Luz Maria Gonzalez

Chef who managed to get in shape

My name is Luz Maria Gonzales. I’m 40 years old; I’m Mexican, and I live in Michigan. My childhood was spent in kitchens around pots and pans. I have always loved cooking. I could spend hours watching my family make traditional Mexican dishes. I always imagined that I would have my own restaurant, but the lack of money burdened my family, and it was then that I decided to look for a better future in another country, the U.S. When I arrived, I dedicated myself to work. I didn’t have time to eat, I ate fast foods instead because it was cheaper and didn’t require me to cook. When I got home tired, I’d eat canned foods, fried foods, and I never thought whether it was healthy or not. Time passed, and I got up to 205 pounds at the same time in my life as my two loves, my husband and my dream of becoming a chef. I had the perfect excuse to escape my reality: I was fat! The search for my chef uniform was a mess, nothing fit, everything was very small. At that moment, I decided to start my first diet “failures” as I call them. I call them that because none ever worked for me, the only thing I didn’t do was stand on my head, and I did absurd things that didn’t offer results until finally, my little miracle arrived. My Yes You Can! With Yes You Can!, I can continue eating Mexican foods with no regret, now I know how and when to prepare them in a healthier way thanks to the Nutrition Guide. As of today, I’ve lost 60 pounds. I’m a leader of a Movement Group that I started in my city. Effort, dedication, and passion accompany me now that I’m a Yes You Can! Coach. I hope to make my dream a reality very soon; to have my own restaurant of healthy Mexican food. So every morning I invite you to tell yourself these three magical words: Yes You Can!