October 17, 2024 • 55 mins
In this episode, we discuss a holistic approach to fitness and health, specifically catered for busy moms. Vanessa Flores shares her journey from battling unhealthy body image and eating habits to creating Kettlebell Kickstart, a platform for simple and realistic fitness routines. We discuss the cultural challenges Latina moms face, emphasize viewing self-care as an investment in family well-being, and debunk fitness myths within the Latine community. Vanessa shares practical strategies for overcoming workout procrastination, balancing traditional foods with nutrition, and achieving mental resilience are highlighted. Through personal anecdotes and success stories, we talk about the importance of small, sustainable changes and the broader goal of redefining madrehood for lasting health benefits.
For detailed show notes, visit vivalamami.com/episode96
Ways to Connect With Vanessa Flores
- Website: thestrongfitlife.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thestrongfitlife
- Personal Facebook: facebook.com/vanessa.mugnaini
- Program Facebook: facebook.com/strongfitmoms
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hola, hola amiga.
Are you a busy mama strugglingto find time for fitness?
And have you ever wondered howto balance our cultural
expectations with your personalhealth goals?
I get it.
I Can definitely relate.
In today's episode, We welcome.
Vanessa Flores Who.
(00:21):
is a fitness trainer and coachowner of the Strong Fit Life and
founder of Kettlebell Kickstart,an online high touch customized
fitness program.
Vanessa is a mom of two littleones and her passion is to help
busy mamas, busy moms getstronger both physically and
mentally to get through thetough times in life who want to
(00:44):
simplify getting stronger andhealthier so that they are able
to do the fun stuff and not sofun stuff all while keeping up
with their kids In today'sepisode, we discuss Vanessa's
personal journey with body imageand extreme dieting, exploring
how fitness has transformed herlife, and And our conversation
(01:07):
delves into the uniquechallenges Latina moms face in
prioritizing their health.
and Vanessa offers practicalworkout tips for busy mamás.
We also touch on mindful eating,incorporating traditional Latino
foods into a balanced diet andthe mental resilience gained
through strength training.
(01:28):
Vanessa shares more about herprogram that is designed to help
my mask integrate fitness intotheir busy lives.
Learn more as we chat withVanessa.
Tune in as we chat with VanessaFlores, fitness trainer and mom
of two who's cracked the code onstaying strong while juggling
(01:49):
life's demands.
So tune in as we chat withVanessa Flores and discover how
a simple 20 minute workout mightjust be the key to transforming
your body and mind.
Are you ready to kickstart yourjourney to a stronger, healthier
you?
Well, listen to my conversationwith Vanessa Flores.
(02:10):
Welcome to the podcast.
I am your host, Jessica Cuevas.
I am a mother of two on amission to help redefine the
meaning of motherhood as amodern Latina mom.
Motherhood can be a complexjourney interwoven in two
identities that often make usfeel ni de aqui, ni de alla.
Viva La Mami is committed toproviding you with knowledge,
(02:33):
tools, and support to navigatethe challenges and triumphs of
motherhood.
As Latina moms on the show,we'll be discussing culturally
relevant topics that will helpinform and empower you in
whichever season you are in onyour motherhood journey.
We'll be joined by Latina moms,experts and professionals who
(02:53):
can offer advice, practicaltips, relatable stories, and
honest conversations.
So bring your cafecito as Iinvite you to be a part of this
space As we create Comunidadabout the exciting and
challenging parts of being amami.
Ahora, vámonos.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (03:14):
Hola.
Hola, Vanessa.
How are you?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21 (03:15):
great.
How are you?
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (03:17):
I am great.
It's so good to see you
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (03:20):
Same.
I'm excited.
It's been a while.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (03:22):
Yes.
Yes.
I met you at mom 2.
0 back in the spring.
And I think I just like happenedto sit at the table for
breakfast.
And then we started to talk andwe just have so many
connections.
Chicago, we're both Chicagoans.
And, and I immediately, uh, fellfor your mission about fitness
(03:47):
and just how you can representus as well in, in this specific
sort of area.
So I was like, I need to bringVanessa here on the podcast to
get real and deep about it.
So.
You know, how, how we canpractice having a fitness life,
especially as Latina.
So, uh, thanks so much for beinghere.
(04:09):
I
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-20 (04:09):
No, thanks for the opportunity.
I appreciate it as well.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (04:12):
Yes.
So before we delve into theconversation, if you can
introduce yourself and you cantell our listeners who you are
and yeah.
Why you created this platform ofyours.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (04:24):
My name is Vanessa Flores.
I am originally born and raisedin Chicago around the Berwyn
Cicero area.
And my parents are fromArgentina.
And.
I have two little ones, a fouryear old and a one that just
turned seven and yeah.
And really my passion withfitness has come from growing
(04:47):
up.
You know, it was all about bodyimage and, you know, self
esteem.
And I always saw my sister andmy mom on diets and that's all I
knew.
Like I never really learnedhealthy habits.
I never, fitness wasn't really.
a thing in my house, you know,and even throughout my whole
family, all of us have like badrelationship with food just
(05:10):
because of, you know, growing upthat way.
And as I, you know, got older, Iwent to college, I started
taking like kinesiology andnutrition classes and that's
where I was like, Oh my gosh, Ifell in love.
But I took it to like the, I wasobsessed.
Like, I started working out,elliptical an hour,
weightlifting an hour, totallyrestricted.
(05:31):
Like, I didn't eat any fat,anything like carbs, because I
was like afraid.
So, you know, I was chasing theskinny and I got there.
got a size zero, but I wasn'tany happier.
I wasn't more like toned ormuscle because I wasn't feeling
my body and I had to go to thedoctor and I lost my menstrual
(05:52):
cycle.
Just all these things startedhappening inside.
So they were like, you need tointroduce fats back into your
body.
So I did, but then when I did,my body was like craving it and
I went the total extreme inbinging and eating just out of
like tubs of peanut butter tothe point that I was like so
sick that I would have to makemyself throw up because I was so
(06:15):
uncomfortable.
So that's where my relationshipwith food was.
in the tank, and I didn't knowhow to balance.
I didn't know how to process myfeelings.
So all I did was eat to shutdown any emotion, any feelings,
because you can't cry, you can'tcomplain, you, you know, can't
show any of that.
Everything is fine and peachyand perfect.
(06:37):
I got a really bad depression,you know, as I was really, I
would sleep 14 hours.
I felt horrible.
I wasn't happy.
And I'm like, I can't live inthese extremes.
Right?
So I started to seek out help.
And I started to learn aboutintuitive eating and mindful
eating and regaining thatrelationship with food and
viewing it more as fuel versusas the enemy.
(07:00):
Right?
And fitness.
It wasn't about punishing myselfor like, you know, You know,
getting skinny, it was aboutfeeling empowered, feeling
strong, feeling great from theinside to out and where it's
really like your outlet to kindof have clarity.
You can kind of like expressyour emotions through workouts.
(07:21):
So many people like cry causeit's like, Oh my gosh, I can't
believe I did this, you knowwhat I mean?
And as I went into motherhoodeverything is just chaotic, you
know?
And life happens.
All in all, over and over, Ilost my job.
I, my business was shut down dueto legal things.
(07:42):
My dad had two terminalillnesses, driving back and
forth to Chicago for two years.
Took you know, emotional,physical toll, all of it.
I had a, I had a newborn.
It was like everything like fellon top of me.
And the only thing that reallyhelped me get through all of
that was fitness.
You know, I always still carvethat little bit of time for
(08:05):
myself.
And that's where I was like, youknow what?
I'm like, moms need this.
We put everybody else's needs infront of ours.
We make sure everybody is okay,except for ourselves.
And it's like, we end updrowning.
And on the outside, we lookhappy and that everything is
fine.
On the inside, we're like cryingand dying and suffering.
(08:27):
You know, and I was like, youknow, fitness doesn't have to be
extreme.
Fitness doesn't have to berestrictive.
The workouts don't have to bepunishing.
It's just about making like whatmakes you feel good.
You know, it can be simple.
I think we complicate it way toomuch in our minds.
And.
(08:47):
You know, everybody has adifferent reason why they want
to be healthy.
And what does healthy mean toyou?
That's the most important thing.
You know, so that's why Icreated, you know, Kettlebell
Kickstart and really want tobring out that message and
really like redefine whatfitness and health, you know,
really is.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (09:05):
you so much for sharing your story.
I know that.
Maybe it can be triggering, uh,for you, you know, to just kind
of, uh, talk about this thankyou for sharing your
vulnerability as well.
Uh, but I think that.
Many will be able to relate toyour story in terms of that
extreme dieting, that extreme,you know, fitness and how it, it
(09:30):
could be good, but to a certainextent, same thing with
overeating, right?
And for me, for example, like Ididn't necessarily grew up in a
way where well, I, I, so.
I guess I didn't grow up wherefitness was like, kind of like
at the forefront, right?
It's always assumed that, youknow, as Latinas, you just give
(09:53):
in, you please everyone youlike, and how you said, you
know, we put ourselves last.
And so we don't get toprioritize really what our needs
are, but what those needs couldbe.
I mean, I feel like as growingup and seeing the women in my
family, there is no one that Iknow who exercises like that
(10:14):
hasn't been modeled for me.
And then there are these issuesin my family, you know, with
diabetes and high blood pressureand all of those conditions that
unfortunately is very true tomany Latino households.
Um, and part of me, I'm like,well, why aren't we doing
something about it?
(10:35):
Right.
Why are we just like sittingdown and complain about us, our
bodies, you know, the fact thatwe have all of these health
conditions, but in reality,we're not doing something about
this.
And, and now that I'm being.
thoughtful about me as a mom andhow I want to model this to my
kids.
(10:56):
I'm like, okay, now I have a bigresponsibility, you know, to to
do something.
And, and, and this doesn't haveto be like hardcore working out
because also we need to berealistic about what we're
doing.
What our current season of lifeis and how much capacity you
have.
So yeah.
So like this brought to like aquestion that I have.
(11:17):
Like what are some of the uniquechallenges that Latina moms face
when it comes to prioritizingtheir health and fitness?
'cause I feel like that is kindof tied in with what you said.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-2024 (11:28):
I think as Latinas, we just have
that ingrained as us, as likethe mom is, does everything.
The mom cooks, the mom cleans,the mom takes care of the kids,
the mom, you know, does all thethings.
But yet, we're supposed to belike the superwoman and not let
anything affect us, right?
(11:49):
And I feel like even if we'reworking Latina moms, we're still
expected to be a stay at homemom and a working mom.
So now you're adding to that.
Extra stress andresponsibilities and everything
feels like it's landing on yourshoulders and it's like, you
can't breathe.
And it's like, I'm trying.
And then it's like, I'm not goodenough.
(12:09):
I'm not good enough for my kids.
I'm not good enough for myhusband.
I'm not good enough as a, youknow, a work or at home, my
house is messy becauseeverything just has to be prim
and proper and perfect.
And that's just not realistic.
And maybe our moms growing up,they didn't.
(12:30):
They, they like just accepted itand they were just like, this is
my role.
This is what I'm supposed to do.
And they just kind of wentcomplacent into that, where I
think our generation now islike, no, I want more than that.
Like, I want to feel good.
I want my spouse to help me.
Like he's a dad just as much asI'm a mom.
He works just as much as I do,you know?
(12:52):
So really instilling that andknowing that us as Latina moms,
it's okay.
Thank you.
