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!
Ways I stay lean, have better energy, detox my liver & stay metabolically flexible & healthy!
I stick to a primarily meat based, carnivore diet 99% of the time. If I eat carbs, I feel best with gluten free rice based foods like white rice & plain rice cakes. These are what my autoimmune symptoms & Crohn’s disease tolerate.
My macro nutrient ratios vary. I listen to my body. If I crave higher fat, then I l eat higher fat meat. If I don’t, I stick to leaner meat. If I feel like I need carbs, I do not deny myself, but eat appropriate portions primarily post workout. To control blood sugar & carb digestion I use @nuethix_formulations Gda-max pre meal (code: gdalilbitoffit )
I fast overnight on avg 16-20 hrs. I eat early in the day. My cut off for food is typically 2-4ish PM. Sometimes I’m not hungry after noon. I have gastroparesis & do not digest solid food later in the day well. Reason I don’t eat “dinners”
I feel better working out fasted. Eating heavy meals zaps energy for digestion so I’m intentional about meal timing for efficient energy management.
When my gastroparesis flares I choose lower carb/higher protein smoothies. I use Medipure DS from @nuethix_formulations as detox support/protein powder. (Discount code: lilbitoffit)
I eat protein FIRST always, especially when consuming a carb source. It slows the blood sugar, spike & acts as a buffer. Breakfast is my favorite meal & largest meal of the day in the mornings post workout.
I walk post meal & get sunlight everyday. I use my infrared sauna blanket daily & stick to natural products as much as possible. Red light therapy via my @emrtekinc light daily (discount code: lilbitoffit20) while eating breakfast in the mornings.
I minimize alcohol & artificial anything as much as possible. I keep coffee & caffeine to the mornings preworkout & post meal. I walk 15k+ steps/day & lift 3-5 days per week. Exercise is joy!
A few painful things I learned while self healing: If you’re angry or regretful you’re hoarding & livin’ in the past. If you’re worrying, you’re livin’ in the future. If you can look back & smile, look forward & smile, & you’re content…well, that’s when you know you’re livin’ graciously in the present.
And that’s when life all started to make sense.
That truth is what I hold onto every day. It doesn’t mean things are always easy, in fact, I’ve had really frickin hard times on some of these travel Xray assignments, but…
I always learn new things
I always discover I’m tougher & more able
I acknowledge & savor growth is never comfortable. It’s what has made me perfectly imperfect & wise.
How you handle discomfort says it all & I choose to handle them with grace like a boss😉👑
A trip down memory lane from 1 year ago, Photo dump of a weekend on my travels in #omahanebraska I LOVE it there! Hoping to go back soon! My heart & soul are were happy there. Some places make an imprint on your life & never leave.
Open up to opportunities & people that make life more fun. It’s that simple. There’s no right time or specific version of yourself needed when you’re setting goals, living in alignment, embracing your purpose & loving yourself.
Ask yourself what you’re livin’ for & who you’re livin’ for, & if neither of those answers are YOU, even if you think you’re weird as hell, you’re livin’ the wrong life.
And if I can offer you anything today, one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that it’s MY JOB to create a joyful reality & I choose to treat others better than they’ve treated me.
So let everyday be YOURS. OWN IT & don’t apologize for who you are🫶 Home is wherever you are.
Oxox
Coach K
Like blogs like these? Come adventure & get FIT with me!
Hey there, I’m Katie. Indiana farmer’s daughter, former hot mess, overweight, shopping addict turned minimalist mindset & carnivore guru. In 5 years, I went from totally broke, to a 60lbs healthier, financially-free minimalist. I joke & say I did most of this with nothing more than an air fryer, ground beef, & a prayer.
I currently am a nutritionist & travel radiologic technologist RT(R) with 20 years experience in the healthcare & nutrition industry. I got rid of my apartment, ditched my storage unit, & now, basically everything I own fits in the back of my 2019 Ford EcoSport (named Ruby btw). We travel all over the US somewhere between scrubs, boots, & steak.
Looking back, there is one thing I wish I had had. A friend to share the journey with me, who actually understood what I was going through. This is my hope for everything I share here & social. It’s is for you.
To be a place where you can shake off the shame of imperfection, the need to people please, & where we can both show up as our authentic selves, even if we’re still in yesterday’s sweatpants.
Think of this as a standing coffee date with an old friend whose only job is to hear you out, hype you up, remind you that you are already enough, & doesn’t mind if you spike your coffee. 😉 🥃
As always, let’s keep this simple.
Let’s keep this real.
Let’s choose our own adventures!
Life is hard enough. Welcome to my storybook & a farmer’s daughter’s guide to life.
I used to be gorger & hoarder of things. Material things.
Emotional things.
Relational things.
Food things.
Minimalism, or peacefully living with less is not something that came easy for me.
