As a kid, Mikhaila Peterson only knew a life of depression and physical pain. Growing up, she suffered immensely from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis that caused inflammation, chronic fatigue, rashes, and more. Her arthritis was so bad that she ended up having her hip and ankle replaced.

If that wasn’t bad enough, she suffered from depression on top of it. She was in a constant battle between medications for her pain and fatigue, and medications to help her think and focus—none of which actually helped her. 

Doctors ignored her. 

Nobody could help her. 

So she decided to take things into her own hands. Feeling hopeless and on her deathbed, she went to the one thing she knew she could do immediately and have full control over—her diet. 

Her very drastic dietary measures shockingly worked, and within a couple months, all of her ailments completely disappeared, and she was off all of her medications. 

Listen in as she explains exactly how she’s able to follow such an extreme diet long-term and how she ultimately overcame a life of seemingly endless misery. 

She even shares her best tips for those struggling to make lasting lifestyle changes. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this!

Love Kim xo

Reference List: 

• Podcast (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/mikhailapetersonvideos

QUOTES USED:

“I think in order to really change how you live, you have to get to a point where you’ll do anything for as long as it takes.”

“If those medications worked, autoimmune disorders wouldn’t be an issue. They don’t work.”

Eating for menopause is exactly the same as eating for bodybuilding.

(Say what?)

One of the most common complaints I hear from women in menopause is that they didn’t change a thing, yet they suddenly started gaining fat at an uncontrollable pace!

And that’s exactly the problem. 

What happens in our body on a cellular level once we move towards menopause and beyond is far different from what happens in our younger years. So what used to work to keep us relatively lean back then, will no longer work. 

(But don’t despair. The changes you need to make are not as drastic as you may think.)

Bodybuilders are notorious for hacking their bodies to get to absurdly low levels of body fat. Although most menopausal women don’t care about getting quite that lean, the principles are actually the same!

(And don’t worry, the answer is not a zero-carb diet.)

In this episode, I’m giving you the low-down on exactly what you should be eating (and not eating) to keep your menopause fat gain at bay, and WHY.

I also share what I eat to keep myself lean year-round and the backstory behind how I became so obsessed with the human body (including why menopause is a recent hot topic in the Sculpted Vegan community).

You will really love this one!

Love Kim xo

Reference List: 

• Menopause Matters https://www.thesculptedvegan.com/menopausemattersfbgroup

QUOTES USED:

“Never buy anything without reading the ingredient label first.”

“Studies have shown that estrogen incorporates crucial elements into the DNA responsible for weight control. The absence of both estrogen and these crucial elements leads to progressive obesity unless the diet is controlled.”

“It doesn’t matter what food makes it into your stomach. What matters is what makes it into your bloodstream.”

If there’s one thing I think all women can agree with, it’s that menopause can really suck the life out of us:

-belly fat gain (UGH!)

-night sweats/hot flashes

-cellulite

-mood swings

The list goes on!

And for women who haven’t yet entered menopause, it can be especially terrifying wondering how their own bodies are going to respond. After all, it’s not often we hear about how beautiful this phase of our lives can really be.

But I’m making it my mission to change all of that.

I’m a firm believer that the more knowledge we have about menopause and how our bodies change before, during, and after it, the better and more beautiful our experience will be. Armed with the proper tools, I really believe all women are in far better control of how their bodies will respond in this part of their lives. Yes, the hormonal cascade is inevitable, but the symptoms that so many women endure don’t have to be!

In this episode, I’m tackling one of women's biggest fears over menopause: belly fat gain! I divulge the exact reasons most women gain weight even before they technically hit menopause, which foods to avoid to ensure your sexiest midsection, and the precise macronutrient ratio to aim for so you’re able to still burn fat despite the hormonal changes.

I also give you 3 steps you can implement right away, whether you’re peri- or post-menopausal, to ensure you’re on the right track to your hottest, healthiest, and strongest menopausal body!

