CrossFitter + Runner + Health Nut

More often than not, I hear people getting all gung-ho on starting a new regimen. They want to look awesome in that bikini, that dress, for that trip... You name it! It all looks good for the first days, but then, the inevitable happens: They try a little bit of pizza, chocolate, etc. and they get off the wagon . Well, there are many reasons why this happens and I will name a few that are the most common ones I've either heard or been a victim of: Restrictions - We aren't designed to be restricted. Even if we have evolved over thousands and thousands of years, we are still wired to eat anything we have near us to prevent any starvation periods. Moreover, hunter-gatherers back in the day would have different periods of famine and eating. So, our technology and modern lifestyle have gone faster than our metabolisms can adapt. Therefore, restricting ourselves from eating this or that will most likely make us crash and burn. The solution I've found works for me is s...

Changes are not easy, they bring with them a lot of resistance. However, I have learned to embrace them throughout the years, but, while they happen, they make me uneasy. They bring uncertainty, which drives me crazy. Nevertheless, whenever I find myself anxious about what the future will bring, I sit down, meditate and repeat the following mantra: "I trust". And I really do trust , I know that no matter what, the universe will never take me to a worse place, quite the contrary, I know it'll be to a better one. And so it was. After saying good-bye to toxic relationships, toxic environment (blue lights, media, news, reality shows, junk food in the kitchen, commercial body and hair care products, among other things) I saw my life change for the better. The new changes I made included hanging out with positive people, people who were into health and nutrition, spiritual people, people who appreciated the different cultures of the world, open-minded people, and success...

Sometimes in order to fix a bigger problem, we need to start by fixing ourselves. And that's where I had to start to release all the mental chains I had that prevented me from being myself. These included persons and ideas that kept me from reaching my highest potential (not that I have reached it yet, but I feel like I'm on the right track). The first thing I had to do was love myself. I know, you can ask anyone if they love themselves and they will say "yes", but, once they start digging deeper, they realize that they haven't really been loving themselves. Someone who loves themselves would never allow anyone else to do something harmful to them. The "fine, I'll do this just for you even if it's hurting me" thing is not acceptable if you love yourself. A good example is what I used to do and sometimes, to this day, struggle with. I used to never say "no" to people because I always wanted to be nice. So, I ended up doing thi...

I remember going through different websites, looking for a trainer that would offer a workout and a meal program. Someone I trusted or had seen before. So, there was my solution: Jillian Michaels! I had heard about her from the show The Biggest Loser and had started seeing her supplements and other products at the store. So, I thought I'd give her a shot. She had everything I needed on her website. An app that would help me download the workout schedule and programs, as well as the recipes to eat healthy and be in the best shape of my life. I have to admit, at the beginning it was daunting! I started off by throwing away all the junk food I had in my kitchen cabinets and fridge. Then, I restocked on the ingredients I would need for my healthy meals. I honestly had never spent as much money on food and I was curious about all the new things I was going to try out. I was pretty consistent and disciplined with the meal plan and workout program Jillian had chosen for me...

One morning, I woke up completely decided to change my life. I was tired of being called names, being told how bad I was at keeping a normal/healthy weight and decided to follow what the "experts" always said: Eat less, move more.  Little did I know that it wasn't just about that. I had no idea about the nutrients my body needed in order to keep me healthy and my metabolism running smoothly. I can honestly say that at that time, ignorance was bliss.  So, what did I do? I thought that maybe eating 1 bowl of cereal a day would be enough to reduce the amount of calories I needed in order to lose weight, and, moreover, that dancing would be my exercise of choice! Yes... Dancing! For those who know me, I don't like dancing. I don't dance or anything (Well, alright... I can Waltz ;)). Anyway, since I was a Backstreet Boys fan, I would dance to all their songs and learn their choreographies. I knew the steps to most of their songs by the end of 6th grade...

Being a kid is awesome: you don't have to worry about anything major in life! Most of the times, the most concerning thing is being the next cool kid, getting good grades and... Trying to stay out of trouble to avoid getting grounded! Your life is pretty much taken care of by your parents or caregivers. This includes the nutrition part. And if you, like me, grew up with parents who were not nutritionists or attached to their culinary roots, your parents were probably feeding you whatever filled your stomach and not what gave you the necessary nutrients you needed to grow up healthy.  And, I mean, I get it... As a parent (I'm not one, but I guess this is what I'd do if I were a parent too) you try to have food on your table and, if you grew up eating a certain type of food, that's what you know is right to eat. Well, that was my parents' case. I would come home to my favorite childhood food of all times: Mac and Cheese. Or, for breakfast, how about a good ...