5 Ways To Successfully Navigate Dating And Social Functions With IBS, IBD, and Special Diet Needs

crohn's gut triggers carnivore diet eating out

I knew something was wrong in my early 20s.

It was hard enough worrying about fitting in with the popular sorority girls in college. Special dietary needs and digestive issues piled on added physical, emotional, and mental weight. My body image and food issues started at the age of eight, and exacerbated as I got older — food fear, disordered eating, orthorexia, gastrointestinal bleeding, chronic constipation, abdominal pain, fatigue, weight gain, and bloating… just to name a few.

Decades later, I finally received a diagnosis.

Crohn’s Disease can occur in people of any age. By simple definition, Crohn’s is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

In the years that I have been managing this disease, I have been able to find health, happiness and wellness, even living with Crohn’s. What I’ve discovered is that it’s all about boundaries and vocalizing specific needs that would have solved a lot of suffering over the years had I shared them sooner.

Have you ever stopped to think about how 90% of your relationships are arguing over picking out a place to eat then ending up smashing pizza or Mexican & sayin the word “babe?”

cheers titos lilbitoffit

Don’t lie. Y’all know it’s true. 😂🤚

Now embracing my Crohn’s & Carnivore lifestyle, I realize sticking to my boundaries, non negotiables, & OWNING my special needs would’ve solved much suffering in my lifetime.

Dating & relationships are challenging enough, let alone the added stress if you struggle with any kind of special health & digestive needs.

It’s like the Bumble Prompt: “We’ll get along if…”

— literally have put “You aren’t vegan. 🥩“ there before.

(No diet dogma here, but let’s be real 😆)

I hardly think we’re gonna have a great relationship as you sit there with your kale salad glaring at me like I’m a degenerate as I’m devouring burger patties. 🥗🍔 

Ok, ok, joking aside, here are my top pieces of advice for successfully navigating dating and being social while living with Crohn’s. These tips are also helpful to those living with other special digestive needs and diets.

1.) Be honest and upfront about your needs.

Not only do you deserve the freedom to be yourself, others deserve to know who you truly are. Everyone deserves to know the real you and you deserve a real relationship. You do not want to jeopardize your health and eat or drink something that will trigger issues just because you are embarrassed to be yourself. Use it as an opportunity to educate. Embrace your uniqueness, most people don’t know what they don’t know. Education drives compliance and acceptance.

2.) Eat beforehand, bring your own food, and check the menu prior to your event.

This eliminates food issues completely. Social functions and dates do not need to be centered around food or cocktails. They should be centered around connection. By preparing ahead of time, you alleviate the stress of the unknown. Determine your nonnegotiables. They can be things like choosing to have a cocktail over a meal or choosing to savor a special meal from your favorite restaurant over your typical meal prep. I have literally brought @Zevia as a mixer or eaten an hour or two before dates/social functions.

Luckily with Carnivore, most places have a meat option. Custom order your food with specifics like grilled over fried, no oil, seasoning, sauces, or creams. Request an earlier time if later meals trigger gut symptoms and works better for your schedule.

My go to‘s when ordering out: 

  • Burger patties
  • Grilled chicken
  • Chicken wings (naked, no seasoning)
  • Grilled salmon, fish, scallops, shrimp 
  • Chopped steak, steaks
  • Fajita meat only when eating Mexican (ask for them to be cooked in no oil, seasonings, and no veggies)

COMMON FOOD TRIGGERS YOU MAY RELATE TO

3.) Request to have your cocktails crafted to your specific needs.

Most restaurants will cater to your food needs, don’t forget about cocktails, too. Read the ingredients in cocktails. Set drink limits. I have a two-three drink rule and personally avoid any calorically dense beverages with an abundance of sugar, carbs, or gluten. Remember that no one wants to be the girl or guy sitting on the corner trying to find your dignity down the street the next day. That look is not cute on anyone.

My Favorite Cocktails:

  • Diet & vodka or Hiatus Tequila with lemon &/or lime
  • Prosecco 
  • Old fashioned (hold the simple syrup if concerned about carbs & sugar)
  • Bourbon on the rocks

4.) Be an unapologetic question-asker and boundary-setter.

