Motherhood Pushed Me to My Emotional, Physical Limits

Motherhood Pushed Me to My Emotional, Physical Limits

Nicole Chikwe is a model, social media influencer, beauty enthusiast, Stanford certified nutrition expert and founder of TrimKitchen- a healthy lunch delivery service. She is married to rapper, Naeto C. Nicole and has worked with several leading brands such as Hairfinity, Nike, Lancôme, Blue Band, Bath Kandy, Jumia, Guerlain, Inglot, Sweet Kiwi, M.A.C and contributed beauty and wellness content to many leading online platforms such as BellaNaija and Kamdora. Nicole says her sole mission is to properly shape women by providing workouts, recipes, and fitness tips. She created the TK Method specifically for this. It is a weight loss and wellness service by Nicole to educate and support millions of women in their health and fitness journeys. Nicole shares her story with Azuka Ogujiuba

My goal is to help as many women as possible to achieve health and fitness

have a personal goal to help as many women as possible to achieve their ideal level of health and fitness, and to feel more confident, beautiful and happy, starting with new weight loss and wellness plans. One is specifically for new mums. The programmes are designed to be flexible and guide on how to change eating patterns, eat nutrient dense and delicious food, adopt healthy practices to make your skin radiant, and train to increase fitness and strength through regular workouts. More women are joining the #TKMethod Community every day. This is a fantastic source of extra support and encouragement for women around the country. We are trying to make permanent and sustainable changes to both their mindset and lifestyle.

The TK Method is designed to make your fitness goal a reality

I became more interested in fitness when I was modelling, but it became a priority after I gained a considerable amount of weight (30kg) after having two children back to back. I think it takes an incredible amount of discipline, dedication, and most of all, having a plan, to get back to shape after child birth. Thankfully I had the formulated the #TKMama programme based on my weight loss experience with my previous pregnancies for some of my friends who were new mums, so I was able to use it on myself and clearly it worked.

Healthy food isn’t just salads; Nigerian food can be incredibly healthy

I think we can make a healthy lifestyle by changing our mindset about food. Healthy food isn’t just salads. Nigerian food can be incredibly healthy just by switching a few ingredients and preparation styles. Most people struggle with healthy eating because they feel deprived of the favourite comfort foods. I think if we realise we can eat our rice and native soups as well, it will make adopting a healthier lifestyle much less daunting.

Exercise is for everyone

A lot of people think exercise is for ‘fat’ people. No. Exercise is for everyone- big, thin, young, old, male and female. Exercise isn’t just important for weight loss, but it helps your organs function at their best, decreases blood pressure, and increases your overall health.

Mothers find it hard to hit the gym shortly after childbirth

It is very hard to hit the gym shortly after childbirth. My baby is four months old now and I still haven’t been to a gym properly. My advice is workout at home! Once you’ve been cleared by your doctor to work out, The TKMethod has quick but effective workout plans that you can do from the comfort of your home when the baby is sleeping. Take the opportunities whenever you can get them- morning, evening, whenever. You can also break up your workouts into smaller chunks to fit around your schedule. All that matters is that you stay active.

Yes, I am a feminist

I am a feminist because I believe that men and women should be afforded the same socioeconomic and political opportunities.

The biggest thing motherhood has taught me

Motherhood has taught me that I am much stronger than I could have imagined. Motherhood has pushed me to my emotional and physical limits, but it has helped me grow in confidence in myself, and grow in faith and trust in God.

My educational background

I went to secondary school at Atlantic Hall in Lagos, followed by A Levels at St Leonards Mayfield School in East Sussex, UK. Following that, I obtained a B.Sc (Hons) from the University of Birmingham, an MSc in Finance from the European School of Economics and most recently, I’ve completed a course in Food and Nutrition with Stanford University.

Best gift received as a child

My dad surprised my sister Megan and I with bicycles when I was seven years old. We used to ride around our neighborhood every single day on them. It was amazing.

Biggest mistake ever made in life

This is not taking my Catholic faith as seriously as I ought to when I was younger. A strong relationship with God would have helped me make smarter decisions when I was younger.

Naeto C and my three kids

Writing and completing my Masters dissertation when I was five months pregnant and getting married to Naeto and having my three precious children are indelible high points in my life. My biggest fears are not making it to Heaven, and failing to raise my children properly.

I’d love to grow Trim Kitchen into an International Brand

Yes, there are many things I still desire. I’d love to grow Trim Kitchen into an International Brand, I’d love to go on pilgrimage and I’d love to run a marathon.

My life lessons

Some of the lessons life has taught me are that you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate; your network is truly your net worth.

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