HERS Fitspiration Francia James

When did your journey into health and fitness start?

Around the time I was 15 years old, I realized in order to maintain my health and physical fitness, nutrition was the main key. After just a few months of being dedicated to a healthy lifestyle, I began to see significant positive changes, which inevitably lead me to become more active, which laid the foundation for a lifelong love of fitness, which includes exercising twice a day, four times per week and eating clean daily.

As an international cover model it is of the utmost importance that you always stay in fantastic shape all year round. How do you achieve this?

I definitely believe it all starts with self-motivation, which is fundamental to acquired results. This is at the true core of why and how I am able to keep a healthy diet and exercise routine, and combined with dedication and a focused mentality, it yields positive results.

What advice can you give HERS readers to take the first step in becoming fitter and healthier?

Trust yourself, trust the process and believe that you can succeed.

What is your training and nutrition philosophy?

My nutritional beliefs revolve around the concept that while food is just fuel for the body, there’s no reason why eating shouldn’t be an enjoyable experience, more importantly not something to be feared. With regards to my training philosophy, the best way I can describe it is with one word: vigilance.

What is your take on supplementation?

First, it’s crucial to have a vast knowledge of various supplements and what will work best for you and help you reach your goals in the healthiest way possible. Although, I would recommend for those that are considering the intake of supplements, to get proper information from a nutritionist or professional.

Who has been your fitness inspiration and why?

Ever since I was a teenager, my biggest fitness inspiration has been the Colombian model and entrepreneur Natalia Paris, especially because she also takes the time and consideration to give tips to those who follow her journey about how to eat healthy, stay healthy and be healthy.

As a fitness model, showcasing a healthy physique is important, but beauty also plays a big part in the overall package you represent. Any beauty secrets you can share with us?

I agree, beauty plays a huge part in the overall package. One of my personal beauty secrets is using natural products, such as Aloe Vera. I use it mostly for my face, to treat the skin under my eyes, acne and to prevent future wrinkles. Pure Aloe Vera is used all around the world for its healing and soothing qualities to the skin, while helping to nourish, keep it hydrated, rejuvenated and glowing.

What special preparations do you make for a fitness photo-shoot, does it differ from a glamour shoot?

The pre-photo-shoot routine consists of sleeping between 8-10 hours the night before, eat a low-sodium and low-carb diet during the days leading up to the shoot and the most important part for me is to CUT water intake. Due to the hormonal environment created, you will continue to excrete water, despite the drastically decreased water intake.

You often travel to shoot on location, that can make sticking to your training and nutrition routine difficult. What steps do you take to ensure that you stay on track?

Sometimes staying on track can be challenging, but something I’ve found to be helpful while traveling is to meal prep as much as possible. I make sure to have plenty of healthy snacks and meals easily accessible, to keep me away from junk food.

How do you balance your challenging modeling schedule with your fitness schedule?

Organization is key! My photo shoot dates are recorded in my personal calendar, this way I have a schedule of my activities the day of the shooting. If I have a photo section in the morning, I usually wake up 3-4 hours before to get my workout done beforehand, in addition to whatever else I need to accomplish that day outside of the shoot.

Photo-shoots can be extremely intimidating, what tips can you give us how to make the experience more fun and less stressful.

The first photo-shoots are always intimidating, but once you get more acclimated, it becomes so much more fun and not as stressful. Some of the ways I make my shoots fun and interesting are shooting with a photographer I feel confident with, being an active voice in outfit choice for the look I am going for and playing music which pumps me up and motivates me.