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Core de force week three review

Three weeks down, can you believe it? I’m sitting here completely in shock that these 21 days have flown by! It’s honestly insane how different I feel in comparison to week one. I really do feel that my mental health is affected directly by my activity levels. If I workout, I feel proud, strong, healthy and confident, and when I go days without it, I feel pretty down, defeated and I can be pretty hard on myself. It’s something I’m working on, but it really reminds me how important this is for me. I see how much I change when I’m working on bettering my health.

If you missed week one’s review, make sure you give that a read first! I go into more detail explaining what Core de Force is all about! Core De Force – Week One Review . And to follow that, here’s Core De Force – Week Two Review . I have a goal this year to workout for 100 days in a row. And I’m now almost a quarter of the way there! I can’t believe I’ve stuck with it every day! Basically, Core de Force has slowly become one of my favourite programs. I love the intensity, and I looooove the results.

Week three of the program is rough!! They were just warming us up before. This is the greatest thing I can say about this program. It grows WITH you. You’re not trying to hit 10 reps or 12 reps, you’re trying to fit as many as you can before the bell goes. So in week one, you’re more comonly slower and weaker than in week three. So although it could seem like it would get easier, you now can move faster and fit more reps in, which is extra work you weren’t doing before! Hence why it gets tougher too. Not just that but there are so many variations you learn on how to make something already hard like a push up even harder! Love it. Ok, let’s get to the week review.

Here’s how week three looked like.

Stats:

Measurements are my favourite way of tracking progress. Though I do weigh myself. Simply because I have a scale and I don’t have anxiety about the number on the scale. Though if you do, stick to measuring!

Starting measurements 7 days of Core De Force 14 days of Core De Force 21 days of Core De Force
Neck 12.75″ 12.5″ 12.5″ 12.5″
Chest 35.5″ 35.5″ 35″ 34.5″
R. Arm 11.25″ 11″ 11″ 10.75″
L. Arm 11″ 10.5″ 10.5″ 10.75″
Waist 35.25″ 32″ 31″ 30.75″
Hips 41.5″ 41″ 40.5″ 40″
R. Thigh 20.75″ 20 20″ 19.75″
L. Thigh 21 20 20″ 20″
Total Inches 189″ 182″ 180.5″ 179.25″
Weight 150lbs 145lbs 144.5lbs 144.5lbs

 

Total Inches LOST: 1.25 inches lost this third week! It still shocks me how much I can shape my body by working out from home and eating REAL food.

Total pounds LOST: No pounds lost, but honestly at this point I’m not sure I have much more to lose, toning will happen and inches will continue to shift and drop but it’s amazing to see it in action.

What I ate:

Week 3 we went pretty simple again along with a few favourite recipes from Fixate that keeps the portion fix in mind! I share my complete meal plan so that you can see every step of the journey. This is a meal plan with the Portion Fix Containers in use that come with this program! It’s super simple so my portions are easy to follow with these colour coded containers!

Monday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: zucchini, cherry tomatoes and strawberries | Lunch: tomato Soup x2, tuna and quinoa x2 | Snack: strawberries | Dinner: avocado, salmon, cucumber salad, quinoa x2

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: zucchini, cherry tomatoes and strawberries | Lunch: zucchini salad x2, lentils, corn x2, dressing | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: salmon quinoa sushi (recipe from Fixate) x2, mixed veggies x2

Wednesay:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: zucchini,  cherry tomatoes and an orange | Lunch: salmon quinoa sushi, caesar salad x2, dressing | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: stir fry x2, tofu, avocado, rice noodles x2

Thursday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: zucchini,  cherry tomatoes and an orange | Lunch: maple glazed brussels sprouts (recipe from Fixate), asparagus, tuna | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: greek salad x2, lentils, rice noodles x2

Friday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: zucchini,  cherry tomatoes and an orange | Lunch: shrimp, mixed greens x2, quinoa x2 | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: cucumber dill salad, lentils, quinoa x2, brie cheese

Saturday:
Breakfast: pancakes x2, banana | Snack: shakeology | Lunch: zucchini noodle lasagna(recipe from Fixate), asparagus, garlic bread, avocado | Snack: dill cucumber salad, 1 hard boiled egg | Dinner: sweet potato mash x2, 2 hard boiled eggs, sautéed kale

