iAmHealthyFit 21 Day October Challenge!

I am extremely excited to announce my first official iAmHealthyFit fitness challenge. Some of you might be wondering; What is iAmhealthyFit? Well I am glad you asked!

iAmHealthyFit is a fitness group designed to support men and women of all ages ready to be the change they want to see. Although we all wished we had the internal motivation to get us through out fitness journey, the reality is that we all need a little push here and there. At the very least it's helpful to be reminded of why we wanted to change our lifestyle in the first place. iAmHealthyfit is not about quick fixes, and dieting for vacations one month from now. I am about helping people change their lives to learn to love the person they see in the mirror. I want to help you determine what happiness looks like to YOU and work closely with you to achieve it!

My first challenge starts exactly FIVE days from today on October 7th! This challenge is designed to encourage people to stay active. I remember moving back to the United States from Honduras, in the summer of 2011, and by January 2012 I had gained over 15 pounds. The crazy part was that I did not realize I was gaining the weight and did nothing to stop it. However I remember feeling too lazy to workout and too cold to run. I put this challenge together in an effort to make sure you get your 30 minute workout on a daily basis! No need to gain those pounds you worked so hard to get rid off for the summer. I don't believe in losing weight, I believe in getting rid of the weight, because noone wants to find those pounds once they are gone!

To enter the challenge you must follow us on instagram @iAmHealthyFit. You must post a video or picture post-workout and hashtag #iAmHealthyFit. Then all you have to do is spread the word and have fun! It is very important to me that I celebrate the participants of the challenge. Everyday I will feature a challenger whom exemplifies iAmHealthyFit. At the end of the challenge I will select three winners and they will receive iAmHealthyFit Shirts! The winners will be featured on both, this site and MaseTV.com where I contribute a fitness column. I truly hope you enjoy this challenge, but more importantly I hope everyone uses this opportunity to take a step closer to a happier and healthier version of themselves. I am not an expert, I am simply sharing with you what I've learned throughout my iAmHealthyFit journey!

Please share your thoughts, comments and concerns! I am hear to listen and help in any way I can! Besos and see you soon! Remember you cannot reach the finish line if you never start the race!

This part of my life is called..."I am in a long distance relationship".

This part of my life is called...

"I am in a long distance relationship".

Being in a Long distance relationship....might be one of the most complex pieces of my life. I am still wondering how I ended up in this place, where technology has become my best ally in maintaining my relationship. One minute we were friends, the next we were friends in different countries, and without realizing it we became lovers living in different states. 

Interestingly enough my long distance relationship has done a couple of wonderful things for me. First it has made more patient. It's hard to be restless when I know I have to wait to see my king. Secondly it has pushed me to learn to enjoy "me time". I miss my babes and I am constantly looking forward to spending my free time with my him. However, given the importance of having a balanced life, I have learned to just chill. Is ok to miss the king, but the queen must take time to enjoy her family, friends and herself! Next is my favorite, traveling!! The most awesome part of being in a long distance relationship is meeting my lover in a different part of the country, and even the world (why not) every chance I  get. This new venture has taken me to different parts of my beloved Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Aruba, in the USA to Las Vegas, New Orleans, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Flint, Atlanta, DC and Harrisburg just to name a few; all in the last year and half.

There is something refreshing about knowing that each trip brings a new adventure! And although sometimes (well alot of times) I wished my king was a short cab ride away, I am slowly learning to adapt and learn to play with the hand we've been dealt.

I always welcome your thoughts! Tell me what are your views on long distance relationships, and how are you taming the beast! In the mean time enjoy  some of my favorite flicks from my most recent travels!

Besos de Ms. Dulce de Leche 

Welcome to Aruba!! 

    
  

America is bad for my diet!

It has been a while since I have updated my blog, my apologies! God has been doing his thing and has kept me very busy!

In any case, since I moved back to America I have had a very hard time staying healthy. While I lived in Honduras I ran, I eat fresh non-processed foods and I worked out on a regular. Less than 4 months after I moved back I managed to gain 20pounds and stopped running all together. I am not exactly sure,  when this happened, or how for that matter. All I know is that one minute I was enjoying my skinny jeans and the next I was trying to figure out why I couldn't fit them.

I want to believe the weather might have had something to do with my weight gain. After all who wants to run outdoors in the winter? Yea, I didn't think so! You might be wondering, why I didn't join a gym like the rest of the world...well I am glad you asked. First of all, I don't like working out in closed quarters. Secondly, I could not bring myself to pay a membership fee for something I can do myself! When I was unemployed I could not afford a gym membership, and once I got a job I did not want to pay for one! Needless to say, who has time for the gym? I live such a  busy life that I need the convenience of the outdoors to stay fit!

I will never forget the moment when I realized I had put on one too many pounds! It was the middle of February and I was facebook living, reviewing some of the pictures from my best friends 25th birthday celebration. I was wearing a sleeveless black dress, and my arms looked huge. I have my friends to thank, they had no problem letting me know I was fat. After reviewing the evidence, I had to admit they were correct!

The Solution!

The first item on the agenda was my diet! Loosing weight is 75% diet and 25% exercise. So I started watching what I ate. Living in a Spanish household, with a mother that constantly cooks for a village, can make eating healthy a mission impossible. However, dieting along with juicing has made a world of a difference. Next, I revisited an old friend. Good ole Mr. Shaun T, if you do not know who that is, you may know him as Mr. Insanity! Yes my friends, the most ridiculous workout known to mankind. Insanity was cool, I died every night and started seeing some results here and there. However, indoor workouts get a little boring to me after a while. So, when it got warm, I started running again! Man did I miss running! At first I really struggled with consistency, but I have been getting much better! After dropping my undesired and unwelcome 20pounds, I have been focusing on keeping them off and working on my beach body!

