Simple Nutrition Insights
Welcome to Simple Nutrition Insights, your practical guide to understanding nutrition in less than 30 minutes. Join us as we break down the science of healthy eating into digestible insights and actionable tips. Whether you're a busy parent or just short on time, our goal is to provide you with straightforward advice to enhance your well-being. Tune in for expert interviews, evidence-based advice, and quick, easy-to-implement strategies for nourishing your body and living your best life.
Simple Nutrition Insights
From Meal Plan Novice to Health-Conscious Mom: Amira's Nutrition and Fitness Journey
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When Amira Martinez stepped into my world, her kitchen was a place of uncertainty and stress. Now, after embracing a vibrant transformation through nutrition and fitness, she walks us through her incredible journey from meal plan rookie to a thriving, health-conscious mom. I, Leonila Campos, had the privilege of guiding Amira as she overhauled her approach to food, discovering the joy of simple, adaptable recipes that fuel both her and her child's active lives. But her story doesn't end with what's on the plate. Integrating exercise into her routine, Amira has not only sculpted a path to her own wellness but has also become a beacon for others, demonstrating the power of a balanced, comprehensive approach to health.
The essence of our conversation isn't just found in the success of shedding pounds or mastering the art of meal prep—it's woven into the very fabric of the mutual support and gratitude that have become the cornerstone of our relationship. As we share laughs, struggles, and triumphs, Amira's story becomes a testament to the profound changes that personalized fitness coaching and a nurturing community can instigate. For those seeking their own metamorphosis, our dialogue unfolds as a treasure map to cultivating sustainable health habits, empowering oneself with nutritional knowledge, and finding harmony in the beautiful chaos of motherhood. So, join us and let Amira's story inspire you to write the next chapter of your own wellness saga.
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Nutrition and Fitness Transformation Journey
Speaker 1Hey , hey , welcome back to another episode in the Simple Nutrition Insights Podcast . My name is Leonila Campos , I am your host , and today I am really excited to have a past client of mine , amira , and so I'll let her introduce herself . But I first have to obviously thank you for accepting to do this interview . Thank you for accepting to do this interview , but also because you support me and support my sister , who's a certified personal trainer , so much , and so I just want to thank you for that , because you're always supporting us 100% . So , anyway , I'll let you introduce yourself and then we'll go with the interview .
Speaker 2Oh well , thank you , thank you . Yeah , my name is Amira Martinez and I am one of the lucky people who have worked with Leonila and Maria and , like she said , I just really feel like this has been just one of the best opportunities of my life or maybe I just heard that in my mind because I really do think that , but yes , it's been a pleasure .
Speaker 1Yeah , thank you so much , amita , for that . And I was thinking about , you know , when we decided to do this interview , for how long we have met each other or known each other , and also how we , you know , got connected , and I think it was to a mutual friend , right , luz . So , thank you , luz . And so it takes time for someone to reach out , right , like , is this the right person ? And so maybe , like talking about the main reason or what led you to reach out to me because you started working with me first and then we added the exercise part and maybe talking about that and like what led you to essentially reach out to me and then start working with me ?
Speaker 2Yeah , definitely . So in the beginning I actually had found you through Instagram , through a mutual friend and she had recommended you and I had been thinking about it for a while probably a few months and I just finally decided to go for it and it was the best decision I could have made and my life has been better for it .
Speaker 1So again , shout out to Luce and thank you . But I really appreciate that you both have been able to understand where I'm coming from as a mom that was definitely one of the things that drew me to you and your sister , who is a professional trainer as well , and so I just can't thank you enough . Yeah , thank you . Those are super nice words , and I remember in our first few sessions , right , you said you know , I don't like cooking , I don't know what to cook , I don't know how to cook , and you know , with my meal plans , I try to make them as simple as I can , right For someone that maybe hasn't , that doesn't have those skills yet . And so maybe , talking a little bit about how the meal planning , the meal plans , helped you and like more specifically , like what were your goals ? Right , like what you wanted to get out of the meal plan , what was the main reason why you wanted to start working with me ?
Speaker 2Okay , great .
Speaker 2So definitely the meal planning is one thing that I haven't been as comfortable with in my life .
Speaker 2I'm not a cooker , I don't enjoy cooking as much , and so when I have to do it , I almost just don't like to , and so that's one thing that you and I talked about when we began with meal planning , and I did start with you for nutrition , which was the best choice . I thought I wanted to start with working out first , but after understanding your viewpoint , really , the nutrition is where it starts , and so understanding what was going into my body , how much of it , because I never really understood that before , and so now I feel like I can have a balanced meal and balanced snacks , and I can now pass that on to my child , who needs those things as well . And when it comes to goals , I really had wanted to become healthier . I just wanted to be able to wake up in the morning and have energy and feel like I could be a good parent and function throughout the day , because I was really struggling with that before , and so being able to take care of my health and myself was really just a big game changer .
