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!
Good morning America 🇺🇸🐮☕️🐈⬛ and all my friends from across the globe!🌎❤️
Ya girl slept almost 9 hours & didn’t get up until 815! Holy sh*t Pete & I actually had good lighting for a decent picture☀️😄
I can’t stress enough how important sleep is. As someone with Crohn’s disease I’ve noticed over the years sleep is the number one factor that affects the way I feel throughout the day AND my ability to achieve specific body goals including fat loss.
It affects my gut flares, digestion, performance in the gym, cravings, hunger, & my ability to give fcks about things I really need to get fcks about.🤷♀️
— And it makes me a much nicer human 👀
As far as how I manage sleep: I shoot for an average of 7 solid hours of sleep a night. I’m typically asleep by 845ish PM.
On workdays I get up at 4 AM, Im at the gym training by 5 AM, at work by 6:45am. Work 7am-7pm.
Did you know there are #SleepChronotypes ? I AM A LION🦁 I came across @thesleepdoctor years ago! There are 4 genetic chronotypes that describe sleep patterns.
These Chronotypes affect your metabolism, productivity, creativity, & most of all your energetic, mental + physical health.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Some people are genetically wired:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 👉To sleep half awake & alert, light sleepers, have a low sleep drive.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 👉 To be morning oriented driven optimists with a medium sleep drive. True morning person – wake up & shine.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 👉 Prefer a solar based sleep schedule, awake with the sunrise, wind down with the sunset, have a high sleep drive.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 👉 To be night oriented people with a medium sleep drive. They get a second wind after sunset & want to complete projects and/or have a creative rush.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ It helped me not only understand myself but also how to schedule my day to better serve my health, happiness, AND as a result👉increase my success in life!
He has a 3 minute quiz to see if you are a lion (morning bird), bear (sun up to sun down rhythm, most common), wolf (night owl) or a dolphin (who are all over the place as far as sleep needs). Follow the link: https://thepowerofwhenquiz.com/ Also posted a YouTube, link in stories & highlights under podcasts/YouTube’s. Scroll to the end.
Book recommendation in highlights under books. All on IG, link here too!
It will be a game changer for your health. Remember knowledge + APPLICATION is power.
We need to equip ourselves with information about OUR bodies, so we can thrive! ⠀⠀⠀
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 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
A woman who knows herself & what she brings to the table is not afraid to eat alone. – me
— Literally & figuratively.
“Wellness Truths” & Reminders for Life I’ve learned thru my healing & fitness journey. Basically everything detailed in this blog, you’ll wanna take notes!
Tons of new followers on IG, WELCOME, I hope these answer all 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.
For example, many people give advice that aren’t always applicable to everyone like:
👉🏻Everything in Moderation
Not everyone can moderate. I am an abstainer. Food is like a drug to me, carbs specifically. They are not the devil I just have a poor relationship with them. I do better with food rules. Moderation leads to self sabotage for someone like me. We can’t have one cookie, it leads to the whole package & emotional distress — just like an alcoholic can’t have one drink.
👉🏻Just Eat Until You’re Full
Some people don’t know what it feels like to be comfortably full. They can’t assess or distinguish satiety signals. Those do better with portion control measures, macros, food rules & eating schedules.
👉🏻Just Eat When You’re Hungry
Just like satiety cues, some people don’t know when they’re really hungry and when they’re emotionally eating. These are skills you have to learn and they start with self-awareness. Hunger can be stimulated even when you’re not hungry simply by smelling food, seeing food, thirst, learned habits like eating in front of the TV, boredom, & stress eating.
I hope these raindrops of enlightenment can fill your cup with the nourishment you need to create your own blend & thrive. ☕️ 💧 🌱 🪴 🌻
I talk about food, macros, training, all your questions & everything in between, keep reading!
REMINDERS FOR LIFE
🌻Grant yourself permission.
You are allowed to:
Feel how you feel. Want what you want. Know what you know. Sense what you sense. Crave what you crave. Be where you are & do things your way. Learn to trust yourself.
🌻Stop accepting your story if you wish for another.
You’re not going to master the rest of your life in one day. Relax. Make a decision & master the day. Then just keep doing that every day. Decide who you are & how you react. Live a life & timeline authentic to YOU.