Sunday:
Breakfast: eggs, arepas, fruit, | Snack: shakeology | Lunch: salmon quinoa sushi, mango salad | Snack: kale chips | Dinner: zucchini lasagna, gluten free toast

If you want to see some of the meals in action, here are some of my instagram shots, for more of these and to follow along in my journey make sure to follow my instagram account @coachmariangelica !

core de force meal plan

The workouts:

 

  • Monday – MMA Power (47 minutes) + Core Kinetics (16 minutes) – 12 rounds my friends, 12 rounds of MMA explosive moved. Fast paced cardio, but the rounds fly by. Get ready for some jump rolls! Core Kinetics is intense but so amazing for really forcing you to engage your core, love those 16 minutes just hard after 47 minutes of intense work!
  • Tuesday – Dynamic Strength (47 minutes) + 5 Min. Core on the floor (5 minutes) – Low on impact, but high on intensity. You can really feel yourself carving out your shape with all the twists! 5 Minutes of core is basically a 5 minute plank with variations, some side planks, plank steps, plank everything. Get ready to feel that core BURN.
  • Wednesday – MMA Power (47 minutes) + Core Kinetics (16 minutes) – A repeat of Monday! Work it!
  • Thursday – Power Sculpt (36 minutes) + 5 Min. Core on the floor (5 minutes) – total-body burner. You will feel this everywhere and with the mixture of interval training, Endurance will be built! And as usual 5 minutes core on the floor is killer. I have not been able to stop taking small breaks through this one. 
  • Friday – MMA Plyo (47 minutes) –
  • Saturday – Dynamic Strength (47 minutes) + 5 Min. Core on the floor (5 minutes) – Repeat of Tuesday! Nothing easy just because it’s a weekend!
  • Sunday – Active Recovery (21 minutes) – 10 minutes of slow conditioning work that definitely made me break a sweat, quickly followed by the most relaxing stretch session ever for the remaining 11 minutes. It’s the shortest workout but not one to skip over lightly.

Non-scale Victories:

NON scale victories of core de force

  • Um, that it’s been 21 days and i’m still showing up. Huge win. Period.
  • Didn’t stop even on the days where I was in pain from cramps. Just pushed through with lots of water! No excuses!

Get your Core de Force:

Order your Core de Force program here if you live in CANADA!
Order your Core de Force program here if you live in the USA!

Join me:

If you’re nervous about starting this alone, here’s the deal, you don’t have to! I run monthly challenge groups and I’d love to help you through it and share tips I learned during my first go at it! If Core de Force looks too intense for you, fill out this form to tell me what kind of goals you are trying to reach and I’ll help you find the perfect program for you, and work along side you as your accountability partner!

Make me your FREE Wellness Coach
Join my next challenge group!

I hope you found this review helpful and that if anything it gets you excited about starting a new fitness program where the hard work has been done for you in calculating when to work what muscle group and what to eat and how much. All you have to do is show up, and by show up I mean press play! Workout at home, get amazing results. It’s possible.

Love,

Mariangelica

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If you missed week one’s review, make sure you give that a read first! I go into more detail explaining what Core de Force is all about! Core De Force – Week One Review . I have a goal this year to workout for 100 days in a row. Thanks to this program I have now worked out 14 days in a row! Basically, Core de Force has slowly become one of my favourite programs. I’ve always been a 21 Day Fix girl! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t get overly excited about doing a 47 minute workout followed by 16 more minutes of core work, but the results are so worth it. I still hate cardio though. If they make me jump one more time…

Week two of the program is definitely tougher. We get introduced to our first two days of double workouts. The Core Kinetics video is INSANE. I swear I feel my obliques, abs and butt all getting toned as I go, it’s nuts. This is an at home program, but with the feeling of a personal trainer in my own home. I really am so impressed by all that’s happened in two short weeks.

Here’s how week two looked like.

Stats:

Measurements are my favourite way of tracking progress. Though I do weigh myself. Simply because I have a scale and I don’t have anxiety about the number on the scale. Though if you do, stick to measuring!

