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Lifting Helped Katie Overcome Her Eating Disorder
By Stephanie Smith
Last updated: Dec 01, 2015
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As a runner, Katie Anne Rutherford struggled to control her weight. When she
eventually discovered powerlifting and figure, she learned how to eat and train for
better health and performance!
Vital Stats
That's when I fell in love with being an athlete. In high school, I transitioned to track
and cross country. I was better at running, so I channeled my focus there.
Is that where your disordered eating began?
Yes. I never had any previous weight or eating issues; I was just always a bit more
muscular than the other girls. I always had an athletic build, but when I started
running, the girls I ran against were super thin and very light. I was a distance
runnereven in track I ran the 800 meter and 1600 meterand the lighter you are,
the less mass you have to carry.
My initial thought process was that if I lost weight, I'd be faster. It wasn't necessarily
"I want to lose weight to look better," but I wanted to lose weight to be better. Only
later did it translate to appearance.
How did you initially go about losing weight?
I was running at least 7 miles a day and was very restrictive with what I ate. At first I
cut out desserts, thinking that I would save calories there. Then, I cut out all sugar.
Next went the starchy carbs. Light bread soon transitioned to no bread, and my diet
became very low-fat.
At one point, I was pretty much just eating protein, veggies, and minimal carbs to
help me run. At most, I'd say I was eating 1,500 calories a day, which was very low
for my activity level. But I started losing weight and getting compliments from the
other girls. I got the idea that I looked better thinner.
My transition happened when I started reading articles and figuring out what the
pros did. I saw their weightlifting programs and thought, "Well, that's what I want to
do, too." I've always been a very goal-oriented person, and I always dreamed of
competing in figure, so that became my big plan.
When you first started hitting the weight room five days a week, did you find it
intimidating?
I did. No one wants to be the only girl in the weight room, but once I started seeing
strength gains and changes in my physique, my mindset changed. I realized I was
outlifting some of the guys! It became very empowering, and with the support of my
dad and brothers, the gym transitioned from a place where I felt insecure to a place
I loved.
Did your eating pattern change when you started lifting?
I tried to stick to a "clean-eating" dietlimiting dairy and bread and anything with
sugarbut I felt awful. I was tired in the gym and would get dizzy spells. I was doing
better but still struggled with binging once or twice a week.
At one point I remember thinking that if I could just go three weeks without having a
day where I went crazy with food, I'd be happy. If I had one bite of something "badn"
I had to eat the whole thingthat was my mentality. I'd lose weight, but keeping it
off was a struggle.
How did you escape that yo-yo cycle?
I came across Dr. Layne Norton's reverse-dieting videos on YouTube in 2012 or 2013
when I was still lifting but had ups and downs. When I found Layne's talks on
metabolic adaptationbasically about your body adapting to low-calorie diets and
long bouts of cardioit finally sunk in. I was like, "Oh my gosh, this is exactly what's
happening to me."
How did your nutrition change from there?
That's when I discovered flexible dieting and counting macros. I slowly started
increasing my carbs and fat. I knew my current diet wasn't sustainable and that I
had to reset my metabolism. I started decreasing cardio, followed a flexible diet
plan, and slowly began to change.
My emotional connection with food didn't end right away, and I still have to be
cognizant of certain situations that might trigger old thoughts, but I was finally able
to have freedom in my diet and fit in foods I craved without feeling deprivedthings
like bread, peanut butter, and eggs. It was a huge turning point for me.
At the end of my reverse dietor eating my way up from being way too restrictive
I was eating 160 grams of protein, 350 grams of carbs, and 80 grams of fat. Eating
roughly 2800 calories a day and doing no cardo allowed my body composition to
change. I was putting on muscle. I was fueling my body and lifting heavy. Investing
in my metabolism, building lean muscle, gaining strength, and being consistent is
what built my foundation.
What does your diet look like now?
I follow a flexible diet, and as a result, my meals are constantly changing depending
on my preferences, macros, and environmental constraints. Right now, I am reverse
dieting from my July figure show and currently eat 160 gram of protein, 275 grams
of carbs, and 67 grams of fat. Below is what a typical day might look like.
