Pursuit of Wellness - KK Fit Twins On Their Mental Health Transformation, From Extreme Dieting to Intuitive Eating, Binge Eating Struggles, Finding Self Love & Redefining Fitness

Episode Date: October 9, 2023

Ep. #43 Meet Kathryn and Kendra, better known as the KK Fit Twins. From cardio bunnies to heavy lifters, their journey is nothing short of inspiring. This episode explores their transition from a hardcore bodybuilding lifestyle to a more holistic, wellness-focused approach. We trace their steps from wanting to look the part, to cultivating a genuine passion for health and wellness. We take a leap into the deep end discussing mental health, a topic often neglected within the fitness industry, especially for public figures. Can you imagine the pressure of maintaining a certain body type while grappling with an internal identity crisis? Kathryn and Kendra open up about how they dealt with these challenges, applauding each other’s willingness to evolve and be vulnerable.  Finally, the KK Fit Twins share their personal struggles, the unique pressures of twin fitness, and how their upbringing influenced their previous extreme bodybuilding approach. We also examine how their view on health and fitness has evolved, the obstacles faced, and the powerful lessons learned. Let's delve into the enlightening conversation that marks a significant shift from the traditional fitness narrative to a more wholesome perspective. Super excited to announce that Bloom Greens are now RESTOCKED on Amazon! Order yours through Prime today! For Mari’s Instagram click here! For Pursuit of Wellness Podcast’s Instagram click here! For Kathryn and Kendra’s Instagram click here! For Kathryn and Kendra’s App “Strive” click here! For anyone struggling with an ED looking for support/resources click here For anyone struggling with their Mental Health looking for support/resources click here  Go to www.hellofresh.com/50pow and use code 50pow for 50% off Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @lumedeodorant and get $5of fo ff your Starter Pack (that’s over 40% off) with promocode [POW] at lume podcast.com! #lumepod Go to www.vionicshoes.com and use code POW15 at checkout for 15% off your entire order At Westin hotels, there’s amenities and offerings aimed to help you move well, eat well, and sleep well, so you can keep your well - being close, while away. Fi nd wellness on your next stay at Westin Try WHOOP for 1 month on us, and start the journey towards a healthier you for free Produced by Dear Media See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The following podcast is a Dear Media production. Mari has grown her to fitness and nutrition brand. Co-founder of Bloom Nutrition. Forbes 30 under 30 list. A successful entrepreneur. Someone who has lost 90 pounds. Today's guest is Mari Llewellyn. Mari Llewellyn.

My friend Mari. Welcome to the Pursuit of Wellness. Hi guys, welcome back to the Pursuit of Wellness podcast. Just a reminder, there are new episodes every single Monday. Tons of you listen, but only a small percentage subscribe. So don't forget to hit that button so you're notified every time a new episode drops. I don't want you guys missing any of this good info or any good conversations. So in honor of Mental Health Day tomorrow, I wanted to bring on two highly requested guests, Kat and Kendra of the KK Fit Twins. They are two OGs in the fitness industry.

Many of you may know them from their heavy lifting as well as their extreme bulking and cutting phases. They've gone through many different physique transformations. However, their content has really shifted over the past year. They underwent an intense mental health challenge and have found a new approach to fitness after going through so much. I have gotten to know them personally and heard a ton about their story. I really, really resonated with them. And I really appreciate the girls for coming on the show and being so candid with me today. I know it's not easy. We got really deep and really honest. They were so real and raw. And I know so many of you are going to relate and gain a ton from this episode. We talk about transitioning from extreme bodybuilding to a more intuitive and balanced approach, mental health struggles as public figures, struggling with identity, cutting phases and

caloric intake, a relationship slash engagement update, which many of you asked about, skin, gym shock, and so much more. With that said, I do want to give a trigger warning on this episode we discuss eating disorders and mental health struggles I am going to link resources in the show notes if you are struggling with either of these things mental health day is coming up and mental health is such an underlying theme of the show and has been an underlying theme of my whole life so I'm really really happy that we are talking about it today in such a candid way. With that said, let's welcome Kat and Kendra to the pursuit of wellness. Today, I am honored to be joined by two amazing, strong women for their first podcast ever. Kat and Kendra, also known as the KK Fit Twins. Welcome to the show. Thank you, Mar.

Not a same exact thing. You guys listening probably know these two as the KK Fit Twins. I've personally been following them since the beginning of my journey in 2017. Holy cow. Now we've become IRL friends. IRL. Which the followers are really excited about. You guys are OG fitness influencers, gymshark girlies,

who recently transitioned from an extreme bodybuilding lifestyle to more of a wellness approach, which I really, really love. Seems like you guys are really prioritizing self-love, mental health, hormone health. I think so many people listening are going to relate. Every time we get into our chats, I'm like, I cannot wait to get on the mic with you guys. Same. So let's start. Please introduce yourselves so everyone listening can differentiate the voices. I am Catherine. I'm Ken. I don't know if you're going to be able to tell that much of a difference in the voices. I feel like people think that we have an accent. You kind of do. We both kind of like have the same like voice and tone, but. I feel like, so Kat's talking right now. I feel like my voice is a little bit raspy at the

moment. People have said that my voice is like a tad bit deeper than Kenny's, but. That's how we'll differentiate. Okay. But also a lot of people watch on video, so they can tell by the outfit. Okay. Amazing. Kat's in the black, Ken's in the neutrals, the creams. Thanks for differentiating, guys. Love it. So let's start all the way at the beginning. I want to hear how you guys got into fitness. Like, why did it interest you to begin with? And when did you start? I guess I will start. This is Ken speaking. So we both played soccer for about, I played personally for 17 years, played a little bit through junior college. You were dating a guy at the time that was like into lifting. And so I, when I was playing soccer, I blew out both of my knees. I tore my right and my left ACL when I was like, okay, I feel like this isn't something

that I can like sustain, but I like want to continue being active. I remember at the time, like even in high school, we were like just straight cardio bunnies. I remember even back then, like even when we were playing soccer, we were always kind of intrigued with the fit look and we were good at playing soccer, but we also wanted to like kind of look the part and that I feel like that can go back even further disregarding like body image, like when, when you're younger and whatnot. But that's when going back to what Ken said, that's when we kind of got into lifting. I was scared to lift just because I didn't want to get like too muscular or too bulky as the kind of stereotypical girl goes through. And then I was,

like Ken said, dating a guy who was into lifting and kind of like showed us the way. Yeah. And then we fast forward maybe like two or so years, we had the lifting part down, but we didn't have the nutrition part down. And it was kind of like a rat race. We're like, we're in the gym working out so hard, but nothing's really changing all that much. Like we're getting stronger, but physically we just kind of like look the same. But I feel like during that time too, like we thought like, like nutrition wise, we're like, okay, like eat less, eat less. Like we wanted to like lose weight. Like I feel like we were kind of like in quotes, like skinny fat. So we wanted to like lose weight, but we also wanted to like build muscle. We just didn't know how to go about it so transitioning we're like okay like we need to change something so we

started doing research and i remember we were looking was it page hathaway was she yeah like fitness og i saw her at air one the other day what in la yes i freaked out i would i feel like i wouldn't really fangirl over many people. I would be like, I would be sore struck. I was, I said hi. And I was like, you're amazing. I didn't know that she lived here. And she looks incredible still. How old is she now?

