I love to be an active person; fitness and nutrition are my top priorities to stay healthy and achieve all of my goals. So I want to keep pushing myself and do everything to reach them.


2) What were your initial motivations for transforming your body?

I was going through a severe depression, plus I hated being tired all the time even though I had a desk job. I wanted to lose weight and love the way I looked. With time I realized it is not only about the weight, it is about feeling healthy and taking care of myself. It is about having energy and being positive. Also I feel great inside because I realized all the willpower I had to be fit and healthy for life.

Also my husband was determined to change his lifestyle too, so he lost inches from his waist and gained a lot of muscle. He is my love, my best friend, and my training buddy for life.


3) How long have you been on your program for and what kind of success have you experienced so far?

I've been with my program since September 2003. I always try to challenge my body so I do different cardio routines like kickboxing, boot camp aerobics, rope jumping, running and I change my weight lifting program every 6-8 weeks. Not only did I lose weight and my pant size (from 11 to 2); I also gained muscle, energy and a new way of seeing fitness and nutrition. I left my low self esteem in the past. I don't feel like a failure anymore.

I am going for my dream of having a clothing line, so I started school again. No more desk job for me; I want to be a Fitness Specialist so I can help others feel like I do now. I even helped a family member (my niece) to eat healthy and be an active person. She has lost 20 pounds in 3 months. She reminds me of myself when I started, with a lot of determination. She motivates me to do this for life. I am also helping my family and a couple of friends too.


4) How has this success changed your day-to-day life for the better?

Everyday I learn something new (like exercise routines and healthy recipes). I sleep better; and I love waking up every morning seeing a new day.

I don't make up excuses for not working out. I don't care if it's cold, raining or snowing; I get up and do what I have to do because I feel tons better after. And I feel stronger everyday.


5) Did you experience any setbacks along the way? If so, what were they and how did you get past them?

I didn't stop working out but I was still dealing with severe depression. It didn't have to do with my weight, it was dealing with the past; things I hadn't overcome and I needed more than exercise. Also my desk job wasn't helping at all because I hated it. I felt stuck and I was afraid to go for my dreams for fear of failing. So I looked for professional help to deal with my past. Thank God I am feeling tons better. I can't erase horrible episodes of my life but I can learn from them and not let them knock me down. I need to show myself that I am strong. During this period, exercise helped me release negativity inside.


6) What type of training plan has worked best for you?

Weightlifting works a lot; muscles are a great way to boost my metabolism, maintain a good body fat percentage, reduce my arthritis pain, and give me strength. Also cardio exercise helped me a lot to improve my cardiovascular conditioning. I can endure even more every day. Now, I love to make intense aerobic routines to challenge my body - maybe in the future I can have a workout video.


7) What type of nutrition plan has worked best for you?

I eat from 5 to 6 times a day (Breakfast/Morning Snack/ Lunch/Afternoon Snack/Dinner/Optional Late Snack). I have a balanced diet without eliminating any food group. I just learned to pick the healthiest from each one (like whole wheat pasta and bread, light soy milk or skim milk, chicken breast, salmon, and lots of veggies and fruits). Also it is very important to apply portion control.

I have a cheating meal during the week since it is not good to deprive yourself forever from a good slice of pizza or a piece of chocolate. There is always a healthy option like thin crust pizza with veggies and grilled chicken; and instead of milk chocolate, I can go for the dark one. Also I can share a dessert in a restaurant.


8) What muscle building and/or fat loss supplements have you used? Which ones worked for you and which ones didn’t?

I take multivitamins every day and a whey protein shake after I exercise and sometimes as a snack. These are working great!


9) What are your future fitness goals?

My fitness goals are maintaining a healthy weight, building more muscle and toning my abs and thighs even more. I also want to model in fitness magazines; that would be awesome.

10) What are the top 3 tips you would give to others who are interested in beginning a muscle building and/or fat burning program?

There are so many tips I can give you however these are the first 3 in my head...

• Have a good balance between Cardio, Weight Training, Good Nutrition and REST. It is very important not to over train because you can get hurt, so give your body a day or two to REST.

• Don't get obsessed with the number you see on the scale; your measurements count too. In a week, you probably won't see a difference on the scale but you probably will see less inches on your waist.

• Change the routine, intensity and/or time of your workouts. Don't get stuck with the same routine, you will get bored and won't see a lot of changes in your body. You can change your weightlifting routine every 6 to 8 weeks. And during those weeks, if you don't feel your muscles burning, then increase the weight without compromising your form or you can increase the number of repetitions within sets. Do different cardio routines (jump rope, running, power walking, kickboxing; you can pick a sport, or even walk your dog) and have FUN!

• Sorry I have to add another one. Don't start tomorrow, START TODAY!