Starting measurements 7 days of Core De Force 14 days of Core De Force
Neck 12.75″ 12.5″ 12.5″
Chest 35.5″ 35.5″ 35″
R. Arm 11.25″ 11″ 11″
L. Arm 11″ 10.5″ 10.5″
Waist 35.25″ 32″ 31″
Hips 41.5″ 41″ 40.5″
R. Thigh 20.75″ 20 20″
L. Thigh 21 20 20″
Total Inches 189″ 182″ 180.5″
Weight 150lbs 145lbs 144.5lbs

Total Inches LOST: 1.5 inches! I am pleasantly surprised to see in one week after such a dramatic first week that I lost any at all!

Total pounds LOST: .5 pounds! This is the best example as to why I do measurements.
I might have been pretty upset with a .5 pound loss if it had been back when I tracked solely with weight but my waist is an entire inch smaller than last week.
And that feels better than a .5lbs loss.

What I ate:

Week 2 we decided to add in a few recipes from a book called Fixate that keeps the portion fix in mind! The recipes are honestly SO easy and it wow’ed a few family and friends when they came for dinner! I want to share with my complete meal plan so that you can see every step of the journey. This is a meal plan with the Portion Fix Containers in use that come with this program! It’s super simple so my portions are easy to follow with these colour coded containers!

Monday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: zucchini, cherry tomatoes and strawberries | Lunch: tomato Soup x2, tuna and quinoa x2 | Snack: strawberries | Dinner: avocado, salmon, cucumber salad, quinoa x2

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: zucchini, cherry tomatoes and strawberries | Lunch: zucchini salad x2, lentils, corn x2, dressing | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: salmon quinoa sushi (recipe from Fixate) x2, mixed veggies x2

Wednesay:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: zucchini,  cherry tomatoes and an orange | Lunch: salmon quinoa sushi, caesar salad x2, dressing | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: stir fry x2, tofu, avocado, rice noodles x2

Thursday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: zucchini,  cherry tomatoes and an orange | Lunch: maple glazed brussels sprouts (recipe from Fixate), asparagus, tuna | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: greek salad x2, lentils, rice noodles x2

Friday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: zucchini,  cherry tomatoes and an orange | Lunch: shrimp, mixed greens x2, quinoa x2 | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: cucumber dill salad, lentils, quinoa x2, brie cheese

Saturday:
Breakfast: pancakes x2, banana | Snack: shakeology | Lunch: zucchini noodle lasagna(recipe from Fixate), asparagus, garlic bread, avocado | Snack: dill cucumber salad, 1 hard boiled egg | Dinner: sweet potato mash x2, 2 hard boiled eggs, sautéed kale

Sunday:
Breakfast: eggs, arepas, fruit, | Snack: shakeology | Lunch: salmon quinoa sushi, mango salad | Snack: kale chips | Dinner: zucchini lasagna, gluten free toast

If you want to see some of the meals in action, here are some of my instagram shots, for more of these and to follow along in my journey make sure to follow my instagram account @coachmariangelica !

The workouts:

  • Monday –MMA Shred (37 minutes) + Core Kinetics (16 minutes) – Kick things up a notch with Muay-Thai-inspired elbows and kicks for a head-to-toe shred. Prepare to sweat! Core Kinetics is intense, but so amazing for really forcing you to engage your core, love those 16 minutes just hard after 47 minutes of intense work!
  • Tuesday –Power Sculpt (36 minutes) – A total-body burner. You will feel this everywhere and with the mixture of interval training, Endurance will be built!
  • Wednesday – MMA Shred (37 minutes) + Core Kinetics (16 minutes) – A repeat of Monday! Work it!
  • Thursday –Dynamic Strength (47 minutes) – Low on impact, but high on intensity. You can really feel yourself carving out your shape with all the twists!
  • Friday – MMA Power (47 minutes) -12 rounds my friends, 12 rounds of MMA explosive moved. Fast paced cardio, but the rounds fly by. Get ready for some jump rolls!
  • Saturday –Power Sculpt (36 minutes) – Nice to do one you’ve already done on a Saturday.
  • Sunday – Active Recovery (21 minutes) – 10 minutes of slow conditioning work that definitely made me break a sweat, quickly followed by the most relaxing stretch session ever for the remaining 11 minutes. It’s the shortest workout but not one to skip over lightly. 

