Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Elaborate your life story on how you conquered the battle with ‘eating disorder’?
Ms. Nia Shanks:
I struggled with disordered eating habits and binge eating for a period of about 3.5 years. These habits developed from obsessive diets that restricted certain foods in addition to counting calories, weighing my food, etc. Now, it’s important to note that not everyone develops negative eating habits from counting calories and the like, but I certainly did.
Part of the reason is because I’m a perfectionist (or a recovering perfectionist, as I now like to say) and if I strayed from whatever diet I was following, I felt like a failure. Then I’d punish myself with extra workouts or restrict my food intake as much as possible. This only made the binge eating much worse.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What is your motivation to take a multi-faceted personality of an exercise physiologist, coach, fitness trainer, fitness writer, nutritional expert and an online fitness blogger?
Ms. Nia Shanks:
Health and fitness is about so much more than how you eat and how you work out. It’s a lifestyle. An attitude. I believe that when women focus on becoming the best version of themselves, eating well in a simple way (e.g., avoiding fad diets and sticking to simple, flexible guidelines), move their bodies in ways they enjoy, and appreciate their bodies for what they can do (instead of obsessing over how they look) that amazing things can happen.
Health and fitness is a combination of eating well, moving often, maintaining a positive self-image, and doing these things consistently.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
How would you describe your “Strength Training Philosophy” and why is it of utmost importance for women?
Ms. Nia Shanks:
Strength training is a wonderful tool. Most women thing it’s just about losing fat and toning up, but getting stronger has way better benefits than improving your physical appearance. It builds you confidence, allows you to shatter self-imposed limitations, allows you to appreciate your body for what it can do, and so much more. As I like to say, building a better looking body is just a side effect from proper, progressive strength training.
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