Back in my 20s & 30s I racked up those credit cards so high I was drowning in 50k+ of debt. It imprisoned me. I fully admit I was owned & controlled by my addiction to things.
My car was even repossessed at one point. I remember sinking to floor, tears streaming down my face, in disbelief & shame that I had allowed myself to get that low.
I bought things to make myself “feel better.” To numb empty feelings of aloneness in my relationship, disappointment with myself, & the void of fulfillment & purpose in my life.
I realize what’s clutter for you may not be clutter for me, & vice versa. Minimalism to me is the willingness to sit with the following question:
How might my life be more with less?
We encounter a lot of temptations in the form of things to be possessed, things to be pursued, things with which to be preoccupied.
And these become little traps for us that lead to a life of defeat, a life of discouragement, a life of distraction & so on. And so, I see minimalism as the willingness to let go of anything that gets in the way of us living our most free, authentic life.
I asked myself one morning: What is my life about? What am I about? What do I fully support & love? What is my why? Why am I here? What is the impact that I am to have? What gives me anxiety & heaviness that I can prevent or improve that will GIVE me freedom & energy?
And “clutter” became anything that got in the way of the answers to those questions.
And so when I think about wealth, I don’t think of it so much in terms of what I have, but what I do with what I have. That to me is having a more spiritual understanding of what wealth is.
For example, you could say if I were to give you a Tesla right now, that would make you wealthy.
What would truly make you wealthy is your use of that Tesla to serve other people, to solve problems, & to create value for yourself & others. That’s what wealth is. It’s defined by what we do.
And so, I like to think of minimalism as not scarcity or being better than someone else because I they’ve on less, but abundance healthfully expressed.
Minimalism doesn’t mean not wanting things or buying things we love but investing in things that make us vibrate & embody our highest selves.
For me, if it isn’t a necessity, or doesn’t bring me extreme joy, or make me money in some way — I don’t buy it or I return it. If it’s something I can’t sell, I donate to charity.
I see hoarding now as hoarding energy & holding me back. I live with an open hand, open mind, & open heart. Which means letting things & people go when it’s their time.
A minimalist lifestyle has been more than just decluttering for me. In fact, it went hand-in-hand with my spiritual awakening.
Have you ever considered the freedom you could find with breaking up with the world? Letting go of what everyone else thinks or expects from you & going with the natural flow of things?
To me, I have worked so hard or let go so much to just embrace the fact that I have no idea what’s going to happen to me tomorrow.
I used to get so beat up, so mad about the fact I used to be angry at myself feeling like I could have changed some of my life’s outcomes. And in reality, the letting go & the accepting of has been one of the best things I have done for myself & my sanity.
And it has truly allowed me to live a richer life just by changing my mindset by breaking up with the world.
I think so often we can become so consumed with the things that we see, the things that we feel, our accomplishments, what we think we are, what we think we’re capable of.
We can get so lost in our jobs, we can get lost in a partner, we can get lost in our looks, we can get lost in the opinions of other people.
And by breaking up with the world, by not letting any of these things define us or control us or rob us of joy in any way, we allow ourselves to be in control of our own joy.
I say that oftentimes the clothes were me trying to be who I thought the world wanted me to be, & the same with my fake lashes, fake nails, fancy apartment, & my “stuff.”
I invest in things now because they bring me joy & creative self expression, not to convince people to see me as I hope they would see me.
Now I love & enjoy thrift stores, consignment, goodwill, & supporting small business.
And by eliminating that “stuff,” I started taking back my power. I started telling the world who I was & who I wanted to be, & not giving a frick what people thought. It’s about boundaries.
The more I have learned to just love everything & everyone & myself as they are, as it is. And saying no to a situation or to a person isn’t me saying no to that person. It’s just me saying yes to how I spend my time, money, & energy. It’s me saying yes to my own sanity.
If I keep saying yes to everyone & everything, I am going to have nothing left to give anyone.
By letting go of my stuff, it was a way of releasing myself from people-pleasing & other people’s opinions.
Minimalism has allowed me to transform my life & release so much of the stress & the pressure of control that I used to carry with me every day.
I have been able to find so much freedom, not only in the time that it has granted me or the freedom that it allows, but the freedom in my soul that I have been able to gain because of it.
Minimalism, though at its core is having less things, but it’s really about intentional living & having the things in your life that are meaningful & energy giving to you.
Marie Kondō helped me take minimalism to another level. She wrote the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Her baseline concept is really looking at the material goods & the things that you have in your life & asking yourself, “Does this truly bring me joy?”
Before I purchase something, I ask myself, “Do I need this? Will I use this? Will this bring me joy, comfort, fulfillment, & creative self-expression enough to warrant investing my money energy on it?”
✅YES = that’s what I call “Happy Money” spent. Highly suggest reading Ken Honda’s book, Happy Money. Also a game changer.