This episode is packed to the brim, so get ready!

Love Kim xo

Reference List: 

• Menopause Matters FB group: https://www.thesculptedvegan.com/menopausemattersfbgroup

QUOTES USED:

“Menopause causes a metabolic shift in the way your fat is distributed.”

“I just love the human body. I think if we could just understand the human body more, we could have so much more control over our lives, health, fitness, and fat gain!”

“The main reason your body stores fat in menopause is because it becomes insulin resistant—a result of a drop in sex hormones.”

If there was a way to recover faster from exercise, dramatically lower your stress response, beat depression and mental illness, get deeper sleep, and boost your immune system’s response to pathogens, would you do it?

What if it was something that caused you short-term discomfort? Would you still do it?

The truth is, most people run from discomfort. Our brains are wired to seek familiarity, comfort, and predictability. 

Why then, would anyone purposely put themselves in uncomfortable, scary, or even painful situations? 

Well, instead of me telling you the answer to that, I will let my podcast guest, Wim Hof tell you!

I am beyond ecstatic to have had this interview with him! The man is absolutely brilliant—so full of energy, wisdom, and charisma. 

For those who may not know, Wim is a Dutch extreme athlete who got his nickname 'The Iceman' by breaking a number of records related to cold exposure, like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle barefoot, and standing in a container while covered with ice cubes for more than 112 minutes.

(Dear God!)

Achievements like these require a massive amount of discipline, determination, and skill. Wim has developed his own method for enabling him to achieve these extraordinary feats and has dedicated his life to teaching others how to master it for their own health benefits.

In this episode, Wim explains exactly how to accomplish all this and more. He even guides you through his ice bath challenge by teaching you how to focus on your breathing to get through it in the fastest 40 seconds of your life.

I even took on the challenge myself  (watch for that video on my IG!), and I strongly encourage you to do it too! Why? Because the benefits of cold exposure on the symptoms of mental illness are profound, and what a way to bring awareness to such a great cause.

And to sweeten the deal, if you post your ice bath challenge video and tag Wim and me so we can see it (with the hashtag #freezehof), you will get a Sculpted Vegan program of your choice for FREE! 

You’re really going to be blown away by this episode! Can’t wait to hear what you think and see all your Freezehof challenge videos!

Love Kim xo

Love Kim xo

Reference List: 

• Freeze Hof Challenge for mental awareness

QUOTES USED:

“ The body is innately capacitated to bring down viruses or inflammation to zero.”

“The best investment you can make for your future is not money, it’s your health.”

“The cold is a beautiful teacher of how to deal with deep deep stress and stay calm.”

Did you know that up to 80% of menopausal women experience hot flashes and vaginal dryness? These are the most common symptoms in all stages of menopause, yet so embarrassing that most women won’t even talk about them.

With the launch of my new menopause program and community coming up soon, I decided to hand my podcast over AGAIN (since you all loved it so much last week). Head Trainer Laura Hutchinson took the reins on this week’s podcast, and she does not disappoint!

Laura has been in the menopause research realm for many years. We’ve both had our heads in the sand TOGETHER for the last year because of our soon-to-be-launched programs, and let me tell you, Laura knows her sh*t.

And quite frankly?

We’re over the silence that has been deafening menopausal women. It’s time to get real about one of the most natural occurrences all women will ever experience.

So when I asked Laura if she wanted to take over my podcast and talk all things menopause, she of course squealed in delight! So listen closely as she gets down and dirty with:

• what menopause is

She even discusses vaginal dryness + some ways to help it, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and shares an old menopause myth that I bet will shock you!

Enjoy this fabulous episode!

Love Kim xo

Reference List: 

• TSV Menopause Program: launching soon!

QUOTES USED:

“The only thing predictable about perimenopause is that it’s unpredictable.”

“The success of your life will be defined by the number of difficult conversations you are prepared to have.”

I have a very special podcast for you this week! I have never done this before, but I thought it would be so much fun to let one of my coaches take the reins on an entire podcast episode! 

