Stop eating C.R.A.P.! What Is C.R.A.P.? Crazy diets, Refined sugars and flour, Artificial sweeteners and Processed foods!!
C.R.A.P. has been poisoning our bodies for decades, especially our hormones! You see, hormones are the body’s messengers; They control the way you metabolize food, the way you use energy, our sex drive, our ability to lose and gain weight, how well or poorly you sleep, our mood and much, much more.
Years of eating C.R.A.P. can weaken their signals and eventually these hormones get tired and can’t do their job properly. Their only solution is to go on strike and let you know how they feel!
Can you relate to any of these situations?
Girl 1 ~ “Wow! I ran 5 miles and I could’ve run 10 more!”
Girl 1 eating C.R.A.P. ~ “Do I have to get up from this couch?”
Girl 2 ~ “Come over here Babe! Let’s go again?
Girl 2 eating C.R.A.P. ~ “Not tonight hun…I have a headache”.
Girl 3 ~ “I slept 8 hours last night!! I feel like Sleeping Beauty!”
Girl 3 eating C.R.A.P. ~ “WHY CAN’T I STAY ASLEEP?”
Girl 4 ~ “I lost 25 pounds and I’ve kept it off for 8 years!!!!
Girl 4 eating C.R.A.P. ~ “What the F-!!! Why can’t I lose weight or keep it off!?!!??”
Girl 5 ~ “Wow!! I’m in such a great mood!!!
Girl 5 eating C.R.A.P.’s husband ~ “Why are you such a bitch ALL OF THE TIME?!?!
If you can relate to 2 or more of these situations you need to stop pissing off your hormones and stop eating C.R.A.P.!!! You must nourish your hormones with REAL FOOD!!
¿Comprende?
I’m thrilled to see clubs offering so many different group fitness formats these days. We’ve come a long way in the world of aerobics and I think it’s great that people have so many options these days to find a class that is fun and challenging. My pet peeve though is that many of these instructors are not qualified to be teaching in a classroom setting. For example, just because you love to Zumba and you got certified, doesn’t mean you’re qualified to teach it.
My experience in getting certified in this format a few years ago left me feeling very disappointed. I walked into a room at 8am with about 50+ other people and 1 Master instructor. Out of these 50+ people I’d say 12-15 of us were certified Group Fitness instructors through very reputable programs. The others just loved to Zumba, nothing wrong with that by the way.
My frustration here is when I see studio and gym owners hiring instructors who literally the day before walked out of this certification with a piece of paper that says “You are now a Zumba instructor, you can start teaching Monday morning”… that is hardly qualified.
I grew up dancing these rhythms and I have to say, it takes much longer than a day to understand the differences in beats and counts between salsa, merengue, cumbia, chachacha, bachata, hip hop, etc….Not all of these are danced on an 8-count BUT when teaching in a group fitness format at your local gym, you must translate it to an 8-count in order to modify moves, prevent injuring your students and enhance their ability to expect a change in choreography and still get a great workout. Not an easy thing to teach in 1 day.
What happens to us instructors who spent hours, money and energy making sure we do get proper certifications in exercise physiology and go to fitness conferences to enhance our knowledge so we can educate our students better?? Now we’re being watered down with a new generation of instructors who don’t know the difference between a hamstring and a quadricep!
The only difference is that class sizes are a reflection of how qualified an instructor is…and even though our paychecks don’t show it…THAT is priceless!
Last week I was on the treadmill with my Ipod and a lady climbed on the machine next to me. She plugged her earphones into the video monitor and started watching a popular morning show and within minutes she was walking at my exact same pace and incline.
I noticed our calorie counters were clicking away in sync but as I watched her I asked myself, “If calories are a measure of energy, are we truly exerting the same energy??” I started taking notes and comparing the differences in our form and technique.
