MORE about me
I grew up dedicating a majority of my free time to sports. At various points through high school I played football, basketball, baseball and wrestled. I was competitive and my desire to excel at sports also landed me in the weight room and gave me a passion for exercise.
As a result of spending too much of my time focusing on sports and the gym, I graduated high school without much of a plan for my next steps. So, I did what many young meatheads do and I joined the military. I was in the Utah National Guard for six years and, while the military wasn’t my passion, those years gave me several important experiences: Because I joined the military I could afford to go to college where I earned a B.S. in Exercise Science; I joined a Crossfit gym in order to be better at military PT (physical training) and eventually ended up marrying my first-ever Crossfit coach, Kate; I started competing in local and regional Crossfit competitions, and I started working as a Crossfit coach where I discovered that I loved every aspect of coaching.
I obtained a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification (CSCS) and continued to coach Crossfit as my full-time job after discovering that helping individuals of all skill-levels and backgrounds improve their health and fitness is an incredibly fulfilling career. Since relocating to Mexico, I have transitioned from full-time fitness coach and only working for KLN behind the scenes to now coaching nutrition clients here, where I experience the same sort of joy and fulfillment by helping individuals reach their specific nutrition goals.
When I look back on my “career” choices, I realize that I have been extremely fortunate. I was lucky that my passion for exercise led me to pick a major that has given me knowledge that I can use to help others improve their health, fitness, and quality of life; I was lucky to get a job at a Crossfit gym where I learned that I love coaching in both a group and individual capacity; and I am super lucky to have an amazing wife who has built a business that gives me the opportunity to coach clients from all over the world by helping them develop sustainable habits that improve their health, their nutrition, and ultimately their lives.
certifications + experience
Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
Girls Gone Strong Certified Women’s Coaching Specialist (GGS-1)
L-3 Crossfit Certified Trainer
Health Mindset Coaching Certified (HMCC)
10+ years of experience with personal training, individualized programming, and sport specific training.
MY NUTRITION JOURNEY
I didn’t pay any attention to my nutrition until I was almost finished with high school. I had always been busy lifting weights and training or practicing for some sort of sport throughout high school, but with graduation coming up and my days of organized team sports coming to an end, my activity level was declining and I was gaining weight. I remember flying to Portland OR to visit my sister and while I was in the airport I bought a Muscle and Fitness magazine to read during the flight. This was a bodybuilding magazine full of diet plans and supplement ads for bodybuilding. Until I read this magazine, I had never really worried about dieting or supplements because I just ate what my mom put in front of me. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. But the info in this magazine caught my eye and made me start paying more attention to the food I ate.
The main nutrition takeaways that I remember from reading that magazine were that I needed to: eat every 2-3 hours in order to “stoke” my metabolism, I needed to eat tons of protein, I should stay away from carbs, and I needed to buy more supplements.
This was advice that left very little room for flexibility or sustainability. I remember eating lots of chicken, so many sweet potatoes, and avoiding all sugar unless it was in a post workout protein shake. I was able to keep it up for a while and I even saw results from eating like this (I got leaner), but I also quickly got tired of the monotony of a bodybuilding diet and it just became unenjoyable and unsustainable.
It wasn’t until I started competing at CrossFit when I was 23 years old that I learned there were different ways to eat for muscle growth and fat loss besides the bodybuilding staple diet. It was at this point in my life that I hired a nutrition coach to help me optimize my macronutrient intake in order to compete at CrossFit. Oh boy, did it make a huge difference! My performance, sleep, recovery, mood, body composition, fitness, all of it l improved in a dramatic way. But do you know what was better than the boost in performance? It was learning I could actually enjoy a treat once in a while without feeling guilty for eating something good. It was realizing that all of my food didn’t have to be boring and tasteless in order for me to reach my health and fitness goals. Those realizations made life so much more enjoyable!
I’ve continued to learn and increase my knowledge about nutrition, but to this day the basic principles of flexibility and sustainability (and the ability to enjoy some tasty food without feeling any guilt) are what I continue to live by and what I teach to my clients. I want my clients to know that proper nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated; it can be flexible and can be molded to fit all lifestyles and goals so that we can be our healthiest selves while also feeling our best.
WHAT MY CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ME
TREY, 34
“Kenny was able to figure out that I was eating in a deficit right off of the bat. He put me in the right calorie count and macros that I should be at, and within my first check in I immediately started feeling better. I noticed significant inches coming off that I had been trying to work on for over five years. Another problem that I had was sleeping [poorly]. I literally slept four hours [a night] and I had been like this all my life. Kenny figured out a way to get me to sleep and now I am sleeping six hours, if not more! I feel amazing. Kenny is a wonderful coach, he literally listened to me and helped me [along every step of the way]. He was also very supportive and gave me knowledge that I needed to know, not just do this and this will happen.””