And she's a baby. She's a baby. I know. But yeah, she was an OG. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. And that fitness era was like a whole other thing.

I know. I remember we looked up to, I think it was Paige Hathaway and then Jessica Orvilleau at the time. Which she was doing bikini competitions and stuff at the time. Like we were super into the, attracted to like the super lean, like muscular look. Yeah. But we just didn't know how to get there. I know. Well, it is confusing when you first start.

And I also came into the industry when it was like the bikini competitor era. And I remember following Miss Olympia, Miss Bikini Olympia at the time and just doing everything she did, which has its own problems in itself. But it does kind of teach you about nutrition. Were you guys ever interested in competing or it was simply for passion? It's so funny because I feel like we've we had always been super passionate about lifting and just overall fitness outside of competing. And then there was this lady who she was like some jack bodybuilder at our gym. Her name was Patty. And she had, we had talked with her a few times and she was like, you guys should compete. We're like, oh no, whatever, whatever. And then we'd see her again, like, oh, you guys should compete.

We're like, okay, like, let's just try it and see kind of like what can happen. And she gave us like a meal plan, a workout plan. I think we did it for a week and we're like, okay, like, let's just try it and see kind of like what can happen. And she gave us like a meal plan, a workout plan. I think we did it for a week and we're like, no, like, I'm not. I feel like it just, it really just took the fun out of it. Yeah. Yeah. I could see that. It's very structured.

Yes. It was like too much pressure. It makes it a job. I remember literally only being able to eat like sweet potato, chicken, tilapia, and asparagus, and like maybe oatmeal. And 12 almonds. Like it was just insane. It was like super specific. That was insane. Which I get it if you're, if you are like competing and trying to go down that route, you do have to be very like on it with your nutrition. Like I'm sure we, we were even, I mean, going into the whole bodybuilding space, like going through bulking and cutting, fast forwarding a little bit.

We were super dialed in and like super on it. And we were very passionate about it for a long time. Right. And I feel like if you have very specific like performance and physique goals, I feel like that is a route to go. There's a time and a place. There's definitely a time and a place. Yeah, there's definitely a time and a place. There's definitely a time and a place. Yeah, there's definitely a time and a place. So fall is here. Everyone's back to school, back in the office.

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Find wellness on your next stay at Westin. So when did you guys start the Instagram page, KKFit? Oh my gosh. Well, I think I was the one who, KK Fit? Oh my gosh. Well, I think I was the one who started. I remember laying on my bed. Ken and I shared a room. I was laying on my bed and I would post on my personal page. This was in high school.

Just like food that I would bring to class or like food that I was eating. High school? High school. Yes. I didn't even know what Instagram was. I was like, I'm not getting this. This is weird. And I... Oh my God. Yes. I remember being like know what Instagram was. I was like, I'm not getting this. This is weird.

And I, yes, I remember being like, what should our username be? And our friend Alyssa was over and she was like, have it be something twins. So we were like health nut, health nut fit twins, health nut underscore fit twins. It used to be health nut fit twins. For like a couple years. For a couple years, even like after we had gained a following and we're like, okay, this is like, imagine you were still the health nut twins. I'm dead. I know. I know. Thank God for the rebrand. Thank God for the rebrand. Oh my goodness. Could you imagine? Hi, are you the health nut twins? Like, oh my goodness. So that's when we kind of started and it started out by just being kind of like a food diary, right? Like didn't really think anything of it. And then our friends would be like, well, you guys should post your workouts also. We like okay yeah like that kind of goes hand in hand together so I

remember we started like how do we do this like I felt just awkward on camera like timid obviously because you're putting yourself out there and anyone can say anything that they want you know what I mean but like okay like we need to remember like we love doing this I'm sure other people could fall in love with doing it also if they just start doing it. So kind of just remembering that as we went and we started, I remember going through our first, when it started kind of taking off, we had gone through, was it like our first cut? I think it was our first like fat loss phase. And we just had physically changed a decent amount. So that was super appealing to people. People liked just following that journey. And then

we're like, okay, like we want to be, I like am over the cutting phase. I want to go back into a building phase. So we went through maybe like an eight month building phase and people would follow along with that. And then I think our second cut is when things really took off. We're like super muscular, really strong. And that's kind of how it started. We were just super consistent with posting and super passionate. I remember we would go to like Dick's Sporting Goods and get like all the cute outfits. Like Ken, I remember Ken went to Lululemon one day and she like came back to the gym. She's like, I got the cutest outfits. I would just be so excited to record it in the cute outfit. I did the same thing. It was

so important also to have a different look in every video, a different hairstyle, the tan, the hair, everything was important. It's a lot. And did you guys do like the scroll posts? Or like how did you go about posting the workouts? I forget the scroll. What was the scroll post? I forget what that was. We had just the, so before the scroll post was, there was no scroll, right? Just a video.

It was just a video. It was just one. So we would have like seven different exercises in one video. And we would have each clip be like, I think it was like four to six seconds was like our happy number. You guys really were known for the bulking and cutting cycle. Like that's what I knew you guys for. And people love a transformation. I mean, that's what gets engagement. That's how my page really took off from my personal transformation. And I feel like people really knew you guys for that era.

For anyone listening who doesn't understand what a bulk and a cut is, can you just explain it in more detail? Yeah, I would say so. The reasons why we would bulk would be to gain strength and then put on more muscle and then to also give our bodies a little bit of a break from being in a calorie deficit. So we would do that by, at the time we were tracking our macros. So we would increase our calories slowly by following a reverse diet, which is the approach of increasing your calories just slowly up to maintenance. And then either then, I guess that wouldn't really be the bulk and then we would push ourselves into a calorie surplus to then more quickly put on muscle and just like expedite the process of building so

we would go through that process for about eight months and then that also was like looking back though like the extreme that we would go to I like, we were just very extreme on both ends. Like we would, I remember like stuffing our faces with food just to hit our calories, which is like so much stress on the body and just probably not overall that great for you. But looking back, we were just so dedicated. So we, I would say that is what, do you have anything that you want to add? Yeah, I would say that is what the bulk have anything that you want to add yeah I would say that is what the bulk would be it's just pushing yourself into a calorie surplus in order to build strength and muscle mass and then also just repairing our metabolism that way when we were

in when we like wanted to go through a proper cutting phase like our bodies would actually be able to respond and like drop weight and also so that when we did cut we wouldn't have to go down super low calories like we could get pretty dang lean I think the lowest that we went was like 1600 which is and we were like shredded so it's like it wasn't it wasn't that and it's low but it's not like no it's not like that low I remember watching your what I eat in a days and you guys were eating a decent amount and you were so lean did it feel like you were restricting to you or you felt pretty satisfied? I think that during I think during like the cutting phase I feel like we're satisfied but definitely at the end I would have like cravings for things like binging episodes like that nobody

really talks about I definitely during that phase, I feel like I thought it was sustainable. But looking back now, I'm like, okay, probably not. You know, I've talked about this on the show before. And I feel like there's such a thin line between living a healthy lifestyle and setting a goal and then over restricting. So many people in the fitness industry have come out and said that they have struggled with that. I personally have. I never struggled with my relationship with food.