So, for me, that was a really big shift in my mentality when it came to looking at my things. Gratitude instead of shame. Empowerment instead powerless.
That gave me the ability to look in my closet where I felt a lot of guilt when it came to expensive clothing that I bought, maybe clothes that I bought that were cute, but I never actually ended up wearing, nostalgic pieces from old boyfriends or gifts or whatever it was & make a better decision.
Like shirts that I’ve had for a long time & felt like I should still keep. I was able to approach my closet, look at some of those things & say, “Hey, thank you, white T-shirt that I can’t keep clean. I need to release you. And thank you for the good memories sweatshirt from my ex or dress from that amazing party. Thank you! But it time for me to release you & let someone else love you to allow fresh, new, better energy into my life. Thank you for bringing me joy.”
I learned to appreciate what I bought & also know that I could live untethered & separate from them without stripping my worth or a label I somehow received because of them. I really shifted from guilt to gratitude. I could say thank you for bringing me joy & put it in my donate pile with love & release.
There were times I bought something because I thought it was really going to be cute & make me feel a certain way, but the truth is 95% of the time when I go into my closet, I’m looking for something tactical, maybe a certain color, & most importantly, comfortable.
Simply appreciating & acknowledging that fact prevents you from going into the store & making more mistakes in the future.
A promise practice I created for myself: whenever I buy something, I must donate & release something. Eliminates clutter, hoarding & impulse buying.
With traveling somewhere new about every 13-26 weeks as I do for my career as a travel radiologic technologist, you realize you have to pack light & smart. You learn what you really value & what’s important to you because moving a bunch of sh*t all the time…well, you ain’t got the time or energy for that. It used to give me anxiety. Now everything I own fits in the back of my 2019 Ford EcoSport.
Screenshot
A big part of cutting down the clothes was doing a capsule wardrobe.
So what’s a capsule wardrobe?
So glad you asked 😊
Capsule wardrobes are where you intentionally buy things that are tactical, of similar style, similar color, so that most of the pieces will flow & piece together well with each other no matter what season. You have outfits that work together. So it’s just easier to pick out your clothes.
Not only will a capsule wardrobe make your life easier, but it is also:
Sustainable
Saves time & money
Timeless
Longer-lasting fashion
Start with a small selection of clothing pieces that make up many different outfits when combined. Part of the concept is having an overall neutral color palette with a few pops of color, maybe a stylish jackets or sparkly funsies thrown in there.
Hugely helps with decision fatigue!
There is no strict rule for the number of items in a capsule wardrobe, It all depends on your lifestyle & your preference. Usually, a capsule wardrobe doesn’t exceed more than 50 items.
If most of your clothes fall under a certain color scheme, you can really mix & match whatever you need to.
Here’s a little checklist if you’re unsure of how to get started. The following items are basic items that get you covered for most occasions, including work. If you’re not sure what color to pick, I recommend going with neutrals, such as navy, grey, black, beige, or white.
Sweatpants, shorts, t shirts, sweatshirt (think gym wear that double as pajamas)
Here are some suggestions to think about when putting together your capsule wardrobe: a timeless blazer, a button-down shirt that fits you well, a sleek pencil skirt, a sweater that can be layered, a fabulous pair of jeans, and a versatile dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the accessories.
These pieces can be combined in various ways to create outfits, and you can also incorporate seasonal trends to keep your wardrobe interesting and up-to-date.
To expand your women’s capsule wardrobe, you can consider including a few essential items like a striped shirt, basic T-shirts, a sweater, a blouse, a cardigan, a denim jacket, and black leggings.
This same principle can also be applied to accessories and footwear by ensuring you have at least one representative item from each category.
This just makes it easier to take things out. When I was going through my wardrobe the first time, I realized that there are certain colors I don’t wear. I don’t wear anything that I have to iron either haha! So now I don’t buy things that I have to iron, but little things like that are helpful to acknowledge.
Another big thing for me too when it comes to wardrobe is I realize that sometimes I do know right away after I bring something home that I don’t like it, but I’m used to be so terrible about returning things! So now I only shop at places that have a very generous return policy because for me, sometimes I still have the tag on it three months later. Amazon is also awesome. Easy returns.
Now I fearlessly just buy the clothes, but keep all the receipts & keep the tags on until I wear it. I have a receipt drawer/folder, and if needed, I can return anything that needs to be returned. I also always get digital receipts if that’s a possibility.
Another thing that can be helpful as far as avoiding accumulating things is not purchasing things the moment they go to your mind. Because now with Amazon online shopping, you can literally think of an item and then purchase it in that second with one click purchasing.
Instead, you can write it on a list and wait a few weeks to see if you still want it. I really only give myself 24-48 hours. And it turns out that’s all the amount of time I need to control my impulse shopping. Because a lot of times I really, really, really think I need something. And then after sleeping on it, I just realized that that was an impulse purchase.
