Real Life Fit by Kate

Real Life Fit by Kate I help women over 40 reclaim their fitness so they can feel capable, powerful, and antifragile. Hi, I'm Kate!

I'm originally from Seattle, and a huge lover of coffee, dark chocolate, red wine, Star Wars, reading, being outdoors. I'm completely addicted to pull ups, kettlebells, and lifting weights of every kind, mud runs and 10k's are my favorite runs, and there isn't a hill I don't want to hike or climb. I've been married to the Army for 15 years, and currently live in Kansas with my husband, two kids, a

nd two dogs (my fur babies), making fitness work no matter the challenges--and there are plenty of challenges at times in our military lifestyle! I live and love to help others--especially busy women, learn to find ways to fit exercise, better eating habits, and positive thinking into their own lives, no matter how busy and complicated those lives are--because real life IS busy and complicated! Grab a FREE copy of my Plan B Playbook--workouts you can use when Plan A falls through:

http://bit.ly/PlanBWorkouts

And just so you know a little about my qualifications and background, here it all is:

Education:
- B.A. in English, University of Washington (1996)

- Master’s in Teaching, Seattle University (1999)

- Continuing Education credits (14) in Wellness and Fitness, CALU (2010)


Certifications:

American Council on Exercise
- Certified Personal Trainer (2011-present)
- Group Fitness Instructor (2012-present)
- Health Coach (2013-present)

- CrossFit Level 1 Trainer (2017)

Seminars:
TRX Force Strength, Levels 1 & 2
StrongFirst Kettlebell Course
Military Athlete Advanced Programming Course, Mountain Tactical Institute
CrossFit Kettlebell Specialty Course

Experience:
K-8 Elementary Educator, WA, LA, Germany 1999-2006

Personal Trainer, Katterbach Fitness Center Feb 2012- August 2014

Group Fitness Instructor, Katterbach Fitness Center: Boot Camp, TRX, Circuit Training, KUT (strength/interval training), Feb 2012- August 2014

Personal Trainer/Online Fitness Coach (self-employed), September 2014 to present

CFL1 Trainer at Get Mean CrossFit, Manhattan, KS, October 2017 to present

Functional Fitness Instructor, Family Functional Fitness Program Manager, 12th CAB Iron Farm Functional Fitness Center Mar 2016 - May 2017

Volunteer Physical Therapy Assistant, Katterbach Health Clinic September 2013 - September 2015

Volunteer Group Fitness Instructor, Warrior Transition Unit, Katterbach Germany, October 2013 - July 2014

FRG Leader, B Co 5-158, July 2010 - November 2011

When things get challenging it can be easy to think it’s a sign something’s not ‘meant to be.’Maybe it’s an eating habit...
09/03/2026

When things get challenging it can be easy to think it’s a sign something’s not ‘meant to be.’

Maybe it’s an eating habit you’re working on, maybe it’s an unhelpful behavior rearing its ugly head.

Maybe it’s life circumstances, interfering ONCE AGAIN with your best-laid plans.

Maybe it’s a skill you’re working on that’s just, not clicking.

Maybe it’s a challenging relationship.

When these things happen, it can be tempting to want to throw in the towel and call it good.

“At least I tried,” we can say...although that one is too often followed by an internal “See, I knew it wouldn’t work” or “I know I just can’t (fill in the blank), I’m not (strong, smart, disciplined, etc.) enough.”

Here’s the thing: what if we look at those challenges as opportunities for us to learn and grow (however hard & uncomfortable they might be for us), rather than a sign that we’ve failed?

What happens then?

Instead of saying “I’m just not good at ______.”if we give ourselves permission to totally f— up from time to time, & then LEARN from those mistakes, we might find that we actually CAN do the hard things.

It’s called Growth Mindset

Years ago I read “Mindset: The Psychology of Success,” by Carol Dweck. It’s her belief, based on years of tests and studies, that we are capable of greater things IF we adopt a ‘growth mindset’ over a ‘fixed mindset.’

In a growth mindset, we are capable of—and really open to, change.

We then see our frustrations as opportunities to learn & improve, rather than setbacks, or signs of failure, or inadequacy.

What a huge difference a little mindset shift can make!

We’ve simply learned a lesson—one of many—that will add to our eventual success AS LONG AS we stay positive, open and persistent.

So if there’s something that’s got you down, frustrated, or feeling like throwing in the towel, try looking at it through another lens.

Try looking at it as another opportunity to grow, one more way you can become a fuller version of yourself.

So is that challenge a brick wall set there to stop you, or a test to see how you get past it to accomplish even more?

It will become whatever you see it as.