Non-scale Victories:

NON scale victories of core de force

  • I hit that stage in every program or goal where I wanted to quit and I didn’t.
  • I’ve been working out in the morning this week and it has been a game changer for feeling more relaxed during the day and less of the dreading of the workout is happening.
  • I’m not going to bed early enough as I’d like yet, but I’m hoping that changes in week three. I am sleeping deeper and waking up more rested though!
  • I have not been bloated since about my fourth day into the program and THAT is just such a win for me. Honestly. I have a feeling it’s a mixture of too much gluten/dairy.
  • I bought a bodysuit, yes those tight ones, and wore it as a shirt to work with a loose button up.
  • Wore that very same bodysuit one day and lounged around in it at home while we cooked and felt completely ok!
  • I’m starting to see the progress daily in the mirror, I feel smaller. I love finally being able to SEE the results and FEEL it in the way my clothes fit.
  • None of the girls in our private online group have quit and are all hitting their weekly goals! It’s so exciting to see what a group of women can help each other achieve!

Get your Core de Force:

Order your Core de Force program here if you live in CANADA!
Order your Core de Force program here if you live in the USA!

Join me:

If you’re nervous about starting this alone, here’s the deal, you don’t have to! I run monthly challenge groups and I’d love to help you through it and share tips I learned during my first go at it! If Core de Force looks too intense for you, fill out this form to tell me what kind of goals you are trying to reach and I’ll help you find the perfect program for you, and work along side you as your accountability partner!

Make me your FREE Wellness Coach
Join my next challenge group!

I hope you found this review helpful and that if anything it gets you excited about starting a new fitness program where the hard work has been done for you in calculating when to work what muscle group and what to eat and how much. All you have to do is show up, and by show up I mean press play! Workout at home, get amazing results. It’s possible.

Love,

Mariangelica

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core de force week one review

So as you may or may not know. I have a goal this year to workout for 100 days in a row! To make the number less daunting, I’ve broken it up into smaller goals by picking a variety of beachbody programs to complete and review. My first 30 days are going to feature Core de Force, the newest workout program by fitness gurus at Beachbody headquarters. This program is unlike any other program I’ve done in the past. It’s a mixed martial arts (MMA) style program with lots of the one thing I have never enjoyed. CARDIO!

Somehow, Core de Force has managed to sneak cardio into some sweet combinations that I don’t even notice I’m doing cardio at all because I’m too focused on being a badass super hero fighting off baddies, or at least, that’s how I feel. True to its name, Core de Force has done more for my core than anything has ever done before!! The leaning out I’ve noticed in just one week of working out AT HOME is UNREAL.

My middle section has been my one trouble area for… ever. Although I’m not as large as I once was, it’s just soft looking and has weird bumps (lower pooch anyone?) and dips that have always made me pretty self conscious! I just want a toned tummy! Now with Core de Force I honestly think this is finally a possibility!! Here’s how my week looked like.

Starting Stats:

Measurements are my favourite way of tracking progress. Though I do weigh myself simply because I have a scale and I don’t have anxiety about the number on the scale, though if you do, stick to measuring!

Starting measurements 7 days of Core De Force
Neck 12.75″ 12.5″
Chest 35.5″ 35.5″
R. Arm 11.25″ 11″
L. Arm 11″ 10.5″
Waist 35.25″ 32″
Hips 41.5″ 41″
R. Thigh 20.75″ 20
L. Thigh 21 20
Total Inches 189″ 182″
Weight 150lbs 145lbs

Total Inches LOST: SEVEN INCHES DOWN! 3.25 INCHES AROUND MY WAIST! WHAT.

Total pounds LOST: 5 pounds!

 

What I ate:

I want to share with you my complete meal plan so that you can see every step of the journey. This is a meal plan with the Portion Fix Containers in use that come with this program! It’s super simple so my portions are easy to follow with these colour coded containers!