Another tip, never enter Target. Hahahah!!! But for real, I try to avoid Target & TJ Maxx as much as possible.
I hope this inspired you a little bit today! And feel free to reach out on social media or via email (katieokelly2@gmail.com) & let me know how you feel about it all because I always love to hear from y’all as well!
Oxox Coach K
Like blogs like these? Come adventure, get FIT, & live your best life with me, too!
I posted this picture of myself sitting in my living room one morning 7 years ago. I used to hate looking at Facebook memories. Now I admire in awe at the beautiful transformation of my life & spirit this go round.
I actually enjoy checking memories. They remind me I’m alive. They remind me I lived. They remind me I still have a lot more AMAZING life to savor. To learn. To adventure. To experience.
Some of these memories bring pain. Like salt on a wound. Some are sweet like the most decadent treat. Some sting & burn so good…So. Good. Like a fine bourbon or strong coffee.
Some simple thoughts of awareness. Some things I enjoy, things I’ve learned & simple raindrops of life sprinkled on the pages of my storybook thus far…
I like cutting my meat with scissors ✂️ Easier. More efficient.
I love supporting small business & giving back to others as much as I can. It brings me more fulfillment than any fancy stuff I could buy for myself. I love & welcome in all the money into my life so that I can invest it into others & things that truly matter.
I’m way prettier in my more natural state without make up & fake stuff on my face. With age comes wisdom, thank goodness. And thank goodness I didn’t have social media back in college😂
I really love embracing this life of more minimalism. It has given me much freedom & energy to focus on things that truly mean the most to me versus worrying about what I’m going to wear or dreading packing up all this “stuff” when I leave to another travel Xray assignment.
I really, really love my careers & my life at 42. It’s far from perfect & makes absolutely no sense sometimes 😆 but I am infinitely happy in the now & for the woman I’ve become. For the loving family & friends I have, have made, & will make.
And if I was to pass on today or tomorrow, this would be enough❤️ And I’m forever grateful.
Oxox Coach K
Like blogs like these? Come adventure, get FIT, & live your best life with me, too!
BEAUTY SECRET👉RED LIGHT THERAPY Q: What is #redlighttherapy ? Is it worth it & something I can do at home? I’ve had my Firewave @emrtekinc red light for about 2 years! By far one of my favorite biohacking devices in my success routine! I use it once a day for 20 minutes, typically when I eat breakfast. I simply sit in front of it. I don’t use goggles. You can use it on bare skin, clothes, not clothed 😉 — whatever floats your boat!
I noticed changes in my skin, digestion, & energy in just 2 weeks. My face has never looked better imo. Less skin discoloration & a more youthful, rested appearance. I feel happier & more energetic when I use it in the morning vs not. These are just a few of the many benefits! Doctors have been using it for years especially with patients with skin issues & diabetics. Over the past 2 decades, thousands of published studies have shown that red light therapy can be used to treat pain, inflammation, scar tissue prevention, overall wellness, joint health, anti-aging & more! EMRTEK was kind enough to give y’all a discount link for 30% off to use during the holiday season Snag it while you can!
Don’t be afraid to try new things! You never know if things can work or not if you don’t give them a chance!
One of the biggest obstacles to fat loss for most of us midlife, busy, boss girl queens is being in a hurry & getting lost in information.
We wanna look like insta fit Sally IMMEDIATELY. News flash, it probably took her decades to look like that. And her lifestyle is probably completely different than yours.
This causes us to waste a lot of time with unsustainable approaches & beating ourselves up.
While I’m not a fan of obsessing over numbers & chronic tracking, it’s common to not have any idea how much energy your body needs to thrive!
Fat loss rarely requires a complete overhaul of your nutrition approach or severely slashing calories. It usually comes down to a few simple tweaks like walking more, self awareness, & a slight 250-300 calories reduction.
When You Say You Hardly Eat But Fat Loss Seems Impossible
THE MOST COMMON HABITS HOLDING YOU BACK THAT ARE HAPPENING WHEN I HEAR THIS. SIMILAR CLIENT EXAMPLES.
YOU’RE NOT ALONE, I USED TO DO IT TOO BEFORE CARNIVORE & SWITCHING TO A SELF-LOVING LIFESTYLE 🥰
YOU GOT THIS! LET’S MAKE SOME CHANGES…
Solutions to consider
Understand your ACTUAL ENERGY NEEDS. use a calculator like tdeecalculator.net to find your maintenance calories
This habit pattern is usually your typical “I don’t have time” starter pack based on convenience, time constraints, lack of cooking desire or skills
Pick a couple different protein options like ground beef or chicken & start there. Protein is a priority no matter what diet
Reduce or eliminate snacking. We should be fueling with protein centric meals. Try 2-3 well-sized, nourishing meals, evenly spaced thru the day.