If you don’t ask questions, you’ll never know. Simple as that.

Boundaries are paramount. I struggled setting and standing by my boundaries when I was younger. I felt I was apologizing for everything whether I needed to apologize or not.

I had a professor tell me one time, “Never apologize for something you purposely set out to do with good intentions or a minor mistake simply because you’re human. If you go through life always apologizing, people will take you a lot less seriously, and so will you.”

Healthy boundaries are there to protect you. Don’t apologize for special needs, non-negotiables, and protecting your energy. Maybe you require more alone time or maybe you don’t feel like going out. Own your boundaries or people will continue to step over the line.

5.) Be a realistic relentless optimist.

Accept the facts but choose to always look for the silver linings.

Thoughts become things. Most would prefer to be around people who radiate joy and positivity.

I have a letter board in my kitchen that reads, “Stay close to the people who feel like sunshine.” I choose to be one of those people and bring the sunshine more than the rain.

Remember, just because you have special needs or a chronic illness does not mean you have to dull your sparkle!

Oxox Coach K

Helpful Links and Guides HERE

You can save and share this post with Infographics on IG HERE

  • crohn's diet tips social alcohol
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!

Things you may need to do if you have special diet needs that may come across as rude, but are not

katie kelly lilbitoffit

“You know it’s actually rude for you not to eat their food.” or “Oh come on, one won’t hurt you.” 👉🏻Things I used to hear when I was going through my own food battles. Holidays & social functions were the worst.

On the outside we may look fine but on the inside we’re suffering.

I spent decades with food triggers, sensitivities, gut issues, constipation, bloating, G.I. bleeding, unexplained weight gain & disordered eating on top of it all.

I spent way too many years of life with social anxiety, especially challenging when dating or trying to be social.

I’m also a highly sensitive person when it comes to environments, emotions & other peoples’ energies. I like to eat alone. 

Maybe you can relate too.

I don’t shame myself for all of these things that make me different anymore. 

These are things I do & had to learn to do throughout my journey to be my healthiest. They often times are perceived as being rude for those who don’t understand special digestive needs.

The hard truth is, it’s hard to learn to love yourself for being different. And it sucks being called or thought of as rude. So let’s raise awareness on this!

Tag, save, & share freely via IG! Show this post or use the tips to help others out there who don’t understand or are struggling too💟🌈☀️🥩🥰🙏

Happy Friday y’all!! 

Oxox

Why Digestion Matters & How It Can Affect Weight Loss: symptoms, triggers, and supplements

Why digestion matters & how to properly take digestive enzymes!

⁣Eating trigger foods, even when I transitioned to carnivore caused a lot of inflammation. I discovered some animal-based foods like pork, pork rinds, PSMF bread, & turkey caused water retention, constipation, weight gain, & poor digestion. 

Enzymes significantly helped! I don’t have a gallbladder either, fyi.

I created an entire supplement guide just for you!

I really had no idea the application of digestive enzymes or how vastly different foods affected digestion early on in my journey.⁣

Enzymes play an essential role in physiological processes throughout the body. Natural digestive enzymes, such as lipase, amylase, & protease, aid in breaking down fats, proteins, & carbs.

First & foremost, if you’re experiencing chronic problems, go get tested, see your doctor, practitioner, or qualified coach. Stop ignoring the root causes.

The best time to take your enzymes is right before, or right as you start eating. When in doubt, check the label. Usually anywhere from 10-20 minutes right before you eat is ideal.⁣

Most of us lack stomach acid. We don’t slow down when we chew our food, we’re always in get sh*t done mode & this is the 1st step in the digestion process. ⁣

EXAMPLES OF COMMON SUPPS & TIMING:⁣

💊BETAINE HCL &/or ACV: increase stomach acid to breakdown down macros, especially proteins & fats. Take prior to eating.⁣

💊OX BILE: great for people without a gallbladder, especially doing keto/low carb/carnivore. Take prior to eating.⁣

💊MOST BROAD SPECTRUM DIGESTIVE ENZYMES: take before or mid meal.⁣

💊FISH OIL & MULTIVITAMINS: take mid meal.⁣

💊PROBIOTICS: take at night on an empty stomach.⁣

Below are lessons learned, my triggers & symptoms. You may be experiencing similar. Remember we’re all different!

