In the June issue of Shape, actress Kim Kardashian dishes on how she found some simple ways to nix cravings, enjoy exercise and be body confident. She even shares her full body workout that mixes cardio, core exercises with strength training, according to a PR rep who provided the following excerpt for Keeping Fit blog readers:
On a gorgeous Sunday morning, Kim Kardashian walks onto a Miami set for her Shape cover shoot. With still-damp hair cascading down her back and completely devoid of her trademark eye makeup, the 29-year-old radiates a fresh, natural beauty not often seen on her hit TV series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Sipping from a bottle of water (she always carries one with her), Kim curls up in a chair to talk exclusively with Shape about the challenges she faces to keep her weight in check and her self-confidence up. Her strategies are so doable, we think everyone should try them!
‘I need to work out to feel my best’
No matter how busy she is, Kim knows the only way to manage her weight and stay toned is to get moving every day. “It probably sounds weird, but for me, there’s nothing better than getting up and going right to the gym,” says Kim, who is working on sculpting her entire body and toning up her trouble zones. “I have cellulite, just like almost every other woman on the planet. And just because I feel secure with my body doesn’t mean I think cellulite is cute! It will always be an issue for me. So let’s just say it’s a work in progress!”
To stay slim and curvy and keep her cellulite under control, Kim does a combo of cardio and sculpting. A few days a week, she works out with Los Angeles trainer Gunnar Peterson.
When she’s feeling competitive, she hits Barry’s Bootcamp in L.A. with her sister Khloé, where a little sibling rivalry is likely to pop up. “Khloé thinks she’s tough,” laughs Kim, who has produced three Fit in Your Jeans by Friday DVDs. “But she’s not nearly as hard-core in the gym as I am.”
‘I finally said enough with the junk food!’
About a year ago, some tabloids published bikini photographs of Kim that were far from flattering. “Yeah, it bothered me initially, but I told myself that everyone, especially women with curves, has issues just like mine,” she says. “But it did motivate me to finally drop those last 10 pounds.” Besides stepping up her exercise routine, she made some major changes to her diet. “Before, all I’d have for breakfast was a grande soy chai latte,” she says. “Now it’s either oatmeal with bananas and blueberries or scrambled egg whites with tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions, a side of turkey bacon, and a scoop of cottage cheese.” She’s also eliminated old favorites, like cheese-smothered enchiladas and cheeseburgers with onion rings. “I wouldn’t dare eat like that now,” she says. “These days I prefer salads with grilled chicken or turkey burgers without the bun.”
‘My motto is: Fake it till you make it’
As proud as she is of her curves these days, there was a time when Kim was insecure about her body. “I was only 10 when I started developing breasts,” she recalls.
“I remember crying in the bathtub. I took a washcloth, made it really hot, put it over my chest, and prayed, ‘Please don’t let them grow any bigger! They’re embarrassing me!’ I was the first girl in my class to wear a bra. And Kourtney would taunt me and tell all the boys, ‘Kim has such big boobs!’ I hated it!”
With the help of her mom, Kris Jenner (whom Kim calls her role model), and her stepdad, Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner, she learned to become more comfortable with her figure. “Our family was always really active, playing soccer, tennis, and swimming,” she recalls. “Bruce filmed exercise infomercials in our living room! He was also a big Tae Bo fan—we all were! Everyday after school we’d run home, do homework, and then go to Billy Blanks’ classes.”
Still, she had to deal with the fact that she didn’t look like everyone else in her high school. “All my friends were super skinny, and that just wasn’t my body type. But I watched my
mom, who was always comfortable with herself, and she helped me with my outlook: I have curves and that’s never going to change, so I’d better start embracing them or I’m going to have a miserable life. It took me a while, but I finally caught on.”
For more, visit http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/kim_kardashian.
