As a person that has practically waged war on my own body, I want to share with you my story, my lessons and truths I’ve uncovered and how I saved my own life through nutrition – all by the time I turned 30 years old...
My story is about the slippery spots along the journey of gaining weight and losing it. There's so much more than the weight to think about.
It's your mindset, your relationships, your habits, your attitude about yourself, and the things you can't control. Personally, I didn't just dislike how I looked before I began, I developed a dangerous attitude toward my outward appearance.
"self-love saved me"
Kim Bank's Story (Propello Life Ambassador)
My name is Kim Banks. I’m the founder of Never Settle Lifestyle, a Nutrition + Lifestyle transformation company.
We are coaches dedicated to helping people better understand nutrition and shift their mindset in order to reach goals such as, losing body fat, gaining muscle mass, and reaching athletic performance goals.
Being a light for those navigating the daunting world of transformation has been the purpose in starting Never Settle Lifestyle.
My battle with self-image and eating disorders began when I was 21
Prior to becoming a nutrition professional, I suffered from Orthorexia for 3 years. Orthorexia is a clinical term used to describe an eating disorder for over training and under eating.
As a result, I dropped to an all time low weight of 106 lbs -- as a 21-year-old standing 5'7" tall. I desperately wanted to be “model thin” and get back to the lean physique I had before before college.
During my struggle with Orthorexia I lost my period for three years, developed thyroid issues, lethargy, severe anxiety, depression, heart palpitations and still suffer from food intolerances to this day.
Most of these symptoms I never told anyone about.
My health had hit rock bottom, all in an effort to "look healthy." And it was the wake-up call I needed.
Back then, I was married, and I wanted to have children. Although I had many health symptoms, I didn't realize my eating would affect my fertility until my doctor told me I needed to eat more in order to conceive.
So I did...and I couldn’t stop.
At age 23, I traded Orthorexia for Binge Eating Disorder
From ages 23 to 26, I suffered from Binge Eating Disorder and never sought help. I went through many mental battles on my own.
Eventually, it took leaving a marriage that was emotionally empty and moving 800 miles away from where I had lived my whole life to finally hit the reset button.
More so, it took...
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getting curious
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learning more about myself
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creating space for healing
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not believing every thought that entered my head
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going to school to make nutrition my profession
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AND eventually making my way to the body composition I’ve always wanted
It took deep inner work!
Finding my inner balance took 10 years
It took me 10 years to finally have that body! 10 years of growth, learning, evolving and leveling up – a span of time I wouldn’t change for anything.
To me, that’s the best part. The hindsight of knowing that while the process was painful I truly was making progress, even if I didn’t know it at the time.
In every moment of healing, for me, it’s been all about choosing a better thought and the next right action to put myself in a loving state so that I was able to survive my journey.
It is completely natural to want more and be grateful at the same time
As a person that has experienced so much with my own body composition, I want to share with you what no one else will.
It’s about the journey, not the destination, of losing those 5, 10, 20, 30 pounds.
More accurately, I want to share what it’s like to not feel at home in your body and be disappointed with your own body.
We talk so much in our culture about body positivity and loving yourself regardless of the way we look.
But if we’re being honest, self love doesn't come easily does it?...Especially if you’re a critical, type A person like me!
I am here to tell you it’s absolutely okay to be unhappy with where you are while developing appreciation for your body at the same time.
In one word, for me, it’s been:
✨GRATITUDE✨
Appreciation for the body and that, no matter how we’ve treated it, it still presses on. It wakes us up, lungs pumping and our heart beating.
It perseveres.
Once you are able to become grateful for your body’s capabilities, it becomes easier to appreciate yourself just as you are, without judgment.
To be truly healthy, You need to heal from the inside out
Regardless of where you are on your journey.
Regardless of the way your body looks, feels or performs...this is when self love begins to develop.
The need for control and perfection is finally released and you can fully ALLOW change to happen. Inside and out.
Gratitude comes first and self-love soon follows
As you work on your gratitude and self love it’s crucial to refuse becoming a victim of your own mind when old thought patterns reappear..and it’s a daily practice but it’s one that will grow you into a better version of yourself.
It’s this inner work that propels us into progress. It’s getting curious about our story. Figuring out WHY we aren’t feeling our best.
Gratitude, self love, and ridding yourself of victim mentality are the fundamentals to changing your body and mindset.
From there, that’s where nutrition and daily habits can step in!
Now, I’m so grateful for the life I’ve created!
I have a balanced life, and I am an entrepreneur with a realistic positive mindset. My mission is to use my passion to help people just like you along your journey.
If you struggle with loving yourself, trusting the process, and enjoying the journey to transform yourself, I would love to be your guide in adjusting your mindset so you can finally fit into your favorite jeans and perform at your very best!
If you’re ready to begin your own transformation check out the link: NEVER SETTLE LIFESTYLE
I know you can get to the place you want to be, and I know you know it too!
