Functional Wellness Practitioner and Fitness Trainer. Get to the root cause of Metabolic Chaos. Uncover HIDDEN stressors. Go Optimal or Go Home...But Never Go Home Suboptimal
HaHa…Single peeps like myself celebrate Valentine’s too!
My life took an unexpected huge turn on Valentine’s day evening of 2005. In hindsight, there is no doubt I’d have become who I am today, transformed my lifestyle, health, career, and gone through the personal growth journey I’ve been if that life event had not happened. Bumps, hardships, sickness, failures, whatever shitty thing happens to us are opportunities-doors. Opportunities to pause, reevaluate, change, take inventory, learn lessons. They are signs to MAKE A TURN to another direction. This direction will lead us to be better and stronger, go further.
We don’t necessarily know when these betterments will be realized and like we hear, ‘after the storm comes sunshine. The unknown and lack of direction or even hope–regardless the period of time, can be devasting. We do not like it. I think the more open we are, capable of listening, take time to ‘process’, keep a growth mindset, focus on the positive, remove the source of negativity as much as possible, the faster we will realize the goodies. When we step up to the challenge, we go places.
As we continue to pursue growth, more bumps will show up and eventually we build resilience and start reacting to these bumps with a more curious, positive, and opportunistic perspective. In the end, it’s how we react to circumstances in life. We choose. We decide. It’s under our control. It’s my choice, my decision, my life and I take full ownership for my steps.
I wish I could say I was as knowledgeable, intuitive, and emotionally and mentally healthier back then. Yet, I believe it was part of my journey. It was meant to happen. The next three years after that day were brutal but I got through. Once I felt I was back on my feet, I realized I was living like a freaking robot: wake up, work hard, hang out with friends, travel some, eat whatever was easier and fast, play volleyball, sleep some, and do it all over again.
At that time, I also realized I was empty inside. I had stopped learning. So I decided to go back to school and the next phases of growth and changes started quickly. It started in 2009 with my Executive MBA program at Emory University. It pushed me to limits I didn’t know I was capable of. I learned a great deal about myself and others. Overall, these personal and behavior learning experiences were incredibly valuable to me.
At the end of 2010, soon after completing the MBA, the next phase growth started. I realized I needed to take care of myself, think long-term, and do whatever it was needed to grow old and stay content (physical and cognitive health). The forever schooling, learning, and experimental journal started all over again. Little I knew that a few years later, I would be taking a leap of faith to follow this passion and help people transform their health, minds, and bodies after I had gone through my own—and by the way, I still am and will be forever.
Just like shit happens for reasons, I believe everyone we meet offers a gift and a new perspective. I also believe it is my responsibility to be fully present and engaged to receive and give back. It is a beautiful thing.
Being a solo-entrepreneur since 2015 continues to challenge all aspects of my life. The journey of this start-up has taken its own life 🙂 I am not the same person, hence, the business is not the same. My choices, personal growth programs I’ve attended, coaches, clients, strangers, revamped interests, environment and people I’ve, pitfalls, failures, exhaustion, loneliness, and more have contributed to the changes, self-discovery journey.
It gets hard, frustrating, lonely, and all sorts of ‘stuff’. Nonetheless, the rewards reaped by changing people’s lives, being part of their journey during good and bad days, the look on their eyes, smiles, laughs, and tears, the hugs, the deep and vulnerable conversations, the relationships built, the amazing people I’ve met, and so much more are the rewards and satisfaction I have never felt and experienced before.
If I could do what I do for free, I would do in a heartbeat. And I will continue to challenge myself, put myself outside the comfort zone so I can grow as a person, as an entrepreneur, as a speaker, as a coach, as a mentor, as a trainer so I can deliver more, inspire more people, attract the right people so that I can get my non-profit going in the future.
