Ms. Namita Nayyar: You were born and raised in Sacramento, California. Tell us about your life as a child, growing up in California?
Ms. Kayden Kross: There wasn’t anything particularly telling about my childhood. I was raised in a pretty normal way, mostly in the country just outside of Sacramento. At one point I had a pet goat and a horse. Our family would take camping trips and Thanksgivings and Christmases were always large gatherings. I was quiet and good in school. I think the thing that maybe stood out in my character back then and remains constant today is that I didn’t see “No” as an invitation to quit trying. It was just a signal to go back to the drawing board and revise the question or the method until I got to “Yes”. It was not my mother’s favorite quality of mine.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine?
Ms. Kayden Kross: I have to switch it up or I get bored. I’ve always ridden horses, which has been a great core and balance exercise (and amazing for the butt and inner thighs), but I didn’t start exercising for the sake of fitness until I signed with Vivid. At first I just did some of the hamster wheel stuff—ellipticals and treadmills and such—and then I realized it wasn’t sustainable for me and started working with a trainer. I had one very good trainer who I worked with for a few years and I like to think that a lot of the physique I have today is just muscle memory from the time he trained me. I was always very displeased with my butt and very pleased with my stomach, so we worked on really building up the definition in my waist with some creative sit ups that today still shock me.
After a while I burnt out on the trainer routine and took up Bikram Yoga, which I’ve now been practicing for more than 6 years. Bikram has been amazing for my butt, though being a mother now has been terrible for my regularity with the practice. My new exercise is chasing a toddler around, with a random Bikram class thrown in for color.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Kayden Kross: Yes and no. I feel like I’ve been trying to diet for twelve years now. After some extreme trial and error I’ve landed here: avoid sugars that don’t come from fruit as best you can. Avoid high fructose corn syrups at all costs. Fit plant based foods into whatever you can. Eat slowly. I try to eat foods with fewer than five ingredients, or at least packed with ingredients that come from things I can name, like the ocean, or a chicken, etc. But it’s not just about naming the things you will and won’t eat and then sticking to it religiously.
There is a psychological component that affects one’s ability to have that discipline in the first place. I make the best choices with what I eat when I am getting enough regular sleep and I am at peace with myself and with my life. Where I am today is probably the happiest I have ever been and it’s not surprising that I find it easier to make healthy food choices daily.
Disclaimer
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