MY SYMPTOMS

▪️bloating after eating dairy, carbs, larger meals, too much sf gum

▪️reflux, poor digestion, inflammation after eating larger quantities of pork & turkey

▪️constipation when eating too lean too long & too many pork rinds 

▪️bloating & constipation after eating PSMF “bread” (egg white powder sensitivity)

▪️Bloating after larger lunch & dinners

▪️poor digestion in general later at night (which is why I don’t eat “dinners” & eat early in the day)

▪️gas & gi bleeding eating plants, grains, & most carbs other than white rice

▪️right lower quadrant pain during flares

▪️chronic constipation & slow transit digestion if I eat trigger foods, don’t get sleep, or am stressed to the titties

▪️low stomach acid & reflux eating trigger or meals too high in fat for my threshold

▪️low energy after too large/high fat meals

▪️energy crashes after eating carbs

▪️inflammation & water retention when eating triggers, too many artificial sweeteners, carbs, shitty sleep, too much stress, too much alcohol, workouts too high in intensity/volume/frequency

MY TRIGGERS

▪️Gluten⁣⁣, corn, fiber, grains

▪️Artificial sweeteners, preservatives⁣⁣⁣, most seasonings

▪️Nuts & seeds, popcorn, spicy food

▪️High fiber raw veggies⁣, basically all plants

▪️Gas producing veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels)⁣⁣⁣ lettuce

▪️Gritty fruit, skins/seeds

▪️Highfodmaps, lectins, oxalates

▪️Sugar alcohols, sugar free products

▪️Pork, Turkey, & dairy in larger quantities

▪️PMSF Bread 

▪️Meals too high in fat in one sitting

▪️Chewy, fatty meat like steaks & roasts (which is why I choose ground & shredded meat, I digest them better)

Hope these help! If you’re in need of a consultation, I understand what you’re going thru & we’ll figure out a plan of action.

Link to coaching FAQs here.

Who else had no idea how to take their #digestiveenzymes ?🤪 💊 ⁣

Gut Healing: Trigger foods, safe foods, and supplements that transformed my life

Every transformation story has a common denominator — a decision. ⁣

⁣Someone decided to make a choice. Often times we don’t know what we don’t know.

We focus solely on aesthetic indicators of progress instead of things like energy level, happiness, health, healing from within first & that means more than just your gut, it means your shxtty relationship with yourself too.

⁣I chose to find the root cause of my health & life challenges. I chose to research ME & make decisions to embody the person I desired. 

I chose to be self-aware, even when it was painful & downright dirty.

A big thing learned since going meat based with my diet & spending time alone is I’ve lived a huge chunk of my life addicted to addictions.

One biggie — food addiction. I never viewed it as a true “addiction” like drugs & alcohol before — It is.

It was an enormous driver to my demise in every facet of life over my 38 years. It affected my mood, my performance, my relationships, my professional success — ERY thing.

⁣Serious talk – because many of us don’t realize we have a problem or understanding of our mind & body’s needs…

We don’t realize we’re not moderators, we can’t have just 1 chip or cupcake because it leads to self sabotaging. Our habits cause our gut problems, hormone issues, mental & physical state. Which all affect your life goals and ability to lose body fat & gain health.

I used to live to eat. Food controlled every thought — it controlled ME. I used to live for the highs like over exercising & people pleasing. What happens is you lose yourself.

To all of you who message me with heartbreaking emotions of desperation, hopelessness, frustration & confusion — I hear you, I see you.

And here’s what I’ll repeat — every transformation starts with making a decision to choose YOU & not an EXCUSE.⁣

⁣Choose to THRIVE.