I feel so grateful that I haven't. But anytime I pushed my body too much, I found myself obsessing over food and body image. It's the craziest thing. Like you, because when we were cutting, like we would definitely be, I remember being so food focused and that was all I would think about was like, okay, like how can I be when we were cutting, like how can I be the fullest, like the most satiated, but still maintain

like this lean physique? Like I remember being so hungry and I would eat like, I would eat oatmeal and peanut butter like, I don't know, three times a day because I, that's just like what I craved at the time. And I feel like I consistently kind of had a sweet tooth too. So we would kind of try to find things to like curb that. And then it is just, it is a weird concept because like when you are lean and you go through like this fat loss phase, right? You're like, you get this attention or you you feel you feel good exterior exteriorly and you attach like your self-worth to that yeah because like you're feeling so good like people are complimenting you xyz like little do people

know that you're like okay like all I'm thinking about is food all the time. Like that's no way to live, you know, or even going on trips. Like I remember not wanting to go on like vacations or trips because I'd be like, oh my gosh, like just so stressed out. Like what am I going to eat? Like am I going to have a gym to go to? Like if dad's cooking X, Y, Z and everyone else is eating that, and I want to eat something else, like are they going to judge me? Like, it was just so much. Like, it was a lot. I can relate so much. And I've been on trips where I am paranoid and worried about everything I'm putting in my mouth to the point where I'm not enjoying the trip anymore.

And it's so sad when I look back on it. But when you're in it, there's a whole other layer of pressure when your livelihood depends on it. And when you have an influx of people watching you and when you're known for the transformation of it all yeah that's when it gets mentally difficult I think I agree I agree I feel like having to kind of like uphold I feel like we are very much known for like the bulking and the cutting and then like also our performance and it's like our livelihood and our income like also like it depends on that. Yeah so

having that pressure like you mentioned is it's it can be a lot. It was a lot. I feel like even kind of transitioning to where we're at now like going through like the whole transformation thing like that does get a bunch of interaction like things are going good and like that's definitely a high like I feel like we kind of blew up in that way and it is it's a high it absolutely is a high like you're getting all this attention and like you're getting all these followers you're getting different business opportunities and you kind of you get like sucked into that kind of path and you're like, okay, like this is working. So you're just like, you continue to go and go and go and go. And then you do it again and again and again. And then you get kind of get to a point where you're like, okay, like who am I? What would I

be without social media? And am I even enjoying this for myself right am I doing am I doing it for all the external factors and the things that come with it like why am I actually doing this and that is can be such a mind fuck totally oh my gosh it's it was such like it created so much just confusion and like internal chaos it's your whole identity. Yeah. Yeah, completely. And then it's like, how do I, if I don't want to be doing this anymore, like how do I pivot and do something else? Yeah. Like what does the path look like now? And I want to applaud you guys so much because I think how open you've been and how open you're being right now to evolving and changing is so admirable because I think so many people

hold on to the old version of themselves because they don't want to publicly admit that they have found a better way. You know, like they don't want to say, oh, I've realized the way I was doing things wasn't the best way. And now I'm evolving. And I've done that a few times.

I think evolving and changing is a part of the human experience. And if we can be vulnerable and share it, like that adds so much value to everyone's life. That's so true. I love that. Imagine if you guys had just kept doing what you were doing and being miserable because you felt like you had to.

I feel like I was personally doing that for like six to eight months. Like when I was kind of going through everything. Yeah, when Kat was going through her mental health stuff in 2022, I was like, okay, Ken, tie your shoes tight because like I feel like I'm the only one like able to like do what we're doing. And it just, it became like. Something you resented. Yeah, it became something I resented. Yeah, completely. Because it's like an internal identity crisis. It's like I'm doing the things I think I should do,

but I don't want to be doing them. Right. And then also going through like mental health and then knowing nothing about nervous system regulation. I feel like that's a whole nother topic. Like I just, I could tell my body was in like myself too. Like I was under so much stress and I was like I have no other option but to continue training hard lifting sharing like what people

think is my passion little do I know that that's like actually doing more harm than good for me but I was like I feel like I have no other option because like without this like what is gonna happen which is another stressor in itself you know probably your way of supporting Kat during that time and as I wasn't doing I mean I was off of socials for a year I wasn't lifting like wasn't working out like was had no energy to do anything and in a way that's beautiful that you had each other during that because otherwise you know I don't know what would have happened and such such a great act of support the transition from summer to fall is here the air is feeling more crisp in the morning

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What would you guys say was the breaking point that you were like, something has to give? Oh my gosh. I feel like I should have listened to my breaking point probably long before my actual kind of rock bottom. But I would say, so kind of just to give a little bit of a background, I was in a relationship and I want to even get to that like further, like kind of like with where I am now, like regarding the situation. But I was in a relationship. I had kind of stress regarding social media and business at the time. I had gotten COVID back in August or September of 2021. And that like put me on my ass. Like I with severe brain fog, exhausted. And I feel like that kind of lingered. Like I had symptoms of long COVID for probably a year, just like brain fog would have just like episodes of being like

absolutely exhausted. But I also think it had to do with other outside stressors at the time. So I, that was August or September. And then I got engaged in October and that was also, I just, at the time I did feel like that was a little bit soon and that was another stressor, but I was like, okay, like we'll work through this. We had communicated about getting married, et cetera. And then I, at the time, Ken or our lease was going to be up. And then also Diego's lease was going to be up at the time. So, and then we also have like our accountants being like, oh, like you guys should buy, like you're in a place to buy, like instead of renting like X, Y, Z. So just kind of not being, not being super informed and kind of not having much of an opinion for myself. I feel like I made a decision that was, I made a decision just too soon. I bought a place,

I bought a place in Costa Mesa, like two months after I got engaged, we moved in together. It was just a lot at one time, like so many big life decisions all at once. I was so stressed out. I wasn't enjoying lifting at this time. So I was just like, okay, like the stress of like, what am I going to post on social media? What do I do activity wise to like maintain what I look like in order to keep going with socials? And then I remember just really not feeling like myself mentally and I remember just like just just in a very dark place and I remember going to Diego and being like something's like wrong with me like I don't I just I don't want to get emotional um just like okay hold on give me a second no you're fine don't worry it's okay I laugh that's what happens when you really when you really mean it you know like it was yeah it was really bad so I

remember and like we've talked about mental health also like it directly runs in my family my mom like passed away from it when Ken and I were eight and then my one of my siblings suffers from it severely so I was very scared with kind of the route that I was going down. I was like, oh my gosh, like, am I like, I felt like I was losing my mind and I was like, I was losing my mind. So I remember like going to Diego and be like, something's wrong. He's like, okay, well like, let's get you help. Like, you're going to be okay. Just super supportive. And I remember that's when I started therapy. And I had also, during my whole kind of like childhood and early like adult years, always being like, I don't need therapy. I'm not going to let my past hold me back, X, Y, Z. So I was,

