What's new??

HELLOOOOOOOO!!! How are my ladies doing? Here's another blog to update you on the latest. Wanna hear it? Here we go...

On my last blog I said I would post pictures of my progress but I haven't had a chance to make a little slide show. However, I've been taking pics and will post those soon.

Bad/Good News: I didn't meet my goal for the Zumba convention but I managed to lose some weight. I will say I'm happy with my progress but I'm working on losing a bit more. My weight and I have a love hate relationship;I guess you can say this is a never ending process. Geez, if I would have known then what I know now, I would have watched what I ate back then. Who would have thought it was this hard?
   I want to compliment my members because a lot of you have been working just as hard and I've noticed the weight loss. Great job and keep up the good work. It's never easy but dedication and hard work is the only way to meet your goal.  The fact that you show up to class each day is motivation in itself. Although you may not think its a big deal, working out at least 3 times a week helps you stay healthy. (obviously eating right is a plus)If you're not losing weight but are losing inches, that's AWESOME too!

I also want to thank you guys for being faithful to my class. In case ya'll didn't know, ya'll make class a blast! I love to see each one of you in class and not to mention, I enjoy hearing you guys "huff and puff" as you try to get through class. I know at times I get tough on ya'll but it's all out of love. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making my class fun!

Coming soon to Curves: Here are a few things I'm hoping to incorporate soon... I'm trying to develop an advance "shadow boxing" class. This class will be for an hour and it will be higher impact. Now,don't get scared!!..ALL of you who attend shadow boxing now will be fine. If you are new, I recommend trying the shadow boxing class that we have now to help prepare you for the advance class. This will replace Natalie's zumba class so there will be a charge. I'm not sure what the charge will be but I'm assuming (key word, assuming) the cost will be the same. More info coming soon.....

Reminder: I want to develop a routine with everyone's favorite song. I've been waiting for ya'll to post your songs but I'm not getting enough feed back. Come on ladies, let's get involved. Remember, we all have the same goal...TO BE FIT! Right? So let's make it fun and motivating. I hope to get your favorite songs soon!(thanks to those who have submitted your request, I'm working on developing a routine)

Last but not least... There are only 7 days until we leave for the Zumba convention. I can't wait! I know it's going to be a blast and I will come back with LOTS of new material. So get ready to learn a lot more. I also want to announce that there will be someone subbing for me on Saturday. She is new and she's one of your fellow class members. Yaneth Juarez will be subbing Saturday's class. With that said...... be nice and welcome her. I will be back to teach the following Monday. While I'm at the convention I will post pictures and blog as well. Please follow along!

***side note: On the top right hand side there is a "subscribe" button. Please enter your email so that you get the alerts when new blogs are posted. (and also become a follower) Let's get involved ladies! ****

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
xoxox
Marisol =8)

Time is running out....

The Zumba convention is around the corner and I'm not where I wanted to be so that means this week I will be working my butt off to lose as much as I can before July 7th. What does that mean to you?? Well, that means that for the next week and a half I will be working you guys out! It seems as though ab Thursdays is working out great. I hear a lot of you are sore which is exactly what we want. I want to try and up our workout so that you guys can push yourselves. I will say I'm proud of the shadow boxing class because you guys have come a long way. However, I will also applaud the women in Zumba who are dedicated and stay for not one, but two Zumba classes. That is a lot of dedication. With that said, I want to get your opinion/input about the class. Please be as honest as possible.

I want to try something new and hopefully I can start it in July. I try not to change the music too often because I want you guys to be able to pick up the steps BUT... I want to try a playlist based on your favorite music. So here we go.....

1.What song would you like to hear added to the Zumba playlist?
Pick your favorite song and post it on my fb page and I will try to add as many songs as possible. The genre can vary, it doesn't have to be Latin music. It can be and oldie but goodie or a newbie. I will try to add your pick and rotate the songs so that I'm able to get all your requests in.(I will create a routine for the song of your choice)

2. What type of workout movements would you like to see added to Zumba or shadow boxing? (again guys, don't be shy to post your preferences, others may like the same things you do)

3. What don't you like from the current dances?

Remember no opinion is a wrong opinion. I want everyone to feel free to post their thoughts so that I can offer you guys a variety.

See you guys Thursday

xoxox
Marisol =8)

Doing the diet for 3 weeks...