It's okay to want that.
It's okay to ask for help.
It's okay to have conversationswith your husband and be like,
look, I'm feeling like crap, Iwant to feel better.
Maybe you guys plan out, youknow, Mondays and Wednesdays,
(13:13):
just give me 20 minutes.
You know, so he knows, okay,this is mommy's time, you know,
and it's going to take a whileto get there.
The kids are going to wantmommy, the kids are going to
want to be in there and, youknow, just like you said, like
we're in a different season oflife.
So our expectations can't bewhat we think, you know, have to
do like when we were 20.
(13:34):
Right?
So, you know, they're going tobe like, mommy, mommy, mommy,
mommy, you know, so just pickthem up and do squats with them.
You know what I mean?
Like, or do sit ups with them.
My kids have, we were laughing,having fun, you know, your
workouts might not look exactlyas planned, but that's okay.
You know?
(13:54):
And I think that's really hardfor Latina moms to accept.
And, or to like really change.
You know, but I really think wewant that change and we want to
do it.
We just don't know how or wedon't feel empowered enough to
say, this is what I want.
This is what I need.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090 (14:14):
right.
And we definitely don't seethose examples specifically in
the space of motherhood.
You know, you don't see,honestly, you're one of the few
people who are Latinas and whoare fitness, who, who's a
fitness expert.
And, and I'm like, why isn'tthere more, you know?
(14:34):
And so if we don't see that.
It makes it very difficult forus to actually believe that we
could essentially prioritizeour, you know, on ourselves in
that way.
So, yeah.
And what would you say are someof the common misconceptions
about fitness that you haveencountered, uh, within the
Latino community or Latina momsin
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (14:56):
So I feel like everybody, when they
think about fitness, they thinkabout The end, you know, like
they have to be at the endversus at the start, you know, I
feel like they think, Oh mygosh, don't get a career.
You don't have to go run.
You could go walk, you know,they feel like lifting weights
is not for women.
(15:16):
You know, like lifting weightswill bulk me up.
I don't want to look manly, youknow, like my mom used to always
say when she lifted, Oh, becareful.
I'm like, you know, like I, I'mokay.
I, you know, can lift heavythings.
And so I feel like those are alot of misconceptions that let
(15:37):
not just growing up, like ourmoms, I remember my husband's
grandma, when I would be like,You know, we're going to go, you
know, work out.
She's like, women don't workout, you know, women don't do
that.
And I'm like, yes, they do, youknow?
And it's just like, I feel likeyou think you need an hour long
(15:58):
workout.
I think that people think theyhave to cut out all their
favorite foods, especially ourLatin cuisines in order to get
healthy and fit, which is.
Not, not the case.
You can enjoy your favoritefoods.
You can get a 10 minute walk in,you know, a lot of people forget
(16:20):
that it's just kind of like apiggy bank, right?
Every time you put a quarter.
It just keeps filling up.
So every little 10 minutes thatwe do, every little meal that we
eat, it's like you're makinglittle deposits.
And over time, the piggy bank isgoing to fill up, and you're
going to get healthier and feelbetter.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090 (16:43):
That's a really great example of, you
know, vision envisioning, youknow, how this process looks
like.
And for me, like I've alwaysstruggled with setting those
like goals because I wanted toget to the end.
And I wanted to just see theresults from one day to the
next.
(17:04):
And, and that is part of thefrustration that I feel like
many of us have who want to getfit and fit, it means like
healthy, you know, having abalanced life, having a balanced
routine that works for you.
But yeah, like, I feel like manyof us just want to get to the
end and not necessarily.
(17:26):
Really holding on to like thepresent and being present in the
process to, and it's veryinteresting.
I hear where oftentimes, youknow, like in the start of a, of
a new year, you know, you setthese fitness goals and all of
that.
And then, yeah, you go to thegym or you start, start setting
this regimen and.
(17:47):
By the second week, though,everything stops.
And I think it's because we'reso infatuated with trying to get
to the end.
I don't know if you have anythoughts
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (17:56):
Yeah, so when people start making New
Year's resolutions, and, youknow, like, this time is going
to be it.
Like when you ask them for theirgoal, they want to lose like 30
pounds in a month, which isunrealistic.
They want to do 10 thingsinstead of getting good at just
one thing and adding on top ofthat.
So I feel like people put waytoo much expectations on what
(18:19):
they can do.
Like you said, what capacity wehave in this season of life.
And it's like, yeah, you canmaybe sustain it for like two
weeks, but then Life happens.
We always say there's a seasonof rainbows where things are
going really good.
And then a storm comes in and itlike knocks you off your feet.
And then you forget everythingthat you did where instead is
(18:41):
learning how to navigate throughthose storms.
Because they're going to keepcoming, right?
So instead of making that longlist of I'm going to drink
water, I'm going to eat healthy,I'm going to work out four days
a week, I'm going to go to bedearly, you know, like instead of
listing like all these thingsthat yes, you want to eventually
be able to do, but people startwith too much.
(19:04):
You want to like overhaul theirlifestyle right away.
Instead of just picking onething to change, get really good
at it.
And then once that feels likeit's part of your day and now
this is who I am, then addanother thing.
And we always say, like, even ifyou reach your goal, You can't
(19:25):
not keep working on it, right?
Because if you don't, you'regonna go back to where you were.
So it's like, it's a lifetimething.
It's, even if you lose your 30pounds and whatever date you
gave yourself, once you reachthat, you gotta maintain it.
You know, so trying to get likethat dot deadline or that like
instant gratification, like ourbodies are on Amazon.
(19:48):
You're not going to get itdelivered at your doorstep, you
know.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090 (19:54):
That's another great example.
Yeah.
And it makes so much sense.
Yeah.
And I think it's all about.
How we perceive fitness andagain, if we don't have the
representation, first of all, asLatina moms, and we were for,
you know, and if we weren'tmodeled that fitness should be a
(20:15):
part of a lifestyle, really apositive lifestyle, you know, it
does make it really hard.
To envision yourself andliterally set those real, you
know, kind of goals.
And so, you know, when it comesto.
Latina moms who are wanting tostart, you know, their fitness
journey or S or what have you,like, what advice do you have
(20:38):
for especially the ones who feelguilty with mom guilt.
About taking time forthemselves.
Like, what would you say to
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (20:46):
So remember, if you want to be the
role model for your kids to havehealthy habits, Then they have
to see it happening.
You can say it all you want, butif they don't see you doing it,
they're not gonna do it.
Right.
So if that's your goal to be arole model, then it's like
you're investing in your family,right?
Instead of like feeling guiltyfor taking time for yourself,
(21:08):
you're.
Actually taking the time tolearn something new for you.
You're taking the time to teachyour kids how to do it.
So instead of looking at assomething that's being taken
away like time or, you know,which is basically time away
from your kids instead, it'syou're investing in them because
if you don't learn it and youdon't know how to do it, you
(21:31):
can't teach it.
You can't be the role model forit.
Right.
So instead of looking at as anegative and you know, the kid,
your kids, like they don't careif you have six pack abs, they
don't care about what your bodylooks like.
They just want you to be able toplay with them.
And if you can't, because youget out of breath because you're
(21:52):
so out of shape or, you know,That's when they're like, Oh,
man, like that was fun for liketwo minutes, you know?
And so if you think of it kindof in that sense just reframing,
you know Why you want to do it,you know and really
understanding why it's not justabout losing weight, you know It
(22:15):
affects all aspects of your lifeYou know, you're more confident
in yourself.
You're more patient with yourkids.
You're more present with yourkids, you know?
So it, I think thinking it thatway instead of feeling guilty
and it's like, oh my gosh, Ihaven't seen them all day.
You know, I don't want to take20 more minutes for myself.
(22:36):
It's just like, you know, Those20 minutes are okay.
The kids are going to be okay,you know, and they're going to
remember the fun times that youwere able to play with them, not
the 20 minutes that you weren't.
There, because you were workingon yourself,
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (22:51):
Yes.
Yeah.
And like for me, for example, Iam now focusing on, you know,
setting healthy habits andeverything.
Because, I felt like I waspostpartum for a very long time.
And so now that I have thecapacity, I'm like, okay, now I
want to set a routine thatbetter fits me and for my kids
(23:14):
to also see that, you know,because I didn't grow up anyone
in my family workout.
Right.
And I want to set those, like, Iwant to be a good example for
them that it's important to moveyour body.
And so, I'm currently at homeand doing these 20 minute
workouts.
And The other day, my, my threeyear old started to cry.
(23:36):
He's like, mommy, no kiddo.
Can I say, so, and I was like,and I'm like, wow, it might be
because he's, he's not familiarwith this yet.
And so my hope is to like, gethim comfortable to see me.
Do this because it is so helpfulfor them to see like, Oh,
mommy's working out.
Like she's moving.
And then the little one, the oneyear old, he's just like going
(23:58):
on top of me.
So he's, he's just doing littlegoat yoga, you know?
So I have two different, youknow, variances here, but I
think that it, it helps a lotwhen, when you get to like
prioritize on yourself and yourfamily and your kids get to see
that and you essentially get toexperience it all.
(24:18):
So, you know, you shared about,the importance of having short
workouts, because we are allbusy moms.
Can you share what theseexercises look like that busy
moms can incorporate into theirdaily routines.
That way they don't feel likethey have to spend a full hour
at the gym or what?
have you.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-20 (24:36):
The biggest thing I think the most
traditional that people thinkabout is like that bodybuilding
style of workout Like you do oneday back one day legs one day
arms one day this and that is Ittakes way too much time.
You don't have the time todedicate for all of that.
And it takes longer to see theresults where instead it's like
combining exercises where you'reusing your whole body at the
(25:02):
same time.
So let's say, you know, you'redoing squats.
Okay.
So you're doing squats.
And then if you add a press,right, so squat and then press.
So now you're using your wholebody.
Right.
Lunges with bicep curls, youknow, pushups are great.
Even if you can't do kneepushups, you elevate yourself.
(25:25):
Maybe you start on the wall andthen you lower yourself little
by little as you get stronger.
But the more that you canencompass your whole body in the
movements or the exercises, themore benefit and efficient is
going to be for the time crunchthat we have.
Mm
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090 (25:42):
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
And, and I'm sure people neverthought of it that way.
You know, like I remember whenback before I got married, I
like lost a lot of weight justso that.
I can fit in that dress.
And I got this like workoutvideo specifically for brides.
And the saying, saying was, ifthe dress don't fit, that means
(26:04):
you quit.
And I'm just like, and now thatI think about it, I'm like, Oh,
this is so toxic.
But I remember like I had toschedule my leg day and like my
arms day and all of thesethings.
And yeah, maybe at that time,perhaps I did have the capacity
to be at the gym for an hour.
But.
(26:24):
Here I have now, like Iobviously didn't set, you know,
a healthy kind of routine,right?
Where, you know, if, if I, haveI known about quick 20 minute
workouts that you can do athome, maybe I could, would have
just like continued on, youknow?
Yeah, I think that is veryinteresting how people think
that they, or believe that theyshould set a specific, Day, you
(26:48):
know to dedicate on a specificbody part.
But yeah as busy moms, that'snot just that's not realistic So
when it comes to like a physicalstrength like how does that
translate to Mental health,Because there's a lot of
connection when at least whatI've read and done my research I
do my research Vanessa But whatI've noticed is that you know,
(27:12):
once you start this fitnessjourney, you know, it
essentially Can affect like yourmental health in a more positive
way and you literally mentionedthat as well, you know You
become a happy mom, but if youcan You further delve into that
and perhaps give us someexamples from your clients,
squadcaster-f971_1_ (27:31):
absolutely.
