Q & A With Florina Fitness

I love meeting women who inspire me with all aspects of their lives! It’s incredibly difficult to be a successful professional while also balancing a happy home life as a mother and a wife. Throw in eating clean, working out and staying fit, and many women can easily be overwhelmed.

I felt so motivated when I met Florina! She’s a full time mom and former skinny “eat-whatever-you want” girl who realized how her poor food choices and lack of exercise were negatively affecting her body. But she’s changed all that! Her workout regime includes weight lifting that tones the entire body. She transformed her body with persistence and hard work, and managed to maintain a healthy lifestyle while pregnant. Florina’s story has inspired so many to stay fit through the 9 months where women gain the most weight. I feel so lucky that I got to catch up with this busy fitness inspiration! For more on Florina click here.

Q & A with Florina 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what truly inspired you to become the fitness superstar that you are?

What inspires me is being mentally and physically strong. Many girls have this idea if you lift heavy you are going to look like a man. Wouldn’t all men wish it was that simple? Lol… I remember when I first started lifting weights I was afraid and it took some time for my hubby to convince me that weight lifting is the way to change my body. He told me to look up weight training on Craigslist and we found an amazing complete fitness set for just $500. So let’s say $500 changed my life. I felt happy, strong and motivated. I started squatting up to 180 lbs. and my goal was to reach 200lbs. I was lifting every day (highly do not recommend)  and once I reached my goal I was so proud of myself. I would have to say goals are what inspired me to push forward.

You had one of the most beautiful pregnancies I have seen. Any tips for expecting mothers?

At 6 weeks pregnant, I created my own YouTube channel called “Baby Bump Tuesday.” Every Tuesday I did a mini vlog diary about what happened during the week, how I felt and what is expected for following week with advice. I’m happy I did it and it has helped other soon-to-be moms and new moms. My biggest advice would be eat clean; veggies & fruits to keep your body full of nutrition and rich in vitamins. Drink lots of water and teas to keep the body nice and hydrated. I drank lots of coconut water. Moisturize like crazy, especially the belly-that was a grease ball at all times lol… Walk every day for at least 20 minutes.

What about post-pregnancy advice?

Nutrition is the key to any fitness goal. Many people and mostly girls have the wrong idea about food. Mostly about carbs. Low carb diets are not the best way to go and I’ve made many videos on YouTube talking about this. Carbs are what makes us happy and help us think well, so why would someone want to take that away. I’d rather have my carbs and be happy. Have you ever been around a person on a low carb diet? They are not fun and they are spaced out with low energy. In the experience I’ve had working with hundreds of girls and women, I found out that 99% of them under eat. Some girls are eating under 1,200 calories, that’s the worst thing you can do to your body.

People need to get rid-off of the idea that if ‘I don’t eat I will lose weight,’ they are horribly wrong. We need to nourish our body first before we expect it to make any changes. Once you nourish your body then you can make your body lose weight or gain muscle. I don’t know how many years I spent not realizing that nutrition was the answer to my goals. My advice is to get into a nutrition plan and make sure the person knows what they are talking about.

How do you find the right balance between being a mom and a wife, while prioritizing work and fitness?

Having a supportive husband that keeps you on track. We have both always been on the same page since the beginning. We have been self-employed for the past 6 years and every year takes us into a new journey. I’m a full time makeup artist and now a full time online personal trainer which is growing fast. So our days are never boring. There’s always something to do and improve. Life is about failing in order to learn. Has it been easy? No, not at all but that’s how we both become stronger.

What has exercising taught you?

The question I get asked the most is how do I stay motivated or how do I work out when I just don’t feel like working out? Goals! When you have a goal there is no stopping until you reach it but there’s a trick to it. Look for goals that are almost unreachable so that way you never stop. Every time I get close, I set new goals. Fitness has to be made into a lifestyle that you enjoy. I love working out and if I could work out every day I would, but I know that would only hurt all my gains. So I only workout 3 to 4 times a week.

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