‘No excuses’ approach to fitness keeps Alpharetta mom of three on track
Even ‘surprise’ baby at age 40 doesn’t derail healthy living
By CANDY WAYLOCK
waylock5@aol.com
Kim Wilson welcomes a guest into her home, not at all apologetic about the general state of chaos that waits inside.
“My focus is on how I eat and staying fit…the rest is less important,” she said, as she scoops up her infant son and heads out the door.
Outside, the property stretches on for several acres, encompassing her husband’s tennis academy and her own fitness center. In between, evidence of the kick-butt workout she puts her clients through are scattered throughout like a football training camp.
Wilson has led an interesting life. The daughter of longtime television meteorologist, Ken Cook, she grew up eating essentially off the land from the bounty of the family garden.
“Everyone who watches my dad knows he has gardens. He was farm-to-table way before it became trendy,” laughed Wilson, a native Atlantan through and through who attended St. Pius High School before heading off to Clemson University.
“Growing up, we always had huge vegetable and fruit gardens, and to this day my parents still can all their food and make their own preserves,” said Wilson, who now lives in Alpharetta with her husband, Jeffrey, and three children.
She credits her upbringing with her own lifelong healthy eating habits, adding the fitness component in her teens after a friend suggested going to the gym to work out.
“My sophomore year in high school, I got hooked on fitness, and [my first day in the gym is when] my ‘addiction/obsession/passion’ for fitness was born,” said Wilson.
Back then, Wilson didn’t see fitness as a career choice, but more of a lifestyle preference.
“I majored in political science [at Clemson] and wanted to be a judge,” she recalled of her early plans. “But I met my husband, Jeff, at Georgia Tech [where we both worked]…he was the tennis coach. Little did I know, this would be the start of us working together with athletes.”
They married in 1999, but the travel her husband was doing as a collegiate tennis coach first at Tech, and then at Duke, was tough on a growing family that now includes Reilly (10), Susie-Jane (8) and Liam (9 months) – a “surprise” addition to the family when Wilson turned 40.
The two looked for an option that would keep Jeff involved in coaching and more at home, and “stumbled” across a property in Alpharetta that was the perfect layout for tennis courts. The property also included an old barn that Wilson converted into a gym. While her husband attends to the training needs of his students through his Alpharetta Tennis Academy, Wilson works off court with their overall fitness and nutrition needs.
“It was perfect timing,” she said of their decision to open the tennis academy 10 years ago. “I’ve always been on the bubble of something [fitness-related] and becoming a trainer pulled everything together.”
Wilson has since expanded to include workouts for area residents, primarily women, who come for intense workouts and information about healthy eating. In addition to a “boot camp” style workout, Wilson stresses the nutrition focus with all her clients, noting you can’t spend one hour a day doing something good, then 23 hours undoing all the good.
“In a perfect world, I would love to see everyone stop eating out of boxes, wrappers, bags and cans,” Wilson said. “Everyone must stop going for the fastest ‘grab’ food, then call it a meal. It doesn’t work that way.”
Not only do her clients leave a little fitter, she helps them plan and cook meals that will continue their health efforts at home and for their families. Wilson teaches women to slow down and prepare meals that offer the most nutrients in every bite. Every meal should contain a low glycemic carb, a lean protein and a nutrient-dense vegetable.
The bottom line is she’s teaching her clients nothing new when it comes to diet choices.
“It’s the way your grandparents ate – it’s that simple,” she explained. “It’s not a new concept.”
For women who say they don’t have the time or the money to live a healthy lifestyle, Wilson said those are just excuses. Even a baby at 40 didn’t slow her down, noting she went extreme canyoning when she was three months pregnant.
“All you need to succeed is a heart-rate monitor that displays the amount of calories burned, a good pair of shoes and a great playlist! That’s it!” she said. “Everyone has the time and money to be healthy. Being healthy is a choice.”
To jumpstart a fitness program, Wilson offers her plan: first, throw out old workout clothes and get a few new outfits; second, take a before photo; third, set goals for each month; and lastly, train with a friend or in groups.
She says women often sabotage their fitness efforts by not thinking realistically.
“Women get discouraged if they don’t see results right away, but lifelong results take time,” said Wilson. “You need patience and consistency. Set goals, believe in yourself and just keep going!”
But fitness and health don’t have to be 100 percent of the time. Sometimes small rewards are good (and necessary).
“What I try to teach people is try to be as healthy as you can for seven to 10 days, then, if you want, go out and have a great dinner, drinks dessert,” said Wilson. “Then come back, and clean it up for the next seven to 10 days.”
View Wilson’s eating tips in Northside Woman’s January 2012 Take Five.
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