Monday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes | Lunch: tomato Soup x2, tuna and quinoa x2 | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: avocado, salmon, cucumber salad, quinoa x2

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes | Lunch: zucchini salad, lentils, corn x2, dressing | Snack: asian pear and cashews | Dinner: sauteed kale, mashed potatoes, lentils, corn

Wednesay:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes | Lunch: mixed greens x2, hard boiled eggs, quinoa x2 | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: lentils, steamed veggies x2, avocado, sweet potato x2

Thursday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes | Lunch: mixed greens x2 , lentils, quinoa x2 | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: veggie stir fry, shrimp, sweet potato x2, avocado

Friday:
Breakfast: Shakeology | Snack: cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes | Lunch: mixed greens x2, tofu, corn, mashed potatoes | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: lentils, quinoa x2, asparagus

Saturday:
Breakfast: toast x2, eggs, stir fry veggies | Snack: asian pear | Lunch: mixed greens x2, quinoa | Snack: shakeology | Dinner: salmon, quinoa x2, stir fry veggies x2, avocado

Sunday:
Breakfast: pancakes x2, cheese| Snack: shakeology, carrots | Lunch: mixed greens x2, gluten free pasta x2, tofu | Snack: asian pear | Dinner: salmon, quinoa, stir fry veggies x2

 

If you want to see some of the meals in action, here are some of my instagram shots, for more of these and to follow along in my journey make sure to follow my instagram account @coachmariangelica !

core de force pescatarian meal plan

The workouts:

  • Monday – MMA Speed (27 minutes) – Upper body and no surprise, it’s core-focused. Short workout but boxing inspired so it’s super fun.
  • Tuesday – Dynamic Strength (47 minutes) – Low on impact, but high on intensity. You can really feel yourself carving out your shape with all the twists!
  • Wednesday – MMA Speed (27 minutes) – You’ve done it before, now it’s time to perfect those moves!
  • Thursday – Power Sculpt (36 minutes) – A total-body burner. You will feel this everywhere and with the mixture of interval training, Endurance will be built!
  • Friday – MMA Shred (37 minutes) – Kick things up a notch with Muay-Thai-inspired elbows and kicks for a head-to-toe shred. Prepare to sweat!
  • Saturday – Dynamic Strength (47 minutes) – You’ve done it before, now it’s time to perfect those moves!
  • Sunday – Active Recovery (21 minutes) – 10 minutes of slow conditioning work that definitely made me break a sweat, quickly followed by the most relaxing stretch session ever for the remaining 11 minutes. It’s the shortest workout but not one to skip over lightly. 

 

Non-scale Victories:

NON scale victories of core de force

  • Although measuring is great and speaks to my physical body, I also like to think about things this week that have felt different than before.
  • The second time we did MMA Speed I noticed I was able to breathe a little easier through the workouts and focus on my form!
  • Drinking Shakeology for 7 days and eating according to the meal plan means my bloat has completely DISAPPEARED. I feel like I lived constantly bloated and bloat is no more.
  • When I go to bed now my stomach looks similar to how it looked in the morning, where usually I would avoid the mirror before bed.
  • Later in the week I have found I have been actually sleeping through the night and have had the energy to wake up without feeling like a zombie.
  • My nutrition has been pretty much on POINT and I’m not used to following anything this strictly and it’s been surprisingly easy because I actually feel full all day and haven’t felt hungry since I’m eating every three hours!
  • Found I absolutely love having my Shakeology in ‘ice cream’ form with some almond milk, and lots of ice! 

Get your Core de Force:

Order your Core de Force program here if you live in CANADA!
Order your Core de Force program here if you live in the USA!

Join me:

If you’re nervous about starting this alone, here’s the deal, you don’t have to! I run monthly challenge groups and I’d love to help you through it and share tips I learned during my first go at it! If Core de Force looks too intense for you, fill out this form to tell me what kind of goals you are trying to reach and I’ll help you find the perfect program for you, and work along side you as your accountability partner!

 

Make me your FREE Wellness Coach
Join my next challenge group!

 

I hope you found this review helpful and that if anything it gets you excited about starting a new fitness program where the hard work has been done for you in calculating when to work what muscle group and what to eat and how much. All you have to do is show up, and by show up I mean press play! Workout at home, get amazing results. It’s possible.

