After my own battles with anorexia, bulimia and body image issues I knew it was my duty to help others once I became healthy myself.  I also had a horrific experience with a personal trainer several years ago as he constantly shamed my body and berated me into eating healthy and I had to show women they didn’t have to hate their bodies into leanness, rather they can feel healthy and confident with a more self-compassionate mindset.

The biggest takeaway from my ED experiences is learning to give yourself grace, room for error and a ton of self compassion. As I always tell my girls, “You can never hate yourself into leanness.” I also stopped focusing on my physique being my only source of measurement to determine how “worthy” I was. Regardless how “fit” I became, it was never enough and that’s VERY common in the first stages of the women I work with. In turn, it was instrumental I chose to take my experiences, flip them, share them and help others in the process.  Once I quit putting so much pressure on myself to attain an unrealistic physique I instead invested my energy towards creative use which was a pivotal moment in my recovery process. We’re so much more than just our body.  We have brains, power, wisdom, insight, intuition and strength. Once we let go of the need for control or perfection, the extra cellulite we once obsessed over isn’t even worth the energy anymore.  We don’t gain our self-esteem from our body, it’s impossible and non withstanding in my opinion.

Thank you for asking!  I absolutely LOVE it!  While I loved all of my amazing in person clients, I also felt pulled to help more women more than just in the confides of the gym.  I’ve been able to cultivate a wonderful group of women where our community is thriving and I can share my expertise on a larger scale.

They need strength training in their workout routine!  While cardiovascular training is fantastic, women need lean muscle to be more metabolically efficient.  I think there’s a misconception women will “bulk” up or look like a body-builder with weight training and that couldn’t be further from the truth.  We don’t have the testosterone levels that men do. :). I also notice women do not eat enough protein-rich foods which has been proven to be the most satisfying macronutrient, more so than fat.  I would also make sure if they are not losing weight with proper exercise and nutrition, they need to get their hormones and thyroid checked through you!

I love a good smoothie!  One of my simple go-to’s is protein powder, banana, spinach and flax seeds with almond milk.  I definitely suggest women get a protein/starch combo post workout to help restore their glycogen levels and replenish lost electrolytes from sweat.

OMG my favorite question!  Most of my workouts are 20 minutes in length and you can absolutely get a killer workout in 20-minutes, you don’t have to be at the gym for hours.

I definitely suggest compound movements to get the most bang for your buck.

I would do as many rounds as possible within the 20 minutes with the following:

10 squat to overhead press

10 (5 per side) reverse lunges with a bicep curl

10 weighted jump squats

10 (5 per side) lateral lunges

As you mentioned above, my biz is all on-line and they can check out all my services at www.kimschaper.com.  I have group coaching avail at a very low price, 1:1 coaching and DIY programs as well.  I also have a FB and IG account where I post tons of good stuff @kimschaperfitness