The other night we celebrated my Lola’s 89th birthday. We sat enjoying our favorite sushi dishes rich in Omega-3’s such as salmon. My grandmother (lola) was vibrant – slow but healthy, beautiful and classy. She has the kind of eyes that brightly smile and a voice so quiet, it requires your full attention. She inspires me to grow old gracefully. Besides her busy social life, her petite frame reflects the healthy diet abundant in Filipino food rich in fish. Whenever…
The 3 people you need in your life.
October 22, 2019A couple months ago, while driving home from a No Excuse Mom meetup, I saw a fellow member, Kimmy, walking home. I slid down my window and said, “Hey, you live near me! Do you want to go running sometime?” (I’ve seen her run before) She agreed and we both scheduled a 6am run in two days. Asking her to run that day was going to benefit me in multiple ways. I wanted to started getting up earlier. I wanted…
Training to be Average.
November 19, 2018Damn. I stared confused, annoyed and speechless while staring at my Dexa Scan results, a machine that calculates bone density, muscle mass and body fat. In the past, I measured my body composition via skin calipers and hydrostatic underwater weighing. In both tests, I always measured between 22-24% body fat, an athletic range for a female. However, in this most recent weigh-in I clocked in at 28% body fat – a percentage that is considered normal or average. I really…
Don’t just BE the Change…BRING the Change
July 2, 2018July 2, 2018 Six years ago I created a Facebook page dedicated to fitness. Since then, most of the people I used to follow have withered away. A lot of models and athletes who I admired on covers of fitness magazines have faded into obscurity. Many well-known brands and catchy workouts are no longer popular. This isn’t shocking as I’ve seen many changes in my 22 years in the fitness industry. I know one thing for certain, if you get…
Speaking to my internal Rebel
April 17, 2018April 17, 2018 I stopped updating my fitness blogs around the time too many people started reading it. Why? I didn’t want people to read my journey and try to emulate it. I didn’t want to misinform people who are at stage one to start at “stage seven” just because I was blogging about it. It took years for me to develop my core, perfect my form, build my endurance, increase my strength and improve my balance. Telling people to…
Zucchini, Carrot and Apple Miniature Muffins
February 24, 2015They often say you are either a cooker or a baker. I am definitely the latter. I love to bake. I like to know I can follow a recipe to the “t” and get the final product without needing to be creative. I also like to have sweet stuff in the house because: A) It makes my house smell good B) The Children constantly need healthy snacks C) I am a recovering sugar addict and appreciate daily sweets, esp in…
Healthy doesn’t always look “Fit”
November 25, 2014When I was outwardly considered the most fit, I wasn’t healthy. I meticulously counted macros, spent hours at the gym, turned down invitations to social gatherings, lacked life balance and focused mainly on physical aesthetics and not bodily function. I didn’t realize that most images seen on magazines and advertisements are of paid models/athletes that tanned, dieted and depleted their body of water so muscles become more visible. Many develop eating disorders, body dysmorphia, infertility, metabolic damage, depression and caffeine…
Failure is perception.
October 15, 2014I fear failure. Funny statement considering, most people view me as a successful person. What people don’t realize is how much I’ve failed in this process in uncovering my life’s path. In 2008 I experienced an unplanned pregnancy that left me depressed, anxious and worried about the future. I didn’t have a steady income, I lacked health insurance, I recently moved home with my parents, I was overweight from years of disordered eating and while we were engaged, we weren’t…
25 Summertime Shape Up Tips!
May 22, 2014Like most people, my job isn’t to be in shape and fitting in workouts means managing time between work, cooking, cleaning and caretaking my three little boys who I gave birth to in 2009, 2010 and 2011. While it’s difficult to prioritize YOU (especially when you are last on your list), it is possible to get into great shape. Here are 25 great tips I use to get ready for the summer time (or any time). 1. Write both long (3-12…
25 Things I Don’t Do.
March 9, 2014Often time people want to know what I do. It gets very boring to tell others I workout for an hour five times a week and eat small balanced meals containing complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats throughout the day. So let me tell you what I DON’T DO on a daily basis. DISCLAIMER: I’m not saying that if you DO any of these things it’s necessarily a bad thing. This article is just a guide to anyone who…