at this point, I was like, okay, I need therapy because I need to kind of like figure out what's going on with me. So that was very helpful. I'm still seeing the same therapist and I absolutely love her. Like it's been absolutely life-changing. So after that, I remember going to get my blood work done because I was like, I remember I would like tell Ken and Diego, like something is wrong. It's like, I'm having symptoms of depression, but I feel like it's something more than that. Like I could tell that something like was wrong with my body or even like my brain, like my brain felt like it was just on fire, constantly on fire. And I didn't know why at the time. So I remember going to get my blood work

done. I went back and forth, I think three times to this naturopathic doctor and she, she was just like, what is going on? Like my cortisol was through the roof. She couldn't believe it. My thyroid was plummeted. She wanted to put me on like herbs and vitamins and stuff for my thyroid, but it was so low that she was like, we have to put you on like thyroid medication. And then I had dormant viruses from when I was younger coming up. I had mold in my body. I remember doing

like ozone therapy and my like blood wouldn't even come out because it was like so sludgy. Like it was like so thick. So that was going on at the time too. Like I was just so scared. And then I just mentally was just doing so horribly. And then I also felt this pressure then of like, I'm engaged, I'm a fiance and like, this is what is happening. Like he just proposed to me three, two or three months ago and I'm like shitting my pants. Like I'm like completely losing my mind. So I felt a lot of pressure with that also. There was a point in time, even with the house, where I couldn't, I like couldn't sleep there because I felt so triggered. I also, with buying the house, I think this is something that I didn't fully realize at the time,

but looking back, I feel like I wanted to, just like the pressure with society and stuff, it's like, okay, like you get engaged, you get married and then you buy a house. Like it was just the right next thing to do. And like, I wanted a like big, nice kitchen for social media to film with. And it was just, it was, it just all fell out of control. And then I kind of fast forward to when I started feeling better. So I, I talked about this on my YouTube video. I didn't go into this much detail, but regarding Diego and I, so I tried to break up with him because I was like, I can't be in a relationship. Like I'm just, I'm so mentally unwell. Like I don't want to be in a relationship right now. I just like physically can't. Well, I felt like I couldn't. I feel, maybe I feel like I wanted to, but I felt like I couldn't at the same time. So I like tried to break up with him.

He was like, are you sure this is what you want? And I was like, no, it's not what I want, but I feel like I kind of have to. So we ended up chit-chatting, we stayed together. And then I was like, okay, well, what is something else that I could do to relieve some stress? So I ended up selling the house. He moved into an apartment. I moved back into the complex that Ken was living at where we had lived together prior into a different unit. So now Diego and I are living separately. I'm like not doing good. And then maybe a few weeks go by, I try to break up with him again.

He's like, are you sure this is what you want? Because if we're like done, we're done. We're not going to go back and forth. So it was like same thing. Like we stayed together for a little bit longer. And then a few weeks later went. So it was like, same thing. Like we stayed together for a little bit longer. And then a few weeks later went by and I was like, I can't do this because I just felt myself continuing to decline. And then I feel like I'm rambling. No, you're good.

And then, so. I think a lot of people will really appreciate the details because I had a lot of questions actually about like the living situation, engagements. I think you're clearing up a lot of questions. Okay. Okay. So kind of fast forward. I was living in a different unit than Ken and I was always staying at Ken's place just because I couldn't be alone.

Like I was like, I was just living in terror like every single day. Like if I would, I was just like so easily triggered by everything. So I was like, okay, I need to be around either Ken or Kayleen. Kayleen's our best friend since kindergarten. Love her. And I was like, okay, I never want to post on social media again. Like I just don't want to do it. And our day to day is like, we have meetings regarding like Strive or content that we're going to get, et cetera, like YouTube. And I just like couldn't hear any of it because I was so, I just felt so disconnected from it. And I just didn't, I just didn't want anything to do with it. So I literally remember going into, and I was so serious. I remember

watching this girl's YouTube videos and like, she was baking and I was like, I want to be a baker. I'm not kidding. I went into the Whole Foods bakery and asked if they were hiring. Cause I was like, I need, I was asked if they were hiring because I was like, I need, I was like, I need structure because I was like, I felt like I was just floating through my days. Yeah. And I didn't want, I didn't want to be in the gym. I didn't want to eat healthy. I just didn't want anything to do with what I, I guess, tied my identity to. Like, I feel like I was just shedding just all of this bullshit. I can relate in so many ways because I think when you live an extreme lifestyle where you

do the same things over and over and over and it's stressful and it's hard I have mental breakdowns frequently where I'm like I'm gonna be a farmer yeah I'm done like I will when I'm spiraling I watch YouTube videos of people farming and And I'm like, I want to do that. That's not out of the picture for you. It's not out of the question. It's not out of the question. I completely understand where you're coming from. It's like a complete rejection of everything that you know,

because suddenly it isn't working anymore. And you feel so separate. Like I felt so disconnected from myself too, because that was like a part of me that did work for so long and like did work very hard. And I do like love some of those traits that she had or has or that I have. And I just felt like it brought me, I resented it just because I felt like it had got me into the position that I currently was in. Right. So at that point in time, I was like, okay, what am I going to do realistically? Like I need to be time, I was like, okay, what am I gonna do realistically?

Like I need to be working. I can't just not have a job. Like, no. So- And at this time, Kendra, were you- At this time? Oh my gosh. Where were you at?

Like, what were you doing? Oh my goodness. At this time, so Kat's kind of downward with mental health started early 2022. And then for like a six month period or maybe like a four to six month period, I was like, oh my gosh, like I was feeling so good. I feel like part of my like purpose and passion was like to help support Kat, to like just like be there for her. I just like

felt really good. Kat was picking out my clothes for me. Like I was like picking out her outfits. Like I was just, I felt. I was so overstimulated. Yeah, like I just. I was like going to her appointments with her. I'm like, I was feeling really good at the time. I was also in a relationship that just added like a lot of stress and pressure to me. And that was just kind of very like much so up and down. But I remember at that point in time, like he like was very supportive.

So I just felt like things in my personal life were like going pretty well. And then I just started not feeling like the best mentally. And I'm like, is this like a placebo effect? I'm like, am I like convincing myself that I'm not feeling well because I know Kat's not feeling well? Like I was like, is this like, it was just confusing. It was really confusing. Like I just started having really similar symptoms as Kat. So I, at that time was doing everything social wise, like basically everything business wise, which was a lot. Cause I feel like we typically balanced off each other. Like if I wasn't doing that good,

like Kat would pick up the slack. And then like, if she wasn't doing that good, I would pick up the slack. So I feel like I had kind of like nothing left to like hang on to or like fall back on. So I was like, okay, like I just continued to just like push and push and push. And even though like my internal being and like my intuition and like so many other factors were telling me to like slow down, I like couldn't. I just like feel like I couldn't, which created so much just like stress and internal turmoil um and then also kind of like I was so worried for Kat like I just like wanted her to be okay I'm like gonna cry um but like it was also like what the fuck you know what it means like I didn't

understand like what was going on um so I feel like there was like in a sense like a little bit of like also like resentment but like I also cared so much. I was like no like don't come back. Don't come back. Like do what you need to do. Like take take your time. So it got to a point where I was like okay. I was like this isn't good. And if like we both continue going down this road, like it's just not going to be good. So finally kind of like setting our ground. Yeah. Finally like setting our ground. We're like, okay, we clearly need to take a break. It needs to be more than like a week or a few days. So we took, we decided to take a month off of socials and mind you at that time where we had like just been coming out with our app we're like working just hard behind

the scenes our app was supposed to launch in like during black friday um and at that time like we both we both like really really weren't doing that well this was at the end of 2022 um which is tough because you have a team of people relying on you for sure. Yeah. And like our brand is like. And millions of people. Yeah. Like we're launching this brand new thing. I'm like little do people know like we're just doing both so not well.