⁣WELL FED WOMEN CHANGE THE WORLD.⁣

❤️🌻👑🥩🏋🏼‍♀️🦾⁣

Things I Discovered

My Typical Gut “Safe” Foods

📝(I only eat eggs & meat primarily now)

🤍Meats: ground beef & chicken, beef steak, pork chops or loin, chicken without skins, salmon, shrimp, tilapia, any seafood 🥩

🤍Eggs & Egg Whites 🍳 

🤍White Rice 🍚 

🤍Baked White potatoes without skin (in moderation) 🥔 

🤍Rice Chex Cereal & Rice Cakes (in moderation) 🥣 

🤍Lowfodmap veggies: zucchini (without skin, avoid raw), mushrooms, black olives 🥒

🤍 Real butter (in moderation) 🧈

Supplements that help me:

🚨ALL LINKS & DISCOUNT CODES HERE🚨

💊 @nuethix_formulations 

  • Medipure DS (Protein, Vitamins/Minerals, Liver Detox, Gut Healing)
  • Utilyze (Digestive Enzymes)
  • Nu-Multi (Multivitamin)
  • Flora-Protect (Probiotic)
  • Cort-Eaze (Cortisol Control post workout)
  • Relax Liposomal  (Sleep Aid)

☕️ @strongcoffeecompany 

  • Morning Mix (Preworkout, Mental Clarity, Energy)

💦 @goultima Electrolytes

My Common Gut Triggers:⁣

▪️Gluten⁣ & Fiber 🥖

▪️Dairy⁣ 🧀

▪️Artificial sweeteners & preservatives⁣ 🍭

▪️Carbonated diet drinks with aspartame🥤

▪️Corn & high fiber grains ⁣🌽

▪️Nuts & seeds, popcorn ⁣🍿

▪️Caffeine (>400mg) & alcohol⁣ (>2 drinks)

▪️Beer, Wine, sugary cocktails 🍺

▪️High fiber raw veggies⁣, avocado 🥕🥑 

▪️Cruciferous veggies 🥦 

▪️Fruit with skins or seeds, lettuce 🥬 🍎

▪️Excessively large meals⁣ 🥘

▪️Eating fast, onion/garlic/spicy seasoning🧅

▪️Sugar free gum & sugar alcohols 🍬

▪️High fodmap, high lectin & oxalate food🥗

All About Gut Health on the Self Transformed Podcast with Emily Nichols!

I don’t eat vegetables or fiber.⁣

I eat a 💩 ton of meat.⁣

⁣Why? 

It works better for ME & my special digestive needs.⁣ For decades I chased fat loss & performance as a Crossfit Athlete following diets because everybody else was doing it. But I found myself broken, emotionally eating, inflamed, bloated, & unable to lose body fat despite “eating ‘clean’ & all the right things.”

⁣Honored to have the opportunity to chat with @emilynichols22 on the @selftransformed podcast today! You don’t want to miss this episode!

Had a consult call yesterday with a client struggling to find the right diet. The problem — focusing solely on fat loss & not holistic health first. That includes mindset, gut health, & your relationship with food & exercise.⁣

⁣First thing’s first — there is no such thing as a “clean” or “best” diet. This only creates food fear & stress. There are only foods that NOURISH & make you feel GOOD & foods that HINDER you & make you feel CRUMMY. Some of these can be those deemed “healthy” like fruits & vegetables, you just can’t break them down & digest them properly.⁣

You may still be having symptoms because:⠀⁣

❌You haven’t addressed the root cause. There is a reason for symptoms. Don’t put a bandaid on it. My approach is find the root cause & develop a system to fix it. Is it an infection, stress, lifestyle, overtraining, Candida, bacteria, no sleep, too much fiber/too little fiber, not chewing your food, too large of meals, food combos?⁣

❌You’re stressed af & not making a change. That gut brain connection isn’t bs. It controls many things from mood to energy to digestion. If you can’t chill out, your gut can’t do its job.⁣

❌Sleep. Rest & digest means just that. If you’re always wired, it’s hard for the body to adequately rest & digest. It affects the 🚽 too.⁣

❌Histamine/food intolerance: some lack enzymes to break down specific foods &/or our guts are so inflamed we’ve developed an intolerance over time.⁣

❌Stress. Over exercise. Under eating. Malnourishment. Life stress. ALL STRESSORS.⁣

Love y’all & I’d love to hear your experiences/feedback below and on the Gram!