And you’re going to love it!

Today’s episode is with Coach Vanessa Burgess! Vanessa has been with the Sculpted Vegan team for several years, and is one of my most experienced coaches! She has done nearly every program I’ve ever created, and has learned so much in the years she’s been with the team. When she first started her SV journey in January 2019, she was breastfeeding 3 babies, working 4 jobs from home, and doing the original 4-Week Shred all at the same time. She has consistently stayed the course, listened to feedback, implemented things she was terrified of (like eating thousands of calories a day to build muscle), and has reaped the rewards ten-fold.

So I sent her into the streets (a.k.a Butt Camp FB group) to ask the competitors what they’re dying to know about all things mindset, health, and fitness so she could answer them live on the podcast!

In this episode, Vanessa gets reeeeal! She actually had an epiphany in real-time when discussing some tips on crushing self-sabotage. She dug into how she personally rewires her brain to send her excuses packin’, tips on building muscle when you don’t have access to the big fancy gym equipment, the truth behind fat gain if you eat before bed, and so much more!

Below are today’s questions:

1:21 Can you please help us with some self-sabotage strategies, like how to overcome self-sabotage?

33:45 What is your favorite quad exercise (small home gym with some machines, but not all the fancy guys)?

35:25 Do you push to failure on each body part in every set? Or do you keep 1-2 reps in reserve at certain times?

38:00 How much of an importance does food timing play?

40:57 Best tips for staying motivated when you’re not seeing physical changes?

51:45 Can you debunk the myth around not eating before bed?

I know you will absolutely love this episode! Happy listening!

Love Kim xo

Reference List: 

• Butt Camp 2.0: https://www.thesculptedvegan.com/8weekbuttcamp2/

QUOTES USED:

“I don’t care what questions you ask. I don’t care what you need in life. You’re not going to get anything accomplished if you’re not first honest with yourself.”

“It takes more work than you could ever possibly dream of to see your body change.”

Who will travel further, the man who loves walking, or the man who wants to get to the destination? Over the years, I’ve noticed a common theme amongst many of the women who buy my programs: they’re so focused on the end result that they miss the entire process of getting to that point. Why is that a problem? See, the journey that takes us to our end result is the very part that changes us. It teaches us through our failures and our mistakes. It shows us who we are and what we can overcome. The end result is of course great too, but that’s not where we build our character or learn from our mistakes.

In the health and fitness space especially, this can wreak havoc in our lives. 

I can’t think of anyone better to delve more into this, than Mind Pump Podcast host and personal trainer, Sal Di Stefano!

Sal fell in love with fitness at an early age. He would research the chemistry behind supplements at age 14! He was quite a skinny teenager and used fitness as a way to boost his confidence in his body. He devoured every health and fitness publication and book out there in pursuit of muscle. Then one day, something happened to him that changed his trajectory. His health took a very bad turn (despite feeling like the pillar of fitness for many years).

Listen in as he candidly shares his personal health struggles, and how they changed his entire view on health and fitness. He was forced to take a hard look in the mirror at his relentless pursuit of the perfect body and realized something needed to change—and fast.

He also digs into the difference between discipline and motivation, and how only one of those is responsible for your ultimate success.

Enjoy this thoroughly!

Love Kim xo

Reference List: 

• Sal’s website: https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/

QUOTES USED:

“If you focus on your health, you WILL look good. Healthy looks good!”

“It’s easy to lose the first 30 lbs, but keeping it off? That’s the hard part.”

“We don’t have a weight loss issue in modern society; we have a keep-weight-off issue.”

“Motivation will get you going. Discipline will keep you going.”

“The amount of training volume and intensity that is required to build muscle, you need 1/9th  of that to maintain it.”