Just so terrible. And they would have had no idea. No idea. We were kind of open about it. But it got to a point where I'm like I can't continue to share. Like I just need to figure out my stuff. Like I need to just chill for a little bit. And everyone was so supportive. I remember making one or two posts. Ken kind of pushed me just to like make, she's like, you need to tell people what's going on. I was like, I don't know what's going on. Like, how am I supposed to write

something? I'm just like, just write exactly how I'm feeling. That just feels like not a cry for help, but I also didn't want the sympathy from like, or I didn't want the sympathy and I didn't want, I guess like recommendations or to believe that I actually did have all the support because then I thought that that would be an even bigger pressure for me to get better. Yes. Right. Yes. It's also just the feedback in itself. Like sometimes you just want to sit with your own shit for a second. Yes. You have to. Because the second you post something, it's like, have you tried this? Maybe you should try this. It's overwhelming. Right. Even with my acne when I post about it, it's like an influx. And then suddenly everyone feels like they have

the right to tell you how to live your life or to suggest things. And it's maybe you just need to be alone for a minute. And it's like you want to let people know what is going on. But then there's also that side of it where it's just so overwhelming. So how long did you guys end up taking off like total? I think we did like a month and a half. I think we aimed for a month and it was like a month and a half. I think it was two months.

I mean, Kat was off an entire year. Over a year. Kat was month and a half. I think we aimed for a month and it was like a month and a half. I think it was two months. I mean, Kat was off an entire year. For me, it was like over a year. Kat was off for a year. I was like, fuck this. I'm done. He's like, I'm out. Yeah. And what did you do?

And then also, also, not to interrupt, but also at that point, she had gained. How much did you gain? Oh my gosh. I was, yeah, going through everything. I just felt, I fell back into just like old eating habits and I was like I was binging and purging like multiple times a day and I would I was doing that for like a couple of weeks I had gained I had gained I think 50 pounds within the span of like nine months nine to eleven months And then so that was also,

that was another kind of battle in itself. Like I was like, we're in this fitness space and here I am like gaining a bunch of weight. I'm like not working out. Like it wasn't good weight. I looked unhealthy. I was super inflamed. I was like embarrassed to go into the gym or like see people that I knew. Cause I'd be like, I just felt like they would look at me and be like, oh my God, like what happened? Of course that nobody would say that actually but that's just how I kind of felt that and I feel like during that time like I like felt for you but I was also like okay this is now putting even more pressure on myself because I feel like now I have to like uphold this image and like be like kk fit whatever that is do you think the fact that you guys are twins almost like added to that pressure?

Because if you were just sisters, you wouldn't have this, your business partners, your twins, your friends, like in a way it adds a level of support, but in a way it also adds a level of pressure because if one's struggling, it's on the other one. I agree. I agree.

For me going through it like even when I was taking a break since Ken was posting I felt like I never fully got a break because I feel I was still kind of like wrapped up in like I was still hoping with some content like I would like help set stuff up or like film you or whatever. Like I feel like I never fully got to detach from it. So that was definitely a challenge. And then I also feel like because I was posting, it didn't really give like our audience a chance to like really realize that like you were severely suffering. Like I think people just maybe I, I, I imagined that you were feeling like this. I don't know if you were actually feeling like this but that like people thought you were fine and that like everything was good

well because a lot of the time people don't know which one's yeah exactly I don't think people know so people just you know they just have no idea like it's like it's yeah it's gonna get I think honestly I think that may be the case before I I knew you guys in person, like now when I sit with you, I know who's who. But when I would just tune into your page, it could have been either of you. And I wouldn't have known the brand was still existing. Like it was still going. And that also must be difficult

when you're struggling with your identity in itself. It's like people don't even really know who I am. Yeah, no, it totally was. Like I'm over here kind of going the opposite direction of what our business was and then Ken still like, Ken still posting and doing everything that's in line with it. So I felt like, okay, well, if I ever come back, I have to be that again. Otherwise, what's going to happen? It was just so scary in your head. I feel like it's just so overwhelming. On this healing journey, what do you think were the major steps you took to get where you are now? Because now I feel like you guys are thriving. You're living authentically. You

seem healthy inside and out. What do you feel like were the main things that you had to do during that time? I feel like for me, one therapy has been huge, really learning how to like actually trust myself and listen to my intuition. So I feel like for so long, I didn't. I was also in a relationship that was very kind of like up and down and emotionally like very stressful. And I removed myself from that, which I think was the right decision and allowed me to just like actually kind of like relax and figure out like what I wanted to do. Yeah, I would say those would be like the main. Kind of going off Ken's absolutely therapy. Just to be able to, I remember, I feel

like I've always been somebody to be like to I remember I feel like I've always been somebody to be like I don't know how I'm feeling this type of way but like I didn't know how to express my emotions I just would kind of bottle everything in not ever talk about just how I was feeling I genuinely didn't know how to like I remember my therapist asking like what are you feeling and to be like I don't know I'm just having these symptoms and then we would kind of break it down like where are you feeling it in your body and then we would kind of dive deeper into that so absolutely therapy and then also kind of pairing off of what Ken said just making no matter how hard the decisions are you know in your gut you know like whether you're doing the right thing or not. And like to not ignore that and to trust that,

lean into it, know that everything's going to be okay. And just to have, like have, have some type of hope. Like I remember just being, I remember feeling so hopeless and Ken would be like, just kind of rooting me on and being my cheerleader. Like, it's okay that you're feeling like this, but like, you're not going to feel like this forever. Like actually know, actually knowing that you're not going to be in this situation forever. So I would say, yeah, therapy and then just making the difficult decision, even if you know, what's going to be like the most challenging thing ever. Yeah. I feel like something that also really helped was like hanging out with more friends, like being more social, even if it feels a little bit uncomfortable.

I feel like for so long, I would only hang out with like Kat, Kayleen, the guy I was with at the time, and maybe like a couple other friends sporadically. But I feel like really prioritizing relationships has just, I don't know, helped me like feel more connected to like them, myself. Like I learn more about myself every time I hang out with somebody, which is so cool. I feel like we both made the decision also to go back to school to like have something else for ourselves. I think connecting with people is a huge one because one thing I realized is if you can show up at the lowest version of yourself and still get love from someone and be able to tell them what you're

experiencing and they still love you back and don't abandon you. For me, that was huge because I kind of have abandonment issues. And I think in my head, I thought it's better to self-isolate than show up as this version of me because they're never going to want to see me again. To show up and connect regardless of how insecure you're feeling, I feel like just bolsters your confidence and shows you that people are still there for you no matter what. And it also reminds you of like who you are because you can get so lost in your thoughts when you're isolated and just like not hanging out with anybody

and then you just rabbit hole every single little thing. Like I feel like when you're with other people, even if they don't bring the best out of you, you just remember who you are. Yeah. 100%. Especially if you find the right people, they can reflect back the best version of you and you can laugh again. And I think it really does bring a positive energy. Yeah, yeah. I agree. It can give you a necessity. What would you guys say is your perspective on health and fitness now today compared to what it used to be?

