Meet María Inés Flores | Olympic Gymnast & Certified Nutritional Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with María Inés Flores and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi María Inés, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
How some people are “overachievers” in certain areas of life, such as a career in finance or HR, but they don´t seem to be able to create positive and lasting habits that allow them to take care of themselves: their physical, mental, and spiritual health. In the case of weight management, one of the most common areas of health/fitness where people struggle, most people are forever chasing a magic pill: the newest diet or book, the newest supplement… and they tend to try a lot of things, read books and articles, copy what their sister or neighbor did (which worked for Them), and set out to create and execute what they believe is the perfect plan. Each failed attempt usually creates high levels of stress, leads them to believe “there is something wrong with my body”, eats away at their muscle, and messes up their metabolism. Then eating healthy becomes REALLY overwhelming and a negative thing, so they reason “I might as well be happy and eat whatever I want” if nothing that I do works, anyway.
Most people don’t know that it’s not that hard! You just need 3 basic things: 1) Upgrade your knowledge to really understand the power of nutrition, 2) develop an invincible mindset, and 3) enjoy stress-free, healthy eating by creating one simple habit at a time

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
It was not easy! First of all, it took me many, many years to figure out THIS is what I was really good at and what I wanted to do. Then, I was not dialed into the niche I wanted to serve. When I started coaching, I was like “I support all types of people. Everyone needs better health, so why leave anyone out?” Young, old, athletes, non-athletes, weight-loss, middle-aged women, general health… I was targeting everybody. Yea, right!

It took me several years to understand that even if I can help all sorts of people, I needed to find out 1 or 2 groups and concentrate on them. So I looked at the different clients I was serving and wanted to serve, and I thought: what’s the group that, given my background, expertise, personality, skillset, and passion, I can serve better than anyone else? And that’s how I identified student-athletes. This was a really important lesson that I learned and after this, my branding and my communication strategy became clear and strong, and that’s had a huge impact on my business

Another big obstacle I face is time-management. I’m interested in many different things and think that I can do it all. I am much better now than before because I’ve learned to prioritize and to say no. Some things, as cool as they seem, are better left to someone else or at a different time in my life because, in the present, the cost of doing them will be higher than the benefit.

I had a lot of help as a gymnast training for the Olympics, and yet I did not have some help that later became evident I could have really used (hindsight is 20:20 right?)
I want the world to know that their kid-athlete is not alone, I am there for them and will support them as they navigate the joys and hardships of competitive sports at a young age.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My idea of the best time involves being out in the open. We live in The Woodlands, Texas, so we’d go for walks or bike rides in a couple of parks including Northshore Park (can play volleyball and rent kayaks there and go rowing, too) and Rob Flemming Park (enjoy the water slide and river). I am like a little kid in that sense!
I also would take them to hang out in Hughes Landing, grab a cappuccino there, do shopping if they’re wanting that, and watch the sunset – it’s beautiful.
For a delicious, fresh meal, I’d go to “The Kitchen” on Market Street.
Then we’d head to my place, have some cheese, and homemade tapioca pudding, and talk and laugh. I don’t care if people think it’s boring or too simple, that’s my idea of a great time and a way to enjoy quality time with people I appreciate.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh gosh, my parents! Wonderful, hard-working, and so loving. My husband. And as an organization, SRT Clearing. They have helped me let go of many blocks holding me back as a person and an entrepreneur. And I’m not done, by any means! it’s a “forever-process”: self-discovery and tapping into your potential never ends. I am grateful to them.

Website: https://letsbefittoday.com/

Instagram: letsbefittoday.nutrition

Linkedin: María Inés Flores

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsbefittoday

Image Credits
Frank Boyd photography