LOVE, SWEAT & FITNESS

An Interview with Katie Dunlop, the Founder of Love, Sweat & Fitness

I am soooooo excited to share with you all my interview with Katie Dunlop, the amazing woman who founded ‘Love, Sweat and Fitness’. Katie is a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor who has created an online community focused on encouraging women to live healthier and fitter lives. What is so amazing about Katie is that she used to be overweight, she weighed approximately 73Kg and at only 167cm tall her BMI was 26; she had tried all sorts of techniques to lose weight which only provided temporary results. Feeling good and being healthy was Katie’s motivation to get fit as opposed to looking perfect. By making gradual changes to her diet and increasing her exercise she lost 20 Kg! She also discovered a new passion for fitness which led to her becoming a fitness instructor.

I stepped away from exercising for 2 years because I became obsessed with my weight and exercised a lot but with very little results; I put way too much pressure on myself and lost the joy of working out. So when I decided to get back into exercising at the beginning of this year I stumbled on the weight loss story of Katie Dunlop on her YouTube channel, and I’ve been hooked on Love, Sweat and Fitness (LSF) ever since!  Katie’s workouts are fun, quick and don’t require much equipment. She makes me feel as though I’m working out with a friend who encourages me to be my best self. Katie lives in North America and I live in the UK, so unfortunately we couldn’t meet in person for this interview, however we were able to chat via email. So read the awesome interview below and check out Love, Sweat and Fitness at https://lovesweatfitness.com/ and also on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat.

 

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MSA: So, I wanted to know a bit about you, like where are you based, what did you study in college and what sort of work did you do before launching Love, Sweat and Fitness (LSF)?

KATIE: I grew up in San Diego and went to San Diego State University. Before moving to a career in fitness, I was a reading and language specialist working with children.

MSA: I think LSF was launched in 2014 (correct me if I’m wrong), tell me what prompted you to create a YouTube channel and website/blog?

KATIE: Yep! I started on Instagram early 2014 because I wanted a place to share workouts and motivation for the girls taking my classes when I wasn’t teaching. As that community grew, people wanted more and I felt like the best way to share the workouts and lifestyle that helped change my body was through YouTube. People would have a chance to really get to know me, workout with me and hopefully get inspired to live healthy lives! Plus, it was so important for me to share that you do NOT have to spend hours at a gym (or even step foot in one) to see results!

MSA:  I’m guessing you do LSF full time and I was interested to know how you made the transition from your previous job to your current role?

KATIE: While I was working full time I started teaching group fitness classes. I went from one or two a week to 10 and eventually realized I had found a whole new passion. I began teaching full time which led to starting LSF. As this amazing community has grown, I’ve been able to continue teaching a few classes and run LSF as my full-time job.

MSA: Did you hire someone to help you develop your brand (e.g., logo, mission statement, advertising etc.)?

KATIE: I’m super blessed to have an incredible husband who totally supports me in this. He is all business and has been a huge help in taking this from a dream to a reality.

MSA: Your website and all your pictures are always so professional. I was interested to know if you hire a photographer and how did you learn how to model because you do it so well?

KATIE: Thanks! So that sweet husband is 100% an instgram husband now, haha. We both have definitely learned A LOT over the last 2 years. He wasn’t a photographer and I definitely was not a model, but I think we’ve done alright :). It helps being so comfortable with the person shooting you. I do use professional photographers on occasion for big projects (like my 4 week meal plan and 8 week workouts guides coming out soon!), but 99% of the time it’s Ryan.

MSA: Do you still teach fitness classes now or give personal training sessions 1 on 1?

KATIE: I do! I am teaching once a week and have a few clients I train 1 on 1.

MSA: I’m interested to know what a week in your life looks like because you create videos, blog posts, Instagram posts, Facebook posts, and also work out for yourself. How does all of that happen in a week?

KATIE: Scheduling is KEY! I really try to make every moment count. I’m busy, but planning out my days/weeks really helps me keep it all on track.

MSA: So what’s the most challenging thing about running LSF and the most rewarding thing?

KATIE: The most challenging thing is making sure I am able to respond to everyone on every platform, but it’s honestly the most rewarding as well! I love being able to connect with the community on a personal level and give them the support and encouragement they need.

MSA: Tell me more about the ‘Hot Body Sweat Guide’ which I saw on your website?

KATIE: Eeeek!! I can’t wait to share it! I’ve been working on this guide for the better part of two years and it’s so close! The Hot Body Sweat Guide is an 8 week workout guide that can be done anywhere, at anytime, with little to no equipment! It is based off the workouts that helped transform my body and keep the weight off. I worked extremely hard to make it clear, straightforward and accessible to everyone. The workouts will target trouble areas, build lean muscle, utilize the most effective cardio training methods and keep it fun!  Besides the workout program itself, there is health and fitness education, warm-ups and cool downs and fun cardio finishers mixed in to really burn some serious calories.

MSA: So, what’s next for LSF?

KATIE: Releasing the 8 Week Hot Body Sweat Guide & 4 Week Hot Body Meal Plan are the biggest things. They are both things the community has wanted for a long time and I am so excited to get them out there for everyone!

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Thanks Katie, you are such an inspiration! xxx

I am so grateful to Katie for taking time out of her very busy schedule to answer my questions. I am awed by how she completely changed the course of her life just by making a decision to feel better. Katie’s decision has also benefited thousands of people and I am one of those! I’ve learned from Katie that by deciding to become your best self you actually help those around you. I hope that you are inspired to take steps to live a healthier life and are also inspired to being open to discovering new passions – it just might become your career. I encourage you to subscribe to the Love, Sweat and Fitness blog – there’s plenty of free workouts, fitness challenges, food recipes, motivation, as well as lots of other good things. Also, follow Katie on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat.

 

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe: insert your name & email below, then click the ‘subscribe’ button.

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