I will continue to grind because I don’t want to end my life with any freaking WHAT IFs…WHAT IF I have done x,w,z? The reality is that all these ‘things’ would have been totally up to me, I would have been willing to do the hard and unconventional work. I can’t live with WHAT IFs. My health journey and doing all I can to prevent diseases has a lot to do what the WHAT IFs. It kills me to imagine me on my deathbed thinking of stuff I would have liked to have accomplished, gone places, laughed more, etc and did not. Why didn’t I? Poor health, energy, ability to move on my own feet? Limiting beliefs that stopped me from breaking down walls and have not WHAT IFs? NO NO NO. I DO NOT WANT ANY OF THIS. So, I keep going even when voices inside say I should not, I am crazy. I know I have work to do, internal walls to break, so I do have WHAT IF’s hanging.
I am still learning to ask for help and these days nobody will offer to help you unless you ask. Then, many times when we ask, heads turn the other way like and we are ignored. Ignored by people who we thought were your friends or at least you thought you meant a little more than ‘that’.
That’s when you realize you are kinda alone on the entrepreneurship road and to a certain degree alone in life when you do things that many will not. That’s when you realize you must take inventory of what and who brings me energy and zap my energy–you need the people who will be HAPPY for your wins. That’s when you realize your time is the most valuable asset. That’s when you realize you need to reevaluate the people you hang out with. That’s when you realize it’s time to find out who cares about you as much as you care for them—is it reciprocal? if it is not, it’s time to face the fact you must recategorize your relationships. That’s when you realize your DREAM is your DREAM and nobody gives a shit. It was my CHOICE. That’s when you realize you should NOT expect anyone to give a shit. It’s YOUR dream. It’s my dream. Everyone is busy living their lives. The truth is, we are not that important. It is just the way it is. It is the way life has evolved. As a society, it feels like we continue to move from a lifestyle of WE to I. During these times, it’s self-care time. Each one of us must make ourselves important and a priority. These are times to reinvent ourselves–it’s a healthy thing!
Honestly, this whole thing was hard to swallow it. When I finally came to terms with this reality, which has been fairly recently–thanks to the amazing Lisa Nichols, things started to make more sense. I started to let some resentment and sadness. I started to let go of some negative energy that has been internalized. I started to create space. I am still working on this ‘release’ project. The great thing is that I am aware of and taking action. When we seek, we eventually find. It has also been a huge relief. In 2016, John Maxwell’s teaching of “we should give unconditionally and expect nothing in return” finally made sense. I had understood but not accepted at the time. It’s not easy, yet, he is right and it makes sense NOW.
I’ve come to the conclusion that despite all, I gotta continue to do the ‘right’ thing, continue to stretch my capabilities, abilities, mindset, and belief system. I must wake up in the morning expecting great results, no matter what I see in front of me. And that Universe is rearranging itself for my best interest! I know that alone I cannot do it.
So, yes, just because the day it is, I am going to be extra kind to myself, be grateful for my journey, celebrate steps I’ve taken and ‘offered’ by the Universe, and welcome continuous opportunities and growth!
I wish you do something similar for yourself. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Love the empowerment message and call to action this commercial sends out.
I agree 100% with the message of this commercial. No waiting! Take chances. Get outside your comfort zone. Go on to do YOU so that you feel proud and happy about the chances you have made. NO EXCUSES! Do YOU first so you that you are freaking awesome to those who deserve your company and awesomeness.
Hint…remember that good health, physical and mental strength, quality of life provided by health is our ticket to bring us the greatest happiness and achievements in life!
Go after what’s important to YOU. Not sure what’s THAT important–the kind that you would DO for FREE and forever? Put time aside to discover yourself and your thing! It does not have to be that big or that lucrative or important to millions or be so unique. It is YOUR thing and if you are passionate about it, the sky is the limit.
DO NOT LET ANYONE SAY OTHERWISE! Many people will question your actions because they are not ready to do something different. They are comfortable and with little desire to grow and discover their untapped potential. That’s OK they are not ready but YOU ARE. BELIEVE in YOURSELF and CHOOSE be around those who believe in you as well
One of the reasons I believe this is important is because I believe you want to wake up fired up every day– instead of dragging your body out of bed and do the same thing over and over. Opening your eyes and getting up daily to do something with more purpose and intention will make you happier and healthier!
Your Environment….
Build a growth environment. Be with people YOU care and CARE about YOU. DO and seek a lifestyle so that you feel well, have energy and confidence, look good and confident to follow your wishes.