I was 100% focused on my breathing, squeezing my abs and glutes, shoulders back, swinging my arms back and forth like a power walker, walking briskly heel to toe, heel to toe, heel to toe. Meanwhile, she was leaning back, holding on to the rails, plopping her wobbly feet on the belt, giggling at the screen and completely mesmerized by the talk show host.
There was no way in hell she was expending as much energy as I was! Even if these machines ask for your height and weight, they are not considering heart rate and intensity.
Let’s face it, intensity plays a huge role on calorie exertion.
Intensity is mental and physical strength. I visualize being a warrior when I workout. Doesn’t matter if I’m out on a walk, lifting in the weight room or teaching a class. A warrior is the embodiment of intensity, power, energy, focus, determination and passion.
You must train your brain like you train your body and in order to see results you must demonstrate purposefulness, power and focus.
So next time you exercise ask yourself, “Who am I?” Or better yet, tell yourself who and what you are…let it run through your veins and use it to strengthen your body, mind and spirit.
Last night my boyfriend, I mean fiance, Chris Macrina, proposed to me. I am the happiest girl on the planet!!! You see, this is the first time I’ve ever received a proposal. You might say, “WHAT!?!?! But weren’t you married before?!!?” Yes I was married once before, but there was no proposal and no ring, we kind of agreed to get married over the phone when we were living in different states. (I did receive one 9 years later)
I convinced myself for years that I didn’t need a ring, that it didn’t matter, but the truth is, it did. In fact, I believe it set a precedent in my marriage, it made me feel less important, that I was not worthy of spending money on a ring, size didn’t matter. But what hurt more is that I didn’t feel important enough to spend the energy on a proposal, the ring could’ve come out of a gumball machine for all I cared.
It was never about the ring, it was about being face to face, eyes to eyes, hand in hand, heart to heart and hearing my love say, “I love you. Will you marry me? Will you be my lifelong partner?” To see in his eyes and hear in his heart that he can’t imagine life without me….priceless!
That’s all I ever wanted…and last night, that’s what I got.
I’m sad for that insecure girl I once was but I feel triumphant to have had the courage to swim through wind and current to get where I am today.
His amazing and generous love make me feel loved, cherished and adored. He is not just my rock, he is my boulder.
Note…The ring did not come from a gumball machine. It is exquisite, spectacular and unique.
He did REAL good!!!!! 
Building a class from scratch is tough but I love the challenge. Taking over another instructor’s class isn’t easy either, especially if the instructor is male, black, gorgeous and fit! If you’ve never taken a group fitness class, women LOOOOOVE male instructors!! They don’t even care if they’re not great.
Male instructors can just smile and step touch and pack a ballroom. Female instructors, on the other hand, have to bounce off the walls, do back handsprings and be likeable to get the same results. So when I walked in one Saturday morning and announced to the 930 kickboxing class that their beautiful black male instructor was gone and I was taking over, every woman in the room groaned and moaned in disapproval. They didn’t even care if they hurt my feelings but I understood their disappointment.
Needless to say the following week only a third of the class showed up.
It takes 6 months to build a class. 6 months of being consistent, arriving early, staying after class, talking to students, no subbing out, look the part, and of course, BE A GOOD INSTRUCTOR! Let’s face it, some instructors have no business teaching fitness classes. They’re actually jeopardize their students either from lack of physiological knowledge and/or because they’re rhythmically challenged. There are some very popular formats now which have watered down their certifications, so basically anyone can walk in, pay a fee and by 5pm “CONGRATULATIONS! YOU CAN START TEACHING TOMORROW!!” To make matters worse, many gyms don’t require proof of any accredited fitness association.
I walked into a gym a few years ago and inquired about a teaching position, she asked me a few basic questions and then said, “When can you start?”
I was shocked!!! No audition?? You’re not gonna check to see if I can move on an 8-count?!?!? Wanna check for my CPR card??!! Seriously?!?!!? I was floored.
