Name: Hazel Perez-Villonco
Favorite Food: Japanese food
Favorite Exercise: Another general answer, everything! I enjoy the variety of the workouts, learning new skills, and being able to constantly test my capabilities as a “young-at-heart” CFMNLer!
1. So tell us about yourself, something which you’ve never mentioned to your kids or husband.
They know everything about me, down to my crushes! They even have to silence me since I never stop talking! What you guys don’t know about me is that I work (I am not a woman of leisure) but I’ve given up one of my main businesses to give me time to do CFMNL full time!! I am a very hands-on-mom (I should bring all four of them for show-and-tell again sometime). May I say that I am a loving wife even if I don’t bring my husband to the box? I am more into electronics than expensive bags! I like fast cars and guns but I’m no tomboy! I enjoy doing things up in the air, I can’t wait to be able to skydive someday. I am not a long distance runner but I was once a sprinter. Unless they made a mistake with my time long before, I could out run Lydia de Vega! I was formally trained in dance! Now do you want me to stop?
2. You look pretty fit for a 45 year old. You do CFMNL regularly. Why are you doing Paleo? What are your goals?
After my fourth baby and before getting into CFMNL, I got back into playing tennis, boxing, rowing and spinning. But I wasn’t losing any weight or fat. I then tried TRX, Barre 3 and pilates reformer which was boring for me since they were not interactive. I was desperate, tried out a full program of non-invasive treatments at a high end beauty/cosmetic clinic with end results just the same as the starting point, money down the drain! Then I chanced upon CFMNL, which seemed similar to Plyometrics which I’ve done before and liked. I had nothing to lose. For someone who easily gets bored with repetition, this was it for me! I haven’t lost my enthusiasm and interest in CFMNL since the first day I stepped into the box! I’ve lost some noticeable fat, thank goodness, but I believe that I have already plateaued somehow. The only thing left to do is to DIET, something I’ve never done before since our family loves eating out (and I wasn’t “fat” till my last baby). Since Paleo is supposed to be a “lifestyle” and not a diet, I decided to join the challenge … quite blindly though. My goal is to lose all my sexy fat hiding underneath my clothing!
3. You are now on Day 3. Are you still patient with your kids? What do you do if they can’t do their Filipino or Math assignment?
Surprisingly, I haven’t felt (yet) any of the withdrawal symptoms the others have. I haven’t felt really hungry, light headed, hot headed or menopausal! I’ve been able to look away (and not breathe) when everyone at home is having their fast food merienda and pizza midnight snacks! I believe that I am still patient with my kids, but you would have to ask them to confirm that. It’s Long Tests week now, and I have survived tutoring them. I don’t know how I’ll be able to hold up when the challenges in the coming weeks become stricter and forbidding.
4. Part of the mechanics of the challenge was to take a picture of yourself. Wanna show us?
Not in a million years! I’ve said it before, I will tell you my age, give you my phone number … but I will never give you my vital statistics, more so a picture! Can’t you tell by now, that I am a Maria Clara?!! BUT if paleo works for me, I may consider going to the box in those ultra mini panty-level shorts, a sports bra and knee high socks. Then you will all beg me to give it a break!
5. What have been your struggles as a Paleo Hunger Games challenger? How long do you think you’d last?
As I’ve said, so far I’m still good but it’s too early to think that this will be an easy battle. Larissa is taking care of all my meals for the month, so it’s a no-brainer. I’m worried though when my cook will take over. My social calendar has several important events this month and all I can think of is how I’ll look in a formal gown and a lunch box! We eat out on weekends so I’ve conditioned myself that I will have to settle for my packed meals. Everyone in our family takes turns selecting where we will eat, so I won’t be able to “join” our weekly tradition of eating something new or eating at our favorite restaurants! Hopefully, by the end of this challenge, I’ll learn that I am not actually making any sacrifices but merely eating properly.
I have no problem with the “no booze” rule since I do not drink. I will have a problem when and if the 8 hours of sleep would be imposed since I’m fully recharged with 5-6 hours. Also, being a mother of 4, I only find time for myself late at night for work and me time. Then up really early the next day.
I do hope that my partner, Ycel, and I would last till the very end. We’re both not in this for the cash prize. Being mothers, we would like to be healthy, fit and strong to be able to be take care of our children and family better. I personally would like to live a long life, is 100 asking too much? But only if I will be healthy, strong, independent and with mental faculties all in place.
6. What do you think are your keys to success? What will probably be your kryptonite when faced in front of you and will force you to cheat? You can’t say Marc Nelson.
My keys to success? I would like to say that I’m a disciplined individual and I can stay on track to reach my goal/s. But this is something really new to me. I love eating out, I enjoy food with lots of flavor … so paleo is really testing me! My kryptonite would most probably be my husband who will tell me that I’m a killjoy or that I’m going overboard with my “cult”. As for Marc Nelson, would he be considered a cheat meal, cheating on my husband, or both? But he shouldn’t be a problem since he would be considered “protein”, right?
7. Would you rather have a partner or not in this challenge? Pls. explain.
I would prefer to have a partner since we would be accountable for and to each other. I would be embarrassed to do something wrong that would disqualify her. I’m quite lucky having been paired up with Ycel. We have many similarities : we’re mothers, in our 40s, we don’t really go out at night, we believe that our children come first … may I add that we’re cool moms that are from CFMNL? So we understand each other better. Also, Ycel has been doing paleo for 3 months already so she’s more knowledgeable than I am, and she’s very supportive and encouraging. We’re both from the Fort box and go to the noon wod so we get to update each other on our progress.
8. Apart from your team, who do you think will win? Lose? Pls. explain.
I wish we got to meet all the participants, not to square each other up and plan how to take them out, but to be able to know who we’re up against. This is a mind game more than anything else. Will it be the biggest/heaviest, the bride who wants to look her best on her wedding day, the chef who’s preparing our meals, the ideal coach, the person who wants to normalize his blood sugar, the one who wants to be clean from booze, the lady who wants to live up to 100? We all have our reasons. Let’s just hope that we will all play fair since we’re in this for something more than just the p22,000 pot (or p44,000 if you take your whey … why??)
9. Do you think you’d put your kids through Paleo?
I would like to say that I would, but just with their reaction when I’m eating my meals I highly doubt it would happen in the near future!
10. Please complete the sentence. Right now, I’d really want a plate of …
the silver plate with the certificate (but CFMNL can do better than that … gift certificates would be great!), medals or trophy that says that we’ve won the challenge! Then I’d eat the Crispy Caramel Haagen Dazs Sandwich stashed in our freezer with my name written on it so no one will eat my share till the challenge is over!!