I have a few tools that I incorporate in my routine! First, my dumbbells! I have had these since college and, although they are only 5pounds when I am done with them I can barely feel my arms. Next is the Ab Wheel. When I first got this puppy in my hands, I was not trying to mess with it. However after almost 2 months of staring at it, and with a little motivation from my lover I decided to put my fears aside and give it a try. Now we are inseparable! Last but not least, is the pull up bar! I am still getting acquainted with this bad boy. However everyday I celebrate a small victory as I build my upper body strength!

Shoutouts to the MapMyRun App! Awesome app to track my morning runs, keep tabs on what I am eating and set fitness challenges to help me stay on track!

That is all for now folks! Look out for the biweekly updates on my fit-to-fit recovery! Remember, only you stand in the way of your beach body! Summer time is almost here, don't get caught with FUPAS ladies! #iamjustsaying

Forgiveness = Peace of Mind

Have you ever stopped and thought about all the people that have hurt you? Intentionally or unintentionally? Have you ever wondered how much those experiences have influenced your behavior, and your life?

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and more times than less we don't know or understand the reason until after things have happened. I am what people call an internalizer. I have a really tough time letting go grudges and coping with emotional pain. As I work harder on my relationship with God I have learned about the importance of forgiveness. The only person who is affected by holding on to emotional baggage is you. While others are living their lives not thinking about the situation and moving forward, you find yourself hurting and frustrated because you cannot make things better. Why should you let someone else's behavior destroy your own peace of mind. I am not saying forgiveness is easy, quite frankly is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. But at the same time it has been the most liberating. 

Forgiveness is not for the people who hurt you, is for yourself. Once you let go of the baggage you can move forward with your life and see why things had to go down the way they did. I know is not easy but you will feel a lot better once you forgive. Forgiveness doesn't mean going back to the same situation that caused you all the pain to begin with, no. Forgiveness calls for us to cleanse our hearts and souls of unnecessary baggage in order to successfully move forward. The lord calls on his children to treat people as he treats us. God forgives us everyday for everything we do,  who are we to not do the same. 

I welcome you to forgive someone who  has done you wrong. If you truly forgive them and let go of the negativity you will feel 100% better and will see progress in your life. We live in a world full of negative energy, which continuously holds us back from achieving our true potential. I encourage you to to move forward with a clean heart and you will find yourself closer to happiness. Real happiness and real peace of mind. 

How to lose 20 pounds and Keep them OFF.

One of the best feelings is realizing you have lost weight and look absolutely fabulous. I remember the day I realized I lost 10+ pounds. I had just gotten out the shower and was getting ready to head out, I looked at my body on the mirror and realized I looked thinner. Then I pulled out my fave pair of skinny jeans (Yall know which one am talking about, the one that you have been saving for when you lost those extra pounds, because you simply could not let go. Yes, that one) and to my surprise it fit a lil big. I did not know what to do with myself, I kept of admiring my body thinking to myself, "Girl, you look great!." After 20 minutes of much needed self love, I decided to get dressed and actually head out. A few days later I got on the scale to see how much weight I lost (I was thinking about 15pounds) and was thrilled to learn I had lost 22pounds.

So, how did I lose those unwanted 22pounds? For starters, I didnt even know I needed to lose 22 pounds or in the words of my bff, that I had 22 pounds to lose. My cousin convinced to start competing in the body fitness category of body building and gave me a few tasks. First, she told to cut some things out my diet. It doesn't matter how much you workout, the faster way to see results is by having a balanced diet.

Here are some of my new do's and don'ts.

• Fruits (I usually have one for breakfast every morning, and as a snack I love green apples and mandarines).
• If you have a specific type of food you simply cannot stop eating, find healthier ways to cook it. (for example, I love sweet plantains, now instead of frying them, I boil them. Is not the same but I am satisfied.)
• Try healthier meals. If you like to eat fish, or seafood try grilling, and steaming. Both methods are healthier and in some cases faster.
• Try not to eat out often. Sometimes when we eat out, we venture into foods we should stay away from, the best thing to do is treat yourself once in a while.
• No rice, no fried foods, no sodas, and little to no juice. (I really keep these things to a minimum, they have a lot of calories and should be eaten in moderation. I do drink juice but water is my first choice.)
• It is important that you eat three times a day and have your snacks in between. Keep your metabolism busy with smaller portions.
• Alcohol (I am a social drinker and some days I feel like I need a drink to unwind. However, I limit myself to a glass of wine or two a week. I stay away from mixed drinks and hard liquor.)
• Run. I did not start running until my last year in college. Once I got to Honduras I found out I was doing it wrong (who would have thought there was a proper way to run? yea me either). I started running on the tracks by my house, and at first I could only handle running one lap and walking the next. Now, I can run 12 laps non-stop on the 8th lane which is roughly about 4 miles. I really try to do this a minimum of 3 times a week, some weeks are better than others but this has been a major part of my weight loss.
• I also have a workout routine, that doesn't require a gym. All I use are a set of 10 pounds weights, some stairs and a chair (let me know if you want me to share it with you.)

These are some of the key elements of my weight loss. The best way to keep the way off is to maintain your routine. Once you change your diet, your body will demand that you eat healthier, and maintain the changes. Do not stop working out, and dieting. Loosing weight and keeping it off, requires that you change your lifestyle. If I can do it, you can do it. Please post comments and suggestions!