Love,

Mariangelica

 

Follow:
/

NMM11

This post is part of the New Mom Monday series! A series about moms and their advice to new moms! Books and videos can only teach us so much, but there’s something special about hearing from real life moms. Honest, true, and always beautifully inspiring!!
What’s your Name?

Diana Conforti

Tell us a little about yourself!

27 years old. Born in Bogota, Colombia but grew up in Florida. I married my high school sweetheart when I was 21 and we have been married for 6 years now. I’m a firm believer that if you put God first in your life, no matter the challenge or circumstance all things will work out for good. I’ve experienced it, even in the most dire circumstances. My favorite activities/sports are yoga, volleyball, wakeboarding, snowboarding. I’m a realtor and I love it but nothing compares to my job of being a mommy, the best and most challenging job in the world. 

How many kids do you have? What are their names and ages?
I have 1 child, Jesse Ryder Conforti.

How do you find your “me time”?
Jesse just turned 1 month and finding “me” time has been very challenging. I’m hoping this changes as he gets older. This first month of my child’s life I’ve become a singer, professional rocker, swaddler, clown and a great multi- tasker. I learn something new everyday. 

Me time for me is: Basically, the ME time I have is while my son naps or sits in his swing. Also, when a family member comes over to watch him or spend sometime with him. 

Although my priorities of “me” time have changed from:

– getting my nails done to getting laundry done.
– getting a massage to getting to take a nap.
– going shopping to going grocery shopping.
– watching TV to watching what I eat and preparing a healthy meal.

– listening to my favorite band to listening to black noise or a lullaby.

My priorities and ME time have changed ALOT. It’s nice to have my family around because it makes “me” time a possibility for me.

What is the best baby related book you’ve ever read?

How to become baby wise

What’s the most useful baby product you have? Why do you love it?

The pacifier. Babies have a suckling reflex and that’s why they love being attached to the breast(even if they are not hungry, it’s soothing for them) the pacifier allows me to get things done and keep the baby happy at the Same time.

If you could say something to yourself when you first brought home your first baby, what would you say?

Congratulations! The hardest part is just getting started! Life as you know it has now changed.

How much planning did you do before your baby was born, and how do you think that it helped or didn’t help?

I planned to move to a bigger place, got a new car, moved closer to my family, got all the list for the baby shower and organized everything as much as I could to be ready when the baby arrived. It helped a lot! There is so much going on when the baby comes that being as prepared as possible gave me peace and one less thing to worry about.

What do you believe are the top three pieces of advice a new mom or someone trying to conceive should know?
– exercise. I exercised up until the day before I gave birth and it made my pregnancy and labor so much easier as well as bouncing right back to my pre-baby weight.
– eat healthy and drink lots of water. I made a point to nourish my self and skin from the inside out with ALOT of water. It helped me not get stretch marks along with spoiled mama body butter, scrub and oil.
-make a journal. Everyday of my pregnancy brought on new feelings, changes in my body, emotions and habits. It’s really neat to go back and re-live my pregnancy through my journal because when I think back now it was a blur.
What is your best memory so far of being a mom?

The first time my son looked in my eyes when I was breastfeeding him. I felt such a deep connection with him and was overwhelmed with gratitude and amazement at how God had given me a little angel to love and care for.

Give us the short form version of your birth story.

I gave birth two days before my due date. I had my Obgyn strip my membranes to help induce labor and speed the process along, I was over being so uncomfortable. Over all I gained 35lbs but it felt like 95. I started getting steady contractions between 4-5 minutes apart. They admitted me into the hospital, broke my water, gave me the epidural and before I knew it I went from 3cm dilated to 7. The midwife helped me along with pitocin to help me dialate from 7 to 10cm. The whole process was about 12 hours. When it came time to push it only took 8 minutes. The nurses were amazed as most first time moms usually spend 1-2 hours pushing but they said because I was in great shape it helped a lot. My husband and sister were by my side the whole time holding my hand. It was a beautiful and very intense experience. Hearing my baby cry was very emotional and exciting. 

Lastly, for fun, define motherhood!

Gods’s gift to women. An opportunity to learn unconditional love, selflessness, sacrifice and joy.