I started teaching twice a week and within 3 months my classes became very popular, averaging about 50+ per class. Soon they wanted me to add a Saturday morning class but there weren’t any slots available, so I asked if I could start a 730am class? They said..”Nobody will get up that early on a winter Saturday but you’re welcome to try.”
I was super excited about this challenge but reminded myself….6 months Josette…6 months.
The first two weeks only 3 ladies showed up. Then on week 3 there were 5! I had to pump myself up all the way to the gym on week 4 because it was cold, snowy and dark outside and I thought, “Crap…who’s gonna get out of their warm cozy bed today???” I couldn’t believe my eyes….THERE WERE 12 LADIES WAITING!! WOW!!!
Within 2 months the 730 Saturday class became just as popular as my other two.
I’ve taught at many clubs over the years and I’ve learned that no matter how much a student loves their instructor, if the gym or studio isn’t within 5-10 minutes from their home or workplace they’re not gonna come consistently. Life happens. I don’t take it personally.
What I do know is that I am blessed to have so many supportive and loyal students/friends and no matter what life brings they know I’m always looking out for them too. My job as an instructor is not only to strengthen them on the outside but empower them on the inside. Every decision I make is an opportunity to inspire them. To be better today than yesterday.
How many of you take the time to heal from past pain before moving on? Some of us just drag our past into the next relationship. You can’t expect the next person to fix you if you don’t put in the time yourself.
Let’s face it, as we get older, we accumulate a lot of emotional baggage, whether it’s from relationships or personal tragedies, unless we address them and lay them to rest, they just rollover and sabotage our next relationship! Unresolved issues seem to always find a way to ooze into our new place.
Your mental state, will follow you everywhere, even if you move to another country!
I was at the gym early this morning and heard a girl across the room make some really harsh comments about her relationship experiences. It totally caught me off guard and I felt dirty even for hearing what she was saying! I thought to myself, “Gee…I wonder if her attitude is affecting her current relationships, not just with men but with her female friends. Trust me, I’m all about being supportive during a friend’s ‘boo-hoo’ moment, but at what point do you move on? At what point do you leave the pain behind? How can you develop a healthy relationship and nurture it if you’re still being haunted by your past?
Time doesn’t always heal all wounds but counseling helps resolve issues which otherwise keep replaying in your head like a broken record. To accept the past without remorse, knowing you can’t change it but grow from it.
You can turn a vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle if you’re willing to put time and effort into yourself.
My cancer scare is over…thank God.
But I think about how easily it could’ve gone the other way. How the doctor could’ve called me to give me my results and said, “Your tumor is malignant. You have cancer.”
I mean, why not? My first thought when this all started wasn’t “Why me?”, it was “Why not me?!”
Yeah I’m fit and healthy and I watch everything I put in my mouth. I even made a conscious decision to choose a hormone-free IUD. But the fact of the matter is you hear stories everyday about perfectly healthy people getting sick and dying.
I went in to my mammogram like I do for my annual check-ups…very cocky!
Go ahead” I say, “Take my blood pressure, weigh me, ask me if I take any medications.” I was extremely confident everything would be fine, after all, I do self examinations all the time and I’m on top of my game.
As soon as the first images were taken the radiologist ordered more and then a few more and then an ultrasound….and thus it all began.
I was with my family attending Mass last Sunday and when Father Mullen asked for special intentions, my daughter Mackenzie spoke up and asked everyone to “Pray for my mother’s health cause me and my brother and sisters really need her here.”
Then right after communion, my son Jackson leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Do you think Jesus is just? Do you think he’s fair?” I was quite surprised he was asking me this in the middle of mass and responded, “Absolutely mi amor! Things happen for a reason.”
Then he gripped my arm and said “Then why does he want to take you away from me? Does he need help? Are there fat angels in heaven?”
I don’t know how he came to this thought but it helped me find peace within myself. No matter the outcome of my results, I know my purpose here and after.