So, What strength training doesfor you is it proves to you that
you can do hard things in life.
We are challenged and faced witha lot of hard things and it
gives you that mental grit, thatmental perseverance, you know,
that mental like push throughthe times that you feel like you
(27:54):
can't.
Do it right or you feel so stuckand then you do, you know,
something with string training.
You're like, oh, my gosh, I justdid that.
I can never do that.
Right.
And, uh, specifically 1 of ourclients.
Well, a couple of our clientsrecently have told us, you know,
they're like, I was going forthat physical strength, that
physical, you know, You know,like fit look, she's like, I
(28:18):
never knew the mental strengththat it would give me, you know,
like she lost her job.
She, and it wasn't her choice.
And that's a hard thing toaccept.
And that's a hard thing to tryto get through.
And she was like, I never reallyrealized they would help me have
that mental strain to getthrough that patch of life.
(28:39):
Another client recently said,The same thing like it gives me
the strength to do the funthings and it gives me the
strength to do the not so funthings
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (28:51):
It's like resilience.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's awesome.
That's, that's awesome.
And, you know, when I thinkabout, So I feel like that's
more so like that can lead youinto having mental resilience,
right?
But when you're starting off,and I think our brain likes to
(29:12):
mess around with us, right?
Because you have the intentionof working out, you know, you
say, okay, I'm going to leave myworkout clothes, you know, by my
bedside, because in the morningI'm going to wake up and I'm
going to, Workout, right?
But then, and this happens to mea lot where that is the goal,
(29:35):
but then it's not achievedbecause then my brain tells me,
Oh, but instead of working out,you could be doing X, Y, Z, you
know, and then I end up notworking out because I find that
I should probably prioritize on,loading the dishes or getting
the kids, you know, Breakfastready or what have you.
(29:55):
And so when you're trying totell yourself like, Oh, this is
what I want to do.
But then at the end of the day,you don't achieve it.
Like, how can we train ourbrains to just get us to do it
right.
And, and prioritize
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21 (30:09):
that's very common, you know, it is
it's a habit It's a habit andyou need to change a habit and
it's hard to change it Rememberour bodies and our brains they
always want to protect us You Sowhatever feels comfortable,
they're going to go straight tothat, right?
If you're trying to do somethingnew and push it to do something
else, they're like, wait, whatare you doing?
(30:30):
Like, no, you know, this doesn'tfeel right.
This doesn't feel comfortable.
But just, I always say, like, ifyou snooze your, like, if you
set your alarm to wake up at acertain time to work out, do not
hit snooze.
Because the minute you just letyour mind say five more minutes
or the minute you say, Oh, I'mstill so tired.
(30:52):
It's done.
It's over with, you know, andthe more that you do it, right.
So there's a thing like youcommit to do something right.
Okay, so if you commit to dosomething, things aren't going
to go as planned, right?
Like, you set your clothes out,that's your committing, right?
You didn't do it,
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (31:12):
Yeah.
squadcaster-f971_1_09 (31:13):
recommit.
It's all about recommitting.
Recommitting.
I always think about our kids.
I mean, how many times Everysingle day, 150 times a day, do
we have to tell them to go brushtheir teeth?
I fight with my kids every day.
Brush your teeth.
You brush them in the morning.
You brush them at night.
Brush your teeth.
You brush them in the morning.
You brush them at night and youjust keep enforcing it and keep
(31:36):
adding, keep at it until theyknow, okay, in the morning I
brush my teeth in the night Ibrush my teeth.
And it's the same thing withfitness.
Like the more we tell ourselves,no, I committed to this.
You know, I'm going to do this.
The dishes, it's okay if itstays there for a few more
minutes, you know, the kid'sbreakfast, they're going to eat.
(31:56):
You're not going to let themstarve, you know?
So the more that you can justremind yourself that you want
this and why, why do you wantit?
You know, like it has to be adeeper why than just appearance,
right?
And think telling to yourself,is this decision getting me
(32:17):
closer to, you know, the personI want to be, the body I want or
to my old me, you know what Imean?
So it's like really coachingyourself through it, right?
And really, I always think thetoothbrush, keep doing it, keep
pushing it, keep recommittingevery single day.
(32:38):
You know, they say that withmarriage, you're married, but
you
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (32:41):
Mm hmm.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (32:41):
every day, you know?
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090 (32:44):
That's so true.
That is so true.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And thanks for sharing thatbecause I think many of us,
like, we want to start a newconversation.
fitness, goals and, and we wantto have this new life where it's
more positive and, and realisticas well.
But I think it definitely takesa lot from our part to commit to
(33:06):
doing this.
Like if we really want to beintentional, we have to set that
time and, and it, it's 20minutes.
Right.
So like when I really thinkabout In 20 minutes, I could
literally be scrolling on socialmedia and not, you know, the
time is endless and, and then itmakes it so hard to like commit
(33:27):
to 20 minutes and working outand I think it's a lot of brain
power that we need to train ourbrains to like, see it in a
different perspective, like evenlike the toothbrush example that
you
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (33:37):
Yeah,
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (33:37):
know, provided.
So like make that be a part ofyour lifestyle.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (33:40):
yeah, and don't think of it like, Oh,
I gotta go do this now, you knowwhat I mean?
Like, it's so dreadful.
It's an extra tour, but and youknow, don't think like, oh, my
gosh, it's going to hurt.
It's going to be painful.
Do something that you enjoy.
Do something that, you know,bring As long as you move your
bodies, you're happy, um,endorphins are gonna, you know,
(34:04):
come up and be more present.
So do something that makes youfeel good and like when you go
into a workout and you're notfeeling it that day, that's
okay.
You know, like just do as muchas be like, okay, you know what,
today I'm just gonna do whatfeels good.
You know, and we always talkabout like the workouts.
There's 30 percent are going tobe like, I crushed it.
(34:26):
That was awesome.
30 percent are going to be like,that was good.
And then 30 percent are going tobe like, okay, that really
sucked, but at least they justshowed up, you know?
And everybody thinks it alwayshas to be that 30 percent of
crushing it.
And it's like, no, you know,like it's going to ebb and flow.
(34:47):
You're going to get stuck for alittle bit, but you got to push
through it.
And you'll, you'll get past, youknow, that point, but the more
we can do it, the more we showup, the more we, you know,
recommit, the more it's going tobe a part of who we are and what
we do.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (35:04):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, definitely.
Yeah.
Thanks for sharing that.
And so what, uh, strategies doyou recommend, uh, for moms to
stay consistent with theirfitness goals, uh, despite those
busy schedules?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (35:20):
So you have to first define what
consistency means to you.
It's not seven days a week.
Maybe it's.
Three days, um, I feel like alot of people think consistency
is like daily.
And if you don't hit it daily,then you're not consistent.
And it's like kind of, we alwaystell our clients, give yourself
a baseline, like a minimum, youknow what, if life is hard, if
(35:44):
something's going on, my baseminimum is to go walking two
days a week.
Like, you know, or getting atleast two out of the four
workouts and that's like mybaseline, right?
So maybe consistency to you is70 percent right now.
Maybe consistency to you is 60%.
That's okay.
Remember that, you know, piggybank, you're making all those
(36:07):
deposits, right?
And instead of thinking all ornothing, I'm going to do it all
or nothing.
We have a motto of saying doingall or something.
Right?
So if you can't do it all, dosomething, right?
That something is better thannothing, right?
And even if it's like, I don'tknow how to work out, I don't
(36:28):
know where to start, walk.
Walking is so underrated on howbeneficial it is for your body,
for your mind, all of it.
So I know a lot of people'slike, where do I start?
I don't, I've never weightsbefore walk, start walking.
Like I said, get really good atwalking.
(36:48):
Maybe it's twice.
You start off 10 minutes.
That's all you got.
Great.
Do it, you know, and I think,too, this is what I was going to
say before, you know,recognizing where you are in
that season of life and how yousaid, you know, your postpartum
dragged on and you felt like youwere in it for a while.
We have to, you know, our mentalcapacity has to be there as
(37:09):
well.
Right.
So giving yourself grace duringthose moments and being like,
I'm going to get through this.
It's okay.
I'm going to do the best that Ican, whatever that looks like.
And I know there's going to be apoint where I'm going to be able
to do it.
So I'm going to do what I canfor now.
And when this season goes, likeyou said, now you're ready, you
(37:29):
know, now you're ready to kindof, you know, focus on yourself
and, and that's okay.
And I think that's what I feellike the biggest message is
like, you don't have to doeverything perfect, and that's
okay.
Mm
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (37:44):
Yes.
Oh, thanks for sharing that.
I think that that is veryreassuring, especially coming
from you.
And, you know, for many of uswho oftentimes give up because
we have specific expectationsabout what this looks like, but
we are Have to definitelyrecognize our season of life and
give ourselves grace.
(38:05):
And I love that.
I love that you shared that.
Yeah.
So thank you.
Yeah.
And you know, when it comes tohaving this whole fitness
journey, right.
And, and how we can either bringback our fitness lifestyle or
continue on with it.
Um, one of the things that.
I have found at least like onsocial media is just like the
(38:27):
bad reputation that our foods asLatinos have, you know, and, and
even the doctors, they say, Oh,how many tortillas did you eat?
And I'm like, that's very biasedbecause we hardly eat tortillas.
Like, you know, it's verystereotypical here.
And, and so, you know, for uswho, and who obviously are
(38:54):
immersed in our culture, wholove our cuisine how, Does
nutrition really play increating this fitness, journey,
but also, you know, how can wecreate a healthy balance with
our traditional foods, tambien?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (39:11):
Yeah, absolutely.
I always say you have to livelife.
You're not gonna, and it's funnybecause people think eating
healthy is going on a diet, wheneating healthy should be the
normal thing, you know, and it'slike, I have, you know, pizza, I
have empanadas with my kids, andyou know, I'm gonna do it, no
(39:34):
one's gonna tell me not to, youknow, and it's like, a lot of it
is, Not so much what exactlyyou're eating, and again, you
have to figure out where you arein your journey.
If you're just, just starting,it's like, instead of exactly
what you're eating, like howmuch of it are you eating?
(39:55):
Or what are you putting in adish that doesn't really, you
know, need to be in there, itstill tastes really good.
You know, so where you are inyour fitness journey, it's like,
if you're just starting andyou're just wanting to, know,
um, make a little bit ofchanges, I would say, like, try
to, it's hard, right?
But you have to, like, I alwayssay, when you have a plate and
(40:18):
you fill, you fill it up,whatever it is, eat half.
Put your fork down, chit chatwith your kids, with your
spouse, you know, drink a littlebit of water, give yourself
about three to five minutes, andthen ask yourself silently,
you're like, Am I still hungry?
If you are, eat another fourth,you know, and then again, put
(40:40):
your fork down, you know, chitchat a little bit, enjoy, and
then ask yourself again, am Ireally hungry?
And if it's no, it's okay to noteat everything on your plate.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (40:51):
Mm hmm.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (40:52):
know, like just put it away, save it
if you don't want to throw outyour food, and later when you
get hungry again, now you havesomething to eat, you know, and
you're not like scrambling forwhatever you find in the pantry.
Right?
And then if you're kind offurther along in your journey,
it's like, what kind of littlesimple swaps can you make?