🌻You are the creator & the cause.
Thoughts become things. You are the creator of your world. You can create new realities inside & outside any experience. You can create ways out of or into any experience. You attract what you put out.
🌻If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.
Read that again.
🌻It gets better.
Love finds you when you love yourself & your life first. It’s the space in between the life & love we’ve lost & the life & love we hope for that we find ourselves.
🌻Leaders are readers & surround themselves with successful people.
Success leaves clues. Fuel your body & your BRAIN. Listen to podcasts, read, ask questions, get a coach or mentor. Cut out toxic people & energy vampires.
🌻Minimize toxins the best you can for healthy hormones.
This means parabans, plastics, pesticides, processed food, artificial ingredients. Ditch the Tupperware, check your beauty products, cleaning supplies, & READ INGREDIENT & NUTRITION LABELS.
🌻Move in the morning.
Workout, walk, yoga, mobility. Shoot for 10k steps/day. Increasing your NEAT (non-exercise movement) has the biggest impact on total calorie burn throughout the day. Walk after eating meals & after lunch. Set break times every 20-30 minutes. Simply get up & walk.
🌻Your body likes routine.
Set eating times & pick foods that suit your lifestyle, schedule, & wellness goals. This is different for everyone.
MY WELLNESS SECRETS & TRUTHS
🌻For me, I prefer 2 meals a day. The largest after my workout for recovery, the second late afternoon around 1-2pm. 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 hours overnight depending on my work & workout schedule. I do not do extended fasting. Fasting is not a dirty word. It is simply a tool & strategy to optimize fueling your body. Just like macros.
🌻Set realistic expectations as far as fat loss and aesthetic goals. Realize a certain level of leanness is going to require sacrifices. You will be hungry. It will suck. If you want shredded abs & all the striations, stop your bitching and put in the fxcking work. That work requires MINDSET work as well. If you’re not willing to do what those people are willing to do to look that way, set another goal. As a coach myself, our 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, and 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 and or fat or was not large enough. I love my NutriSense continuous glucose monitor, you can snag one here for yourself! CODE: KATIECGM25 for some $$. It has helped me manage my blood sugar levels by giving me data to make more educated decisions about fasting, meal sizes, meal options, exercise intensity – ALL THE THINGS!
✅Protein is the most satiating. General range: 1g of protein per body weight or goal weight for most. Avid exercisers, athletes, people lifting weights, and older people require more. Most do well spreading out around 30-50 g per meal without digestive distress.
✅For carbs, most people do well controlling blood sugar regulation with meals under 40 g of carbohydrates. The less active you are the less carbohydrates you typically require. The body optimizes carbohydrates most efficiently post workout and in the evening before bed because it reduces your cortisol (stress) level and can help you sleep better.
✅Nail your protein first and then determine what fuel source is most appropriate for your health needs, digestion, training and fitness goals. Your fuel sources are carbohydrates and fats.
🌻I work out fasted at 5 AM most mornings. Fasting blood glucose I like around 75-90 You can test with a simple glucometer from Amazon or any drug store or get yourself a NutriSense CGM like I talked about in above bullets. I feel best working out 4-5 days/week. Mix of cardio & strength training. Do shit you LOVE that keep you active and in the gym & take rest days. I prefer 1 active recovery day & 1 full rest day.
🌻 Manage stress. Schedule self care & rest days. Sleep 7-8 hrs a night. If you’re sleeping less than 6 you did not earn your workout. My secret weapons:
✅Favorite self care is coloring, writing, walking, live music, time with friends, a spa day, pedicure, working out, & a new mani via my @impressmanicure press on nails. I get them at CVS, Kroger, Target, & Meijer.
🌻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. Do you really think you’re winning by cheating yourself?
🌻I eat 2 meals/d on avg as I said before. My days off or if I can sleep in, I now eat 1 meal. You must experiment. Your experience/needs will be different than mine. It takes TIME. It took me an entire year to fully adapt to an animal based lifestyle, & yes, I gained 15lbs initially. I’ve now lost around 20.
🌻Majority of meals are my Airfryer Crispy meat bars. 85% ground beef, ground chicken. Avg 2lbs of meat/d. Ground meat is easier to digest & track. I removed most pork & dairy, I don’t digest’em well. I don’t add extra fat often. Choose meats that are higher in fat. No I don’t like organ meat, I prefer the taste of grain fed over grass fed beef.