8 years ago I decided I was going to lose weight once and for all. I was tired of being that person who lost weight only to put it all back on and more. I worked out harder than anyone I knew so I figured I had to change my diet. I knew if I wanted to keep the pounds off I had to change my eating habits, permanently.
Earlier that day I’d read somewhere that it takes 21 days to create a habit and I was determined to do just that. But I also knew I had to make it a fun challenge cause otherwise I would fall off like I always do.
I sat down on January 1st with a brand new 2004 calendar and I picked up a black Sharpie pen as my first commitment to permanent change and said “Josette, just focus on making 1 change a week. That’s totally realistic. You can do this! You teach your kids new habits everyday!!”
I knew once I wrote it down I couldn’t erase it or change it without leaving an ugly scratch mark on my brand new and clean calendar so I was cautious about my choices but excited for the challenge.
I did this for an entire year. Every Sunday night I’d write down 1 new challenge. 26 Sundays later I was 40lbs lighter and physically stronger. 52 Sundays later I was mentally stronger and off anti-depressants.
Here is a portion of my list. You can use this as a guideline or substitute with your own changes.
All I ask is that you pay it forward and help others do the same.
1. Switch coffee creamer to 1% milk. (seems minimal but 365 days of it adds up)
2. Real whole wheat bread instead of white. (make sure the 1st ingredient says whole wheat or whole grain, otherwise it’s fake)
3. Brown rice instead of white (this was hard because it’s taboo in my Cuban culture to cook with brown rice but all white carbs get stored in the midsection. I do not want a muffin-top and I’m tired of wearing girdles! I’m only 33)
4. Sweet potatoes instead of white. They’re naturally sweet and keep your sugars down too.
5. Old fashioned oats instead of packaged oatmeal. They have not been processed or refined and don’t have any of the added garbage. I keep these in ziploc baggies with truvia and cinnamon in my purse. Finding hot water in an airport or your office is a lot easier than trying to find something healthy to eat!
6. Plain Greek yogurt instead of yogurt with fruit. These “light yogurts” have added sugars AND aspartame!! Add your own fresh fruit with a packet of truvia. And Greek yogurt is packed with protein too!
7. Seltzer water instead of soda. Whether its regular or diet soda, it’s flat out bad for your waistline and your health.
8. Truvia instead of artificial sweeteners. Truvia is a natural sweetener and will not harm your hormones. When I switched from Splenda I lost an extra 3 lbs and my headaches went away!
9. Choose almonds and walnuts over peanuts. Higher in Omega 3s and 6s. But remember to portion them before diving into the bag! Easy to get carried away. Just cause they’re good for you doesn’t mean “all-you-can-eat”.
10. Eat breakfast within 30 min of waking up. “But I’m not hungry!” is not a good excuse. That’s a sign of a metabolism that’s not working for you. You must eat something and slowly train your metabolism to work around the clock.
11. Eat small meals every 2-3 hours. I know you have a hectic life. Guess what, I do too! Set an alarm on your smart phone or computer to remind you to eat. It won’t be long when your own body will signal this for you. This will keep you from overeating and late-night binging as well.
12. Keep 3-5 phone numbers of restaurants you know prepare healthy meals on your speed dial. Avoid the ‘make it a pizza-night’ pitfall!
13. Pack your lunch/snacks and skip the drive thru. If it’s delivered through a window, it ain’t good for you! I pack my meals before I go to bed. No excuses!
14. Cook in bulk and portion and store in plastic containers. I carve out 2 hours on Sundays to do this. It’s actually less time then if I were to cook everyday.
15. Consume complex carbohydrates with protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner (wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potato) This will keep your energy and mood elevated throughout the day. ex. turkey sandwich, oatmeal and eggs, grilled chicken with brown rice and black beans
16. Consume simple carbohydrates snacks with protein in between meals (fruits and vegetables) ex. apple with natural peanut butter, green pepper slices with hummus, greek yogurt with berries.