(41:13):
Like, I love the Siete brand.
Have you ever
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (41:16):
Yes.
Yes.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-2 (41:17):
They have amazing like seasonings,
you know, everything, you know,I don't, I like their tortillas,
but they're not really like ourtortillas.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09 (41:26):
they're not the same.
No.
I like them for quesadillas, butother than that, Yeah.
I need my milagro
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-2 (41:33):
Yes,
jessica_1_09-21-2024 (41:34):
tortillas.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (41:35):
we actually, so I'm in Tennessee
right now, I, we live inTennessee and anytime anyone
comes down, we're like, bring usa box of milagro tortillas.
They
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (41:44):
They don't sell it there?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-20 (41:46):
but they use a different corn cause
it comes from Georgia.
So it just doesn't taste thesame.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (41:53):
Not the same.
Okay.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (41:55):
So it's like, you know, you, you're
going to enjoy the foods, right.
But it's.
It's about that balance, youknow?
Maybe you're eating a lot offried things.
Add some veggies to it.
Eat some fruit.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (42:11):
Mm hmm.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-20 (42:12):
the more, you know, nutritious, and
think about too, like, is thisfueling my body?
Or is it not?
Am I just eating it, you know,just to eat it?
And I, I always say, I never, Idon't not eat anything.
I don't let, you know, I'm gonnago out, I'm gonna have a drink,
I'm gonna, you know, have icecream with my kids.
(42:35):
But I don't do that every singleday, right?
And we say, like, if you say,oh, it's a treat, but you eat it
every day, It's not a treat.
It's a habit.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (42:45):
Mm.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-2 (42:46):
Because a treat is something you have
once in a while, Um, I hope thatanswered
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (42:51):
Yes.
No.
Yeah.
It, it does.
And, and yeah, and I think weshouldn't just like give up our
foods, también, you know, like Ithink it's definitely about
incorporating it into a morehealthy diet.
Like balanced, type meals then,you know, overdoing it too,
(43:11):
because yeah, I mean, I love meas cheetahs that I yet knows,
but you know, it's, it's like,that can be a treat, you know,
like, it's like once in a whileand I don't make them trust me.
I, like I said, we, we, we don'treally make Mexican food because
for me, it's so intimidatingbecause it's such a process.
But whenever we're out withfamily or when we're visiting my
(43:32):
mom, I'm like, and that's when Iget treated, you know, to many
of those foods.
And, and yeah, and I think thatwe shouldn't give them up just
because we are in a fitnessjourney.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (43:44):
Yeah.
And like you said, you know,like, it's more of what you do
versus the occasional thingsthat you do.
Yeah.
So, if you're eating at home,you're cooking your own food,
that's going to be so muchbetter than ordering out, right?
Um, if at home, you try yourbest to eat, you know, as
saludable as you can, and thenyou go to your aunts or your
(44:07):
moms, and they have pozole, andthey have, you know, sopes.
And Enjoy it, you know, andthat's the thing too.
I always say when you're withfamily, because I know the other
thing is that food pushers.
Oh, tienes que comer.
Hija, quieres más?
Quieres más?
Oh, no vas a comer?
Qué no vas a comer?
(44:27):
You know, like, it's likeconstant, you know, and just
saying like, no, thank you.
No, thank you.
No, thank you.
No, thank you.
You know, like, just keep sayingI'm good.
You know, I'm Um, When you areat that point that you're good,
you know.
I think it's that having thatconfidence and that feeling
empowered that you're not rude,you're not being rude, you know,
(44:51):
it's just, you're, the more youeat, the worse you're going to
feel on the inside, and thenyou're going to regret that you
did that.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (45:00):
Yes.
I was going to say, like, I'msure like guilt comes up if you
make those decisions.
But it's also, okay, if thishappened once, to what point
will it be?
more like routine based, youknow, where there's all these
like pushers and you just keepaccepting and then the next
(45:22):
party, you know, you're going tokeep doing it.
Like to what point can you setthose boundaries and limits to
yourself?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21 (45:29):
right.
Yeah, and that's what I say likethat, you know visual that I
gave you of the plate Like justkeep asking yourself.
Am I still hungry if you areeat, you know Don't stop eating
because you think you need toeat less your body's gonna tell
you You know when it's good, butit's about us listening to those
(45:50):
cues because a lot of times wedon't And we just keep eating
and then you're like, oh I am sofull You know But I always say
if you can follow that just youknow, eat half ask yourself Am I
still hungry eat another fourthask yourself if you're hungry
you're not gonna overeat andyou're gonna enjoy Any food
(46:12):
that's around you, you know,and, you know, being at family,
it's like, focus on thememories, focus on mingling,
focus on, you know, laughing,focus on conversations versus
focusing on the food.
I feel like food is focus numberone, the, you know, memories,
enjoyment is number two.
(46:32):
Let's flip that.
You know, like have fun.
Maybe you haven't seen arelative in a while.
Catch up with them.
You know, it doesn't have to bealways a plate of food in front
of you.
Yeah, Yeah.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (46:47):
that.
Yes.
Uh, well, Vanessa, tell us alittle bit more about your
business, the different servicesthat you offer.
I'm very interested to learnmore.
And if you can share us like asuccess story from one of your
clients and one that wouldresonate specifically with this
(47:07):
audience.
squadcaster-f971_1_ (47:09):
absolutely.
So, I'm the owner of the strongfit life and co founder of the
kettlebell kickstart kickstartprogram, which is a one on one
customized program, where wereally deep dive.
Learn where you're at right now,your lifestyle, your habits, and
we just tweak little by littlesmall little changes, to help
(47:29):
you build those sustainablehabits.
It's an online, you know,program, and we do incorporate
fitness.
We incorporate.
Food and mindset, and we focusmore on it being a skill and you
getting better at the skillversus like, here's a workout
plan.
Here's a meal plan.
Everybody has different goals.
(47:51):
Everybody's in a differentseason of life.
Everybody needs somethingdifferent, right?
So we really hone in on you andcustomize it for you.
So.
whatever you learn in theprogram, you can maintain it and
do it five years from now, 10years And then I do have a
virtual online fitness program,um, where I go live four days a
(48:13):
week.
That one is a more, um, forpeople that are already kind of
in the fitness space and just,you know, You know, either need
that little bump in headingthrough a plateau, or they need
that accountability to show upto somebody, every day or four
days a week.
So those are the two programsthat I offer.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (48:31):
Yeah.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-20 (48:36):
She has to go into the office a
couple days a week.
She has two kids.
Um, When she came to us, she waslike, I'm so exhausted.
She's like by eight o'clock.
I'm not like exhausted on thecouch and I don't have energy to
like lift up one more finger.
You know, she's like, I have myson.
She called him a beefcakebecause he's like, you know, a
(48:58):
little chunky.
And she's like, I hold him andmy back hurts, like, and he's
only going to get bigger andhe's only going to want me to
hold him more.
And he's like, I need somethingthat's flexible.
I can't go to a class but I alsoneed like that accountability.
So she.
In our program she lost 27pounds.
(49:20):
She went down four pant sizes.
She was, on high blood pressuremedication and she was able to
come off of it.
And now she's like, I put mykids to bed and I'm like, do,
do, do, do, do cleaning up.
Like I, you know, she's like, Ihave the energy to keep doing
stuff.
She's like, my back doesn't hurtanymore.
She's like, I can easily tosshim up and catch them.
(49:42):
She's like just having that.
We go for bike rides now.
And, you know, stop at 7 Elevento get a Slurpee and then come
back, but she's able to do a lotof this with more ease and more
energy versus exhaustion.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (49:57):
It's so interesting how, when you
think that you can't move yourbody.
And then when you do your, youcan move your, body even more,
like you get this full energy,like full force of energy after,
you know, working out and, and Imiss that feeling.
(50:20):
And I'm just, you know, excitedto get back to this like
journey, uh, just because I feellike it's not just, you know,
I'm not only setting a goodexample to my kids, but I also
want to feel good.
I want to carry my kids.
Right.
And I've experienced a lot ofpelvic pain and back pain.
And, you know, unfortunately asa result of pregnancy and labor,
(50:44):
and even though I went tophysical therapy, it's.
still hasn't worked.
And so I'm like, okay, well, Ineed to look for ways to
condition my body and, and makeit feel a little bit better.
Because it could affect ourhealth like our physical health
squadcaster-f971_1_ (50:59):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And I also think of like lateron in life, I, and my dad, I
don't want to say it was aburden, but it took like a lot
of mental and physical toll totake care of him.
I don't want to be that for mykids.
You know, I want to be able tohave them be happy and whatever
(51:20):
happens happens, but it's notbecause I couldn't have
prevented it.
um, and I want to see mygrandkids.
I want to be able to play withmy grandkids.
You know, my dad, he couldn't,he had an oxygen tank.
He would take like two steps andget out of breath.
And he never really enjoyed mykids because I had the youngest,
Um, And it was really, you know,um, hard to see, not hurtful.
(51:43):
Like I him, but, um, it was hardto see that because you want
them to embrace.
You know, their grandparents um,so it's not only about now, it's
about later on as well, becausewhat you do now is how you're
going to live.
Your last 10 years.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (52:01):
Mm.
Mm hmm.
Yeah, yeah, thank you forsharing that and giving that
perspective.
I'm sure people are gonna belike, whoa, that's deep and I
think it's deep.
Ed's perspective.
Well, I have one last questionfor you that I didn't share.
But I do ask my guests as asurprise kind of question.
(52:24):
How are you redefiningmotherhood?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (52:29):
so for me, redefining motherhood is
You know, like stop, you know,stop thinking about what you
can't do.
Think about what you can do.
You know, motherhood is beingstrong.
It's being there for everyoneand for yourself.
(52:49):
You can have both.
um, it's about asking for thehelp when you need it.
Standing up for yourself whenyou have to.
You know, like, I feel like weshy away and we just close our
mouths and don't say anything.
And it's like, we have to beable to have that voice and that
(53:12):
power.
Just because we're moms doesn'tmean we're any less than anyone
else.
laughs
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (53:19):
I love it.
I love it.
We're powerful.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-2 (53:22):
Yes.
Super powerful.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (53:25):
super powerful.
Yeah, I love it.
Well, Vanessa, where can peoplefind you, connect with you, if
you can share them where theycan go and And yeah, be a part
of your community.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (53:37):
Yeah.
So I'm on Instagram.
Uh, the strong fit life.
On Facebook, I'm VanessaManiani, which is my maiden
name.
It's M U G N a I N I dotFlorence.
Yeah!
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (53:52):
In the show notes and that way they
can connect with you and well,Vanessa, thank you so much for
being here.
I think what you shared isdefinitely going to reassure
many mamas that you know, eventhough we're very busy and we
feel like this is impossible, itcan be possible.
The sky is the limit.
And just like that analogy ofadding that, coin in that piggy
(54:13):
bank, it's just the same waywe're building blocks.
Like we are literally buildingblocks to like creating a more
healthy, balanced fitnessjourney.
And so thank you so much forbeing here.
I really appreciate it.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (54:26):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
This was fun.
Mujer, thank you so much fortaking the time out of your busy
schedule to listen to the VivaLa Mami podcast.
If you enjoyed today's episode,will you do me a favor and
follow the podcast and leave arating and review?
Hitting that follow button andreviewing my show will allow
(54:47):
other mamis like you find thispodcast.