Airfryer Crispy Meat Bars
The secret is leaving it loosely packed for the crispy exterior. Do not pack them into tight patties. Break them up into 4 to 5 sections. Chicken and turkey are harder to break up, it’s super loosey-goosey. Times will vary depending on your air fryer. I have an Instant 6qt. On Amazon favorites list, link in bio on IG.
Set Airfry, 380, 12 minutes, no preheat.
🌻I stick to beef because 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, hyper palatable & processed meats)
🌻There are 50 freaking shades of the carnivore diet. Don’t hate on other people because they include other things into their diets. We all have different toleration‘s & needs. I have a million sensitivities so I typically only season with pink Himalayan sea salt. The majority of my food is meat & eggs. Epic Brand baked Himalayan sea salt pork rinds if I need something crunchy and low carb.
🌻Rice cakes on occasion post workout or in the evening if I need them, rarely above 50g/day. I do fine on white rice, rice cakes, rice Chex cereal, & honey as far as carbs. I don’t crave carbs anymore, so I rarely need a refeed day anymore.
🌻Preworkout & morning drink I enjoy @strongcoffeecompany Latte. It’s kind of like a creamer for me. It does have caffeine. I blend about 4oz coffee, 5-6oz hot water, & 1/2 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
🌻 I don’t take many supplements anymore but I do recommend the NuEthix Formulations Brand. I have use these all throughout my healing, health, fat loss, performance — you name it journeys! Link in bio also on this website & IG. Discount Code: lilbitoffit
Feel free to message me on the gram, we can go over a supplement regimen that’s appropriate for you.
🌻I track macros loosely. It keeps me accountable & I know where to adjust.
**Again 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, now around 105-107, crossFit & lift 5 days a week, average 13-15,000 steps/d, active job.
Macros VARY but these are my AVG ratios: 0-5% Carb, around 30% Protein, & 60% Fat
Around 1900-2100 cal/d. Protein I’m around 130g-170g (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, and carnivore connoisseur‘s)
I don’t over complicate things or give a shit that people say, “Oh my gosh if you eat too much protein you’re going to get fat because it all turns to glucose, yada yada.” It’s better (for me & most people out there anyways) than eating boxes of pop tarts and Twinkies. Yes, too high a protein can cause issues if your fat isn’t high enough on a low carb approach. Eat what you want people as long as it keeps you you’re healthiest self and you feel great. The most common mistake I see when people are trying to adopt a low-carb lifestyle is not eating enough food in general and their protein being too high and fat not high enough.
🌻YES, you can CrossFit & carnivore, CAREFULLY. Comes down to allowing yourself to fully adapt to being fat-fueled, meal timing, eating ample calories, & RECOVERY. I did a full interview on my first year on carnivore here. Please check it out it will answer most of your questions about transitioning to carnivore.
🌻 Sleep=nonnegotiable. 7 hrs min. Zzyquil helps. I take it most nights because I can’t shut my mind off. It is what it is I’m transparent here. Don’t you dare tell me to cut out coffee, that is a nonnegotiable for me. I am well aware of a healthy caffeine intake. I keep mine under 300 mg a day and only in the mornings.
🌻Questions about steps. Yes, I still hit 13-15k steps/day, even on rest days, drinkin a ton of water + electrolytes, fasting when I’m not hungry (~18hrs avg), eating when I am. No extended fasts, no snacking. I like Ultima Replenisher in grape and raspberry flavor. Link in bio on Instagram as well.
🌻I do drink coffee daily. Have cocktails socially. I don’t typically eat & have cocktails I choose 1 or the other. Set a 2-3 drink max limit. I don’t drink half as much as I used to. Some months I won’t drink it all, others, I’ll pick one day & 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. Go your own way! I do feel better not drinking, duh, as most of us will. 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. Be your own mixologist. I typically order a diet coke and ask for a shot of vodka that I mix myself. That way you have control over how much alcohol is in it.
You determine your non-negotiables. Some days it’s electrolytes & my crispy airfryer meat bars, other days it’s vodka & bourbon. 🤷♀️Whatevs. Just be aware of the repercussions of your choices.