Oh my gosh, I feel like so much has changed. Looking back, I'm like, I cannot even believe that we used to like slam pre-workout six days a week, lift heavy, hitting PRs like every three days, like insane. I'm just like, I can't, I can't imagine like how much havoc that was just putting on our bodies and our nervous system. So I remember I was going to say also like we were also tracking macros at the time. So I feel like we're very, we thought we were like in tune with nutrition and I feel

like I've always been passionate about nutrition, but I feel like we weren't aware of like the actual quality of products and like food we're putting on our body like nor did we have any idea about like hormonal health any of that so it's like we're just like protein carbs fats like let's hit the numbers and we thought that was healthy and I feel like our perspective if you want to dive more into that. Yeah, I would say we're both eating intuitively now. I feel I'm personally trying to eat whole nutrient dense foods. I am just really focusing on what I'm putting in my body. I'm trying to make sure I'm eating a decent amount of protein. Amazing for overall hormonal health.

I feel like I'm finally in tune with myself where I can, I can, I know when I'm hungry and I know when I'm full. I feel like in the past it was like, I couldn't leave a bite on my plate because I would have the bite and then I would still, I would like, I would still want more. I feel like it was just a, like, okay, I need to sit down, eat my food and then like, go, like go do go do something. Now I feel like I can, yeah, I'm just, I feel, I feel a lot more in tune with myself. I feel at peace. I don't feel overwhelmed by food. I feel like I, we have intertwined just more forms of exercise, which has been really fun opposed to just lifting all the time. Like try to do Pilates once every two weeks, try to do yoga once a week. And then

I'm lifting like three days a week. I'm walking a lot, which I just feel like is overall so good for me. I just feel overall a lot more balanced and sustainable. I feel, what else? I'm taking my vitamins every day, which is amazing. Whenever I see you guys, you ask me questions about the previous podcast episode, which I love the fact that you listen to the podcast. Oh my gosh, it's our favorite. It's our absolute favorite. We talk about each other all the time. These are my biggest fans, guys.

Literally are, Mar. I love you guys so much. Seriously, they always are like, so that part of the Paul Saladino episode where he said this, what did he mean by that? And I'm like, oh my gosh, I love you guys. Thank you for listening. You're like, wait, I don't even know

what you're talking about. I'm like, I don't remember the conversation. They're like taking notes. Where would you guys say your body image is at now compared to what it was at during the bulking and cutting phase? Yes, that's a good question. I feel like when we're bulking and cutting, we were so like attached to our bodies and cared so much about what we looked like which I feel like served its purpose but I feel like it also did probably more harm than good I feel like now I'm like yesterday I didn't have the best body image day but I'm like I feel good with where I'm at I'm like I'm a little bit like I guess you could say

like thicker or like a little bit softer but I'm not it doesn't like determine my happiness it doesn't determine like if I'm gonna go on a date if I'm gonna hang out with a friend if I'm gonna like wear a certain thing I just feel like really good overall with where I'm at I'm like although I although like I would of course like I would like to have like tweaks and like change like a few things but I don't feel like consumed or like obsessed with my image. Yeah. I was going to say, I don't think it's a bad thing to like, also to want to look better. I feel like there is this, there is this, I guess like stereotype of like, I feel like I a hundred percent had to learn how to love myself even in order to like move in a healthy direction regarding my body image

and just like making good choices. I feel like we definitely don't tie as much just so overall self-worth to like what our exterior looks like. But I also don't think it's like, I still do have like goals, but I'm just like not so wrapped up in that. Like it's not my whole livelihood. I love that. There's a gray area. I think on the internet people want a black and white solution you can love yourself and be happy with where you're at but also still want to get better absolutely I don't know about you guys but I think back to the times of my life when I was my leanest and I was my most insecure like I was literally more confident when I was heavier wow isn't that because I feel like when you're leaner and you're so obsessed with how you look and how you eat you get a skewed image of how

you look because you do I would do body checks all day oh my gosh every time I get the chance to look at my stomach in a mirror I'm doing it the reflection on the cars walking by like oh yeah no I want to throw up thinking yeah yeah everywhere every two seconds do I still have abs do I still have abs do I still have insane oh I ate a crumb and they're gone. Insane. And they're not getting lean as I was yesterday or filming a video and being like looking back. I remember not even posting. I look back now and I'm like, I was literally shredded, but I remember like, I remember that specific day put me back in the moment, like wanting to tweak this or this or like not posting it because I didn't look like lean or

jacked enough it's crazy I have the same experiences I look back on these like vacation content I have that I never posted because I thought that I was too heavy and I'm the leanest I've ever been yeah isn't that bizarre what the brain does and it makes me shiver thinking about it I remember like when Kat and I first moved to Orange County, I remember being so excited because we'd go through our broking and cutting phases. I was like, oh, like we'll be lean during the summer. Like I was just like so excited to like go out and be lean.

Not that I'm saying that that's a bad thing, but I remember that that was like what I also tied like my most like happy moments and like joy to was just being like tiny and small, which I just feel like is not a sustainable, like good place to so I feel good with where I'm at yeah yeah thank goodness yeah what would you guys say are your main priorities now health-wise oh my gosh overall health-wise I would say my main priority right now would definitely be like continuing with where I'm going with my mental health. And then also like nervous system regulation.

I feel like if you're like I was in fight or flight for so long that I feel like I was probably in fight or flight my whole entire life without knowing it. And then I was just even more heightened going through that whole transitional period. But knowing what it's like to be in a sympathetic state, I'm like, I remember even doing therapy sessions with my therapist and she would have me do like a body meditation or a body scan. And I remember being like, if I could only just feel like this all the time, like I actually feel normal. And then like that would kind of like wear off after a few days and then like, you know, whatever. But I feel, yeah, I feel like having my nervous system regulated that way I can just like think thoroughly, be at peace, feel at peace and take that into, take that into my days with me. And then to also just be consistent with exercise and nutrition as

the way that I have been doing. Of course, I'm like still learning a lot regarding like hormonal health and stuff, which is so exciting. It can also be a little bit overwhelming because I hear this and then I hear this. So I'm like, okay, finding what works for me. Am I even answering the question? Yes, you are.

Yeah, you are. Yeah, you are. I'm like, honestly, my answer would probably be the same. Well, Ken and I live together still. So I feel like a lot of the things that we do now are she's like oh i did a jumping meditation this morning like i feel like i feel so good i'm like cat send it to me like a jumping meditation she's like is that i need that it was it was good it was on the app it was on the app calm and they have like these so i'll do i also want to really start prioritizing

meditation a little bit more i think that when I used to hear the word meditation like years ago, I'd be like, ew, or just like, I can't. No, I'm a hardcore girl. You know what I mean? But I'm like, okay, wow, just really being able to calm and ease your mind. Yeah, to calm, to self-soothe myself because I didn't know how to do that for the longest time. I would just freak out. Wow. That's powerful, honestly. And I feel like the thing I keep thinking about do you guys feel like that extreme phase you were in you were kind of running away from something I feel like we've talked about this I'm like I feel like growing up we didn't really have like that much like stability um in regards to just our upbringing so really have like that much like stability in regards to just our upbringing.