17. Move everyday! Dance, swim, walk, run, lift, stretch! Everyone can keep a boombox in the kitchen and dance while you’re fixing dinner! YES! It’s THAT EASY!! Exercise does NOT have to be grueling like you see on t.v.
18. Try a new recipe each week. It doesn’t have to be complicated. I have plenty of healthy & simple recipes on my website.
19. 1-2 treat meals a week. Plan them and circle them on your calendar. No deprivation here. Eat what you’ve been craving without any guilt but keep it to that one meal and then go back to your routine. I love to indulge in wine, pizza and ice cream. Yes, all 3…in 1 sitting.
20. Research your restaurants (before you go out to eat study their menu online and decide what you’ll order. Don’t wing it) Chances are you’ll be hungry bythe time you sit to order and that’s never a wise time to choose.
21. Portion control. Invest in an electronic food scale. This is better than any gym membership! Your kitchen is your real gym. Trust me!
22. Read labels (stick with 5 ingredients or less) Supermarkets don’t want you to know all the hidden garbage that keeps you addicted but you have a right to know. Smartphones have an awesome app called ‘fooducate’ Take it with you next time you shop….AMAZING!!!
23. Drink 2-3 liters of water a day if you’re sedentary. More if you’re active and/or drink caffeinated drinks. Dehydration is the number one cause of headaches, aches, pains, wrinkles, saggy skin, lack of energy and body fat retention.
24. Ground lean turkey instead of beef
25. Weed Recognition (cut off people who don’t support your lifestyle)
26. Stretch instead of snack! (watching t.v. at night. move coffee table over and get on the floor and stretch! Keeps your hands busy and it’s good for you!)
27. Olive oil and vinegar instead of creamy dressings
28. Do Not Reward Yourself with food. You’re not a dog.
29. Get up 20 min earlier (feeling rushed can frazzle your entire day and lead to emotional eating to calm your nerves.
30. Skip Happy hour and find a new class at a local gym or studio with your BFF instead. It’s cheaper, more fun and you’ll feel better in the morning!
If you want to make changes in your diet and turn them into a lifestyle, you must understand how food works, how it’s processed and digested by your body. This is the only way you will truly embrace clean eating.
Most of us eat food just thinking about calories or grams of fat, protein, carbs, without thinking about how food affects your brain, body, mind and spirit. When you’re sitting at the dinner table, do you think about how your food nourishes you or do you just scarf it down because it’s been hours since you ate anything and you really don’t care about nutritional value?
There’s a big difference between eating 350 quality calories vs. 350 calories in junk. Example…it could be a chocolate frosted donut or oatmeal with fresh berries and an egg white vegetable omelet. I don’t know about you but I have a healthy appetite and a donut is NOT going to fill me up or make me feel good either.
Reminds me of the time I walked into a Dunkin’ Donuts to grab a cup of coffee and it was “Free Donut Friday”. I got to the counter and ordered my black coffee and the lady asked me “what kind of donut do you want?” I said, “No thank you, I don’t want a donut.” Suddenly everyone standing in line was staring at me with “What!?!?!? You don’t want a donut!?!?!? But it’s FREE!!!!”
The nice lady behind the counter insisted…”Oh c’mon! It’s free and you can certainly afford to eat a donut!” Now everybody gawked at me in my sweaty Turbo wear waiting for an answer.
I smiled and said “I’m not worried about my thighs, I’m worried about what it’s going to do to my brain.”
Little girl behind me holding her mommy’s hand couldn’t understand why I would turn down a perfectly good donut…and a FREE one!
I insisted “No thanks, you can give my free donut to the little girl behind me.”
My excuse is a legitimate one. See, sugar is my crack. Really. When I eat sugar it makes me crazy. It drives my brain haywire, I get looney and just crave more. I can eat a donut, enjoy the sugar rush only to crash within 30 minutes. Then I turn into a drug addict…looking for more! It doesn’t have to be candy, it can be muffins, bagels, cookies, cereal, even some of these supposed “healthy nutrition bars” that are loaded with hidden sugars!
