It’s been awhile since I did a little fitness journey update and since I had to take photos of this new workout set for a collab, I thought why not?! I think the last time I did an update was right after I finished Whole 30 over a year ago.

What my fitness routine currently looks like is working out 5x a week and eating healthy (for the most part) and in moderation. I go to the gym right after I drop off the kids. It’s a non-negotiable (unless I’m sick). Tired isn’t an excuse lol. I still use the Future Fit App and I still love it! My trainer is awesome and is always to helpful. She gives me the perfect customized workouts that help me reach my fitness goals.

Ever since January, I made it a goal of mine to lose the pounds I haven’t really lost since the last time I gave birth over 4 years ago. I wanted to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I knew something had to give since what I was currently doing for months wasn’t getting me to the goal. I was working out consistently but not eating the best foods. I was having boba like every other day lol yikes.

This past January, I started to go a on a calorie deficit and turn my workouts up a notch. I was super strict in the beginning and was able to shed a good chunk of weight the first couple of months. Now that I am super close to my goal weight, I take it easy every now and then.

I wanted this to be more of a lifestyle change so I didn’t restrict myself from having sweets. I still have a sugary coffee every single day and end each meal with something sweet to keep my sanity lol. And I reward myself with cheat meals. If I over do it on a cheat day, then I just work extra hard the next few days after. I honestly am super happy with what I’m doing now because it’s much better for me in the long run.

This is actually what I did before having kids so it’s nice to be back into a groove, finally. Honestly I’ll probably keep going with this even after I reach my goal weight 🙂 If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Haha.

By the way, workout set is from Stronger! I am obsessed. They keep their shape the whole time and it’s one of my favorite brands to workout in.

WOW I still can’t believe I was able to complete Whole 30! I honestly didn’t think I could give up my sugary coffee because that was my daily little piece of joy lol. I’m going to answer the questions I’ve been getting in this posts and hope that it helps. I know a few of you mentioned you are planning to do Whole 30. 

What did you learn? 

• Your taste buds will change! I never realized how much I was so used to sweet coffee so the first time I finally had my creamer in my coffee, it tasted so different! I honestly couldn’t finish the cup. I took like 5 sips to see if it would taste any better. At one point I had to check the expiration date on the creamer (don’t worry it wasn’t expired lol) because it tasted that different. 
• There a lot of things we have on a normal basis that is not allowed in Whole 30. And there are SO many things that contain sugar. 
• Whole 30 isn’t much of a weight loss and body transformation diet (unless you are limiting your calories and working out of course) but more of an internal cleanse.

How was it?

• It wasn’t too bad honestly! I had to just take it day by day. Obviously some days were harder than others. I think the 3rd week was the toughest for me because I was starting to miss the food I would normally have but couldn’t during Whole 30.

How’s your energy?

• So I heard people’s energy improves during and after Whole 30 which is awesome! Tbh, I don’t remember the last time I had full, great energy. Oh wait, yeah, before kids! Lol. Our daily schedule is a lot while trying to manage working so now when I had to cook every meal, I ended up more tired. That’s just me though. Almost everyone says their energy improves so that’s awesome.

What was the hardest part?

• Obvi giving up my sweet everything. I have a major sweet tooth and can eat healthy meals with no problem just as long as I can have a cookie or a bite of something sweet after. Fruits don’t really cut it as far as satisfying that craving.
• Weekends were especially tough because that’s normally when I treat myself for the week 🙂
• Being the only one in my household not on Whole 30. Imagine making mac n cheese for your kids (adding butter and milk) and your husband having Mexican food (I encouraged him to because of his long work week) next to you. Whew!!! My will power definitely got stronger during Whole 30 though lol.

Did you mess up or cheat at all?