So I feel like that was like the one thing that we had control over and it felt good to like know where we were going. Like I feel like the gym was our safe place. Yeah, to have control over like our training, our appearance, the way we looked. I feel like we're very passionate about it as well. Kind of like no matter what's going on in the outside world or like what's going on at home, like we can still get dressed and we can still go to the gym and like make ourselves feel better. So powerful. Like I think what you said sums it up and I can relate in so many ways. And honestly, maybe we needed it at the time. I love the quote, what used to serve you isn't going to serve you for the rest of your life.

That's not the exact quote, but whatever worked for us at that time was maybe what we needed to survive, but it isn't necessarily what's going to take us to the next level. And I feel like you guys

kind of had that realization. Unfortunately, it was a kind of a drastic realization that you were like oh shit we need to change something but now looking back are you so grateful that you had that rock bottom moment absolutely yeah looking back I'm like if I can pull myself out of something so heavy and so dark like I can truly get through anything like I feel I feel like the most confident with myself I feel like if if anything comes at me and is

gonna kind of like of course things are gonna happen in life but if things are kind of like threatened to knock me off my rocker or like intrude on just like my well-being or my overall emotional peace or mental peace like I know how to set a boundary for myself I feel like looking back like I was always just such a people pleaser and would like would want to be liked or I would not want to bring something up in a relationship because I wouldn't want the confrontation like I just feel I'm so grateful to have gone through that because I just feel it has served me so well but also my relationship so well I feel like for me too, I'm like, I feel, I'm like, I feel very grateful that I went through everything. I feel like I always wanted to have

just like more wisdom and like more depth and like know more about myself. But I was like, how do I get there? Like, I feel like so many people are talking about and just are like, just so connected to themselves and like so self-aware, but I feel like I wanted that so bad, but I was just like, how do I get there? And I feel like I can actually like say that I'm there because of everything and just by having that experience. So yeah. You kind of need to lose everything.

I'm like, I know that I learned so many damn lessons. My gosh. Some I may take back. you know what I mean I'm just like I feel like I learned just so much throughout that whole process looking ahead where do you see yourselves going next your apps drive any other business endeavors life in general yeah oh my gosh yeah what are we thinking oh my goodness I feel oh that's definitely a big question I feel bakery bakery freaking maybe a farm I'm like whenever people are like wait like do you ever see yourself moving I'm like I would love to have a farm like genuinely I just feel like Orange County can be so fast-paced there's's so many successful people, like beautiful, successful everywhere you look.

Like it definitely can be the pressure. It's just like overwhelming. And it just it is what it is. But oh, my gosh, regarding Strive. So I I would love to have a platform that is just like overall more versatile. So maybe having like some trainers coming on for I'm like we've been loving Pilates and yoga. So just having just more versatile. So maybe having like some trainers coming on for, I'm like, we've been loving Pilates and yoga. So just having just more variety, like we are still, we are still lifting and I feel like lifting girlies, but I definitely do feel more inclusive to other things, maybe having like a meditation on there. So just really trying to, I don't know,

focus on what other people need in that aspect. I feel like it's been fun to work on. Yeah, sure. It's enjoyable for sure. I feel like personally, like we're both, I'm in, we're both in school part-time from Monday to Thursday at night. And I just, I'm like, I want to travel. I feel like I'm like finally like in a place to travel. Like I just want to explore. I love that. I feel like that's where I'm at personally. and just being able to stay in my body and like you know being able to continue to have a peace of mind I feel like that's my main priorities right now I love that yeah what are you both doing at school by the way I have two more months left I know like five I'll graduate in January okay the latest I could graduate is March like

if my attendance isn't the best but I'm thinking January. Which has been so fun to be able to like just focus on something else other than fitness and I do feel like it kind of is all intertwining regarding like skin and health and wellness. Yes. So that's been super cool just to learn more about just the skin and like products and different facials, et cetera. Our older sister was always super into skincare. So I feel like that's why we're like, we've always been into skincare. Yeah. She was like wearing sunscreen on us. Yeah. So yeah. Well, you guys are glowing lately. Thanks more. Do you think it's because you're like absorbing all this information and applying it in your own skincare routines?

I feel like it's more like internal. I feel like it's internal. Yeah. Just like shedding all the shit. Like I feel like I'm like, no matter my face, like it's constantly changing. But the more I feel like that I am able to just kind of like release and work through, I feel like you have like an internal glow. I love that.

You know, you get it. You have it. 100%. I've been through shit with my skin. Yeah. And I have to say whenever I'm the most stressed and the most activated is when my skin is at its worst. When I obsess over my skin, it looks worse and worse. I know.

And when I stop thinking about it, it gets better. Do you pick or are you a picker? Yeah. Me too. I'm such a bad picker. Yeah. You know what it is? I have really bad mental health genetics in my family, like OCD.

And I think it's an OCD tendency. Yeah. Or like a little bit of a self-harm tendency. Yeah. Honestly. Yeah. I've kind of been looking into that. And that's why I have a lot of scarring.

I need to look more into it. Because I have a little tool. Or yeah, our mom was a huge picker. I remember like seeing her when we were younger, like in the sink, in the mirror, just like digging at her skin. Ah. And I feel like that could be. Yeah.

Yeah. That's so interesting. I know. It's something I'm working on. Do you guys mind if we do some fan Q&A? Let's do it. Rapid fire. Rapid fire.

Perfect timing. Okay, rapid fire, rapid fire. How do you become a Gymshark athlete? Oh my gosh. I feel like just sharing your journey, like having a purpose behind the content that you're sharing, like tagging the company would help um wearing the clothes obviously and just staying true to yourself I feel like there's like no real secret I feel like they're kind

of transitioning into not just lifting I feel like they have like a very broad kind of audience and like I guess you could say like athlete crew so yeah that would be my answer was that rapid fire enough did you guys freak out when they first reached out yeah we didn't believe that yeah because when we started we're like okay if we were to ever get sponsored like I would want to be sponsored by Gymshark and P-Science like those were the only two companies and like we had some other companies reach out to us and we're like no like it's not Gymshark yet xyz and then I remember getting an email from this guy named Derby. I was like, okay, this is not real. Like, you know what I mean? Like, this is not real. And it was real. It was legit. And that's kind of how

it happened. It was so exciting. Yeah. And then signed with them for long term. And now how many collections have you guys done with them? We've only done one. Yeah. Okay. Well, it's late. I have the shorts. Yeah. You do more. Yeah. They yeah they're my booty shorts orange and what's the other one green the green sage yeah yeah orange green i love the green um favorite high protein recipe oh oh my god that's a good question i'm like trying to think about what i would actually like what what my favorite one is mine would be like mine would just be a good bowl. Like with maybe like ground turkey or ground beef with maybe like lettuce, rice, beans, avocado, kind of like a burrito bowl. Yeah. Something simple that I can easily throw together

that doesn't take too much prep. Either that or I feel like when I get home late, I'm like, I need something quick. Like I need to go to bed. I get home at like 10 20 so I'll typically have like a can of tuna and then I'll do I'm like last night I just did like mustard I'll do a little bit of coconut aminos I threw rice in there say arugula a little bit of pumpkin seeds yeah like I just like mix this like no it's good no it's like actually good no that sounds it's actually good It sounds like a label, but like higher protein. I don't know. I feel like something easier. What about you, Maura?