Choose well 💜

08/02/2026

Resistance training, Lifting weights Strength Training…they’re all names for the same thing.
‌
But the one that’s really standing out to me right now is the name RESISTANCE Training.
‌
Strength training really IS Resistance training because…
‌
…it teaches you how to push back against beliefs or practices that are unjust, unethical, or oppressive
‌
…it teaches you to stand up when something’s weighing you down, or stand up to anything that’s designed to hold you down
‌
…it teaches you to carry on when life gets heavy, and to help carry others when they need more support
‌
…it teaches you to step up when you’re needed, to climb the next hill or tackle the next challenge that life presents, and dig deep when the challenge takes all you’ve got
‌
…it teaches you to overcome—doubts, fears, gravity, limiting beliefs, oppressive social pressures, the weight of other people’s behavior or beliefs.
‌
…it teaches you to keep reaching out, reaching up no matter the resistance.
‌
Because physical strength isn’t just physical.
‌
The strength you develop through resistance training, through lifting weights and moving heavy things, internalizes itself, then bleeds into every other aspect of your life.
‌
And if there was ever a time that women need to be strong, it is now.
‌
It’s time to be(come) strong enough to RESIST.
‌
‌
‌

07/17/2026

From the archives…To my fellow amazing women over 40:

You are here to do more than shrink. You are here to do more than make yourself smaller. You are here to do more than be pleasing to the eye. You are here to do more than make others happy.

You are here to be the brightest, best, most self-actualized, fullest, bravest, strongest, most capable and powerful version of yourself possible.

You are here to grow and expand, not shrink.

Now get back out there, show up, take up space, make noise, and shine.

In your corner all the way 👊
Kate

07/07/2026

Peri/Meno Info
SLEEP…it can feel like a 4-letter word in midlife.
‌
Right at the time we really need it most, sleep becomes elusive for many of us—good sleep, anyway.
‌
The chaotic fluctuation of our hormones—primarily estrogen & progesterone in this case—creates changes in our brains & bodies that influence our hypothalamus & cortisol.
‌
Our hypothalamus is responsible for regulating body temperature, & when estrogen stops sending a steady signal to it, temperature regulation goes a bit haywire—enter hot flashes & night sweats.
‌
At the same time fluctuating and flatlining estrogen stops tampering cortisol, causing it to spike at less appropriate times—such as 3am.
‌
These two changes alone can be responsible for a lot of sleepless nights!!
‌
Here’s what we can do to help ourselves out and to work to improve our sleep:
*If you have hot flashes, Hormone Therapy is the first line form of treatment. Estrogen supplementation can reduce & eliminate hot flashes & night sweats effectively.
‌
If you don’t want to or can’t use hormone therapy, there are non-hormonal treatments such as veozah, which can be very helpful.
‌
*Taking time to decompress in the evenings is also helpful for calming the body and helping it shift into a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state, which can lend to more peaceful sleep.
‌
Things that help:
*getting off all screens 60 minutes before bed
*establishing a bedtime routine that cues the brain you’re heading for bed/it’s time to sleep
*for some women, taking a hot bath/shower or even just soaking their feet in warm water can help—the chill you get after getting out can help as our core body temperature tends to drop as we approach sleep.
*making sure your room temp is at 65F or below and keeping your room dark
*using fans to keep cool
*wearing cooling PJs like Cool Jams, & using cooling sheets or cooling pads under your sheets
*eating your last meal at least 2-3 hours before your bedtime
*avoiding alcohol in the evening—it helps make you drowsy, but your body has to work really hard to process it, which will cause less restful sleep at best
‌
Sleep is a project at this time in life for sure, but

Peri/Meno Info: It’s time to EAT.Many of us who are now in midlife grew up with the ‘eat as little as possible to stay s...
07/03/2026

Peri/Meno Info: It’s time to EAT.
Many of us who are now in midlife grew up with the ‘eat as little as possible to stay small’ attitude about food—getting/being skinny was always the objective.
‌
But as we pass through midlife and the menopause transition we need to evolve our thinking and eating, & work to adopt an attitude of using food to Fuel, Build, & Repair 🥩
‌
When you’re in your 40s&50s, your approach to diet/nutrition needs to shift away from restricting & limiting to eating more of certain foods so you can keep feeling good!
‌
We need more protein & more often: declining, then flatlining estrogen makes muscle building & muscle maintenance WAY more difficult.
⠀
This means we ideally need 25-40grams of protein at each meal, spaced as evenly as possible throughout our waking hours, & 10-15g in snacks where we can (especially before exercise).
‌
It can take a little bit of learning, then planning, to figure out HOW you’ll get adequate protein into your daily and weekly diet, but it’s not impossible.
‌
To get you started with some facts and ideas, here’s a list of common protein sources:
‌
Ways to get 25-40g protein:
2 whole eggs + 3 egg whites= 22g
5 tbsp Egg whites = 25g
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt = 25g
1 cup nonfat cottage cheese = 25g
2 scoops whey protein powder = 40g
2 scoops of plant-based protein powder = 30g
1 cup of chopped chicken breast = 38g
1 packet tuna = 40g
6oz Steak = 42g
4oz ground beef = 28g
1-1/2 c cooked tofu = 30g
4oz smoked salmon = 24g
‌
AAAAAND many of the other foods we eat—broccoli, bread, rice amongst those, have trace amounts of protein, so your total consumption doesn’t have to come all from meat and animal products.
‌
Trying to eat MORE and feeling very full can be a learning curve if you’ve been restricting food or just snacking, so don’t freak out if it’s not easy at first.
‌
Give it time for your mind and body to adjust and I bet you’ll start feeling stronger and having better all-day stamina soon!
‌
Here for ya!
Kate
‌
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/protein-for-vegans-vegetarians -line
‌
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-high-protein-snacks
‌
https://hurrythefoodup.com/vegan-high-protein-snacks/

