Katie started following Paleo in 2013. When she mentioned that she had lost a total of 85 pounds through a combination of Paleo and exercise, I immediately said, "I need to talk to her!" Katie is only 25 years old, and says openly that she was an introvert in high school who "never had any confidence". Today she is someone who pushes and tests her limits. Only last year, he ran three half marathons, it was on his first backpacking trip. She knows very well the mental battles associated with weight loss, even after the pounds have gone out. Keep reading for your vision of trust, happiness, and sustainable health.
Let's start at the beginning. Was it something that he always struggled with?
I was basically overweight all my life. I played volleyball in high school, and while I was tall, I was not fast on the court. When I moved to Chicago, I was working at home a lot and I was actually in the dumpsters. One day I thought, "There's literally a gym a block and a half from your apartment, and you're too lazy to go on foot." When I walked into the gym that first day, the guy at the front desk was super friendly and encouraging. He said, "We have personal training here too," and it really sold me. It was my personal trainer that really made me go.
The first three months my trainer taught me the proper way, and how to use weight machines. I lost about 25 pounds in three months. I went ahead and in my second to the last session, my coach asked me: "Do you run at all?" I immediately said, "Nooooo, no no no, that's not my thing." And he just said, "No. We'll make you run next time.
The next day I went to the gym and got on the tape. I continued to function as a personal goal, even after my personal training sessions were done. I ran for about eight months but always hit a wall for 2.5 miles. I could not even run that extra half mile to get to a 5k. Two weeks after I started Paleo, I ran my first 5k. I literally thought I was going to cry when I went into my apartment after I was so excited. Last year I did three half marathons.
How did you find Paleo?
It's actually a bit weird; I did not find it myself. When I was working with a trainer, I really emphasized low-fat, coma-edamame-every-two-seconds, whole wheat bread is great; Type of diet. Then, my boyfriend Kyle started looking for a homeopathic remedy for ADD. He stumbled upon Paleo, and really wanted to try it out. He showed me Mark's Daily Apple, and I read it for six straight hours. I said, "Okay.Let's do this.I spent two weeks planning everything.I agreed to do it for thirty days.But when I realized how easy it was, I kept going.
During those first two weeks, we referred to Mark's Daily Apple and Whole30 website. Then we went to Barnes and Noble's to find a cookbook to help with meal planning. The first cookbook I bought, was Make it Paleo.
Did you cook before Paleo, or was it an adjustment?
I was not really a cook, and when we did cook it was instant rice and fried chicken. It was rare to adopt initially. We both worked full time and were accustomed to having frozen lunches or soups for lunch. It was difficult because we could not go to the supermarket and get ten meals before work. Now, we take leftovers every day for lunch. We never worry about having to run and find something to eat in a pinch.
Did Kyle know you before he was Paleo? What have you thought of all this transformation?
We have been together for a little over five years. He's a good boyfriend, and he says I've always been beautiful no matter what. But one thing that says, and what many people say, is that I am much happier.
When I was overweight, I was very introverted. I was on the defensive a lot, thinking people were looking at me or judging me. When I played volleyball, I never had confidence. I would like to go home and eat. I would like to go with friends and eat. Now I find myself to be a much happier, kinder person. I'm more open to trying new things. I have the confidence to try new sports or go on a trip, and Kyle has definitely noticed that.
Have you ever gone crazy, fad diets?
Definitely. In high school, you feel so much pressure to look or act in a certain way. He really cares about you. A year, I tried to leave all the sugar. Another year I tried to leave all the pop. In the end, I just drink tons of Gatorade. The craziest diet I ever went to was where I took these drops of HCG. He was only allowed to eat 800 calories a day, and I was going to buy low fat hot dogs for lunch. In just one weekend, I had already lost ten pounds and thought, "Oh my God, this is AWESOME!" I went to my boyfriend's house for dinner, and his parents asked him why he hardly ate anything. He explained that I was on the HCG diet, and his parents were like, "That's so unhealthy!"
Did Kyle ever worry about you? 85 pounds is a lot of weight to lose - did you ever think you were going "too far"?
There was a period when he began to worry. I was so obsessed with "low-fat" I literally would not eat anything unless it contained those two words. When you go through such a big change, it becomes really paranoid that something is going to spoil everything. You think a little thing will throw all your hard work out the window. I became very hard to be around because I was only "allowed" to buy low fat items, I had to do an hour of cardio, I had to exercise at least four times a week. It caused me loose contact with many other things. Paleo freed me from this idea that going out for ice cream will delay you for six months or make you lose all the work you put in.
You seem to be such a well-rounded person, and you really have things uncovered. How did you find sustainable health?
To this day, I can not say exactly when or how I made that change happen. I literally woke up one day and realized how unhappy I was. I had moved to this new city, where I knew no one but Kyle, I was sitting at home doing nothing, and I thought, "Okay. You CAN control your own happiness." My weight made me unhappy, so I started there.
Two important things have kept me going:
1. Kyle. He has really helped to grind me and talk about meaning in me when I need it. He's the one who'll say, "Katie, if you really want those tortilla chips, you only have the tortilla chips." Or, "If you really do not feel well, you do not have to run today. You can pick it up tomorrow.
1. The second thing was actually a visit to the doctor I had last year. I started so strict with the Whole30 and saw so many benefits of running, I was becoming a bit obsessed. I developed a hormonal imbalance because I was not counteracting how much I was working. I went to the doctor, and he said, "You can look and feel good, but this is your body telling you something is wrong." Have someone tell me to put things in perspective. Kyle put me on the "Hungry Hippo" diet (as he called it) where I could eat anything if I was hungry. It helped me to come to this realization that I can take days off. I can eat more starch. I can eat a sweet potato if I want.
Could you offer some weight loss secret to someone who is just starting out?
Yes. I have three great tips:
1. When it comes to exercise, you have to find things to keep your interest. If you stick with one thing, you will get bored. When I got bored, I would take yoga classes, or wake up at 6am for this super intense core class. I loved the feeling when I left - where I could physically feel the changes happen.
2. Secondly, if Paleo seems expensive, compare it with leaving the house for the first time. When you move, you do not have milk, flour or butter. It is a refueling process: Once you have the coconut oil, ghee, and olive oil; The remaining supermarket trips are not that expensive. We also have a grocery store in three different stores: We only buy meat at Whole Foods, and we buy the sales. We go to a pure snack of fruits and vegetables called Stanley's, where I found organic cabbage for nine cents a pound - which was a religious experience. We buy coconut oil, almond flour, and Amazon coconut flour.
3. Finally, it is important to recognize how intimidating it can be to get out of your shell. If you are afraid of going to the gym, or afraid of failure, find someone to do it with you. You have to look at something you've always wanted to do, then ask yourself why you do not think you can do it. I always wanted to go backpacking, and I finally realized that I was afraid that I would not be able to do the hike. I did lean training, and trust me a 50lb bag is a lot easier to carry when you've lost 85lbs. Making that trip was one of the proudest moments of my life. You can control how you feel about life. That is one of the few things you CAN control in the world.
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