Let me ask you this…Do any of these limiting beliefs are part of your vocabulary?
‘I don’t feel well’ or
‘I can’t do it’ or
‘I am too old‘ or
‘I am too tired’ or
‘I don’t have time‘ or
‘I don’t have money’ or
‘I’m not smart enough‘ or
‘I am not enough’ or
‘I don’t have willpower‘ or
‘I am alone’ or
‘I don’t have support‘ or …
Whatever other limiting beliefs are running your mind, DO NOT ALLOW any of internal and external naysayers to BE IN THE DRIVER’s SEAT!
YOU DRIVE. NO WAITING. NO EXCUSES!
Need support, accountability, help to take steps and make progress?
I am your coach and trainer. I am your partner in crime. Together, we can turn your health and lifestyle 180° around, just like I did to mine.
Howdy! It’s Maria, your holistic health and insulin resistance coach and personal trainer at www.BeFabBeYou.com. I would like to take a few minutes to answer potential questions you may have about the upcoming 5-Day Intermittent Fasting (IF) Challenge I’m offering YOU for FREE.
My goal is to make you feel comfortable about what you’re getting into it or really to actually motivate you to join because I’m really excited about it. So let’s just start with the basics.
First of all, this five-day IF Challenge is going to be based on educating and giving you guidance about it whether you have not done IF or whether I can help you take it to the next level from what you are doing right now or did it in the past.
In a nutshell, IF is a lifestyle practice you choose the number of hours you will fast and feed. There are different types of IF. The method/type I will introduce you to is one of the healthiest and most discussed types amongst health practitioners. Part one: during the hours you fast, you drink water and avoid all sorts of foods or beverages with calories or those who induce insulin. Part two: during your feeding hours, you will eat. You will learn a great deal of how, what, when, why during the challenge.
Challenge Structure
Let’s talk about the structure of the challenge. Live educational sessions will be done daily via Facebook Live. If you don’t have a Facebook account, don’t worry about it. I’m going to be recording the sessions, upload them to YouTube, and share a link with you daily.
During the five days, you will receive daily emails and scorecards so you can keep track of a few awesome items that will reflect the daily theme. That will allow you to measure where you are, where you going, and your progress.
Again, the live sessions will be done on Facebook closed group Be Fab – Be You Tribe. The recordings will be available to you. In case you are not a Facebook member, you will not miss anything. Plus, you can email me questions in advance, I will answer them live, and you will get the answers in the next video.
Challenge 5-Day Topic Breakdown
On Day One, we will be about what intermittent fasting isand what your starting point is. What I mean is that there are variations and number of hours you will fast. This is not a hardcore intermittent fasting which you must follow specific guidelines strictly. You get to choose your starting point. The true benefits of intermittent fasting happen when a person chooses to incorporate it into their lifestyle. Let’s put this way. If currently, you do not go on without food for more than eight hours (during your sleep), we will get you to space it out gradually. The bottom line is, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT! Do not fear something you have not tried yet. We can do about anything we want when we decide to do so. I will guide you through the process.
On Day Two, we will focus on the health benefits intermittent fasting may offer and what your commitments will be for this health journey that you’re going to start with me. What kinda of diseases are you trying to prevent? What kind of diseases are you trying to manage? What kind of health challenges are you trying to STAY AWAY FROM, right? Or you could be joining to simply to boost your energy, health, stamina, and clarity.
On Day Three, we’re going to talk about Intermittent Fasting and Nutrition. I do not recommend anybody start intermittent fasting with a protocol of foods to eat or not eat. We will start with spacing your fast, give you enough information to make progress, set your intentions, then, I will general guidelines to help you build a nutritional template that works for you. Right now, don’t worry about the nutrition portion of the chalenge. Plan that you’re going to eat whatever you’re eating today.
On Day Four, we’re going to talk about Intermittent Fasting and Exercise. Can you exercise or intermittent fasting? What is the best types of exercises during fasting? How and when do you fit that in your day?