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”

What is it about a sun-kissed glow that makes us feel decades younger and healthier? It seems that nowadays, we are becoming more and more inundated with anti-aging options, from Botox to creams to hydrating makeup and everything in between. And while there is nothing wrong with any of those, what about the rest of our bodies? After all, I think we can all attest to how smooth our skin looks (cellulite, be gone!) and how beautiful we feel when we are tanned from head to toe!

And we already know (don’t we?) that over-exposure to harmful UV rays can damage our skin to the point of adding years to how we look (sorry, tanning bed lovers) or worse.

So how do we get that gorgeous, just-got-back-from-an-island-vacation glow while keeping our skin healthy, supple, and looking years younger?

Well, who better to answer this question than Lynsey Bennett, founder of Lusso Tan! You may know her from the many times I’ve raved about her unique self-tanning products, so I was ecstatic to bring her on the podcast today!

Lynsey brings nearly 15 years of experience working as a skincare expert, combining her extensive skincare knowledge with her love of tanning to bring sunless tanning to a whole new, shocking level.

With the brand spankin’ new Butt Camp 2.0 competition starting Monday, I thought this would be a perfect time for Lynsey to teach us everything she knows about applying the perfect self-tan in a way that not only makes you look leaner but hides imperfections and makes you look years younger.

Listen in as she details a step-by-step ritual for getting the best-looking tan every single time, how to make your tan last longer, what body parts to AVOID, and so much more!

You are going to love this episode!

Love Kim xo

Reference List: 

• Lusso Tan: https://lussotan.com/ (coupon code for 35% off: SV35)

QUOTES USED:

“There’s never too early an age to start with good skincare.”

Many of you know that my trainer for the last 3+ years is world-renowned champion heavyweight bodybuilder Mark Getty. As someone who’s been in the bodybuilding space for over 20 years, he is no stranger to the insane amount of discipline it takes to put on muscle and shred body fat.

Many people think that as long as they show up (to their workouts) and put in a bit of effort, that this is enough to stimulate a change in their bodies. Or they don’t truly understand the number of calories they need for their goals or what true failure feels like in the final reps of your final sets. One of the most shocking things about Mark is his approach to body change. When you look at all of his 275lbs of pure muscle, you’d never guess that he built his body by only going to the gym 4 days a week for 45-minute sessions.

Mark’s approach to training and eating is so shocking that every time I have him as a guest on my podcast, I get hundreds of messages from people whose minds have been blown by listening to him. So, of course, I had to bring him back on for another episode!

Listen in as he dishes everything he knows about building muscle and shredding, how he feels about tracking macros, “deload” weeks, and what he prioritizes in the gym: intensity or volume. He also gets real about anabolic steroids (do you think he takes them?), vitamins, mindset, and whether or not you should even be doing cardio!

Warning: this episode may light a fire under your ass!

Love Kim xo

Reference List: 

• Mark’s IG: @theirishhulk_

QUOTES USED:

“People only think they’re training hard until they actually train hard for the first time.”

“If you want to do something really, really well, just find someone who’s done what you want to do really, really well, and just copy them!”

“Food is nature’s anabolic.”

“You can’t sit in the house, take a load of gear, eat cheesy poofs, drink coke, and not move and then expect to gain muscle.”

Today is THE FINAL DAY (DAY 5) of FIVE bonus podcasts from our incredible 5-Day Shredded Body Challenge we ran last week!

The live trainings blew everyone’s socks off - so I decided to bundle them all up into daily podcasts all week long!

Here’s the schedule:

Day 1 - The reason you’ve failed to successfully diet (and keep the fat off) in the past. Without this knowledge, YOU WILL FAIL.

Day 2 - The system that all pro stage athletes use to ensure they are ripped to the bone in record time. (Hardly anyone outside the industry knows this - but now YOU will!)

Day 3 - The exact formula you need to get shredded in record time that is tailored to your body and your goals. These are the secrets bodybuilders have known for years, now yours for the taking.

Day 4 - How to gain complete clarity on what you’re doing now that is SABOTAGING your results (and you probably don’t even know it!).