• Well first of all, let me just say I didn’t intentionally cheat. Ok… I can definitely talk about this now but if you asked me the day it happened, it would’ve been too soon lol. So my mother-in-law got me a protein style burger from In-N-Out (you’re allowed to have it with no spread and no cheese). Well, she when she dropped it off I was already starved and it was all covered in lettuce so I just assumed the order was correct. I don’t even remember but I just started eating (it’s been a day lol). When I’m almost done with my burger, spread starts dropping on my plate. Initially I thought it was mustard cause we get mustard instead of spread but NOPE it was orange (not yellow) and had relish. It was spread. I ate almost the whole burger. Their spread has dairy and sugar so I was seriously upset and felt defeated for an hour since we were already on Week 3. I was in a MOOD (ask my husband too) lol. I had a bunch of work to still and deadlines to meet, so I just had to shake it off and move on. I just had 2 hard boiled eggs for dinner ;( Technically you’re supposed to start over if you mess up but tbh, no thanks!

Any tips after completing it?

• Prep your meals ahead of time.
• Making sure my meals were simple and quick to make was a major help.
• Find a group to do it with and start a group chat. Share your meals, tips, feelings with them. It helps cause they know what you’re going through.
• Work out.

If you were to do it again, what would you do differently?

• Calorie count for sure! I didn’t want to make things extra tough for my first time so I didn’t count my calories and kind of ate whatever I wanted as long as it’s Whole 30 approved. 
• Limit my intake of fruits. Fruits are allowed but in moderation although I allowed myself to have as many fruits as I wanted. Like I said, it was my first time so I didn’t want to be hard on myself.

Are you going to keep it up?

• No but I definitely found things that I love and will continue to eat after like the banana chia pudding, chocolate coconut cookies, unsweetened spicy ketchup and Terra veggie chips.

What are your plans now that it’s over?

• I’m taking a break the rest of the week until Monday. On Monday, I am going to be calorie counting and eating clean during the weekdays while continuing my workouts. On the weekends, I will treat myself for sure but not go crazy.

Would you do it again?

• Hmm, so I said I would for sure do it again in my half way point post (here)  and said I might even do it again before summer but maybe just next year after the holidays again since that’s when I usually let myself go as far as eating healthy. I usually eat healthy enough for the most part so limiting my calories and working out hard will work until then!

Hope this helps! xoxo

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Omg you guys, it’s Day 15 of Whole 30 and I can hardly believe it! Never in my life did I think I would give up sugar (with the exception of fruits) for a whole freakin’ month. I mean, my daily Starbucks?! Lol. Any way, I received some questions regarding my Whole 30 experience so I thought it would be fun to do a whole blog post on it 🙂

What is Whole 30?

Eat this for 30 days: meat, seafood, and eggs; vegetables and fruit; natural fats; and herbs, spices, and seasonings… foods with a simple or recognizable list of ingredients, or no ingredients at all because they’re whole and unprocessed.

Avoid: added sugar (real or artificial), alcohol, grains, legumes (ie. beans, soy), carrageenan, MSG, sulfites, baked goods, and junk foods.

Sounds simple enough right? *insert emoji with sweat dripping from forehead* lol.

Why did you decide to do it?

2020 was super stressful and eventful. We moved from Temecula to San Diego in a moment’s notice and the holidays were even crazier this year during a pandemic. Let’s be honest, stress eating was involved or should I say stress drinking lol (my weakness are sugary coffees and boba). Even though I still worked out, it didn’t outweigh all the food I was eating during the holidays and tbh, I was sick of it and needed a change. I wasn’t seeing much results with my workouts because of the junk I was allowing into my body SO it was time. Thankfully, my family is doing it too which is super helpful because we keep each other accountable and motivated. Not to mention, we share food too which is a major plus. I knew it would be tough cause I never go on diet or cleanses. The last time I went on a “diet” was after I gave birth to Scarlett (I did the 21 Day Fix, read about it here).

Is it expensive?

Hmm.. it can be, yes, but health is super important so I don’t mind spending on food that’s good for me. I would say that the initial grocery trip for Whole 30 would cost the most cause you’re buying everything you need for the month plus the foods you’ll be eating for the week. Be prepared to go to the grocery store like every 3 days to replenish your produce though. I don’t think  I’ve ever been to the grocery store so many times in my life in such a short amount of time lol.

How was the first week transition?

