What’s your secret? How do you find motivation? What do you eat? I receive so many messages on a daily with questions about my fitness journey. There’s no secret, it’s: determination + discipline + dedication. I’ve said this before, but I’m not naturally skinny. I work hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I don’t workout to eat, I eat healthy 80% of the time. I started an 8-week challenge and there are ZERO cheat meals allowed. It’s actually nice because once I taste sugar I can’t stop. I can’t just have 1 cookie, I’ll eat the whole bag. I have no self-control, and if I eat like shi*, then I feel like, shi*. Being able to dedicate time for myself to workout is a must. With so many moving parts in my life, it’s nice to spend time to focus on my well-being. Maria (@ColombianMafiaFit) is so much more than a trainer. She’s changed my life and the way I look at fitness. I take her Private ZOOM classes Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you’re thinking about joining the program, I 100 percent recommend it!
I’m happy to answer your questions and I hope you find this blog post useful, and come back to it when you need a little bit of inspiration.
8 month difference. You can do it too
here we go….
- Do you make it a habit to workout at the same everyday or anytime?
Great question, on Mon/Wed/Fri I work-out from 10-11:15 am with Maria via ZOOM, on TUES/THURS I do a salsa fit or another workout from 2.0 at the same time. My little one naps around that time, so I take advantage and get the workout done when he’s sleeping. I’ve tried working out at night, but with two very active toddlers, by the end of the day I’m exhausted.
2. Cravings, How to overcome them? I’m a snacker…
At the beginning, once you decide to cut the sugar out you’ll go through withdrawals. I’m telling you sugar is like a drug. You can absolutely snack, I eat 2 snacks per day. All you have to do is choose wisely. My snacks include: carrots with hummus, apple with almond butter, blueberries with celery and almond butter, or drink a smoothie. Around that time of the month I will eat dark chocolate with fruit. I choose the “healthier” chocolate choices when I get cravings, but during the 8 week challenge NO CHOCOLATE. 🙂
3. Do you go to the gym?
No, before the pandemic I would hit the gym (back in my early 20’s). In the last 5 years I would do Soul Cycle, and Heated Pilates, but I am not a gym person anymore. I also have pandemic brain, and can’t imagine going back into a gym. I personally LOVE working out at home. Being a mom of two, being able to workout, without leaving my house is perfect. That’s also another reason why we decided to invest in our peloton, even before the pandemic hit.
4. Do you plan your meals for the week?
Yes, I plan my meals for both my kids and myself. I am somewhat of a freak when it comes to organizing our lives down to our meals. Even though we’re all working from home I need to have a schedule and that includes meals.
5. How to motivate yourself when you cannot gather energy for anything.
To be honest, I don’t even think about it. I just put on my workout clothes and go straight into my workout. I’ll sometimes start sluggish, but by the end you feel amazing. You will NEVER regret a workout. Think about why you started. My mentality is always: you workout to have energy, summer bodies are built in the winter, you’ve come this far. I always repeat these things to myself to get pumped up. You can too!
6. Fasting?
Nope, not fasting at the moment.
7. Are you counting macros/calorie deficit?
No, I don’t have time for counting calories or macros. Seems like too much work, and I’m horrible at math lol, I eat 3x a day and have 2 snacks.
8. How do you stay motivated?
At the beginning I was working out and eating healthy to lose the baby weight. Then as the pandemic hit, and my mental health was beginning to suffer. I noticed working out was therapeutic for me. I need an hour to destress and to focus on myself. It’s absolutely necessary when you’re taking care of a million things at home and work.
9. What do you snack on throughout the day?
- carrots with hummus
- apple with almond butter
- green smoothie or a chocoalte banana smoothie (recipe on my instagram reels)
- kale chips
- fruit with non-dairy yogurt
10. What do you eat in a day?
Breakfast ideas:
- oatmeal with fruit
- overnight oats
- oatmeal matcha waffles, 1 egg + smoked salmon
- 2 eggs, mushrooms, 1/2 avocado + fruit
- oatmeal pancakes + fruit Lunch
Lunch/Dinner Ideas:
- chicken, veggies, brown rice
- salmon, with mango salad
- lentil soup
- chicken with veggies soup
- albondigas
- tilapia with veggies
- ahi tuna with broccoli
Snacks:
- fruit
- almonds
- smoothie (green, or cocoa with banana)
- ezekiel bread with almond butter
11. What challenge did you do?
The way Maria explains the difference is 1.0 is to lose weight and 2.0 is to build muscle. The meal plans for each challenge is a bit different, and if you’re looking to lose weight I definitely recommend 1.0. If you want to tone up and still losing weight with 2.0, just make sure you’re eating enough protein.
12. Do you use the peloton on off days?
Yes, I love using the bike on the weekends or even during the week when I want to get a ride in at night.
There were so many other questions, but I will do a 2nd blog post halfway through the challenge. If you’re wanting to make a change, do it! It’s March and you still have time to conquer your fitness goals for the year. It’s never too late. For more info: https://www.colombianmafiafit.com/mafia-shop
I also invite you to listen to the podcast episode we recorded with Maria Leguizamon.
Ep. 5 The Raw and Real Transition into Motherhood w/ Shan Berries – A Tu Lado Podcast