Your review will also tell me ifyou enjoy the show, so I would
truly appreciate your thoughts.
Don't forget, please share thispodcast con tus amigas.
Also, make sure to follow me atViva La Mami on Instagram or
visit VivaLaMami.
com.
Please note the informationshared in this podcast is for
(55:09):
educational purposes only andshould not be taken as
professional advice.
Okay, mujer, thank you forjoining y nos vemos in the next
episode.
Hola, hola amiga.
Are you a busy mama strugglingto find time for fitness?
And have you ever wondered howto balance our cultural
expectations with your personalhealth goals?
I get it.
I Can definitely relate.
In today's episode, We welcome.
Vanessa Flores Who.
(00:21):
is a fitness trainer and coachowner of the Strong Fit Life and
founder of Kettlebell Kickstart,an online high touch customized
fitness program.
Vanessa is a mom of two littleones and her passion is to help
busy mamas, busy moms getstronger both physically and
mentally to get through thetough times in life who want to
(00:44):
simplify getting stronger andhealthier so that they are able
to do the fun stuff and not sofun stuff all while keeping up
with their kids In today'sepisode, we discuss Vanessa's
personal journey with body imageand extreme dieting, exploring
how fitness has transformed herlife, and And our conversation
(01:07):
delves into the uniquechallenges Latina moms face in
prioritizing their health.
and Vanessa offers practicalworkout tips for busy mamás.
We also touch on mindful eating,incorporating traditional Latino
foods into a balanced diet andthe mental resilience gained
through strength training.
(01:28):
Vanessa shares more about herprogram that is designed to help
my mask integrate fitness intotheir busy lives.
Learn more as we chat withVanessa.
Tune in as we chat with VanessaFlores, fitness trainer and mom
of two who's cracked the code onstaying strong while juggling
(01:49):
life's demands.
So tune in as we chat withVanessa Flores and discover how
a simple 20 minute workout mightjust be the key to transforming
your body and mind.
Are you ready to kickstart yourjourney to a stronger, healthier
you?
Well, listen to my conversationwith Vanessa Flores.
(02:10):
Welcome to the podcast.
I am your host, Jessica Cuevas.
I am a mother of two on amission to help redefine the
meaning of motherhood as amodern Latina mom.
Motherhood can be a complexjourney interwoven in two
identities that often make usfeel ni de aqui, ni de alla.
Viva La Mami is committed toproviding you with knowledge,
(02:33):
tools, and support to navigatethe challenges and triumphs of
motherhood.
As Latina moms on the show,we'll be discussing culturally
relevant topics that will helpinform and empower you in
whichever season you are in onyour motherhood journey.
We'll be joined by Latina moms,experts and professionals who
(02:53):
can offer advice, practicaltips, relatable stories, and
honest conversations.
So bring your cafecito as Iinvite you to be a part of this
space As we create Comunidadabout the exciting and
challenging parts of being amami.
Ahora, vámonos.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (03:14):
Hola.
Hola, Vanessa.
How are you?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21 (03:15):
great.
How are you?
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (03:17):
I am great.
It's so good to see you
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (03:20):
Same.
I'm excited.
It's been a while.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (03:22):
Yes.
Yes.
I met you at mom 2.
0 back in the spring.
And I think I just like happenedto sit at the table for
breakfast.
And then we started to talk andwe just have so many
connections.
Chicago, we're both Chicagoans.
And, and I immediately, uh, fellfor your mission about fitness
(03:47):
and just how you can representus as well in, in this specific
sort of area.
So I was like, I need to bringVanessa here on the podcast to
get real and deep about it.
So.
You know, how, how we canpractice having a fitness life,
especially as Latina.
So, uh, thanks so much for beinghere.
(04:09):
I
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-20 (04:09):
No, thanks for the opportunity.
I appreciate it as well.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (04:12):
Yes.
So before we delve into theconversation, if you can
introduce yourself and you cantell our listeners who you are
and yeah.
Why you created this platform ofyours.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (04:24):
My name is Vanessa Flores.
I am originally born and raisedin Chicago around the Berwyn
Cicero area.
And my parents are fromArgentina.
And.
I have two little ones, a fouryear old and a one that just
turned seven and yeah.
And really my passion withfitness has come from growing
(04:47):
up.
You know, it was all about bodyimage and, you know, self
esteem.
And I always saw my sister andmy mom on diets and that's all I
knew.
Like I never really learnedhealthy habits.
I never, fitness wasn't really.
a thing in my house, you know,and even throughout my whole
family, all of us have like badrelationship with food just
(05:10):
because of, you know, growing upthat way.
And as I, you know, got older, Iwent to college, I started
taking like kinesiology andnutrition classes and that's
where I was like, Oh my gosh, Ifell in love.
But I took it to like the, I wasobsessed.
Like, I started working out,elliptical an hour,
weightlifting an hour, totallyrestricted.
(05:31):
Like, I didn't eat any fat,anything like carbs, because I
was like afraid.
So, you know, I was chasing theskinny and I got there.
got a size zero, but I wasn'tany happier.
I wasn't more like toned ormuscle because I wasn't feeling
my body and I had to go to thedoctor and I lost my menstrual
(05:52):
cycle.
Just all these things startedhappening inside.
So they were like, you need tointroduce fats back into your
body.
So I did, but then when I did,my body was like craving it and
I went the total extreme inbinging and eating just out of
like tubs of peanut butter tothe point that I was like so
sick that I would have to makemyself throw up because I was so
(06:15):
uncomfortable.
So that's where my relationshipwith food was.
in the tank, and I didn't knowhow to balance.
I didn't know how to process myfeelings.
So all I did was eat to shutdown any emotion, any feelings,
because you can't cry, you can'tcomplain, you, you know, can't
show any of that.
Everything is fine and peachyand perfect.
(06:37):
I got a really bad depression,you know, as I was really, I
would sleep 14 hours.
I felt horrible.
I wasn't happy.
And I'm like, I can't live inthese extremes.
Right?
So I started to seek out help.
And I started to learn aboutintuitive eating and mindful
eating and regaining thatrelationship with food and
viewing it more as fuel versusas the enemy.
(07:00):
Right?
And fitness.
It wasn't about punishing myselfor like, you know, You know,
getting skinny, it was aboutfeeling empowered, feeling
strong, feeling great from theinside to out and where it's
really like your outlet to kindof have clarity.
You can kind of like expressyour emotions through workouts.
(07:21):
So many people like cry causeit's like, Oh my gosh, I can't
believe I did this, you knowwhat I mean?
And as I went into motherhoodeverything is just chaotic, you
know?
And life happens.
All in all, over and over, Ilost my job.
I, my business was shut down dueto legal things.
(07:42):
My dad had two terminalillnesses, driving back and
forth to Chicago for two years.
Took you know, emotional,physical toll, all of it.
I had a, I had a newborn.
It was like everything like fellon top of me.
And the only thing that reallyhelped me get through all of
that was fitness.
You know, I always still carvethat little bit of time for
(08:05):
myself.
And that's where I was like, youknow what?
I'm like, moms need this.
We put everybody else's needs infront of ours.
We make sure everybody is okay,except for ourselves.
And it's like, we end updrowning.
And on the outside, we lookhappy and that everything is
fine.
On the inside, we're like cryingand dying and suffering.
(08:27):
You know, and I was like, youknow, fitness doesn't have to be
extreme.
Fitness doesn't have to berestrictive.
The workouts don't have to bepunishing.
It's just about making like whatmakes you feel good.
You know, it can be simple.
I think we complicate it way toomuch in our minds.
And.
(08:47):
You know, everybody has adifferent reason why they want
to be healthy.
And what does healthy mean toyou?
That's the most important thing.
You know, so that's why Icreated, you know, Kettlebell
Kickstart and really want tobring out that message and
really like redefine whatfitness and health, you know,
really is.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (09:05):
you so much for sharing your story.
I know that.
Maybe it can be triggering, uh,for you, you know, to just kind
of, uh, talk about this thankyou for sharing your
vulnerability as well.
Uh, but I think that.
Many will be able to relate toyour story in terms of that
extreme dieting, that extreme,you know, fitness and how it, it
(09:30):
could be good, but to a certainextent, same thing with
overeating, right?
And for me, for example, like Ididn't necessarily grew up in a
way where well, I, I, so.
I guess I didn't grow up wherefitness was like, kind of like
at the forefront, right?
It's always assumed that, youknow, as Latinas, you just give
(09:53):
in, you please everyone youlike, and how you said, you
know, we put ourselves last.
And so we don't get toprioritize really what our needs
are, but what those needs couldbe.
I mean, I feel like as growingup and seeing the women in my
family, there is no one that Iknow who exercises like that
(10:14):
hasn't been modeled for me.
And then there are these issuesin my family, you know, with
diabetes and high blood pressureand all of those conditions that
unfortunately is very true tomany Latino households.
Um, and part of me, I'm like,well, why aren't we doing
something about it?
(10:35):
Right.
Why are we just like sittingdown and complain about us, our
bodies, you know, the fact thatwe have all of these health
conditions, but in reality,we're not doing something about
this.
And, and now that I'm being.
thoughtful about me as a mom andhow I want to model this to my
kids.
(10:56):
I'm like, okay, now I have a bigresponsibility, you know, to to
do something.
And, and, and this doesn't haveto be like hardcore working out
because also we need to berealistic about what we're
doing.
What our current season of lifeis and how much capacity you
have.
So yeah.
So like this brought to like aquestion that I have.
(11:17):
Like what are some of the uniquechallenges that Latina moms face
when it comes to prioritizingtheir health and fitness?
'cause I feel like that is kindof tied in with what you said.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-2024 (11:28):
I think as Latinas, we just have
that ingrained as us, as likethe mom is, does everything.
The mom cooks, the mom cleans,the mom takes care of the kids,
the mom, you know, does all thethings.
But yet, we're supposed to belike the superwoman and not let
anything affect us, right?
(11:49):
And I feel like even if we'reworking Latina moms, we're still
expected to be a stay at homemom and a working mom.
So now you're adding to that.
Extra stress andresponsibilities and everything
feels like it's landing on yourshoulders and it's like, you
can't breathe.
And it's like, I'm trying.
And then it's like, I'm not goodenough.
(12:09):
I'm not good enough for my kids.
I'm not good enough for myhusband.
I'm not good enough as a, youknow, a work or at home, my
house is messy becauseeverything just has to be prim
and proper and perfect.
And that's just not realistic.
And maybe our moms growing up,they didn't.
(12:30):
They, they like just accepted itand they were just like, this is
my role.
This is what I'm supposed to do.
And they just kind of wentcomplacent into that, where I
think our generation now islike, no, I want more than that.
Like, I want to feel good.
I want my spouse to help me.
Like he's a dad just as much asI'm a mom.
He works just as much as I do,you know?
(12:52):
So really instilling that andknowing that us as Latina moms,
it's okay.
Thank you.
It's okay to want that.
It's okay to ask for help.
It's okay to have conversationswith your husband and be like,
look, I'm feeling like crap, Iwant to feel better.
Maybe you guys plan out, youknow, Mondays and Wednesdays,
(13:13):
just give me 20 minutes.
You know, so he knows, okay,this is mommy's time, you know,
and it's going to take a whileto get there.
The kids are going to wantmommy, the kids are going to
want to be in there and, youknow, just like you said, like
we're in a different season oflife.
So our expectations can't bewhat we think, you know, have to
do like when we were 20.