Alcohol frequency & quantity is a sticky point for many. It inhibits good decision making & prone to overeat or choose foods you normally would not. also adds calories, dehydrates, & does nothing positive. When fat loss is a goal (& for many reasons) it’s elimination or significant reduction is one of the biggest levers you can pull.
Solutions to consider
KNOW YOUR ACTUAL ENERGY NEEDS** again, use the calculator: tdeecalculator.net. temporarily tracking calories for a couple of weeks can be especially helpful If you have no idea what you are truly consuming.
You can be successful and not have to fast all day. Trust that you can have nourishing & satisfying meals during the day and still lose fat. i prefer to eat my largest meal post movement in the morning then taper meals as the day goes on & fasting longer overnight. Better digestion, absorption, & blood sugar regulation.
Start with a savory protein & healthy fat breakfast with at least 30 g protein. I find this helps with daily hunger.
Don’t skip a meal if youre HUNGRY. Starving is not a badge of honor. Ps go outside, get sun, walk, & drink more water.
Plan meals in advance when possible so you’re not rushed. Prevents reaching for less optimal choices. Have nutrient-dense, protein snacks on hand. Skip the alcohol.
Pro tips no matter what diet you prefer or experimenting
For each scenario, knowing your actual energy needs is key & most of us are spectacularly inaccurate at guessing. Fat loss comes down to a consistent calorie deficit. Not perfection but intentional choices each day. If you’re not losing fat, you haven’t maintained a deficit & need to look at your lifestyle habits. It really is that simple.
Tracking isn’t for everyone. If that’s you, keep reading this
Be intentional about portions & snacking. For 14 days, track accurately how you truly are eating. Everything – all licks & bites. If you start by seeing exactly where you are now, rather than guessing, you may not need to slash calories as low as you think. The least drastic calorie deficit that’s effective will increase enjoyment & sustainability.
Once you know your current typical daily calorie consumption, see where you can reduce by 250-300 calories (smaller portions, less calorically dense swaps, reducing high calorie foods like nuts, cheese, butter, high fat meats, dressings, etc). Be willing to take time and have fun experimenting! Thats how you figure out what works!
Take this time to learn macros: what amount of protein & fat keep you healthy & satisfied. Build your meal staple routine for those targets. It’s ok to have to adjust, that’s how we learn! PRO TIP: people who repeat simple, nutrient-dense meals, rather than constantly seeking novelty, have a much easier time with the fat loss process.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO ADD VALUE TO YOUR LIVES!
oxox Coach K
Like blogs like these? Come adventure, get FIT, & live your best life with me, too!
RESOURCES IN LINK IN INSTAGRAM BIO, HIGHLIGHTS, & PINNED TO TOP OF MY ACCOUNT EVERYDAY JUST FOR YOU!
I stumbled upon an Albert Einstein quote one morning that said: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
Ooof. Mind blowing 🤯
I thought about how that statement applied to many pages in my storybook life — to college at Purdue University, to Radiology School, to relationships, my finances, to most importantly, MYSELF. MY self awareness (or lack of). The understanding of ME.
“You get treated in life the way you teach people to treat you” — Wayne Dyer
It took me years to learn to respect myself, including giving myself Grace. When people treated me poorly, I was convinced I was to blame or that I somehow deserved it.
Kids made fun of weight, the way I looked, my “poor farmer’s kid clothes.” Boyfriends cheated on me, lied to me, abused me.
When I finally developed enough robustness & self-esteem to honor my boundaries, I was amazed at how much better others treated me.
“Your relationship with others is a direct reflection of your relationship with yourself” – Mark Manson
“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it — it just blooms” — Sensei Ogui
The time you spend comparing yourself to others is much better spent investing in yourself. The only comparison worth making is with the person you were yesterday.
“The only zen you’ll find on mountaintops is the zen you bring up there with you” — Alan Watts
In other words, you’ll never find peace unless it’s within. The same goes for love. The same goes for fulfillment, health, self expression.
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without” — Buddha
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for” – Epicurus
In a world that’s constantly seeking more — more results, more performance, more money, more social proof — this immediately brings me into a state of appreciation and gratitude.
When I’m longing for something more than what I have right now I’m living in some imaginary future and I’m missing everything in the here and now. I feel this way about dating apps (& boredom scrolling on social in general) currently. I deleted dating apps & significantly reduced me social time, using it only with intention in time blocks. I feel apps & boredom scrolling steals my presence & blinds me to the wonderful people & opportunities in front of me.
“In today’s rush we all think too much, seek too much, want too much and forget about the joy of just Being” — Eckhart Tolle
“The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence” — Jiddu Krishnamurti
When we can observe reality without judging or labelling people & things as good or bad, we can think and respond more appropriately. This is a form of wisdom & mastery.