But shhhhh….the food industry doesn’t want to hear this because they add sugar to everything! They hide it from us because they want us to be addicted…like smokers to tobacco, alcoholics to liquor.
The problem here, is that we can give up tobacco and alcohol but we cannot give up food! We can however become educated consumers, learn to read labels and their nutritional facts. Learn which foods give you life and which ones suck the life out of you. Only then will you be able to take control of your weight, your health, your life.
That awkward moment when you’re at the gas station & the pump stops. Try squeezing the pump harder. NADA. Then you realize you have 0$ in your bank account.
Surprised??? Don’t be.
You’d think with the obesity rate in America, I’d have job security, but truth is, I don’t sell fad diets, gimmicks, supplements, pills or powders. I can’t promise you 10lb weight loss in 3 days, or that you’ll gain 10 lbs of muscle in a week!!
What I’m selling is much greater than that. It’s Real. It’s about getting real with nutrition. Your health. Food. Getting real with yourself. Getting real with others.
People know they need to eat healthy but why are they not doing it? And that’s when I hear the excuses….all of them. And believe me, I can trump them…each and every one of them.
Through my lifetime experiences I’m able to connect with people in every way. I’ve been blessed with strength and the ability to overcome any obstacle and come out of it stronger and smiling!
People assume I’m financially wealthy, I don’t know why because I’m not. I certainly don’t brag about having money or owning expensive material things. Is it because I post pictures of my weight loss success story? Or perhaps because I give good and practical advice on fitness and nutrition? Is it my positive outlook on life? Not sure, but I find the assumption interesting when the reality is “I’m a stay at home divorced mother of 4 children, who works part-time as a fitness professional, just launched my own online nutrition business, living paycheck to paycheck.” THUD!!!!
I completely understand difficult financial times. I live it. And I find it to be completely unfair with all these expensive health clubs around, none of them are getting to the root of the obesity problem. Nutrition Education. It’s not the hour a day you spend at the gym, it’s what and when you eat the other 23 hours of the day that count.
So I started my online business, as an affordable way for people to educate themselves on mind, body, spirit, food, lifestyle. Making that connection is the key to transformation and without knowledge people will never change their approach to food.
My site’s basic program is $12 a month. $3 a week. I believe in my “MOTIVATION AND EDUCATION THROUGH VIDEO” so much I even have a 7-day free trial!
I also offer additional services for those looking for a more personalized program.
People assume my business is making truck loads of money and I’m making daily runs to the bank!
As you can imagine, I get desperate help requests from people all walks of life, but when I send them to my website…crickets.
And when I hear “I’VE TRIED EVERY DIET AND NOTHING WORKS!!!” I tell them, in order to help you, I need you to send me a 5-day food journal…..more crickets.
I am not a quick-fix. When someone commits to me, I know they are truly ready, not just to lose weight and get healthy, but ready to get real with themselves. To understand their own reasons for emotional eating. Dig deep, and challenge their innermost darkest places.
Does it sound like a therapy session? Well, it is. I guess you can say I’m “lifestyle therapist”.
I’ve come to realize most people can’t/won’t ever get real with themselves. They will never put in the work. It’s not about the money, because when you want something badly enough you find a way. It’s about fear. Fear of stepping out of their comfort zone. And guilt…this is a big one! Especially for women. So many feel undeserving of putting themselves first. Wishing more out of life but incapable of getting raw and real with themselves.
They just cover it up with food, alcohol, pills and excuses.
I can understand that… I’ve been there, done that. But I can also tell you, life is so much sweeter on the other side. Took me years to get where I am now, but I wouldn’t change
a thing.
The difference is I know my journey. I’m living it. I’m so proud of me and I’m still smiling…even with 0$ in my bank account.