I know many of you have tried the soup diet and I'm proud of you for sticking to it. However, there is one particular person I want to acknowledge. She constantly said "she couldn't do it" yet she did and lost 10lb. Way to go Marlena!! I know you hate when I put you on blast but I'm super duper proud of you for actually sticking to it. To the ladies trying it for the first time, good luck and don't give up!

Because the diet worked so well for me, I'm trying it for the remainder of the month. Dalila and I leave to Florida July 7-10 for the Zumba convention and I have to be in tip top shape. Unfortunately, I enjoy eating and my favorite thing to do is pig out on pastries. However, because I don't want to be the "fat girl" at the Zumba convention I have decided to stay on the soup diet until July 6th. I need all the support I can get but I will post pics at the end of each week so that ya'll can follow my progress. For those who want to join the challenge, follow along and post your pics as well.

I've told some of you that before I went back to college I was in a lot better shape. I was involved in dancing, boxing, jiujitsu and muay thai. With that said, I was in the best shape ever. I started school full time and working out was no longer in my schedule. I have decided that I want to be where I was 5 years ago and I'm trying hard to work towards that. So today, for your entertainment(lol) I will post a pic of what I was 5 years ago. Yes the pic is really me, and yes I was that small at one point. So now each one of you ladies will see that I too struggle with weight issues. I'm living proof.

So here's pic #1 of me back in 2006....

Now, I wouldn't dare be caught wearing an outfit like that! We'd have all kind of rolls coming out. But I'm on a mission to be there again and I will be there. Will it happen by July 6th? That is the question....?????

Tips

Why is eating healthy so difficult? Why is it that all the good food is either greasy or fattening? I ask myself these questions everytime I want to cheat(with food that is). But eating healthy doesn't have to be that bad. Pick your favorite veggies or fruit and make quick snacks for the week. When you're hungry during the day(this will help avoid reaching for that piece of chocolate or cookies) reach for that healthy snack. I know it's easier said than done but just try it for  a week and see how much of a difference it will make in your weight loss or dropping of inches. So I've decided to list a few things that can help drop some inches or pounds yet taste good as well.

Here is one item that helps the abdominal area. 

Lentils

Lentils are a bona fide belly flattener. Eating them helps prevent insulin spikes that cause your body to create excess fat, especially in the abdominal area.
Eat more There are many varieties of lentils, but red and yellow cook fastest (in about 15 to 20 minutes). Add cooked lentils to pasta sauce for a heartier dish, Zuckerbrot suggests. "Their mild flavor blends right in, and because they're high in protein, you can skip meat altogether."

* Recipe for lentil soup:Add or remove items of your choice.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed
• 1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
• 2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground toasted cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise

Directions

Place the olive oil into a large 6-quart Dutch oven and set over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrot, celery and salt and sweat until the onions are translucent, approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin and grains of paradise and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook at a low simmer until the lentils are tender, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree to your preferred consistency. Serve immediately. 

This is just one thing for you all to try. I know we've been working on eating the "Sacred heart soup"  but I wanted to throw other ideas out there. Remember the diet that may have worked for your friend, may not work for you(and vise versa). Everyone's body is different. I hate when I hear that we need to do this and that yet we all have different body types. You have to do what works for YOU! Don't you all agree?? But don't take my word for it. Log onto: www.self.com for more tips on fat-melting super foods. There is all sorts of great information on this site for all of us to read and learn. So log on and check it out for yourselves.

Have a great and happy Memorial Day weekend. I will see you all on Thursday!!

xoxo

Marisol
 

Where are you?

Ok ladies, so I decided to create this blog so I can get each one of you to participate and share some of the things we may struggle with as we take on this challenge to a healthier way of life. In case we haven't realized it, we are all working on the same goal. Some are trying to lose weight, others are trying to create a healthier way of life...whatever you reason is; lets share our thoughts.

Many of you started the diet or as I like to call it "the 7 day challenge". Some of you tried it and while you didn't lose any "weight" you lost inches; losing either one is still great. I encourage you to continue the "challenge" or for those of you who have told me "I can't do it, I don't eat soup" let's work on a meal plan for you. At curves there are many tools you can use to help set up a meal plan, not to mention you have Natalie who is skilled in that area and I"m sure she would be happy to help you with any questions you may have. I'm here for you as well if you have any questions please feel free to ask or comment. Get involved, read the postings and encourage your friends to join us.

At Curves we are on a mission to add 100 new members, if you know anyone who could benefit from joining Curves please invite them. Help spread the word and tell them about the great experience you have at our gym. Although I try my best to listen to all your comments, if you feel there is something you don't like please feel free to let us know. The only way we can become a better gym(and instructors) is by your constructive criticism and requests. Let us know what you would like to see more or less of. We're here for YOU!! At Curves we are on a mission to change each woman one curve at a time. Help us be the gym all women want to be at.