Honestly, eating healthy isn’t a problem for me. I normally eat “healthy-ish” so the transition was seamless when it came to food. For me, it was giving up the sugary coffee, boba as a dessert and cooking every meal lol. It’s also tough when your kids eat yummy treats in front of you haha. Going into Week 3, I can’t be phased.

How do you feel going into Week 3?

I feel great! I’m used to my black coffee with coconut milk and I’m in a good schedule when it comes to cooking. I feel like I look the same as far as physical appearance BUT I feel so much better in the the inside and less bloated which is a major plus. I am looking forward to seeing how I look and feel at the end of the 30 days.

What are your favorite meals?

So if you’ve been following me for awhile, you know that I like what I like. I’m the type of person that can eat the same thing for a whole month (literally until I get sick of it haha).

For breakfast, I love the traditional eggs, bacon and potatoes. I add some Whole 30 approved salsa and unsweetened ketchup

For lunch, I go for a salad which different types of lettuce, green peppers, onions, pan friend crushed almonds, avocado and chicken with a homemade dressing (olive oil, red wine vinegar, spicy brown mustard and ground pepper)

For dinner, I have some type of protein, cauliflower rice (pan fried with minced garlic), veggies and sweet potatoes.

Other fave meals are:

• a turkey burger (protein style) with lettuce, grilled onions, mustard and unsweetened ketchup. I make some homemade fries too
• spaghetti squash with unsweetened marinara, onions, garlic, green pepper, ground turkey and mushrooms

• Chipotle’s burrito bowl with cauliflower rice, carne asada, veggies, guac and pico (SO GOOD, pricey but nice to get if you’re out and in a rush)

Snacks (obsessed, I would still snack on these AFTER whole 30):

• Banana Chia Pudding
• Terra Veggie Chips (original with sea salt)
• Larabars (FYI not all are Whole 30 approved. My 2 faves that are Whole 30 approved are the lemon bar and cinnamon roll)

• No bake chocolate coconut cookies
• Fruits (grapes have been my go-to)

• Nekter’s Toxin Flush juice (my go-t0)

Would you do it again?

Yes, I actually would! I’d be down to this twice a year, once in Jan. and maybe once in June. We’ll see how I feel after 30 days but why not. I think this is a great cleanse and so so good for you body!

Advice for those who want to try Whole 30:

Do it with family and friends, 100%!!! Having that accountability and support makes all the difference. Plan your meals and cook before you get hungry and always bring Whole 30 approved snacks with you when you run errands. You got this!!

Yes yes, I know a true vacation means unlimited guilt-free meals and complete relaxation without working out. For those of you that have fitness goals you want to accomplish by a certain time, getting your workouts in while on a vacation is a must. I spent a week in Vegas recently and still made it a plan to get my workouts in. It was challenging but doable. Did I have cheat meals? YUP. I literally ate everything my heart desired, no regrets lol. It’s all about balance right? I felt less guilty eating where cause I knew I still completed my workouts. Not gonna lie, I did miss one though.

Tips on working out while on vacation:

1. Plan ahead. Set a workout for each day and stick with it. For me, I use the Future Fit app so my trainer already has my workouts set for the week (more details here) which makes it so easy to stay on schedule, even on vacay. You don’t need an app though, even though it’s super helpful, you can literally look up YouTube videos before your trip and label them by day on your notes or something. Here is a post where I shared my fave YouTube workouts.
2. Be realistic. When planning your workouts, really make sure they are doable. Try to find workouts with little to no equipment and ones that you know will get done.
3. Do your workout at the beginning of your day, if possible. Some of the days I ended up not getting my workout in until after hours at the pool so it was tough lol. I was determined though even if I was trying to make every excuse not to do it. On the days I got my workout in after I woke up, while the kids were still sleeping, were the best. It was nice just to get it out of the way then just enjoy the rest of the day!
4. Don’t be so hard on yourself, you’re on vacay! The fact that you are working out is already a huge accomplishment so listen to your body. As long as you are breaking a good sweat and getting your body moving, that’s great! Modify if you need to but try to get through the whole workout.

