or beat myself up if I choose to be a human & drink & make memories with friends & family. You shouldn’t either. I do feel better not drinking, duh, as most of us will. Alcohol also increases estrogen & messes with your sleep. So if you’re one who drinks that glass (or 2 or bottle) of wine a night, you may want to change some habits, especially if you’re having trouble sleeping, with gut issues, hormonal imbalances, etc. Lack of sleep, stress, & consuming food triggers cause more issues with any gut or Crohn’s flare‘s for me. Alcohol on occasion, I’m OK with.

Love y’all so much!

Oxox Coach K

bio carnivore lilbitoffit katie kelly indiana fishers
Hailing from Fishers, Indiana, Katie is an aficionado of health, mindset, human connection, & entrepreneurship. 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, Crohn’s Disease, disordered eating, CrossFit, & adapting a carnivore diet lifestyle. Katie also has over 16 years experience as a Registered Radiologic Technologist, Nutritionist, & Sales Consultant. You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com

Fat loss tips for a higher protein approach to the carnivore diet

fat loss tips high protein carnivore diet

Why high fat carnivore & keto aren’t working for you???

I personally am an advocate of a higher protein, low carb, moderate fat approach a meat based diet.

I find most women especially, including myself, lose more body, maintain more muscle, & aesthetically attain the “toned” physique they’re looking for.

As always, everyone is different so go your own way & take what you need.

Our ultimate goal should be longevity & metabolic flexibility. Which means you’re able to utilize different energy sources (fats & carbs) efficiently without putting on excess body fat & maintaining metabolic & hormonal health.

For me, I find I feel & look my best with macro ratios anywhere around around:
0-10% Carb
40-50% Protein
50-60% Fat

I’m fully meat based adapted. I’m active enough I am able to efficiently utilize higher carbs on occasion & higher fat when I need them.

The important factor: you don’t want to eat high carb and high fat together.
That is when your body is more apt to store body fat which is why people either choose a low fat, high carb approach or they choose a high fat, low-carb approach.

Protein for most stays consistent.

Basic rule thumb: the more active you are the more you should be able to utilize more calories, which would include higher carb if you choose to incorporate them.

The less active & sedentary you are, the less carbohydrates. You may also do better on low to moderate protein approach & a higher fat.

  • fat loss tips high protein carnivore diet
  • fat loss tips high protein carnivore diet

Here are tips that helped me, you’ll wanna save & share this one!

Oxox
Coach K

lilbitoffit katie kelly indiana
Hailing from Fishers, Indiana, Katie is an aficionado of health, mindset, human connection, & entrepreneurship. 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, Crohn’s Disease, disordered eating, CrossFit, & adapting a carnivore diet lifestyle. Katie also has over 16 years experience as a Registered Radiologic Technologist, Nutritionist, & Sales Consultant. You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com

Tips and FAQ’s that helped me lose weight on the Carnivore Diet

lose weight tips carnivore diet
carnivore fat loss before and after photo

When I started my fitness journey my goal was to lose as much weight as possible on the scale. I had no idea what body recomposition meant. ⁣

Got down to 105lbs by basically starving myself & doing cardio all the time. I’ve been all shapes & sizes & learned immensely throughout my journey by making mistakes.

Know that the body you desire may take years to build & develop, mine has taken nearly a decade.⁣

I was shocked at a check up for insurance 10+ years ago when they told me my body fat was 25% at 105lbs. Huge wake up call! I was #skinnyfat⁣

(Photo left) I went carnivore 3 years ago, took a higher fat approach at 1st, gained weight (15lbs) my body fat was higher at almost ~26%. I switched to a higher protein/moderate fat approach & that is truly when my body changed to the lean physique you see today.⁣ (Photo right)

You can make your diet cyclical. You don’t have to follow a higher protein approach or low carb forever, just make sure however you’re eating aligns with your body goal.

People freak out & think just because they’re not in high levels of ketosis they’re not gonna be able to lose body fat.

I was never in a high level of ketosis & I still managed to lose 20lbs. Took an inbody scan & my body fat is around 16% which I realize is pretty low for a female. (I’m being transparent not asking for criticism)

This is the lowest my body fat has ever been, the most food I’ve crushed, & the best I’ve felt.⁣

No matter what diet camp you belong to, if you’re gonna crush 2 habits a day please make them be SLEEP & eating enough protein 

Swipe for tips & #carnivorediet FAQ’s that helped me lose weight.

  • lose weight tips carnivore diet
  • carnivore diet faq's guide

I hope these help you however you need!⁣

I also have a 354 page Meat & Macros guide. Link here to get yours!

Oxox
Coach K

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My daily routine, carnivore meal prep, macros, workouts, and how to manage hunger

I used to be hungry all the time. Had a request to post my daily routine & how I managed hunger. Y’all it doesn’t vary much. You can find that post here on IG & save it!

All products, supplements, links, & discount codes are here.

I remember the day I looked in the mirror & realized I’d been living a lie.

I’d been living in a figurative house my lies built.

Btw, I hate sharing my food.

Other things I don’t share are toothbrushes & wieners but those stories probly aren’t IG appropriate & sure to spark conversations that’ll go down the gutter rather quickly😂 Yes, I also need to put that on a T-shirt🤔

My success, I understand now, I owe to cultivating a routine & environment that serves me positively body, mind, & spirit.

I’m still hungry but in a much different way…

I love my life & am extremely grateful. It has fed my soul & stoked my hunger in more ways than one & got me thinkin…

I remember being hungry all the time. Even after a huge meal, I still wanted dessert. 

I noticed my friends were able to eat smaller portions & be satisfied. I felt ashamed. I’d binge on massive portions of carbs, usually cookies, candy, brownies, donuts & ice cream. 

Ice cream was easier to throw up. I could eat gallons & I’m embarrassed to even tell you how many gallons I’ve eaten at 1 sitting.

As I aged & became more self aware, a sense of amazement/awakening crept over me…  

Was this bottomless hunger really all physical hunger? It couldn’t be.

Could I sit down at a meal & push away my plate, full & satisfied, without the urge to overeat?

I could, but only after I figured out that I wasn’t only hungry for food. I was hungry for purpose, enjoyment & satisfaction, & not just in my belly, but in my whole life.

Somewhere as a kid, between farm chores, playing with My Little Ponies & going on my 1st diet, I lost track of the idea that I was allowed to enjoy my body, my food, & just being me.

I had to learn the bigger lesson – that hunger isn’t simply about filling our bellies, but about something deeper: a hunger for purpose, connection, joy, & love.

From my own experience & awakening of learning to feel full, body & heart, I hope you find ways to satisfy your inner hunger. 

Sharing my routine which has enabled me to have the body & life of my dreams. 

Let this be a conversation starter with yourself. If you need help cultivating a routine, I’d be glad to listen! 🥰

oxox Coach K

#successhabits #fatlossjourney #lifelessons #happy #love #lifeisgood #carnivoretransformation #carnivorediet