🌻Go get your health markers, hormones, gut stuff, bloodwork, etc tested if you feel like things are off. I can’t stress that enough stop guessing.
Please feel free to reach out if you need a consultation by myself or need recommendations for other coaches more applicable to you and your needs! Fill out a basic inquiry here so I can learn about you!
Whew y’all. That’s a lot of brain dumping & word vomit! I hope these tidbits can serve you in a way that you need to help you be your happiest and healthiest!!
Again never hesitate to reach out to me, I live on the gram most of the time and do my best to answer each and everyone of you back!
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) 🥔
What I do & look like now really doesn’t mean jack or offer you as much value than the story that got me here today.
I can give you all the advice on what I practice & preach daily, but you can’t replace life experience, feeling emotions, & putting in the work.
I don’t know everything & I’m not an expert. But I have lived similar struggles just like all of you & I know what it feels like to sit in a shxt pool of self loathing.
🖤I was the fat girl. Kids were mean.
🖤In the 6th grade I was told I was too big to be a cheerleader.
🖤This one’s for the 14 yr old me that thought rice cakes & sugar free jello were meals & restriction was the only way to be thin & thus loved.
🖤This one’s for the 16 yr old me that thought skinny & having a boyfriend was all she needed for happiness & worth.
🖤This one’s for the 18 yr old me that beat herself up for gaining 20lbs in college bc she made memories w/friends.
🖤This one’s for the 20 yr old me that binged & purged & let food consume her every thought because she wasn’t as pretty or skinny as other sorority girls.
🖤This one’s for the 22 yr old me that got married too young, was a people pleaser, & turned to drinking to numb the feelings.
🖤This one’s for the 28yr old me, divorced, lost, partying, gut issues, & starving bc her body was the only thing she thought she could control.
🖤This one’s for the 32 yr old me that discovered Crossfit & fell in love with being strong, but let PR’s & comparison lead her to overtraining & completely fxckin up her hormones & gut for yrs.
🖤This one’s for the 36 yr old me struggling to figure out how to date & live in a world as an athlete with Crohn’s & special needs.
🖤This one’s for the 38 yr old me that continues to grow & evolve in a life that constantly changes.
For all the humans who scroll, comparing when they see a beautiful photo, know there’s a story & a lifetime of struggle there too.
What we do now is not a reflection of livin a perfect picture life, it’s a reflection of a lifetime of scars which are far from picture perfect —we should wear them proudly.
There is HOPE💓
Link HERE if you need a consultation & pep talk to get back on the right health journey for you🙏
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.”
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!
When I started an animal based nutrition approach this is what I heard. In this photo I was about 10lbs heavier on vacation, embracing the journey.
Had many of you ask about this yesterday & my recent weight loss.
I’m excited many of you want to try a more animal based approach & YES I absolutely believe its a wonderful lifestyle of eating which corrects many health issues, but I also want to make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons & not just wanting to hop on the “bandwagon” because you seek weight loss.
It’s not for everyone’s lifestyle needs, some of you NEED specific kinds of carbs in your diet to feel & function better. Just because I prefer this style of eating doesn’t mean I think everyone should do it. No diet dogma here. We’re all different.
I had a question from a follower yesterday asking what she needed to do to heal gut issues & finally see weight loss.
I responded with some hard truths.
You will most likely have to do things you don’t wanna do. Things I had to do:
Reduce workouts: no more 2 hrs of CrossFit & 20k+ steps a day. More rest days. I have to modify, reduce intensity & steps. Requires me swallowing my ego & not picking weights & movements I don’t need to do anymore for LONGEVITY as a goal.
Ate in MAINTENANCE & SURPLUS for almost 8 MONTHS. GAINED 15lbs in the process. Experimented with intuitive eating, macro ratios, fasting, meat, portions, tracking glucose & ketones, etc. Figured out I get better results tracking macros. Ground meats work better as far as tracking, simplicity, & satiety. Carb refeed days via rice cakes or white rice work great when I need them with minimal negative feedback. My appetite did “correct.” I eat slower & know know when I’m truly full.
Different fasting windows affect you differently. Don’t recommend any newby to fast, just get adapted to the way of eating 1st. You’ll find what works best. I can fast longer now. I don’t do extended fasts. The longest I go is about 20hrs.