Speaker 1Yeah , awesome . Um , and I'm so glad to hear , right , that just not from not liking something right To giving it a try , because I never heard you complain about you . Know , I I don't want to do it . Right , like you were such a trooper , and you're like , yeah , let me try it , I'm going to do my best . Um , and because you're absolutely right , cooking can be difficult . It is sometimes time consuming , especially for someone that maybe , starting or not , doesn't like it . It's like you have to find something to make you or to want to want to do it right , essentially , and so I know we change the meal plans every so often , and so what is like maybe one thing that you really enjoyed about the meal plans ?
Speaker 2I really enjoyed that . It took away the planning that I had to do . So the meal plans included grocery lists . They included a layout of the nutrition , so I had a better understanding of what was going into my body , and it had instructions on how to make it too , because I don't always read through the instructions , so that's something I should do . So it was really just from A to Z laid out really clearly . There was ever anything that I needed to change out because I didn't like something or may have had an allergy . You were completely conscious and understanding of that and it was very easy to change out , and I know we started this at the height of COVID , I believe . So we were doing everything over Zoom and even though we weren't able to do it in person , I was still able to find that connection and really make use of everything you guys are offering .
Speaker 1Yeah , awesome . And so then , as you , as we continue to work together , right , and you felt that you had the nutrition , um , you know , coming coming together . Um , then , at one point , you decided to like , start adding the exercise , right , and you , you made the decision okay , now I can add the personal training part of it , right ? So when you added that , how do you see everything come together ? Like , what were the progress that you were seeing ? So , when you added that , how do you see everything come together ? Like , what were the progress that you were seeing ? What were the results that you were seeing when you started to combine both of them ?
Speaker 2now , yeah , I definitely saw results with the meal plan alone , but once I transitioned into adding in the working out with Maria , the personal trainer , it really helped me gain strength in my body , which isn't necessarily something I was looking for .
Speaker 2I really was just looking to lose weight in the beginning , but then I started to understand how important it is to be strong strong enough to carry my toddler , who is always trying to climb on me . Strong enough to carry the boxes around the house or just anything that may come up . I always felt like I just didn't have the energy to do it , and so being able to work out and spend that time in the morning dedicated to myself was just really , really important . And we started with really simple things . I don't have a treadmill , I don't have an elliptical or a bike , anything like that , and we really started with just simple basic introduction so that I felt comfortable and was still able to get started and build my muscle yeah , so making it essentially individualized , right , like , no , it's just , it wasn't like , oh , let me just get a plan , like it's same thing with meal plan , right , let me just get a general plan .
Speaker 1And then here you go , it was like really customizable , right , it was individualized
Impact of Fitness Coaching on Wellness
Speaker 1. Um , and asking lots of questions , right , and feedback , and making sure that you were okay with you know , whatever changes we're making nutritionally and also in the fitness aspect of it . You like , even now , right , because , um , you continue to , you created these habits , right , these long term habits , um , that even after finishing with us , right , you continue to to have them . And so I think now maybe mentioning , like , why were some of the things that you really learned that you really got out from working with me , or from working with that you continue to do and that you continue to practice day after day ?
Speaker 2Well , the nice thing is , I feel like from this whole process , I was able to learn a bit of mindfulness towards myself and just giving myself a little bit more grace .
Speaker 2So , when it came to meal planning okay , I don't like to cook as much , but it's something that I do want to make an effort towards , and so , giving myself the chance and taking all the resources that you gave me with meal planning and with little lessons here and there , I really just got to understand what I was really putting into my body , and I've been able to keep that ever since .
Speaker 2So I'm able to plan out my meals for the week or for the month , I'm able to know how much nutrition I really need to have for my body , and I'm able to now feel like a human again , and it's really impressive and really amazing and I feel like I was able to just come out of my shell , of the person that I was stuck in just the early days of motherhood , and now I feel like I can be a better parent and be a better person , and it's just been really a life changing choice and I feel stronger . I'm able to take the knowledge that was given to me through the personal training as well , and so now I know how to properly train and not injure myself , how to properly stretch and really just not overextend myself . So it's been definitely a lifelong change that I know will stick with me .
Speaker 1Awesome , yeah , and you're right . Right , because just becoming a new mom is a challenge in itself . Right , because you can read so many books about becoming a new mom , but once you're in it , right , like , different things change in the way that your body is feeling , the way that you're feeling in general . Sleep deprivation , um , just everything right , like really hits you , and so I love that . Excuse me , just giving you yourself that opportunity to do self-care , right , and like , this is what I want to do for myself . Yes , I want to do it for my family too , but essentially , I want to be able to take care of me , take care of my body and be mindful of what my body needs to help me , like you said , be a better mom , just be a better person in general .