(13:34):
Right?
So, you know, they're going tobe like, mommy, mommy, mommy,
mommy, you know, so just pickthem up and do squats with them.
You know what I mean?
Like, or do sit ups with them.
My kids have, we were laughing,having fun, you know, your
workouts might not look exactlyas planned, but that's okay.
You know?
(13:54):
And I think that's really hardfor Latina moms to accept.
And, or to like really change.
You know, but I really think wewant that change and we want to
do it.
We just don't know how or wedon't feel empowered enough to
say, this is what I want.
This is what I need.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090 (14:14):
right.
And we definitely don't seethose examples specifically in
the space of motherhood.
You know, you don't see,honestly, you're one of the few
people who are Latinas and whoare fitness, who, who's a
fitness expert.
And, and I'm like, why isn'tthere more, you know?
(14:34):
And so if we don't see that.
It makes it very difficult forus to actually believe that we
could essentially prioritizeour, you know, on ourselves in
that way.
So, yeah.
And what would you say are someof the common misconceptions
about fitness that you haveencountered, uh, within the
Latino community or Latina momsin
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (14:56):
So I feel like everybody, when they
think about fitness, they thinkabout The end, you know, like
they have to be at the endversus at the start, you know, I
feel like they think, Oh mygosh, don't get a career.
You don't have to go run.
You could go walk, you know,they feel like lifting weights
is not for women.
(15:16):
You know, like lifting weightswill bulk me up.
I don't want to look manly, youknow, like my mom used to always
say when she lifted, Oh, becareful.
I'm like, you know, like I, I'mokay.
I, you know, can lift heavythings.
And so I feel like those are alot of misconceptions that let
(15:37):
not just growing up, like ourmoms, I remember my husband's
grandma, when I would be like,You know, we're going to go, you
know, work out.
She's like, women don't workout, you know, women don't do
that.
And I'm like, yes, they do, youknow?
And it's just like, I feel likeyou think you need an hour long
(15:58):
workout.
I think that people think theyhave to cut out all their
favorite foods, especially ourLatin cuisines in order to get
healthy and fit, which is.
Not, not the case.
You can enjoy your favoritefoods.
You can get a 10 minute walk in,you know, a lot of people forget
(16:20):
that it's just kind of like apiggy bank, right?
Every time you put a quarter.
It just keeps filling up.
So every little 10 minutes thatwe do, every little meal that we
eat, it's like you're makinglittle deposits.
And over time, the piggy bank isgoing to fill up, and you're
going to get healthier and feelbetter.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090 (16:43):
That's a really great example of, you
know, vision envisioning, youknow, how this process looks
like.
And for me, like I've alwaysstruggled with setting those
like goals because I wanted toget to the end.
And I wanted to just see theresults from one day to the
next.
(17:04):
And, and that is part of thefrustration that I feel like
many of us have who want to getfit and fit, it means like
healthy, you know, having abalanced life, having a balanced
routine that works for you.
But yeah, like, I feel like manyof us just want to get to the
end and not necessarily.
(17:26):
Really holding on to like thepresent and being present in the
process to, and it's veryinteresting.
I hear where oftentimes, youknow, like in the start of a, of
a new year, you know, you setthese fitness goals and all of
that.
And then, yeah, you go to thegym or you start, start setting
this regimen and.
(17:47):
By the second week, though,everything stops.
And I think it's because we'reso infatuated with trying to get
to the end.
I don't know if you have anythoughts
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (17:56):
Yeah, so when people start making New
Year's resolutions, and, youknow, like, this time is going
to be it.
Like when you ask them for theirgoal, they want to lose like 30
pounds in a month, which isunrealistic.
They want to do 10 thingsinstead of getting good at just
one thing and adding on top ofthat.
So I feel like people put waytoo much expectations on what
(18:19):
they can do.
Like you said, what capacity wehave in this season of life.
And it's like, yeah, you canmaybe sustain it for like two
weeks, but then Life happens.
We always say there's a seasonof rainbows where things are
going really good.
And then a storm comes in and itlike knocks you off your feet.
And then you forget everythingthat you did where instead is
(18:41):
learning how to navigate throughthose storms.
Because they're going to keepcoming, right?
So instead of making that longlist of I'm going to drink
water, I'm going to eat healthy,I'm going to work out four days
a week, I'm going to go to bedearly, you know, like instead of
listing like all these thingsthat yes, you want to eventually
be able to do, but people startwith too much.
(19:04):
You want to like overhaul theirlifestyle right away.
Instead of just picking onething to change, get really good
at it.
And then once that feels likeit's part of your day and now
this is who I am, then addanother thing.
And we always say, like, even ifyou reach your goal, You can't
(19:25):
not keep working on it, right?
Because if you don't, you'regonna go back to where you were.
So it's like, it's a lifetimething.
It's, even if you lose your 30pounds and whatever date you
gave yourself, once you reachthat, you gotta maintain it.
You know, so trying to get likethat dot deadline or that like
instant gratification, like ourbodies are on Amazon.
(19:48):
You're not going to get itdelivered at your doorstep, you
know.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090 (19:54):
That's another great example.
Yeah.
And it makes so much sense.
Yeah.
And I think it's all about.
How we perceive fitness andagain, if we don't have the
representation, first of all, asLatina moms, and we were for,
you know, and if we weren'tmodeled that fitness should be a
(20:15):
part of a lifestyle, really apositive lifestyle, you know, it
does make it really hard.
To envision yourself andliterally set those real, you
know, kind of goals.
And so, you know, when it comesto.
Latina moms who are wanting tostart, you know, their fitness
journey or S or what have you,like, what advice do you have
(20:38):
for especially the ones who feelguilty with mom guilt.
About taking time forthemselves.
Like, what would you say to
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (20:46):
So remember, if you want to be the
role model for your kids to havehealthy habits, Then they have
to see it happening.
You can say it all you want, butif they don't see you doing it,
they're not gonna do it.
Right.
So if that's your goal to be arole model, then it's like
you're investing in your family,right?
Instead of like feeling guiltyfor taking time for yourself,
(21:08):
you're.
Actually taking the time tolearn something new for you.
You're taking the time to teachyour kids how to do it.
So instead of looking at assomething that's being taken
away like time or, you know,which is basically time away
from your kids instead, it'syou're investing in them because
if you don't learn it and youdon't know how to do it, you
(21:31):
can't teach it.
You can't be the role model forit.
Right.
So instead of looking at as anegative and you know, the kid,
your kids, like they don't careif you have six pack abs, they
don't care about what your bodylooks like.
They just want you to be able toplay with them.
And if you can't, because youget out of breath because you're
(21:52):
so out of shape or, you know,That's when they're like, Oh,
man, like that was fun for liketwo minutes, you know?
And so if you think of it kindof in that sense just reframing,
you know Why you want to do it,you know and really
understanding why it's not justabout losing weight, you know It
(22:15):
affects all aspects of your lifeYou know, you're more confident
in yourself.
You're more patient with yourkids.
You're more present with yourkids, you know?
So it, I think thinking it thatway instead of feeling guilty
and it's like, oh my gosh, Ihaven't seen them all day.
You know, I don't want to take20 more minutes for myself.
(22:36):
It's just like, you know, Those20 minutes are okay.
The kids are going to be okay,you know, and they're going to
remember the fun times that youwere able to play with them, not
the 20 minutes that you weren't.
There, because you were workingon yourself,
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (22:51):
Yes.
Yeah.
And like for me, for example, Iam now focusing on, you know,
setting healthy habits andeverything.
Because, I felt like I waspostpartum for a very long time.
And so now that I have thecapacity, I'm like, okay, now I
want to set a routine thatbetter fits me and for my kids
(23:14):
to also see that, you know,because I didn't grow up anyone
in my family workout.
Right.
And I want to set those, like, Iwant to be a good example for
them that it's important to moveyour body.
And so, I'm currently at homeand doing these 20 minute
workouts.
And The other day, my, my threeyear old started to cry.
(23:36):
He's like, mommy, no kiddo.
Can I say, so, and I was like,and I'm like, wow, it might be
because he's, he's not familiarwith this yet.
And so my hope is to like, gethim comfortable to see me.
Do this because it is so helpfulfor them to see like, Oh,
mommy's working out.
Like she's moving.
And then the little one, the oneyear old, he's just like going
(23:58):
on top of me.
So he's, he's just doing littlegoat yoga, you know?
So I have two different, youknow, variances here, but I
think that it, it helps a lotwhen, when you get to like
prioritize on yourself and yourfamily and your kids get to see
that and you essentially get toexperience it all.
(24:18):
So, you know, you shared about,the importance of having short
workouts, because we are allbusy moms.
Can you share what theseexercises look like that busy
moms can incorporate into theirdaily routines.
That way they don't feel likethey have to spend a full hour
at the gym or what?
have you.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-20 (24:36):
The biggest thing I think the most
traditional that people thinkabout is like that bodybuilding
style of workout Like you do oneday back one day legs one day
arms one day this and that is Ittakes way too much time.
You don't have the time todedicate for all of that.
And it takes longer to see theresults where instead it's like
combining exercises where you'reusing your whole body at the
(25:02):
same time.
So let's say, you know, you'redoing squats.
Okay.
So you're doing squats.
And then if you add a press,right, so squat and then press.
So now you're using your wholebody.
Right.
Lunges with bicep curls, youknow, pushups are great.
Even if you can't do kneepushups, you elevate yourself.
(25:25):
Maybe you start on the wall andthen you lower yourself little
by little as you get stronger.
But the more that you canencompass your whole body in the
movements or the exercises, themore benefit and efficient is
going to be for the time crunchthat we have.
Mm
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090 (25:42):
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
And, and I'm sure people neverthought of it that way.
You know, like I remember whenback before I got married, I
like lost a lot of weight justso that.
I can fit in that dress.
And I got this like workoutvideo specifically for brides.
And the saying, saying was, ifthe dress don't fit, that means
(26:04):
you quit.
And I'm just like, and now thatI think about it, I'm like, Oh,
this is so toxic.
But I remember like I had toschedule my leg day and like my
arms day and all of thesethings.
And yeah, maybe at that time,perhaps I did have the capacity
to be at the gym for an hour.
But.
(26:24):
Here I have now, like Iobviously didn't set, you know,
a healthy kind of routine,right?
Where, you know, if, if I, haveI known about quick 20 minute
workouts that you can do athome, maybe I could, would have
just like continued on, youknow?
Yeah, I think that is veryinteresting how people think
that they, or believe that theyshould set a specific, Day, you
(26:48):
know to dedicate on a specificbody part.
But yeah as busy moms, that'snot just that's not realistic So
when it comes to like a physicalstrength like how does that
translate to Mental health,Because there's a lot of
connection when at least whatI've read and done my research I
do my research Vanessa But whatI've noticed is that you know,
(27:12):
once you start this fitnessjourney, you know, it
essentially Can affect like yourmental health in a more positive
way and you literally mentionedthat as well, you know You
become a happy mom, but if youcan You further delve into that
and perhaps give us someexamples from your clients,
squadcaster-f971_1_ (27:31):
absolutely.
So, What strength training doesfor you is it proves to you that
you can do hard things in life.
We are challenged and faced witha lot of hard things and it
gives you that mental grit, thatmental perseverance, you know,
that mental like push throughthe times that you feel like you
(27:54):
can't.
Do it right or you feel so stuckand then you do, you know,
something with string training.