What gets TRACKED gets MANAGED. I know a lot of you don’t wanna track but HOW ARE YOU GONNA KNOW WHAT TO CHANGE IF YOU DONT HAVE ANY AWARENESS OF WHERE YOU’RE STARTING? Quality & quantity matter. After a while you master it & won’t have to track but you need to learn quality & quantity & how it affects you 1st. It’s about making EDUCATED choices.
If you’re having gut/hormone issues, do a true elimination diet & stick to something longer than a few days or 2 weeks. This takes TIME. You didn’t have these issues after 1 day &/or put on the weight in 1 day. There are no quick fixes or magic. Put in the work. Get help from a coach or practitioner, get tested! Quit guessing. I worked with multiple practitioners, coaches, protocols & diets, & tracked symptoms/trigger foods for DECADES.
Do the DUE DILIGENCE — experiment, eat more, educate yourself, sleep more, have patience, seek help, fix your relationship with food & self 1st, quit binging on the weekends, overtraining, & treating your body like a dumpster fire.
I could talk all day about the mistakes I’ve made throughout my fitness journey.
To name a few:
Feeling I had to earn food or use it as a reward
Yo-yo dieting & falling for fads, pills, & what Karen down the road was doing
Wearing restriction as a badge of honor then falling victim to self-loathing, disordered eating & exercise habits
Eating all the wrong foods for me physically and mentally causing paralyzing G.I. distress
Equating my worth with abs & a number displayed on a dirty box which sits on my bathroom floor
Losing weight doesn’t have to feel like a punishment, in fact that’s the one thing you must avoid.
Think about it, if you hate what you’re eating and how you’re training, do you think you’re going to stick to it?
— Heck no.
Losing weight is simple, but it’s not EASY. Ultimately it comes down to being in an energy deficit. (Taking in less energy than you are expending)
We over complicate the process. We set ourselves up for failure by chronically dieting, picking the wrong kinds of workouts, picking the wrong kinds of foods we cannot digest & absorb properly, we over stress, under eat, under educate ourselves, under execute, & over train.
Don’t even get me started on the negative self talk & shxtty mindset syndrome.
30 years ago (I’m almost 39 now😬) my fitness journey began. I was 8 years old. My heaviest weight was 160 lbs on a 5’1 frame.
Right now is actually the lowest weight (avg 107-110lbs) & best health I’ve ever been. And I’m eating at my true maintenance (calories around 2000-2200 daily). Maintenance is we all should be hanging out the majority of our lives.
I’ve made the same mistake as you have. We are all different as far as what foods & training work best for you.
Here are some examples of hacks that have helped me keep the weight off and I hope it helps you find the right tools for your toolbelt too!
Abstainer: cannot have just 1 cookie without then eating or wanting to eat the whole pan. Does better with food rules and a more “all or none approach.” More prone to binge eating.
Moderator: can have 1 cookie and be satisfied. Needs more flexibility.
Are you a food addict? Get real with yourself. I understand this stuff isn’t pretty.
What is your relationship with carbohydrates? Are they like drugs which trigger self sabotaging habits? How do they make you feel? Do you need them for your health & fitness goals for optimal health, performance, & recovery? What is your daily threshold that makes you feel your best?
2.) CHOOSE THE FOODS & TRAINING YOU LOVE AND HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH
For me, it’s animal based nutrition. Protein & healthy fats are the center of my meals. I do not have a good relationship with carbohydrates and have many emotional and physical trigger foods. I only consume carbohydrates when I need them for optimal health, performance, and recovery. I find eating carbohydrates makes me crave more carbohydrates & I’m not satiated as sticking with meat only.
I prefer CrossFit like training. I love the community, I love the variety, I love it combines strength and aerobic conditioning. It’s effective af & keeps me happy. Therefore it’s easy for me to stick to my routine.
3.) EAT & TRAIN INTENTIONALLY & MINDFULLY
The food you eat literally makes you. Choose accordingly. Slow down when you eat, enjoy every bite, chew thoroughly, eat till you’re 80% full. Same with your training. Pick a goal and stick with it. Keep your commitments to yourself. Work hard & rest when you need to and be intentional about both! Motivation is fleeting, your integrity & character are forever.