On Day Five, we will talk about strategies to get you going forward. Again, if you have never done intermittent fasting, I would encourage you to join this challenge anyway. This is a safe environment for you to learn and apply techniques and apply as much as you want to. The benefits of intermittent fasting are when added to our lifestyle are fantastic.
Challenge FAQ
I will answer a few questions that you may have before you sign-up for the challenge >>> Sign-up to the Challenge NOW at http://eepurl.com/gbkvPT.
1) Who should not do intermittent fasting? Pregnant women; women who are breastfeeding; people who are underweight, and children under the age of 18. Now, if a teenager has obesity and is overweight, I would encourage the parents to join to and learn some of these techniques, especially what we will cover on nutrition.
You will require supervision if you are taking medication, have Diabetes Type I and Type II, have gout or reflux. You can join and do intermittent fasting but you need to consult with your physician. You may ask whether you need to take the medication during the hours you are expected to fast. And if you do need to take the medications and with food is best, you can eat leafy greens. It does brake the fast but with minimum impact.
There are considerable benefits of intermittent fasting for people with Type II diabetes. Yet, you do want to be careful because of hypoglycemia.
2) Will fasting put me into a starvation mode? No. The body has its own ways to regulate itself. You will learn more about that. Your body will burn glycogen, amino acids, stored fat, and so on. So do not worry about starving and breaking down muscle tissues.
3) Will I be able to exercise during the fast. Yes, you can exercise. You are going to learn a few tricks about what kind of exercises during short and prolonged fasting. I don’t stop my exercise routine during intermittent fasting. You’re not going to destroy your muscle tissues. The body is going to adapt and burn stored fat for energy.
4) Is fasting the same thing as calorie reduction? No. It quite different. You may not eat as much, but that’s not the intention. We’re talking about adjusting the hours that you eat in order to optimize your body. Fasting it’s not a caloric restriction diet and I do not refer to fasting as a diet. I recommend fasting as a long-term approach to anyone’s lifestyle.
5) Will I lose weight? Generally, yes, people do lose weight because we’re talking about managing and optimizing your insulin levels. And insulin is a fat storage hormone. When we fast, we allow the body to burn more fat.
Challenge FAQ Continued…
6) Will fasting make me cranky? Well, I’m just going to say this, if you’re a cranky person already, maybe it’s going to actually help you improve that because it’s going to help you balance your hormones. But no, generally intermittent fast is not going to make you cranky. We’re going to set your intentions for this challenge, right? You and your body will adapt to this journey. Many people are already doing some kind of fasting, but they don’t realize it. A few tweaks might assure greater optimization and results.
7) Will fasting make me tired? No. Actually, it might give you more energy. However, if you have adrenal fatigue and are exhausted all the time, fasting will often elevate your energy. We will adjust the time of your meals to make sure that you eat in certain times to help you feel well.
8) Will fasting make me confused or forgetful? No. Actually, the opposite as you will balance hormones, allow your brain and body to utilize the glucose in the system, regulate the insulin, and the burn stored fat.
9) Does fast lead to overeating? Well, it can, especially if that’s your first time fasting. If you eat every two to three hours and do not fast for more than eight to ten hours between dinner and breakfast. Again, we’re going to learn the strategies to do this best for you. Plus, even if you overeat, the amount will likely be less than that preceding the fast.
10) How about if I take medication with food? First, you’re going to consult with your doctor, right? If you’re a physician, if you want, you, you need to take those medications too, is if you have to take the medications, then we can put some leafy Greens in there that does break the fast, but it’s so minimal that the side effects are not going the fast, the positive side effects are not going to go away.
11) What if I have diabetes? That’s an important question. You may have heard about fasting for those with diabetes, insulin resistance, prediabetes, for weight loss, etc. As you know, people with diabetes have issues with insulin in the body. That is a very important hormone that helps take glucose to the cells and once in the cells, energy is produced. A person with diabetes type I, she/he must have insulin, otherwise, it can lead to death. So when fast, there is a chance that your blood sugar will go down. If you have either Type I or Type II, you will be talking to your doctor, manage your insulin, track your blood sugar frequently.
I hope answering these questions brings more clarity and get you motivated to embark on this journey with me.