Meal 1: Breakfast
Whole eggs: 3
Meal 2: Pre-Workout
Oat bran: 60 g
Quest bar: 60 g
Rice cake: 1
Honey: 5 g
Berries: 40 g
Meal 3: Post-Workout
Rice cakes: 5
Veggies: 400 g
Whole eggs: 3
Rice cakes: 6
Whey protein
Multivitamin
Fish oil
Calcium
Magnesium
Biotin
How did you switch your perspective to focusing on a long-term diet, not short-term
results?
Results don't happen overnightor even in a week or a month. It's one step at a
time, and for me, Layne had a huge influence. As he has said, what's the point of
your "diet" if you can't see yourself following it for the next six months or a year?
I found myself being ruled by my diet and my training. I was so unhappy and
couldn't even focus on my studies. I had to adopt a new mentality, which was, "I
might not be the leanest, I might not have a physique that's stage-worthy, but I
need to be healthy."
There's more to life than just your body. I needed to stop being selfish, and I knew
that investing in my health would not only be beneficial for me, but also for the
people closest to me.
How did you progress to powerlifting meets and figure competitions?
They happened around the same time. I started working directly with Layne in 2014.
At that time, I weighed about 165 pounds and wanted to cut. I wanted to lean down
for a figure show in the fall, but I was also really focused on lifting heavy. This
actually worked out well because the weight class I wanted to compete in for
powerlifting was 148 pounds.
I had to cut weight regardless, and I decided that if I looked good enough, I'd do a
figure show. I won my class in NPC that November, and the next weekend, I won the
powerlifting meet! I competed in a natural figure competition the following weekend
and won my pro card. It was a crazy three-week run.
How were you able to maintain your strength while leaning out?
I actually gained strength while dieting, which is possible. You can gain or maintain
strength while dieting if you do it slowly enough. Of course, you're going to lose
strength if you cut calories too drastically and ramp up the cardio, but if you're
doing something that's not extreme, you can still have the energy to lift when you
get into the gym.
A lot of women think you have to choose to either be strong or look good, but you
can have both! Hybrid athletes who show you can lift heavy and look good are
becoming more popular in the industry. You're not going to get bulky, and you can
still be lean. I felt strong up until my show day, and I didn't change what I ateI
only adjusted my macros two weeks out. I remember, two days before my figure
show, I was deadlifting 280 pounds for reps and thought, "Well, if I don't win, I think
I'm still the only girl who was doing this two days before!"
What does your training look like now?
I follow a powerlifting training program with bodybuilding accessory work added in.
A typical week might look like this:
Monday
1
Deadlift
3 sets of 4 reps
2
Bench Press
2 sets of 6 reps
3
Leg Curl
3 sets of 10 reps
Tuesday
1
Bench Press
4 sets of 4 reps
2
Squat
3 sets of 4 reps
3
Military Press
3 sets of 5 reps
2
Reverse-grip Pull-down
4 sets of 10-12 reps
3
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
4 sets of 10-12 reps
Lateral Raise
4 sets of 10-12 reps
5
Straight-bar Curl
4 sets of 10-12 reps
6
Skullcrusher
7
Cable-rope curl
4 sets of 10-12 reps
8
Triceps Push-down
4 sets of 10-12 reps
Thursday
1
Squat
4 sets of 2 reps
Deadlift
2 sets of 4 reps
Friday
1
Bench Press
2 sets of 10 reps
2
Military Press
3 sets of 8 reps
3
Pull-up
5 sets of 5-8 reps
4
Close-grip Cable Row
5 sets of 5-8 reps
5
Lateral Raise
5 sets of 5-8 reps
Rear-delt raise
5 sets of 5-8 reps
7
Supinated biceps curl
5 sets of 5-8 reps
8
Rope push-down
9
Hammer Curl
5 sets of 5-8 reps
Saturday
1
Bench Press
4 sets of 2 reps
2
Squat
3 sets of 6 reps
Leg Curl
3 sets of 15 reps
Sunday: Rest
What advice would you give to women who are wary of lifting heavy?
I used to think heavy squatting and deadlifting would make me bulky. I never
thought I'd be able to step on stage, be stage lean, or lift super heavy. Transitioning
has given me self-confidence, and with a powerlifting focus on how much I lift
instead of how much I weigh, I've gained a lot of mental freedom.
Of course I still weigh in as a figure competitor, but it's no longer mentally draining
because I'm not just focused on how I look; I'm focused on my performance in the
gym. Sure, I might feel a little bloated one day, but heading into the gym and hitting
a new PR is so much more empowering than looking at the scale and being like,
"Oh, I lost 1/2 a pound."