4.) SET YOUR NONNEGOTIABLES & FLEXIBILITY
Especially important when it comes to social functions & family. Set step goals. Mine are between 13-15k on average. Maybe you allow yourself 2 cocktails on the weekends, maybe it’s one untracked meal with family, maybe it’s 2 refeed days on the weekends, maybe it’s more carbohydrates one day a week, maybe it’s dessert a couple times a week, maybe you do better being strict for a couple weeks & taking a week off, maybe you prefer to take your own food when you go out. Anything goes, you are your own boss, but OWN IT.
5.) GRATITUDE AND CELEBRATE EVERY WIN
Y’all gratitude is everything. You can’t hate yourself healthy and love yourself healthy at the same time. Which one would you rather choose? Take progress pictures, the scale isn’t the only indicator of success. Maybe you’re eating for better energy and better biofeedback. Maybe you’re trying to get stronger. The number on the scale does not dictate your worth or achievement.
6.) MANAGE YOUR MINDSET & OWN YOUR DAY
You should have a success routine nailed down. I talked about 8 things you should do every day that will change your life, yesterday. Check out that post and blog. If you continuously tell yourself you are a failure & always fxck up, guess what? That’s what you’ll attract & become. Talk to yourself like your best friend. What would you say, what advice would you give her or him? Be the person you want to embody.
You can make moves or excuses. You either DO or your DON’T.
Tips to optimize a low carb lifestyle as an athlete/avid exerciser with special digestive needs:
▫️For my carnivore low carb’ers:
1.) Just get adapted-eat meat, find the low carb sources you love, cut the junk, find what eat windows that work for your schedule, track to make sure you’re eating enough food.
2.) Focus on healing any gi issues & give it time. Be patient & consistent. You don’t feel good all the time, as with any diet it takes time to find your groove. Most hit a slump around 2 weeks. Reduce the intensity & volume of your workouts (especially my crossfitters & Orange Theory enthusiasts)
3.) Thrive & THEN play around with fat loss or muscle gain goals. You’ll be more self aware & educated once your reach this point.
Not until someone is adapted & healed do I recommend any kind of playing around with fat loss cuts.
For some it may take 3-6 months or it can take years depending on what kind of healing (gut, hormonal, metabolic etc) you have to do.
▫️For someone who is just learning how to best manage IBD – I wanted to share my learning tools as an athlete. Do not give up who you are because of IBD – you will need to adjust & pay attention to your body, but you can continue to do what you love as well! There will be good days & bad days. Some days you may need to modify workouts, movements, intensity & volume.
SLEEP & HYDRATION
I drink water with electrolytes from @goultima Sleep has made the biggest impact on me physically & mentally. Shoot for at least 7 hours. I am in bed asleep by 8:30 at the latest most days, wake at 4am the majority of week days. Sleep is the most important thing to manage during any season. NON NEGOTIABLE.
NUTRITION
Everyone has different triggers & different needs. Do not apologize for having to eat a certain way or bring your own food in social situations. Food choices are extremely important. For me, I find lowfodmap, easy to digest, gluten free, low lectin, minimal dairy, animal based nutrition with the exception of white rice, plain rice cakes, & rice Chex cereal if I feel like I need some carbs (don’t crave or need them anymore now that I’m fully adapted to a more carnivore lifestyle). But I believe you should always leave room for flexibility & no diet dogma. Do what works for you. Carbs are most optimal post workout & in the evening prior to bed.
SOCIAL SITUATIONS
I understand this is a rough spot for many with autoimmune issues &/or special digestive needs. Use your uniqueness to educate others why you need to eat the way you do. Maybe it’s something they need to hear too. Be confident, bring your own food if you have to, eat before you go out, custom order your meals. I set a limit of 2 alcoholic beverages in social situations & also mix my own drinks the majority of the time. Just order a shot of whatever liquor you want & whatever mixer you want. That way you have control over how much alcohol is in that drink. There have been times I’ve also brought @zevia as a mixer. Voice your needs to the restaurant & they will accommodate.
STRESS MANAGEMENT
Stress plays a huge role in inflammation. Sleep, take more rest days when you need them, make sure you’re eating enough food for your activity, take walks, spend time alone.Learning how to manage stress is a skill. Be kind to yourself!❤️