Speaker 1And these are things , these are habits and behaviors that , as we do them , you know , day by day on and consistently , then they become permanent , right , and then it's easier to do . Essentially , it's easier to , like you get into this habit of just getting them done . Um , so , yeah , and you , you were such a hard worker , right again , you never complain . You're like this is super hard , but hey , I want to do my best , um , and I think that that really helped you as well , and I think that comes down to how you , and Maria as well , just work .
Speaker 2You're so positive , you're so encouraging , and I always knew , if I had a question , that you would be able to answer it , that you would give me the confidence that I needed . And I mean , I started working out with Maria over video call . I had my toddler in a high chair and they were eating and I was working out and here's Maria on my little phone and we're just making it happen . So you both were really able to see where I was coming from and meet me where I was , because I wasn't necessarily able to go into a gym five days a week . I wasn't able to go into just something that would kind of take me away from my child , and so I appreciated that I was still able to be with her to show her all of these great things that are really important , and it's just been so wonderful right .
Speaker 1Yeah , so just just um , giving you the tools right to be able to do it pretty much anywhere .
Speaker 1I mean , if you wanted to go to the gym , right , you could go . But in this case , like you said , it was like the beginning , it was during the pandemic , and it's like , well , it's , let's see what we can do with , like video calls and in zoom , um , and essentially , like you made it work , you made you were able to accomplish your goal right where you wanted to be and essentially learn how to be strong . Um , like you said , not only lose the weight right , but be able to get strong and like , see how you already transform and just see how , um , how much you grew right from when you started to when you finished . And I did see that transformation also in how confident you became , right , like you did get out of your shell and you were like more confident , and I'm sure you were always confident . But sometimes you have stages of life where we transition from confidence to maybe not so confident and you're like like okay now I can be confident again essentially .
Speaker 1So that was a really nice , you know transition that we did see as well .
Speaker 1So , yeah , awesome . Okay , I know we don't have a lot of time left and so perhaps , what are , what are some of the things that you can tell someone that is maybe hesitant or that is that has been thinking about like working with me ? Um , in terms of nutrition because I know you said you mentioned it took you a couple months , right , several months to like reach out , and that's usually pretty average . It's usually what research shows that you know , people really have to feel comfortable with the person that they're going to work with , because this is so intimate , right , when we think about I want to work with somebody but I want to make sure that is the right person , and so that's usually pretty common to see that it takes months for someone to like really reach out and like say , hey , I want to work with you . But maybe what are some some tips that you that you can tell the public or the listeners that maybe they're wanting to work with me and they're not so sure . What would you say ?
Speaker 2I would say take the chance , because , even though it's easier to say no and kind of stick in the routine that we're in , you should give yourself and Maria and Leonila the chance to really support you , because this is a life-changing choice and , even though it is work and it is time and it's dedication , we only have one body , one life , and so I really want to learn how to take care of it .
Speaker 2I didn't learn that as much when I was younger , and so now , being my own self , I'm able to really choose how I want to move forward and take care of myself , and that starts with my body and what I'm doing every day .
Speaker 2And so I think , just take the chance , and I mean , if it doesn't work , you'll just end up in the same spot you were , but if it does , then you'll get those results that you really have been looking for , and so I think it's worth it . It was the best choice I could have ever made , and I'm a better mom and a better person for it . So thank you both so much for having the patience with me , for working with me for so long and just for being able to support me , because I think if I didn't have that support from you both and I were just trying to do this on my own , I would lose that extra kick in the butt that I needed to . I wouldn't give that to myself , and so the two of you are really just able to do that in such a supportive and positive way that I really felt like man . I have so much to learn from these two and I really have learned so much , and I'm I still have more to learn , I'm sure Right .
Speaker 1Yeah , no , thank you so much for those tips and just for providing that information . Again , I love how supportive you are . You know you mentioned we supporting you , but you support us so much , too , that even after working with us , you continue to give us support , and so I really appreciate that . Thank you so much for that and for coming to this interview with me . Yeah , any final thoughts that you would like to share or provide that you would like to share , or ?
Mutual Support and Gratitude
Speaker 2provide . I'm sorry , I think I lost you , but yes , of course I'm always happy to support and again , I really am able to support you guys , because you supported me .
Speaker 1Yeah , no problem , awesome . Thank you so much again , amira . We will be seeing each other very soon . So again , thank you for your time and yeah , so , thank you so much , everybody for coming to listen to today's episode . You can go to go over to the show notes or go look at the show notes and then you can find more information about how to get in contact with me and also to check out my website . So again , thank you so much , amira . You take care and I'll talk to you soon . Oh , thank , you .