How have things changed since you began to train for strength?
Before training with Layne, I mostly focused on higher rep ranges. I was still pushing
myself in the gym, but when I transitioned to lifting heavier, that's what put on
muscle. Before, I was concerned that lower rep ranges would add bulk to my legs,
I guess you could say a big part of my journey has been realizing that you can still
be feminine and lift heavy weights. You can increase your strength, fuel your body,
and be healthyyou don't have to resort to deprivation to achieve a fitness goal.
What are your future fitness goals?
I started my own businessmy own LLCthis past spring, and it's been great. I
coach, give nutrition and training recommendations, and hold powerlifting seminars.
I'd like to continue to develop my personal brand and get the message out. I want to
show women that you can be strong and feel great. I think so much of the fitness
industry focuses on extremes, but it's important to find a plan you actually enjoy. If
you love doing CrossFit or yoga, do that. Do what makes you feel good.
When I started powerlifting, a lot of people questioned it. "Most of those girls are
big," they'd say. "What are you doing? Why do you want to lift super heavy?" But I
love it. Fitness should be something that empowers you and enhances your life.
Stephanie Smith
Stephanie Smith is a New York native who caught the fitness bug while earning a
master's in journalism at the University of Missouri. Find out more.
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JDa617
Wow this is me right now. I got super skinny and then realized in order to put on
muscle I needed to eat more. I am so miserable right now from binge eating I
cannot find the switch to turn it off. Reading your story definitely hit close to home. I
would definitely love to have some of your insight on to stop binge eating.
2015-12-02T21:48:52
faithandfit
I just adore this woman. I have followed her journey for almost a year now and she
is pure SUPERWOMAN.
2015-12-04T01:56:10
mrsmith101
Keep it up! You're an awesome role model for other women who are looking into
power-lifting.
2015-12-04T21:26:32
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strickjl tracked the workout: Jay Cutler's Living Large: Day 50, Chest.
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I had to cut weight regardless, and I decided that if I looked good enough, I'd do a figure show. I won
my class in NPC that November, and the next weekend, I won the powerlifting meet! I competed in a
natural figure competition the following weekend and won my pro card. It was a crazy three-week
run.
I actually gained strength while dieting, which is possible. You can gain or maintain strength while
dieting if you do it slowly enough. Of course, you're going to lose strength if you cut calories too
drastically and ramp up the cardio, but if you're doing something that's not extreme, you can still have
the energy to lift when you get into the gym.
A lot of women think you have to choose to either be strong or look good, but you can have both!
Hybrid athletes who show you can lift heavy and look good are becoming more popular in the
industry. You're not going to get bulky, and you can still be lean. I felt strong up until my show day,
and I didn't change what I ateI only adjusted my macros two weeks out. I remember, two days
before my figure show, I was deadlifting 280 pounds for reps and thought, "Well, if I don't win, I think
I'm still the only girl who was doing this two days before!"
I follow a powerlifting training program with bodybuilding accessory work added in. A typical week
might look like this:
Monday
1
Deadlift
3 sets of 4 reps
Bench Press
2 sets of 6 reps
Leg Curl
3 sets of 10 reps
Tuesday
1
Bench Press
4 sets of 4 reps
Squat
3 sets of 4 reps
Military Press
3 sets of 5 reps
Lat Pull-down
Reverse-grip Pull-down
4 sets of 10-12 reps
Lateral Raise
Straight-bar Curl
4 sets of 10-12 reps
Skullcrusher
Cable-rope curl
Triceps Push-down
4 sets of 10-12 reps
Thursday
Squat
4 sets of 2 reps
Deadlift
2 sets of 4 reps
Friday
1
Bench Press
2 sets of 10 reps
Military Press
3 sets of 8 reps
Pull-up
Lateral Raise
Rear-delt raise
5 sets of 5-8 reps
Rope push-down
5 sets of 5-8 reps
Hammer Curl
Saturday
Bench Press
4 sets of 2 reps
Squat
3 sets of 6 reps
Leg Curl
3 sets of 15 reps
Sunday: Rest
completely changed. As I became more focused on improving in the gym as opposed to just focusing
on my physique, I got stronger and my physique took care of itself.
In a year of working with Layne, my deadlift went from 300 for one rep to 363 pounds, and my squat
max went from about 300 to 347 pounds. That's a significant jump in a year, especially because I lost
25 pounds in the process.