NMM11-2

If you would like to participate in New Mom Mondays please feel free to message me by using my contact form! I would love to not only feature you on my blog but learn from your answers, as I’m sure many readers would too! 
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NMM10
This post is part of the New Mom Monday series! A series about moms and their advice to new moms! Books and videos can only teach us so much, but there’s something special about hearing from real life moms. Honest, true, and always beautifully inspiring!!

Today’s answers come from a dear friend! I met her when i worked in Georgetown, ON and we clicked right away. Maybe because we’re both Latinas or maybe because she’s so outgoing and friendly. No matter the reason we have stayed in touch since I left and I have watched her share her story on Facebook and on her blog on her journey to being an amazing mom! Her little Zoey is so cute and I can’t wait for you to read her answers! Enjoy!

What’s your Name?

Christie Lazo

Tell us a little about yourself!

I am an outgoing, too confident for my own good, sassy, nerdy and outspoken Latina. By career, I am a digital marketing professional; and by passion, I am the creator and writer of A Style Soiree (a blog for the chic & stylish mama). Of course, though lots of love, I am a wife and mommy.

How many kids do you have? What are their names and ages?

I have 1 very energetic, sassy and smart little lady who is a year old (14 months in Mommy speak), and her name is Zoey.

How do you find your “me time”?

I achieve me time with the help of my husband. He hangs out with Zoey so that I can get away to take a nice long uninterrupted shower, go get my hair done, or out with my girl friends. Truth be told though, now that I’m back at work full time, I’d rather spend every second I can with Zoey when I’m not at work.

What is the best baby related book you’ve ever read?

I very recently finished reading “Boobin All Day Boobin All Night” by Meg Nagle , also known as “The Milk Meg”. I highly recommend it to all those interested in the gentle parenting approach, it has the BEST advice. I wrote a review of the book on my blog if you want to check it out 🙂

What’s the most useful baby product you have? Why do you love it?

I decided to go with The Honest Company line of products for Zoey; and was very grateful for it as I discovered she had VERY sensitive skin soon after her birth. The life saver product they have is their “Healing Balm”. I use it for her diaper changes as a diaper cream; particularly since it’s oil base coats her skin so well that it keeps wetness away. She also suffered from baby ezcema as a newborn so that was a the very best product for spot treatment.

If you could say something to yourself when you first brought home your first baby, what would you say?
“You’re doing better than you think; and no, you’re not alone”
I was very lucky that my husband was home with me during the first 4 months after Zoey’s birth. He was with me, right beside me, every step of the way; but sometimes I would get emotional and feel so lonely. Not many people talk about this, but it’s important to as I believe it takes away the stigma of postpartum depression or postpartum emotions. I was never alone and I was doing an amazing job! But I doubted myself sometimes because I was overwhelmed with something so big and so new; of course the crazy hormone levels during that time don’t help either. They don’t call it the 4th trimester for nothing!
How much planning did you do before your baby was born, and how do you think that it helped or didn’t help?

I did A LOT of planning. I started pre-natal yoga at 3 months with the plan that I wanted a doula assisted natural birth. I did however have to acquire the help of an OBGYN, which I was VERY happy with, as I had serious complications early in the pregnancy. Throughout my pregnancy, my husband found himself living, breathing and eating, Babies R Us and Snuggle Bugz everything as I wanted to be SO prepared and have everything the baby could ever need. Like every parent, you want to give you baby more than you had, right? It just so happens, I was a spoiled child so I was taking this to a ridiculous next level. God bless his soul and all the patience he was given! He even came along with me to visit a doula and was so supportive with my super early weekend morning pre-natal yoga classes. All that changed when I was schedule for a c-section because of the size of my baby; having her naturally would have been too much of a risk to the both of us. The pre-natal yoga did help a LOT though, as I was able to relax and breathe perfectly through the prep for the c-section, mainly during the spinal block procedure.

