Meet Kim Hagle, Recovered from Disordered Eating and Overexercising: Learn How She Can Help You Improve Body Image!

It’s so hard to feel uncomfortable in your body. Whether you are an athlete or are moving to get through your day, and whether live in Ontario, Canada or San Diego, California, struggling with body image issues can really hijack your brain and keep you from feeling free to have a life full of love, happiness, and purpose. My Canadian friend Kim Hagle sure knows this truth. Read about her story how she recovered from disordered eating, overexercising, and an anti-fat bias. Learn about how she helps people as a size-inclusive fitness specialist, who is also a certified non-diet health and life coach. She specializes in improving body image to boot! I can’t wait for you to get to know her. :)

Why did you choose to become a Size-Inclusive Fitness Specialist and Certified Non-Diet Health and Life Coach, Specializing in Body Image?

I've had a negative body image for as long as I can remember. After having three children, and experiencing body changes from pregnancies, I was at an all time low. Having tried dieting many times, unsucessfully, I thought maybe exercise was the missing piece to losing weight and keeping it off.

I hired a personal trainer who came and worked out with me at my home while my baby was napping, and for the first time in my life, I started LOVING movement. I felt so strong and powerful in my body. That is what motivated me to become a personal trainer myself.

Unfortunately, what started as a fun, healthy habit, quickly turned disordered. Because my main motivation for working out was to lose weight, dieting entered back in and though I enjoyed exercise, I was mainly using it to burn calories and earn food. I would push myself to the point of injury. And I was constantly weighing myself to make sure all my efforts were "working.”

I didn't realize it at the time, but I had internalized a lot of fatphobic beliefs as a fitness professional. I remember being taught in my training that "My body was my business card,” so I felt immense pressure to maintain the physique of a "fit" person.

I couldn't sustain the effort that was required to maintain that facade.

I had another child (who had a disability), sustained a severe back injury... suffice it to say - life happened. I still continued to exercise, but I stopped dieting and I moved my body just to feel good, which I enjoyed.... and I gained weight.

Because I believed I didn't "look the part" as a fitness professional, I actually left the industry for a couple years. It was during that time that I worked with a body image coach and repaired my relationship with food, exercise and my body, and I realized how much anti-fat bias influences the fitness industry.

With all the "no pain, no gain,” "burn this, sculpt that" messaging, it's no wonder exercise is viewed as dreadful, hard, and punitive. But thinking of movement this way, as purely a means to shrink one's body, is really rooted in a belief that we're not good enough as we are.

Understandably that destroys motivation and keeps people on a start/stop cycle and never experiencing the REAL life changing benefits of movement. I became a body image coach for this reason. I can tell people why they need exercise and how to do it all day long... but in order to create a consistent, sustainable, enjoyable habit it has to start by accepting and respecting your body as is and knowing that you are worthy of feeling good in your body regardless of its size.

What kind of treatment and help do you provide?

I provide 1:1 functional movement coaching, cognitive behavioural body image/health and life coaching and also teach intuitive eating.

Do you work with only eating disorders or body image?

No, however most of my clients will have had disordered eating and exercise habits at some point along the way.

Where are you located? In which states/regions do you practice?

I live in Ontario, Canada. I serve clients all over the world via Zoom.

How long have you been working with eating disorders and body image overall?

Four years

What are your favorite types of clients to work with?

Most of my favorite clients identify as "fitness misfits.” Women who either because of chronic illness or pain, mobility limitations, body size, past eating disorder or traumatic history with exercise feel that traditional fitness spaces and classes don't work for them. I help them with both the limiting beliefs and mindset about their body, health, and movement, and I also help them find movement that feels good for their body.

What happens during a first appointment/meeting with you?

During our onboarding appointment we'll complete a few assessments (body image, relationship with exercise and food). We'll talk about your struggles and how these are holding you back. And we'll set goals that are meaningful to you, and discuss the pathway to get there.

What are the first steps you take when addressing body image issues?

I'll ask a lot of questions about why you think your body is a problem, what are the stories you tell yourself about your body. We get curious about where these stories come from - not to lay blame, but to understand why we feel the way we do now, and get clarity on how this is holding us back. We normalize the stories, we hold compassion for ourselves, give ourselves grace and then we start the process of training our brain to believe something different.

What do you wish people knew about getting treatment and help for eating disorders and body image issues?

That there's so much freedom and joy on the other side! It's not easy work - that's why it's so helpful to have a coach or therapist to support you - but it's SO worth it.

How can people learn more about and contact you?

Website: www.radiantvitality.ca

Podcast: The Power in Motion Podcast on Apple or Spotify

Instagram: @radiantvitalitywellness

Facebook: @radiantvitalitywellness

Share one fun fact about you that most people don't know.

I am a self-taught sewist. Learning to sew my own clothes has been a big part of my body image recovery journey. It can be hard to find clothes that are fashionable and fit right in stores, but sewing allows me to make things perfectly suited to my style preferences and fit my body perfectly!

If you're looking for binge eating support in Canada, including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary, you can work with both Dr. Marianne Miller and Kim Hagle, size-inclusive fitness specialist and anti-diet life coach.

Dr. Marianne, a San Diego, California eating disorder therapist with over 12 years of experience in binge eating and bulimia recovery, offers compassionate, effective support for everyone, anywhere through her Elite Binge Eating Method.

Discover this empowering anti-diet binge eating program, which combines 1:1 coaching to help you feel more energized, gain mental clarity, nurture meaningful relationships, and experience true freedom with food. Learn more about the EliteBinge Eating Method here.

If you're just starting out and aren’t quite ready for private coaching, check out Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership—an accessible option at $99 USD/month.

Finally, stay connected and inspired by following Dr. Marianne on Instagram at @drmariannemiller.

Whether you're seeking in-depth coaching or looking for an introductory membership, Dr. Marianne offers multiple ways to support your binge eating recovery journey alongside Kim Hagle’s anti-diet fitness approach.