Let me know if you have more helpful tips! Gotta go and plan our next much needed vacay 😉

P.S. If you want to stay at Tahiti Village (super family friendly), use my code themamaqueen for a discount! You’re welcome in advance!

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During this crazy time, as much as it’s important to keep up with your physical health, it’s also super important to take care of your mental health. It’s so easy these days to feel unmotivated, stressed, crazy and anxious. Trust me, I feel so many emotions in one day and add my kids to the mix haha. As someone who already works from home and who thrives on being on-the-go, it’s hard for my mind to slow down. As soon as I wake up, I want to check my e-mails, my social media and just GO and not stop. When it’s finally time to sleep at night, it’s tough to put my mind at peace. I’m constantly thinking about how the day went, feeling mom guilt even though I tried my best, trying to plan tomorrow.. the list goes on.

I’ve realized that all of that is not good for my mental health. I need to learn how to be more present in the moment and just be ok with not doing anything and not thinking about anything sometimes. To help me take care of my mental health, I rely on these 2 apps that I’ve been using. Honestly, they are amazing!

Calm

I’ve had this app for a few months now. It does cost $14.99/month but it’s SOOOOO worth it! I mean, we’ll spend $$$ on our fitness so $15 is not much for your mental health. I use this app mainly to fall asleep. It helps clear my mind and focus on the sleep stories. I fall asleep in like 10min tops. There are other features on there that can help you with meditation, mindful walking, stress anxiety, etc. You’ll even see some familiar celebs and athletes on there telling the sleep stories too! Do the trial and try it out for yourself. You’ll be hooked.

Five Minutes of Gratitude

I recently started using this. I love it because instead of starting my morning with e-mails and social media, I start it off with gratitude and affirmation. The first half of the journal entry is done in the morning shortly after you wake up then at night before you sleep. The second half prompts you to reflect on your day and you can even add a photo. Ever since doing this, I’ve had a more peaceful and joyful start to my day 🙂 Oh and this is FREE!

Hope you guys are having a great Wednesday (I had to think about that for a second lol)!

Women often ask me “what do you normally eat in a day?” I thought it would be helpful to share what I’ve been eating during this time of social distancing, spending 95% of every day indoors, and with grocery stores pretty much clearing out. I’m a more balanced diet type of person because I want eating habits to be more of a lifestyle rather than a quick crash diet. With that said, I eat mainly healthy, try to make healthier alternatives most of the time without depriving myself of the occasional treats here and there.

Here’s what I’ve been normally eating *on weekdays:

• BREAKFAST PART 1: Coffee – I used to go to Starbs or Coffee Bean after dropping off the kids at school buuut ya know… so I make my coffee at home using a Keurig. My fave K-Cups is the Starbucks Pike Place K-Cups. The creamers I love are Coffemate’s French Vanilla and Hazelnut.
• BREAKFAST PART 2: Breakfast Burrito with a ton of Tapatio – Whole Wheat tortilla, 1 slice of Turkey Bacon, Scrambled Eggs (1 Egg, 1 cup of Egg Whites, red crushed petter, and oregano)
• LUNCH: Protein Smoothie after my workout (click here my go-to recipe) or Protein Drink with just water and Body Complete RX‘s Chocolate Powder (pictured above)
• SNACK: Another coffee because kids and usually one of these options – Sweet Cajun Trail Mix, PB & Banana Open Face Sandwich on Dave’s Killer Bread 21 grains, Cheese and nuts pack
• DINNER: Protein and some veggies (this varies from like chicken, shrimp, ground turkey)
• DESSERT PART 1: A small amount of dark chocolate (I love the Acai dark chocolate and the dark chocolate and coconut bark thins)
• DESSERT PART 2 :(on the craziers days): A glass of Barefoot’s Pink Moscato because kids 🙂

Well there ya have it! Hope you all have been staying home, staying healthy and counting your blessings! Click here for a recent post about Tips on How to Keep Your Sanity During the Quaratine. AND if you need a fun DIY activity for kids, click here for directions on how to make DIY Play Dough.