Everything is simply an experience. We attach a label to the meaning of the experience. Only when I learned how to live untethered & to flow like water, did I learn how to truly live a peaceful life.
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom” — Viktor E. Frankl
“If you can’t get beyond your stresses, your problems, and your pain, you can’t create a new future where those things don’t exist” — Dr. Joe Dispenza
He then went on to add:
“If you were looking at a timeline of your day, starting with waking up in the morning and continuing until you go to bed that night, you could pick up that timeline of yesterday or today (your past) and place it in the space reserved for tomorrow (the future) because essentially the same actions you took today are the ones you are going to take tomorrow — and the day after that, and the day after that.
Let’s face it: If you keep the same routine as yesterday, it makes sense that your tomorrow is going to be a lot like your yesterday. Your future is just a rerun of your past. That’s because your yesterday is creating your tomorrow.”
“You are an infinite spiritual being having a temporary human experience” — Wayne Dyer
I know now when my human body fades and dies, my spirit will live on. Not because it’s “mine” but because “My soul is not contained within the limits of my body; my body is contained within the limitlessness of my soul.” — Jim Carrey
And that’s eternal.
“Love is what we are; Fear is what we learn”
It doesn’t matter how far we stray down the wrong path then because there will always be an intelligence that brings us back into our hearts. So, rest easy. Because “We’re all just walking each other home.” — Ram Dass
Love you all❤️
oxox
Coach K
Like blogs like these? Come adventure, get FIT, & live your best life too with me!
I’ve always felt there was something magical about sunrises. I stood there sipping on my cup of coffee watching the orange & pinks move up thru the clouds.
With every breath I take the sky transforms just a little bit more colorful. It’s as if I was watching a movie. But it’s the movie called “real life”.
I’m rounding out the last week of my current 13 week travel assignment in Lynchburg, Virginia. I’ve been blessed to have been offered an extension here till mid January, which I accepted. The Blue Ridge Mountains have been cleansing, enlightening, & provided nourishing beauty & solitude.
I’ve traveled more than ever the past year, personally & professionally. I’ve learned I never get the opportunity to experience present moments again. Ever. This moment, if not lived, is gone. Forever. And that is now how I approach life at 42 years old.
And so I sit. Watching & marveling. I feel at ease. Filled with joy. Happiness. Gratitude. Yes, sweet peace & gratitude. And I think back on all the sunrises & sunsets where I am sure I was smiling even though nobody was watching me.
I try my best to sip & savor every luscious drop of life I can. I call myself an “experience collector,” unapologetically here to receive all the moments of loving. 💕😉
(Side note for my newbies, WELCOME BTW🫶, I’m a travel radiographer💀. Its easier just to say #travelnurse because most people relate & understand what that means 😆🚑🏥)
Every sunrise begins with new eyes. The night can never defeat the sunrise. I’ve always been a “morning person.” 🌅 🦅 🐦🔥
A Sunrise – you can watch it, you can breathe it, you hear it, you can touch it, you can taste it, you can FEEL it. Every sunrise holds more promise, & every sunset holds more peace…
Have you ever woken up early to watch the sun greet you & bring a new morning?
Creatives of all shades (writers, painters, musicians, artists, in general) have always brought sunrises into their work, dazzled by their magnetism & power. Like a Muse.
Can you still remember the last time you were hypnotized by the smell of that first day of Spring or fall early in the morning?
Sunrises bring fresh new starts. Whether it’s rainy or sunny, dawn – or the first light of day – is a synonym for genesis.
Have you ever fallen asleep in the warm blanketing rays? Felt the magic & colors at the first rays?
Unforgettable right?! They’re experiences that add dimension to your recharge & rest — your essence & your BEing
This time of watching the sun rise above the horizon is something I will remember & fill another page of my storybook of life.
“The secret to a good morning is to watch the sunrise with an open heart.”—Anthony T. Hincks
Let the sunshine ignite & deliciously paint your soul today with whatever colors you need. ☀️🎨🖍️
Enjoy a bit of my morning & thoughts that hopefully will shed some light on a new perspective this week☀️🫶
When I was in my 20’s & early 30’s, I used to drink A LOT on the weekends.
Every Friday and Saturday night, my friends and I would head to a local bar. We’d start with a few beers or cocktails, have dinner, and then head out for the second half of the night, often drinking until 3 a.m. Finally, after 12 hours of overindulging, I’d pass out in my bed until noon the next day. I’d wake up to the bad decisions still lingering from the night before.
I’m embarrassed to say this behavior went on for years. I was, by some definitions, an alcoholic. And eventually my binge drinking ended me in the hospital, on a vent with a blood alcohol level of .346. I’m lucky I survived.
I had terrible side effects: I hated my unfulfilling life, had anxiety attacks, binge eating, gut symptoms, my Crohn’s disease was out of control, relationships in the shitter, & over 50k in debt.
