Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Hernandez.
Sandra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I knew at a very young age, all I wanted to do was help people. When I was in elementary school, I jumped from wanting to be a firefighter to a doctor and even a lawyer. Now, as an adult, I can clearly see that my ambition in life was just to purely “help” people in whatever I can. When I graduated high school, I gained 25 pounds, so much for the freshman 15. During that summer I worked at two day-care facilities and a restaurant and well it was very easy to gain the weight.
But thanks to my mother, sister, and sister in law for telling me that my jeans looked a little too tight, I was able to lose the weight. That right there was what ignited the flame for this healthy lifestyle. While losing weight, I met someone, my future husband! After two years of dating, we said I do and moved to North Carolina, he was in the United States Army and stationed there. We had our daughter, Esperanza the year after, and my healthy way of living went out the door. I gained a tremendous amount of weight and had zero energy for working out, I was in a new state and was way out of my comfort zone. After having my daughter, obviously, as a new mom dropping the weight is the first thing on your mind. And with time, that is exactly what happened. Then, we had our son three years later, you would think I learned my lesson the first time and try to eat healthily and workout as much as I could, but I didn’t. I walked into the hospital to have my son weighing in at 195 (I’m currently a healthy 135). Fortunately, for me, a couple of months after having my son (two months to be exact), I was standing in a wedding and that motivated me to fit into a dress I bought months ago. My body has been through so much and yet I know this is only the beginning.
After posting a before and after picture on my Facebook account of loosing the baby weight from my son, I quickly realized people are wanting the change, but just don’t know how to start.
A friend of mine said I should start sharing my meals and how I work out, she said people are curious and want to know how you did it. I thought who would want to hear anything from me, there are so many fitness people on social media what sets me apart from them? But this was it, my chance to help someone, even if it was just one person, I knew this was for me. Today, I have been able to reach out to people that I never thought I could reach. I help out people who need that extra push, or accountability, let them know their goal is possible. I mainly share my health and fitness on Instagram but I also help out at the boxing gym at our church. My husband is the head coach and I help in any way I can when it comes to the workouts. I truly love working with the kiddos there and helping them understand why health is so important.
In the future, I would love to focus on low-income families and women who deal with depression and anxiety, I feel that God is calling me into that ministry. I was part of the low-income family and I would love to help educate these mothers and fathers who don’t quite know where to start. My motto is: “A body at rest stays at rest, but a body in motion, stays in motion,” helping women who may suffer from depression I feel that moving and staying active can help with certain hormones that we, women have to deal with. And so, I truly am just here to help, whether it’s to help you get started, or help you feel better, or even just help you fit into those old pair of jeans, let’s do this together!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Life itself is a bumping ride, I suppose that’s why they invented seatbelts! Fitness will always be tough, its a competition with your mind vs your body every workout. Constantly pushing yourself to the next level. Never being satisfied for too long, and always being your biggest critic. Nutrition, on the other hand, can be easy for some people, unfortunately for a picky eater like myself, its no walk in the park, or should I say “Jog in the park!” I come from a Mexican household where Mexican rice and beans are always on the menu, but also I had a working mother who needed dinner served quick and fast. The lack of knowledge I had with nutrition is beyond comical to me when I look back at things that I thought were healthy. My mother didn’t know how to eat healthy, and my grandmother didn’t know, and so it would have been a never-ending cycle had I not taken action. Self-discipline is necessary, to say the least. I didn’t let the fact that “this is how I grew up,” stand in my way, instead I processed and grew from the cards that I was dealt with. The struggle however from social media is all mental. Constantly judging my body to other women, constantly seeing how much more followers they have, wondering why I can’t look more like them, and the list goes on and on. *sigh* Shake it off! I have to remember who I am, my identity is in my Father, and who is my Father? My dad is the king of all kings, he is the alpha and the omega, God! No matter if I had a terrible workout, no matter if I indulged more than I should have, and no matter if I didn’t gain any more followers, I know that my God is still and always will be good to me. What more can I ask for? My advice for those young women who are starting out, go for it, don’t wait like I did. hesitation and fear stopped me from doing this years ago, but not anymore. You have to know who you are and stay true to that. Be honest with yourself and BELIEVE in yourself! Run towards the goal so fast that you don’t have time to look back nor to see who is beside you, just keep your eyes locked as though you only have tunnel vision. My husband is my biggest fan, make sure you have a solid support system… (Wow! I mean, that motivated me, I’m ready to dust myself off and start running again!)
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I help people with their health and fitness goals. I specialize in bringing people’s confidence back! I mainly want to motivate and encourage people, show them things that have worked for me, and may work for them. My husband and I also help out at a boxing Gym (Fighter Nation) which is located at our church. I want to help those young people get healthy because guess what, their parents may not even know how to get started on that lifestyle. I’m truly just here to help where I can. I want to sometime in the future focus on families in poverty level income, and help women who deal with depression and anxiety. I’m most proud of the people who take the small information I give them, and they transform themselves. The thank you’s I receive, or even the “keep up the good work’s” I truly treasure those. Sometimes, I wonder is anybody even listening to me? Am I wasting my time and efforts? But then all of a sudden, I will receive a message saying “can you help me, or “thanks for the tips, I’m down five pounds,” and that what it is all about. What sets me apart from others, I’m all natural, (joking) but in all seriousness, I am a mother of 2 children, I have had 2 C-sections, “I am a Christ follower” I use to weigh 195, and genetically I’m not “suppose” to be fit. “The odds were against me, and yet here I am, no need to take provocative pictures, no need for the “extra” attention. My goal is to help you gain knowledge in this health and fitness world (for free, I might add). I know the struggle of not knowing where or how to start, it’s intimidating. I just want to truly help you.
Which women have inspired you in your life? Why?
My mother! That woman literally is the purest of souls and has the biggest heart on this planet. I can go on and on about how amazing my mother is, but to spare you I won’t. As simple as I can put it, she is love! She will never give up on us (her children) though she doesn’t have much to give financially, she makes up with the love she pours out onto us and her grandchildren. She is the hardest worker I have seen, she will do whatever it takes to make sure that we are safe and happy. She has given up so much just for us and has had to deal with life’s crazy turns. She is the one who told me to never give up on my health journey, to never stop because it gets too hard.” I am forever grateful and appreciative for God giving me her as a mother. Wait, did I go on and on about my mother? Sorry about that. I love you, Sandra Marilu Carreon. Frankly, any women I see pushing themselves, whether your pushing that grocery cart down the aisle, or pushing the stroller on the track, I am so inspired by you all. You inspire me to keep on going, life is hard and can be harder, but you don’t let that stop you. Thank you!
Contact Info:
- Email: scarreon10@yahoo.com
- Instagram: sandra17h
Image Credit:
Stephanie Torres
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