07/01/2026

Weighty Matters Factor #3: our main source of calorie burn, our NEAT, has likely decreased.
‌
Commuting, shopped for groceries, going to the gym, picking up our kids from school or daycare, taking them to sports or music lessons, cooking meals, picking up around the house, walking the dogs….
⠀
All these things, even the most seemingly trivial, require moving our bodies. We have these naturally occurring, non-exercise built-in calorie burning activities that we unconsciously do or did all day long most days of the week.
‌
We call this ‘NEAT’: non-exercise activity thermogenesis and it accounts for MOST of our daily calorie burning (outside of our resting metabolic rate, or the calories needed to keep us alive).
‌
Seriously, NEAT accounts for MORE calorie burning than exercise does.
⠀
And sometimes when our kids get older, or start driving, we end up moving less. Maybe we started ordering our groceries instead of doing the shopping, maybe we started having more things delivered directly to our homes so we don’t have to walk around and shop/pick things up. Maybe we start having the kids walk the dog, or we outsource household work.
⠀
And then...we slowly move less & less than we once did.
⠀
Decreased overall calorie burn each day can, if partnered with no change in how much we eat, can lead to a slow creep of weight gain.
⠀
But if we recognize that moving less than we used to is a factor, then we’re armed with a good counter-strategy for stopping ‘the creep’ from continuing!
⠀
**If loss of daily movement is a factor for you, try these strategies:
⠀
•Take more walks each day—15 min daily can make a huge difference
⠀
•Set your timer to remind you to get up and move once an hour: do squats or push ups or lunges for 60 seconds
⠀
•Move during every commercial when watching tv
⠀
•If you have stairs at home, go up and down them an extra time or two
⠀
•Take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator
⠀
•Find ways to ‘sneak in’ more basic movement each day to help build up your NEAT: parking at the far end of the lot is always a good one.
⠀⠀
Bottom line: reinvent your day. Restore movement in your dai

06/29/2026

Peri/Meno Info: When you’re a woman over 40, attention to your nutrition becomes a bigger deal.
‌
And needed changes include eating more protein, at regular intervals throughout the day.
‌
Right up there with prioritizing protein is eating LOTS of plants.
‌
Our microbiome changes with the loss of estrogen and estrogen receptors, and this affects our digestion. The effects can include bloating, changes in food intolerances, and overgrowth of bad/unhelpful bacteria.
‌
To counteract these hormone- and aging-related digestive chss as notes, we need to eat more fiber (a minimum of 25g a day), and fiber comes from PLANT-based foods!
‌
Ideally, improving female midlife nutrition means:
🥦Eating 5 veggies and 2-3 fruits a day
🍗Aiming to eat a protein source at most meals (esp. breakfast)
🍠Eating as few processed food products as possible
🥔Choosing quality carbohydrate sources (more complex than simple)
🚫🥤Avoiding/seriously limiting sugary drinks
🥜Consuming healthy fats
‌
We all have basically the same anatomy, but, due to our varying genetics/ancestry, expression of those genes, differences in lifestyle, age, etc. we are all slightly different chemistry sets.
‌
Meaning, the same substance, or dosage of a substance, or combination of substances (food, in this case) can result in very different outcomes for each of us—& can even vary from decade to decade as we age.
‌
Bottom Line: We need to do what feels best and works best for each of us (and our families).
‌
If your approach is working for you, but it contradicts another’s opinion or data, don’t sweat it.
‌
👉 If you’re not getting the results you want, or aren’t feeling the greatest, or have concerns about how you’re eating/want to make improvements, then I recommend starting by evaluating what’s REALLY happening in your daily and weekly diet by tracking it with a food journal or food tracker app.👈
‌
🤓Sometimes just making sure we’re REALLY getting enough veggies and protein & water each day is all we need to do to feel better/see or feel changes.
‌
So how’s your midlife diet working for you?
‌
What changes can you make now to help you feel b

Address

Seattle, WA

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Real Life Fit by Kate posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category