We would like to thank you all for being faithful members and making our gym what it is...without you there is no Curves. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making my class a success and I hope I can continue to provide the motivation and encouragement you are looking for. I leave you today with one thought... "Can't is NOT AN OPTION!" (or at least not in my class... I have seen each one of you go from barely surviving one song to surviving an hour class) You ladies are the BEST!!

xoxo
Marisol :)

I made it!

Bananas, fruit, veggies, soup... I sort of ended up liking the diet in a weird way. The first day was a challenge but after that it seemed to have gotten easier. Although I would love a piece of pastry (of some sort), I'm motivated at the fact that I lost 9lb as of Monday. It would have been nice to have lost 17lb but 9 will do for now. I'm continuing the diet until Wednesday in hopes to lose a few more pounds.

I asked some of you how it went and some didn't lose any weight. For those that didn't, did you measure yourself? Did you check to see if you lost any inches? If you followed the diet EXACTLY you should have lost something. (whether it be inches or weight) So don't be discouraged and measure yourself if you didn't lose weight. Others have recently started the diet and I want to encourage you to stay focus and don't think about "how hungry you are," I found myself doing that and to be honest I normally wouldn't do that....don't think about it, just do it! (as Nike says)..lol

Let's stay focused and continue working out(as you all have been) and focus on portion control and actually being conscious of what we eat.I know Natalie has posted a few links on her site as to how to read food labels. Check it out and be sure to ask her for guidance if you're unsure of some things. I'm sure she will have no problem assisting you all. I will start to post some recipes you all can try that are quick and easy. This could help with weight loss as well. Stay tuned.....


Stay focused, encouraged and motivated. Working out should be a part of life not a chore. (and I know for some if feels that way) Encourage friends to join you for a neighborhood walk or invite them to Curves and have them tryout the circuit or Zumba class.

With that said... KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!


xoxo
Marisol

Day 2 &3

It's challenging but I'm hanging in there...



Day 2: Again I struggled with thinking of food all day. I know it's because I think about it waaaay to much. I need to just stop being a "fat girl" and focus on the challenge. During our run I felt light and energetic and I'm going to have to admit it has to be the way I'm eating with this diet. I haven't cheated but I'd be lying if I said I haven't been tempted to give up. However, because you all are so strong I'm going to continue to stay strong as well. I totally looked forward to dinner that evening. I made sure to butter my potato as much as possible and a backed potato has never tasted so good to me(although I totally would have loved some bacon bits, chopped beef, cheese and bbq sauce).... I know, I know, I need to stop. But do you see how bad I constantly think of fatty foods...lol ???????

Day 3: Fruits, veggies and soup all day... blah! I don't think I've ever had so much fruit and vegetables in one sitting. I know this diet is all mental but I'm actually on a mission to make this a way of life. I notice I'm so much lighter on my feet and I'm not as tired towards the end of the day. I know I continue to say this but "it could just be mental." The diet seems to be more easy now or perhaps I'm just getting use to it. However, day three is almost over and finally some sweets in my diet. Bananas here I come....

A few things I'm curious if any of you have experienced??: I'm starting to run out of the soup and fruit? I thought I would have enough. Could I be over eating the soup? Any thoughts??

Side note:The fact that we are doing exercise with the "challenge" we should see a lot more weight drop. I'm not ready to weigh myself. I actually prefer to wait at least until Saturday. I'm hiding from all my friends this weekend and I'm staying away from all temptations. I MUST complete this challenge without cheating. Keep up the good work and eat up all the soup you can!

To all my ladies: I wanted to thank all the ladies that came out yesterday to our first day of training. I know this is a big step for many of you but I am proud of each and everyone of you. For some, running is the last thing you want to do but you should be proud of yourself for completing two miles.(doesn't matter if you walked or jogged) ...YOU COMPLETED IT! Although I'm proud of each and every one of you I want to acknowledge Lori. She was the one person who did not want to run or join the group. She continued to say " I can't run" but she was able to jog a mile. I'm so proud of you. (you're on your way to earning your new shoes)

Thank you ladies for encouraging me to maintain leadership during our training. Although you don't think so, you help me as much as I help you. Good night and I will see you all at Zumba tomorrow night(and shadow boxing as well)!


xoxox
Marisol =8)