You're like, oh, my gosh, I justdid that.
I can never do that.
Right.
And, uh, specifically 1 of ourclients.
Well, a couple of our clientsrecently have told us, you know,
they're like, I was going forthat physical strength, that
physical, you know, You know,like fit look, she's like, I
(28:18):
never knew the mental strengththat it would give me, you know,
like she lost her job.
She, and it wasn't her choice.
And that's a hard thing toaccept.
And that's a hard thing to tryto get through.
And she was like, I never reallyrealized they would help me have
that mental strain to getthrough that patch of life.
(28:39):
Another client recently said,The same thing like it gives me
the strength to do the funthings and it gives me the
strength to do the not so funthings
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (28:51):
It's like resilience.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's awesome.
That's, that's awesome.
And, you know, when I thinkabout, So I feel like that's
more so like that can lead youinto having mental resilience,
right?
But when you're starting off,and I think our brain likes to
(29:12):
mess around with us, right?
Because you have the intentionof working out, you know, you
say, okay, I'm going to leave myworkout clothes, you know, by my
bedside, because in the morningI'm going to wake up and I'm
going to, Workout, right?
But then, and this happens to mea lot where that is the goal,
(29:35):
but then it's not achievedbecause then my brain tells me,
Oh, but instead of working out,you could be doing X, Y, Z, you
know, and then I end up notworking out because I find that
I should probably prioritize on,loading the dishes or getting
the kids, you know, Breakfastready or what have you.
(29:55):
And so when you're trying totell yourself like, Oh, this is
what I want to do.
But then at the end of the day,you don't achieve it.
Like, how can we train ourbrains to just get us to do it
right.
And, and prioritize
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21 (30:09):
that's very common, you know, it is
it's a habit It's a habit andyou need to change a habit and
it's hard to change it Rememberour bodies and our brains they
always want to protect us You Sowhatever feels comfortable,
they're going to go straight tothat, right?
If you're trying to do somethingnew and push it to do something
else, they're like, wait, whatare you doing?
(30:30):
Like, no, you know, this doesn'tfeel right.
This doesn't feel comfortable.
But just, I always say, like, ifyou snooze your, like, if you
set your alarm to wake up at acertain time to work out, do not
hit snooze.
Because the minute you just letyour mind say five more minutes
or the minute you say, Oh, I'mstill so tired.
(30:52):
It's done.
It's over with, you know, andthe more that you do it, right.
So there's a thing like youcommit to do something right.
Okay, so if you commit to dosomething, things aren't going
to go as planned, right?
Like, you set your clothes out,that's your committing, right?
You didn't do it,
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (31:12):
Yeah.
squadcaster-f971_1_09 (31:13):
recommit.
It's all about recommitting.
Recommitting.
I always think about our kids.
I mean, how many times Everysingle day, 150 times a day, do
we have to tell them to go brushtheir teeth?
I fight with my kids every day.
Brush your teeth.
You brush them in the morning.
You brush them at night.
Brush your teeth.
You brush them in the morning.
You brush them at night and youjust keep enforcing it and keep
(31:36):
adding, keep at it until theyknow, okay, in the morning I
brush my teeth in the night Ibrush my teeth.
And it's the same thing withfitness.
Like the more we tell ourselves,no, I committed to this.
You know, I'm going to do this.
The dishes, it's okay if itstays there for a few more
minutes, you know, the kid'sbreakfast, they're going to eat.
(31:56):
You're not going to let themstarve, you know?
So the more that you can justremind yourself that you want
this and why, why do you wantit?
You know, like it has to be adeeper why than just appearance,
right?
And think telling to yourself,is this decision getting me
(32:17):
closer to, you know, the personI want to be, the body I want or
to my old me, you know what Imean?
So it's like really coachingyourself through it, right?
And really, I always think thetoothbrush, keep doing it, keep
pushing it, keep recommittingevery single day.
(32:38):
You know, they say that withmarriage, you're married, but
you
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (32:41):
Mm hmm.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (32:41):
every day, you know?
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090 (32:44):
That's so true.
That is so true.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And thanks for sharing thatbecause I think many of us,
like, we want to start a newconversation.
fitness, goals and, and we wantto have this new life where it's
more positive and, and realisticas well.
But I think it definitely takesa lot from our part to commit to
(33:06):
doing this.
Like if we really want to beintentional, we have to set that
time and, and it, it's 20minutes.
Right.
So like when I really thinkabout In 20 minutes, I could
literally be scrolling on socialmedia and not, you know, the
time is endless and, and then itmakes it so hard to like commit
(33:27):
to 20 minutes and working outand I think it's a lot of brain
power that we need to train ourbrains to like, see it in a
different perspective, like evenlike the toothbrush example that
you
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (33:37):
Yeah,
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (33:37):
know, provided.
So like make that be a part ofyour lifestyle.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (33:40):
yeah, and don't think of it like, Oh,
I gotta go do this now, you knowwhat I mean?
Like, it's so dreadful.
It's an extra tour, but and youknow, don't think like, oh, my
gosh, it's going to hurt.
It's going to be painful.
Do something that you enjoy.
Do something that, you know,bring As long as you move your
bodies, you're happy, um,endorphins are gonna, you know,
(34:04):
come up and be more present.
So do something that makes youfeel good and like when you go
into a workout and you're notfeeling it that day, that's
okay.
You know, like just do as muchas be like, okay, you know what,
today I'm just gonna do whatfeels good.
You know, and we always talkabout like the workouts.
There's 30 percent are going tobe like, I crushed it.
(34:26):
That was awesome.
30 percent are going to be like,that was good.
And then 30 percent are going tobe like, okay, that really
sucked, but at least they justshowed up, you know?
And everybody thinks it alwayshas to be that 30 percent of
crushing it.
And it's like, no, you know,like it's going to ebb and flow.
(34:47):
You're going to get stuck for alittle bit, but you got to push
through it.
And you'll, you'll get past, youknow, that point, but the more
we can do it, the more we showup, the more we, you know,
recommit, the more it's going tobe a part of who we are and what
we do.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (35:04):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, definitely.
Yeah.
Thanks for sharing that.
And so what, uh, strategies doyou recommend, uh, for moms to
stay consistent with theirfitness goals, uh, despite those
busy schedules?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (35:20):
So you have to first define what
consistency means to you.
It's not seven days a week.
Maybe it's.
Three days, um, I feel like alot of people think consistency
is like daily.
And if you don't hit it daily,then you're not consistent.
And it's like kind of, we alwaystell our clients, give yourself
a baseline, like a minimum, youknow what, if life is hard, if
(35:44):
something's going on, my baseminimum is to go walking two
days a week.
Like, you know, or getting atleast two out of the four
workouts and that's like mybaseline, right?
So maybe consistency to you is70 percent right now.
Maybe consistency to you is 60%.
That's okay.
Remember that, you know, piggybank, you're making all those
(36:07):
deposits, right?
And instead of thinking all ornothing, I'm going to do it all
or nothing.
We have a motto of saying doingall or something.
Right?
So if you can't do it all, dosomething, right?
That something is better thannothing, right?
And even if it's like, I don'tknow how to work out, I don't
(36:28):
know where to start, walk.
Walking is so underrated on howbeneficial it is for your body,
for your mind, all of it.
So I know a lot of people'slike, where do I start?
I don't, I've never weightsbefore walk, start walking.
Like I said, get really good atwalking.
(36:48):
Maybe it's twice.
You start off 10 minutes.
That's all you got.
Great.
Do it, you know, and I think,too, this is what I was going to
say before, you know,recognizing where you are in
that season of life and how yousaid, you know, your postpartum
dragged on and you felt like youwere in it for a while.
We have to, you know, our mentalcapacity has to be there as
(37:09):
well.
Right.
So giving yourself grace duringthose moments and being like,
I'm going to get through this.
It's okay.
I'm going to do the best that Ican, whatever that looks like.
And I know there's going to be apoint where I'm going to be able
to do it.
So I'm going to do what I canfor now.
And when this season goes, likeyou said, now you're ready, you
(37:29):
know, now you're ready to kindof, you know, focus on yourself
and, and that's okay.
And I think that's what I feellike the biggest message is
like, you don't have to doeverything perfect, and that's
okay.
Mm
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (37:44):
Yes.
Oh, thanks for sharing that.
I think that that is veryreassuring, especially coming
from you.
And, you know, for many of uswho oftentimes give up because
we have specific expectationsabout what this looks like, but
we are Have to definitelyrecognize our season of life and
give ourselves grace.
(38:05):
And I love that.
I love that you shared that.
Yeah.
So thank you.
Yeah.
And you know, when it comes tohaving this whole fitness
journey, right.
And, and how we can either bringback our fitness lifestyle or
continue on with it.
Um, one of the things that.
I have found at least like onsocial media is just like the
(38:27):
bad reputation that our foods asLatinos have, you know, and, and
even the doctors, they say, Oh,how many tortillas did you eat?
And I'm like, that's very biasedbecause we hardly eat tortillas.
Like, you know, it's verystereotypical here.
And, and so, you know, for uswho, and who obviously are
(38:54):
immersed in our culture, wholove our cuisine how, Does
nutrition really play increating this fitness, journey,
but also, you know, how can wecreate a healthy balance with
our traditional foods, tambien?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (39:11):
Yeah, absolutely.
I always say you have to livelife.
You're not gonna, and it's funnybecause people think eating
healthy is going on a diet, wheneating healthy should be the
normal thing, you know, and it'slike, I have, you know, pizza, I
have empanadas with my kids, andyou know, I'm gonna do it, no
(39:34):
one's gonna tell me not to, youknow, and it's like, a lot of it
is, Not so much what exactlyyou're eating, and again, you
have to figure out where you arein your journey.
If you're just, just starting,it's like, instead of exactly
what you're eating, like howmuch of it are you eating?
(39:55):
Or what are you putting in adish that doesn't really, you
know, need to be in there, itstill tastes really good.
You know, so where you are inyour fitness journey, it's like,
if you're just starting andyou're just wanting to, know,
um, make a little bit ofchanges, I would say, like, try
to, it's hard, right?
But you have to, like, I alwayssay, when you have a plate and
(40:18):
you fill, you fill it up,whatever it is, eat half.
Put your fork down, chit chatwith your kids, with your
spouse, you know, drink a littlebit of water, give yourself
about three to five minutes, andthen ask yourself silently,
you're like, Am I still hungry?
If you are, eat another fourth,you know, and then again, put
(40:40):
your fork down, you know, chitchat a little bit, enjoy, and
then ask yourself again, am Ireally hungry?
And if it's no, it's okay to noteat everything on your plate.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (40:51):
Mm hmm.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (40:52):
know, like just put it away, save it
if you don't want to throw outyour food, and later when you
get hungry again, now you havesomething to eat, you know, and
you're not like scrambling forwhatever you find in the pantry.
Right?
And then if you're kind offurther along in your journey,
it's like, what kind of littlesimple swaps can you make?
(41:13):
Like, I love the Siete brand.
Have you ever
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (41:16):
Yes.
Yes.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-2 (41:17):
They have amazing like seasonings,
you know, everything, you know,I don't, I like their tortillas,
but they're not really like ourtortillas.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09 (41:26):
they're not the same.
No.
I like them for quesadillas, butother than that, Yeah.
I need my milagro
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-2 (41:33):
Yes,
jessica_1_09-21-2024 (41:34):
tortillas.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (41:35):
we actually, so I'm in Tennessee
right now, I, we live inTennessee and anytime anyone
comes down, we're like, bring usa box of milagro tortillas.
