About Frida Gonzalez

My Background

Frida GonzalezI was an active ballet, jazz and hip hop dancer for most of my life. I started at the age of 3 and stopped dancing halfway through my college years. So I guess I can say that I lived a very active and fit life. I will admit, my nutrition wasn’t as great as it could be. I was the type of teen that could scarf down 3/4 of a large pizza in one sitting, eat chips & french fries endlessly, and indulge in chocolates & ice cream like my life depended on it. My friends often wondered where all that food would go and I suppose I kept the weight under control because my metabolism was great and I was very active through dancing. Everyone would tell me that my eating habits would all catch up to me when I get older.  And yes it did! You know the saying Freshman 15??? Well, that’s when the weight gain all started for me. After a few years, I got married and you know how they say when a couple gains weight, then it’s a sign of happiness? And you know how guys are supposed to tell us, “You don’t look fat in that outfit dear” and “I think you look great in that.” Well, by then, I gained about another 40 lbs. Surely, my self-confidence was going down (regardless of all the compliments my hubby was giving me) as I was seeing photos of myself and realizing that I was constantly having to buy larger clothes. Hanging out at the mall and trying on clothes was no longer fun for me anymore. Going through my closet every morning was actually depressing because nothing looked or felt right. I definitely didn’t feel the same anymore. After realizing that the weight loss belt that I bought wasn’t really going to make my abs appear, I finally signed up for a gym and successfully lost 20 lbs in one month by mainly focusing on cardio while doing a bit of strength training and cutting back on carbs.

My Insanity Transformation

Fast forward in time and now I live a very busy life. I’m married, have three small children, a stepmom to 1, I work full time and take graduate courses full time. Having kids definitely takes a toll on the body. I spent my first pregnancy being very conscious about what I ate. I ate a lot more fruits and Frida Gonzalez' Fitness Tranformationvegetables than I normally would and I took my prenatals at the same time every single day. My second pregnancy was the exact opposite. I ate plenty of fried and fatty foods. Chicken wings, pizza and burritos were my favorite foods at the time and I honestly used the excuse “I am eating for two and I can eat whatever I want”. BIG MISTAKE, because I of course gained a lot more weight and felt much more uncomfortable compared to the first pregnancy. After my second child was born, I had constant back pain, extremely low energy, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and was very disgusted by what I saw in the mirror. During maternity leave, I was constantly trying to think of how I was going to be able to get back into the gym routine and get my body back. Going to the gym was going to be much more of a hassle than ever since it takes time to get ready, drive to the gym, workout, drive home, shower, etc…. and I knew my toddler and my nursing baby were not going to be happy with that. After constantly seeing the Insanity commercials on TV, I took it as a sign….. I HAVE TO GET THAT PROGRAM! It looked intense, the transformations looked insane and the name was crazy enough to suck me in. I wanted something that was going to be a challenge, something that would push me to my limits because I seriously did not want to waste any of my valuable time.

Once I got the program, I popped it right in and broke more sweat than I ever have in the first 10 minutes! I was excited for the first few days, then eventually just started doing the workouts randomly…. whenever I felt like it. So of course, I didn’t get the results I wanted. So I started looking for another solution. In these Insanity DVDs, they mentioned drinking Shakeology. So I started researching Shakeology, looking for cheaper alternatives, better quality alternatives, side effect, etc. When it comes to supplements, I have a tendency to do a lot of research before actually trying it because I get very nervous about supplements that may cause more damage than good. I’ve heard way too many stories about supplements that cause liver failure, heart attacks, etc. so I wanted to be completely informed before giving it a try. After spending about 5 months thinking about it and researching the best supplements to take, I concluded that there was actually nothing else on the market that was as safe, as nutrient-dense and clean. The only problem was that the price seemed very costly to me, so I set the idea of getting Shakeology aside again. I started seeing photos of myself that friends were posting on Facebook and was extremely disgusted by them. So on top of my back pain, IBS, decreasing energy, and loss of confidence, I decided that enough was enough. I had to get my body back and I was going to do everything that I can to get Shakeology. Since money was tight, I signed up as a Beachbody coach just to get the 25% discount on Shakeology. Even though I hadn’t even tried it before, I was happy enough to sign up since I can cancel both my coach membership and my order if I wasn’t satisfied in the first month. I signed up with a friend of mine who seemed to be doing well with both Insanity and Shakeology.

While waiting for my Shakeology to arrive, I was tapped into the coach network where TONS of people were so motivated to work out and get fit. I restarted Insanity and decided that I would not skip a single day. While I had no intentions of doing the business, the “coach” title made me feel obligated to get fit fast. Somehow, I always perceived coaches to be perfectly fit, but in reality they just have to be inspiring. But I still felt like I had to live up to  the name. The first 2 weeks of Insanity were hard, but great. I was starting to see weight loss from being consistent and refining my meals. Once my Shakeology shipment arrived and drinking it became a part of my morning routine, my energy skyrocketed and the weight started to fall off a lot faster. People were noticing and I became unstoppable. I was halfway through the program and I was NOT going to stop! After about a month and a half of doing the program, I went from a size 12 to a size 6! My energy was back, my craving for junk was very very minimal and I was feeling great again. Before I could even finish the 60 day program, I found out I was pregnant with my 3rd child. Although I was given the “okay” to continue working out and drinking Shakeology, I decided to take on less intensive programs such as Brazil Butt Lift and Yoga Booty Ballet: Baby all the Way.

My Pregnancy Journey on Brazil Butt Lift and Yoga Booty Ballet: Baby all the Way

I did these programs to the best of my ability during my entire pregnancy and I will have to say that my 3rd pregnancy was the EASIEST and the quickest pregnancy I’ve ever had! On top of that, I managed to get enough strength to get my son out in just one push!

pregnancies

My 21 Day Fix Transformation

One thing I’ve learned is that getting fit is not a quick and permanent fix. There certainly will be a lot of ups and downs, especially when life’s surprises and holiday gatherings can distract our nutrition and workout routine. The two things definitely have to become a part of a lifestyle change, rather than just a short term diet or workout plan. While getting through the tempting times of holiday feasts and baking with my kids, I finally found momentum and more control over my habits when following the 21 Day Fix program. It was a good reminder about how important eating healthy and eating the right portions is when trying to make progress. So here I am, finally going to the beach in my bikini top WITHOUT a sarong cover it.  Yes… it was a proud moment…. but I’m not stopping here. I still have some work to do.

Mom of 3- 21 Day Fix Transformation

Had I not signed up for the coach discount on Shakeology, I don’t think I would have found the drive to successfully lose 6 dress sizes in a month and a half while balancing my family and everything else that I had going on in my life. Having gone through this, I found the desire to help others realize their potential too. For the mothers that are reading this, finding the time and energy to lose weight is not impossible. Sure, our kids come first, but our own health has to be a priority in order to function the best that we can for them. I certainly had my share of guilty moments when my daughter was begging me to play with her, but all my body wanted to do was sleep all evening. Now, I have the energy to keep up with everything. Remember… a happy mom = happy kids! (and a happy spouse too!). Seriously, I can tell you so much about how my marriage and motherhood has improved after making fitness a priority!

If you’d like to get on your own fitness journey, I’d love to have you become a part of my supportive group, Xtreme Impact! Together, we can stay accountable, reach our fitness & financial goals, while touching the lives of many others too!

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