Asiah Collins, like many of us, is trying to find balance. As we spoke on the phone, she was trying to do an interview while dealing with a California wildfire growing not too far from her home. As she tours with her husband, rapper Kid Ink, she’s trying to make time for a halfway decent diet while focusing on raising her daughter, Ace. And while she was doing her best to adjust to being a reality TV star on E!’s The Platinum Life, she was simultaneous trying to get her culinary degree, which, at the time of our conversation, she was set to receive a week later.
“The ultimate goal is to open a restaurant,” Collins said. “We’ve always talked about opening a restaurant years and years and years ago since we both like to cook.”
It hasn’t been easy, but the 29-year-old has worked hard to make time for the things that are important to her, including health and wellness. Raised in South Central, Los Angeles (she went to high school with her famous husband), Collins went from track and field star to fitness model and now mom and wife. Still, she continues to do fitness modeling, including her recent work with underwear and performance brand Ethika. We chatted with the beauty about her fitness background, the struggle to make time for healthy diet and exercise when she tours with her husband, and how she was able to deal with all of the drama she found herself in on The Platinum Life. Reality stars have to practice self-care, too.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcIkl_YAYh6/?hl=en&taken-by=asiiah
MadameNoire: How did your health and fitness become so important to you?
Asiah Collins: I was an athlete growing up. I ran track and I don’t know, as I got older, I wasn’t working out as much. I started getting back into it, and as I got back into it, that love for fitness came back because it’s always been there. I just wanted to be healthier. The older we get, you have to take care of your body. I had a baby so that put the fire under my a– [laughs]. I like to work out, when I can. Sometimes I’m not as tempted but you have to just stay focused on it as much as you can.
https://www.instagram.com/p/-SYYfFJe13/?hl=en&taken-by=asiiah
So your fitness background was track, but what else were you into? I read that you saw yourself as an awkward tomboy growing up?
I ran track and field in high school. I played tennis as a kid, but mostly track was always my sport. A lot of people don’t know that about me actually, it hasn’t come up before [laughs].
As a mom who gave birth last year, was already being in good shape the key to being able to get back to your pre-baby shape?
Yes, but it’s hard. My body did have muscle memory but it was the hardest thing after having a baby. Some of my friends snapped right back and they’re just very blessed. My cousin is pregnant right now and she’s all belly. But for me that wasn’t the case. I gained 65 pounds in pregnancy and I was determined to get it off. But what I had to learn and what I think a lot of women have to know is your body really does need its time to put itself back together. My abs were separated. So many things come into it and there’s nothing you can actually do about it but give your body the time to heal and really put itself back together. So I struggled. I’m still not where I would like to be [laughs]. It is a struggle and a lot of it is being determined and focused and dedicated, but knowing that you have to give yourself the allotted amount of time.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMhZ201glQh/?hl=en&taken-by=asiiah
You’re in culinary school and based on your profile, we know you cook amazing dishes. Having a family, being busy, cooking for them, traveling around the world, what kind of diet have you been able to maintain?
Culinary school has ruined my diet [laughs]. My husband and I were actually just talking about that because we both, after Thanksgiving, we’ve been trying to get back into the mindset of a healthy diet but we haven’t. It set me back [laughs]. The sweets have been going in and out of our house like crazy [laughs]. But when I am really good I like to stick to a lot of different diets. You have to switch it up. You can’t just stick to having a no-carb diet, or an all-protein diet. I think a balanced diet is the most effective diet you can have for yourself. That’s why cheat days are so important because you have to switch it up. Your system has to have a well-balanced diet.
That’s so funny that you said that because people don’t even like to call them “cheat meals,” because it really is just giving yourself a special treat and, like you said, finding balance. Why would you say “cheat meals” are so important?
They matter because I think if you try to set yourself up to only eat salad every day, or you’re going to only eat really light with no carbs, your body will stop reacting to that. You have to actually fuel it with something else. You have to enjoy the things you really like occasionally. Your diet has to be well-balanced. You have to switch it up. One steady diet has never worked for me. I’m constantly, constantly switching it up.
On the road, do you get to be active? Is that the time when you feel you’re eating your worst?
On tour, we’re definitely eating the worst because we’re eating whatever is available, especially if you’re overseas for a long time. You’re eating whatever you can at the worst times of night because your body is set up to eating on the schedule back home. And a lot of times, we don’t get to be active. But our last tour we were active because we took our trainer with us on the road, and that helps to have her there to keep us moving. But it’s hard, eating healthy and finding time to exercise, especially on the road. If one person is dedicated to getting up and going to the gym, the other one will go. But if not, we’re cuddled up with Ace watching a movie or singing — she likes to sing on the karaoke machine. But it’s hard, it’s really hard to keep that motivation. But it’s most important to always think about your health and do what’s best for it when possible. It keeps you going even if you’re not working out all of the time.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaJ7DSNAvEC/?hl=en&taken-by=wagsteainc
Being on the Platinum Life, I know you’d have issues with people on the show and it can be a very stressful environment. Conflict happens more often than usual in everyday life. So with that, and being a wife and mom on top of that, would you say it’s been worth it to take that opportunity?
I enjoy being a part of it. I don’t regret it. It was a great opportunity and I had a lot of fun filming it. There were a lot of great moments and we did a lot of fun stuff — some of it wasn’t shown. But the stress level was crazy, especially when you have a family and school and everything else that you’re bringing into the mix. It’s hard and you also don’t want to be the one to be shown not getting along with the other women who are your peers. It’s hard. All of us made a conscious effort to try and bring the peace, but naturally, it just didn’t always happen. Some people are just very different from each other. So yes, it was challenging for me.
How were you able to decompress with such a hectic schedule and being put in these stressful situations?
My husband, God, and my support system. Any time I felt defeated, I always had my husband there to encourage me and tell me what I needed to hear and keep me in check with everything that I have going on so that I could stay on top of it. That’s why I’m so excited about this graduation next week! I’m done and I made it through! [laughs] So he helps.
And outside of your husband, how do you practice self-care as such a busy person?
You have to balance things as you can. I’m still trying to figure out how to balance it all myself. You have to find the time to get everything done but still be there and present for yourself and your family. Family is very important to me and being away from them is really hard, so we just work very hard to keep the balance together.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOrSM0dgb9z/?hl=en&taken-by=asiiah
Speaking of family, your mom is gorgeous! She looks like your sister!
She does! My mom is very much into health and fitness and you see how good she looks, so she better have passed that down to me [laughs]! She looks amazing and she has four kids.
How old is she?
My mom is 62.
Oh my goodness, she doesn’t look anything near that! She looks great, so you’re going to look exactly the same.
[laughs] Thank you! Thank you! I definitely hope so.
Be sure to follow Asiah on Instagram and check out the rest of our Fitness Fridays profiles!
