Welcome!!

Welcome to the first blog of 2016!! A little late in the year but it was time to get it going again.
This blog was created in 2011 for my Zumba students. It was a place for me to share tips, experiences and all things fitness. As my life became a lot more busy, I stopped blogging and turned to creating a Facebook group. It was a great way to get keep all the women motivated, involved and encouraged but it wasn't for everyone. They didn't want to share their personal experiences with everyone in the group so instead I took their personal messages and wrote general responses. Lately, the amount of messages I receive in a day has grown and replying to everyone has become a bit hard.

MY GOAL: I hope to make this platform a way for me to answer all your questions, give fitness tips, encourage and create a community of powerful women.

For those who are new to my blog, allow me to introduce myself.....
My name is Marisol. I'm Mexican-American born and raised in Houston, Tx. I'm a Sign language Interpreter by day and a fitness junkie by night! I wasn't always a body builder but fitness has been a big part of my life for a long time.. I danced for 16 years(and I don't mean stripping) and I did my fair share of boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai. I guess you can call me She-Ra 😝

I wasn't always fit. There came a time in my life when I gained an insane amount of weight. I was going to school full time and working full time (for those currently in this situation, I have tips). I no longer had time for the gym or any of my cardio classes. Cooking was an extra chore so picking up fast food was quick and easy. Imagine... 5"1 and over weight!? Yea, it wasn't a cute sight!

After graduating college, I started to focus on me. My self esteem wasn't at its highest so I started to focus on improving myself. I felt I needed to be mentally and emotionally prepared. I kept a daily journal. I set goals, wrote encouraging quotes and I held myself accountable (I also tracked my food intake, water and workouts). As we all know, as we get older losing weight gets harder but it's not impossible. I worked hard and I was strict with my eating. I stopped eating out, no more drinking and sweets was a once-in-a-while thing. I slowly started to lose the weight but it wasn't coming off quick enough. At times I found myself getting discouraged but I would look through my journal and I'd remind myself of how far I'd come. I had some knowledge of nutrition and some fitness experience but not enough. What I learned along the way is what I worked with.

In 2011, my aunt opened a gym. With my dance and fitness background, she asked me to become a Zumba Instructor. I was hesitant at first. The only thing about Zumba I knew was that the classes at the gym were packed and the ladies looked lost. However, my aunt convinced me and in 2011, I became a Zumba Fitness Instructor. As a fitness instructor you  have to motivate, encourage and push your students but most importantly you have to lead by example. This was the push I needed to build a better me! I'm a visual person so I felt in order to give fitness advise, I needed to look the part! I started to educate myself on nutrition, took additional online courses and I continuously kept learning. I wanted to be the best for my students and prove to them that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. And that I did... I met amazing women from all walks of life who I helped become healthy. It was an amazing feeling to watch the women transform. They went from wearing their husband's big t-shirt to class to wearing cute fitted fitness gear. Now how bad ass is that!?

Many of you have asked if I was always fit...I hope this blog answered your question. No I'm not naturally thin, no its not easy but I made the conscious decision to work at staying healthy! I know many of you can relate so I hope my blog can serve as a place where you find encouragement, motivation and positive vibes...TONS of positive vibes!!