SUCCESS STORY / Kim Schaper, 39: From 190 pounds to 132 pounds
Former weight: 190 pounds
Current weight: 132 pounds
Total pounds lost: 58 pounds
Height: 5 feet 4 inches
Age: 39 years
How long she's kept it off: She reached her current weight in 2013. "I weighed only 75 pounds, then went up to 190 pounds, and then back down to 132 pounds — this is my healthy weight," Schaper said.
Personal life: "I live with my husband, Ryan and my fur-baby goldendoodle, Stella," she said. "I now teach women how to overcome food obsession, love their body without judgment, quit the yo-yo dieting and custom-tailor a healthy lifestyle plan that works forever. I'm an online health and wellness coach for women (www.kimschaper.com)."
Turning point: "I knew it was time for me to quit my eating disorder if I wanted to stay alive and live a fulfilling life," Schaper said. In the past, to lose weight, she had tried starvation, bingeing and purging, overexercising, and several diet plans. Now she does not follow a diet plan. "I don't believe in that stuff," she said. "I eat intuitively and mindfully."
Diet plan: Breakfast is oatmeal. Lunch is a turkey sandwich on rye or a big salad. Dinner is grass-fed beef, fish or chicken with vegetables. "I eat a few small (chocolate) treats a day. … I also have foods that I enjoy that might not be the healthiest like some chips … to take the edge off because I do not diet and don't believe in cheat days," Schaper said. "These foods keep me satisfied and content, and I do not feel the need to binge since I do not ever deny myself of them."
Exercise routine: "I exercise three to four times a week, specifically strength training, 30 to 45 minutes," she said. "I walk four times a week and do some cardio."
Biggest challenge: "Learning to trust myself and not rely on others to tell me what to eat and how much to eat," Schaper said.
How life has changed: "I'm much more confident. Even when I was at my leanest during fitness shows and such, I was still super insecure," she said. "Now, I have solid boundaries, I have a career I love, I'm living life to the fullest." Through her journey she teaches others: "Learn to trust yourself and seek outside help when you need. Diets don't work because they are all or nothing. They force us to live in a scarcity mind-set, therefore, we deny ourselves of the foods we want and end up bingeing, which is followed by shame and guilt so we try again to restrict. It's a never-ending cycle. Also, self-compassion is huge. We can never hate ourselves into weight loss and keep it off long-term." Looking toward the future, she hopes to help women. "I want to continue to grow my business and help as many women as I can," she said, "so they can learn this stuff sooner than I did."
Share Your Success: Have you lost weight successfully with a healthy lifestyle change? If you would like to share your story with our readers, please include your email address, a daytime phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG), and contact us at: Success Stories, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
About the Author