“This is the first time I’ve ever posted a transformation photo. I don’t think I have ever felt confident enough to do it and I never actually saw the changes in my mind. I’ve always struggled with low confidence because of my weight. I knew I wasn’t in a healthy place but I don’t think I really considered how bad my health had gotten until I saw the positive changes. Over the past 8 months I’ve gotten stronger, my energy levels have improved, my sleep has improved, my self confidence has improved, and my relationship with food has become so much healthier (and I didn’t have to give up any types of foods whatsoever!)... I could go on but in truth there is a part of me that still doesn’t believe how far I’ve come in 8 months. My mind is blown just by looking at these side-by-side photos!
I couldn’t have done it without the support of my amazing wife and the AMAZING coaching and support from Kenny. If you are looking for a great nutrition coach I highly recommend working with Kenny. I still have work to do but I’m glad I’ve been given a great foundation to build from.”
TREY, 34
“Kenny is an amazing coach and, out of all the nutrition coaches I’ve worked with, he has by far been the best. One of the many things that set him apart from other coaches I have worked with was his ability to meet me where I was at. Tracking macros was VERY overwhelming for me and felt unsustainable. He baby-stepped me through the process and made everything incredibly accessible and easy for me to sustain. I always felt he truly valued and addressed my opinions and concerns during my check-ins - something I haven’t experienced with past coaches and is a big deal for me. Anybody would be lucky to work with Kenny and I highly recommend him!”
“Prior to working with KLN I had signed up for a nutrition tracking app that provided basic coaching. When I sent a message to that coach about struggling with tracking food, the response was essentially, “you just have to do it.” While they weren’t wrong, that response was not particularly encouraging to continue on the journey.
KLN is different from the start. The intake survey is in depth and aims to set you up with a coach that best fits your needs. My time working with Kenny was educational and collaborative and it completely altered my perspective on food and fueling my body. He helped me navigate my nutrition through two cross country moves, vacations, unexpected injuries, and stressful family events. While his responses in our weekly check ins sometimes included, “you just have to do it,” they were always followed up with compassionate encouragement and creative solutions for whatever I was struggling with. I never once felt like I was alone with this endeavor.”
NOAH, 41
FEMALE, 31 YEARS OLD, PERFORMANCE DRIVEN GOALS
“Before I started I was at my highest weight ever even though I was relatively fit. I am a gym owner and a coach but weight did seem to kind of creep up a little bit and …I kind of felt like my body wasn’t aligned in some ways with some of the stuff I was doing in the gym.
What Kenny’s been great about is providing me with logistical tool, knowledge, and really building trust in the process. I’ve lost close to 20 pounds. I wasn’t at a high body fat to begin with.
Working with Kenny’s great. He’s very prompt and responsive and acts as a mirror to help you better understand your goals and better understand both the path and the timetable forward.”
“I don’t remember a time in my life when I haven’t struggled with food. I’ve always been on a weight loss journey and have tried just about every diet imaginable. Before coming to KLN, I truly felt stuck. I was overwhelmed and every meal felt like a struggle and I was completely miserable.
I knew that I needed some help and guidance, but I was also intimidated. Asking for help felt very vulnerable. I’m so glad I did though! Working with Kenny has been wonderful!
I’m learning how to fuel my body instead of restrict and I feel confident in my food choices now. My happiness is no longer tied to a number on the scale. I’ve lost inches, my clothes fit better, and I have energy!
While the physical changes have been exciting, the mental shift has been the most important. After years of feeling like I was broken, I’m learning how to trust my body again. I look forward to the weekly check ins and always appreciate Kenny’s advice, ideas, and reassurance. Nutrition coaching is the best investment I’ve made in myself.”
KENNY’S QUICK FACTS
ROLE
Nutrition coach, novice mountain biker, and Kate’s full time assistant
BORING CREDENTIALS
B.S. in Exercise Science; Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist; Girls Gone Strong Certified Women’s Coaching Specialist; Certified Crossfit Trainer (L3); Health Mindset Coaching Certified (HMCC)
GO-TO DRINK
Limonada fresca
NON-GUILTY PLEASURE
A nightly bowl of ice cream topped with cereal and bananas
WALK OUT SONG
Feeling This by Blink-182
FUN FACT
I’m a sci-fi fantasy nerd. I love fantasy classics like LOTR and GOT, love The Witcher series (including the video game) and my current obsession is Red Rising by Pierce Brown.
COACHING SUPERPOWER
I am a very patient and non-judgemental person. You don’t know how many calories are in a gram of fat? That’s okay, I’ll teach you. Ate too much pizza this weekend? I’m not disappointed in you. All of my clients are growing human beings, I don’t expect you to know everything or do everything perfectly.
on instagram: @kennethlavar
WORK WITH KENNY