They
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (41:44):
They don't sell it there?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-20 (41:46):
but they use a different corn cause
it comes from Georgia.
So it just doesn't taste thesame.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (41:53):
Not the same.
Okay.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (41:55):
So it's like, you know, you, you're
going to enjoy the foods, right.
But it's.
It's about that balance, youknow?
Maybe you're eating a lot offried things.
Add some veggies to it.
Eat some fruit.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (42:11):
Mm hmm.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-20 (42:12):
the more, you know, nutritious, and
think about too, like, is thisfueling my body?
Or is it not?
Am I just eating it, you know,just to eat it?
And I, I always say, I never, Idon't not eat anything.
I don't let, you know, I'm gonnago out, I'm gonna have a drink,
I'm gonna, you know, have icecream with my kids.
(42:35):
But I don't do that every singleday, right?
And we say, like, if you say,oh, it's a treat, but you eat it
every day, It's not a treat.
It's a habit.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (42:45):
Mm.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-2 (42:46):
Because a treat is something you have
once in a while, Um, I hope thatanswered
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (42:51):
Yes.
No.
Yeah.
It, it does.
And, and yeah, and I think weshouldn't just like give up our
foods, también, you know, like Ithink it's definitely about
incorporating it into a morehealthy diet.
Like balanced, type meals then,you know, overdoing it too,
(43:11):
because yeah, I mean, I love meas cheetahs that I yet knows,
but you know, it's, it's like,that can be a treat, you know,
like, it's like once in a whileand I don't make them trust me.
I, like I said, we, we, we don'treally make Mexican food because
for me, it's so intimidatingbecause it's such a process.
But whenever we're out withfamily or when we're visiting my
(43:32):
mom, I'm like, and that's when Iget treated, you know, to many
of those foods.
And, and yeah, and I think thatwe shouldn't give them up just
because we are in a fitnessjourney.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (43:44):
Yeah.
And like you said, you know,like, it's more of what you do
versus the occasional thingsthat you do.
Yeah.
So, if you're eating at home,you're cooking your own food,
that's going to be so muchbetter than ordering out, right?
Um, if at home, you try yourbest to eat, you know, as
saludable as you can, and thenyou go to your aunts or your
(44:07):
moms, and they have pozole, andthey have, you know, sopes.
And Enjoy it, you know, andthat's the thing too.
I always say when you're withfamily, because I know the other
thing is that food pushers.
Oh, tienes que comer.
Hija, quieres más?
Quieres más?
Oh, no vas a comer?
Qué no vas a comer?
(44:27):
You know, like, it's likeconstant, you know, and just
saying like, no, thank you.
No, thank you.
No, thank you.
No, thank you.
You know, like, just keep sayingI'm good.
You know, I'm Um, When you areat that point that you're good,
you know.
I think it's that having thatconfidence and that feeling
empowered that you're not rude,you're not being rude, you know,
(44:51):
it's just, you're, the more youeat, the worse you're going to
feel on the inside, and thenyou're going to regret that you
did that.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (45:00):
Yes.
I was going to say, like, I'msure like guilt comes up if you
make those decisions.
But it's also, okay, if thishappened once, to what point
will it be?
more like routine based, youknow, where there's all these
like pushers and you just keepaccepting and then the next
(45:22):
party, you know, you're going tokeep doing it.
Like to what point can you setthose boundaries and limits to
yourself?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21 (45:29):
right.
Yeah, and that's what I say likethat, you know visual that I
gave you of the plate Like justkeep asking yourself.
Am I still hungry if you areeat, you know Don't stop eating
because you think you need toeat less your body's gonna tell
you You know when it's good, butit's about us listening to those
(45:50):
cues because a lot of times wedon't And we just keep eating
and then you're like, oh I am sofull You know But I always say
if you can follow that just youknow, eat half ask yourself Am I
still hungry eat another fourthask yourself if you're hungry
you're not gonna overeat andyou're gonna enjoy Any food
(46:12):
that's around you, you know,and, you know, being at family,
it's like, focus on thememories, focus on mingling,
focus on, you know, laughing,focus on conversations versus
focusing on the food.
I feel like food is focus numberone, the, you know, memories,
enjoyment is number two.
(46:32):
Let's flip that.
You know, like have fun.
Maybe you haven't seen arelative in a while.
Catch up with them.
You know, it doesn't have to bealways a plate of food in front
of you.
Yeah, Yeah.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (46:47):
that.
Yes.
Uh, well, Vanessa, tell us alittle bit more about your
business, the different servicesthat you offer.
I'm very interested to learnmore.
And if you can share us like asuccess story from one of your
clients and one that wouldresonate specifically with this
(47:07):
audience.
squadcaster-f971_1_ (47:09):
absolutely.
So, I'm the owner of the strongfit life and co founder of the
kettlebell kickstart kickstartprogram, which is a one on one
customized program, where wereally deep dive.
Learn where you're at right now,your lifestyle, your habits, and
we just tweak little by littlesmall little changes, to help
(47:29):
you build those sustainablehabits.
It's an online, you know,program, and we do incorporate
fitness.
We incorporate.
Food and mindset, and we focusmore on it being a skill and you
getting better at the skillversus like, here's a workout
plan.
Here's a meal plan.
Everybody has different goals.
(47:51):
Everybody's in a differentseason of life.
Everybody needs somethingdifferent, right?
So we really hone in on you andcustomize it for you.
So.
whatever you learn in theprogram, you can maintain it and
do it five years from now, 10years And then I do have a
virtual online fitness program,um, where I go live four days a
(48:13):
week.
That one is a more, um, forpeople that are already kind of
in the fitness space and just,you know, You know, either need
that little bump in headingthrough a plateau, or they need
that accountability to show upto somebody, every day or four
days a week.
So those are the two programsthat I offer.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (48:31):
Yeah.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-20 (48:36):
She has to go into the office a
couple days a week.
She has two kids.
Um, When she came to us, she waslike, I'm so exhausted.
She's like by eight o'clock.
I'm not like exhausted on thecouch and I don't have energy to
like lift up one more finger.
You know, she's like, I have myson.
She called him a beefcakebecause he's like, you know, a
(48:58):
little chunky.
And she's like, I hold him andmy back hurts, like, and he's
only going to get bigger andhe's only going to want me to
hold him more.
And he's like, I need somethingthat's flexible.
I can't go to a class but I alsoneed like that accountability.
So she.
In our program she lost 27pounds.
(49:20):
She went down four pant sizes.
She was, on high blood pressuremedication and she was able to
come off of it.
And now she's like, I put mykids to bed and I'm like, do,
do, do, do, do cleaning up.
Like I, you know, she's like, Ihave the energy to keep doing
stuff.
She's like, my back doesn't hurtanymore.
She's like, I can easily tosshim up and catch them.
(49:42):
She's like just having that.
We go for bike rides now.
And, you know, stop at 7 Elevento get a Slurpee and then come
back, but she's able to do a lotof this with more ease and more
energy versus exhaustion.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_09062 (49:57):
It's so interesting how, when you
think that you can't move yourbody.
And then when you do your, youcan move your, body even more,
like you get this full energy,like full force of energy after,
you know, working out and, and Imiss that feeling.
(50:20):
And I'm just, you know, excitedto get back to this like
journey, uh, just because I feellike it's not just, you know,
I'm not only setting a goodexample to my kids, but I also
want to feel good.
I want to carry my kids.
Right.
And I've experienced a lot ofpelvic pain and back pain.
And, you know, unfortunately asa result of pregnancy and labor,
(50:44):
and even though I went tophysical therapy, it's.
still hasn't worked.
And so I'm like, okay, well, Ineed to look for ways to
condition my body and, and makeit feel a little bit better.
Because it could affect ourhealth like our physical health
squadcaster-f971_1_ (50:59):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And I also think of like lateron in life, I, and my dad, I
don't want to say it was aburden, but it took like a lot
of mental and physical toll totake care of him.
I don't want to be that for mykids.
You know, I want to be able tohave them be happy and whatever
(51:20):
happens happens, but it's notbecause I couldn't have
prevented it.
um, and I want to see mygrandkids.
I want to be able to play withmy grandkids.
You know, my dad, he couldn't,he had an oxygen tank.
He would take like two steps andget out of breath.
And he never really enjoyed mykids because I had the youngest,
Um, And it was really, you know,um, hard to see, not hurtful.
(51:43):
Like I him, but, um, it was hardto see that because you want
them to embrace.
You know, their grandparents um,so it's not only about now, it's
about later on as well, becausewhat you do now is how you're
going to live.
Your last 10 years.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (52:01):
Mm.
Mm hmm.
Yeah, yeah, thank you forsharing that and giving that
perspective.
I'm sure people are gonna belike, whoa, that's deep and I
think it's deep.
Ed's perspective.
Well, I have one last questionfor you that I didn't share.
But I do ask my guests as asurprise kind of question.
(52:24):
How are you redefiningmotherhood?
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-202 (52:29):
so for me, redefining motherhood is
You know, like stop, you know,stop thinking about what you
can't do.
Think about what you can do.
You know, motherhood is beingstrong.
It's being there for everyoneand for yourself.
(52:49):
You can have both.
um, it's about asking for thehelp when you need it.
Standing up for yourself whenyou have to.
You know, like, I feel like weshy away and we just close our
mouths and don't say anything.
And it's like, we have to beable to have that voice and that
(53:12):
power.
Just because we're moms doesn'tmean we're any less than anyone
else.
laughs
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (53:19):
I love it.
I love it.
We're powerful.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21-2 (53:22):
Yes.
Super powerful.
jessica_1_09-21-2024_0906 (53:25):
super powerful.
Yeah, I love it.
Well, Vanessa, where can peoplefind you, connect with you, if
you can share them where theycan go and And yeah, be a part
of your community.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (53:37):
Yeah.
So I'm on Instagram.
Uh, the strong fit life.
On Facebook, I'm VanessaManiani, which is my maiden
name.
It's M U G N a I N I dotFlorence.
Yeah!
jessica_1_09-21-2024_090622 (53:52):
In the show notes and that way they
can connect with you and well,Vanessa, thank you so much for
being here.
I think what you shared isdefinitely going to reassure
many mamas that you know, eventhough we're very busy and we
feel like this is impossible, itcan be possible.
The sky is the limit.
And just like that analogy ofadding that, coin in that piggy
(54:13):
bank, it's just the same waywe're building blocks.
Like we are literally buildingblocks to like creating a more
healthy, balanced fitnessjourney.
And so thank you so much forbeing here.
I really appreciate it.
squadcaster-f971_1_09-21- (54:26):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
This was fun.
Mujer, thank you so much fortaking the time out of your busy
schedule to listen to the VivaLa Mami podcast.
If you enjoyed today's episode,will you do me a favor and
follow the podcast and leave arating and review?
Hitting that follow button andreviewing my show will allow
(54:47):
other mamis like you find thispodcast.
Your review will also tell me ifyou enjoy the show, so I would
truly appreciate your thoughts.
Don't forget, please share thispodcast con tus amigas.
Also, make sure to follow me atViva La Mami on Instagram or
visit VivaLaMami.
com.
Please note the informationshared in this podcast is for
(55:09):
educational purposes only andshould not be taken as
professional advice.
Okay, mujer, thank you forjoining y nos vemos in the next
episode.
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