Personal Experiences with IF
A quick note about my history with intermittent fasting. I’ve been doing this for quite some time now and that includes short intermittent fasting to longer periods from one up to five days. I did a five day fast between Christmas and New Year’s. It was water throughout the day and about eight ounces of coffee in the morning. Coffee does not break a fast.
I have done a five day fast 4-5 times. I have been doing a 24-hour fast weekly in the past two years…I’ve barely missed a week. I have done two days, three days and a variety of hours. I exercise during extended fasting days as well which also give me a boost of energy. Yes, the first time was a little challenging, but then, the body adjusts.
When we decide to experiment with fasting, we need to start slow. I also don’t envision a person who is eating multiple times a day to go into a 24 hour fast or longer without adaptation. If that’s you, we’re going to start at your pace, see where you are at, and I’m going to guide you through the process.
Connect & Sign-Up
I hope this was informative to you. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach me at info@BeFabBeYou.com. You can join our facebook group tribe. And you can also call me at +1 770-835-5490.
I’m excited to be leading this challenge. I have plenty of experience doing it myself and I have a lot of scientific data to share with you. I hope this has motivated you to join.
I’m excited to be leading this challenge. I have plenty of experience doing it myself and I have a lot of scientific data to share with you. I hope this has motivated you to join.
Schedule a FREE ‘Energy Audit’ [Health] Strategy Session’ via Zoom with Maria TODAY. Let’s discuss your goals, get you to healthy tips, and pave your path to achieving your goals. NO EXCUSES! Get Started. Choose YOU.
Let’s discuss your fitness goals and based on your current level, all levels are welcomed, we will determine a plan and the next steps for you to achieve your fitness and health goals. YES, I can train you from anywhere. All you need: a reliable internet connection, smartphone/tablet or computer with a webcam so I can see you.
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I am so proud of Sasha Ottey and her team at PCOS Challenge and the daring advocates for continuous work on increasing awareness for PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). 2018 is the [beginning] year for PCOS!!! It impacts 1 in 10 women and girls… it’s about time.
WOW to July 2, 2017! It is a big day. 21:21 a journey of no regrets – I have spent half of my lifetime in Brazil and the other half in Atlanta. I remember about every hour of 7/2/1996 in ATL.
I am so grateful for the opportunities and the people I’ve met in this country. I came because I was seeking self improvement and growth in my early career in international business. I left family, boyfriend, school, and an amazing job in pursue of a brighter future. I had a J1 Visa for one year. It went from J1 to H1B to Green Card and soon citizenship.
I have faced many hard decisions. Every time I had to decide stay or go back home, I asked myself ‘what if’. At young age, I knew one thing about myself…the uncertainty or feeling of regret was something I was going to deal well. I am still pursuing the same thing–I do not want to feel regrets or at least keep them to a minimum.
I have made many hard decisions and as I continue to grow, seek opportunities, and help others, I expect nothing more than many others ahead. The hardest decision in the last 3 years was to leave corporate that kept me financially stable for years, to follow my passion to educate and help others with their health and well-being 2.5 years ago.
It was the birth of www.BeFabBeYou.com. Besides helping people with lifestyle changes, getting them healthier and happier, I have been stepping outside my comfortable zone, reaching the bottom, getting up, being vulnerable, getting help, finding my tribe of trusted people, confronting my limiting beliefs, and losing and winning battles.
This stuff is not easy, yet I appreciate this journey and especially the amazing people I have been surrounding myself with. I feel I’ve grown more in the last 2 years than 10 years combined. It’s been a deeper connection and level of conversation I have with myself.
Learn-Reflect-Apply-Change-Teach.
This is a forever deal! Every opportunity in front of us is a door. More doors we open, more opportunities come. It is our CHOICE to stay put and comfortable, take a step in the right or wrong direction, add or not value to others, slow life down or jump into our passions, explore the big why, and so on.
One thing I continue to learn is that health is the foundational for living life to the fullest. That is important to me.
What’s important to you? What’s Your Big Way?
Thanks for being part of my life and thanks for letting me be part of yours.