I need to know. Favorite high protein? Yeah. I mean, I'm just pounding steaks over here. You love the ribeye. I literally, nothing creative. I eat so much steak. Yeah.

And I love a tuna bowl. Okay. What else do I do for high protein? I'm just pounding steak at the moment.'m just gonna keep it simple okay okay oh this is a juicy one are you still engaged I am so Diego and I are actually back together I know you guys we didn't talk oh my gosh we didn't talk for eight months like no communication communication. I made a fake Instagram account and would like look at his stories and shit. Oh yeah. But I feel like I'm like, I need to be, I need to be connected to you in some sort of way,

even though at the time I was like, okay, we're probably not never going to get back together again because that's just like where I was at. And I just had to be at peace with that. And it definitely took a while, but we're back together. We ran into each other at a brand new gym back in, when was that? Like five months ago now. I saw him first. I was like, oh my gosh, Diego. And like at the time he was like, I was so excited to see him as if like nothing had happened. And he's like, hi. Like he was so confused. Like, why are you so excited to see me? But go ahead. But we're back together. We're not engaged. We're taking things slowly. Aw, congrats. And I'm very happy. I love that. Thank you more. Do you guys cycle sync your workouts? I do not. I feel like, well, I don't,

I'm not like hardcore about it. I feel like I naturally, like through the second phase of my cycle and like close to my menstrual, I do feel like just like more fatigue and tired. So I will like lighten up the load a little bit, but I don't, I'm not, I'm not there yet. Yeah. Yeah. It's intuitive. Yeah. I feel like mine's intuitive too. Like I definitely, I definitely do feel just more tired towards the start of my period. So I feel like I will be like walking more, maybe doing more yoga, but I do love lifting. And I also feel like lifting does give me energy. Like even if I am tired, like if I go and work out, even if it's not, even if it's not some crazy intense workout, I will walk out of the gym having more energy. Same. I feel like you can weight lift in a way

where it's actually still pretty low impact. Like you can either fly around and keep your heart rate up or you can take it really slow. Take longer rest periods. Like you don't even need to be doing compound lifts. Like you can do some like dumbbell stuff. Yeah. So beneficial. Maybe not so many supersets. Yeah. I love a good superset. I know. I know. How do you guys deal with sister comparison? Oh my gosh. I've actually, I've actually like severely had to like work through this. Really? Yeah. I don't get competitive vibes from you guys. Yeah. Not in a, not in a sense of like not, not like competitive, but I was like, oh my gosh. Like, I feel like Kat went through this like huge transformation. Like, I feel like she's like an entirely like new person, like has this

whole brand new identity. Like I felt like I had to have something like that and other to like get to the other side type thing. Wow. But like learning how, yeah, like learning how to like detach from that and like really just kind of like pulling things back. And I was like, like, I don't know. I just feel like you have like this whole new like aura and energy. And I feel like I was like wanting that so bad. Talking about this like makes me like a little bit emotional. I feel like I wanted that so bad talking about this like makes me like a little bit emotional um I feel like I wanted that so bad but I was so like externally focused which wasn't healthy like it was in a sense like a comparison like Kat has something that I don't but yeah I feel like I've I feel like I've like worked through that recently and I feel like really good with

where I'm at but I feel like we're not necessarily like super competitive yeah I feel like looking back I feel like we've always been each other's biggest cheerleaders to be honest like we've never really been I feel like yeah we'll have like sister fights and stuff and be like blah blah blah and then it's like we're fine two seconds later but we've always kind of been a. And I feel like we've always been able to rely on each other for certain things. And I do think that we, yeah. Give me a second here. Yeah. I feel like, I just feel like we're not that like competitive. We're not like that, like, like nasty competitive. I feel like it's like in a healthy way. When I first met you guys, I feel like I was shocked at how it felt like

you guys were just besties. Yeah, I feel like we are. Oh, we just get it. Like, we'll crack up at the dumbest shit. Like, it's just like, we'll look at each, if something happens,

like, we'll just look at each other and we get it. Or, like, we'll be able to, like, make this stupid. We'll talk in, like, basically different languages. Like, no one else would even be able

to understand what we're saying. And we'll just start laughing. And like we'll just continue, continue doing it. And it's the funniest thing ever. But nobody else would get it. Right. Which I love. And I do not get competitive vibes from you guys, which you would.

It's kind of crazy considering the industry you're in and what you guys do. But I feel like when you've been through really hard shit together, you're just strong. I was going to say too, like even growing up, like I feel like when you've been through really hard shit together you're just strong I was gonna say too like even even growing up like I feel like we've never been even like with our older sister we've never had that even a relationship with her where it's like very bantery or like I mean like we can be silly together but it's more of like okay like we need to protect each other and be nice to each other because everything out there is like scary and not safe. So it's like, I feel like we have always had this connection where it's like, I don't know.

I feel like we're just hyping each other up and like we're there for each other. Yeah, I feel like we're definitely lucky in that aspect. I'm learning so much about you. This is so cute, guys. I really am Dr. Phil today. Yeah, you're Dr. Phil. All right Phil all right oh my goodness now it's time for the question we ask every guest I started this podcast because I believe everyone's pursuit

of wellness it looks different what does wellness mean to you both I literally was thinking I was laying in bed last night I was like I know what Maury's gonna ask me this question I like literally feel so prepared she takes out notes I literally was like, yeah, I'm ready. No, but I feel like wellness can mean so many different things. I feel like it's really like coming back like to yourself and prioritizing kind of like every area of your life and giving attention to like your spiritual health, your mental health, your physical health, like nutritionally, like all those things and really just trying to have a peace of mind. I feel like that's like the most important thing. I love that. I would say wellness to me would be, I feel like it is kind of ever-changing and like genuinely depends on the day. But I would just say being, trying and continuing to practice

being in tune with myself and just listening to what listening to what my body and my mind need for that day or even moment and not judging that absolutely love those answers i agree 100 where can people find you guys online where can they download the app well our instagram is kk underscore fit underscore. The app is Strive by KK Fit. And then we also have a YouTube channel. I think you could just look up KK Fit or Kendra and Catherine. And that's where you can find us. Love you guys. Love you more. Thank you so much for this.

Thank you for having us. That was so fun. Thank you for listening to today's episode. Go comment on my last Instagram at Mari Llewellyn with the guest you want to see next. I'll be picking one person from the comments to send our bloom greens to. Make sure you hit follow so you never miss my weekly episodes. If you enjoyed the conversation, be sure to share and leave a review. See you next week. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.