Meet Kimberly CEO/Founder Of Team Curvy And Healthy
1. What inspired you to become a business woman and launch Team Curvy And Healthy?
I started Team Curvy and Healthy because I went I first started my own weight loss journey I had no support. There was no representation. There was no one that looked like me who shared their honest and genuine experiences on their weight loss. Either they were super fancy or they had some kind of surgical procedure. I wanted guidance from a real person. So I became the person I needed for others.
2. What has been the most challenging part about running the company?
Balancing head and heart. My passion is helping women to live healthier lives. Things that I should have people pay for I give away freely. I know that I need to monetize what I do more. But when you know what it’s like to live in a prison of your own body, it’s difficult for me to want payment for helping. It’s in my nature to help freely.
3. What make your movement so successful?
I believe that Team Curvy and Healthy has been so successful because of the authenticity. Good, bad or ugly I share the journey. I don’t doctor it up for people. If I do something that works I share it. If something didn’t work I share that too. How can we learn if we only show the good parts? Even if things didn’t work out, I try to learn from it and then share what I learned. Maybe something I went through can bless someone else.
4. How do encourage women to join Team Curvy And Healthy? Just by being myself. I believe that your vibe attracts your tribe. No matter how good you are to some people, sometimes they can’t see your heart.. but those who are for you, will find you. I get messages almost daily from women saying they aren’t sure how we connected but they are so happy that we did. I agree. I get blessed by the journeys of others myself.
5. What advice do you give other women who find their selves turning to food for comfort?
To find the root. Usually there is always a root to where we self medicate/ self destruct with food. Seek out why you are hurting and once you know that, make a decision. Make a conscious decision to not let what has hurt you to continue to destroy you. I am a emotional eater as well. So when I become upset or sad I try to go workout. No, I may not feel like it.. but I do it anyway. Exercise releases chemicals in the brain the battle depression. This year I lost one of my closest friends. I know that emotional eating is my “go to” feel better method. So, I started working out 5-6 days a week instead of the normal 4 days. That was one of the most pivotal decisions I ever made in my life. The grief was overwhelming, but it was now not coupled with the guilt of eating through pain. My mind was more clear and I was able to process my pain and also honor her memory by dedicating workouts to her.
6. How much weight you gained at that time and was that’s the most weight you ever gained in your life?
After my divorce from my physically, mentally, emotionally and financially abusive ex husband I found myself at 282 pounds. I’m quite sure I got to over 300 pounds when I was pregnant. But I refused to know how much I weighed at the time.
7. How is your health now? Are you still a pre diabetic?
I am literally in the best shape of my life now. I am not just physically healthy but I am mentally and spiritually healthy as well. I feel so free. Thankfully, with losing the 90 pounds I am no longer pre diabetic. This was one of the biggest accomplishments. My Father died from complications from diabetes and it is something I did not want my children to have see me suffer through.
8. What exercises you recommend to beginners to keep them pushing forward?
Walking! Walking is so underrated. It is free, low stress on the joints and is a great stress reliever. I started walking 30 minutes a day 3 days a week. Within 1 year I was walking 6 miles.
9. Why did you continue Buti Yoga? How do you feel about Buti Yoga today versus when you first started?
Buti Yoga is trans formative. I knew that it was going to be good to stretch my body but the practice is so much more than that. I have to get out of the thought practice of getting “better”. I am my own worst critic and I like to do my best in everything I do. So, even though I can maintain the poses better and my flexibility is miles ahead of what it used to be it still a practice and I must be gentle in my thoughts and not worry about “progression.”
10. What’s your favorite pose and why?
Currently my favorite pose is “Happy Baby” because it’s a great hip/ groin/ leg stretch.
11. Do holidays such as thanksgiving what foods do you avoid?
I don’t avoid! Lol. On holidays I eat what I want. I don’t overeat, but I try to eat right 80% of the time. Time such as the holidays are days that I enjoy. I don’t work this hard to always deny myself. I eat my Mom’s sweet potato pie, my from scratch dressing and cranberry sauce etc. But the next day I’m back to business. Eating right and working out.
12. What’s a good healthy soul food meal you will cook for a Sunday dinner?
Greens cooked with smokey turkey legs and baked sweet potatoes. I love greens with hot sauce and cornbread. I don’t make the cornbread but the greens are healthy and turkey is lean protein. Hot sauce is even a 0 calorie sauce. So, the meal still feels like good comfort food but I remixed it to be healthy, so no guilt just good eating.
13. How do you fight temptation of bad food choices?
Truth be told. If I have been eating correctly I allow myself an indulgence. But that is only if I have been doing right. If I know my food/ calorie intake has not been on point I literally will tell myself “If you handled business you could have had it.”
14. What was the hardest food and/or thing you had to give up when you decided to live a healthier life? How did you train your mind to let go and how long has it been since you called it a quits
Junk food! I don’t allow it in the house. If I want something like chips I’ll get the little kid size bag. I try to do portion control. So If I really want it I will have it but under certain conditions only. I will have had to eaten correctly at least in 80% of my food that day, I can’t bring it in the house and then I can’t overeat whatever it is.
15. How do you feel about females who paying for surgery to have a nice body versus working for it? If you had the funding to do would you had went the surgery route? If so why/why not
I would never have surgery. I will also never tell another woman what to do with her body. But as for me there is a difference in conquering your mindset to lose weight naturally. When a person has the will and determination to lose weight naturally it automatically puts them in a different league because it is tough to change your mindset. To know that you can eat large quantities of food but having the discipline not to is an amazing feat. Those who have surgery will still have to do what us natural weight loss people have done and that’s eat right and workout. If you have to do that any way there is no way that I would want to do anything else. Plus, there are no side effects. I had a lady inbox me saying she almost died on the table trying to get the surgery. A natural weight loss journey usually shows that someone has a healthy relationship with food. This is what I preach and why natural weight loss is such a accomplishment. You didn’t need a procedure to get a healthier mindset/ relationship with food. I have see people lose over 200 pounds naturally. You can’t purchase motivation and determination.
Do you have anything you want to add or address?
That I am an advocate for not only natural weight loss but for women empowerment. I want women to feel free and empowered. We so often ask permission to be ourselves. I say STOP THAT! Be you! Authentically and genuinely you. So many times we are constricted by the opinions of others. Let it go. You only have one life. Don’t be 80-years old looking back on the chances you wished you had taken. Be 80-90 years old looking back at life saying.. I had a damn good time