What do you believe are the top three pieces of advice a new mom or someone trying to conceive should know?
1) “Trust you instincts and follow your baby’s lead”
This is advice I found through The Milk Meg’s Facebook page after Zoey was born, and it has worked wonders. As a new mom, I thought I had to watch the clock and be on a schedule all the time, once I disregarded all that and went with what I thought my baby wanted/needed, it resulted in a happier baby and even more sleep for my husband and I. She’s a year now and I still follow this advice with other aspects of parenting.
2) “It’s okay to say no!”
Zoey was born right before Christmas and everyone wanted to see her and wanted us to go to their Christmas dinners. I love my family and I love my friends, but at the time I just wanted to be home with my husband and my baby; therefore it’s okay to say “no”.
3) “Things happen at the right time and place, when you’re ready for it”
It took many months to conceive Zoey, It didn’t happen right away, but we were as patient as we could be. We believe in God, and we left it up to him; “when the time is right it will happen” is what we would say. We didn’t follow any calendars to conceive or any plans, we let it be and we conceived when we least expected it so it was an incredible surprise.
What is your best memory so far of being a mom?

So cliche, but there are too many to pick just one! Zoey is walking now and she does this thing where she randomly walks up to me with her arms up in the arm with the biggest smile on her face so that we embrace and I give her a hug as I pick her up. When I do pick her up, she gives me the tightest hug right back. She may not say “I love you” yet, but I know that’s what she means. I want to engrave that image of her walking up to me in my mind forever.

Give us the short form version of your birth story.

At 36 weeks pregnant, my OBGYN measured me and discovered that I was measuring as if I was 40 weeks along. An ultrasound at 38 weeks revealed my baby was 9 pounds. We then discussed the option of a c-section as I wanted to avoid any risks involved with the size of my baby being born through the birth canal. My strict natural birth plan went out the window as I had to adjust for the safety of myself, and most importantly, my baby. This helped so much because not only were we safer, but this became a preview of how my parenting style plans would change too once Zoey arrived; I went from the idea of a very modern sleep training mom to a bed sharing mama.
We arrived at the hospital very early on December 3rd to my c-section appointment. Fast forward to the operating room, I had to go in there alone while my husband put on his fancy scrubs in another room. The nurse was an angel that was there with me as she was so supportive and kind. This was my very first surgery of any kind so she held me while they put in the spinal block, quickly after this they got me to lie down so it could take effect. Once everyone was in the operating room, OBGYN and husband included, they were set to begin the surgery. I looked up to the ceiling and noticed that the white reflective material of the ceiling allowed me to see the whole surgery as if it was a mirror. I watched the whole thing! I looked away for a few moments as it was weird to think of my abdomen open on the table while I just hung out there. I was looking out for the moment they broke my water; I read that it gushes out and then you can see your baby;s head and shortly after they pull the baby out. That is exactly what happened! My OBGYN and the nurses even sang Happy Birthday to her as they pulled her out. It was so memorable! A nurse had pre-warned me and told me that when she was born, she’d hold my baby on the left so that I could see her before they took her for examinations. My husband did not cut the cord, which he was very nervous about, since we had the blood cord of my baby banked so the doctor had to efficiently do that procedure. They brought Zoey over for me to see her all bundled up and I could not believe it! She was outside of me! My husband was able to take a picture of her and I, and then they were taken back to my hospital room. After this, I had to wait to be put back together, which took longer than I thought,but it was totally fine as my OBGYN turned out to be the greek god of stitches as I have the nicest scar I’ve ever seen. After this, I was taken to recovery and was VERY antsy to see Zoey; as I was mostly concerned about her skin-to-skin contact. The great thing was that the nurses had my husband take his shirt off and cuddle with her skin-to-skin while they waited for me; which was a great way for Zoey to have that first bond with her daddy.

Lastly, for fun, define motherhood!

Motherhood is cuddles, kisses and endless love. It is the ability to love someone more than you could have ever though you could love anyone or anything. It is sacrificing in a way you didn’t think you could ever sacrifice before, you don’t even think twice about it, because you’re no longer number 1, your child is (and that makes you happy). Motherhood is also realizing that you parents were right; their advice, their sacrifices, their love and their long lectures….they were right.

To hear more from Christie be sure to visit her blog A Style Soiree and follow her on Instagram!

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If you would like to participate in New Mom Mondays please feel free to message me by using my contact form! I would love to not only feature you on my blog but learn from your answers, as I’m sure many readers would too! 
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