I share this story as a cautionary tale, but I’m not here to say that you should never drink alcohol. I still drink occasionally, but I use it now with respect to enhance and savor an experience. I no longer drink to get drunk. I rarely have more than one drink or a few savory sips.
If you’ve recognized that you drink too much &/or binge eat, then it’s time to implement a life edit & the system that worked for me when I was cutting back.
Love this blog! Wonderful tips on how to do a life edit!
This system uses five simple steps that anyone can follow, and over time, builds habits that dramatically reduce your dependency on alcohol and junk food.
Step 1: Spend Time with the Right People (Your environment is everything!) This lesson comes straight from entrepreneur, author, and speaker Jim Rohn. Here’s the gist: You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If you spend your time with people who are getting drunk all the time & eating shit food, then guess what you’re going to do?
Think about it—do you really think you’re going to have superhuman willpower and be able to stop at one drink or eat healthy when all of your friends are grabbing a second, third, and fourth and smashing pizza and nachos all night?
On the other hand, if you spend your time with people that drink less, they eat well & exercise often—then you’ll soon have control over your poor habits. Pick your friends wisely.
Step 2: Slow Down It’s easy to say you’re going to stick to just one drink or eat a healthy, protein based meal when meeting a friend after work in the right atmosphere. But when the bar is buzzing and you’re starting to loosen, slowing down just isn’t going to happen. The next thing you know, you’ve downed that first beer or cocktail in record time and you’re ready for a second & a huge plate of loaded fries because you’ve numbed you’re decision thinking.
Here’s how you get over the “suck it down vs savor” urge: Order a drink that doesn’t go down so easily. Mine is vodka water. Even better, order a shot and a water then mix your own. That way you are in charge of the alcohol content you consume.
Once upon a time, I used to love drinking margaritas, malibu & coke, & anything sweet! The trouble was, they were sweet and I have a strong sweet-tooth & poor relationship with carbs and sugar. They’re triggers to binge eating (& bulimia), over indulging, gut issues, & me feeling like crap. It’s no surprise that those drinks went down fast and easy.
These days, I order bourbon, a glass of vodka & water on the rocks or maybe tequila & water on the rocks. If I want flavor, I add electrolytes (Ultima Replenisher or LMNT) to my water. The flavor is powerful—and remarkably un-sweet—so I sip it instead of down it. As a result, I don’t drink more than I should.
Success requires removing obstacles, leading yourself out of temptation, and getting accountability to stick to your goals. With these in place, you’ll soon kick the booze & junk food to the curb and start enjoying more nourishing, higher performance days—moving you closer to your big goals and dreams.
Step 3: One Drink of Alcohol + One Glass of Water. Stick to Protein at Meals. This one seems obvious, but so many people forget to drink water while they’re enjoying alcohol. It’s critical to keep yourself hydrated—not only to prevent hangovers the next morning, but also for slowing down your intake. Every time you finish a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine, make sure to take a pause from the booze and down a glass of water.
Keep your meals to a lean protein source like chicken breast, lean beef, pork, or seafood. You’ll be more satiated & less likely to overindulge. Grilled chicken is my go to.
Step 4: Ask Yourself These 2 Questions Before Eating 2 things changed my relationship with food. They allowed me to beat binge eating & lose 60 pounds while healing my gut👇
1️⃣Before I ate, I asked myself, “How does this food make me feel?” ⁃ Does it help or hinder? ⁃ Do I feel energized & satisfied? Bloated & tired? ⁃ Am I still enjoying my meal? No? Time to stop eating. Yes? Ok, I’ll eat a little more. ⁃ Does it make my gut feel happy & healthy? Or inflamed & painful? ⁃ Does it support me physiologically, aesthetically, & mentally?
2️⃣I asked myself, “As fuel, what am I using this food for?” ⁃ To fuel a workout? A meeting? Playing with your kids? A walk? ⁃ Am I truly physiologically hungry or am I bored & this just a craving? ⁃ Am I numbing a difficult emotion with this food?
The food, environment, habits, & information you consume each day are the soil from which your future thoughts, body, & reality are grown! Many of the best things in life grow along the way by simply having better awareness, understanding, & then once you know better, you CHOOSE BETTER!
Start hanging out with high value people & success & love grows along the way.
Start exercising & eating well & motivation + results grow along the way.
Start writing, therapy, spending time alone & aligned inspiration grows along the way.
Start now & watch the feelings & results follow!
Step 5: Schedule Something for the Next Morning Let’s say you’re planning on heading to the bars on Friday night. Set up a workout, an appointment or meeting for Saturday morning. Knowing that you have that appointment—and that you have to be ready for it—will keep you from going overboard at the bars. (I often recommend setting up a physical activity. Your body will hate you if you try to do it while nursing a hangover, so you’ll quickly learn not to overindulge.)
These five steps can help you cut back on alcohol & binge eating and regain control so that you can focus on the more important things in life.
