Looking for a new year’s resolution? Well, Kate Horning is here to help! Kate is the wonderful healthy living chef at Trim Bootcamp and the author of “Healthy Living Redefined: Live it. Share it.” Trim Bootcamp is an 8-Week online carb cycling and workout plan with amazing results! Kate studied dietetics at the University of Kentucky and is a certified holistic health coach and chef. Her belief is that a healthy lifestyle should be easy and full of variation! Kate is here to give her wonderful insight into all things healthy eating! We are sure her answers will inspire your healthy eating habits this upcoming new year!
Q: What is Trim Bootcamp’s main goals/beliefs?
We’re passionate about empowering busy women to implement specific nutrition with intentional workouts so they can lose stubborn fat without giving up the foods they love. We believe that you can feel amazing in your skin and enjoy life.
Q: What is holistic health?
In my opinion, holistic health is about looking at a healthy lifestyle as a whole vs. parts, which is why most diets fail. When someone sees a fad diet but they don’t understand why they’re doing it or look at making changes throughout their entire life, it rarely sticks long-term. With TRIM boot camp and elite our 1:1 program, we really look at where our clients are and lay a solid foundation for them to implement habits that they can stick to long term.
Q: Is losing weight more about eating well or working out?
If it’s about one or the other, we say focus on nutrition first and fitness second. Of course, we believe both are essential to a healthy lifestyle but if you get really intentional with your nutrition, you can get 80% of the way there!
Q: How do I get my kids to eat well?
Get them involved. With my meal planning software, A Healthy Passion, we added a browse feature so you can let your kids say “I want to eat that.” If they pick the meal, help prep and feel connected to something, they’ll be more likely to try it. I am also a huge fan of making tweaks for the kids. Our Fajita Beef with Broccoli recipe is great as is but kids love when you turn it into tacos by adding taco shells with some cheese and sour cream. It’s not about cooking two meals but rather adapting so the whole family is happy!
Q: How do I eat healthy on a budget?
Eat real food, lots of veggies and cook from scratch. Healthy food is super affordable if you stick to the basics. Ingredients like broccoli, eggs, kale, sweet potatoes and even quinoa are super affordable and so good for you. It gets expensive when you’re adding in superfoods, supplements and a bunch of fancy ingredients. With A Healthy Passion, we created a pantry system of 16 basic pantry items that you’ll use over and over again so you’re never stuck buying an ingredient you’ll only use once. Also throwing a meatless meal or two into your rotation will really save you money.
Q: Is there really a difference between local produce/meat and non-local products?
I always say buy the best you can afford. I think a lot of people get intimidated when they’re trying to eat healthier and they put a lot of pressure on themselves. Obviously, if you’re eating kale, that’s amazing. If it’s organic, even better. And if it’s organic and local, that’s best. It’s not about being perfect but doing the best you can daily. Although I try to buy organic and local, I don’t always. I do love supporting local farmers and knowing where my food comes from, but you can be healthy without doing that.
Q: How do you make time to consistently eat healthily?
I cook for a living and I still struggle with this, but one thing that has helped me tremendously is meal planning. I typically will look at my week, figure out how many meals I need, use A Healthy Passion for suggestions and then I go to the store. If an ingredient is on sale I may adapt recipes but I do find that if I buy the ingredients and know what I am doing with them, I am more likely to stick to it. I am not a meal prep person at all but I do prep elements so I speed up weeknights. So maybe I have broccoli in 2 recipes that week and cook it all at once or cook a few extra chicken breasts or extra quinoa so I have them ready to go. It’s about being intentional and strategic so I make the most of my time.
Q: How do I eat healthy over the holidays?
When it comes to specific holidays I tell my clients to savor the experience, focus on what’s truly important like the precious time with friends and family and not worry about food, but rather just eat intentionally. With that being said I feel a lot of people think of the holidays as a time to just let go and even if you go to 3 parties a week, you still have 18 meals that week to eat well and nourish your body. So, focus on what you can control and enjoy the rest (mindfully).
Q: How do I make exercise a priority with my hectic schedule?
For me, this was a huge mindset shift from perfection to consistency. So, total transparency here – my normal time of year rule for myself is 5 days a week. This time of year, if I can get 3 workouts in, I am happy. The rest of the time, I just move and try to squeeze in a quick sweat here and there at home. Val (co-creator and personal trainer for TRIM) is a genius at super quick and effective workouts so I know even if I only have 20 minutes I can do something great. She does a whole bunch of holiday workouts for our clients so they have no reason not to stay on track. And exercise becomes a priority when you dive into your WHY. It’s what keeps me motivated when I want to just sit on the couch!
Q: What is your favorite thing to do in order to relieve stress?
Exercise 100%.
Q: Are fad diets, such as intermittent fasting, healthy? If so, which are the most effective?
In TRIM boot camp and Elite 1:1, we really work with our clients to implement specific nutritional strategies for maximum results. Nothing we do is a fad, but rather strategies that are backed by science. There’s always new research coming out but the problem is that people go with the latest trends not understanding why and how they work. Low carb diets, such as keto, can be great for weight loss but they don’t necessarily support long-term health. It’s not always about weight loss. I personally love carb-cycling because it gives our clients structure and a strategy to burn stubborn fat but it’s not so restrictive that they can’t stick to it long term.
Q: Should my diet look different when I am trying to lose weight vs. when I am trying to maintain it? How so?
I always say that if you can’t stick to it long-term, what’s the point? So, no. It may take a little longer but it’s much more sustainable. We might tweak macros as our clients lose weight, but the habits are there for the long haul.
Q: What stores should I be grocery shopping at?
You can get healthy food anywhere! 🙂 Just fill up your cart with veggies, whole grains, and meats and you’re good to go!
Interested in taking part in the program? Enter our giveaway over on Instagram @thelaneteamky to win one FREE round of Trim Bootcamp! Want to learn more about the program itself? Visit Kate’s website here!