My Top Transformation Success Secrets on the Carnivore Diet

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

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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

Why your blood sugar can affect your fat loss even on carnivore, keto, and low carb

In a world that glamorizes quick fixes & a pill for cure all’s, what we need most is education. Education on how the body is interconnected & how every organ affects the next & trickles over to every system. 

How stressors affect body fat gain even in a low-carb state:

Stressors can come from lifestyle. Ex: exams, travel problems, relationship issues, kids, work. They can come from over exercising, over caffeinating, or eating high inflammatory foods  & sugar.

In response, the brain signals the body to produce Cortisol. Your body needs a quick fuel source. It’s primary focus is survival. This is where low carb misses out. Even in a low carb state this release of cortisol releases liver glycogen for short term fuel which causes an insulin spike.

So say you’re depleted, low carb for 3 days, what happens? You can begin to break down muscle tissue for short term fuel. Your muscles contain 400g of stored glucose. So stressors like hard workouts, overly fasting, over caffeinating, or high levels of life stress still spike your blood sugar.

The more chronically elevated your cortisol, your cells become less responsive which can cause insulin resistance.

⬆️stress=⬆️cortisol=⬆️blood sugar=⬆️insulin=⬆️inflammation=⬆️cortisol=⬆️estrogen=⬆️body fat 

Post here on IG with cheat sheets!

Moral of the story: educate yourself. Chase health 1st.  Too much caffeine or stress can cause you to gain body fat/become insulin resistant w/out eating an excess of sugar & carbs. So carbs are not always the enemy.

Balance yo!

Our bodies are miraculous, learn the way it works so that you can work with it and not against it!

Oxox 

Coach K

Q&A: What should my macros be for a high protein carnivore diet, maintenance calories, and fat loss tips?

First, disclaimers:⁣

There are 50 shades of a meat based diet. Some people include small amounts of carbs, some do fat or carb re-feeds, some do not. Don’t be that Ahole that shames other people for including other things & different approaches into their diets because you don’t. We all have different needs/preferences. I see it too much. No need for dogma of any kind, we are here to learn & support one another. Choose what work best for you.⁣

Seems most “higher” protein carnivores are around 40P/60F, 50P/50F, 60P/40F as far a protein/fat macro ratios. Always go your own way, again, we’re all different!

⁣I’m showing you what I’d do for myself as far as macros, not saying you have to follow these, but a visual & calculation breakdown were requested. If you need coaching, fill out an inquiry here & I’ll send details via email.

Your 1st steps in choosing any kind of diet need to be:

1. KNOW YOUR WHY & BE SELF AWARE

2. UNDERSTAND YOUR STORY & FOUNDATIONAL STARTING POINT

3. DEFINE YOUR REALISTIC GOAL

4. SET A PLAN & ORGANIZE YOUR SUCCESS ROUTINE

As far as Carnivore, get adapted & heal FIRST. I wrote a blog from an interview on my experiences the 1st year of my carnivore journey. Please read that interview here (link also in IG bio to blog post) — it will answer the majority of your questions as far as my story, living with Crohn’s as an athlete, adapting, transitions I went through, & my special digestive needs & trigger foods.⁣

⁣I don’t recommend any kind of manipulations with the carnivore diet for fat loss until you are adapted, eating at maintenance, & thriving confidently with this lifestyle.

Fat Loss Tips:⁣

  • Create a calorie deficit from pulling from your fat macros. Protein should stay consistent (around 1g/lb of body weight or goal weight for most) Tracking will help. It creates awareness & more educated decision making when making adjustments. Protein for most/meal should be around 30g minimum, most do fine around 40-60g/meal if you’re eating 2-3 meals/d.
  • Choose meats that are easier to track & control like ground meats & eggs.⁣ Leaner meat will naturally be lower in calories.
  • When in a calorie deficit, & this will depend on your degree of calorie deficit, it can be helpful to increase your protein macros to maintain as much lean muscle mass as possible especially if you’re strength training. (YOU SHOULD BE)
  • If you’re fat cycling for fat loss, try 4-5 lean days/wk, 2-3 higher fat days/wk. Its helpful to have higher calorie (high fat days) on days of higher activity or harder workouts. You can also reserve these for days of social events for easier adherence.
  • Diet breaks & structured refeeds can be wonderful tools to create adherence, consistency, & decreased hormonal & metabolic stress. ⁣I included a graphic on different kinds of periodization.
  • Intermittent fasting can also be a wonderful tool to allow larger meals for satiety while staying within your allotted calories. Choose eating windows that work for you & your schedule.⁣ Do not abuse fasting. Extended fasting is not necessary, most do fine fasting 14-16 hrs overnight. It will bite you in the a$$ by increasing stress on the body if you abuse them. Same for overdoing protein sparing modified fasting (PSMF). PSMF are more applicable to people with significant weight to lose, of higher body fat, & kept only 2-3 days/week. If you cannot control yourself with portions after fasting because you’re SO ravenous, decreases your fasting windows.
  • If in doubt, WALK. Simply increasing steps & choosing lower intensity activities will be easier on your body yet still help create a calorie deficit by increased activity.⁣
  • If you’re including carbs in your training & fat loss diet, keep them around workouts. Your largest meal I prefer post workout for recovery & optimization & earlier in the day. Taper meal sizes as the day goes on.
  • If you’re waking up starving, having sh*tty sleep, peeing all the time, low energy – these are signs you may need higher fat, higher calories, &/or a period of a diet break or refeed. YES, hunger will be part of a fat loss diet, but you also want to optimize hormone & metabolic efficiency as much as you can. That’s what diet breaks & refeeds are for. If you’re body & mind are stressed to the titties as I say, it will not drop body fat easily or optimally.
  • Sleep is a nonnegotiable, 7-8 hrs/night. If you eat carbs, a little before bed can help decrease your cortisol level. Do not eat late, heavy meals. You won’t sleep well & your digestion will be a dumpster fire. If having loose stool after meals &/or wonky digestion, include some digestive enzymes before or mid meal to help, decrease meal sizes & decrease fat. You will adjust. I use Nuethix Formulations Utilyze, Discount Code: lilbitoffit

Full Post on IG with Cheat Sheets Here

oxox Coach K