For example, cutting back on my drinking allowed me to tackle my gut issues, have better sleep, higher energy, more mental clarity, more money, and more freedom to focus on my life’s work – serving ya’ll!
Success requires removing obstacles, leading yourself out of temptation, and getting accountability to stick to your goals. With these in place, you’ll soon kick less optimal habits to the curb and moving you closer to your big goals and dreams.
When you’re ready to move from distractions like alcohol to the tools and routines that build your dream body and life, I urge you to check out resources that helped me + a Blog Guide I created just for you documenting how I lost 60lbs, healed my gut, & beat binge eating:
Thousands have used the insights from these sources—all gathered over decades of experience. Take your life to the next level!
If you want to improve your relationship with food, reach your fitness goals, increase your income, stress less, love yourself more & become the person you’ve always wanted to be…Katie Kelly is the coach who will help you do it! With more than 20-years of experience as a multimodality travel clinician , nutritionist, & high performance coach, she specializes in helping struggling women & men get out of the mud and build the life & body of their dreams. To see if you qualify for Katie’s Coaching Program, fill out an inquiry form here.
Like blogs like this one? Sign up for her weekly Email Newsletter Community here
♡𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨… Now that I’m over 40 — I would love to have coffee with my 21 year old self.
It’s the perfect paradox. I wish I could share the wisdom I have now with my younger self, yet that wisdom came from all the f*ck ups I made😂 🤷🏼♀️ So, without the mistakes, I’m not sure I’d have anything important to say to that younger version of myself.
Purdue University. #boilerup I remember nights out in college with my Delta Gamma sorority sisters & Block & Bridle Club aggies. (I graduated with a Bachelors in Animal Science from the school of Ag btw. Fun fact 😉 🎓).
Thirsty Thursday’s with Bruce the Piano Man at the Neon Cactus. Those huge cups, cheap drinks, & priceless memories were epic. (Minus the waking up hungover af the next day after smashing Mad Mushroom 🍄 🍕 pizza & cheese sticks 🙈🫣🫥🤭)
I’d implore her to laugh like that more & worry less. As women, maybe wives, moms, friends, daughters, etc we place a lot of pressure on ourselves to orchestrate & capture magical moments for our loved ones, for others.
I wish I could tell that 21 year old version of myself that the magic will happen without the pressure of a perfect social media shot & Pinterest board. Sure, snap a few pictures, but don’t let the pressure of trying to get the perfect shot interfere with absorbing the moments.
Case in point: I remember going to Disney as a child. Now that I’m an adult, I don’t remember talking about how much fun we had at Disney. I do, however, LOL when I talk about the road trips to get there. For some reason, a favorite is my dad wearing a fanny pack & the excitement of taking the back seats out of the van so we could “camp” on the way there. And the singing to oldies🎶
We often stayed at an economical hotel. I remember things like bike rides, seeing Jurassic Park on vaca & sea shells on the beach, coming back from the park & enjoying the swimming pool and the tiny arcade off the lobby.
Because life happens in the in-between moments.
I remember the hotel with much more clarity than I remember the magic of Disney or a specific location.
Take care of yourself. I wish I could convince that younger version of myself that the world wouldn’t collapse if I gave myself a day off of work or the gym or whatever stupid diet I was doing.
I wish I could convince that younger version of me to build a true, aligned tribe she could count on sooner. I figured it out, but not until my late 30’s. I found that small inner, high value circle would have my back no matter what, & who got to see all my flaws & love me anyway.
I’m grateful I learned the lesson about needing a tribe, but mostly the importance of building a home in myself first. Now, everywhere I go, I make home AND I know with confidence I can be happy anywhere because that power comes from within me.
Dream big, but don’t be afraid to change your target if your season changes.
I had big dreams for family, career, finances, & travel. At some point, it became clear that I had fallen for the lie that I could have it all or even knew what I wanted or what tf I was doing.
Reassessing our goals & adjusting our dreams is part of life. As you learn about yourself & life, you learn more about where you want to invest your energy. Give yourself permission to change your definition of success, & never forget that your definition is the one that matters, not the one painted by social media, society, or your peer group.
Release control, laugh more, worry less.
This is the advice 21 year old *me* needed most of all. Even today, I’m not sure I would be the most equipped to give that advice, as I still struggle with releasing control.
I work harder at acknowledging useless worry than I did back then, bringing a measure of hard-earned peace. If I could buy that 21 year old version of myself a cup of coffee & tell her all the wisdom we gained over the next few decades, would I be doing her any favors?
After all, we’ve made it this far, & I kind of like who the two of us became.❤️🫶
, nutritionist, & high performance coach, she specializes in helping struggling women & men get out of the mud and build the life & body of their dreams. To see if you qualify for Katie’s Coaching Program, fill out an inquiry form 
