It's All About Balance

Does the "hustle and bustle" of the holidays get you stressed out and thrown off your daily routine? With the extra shopping and spending, the cleaning and decorating of the house, preparing and cooking for family and guests, and the pressure of trying to please everyone...no wonder so many people get stressed out and loose their "inner peace" this time of year. "Eat, drink, and be merry", doesn't mean gorge yourself with food, drink to oblivion, and pretend to be so "merry" that you loose yourself in the "act".


I'm not sure that other cultures or religions, outside of Christianity in the United States, go to the same extent as most of us do in celebrating "the holiday" Christmas has become. I'll admit that it has become for many a very materialized holiday filled with overindulgence and not much reflection of why we celebrate Christmas. I'm not knocking it all because I love the whole "spirit" of Christmas", but I too get caught up in the "pressures of pleasing" and all that it entails. Here are some ways I've learned to maintain "balance" this time of year:

-I keep up with my regular workouts (for the most part). I work off any "negative energy" that may otherwise stress me out; plus it increases my endorphins, the "happy hormones" which get released from physical exertion.

-When I see that my co-workers have brought "tempting" deserts and fattening foods into the lounge for everyone, I head right to my locker and grab a protein bar or start munching on some rice cakes; or I'll take an early lunch to make sure I'm not hungry when I walk into the break room. I can resist temptation much better if my sugar level isn't crashing...don't get to that point!

-When it comes to shopping for gifts, I make a list of who I need to buy for and what I'd like to get them. I may look in the fliers to see which stores have what I need at the best price so I can save time by going to the place that has the most of what I need in one shot (time management!).

- I try to buy ONLY gifts and things I REALLY need right away. I remind myself that I can shop for myself after Christmas...January Clearance Sales!!

- Not only do I NOT suggest wrapping all 30+ gifts at one sitting, but don't wait until the night before to realize you have 15 gifts for one child and only 7 for the other! There are only so many "girl" gifts you can put into the "boy's" pile on Christmas Eve without upsetting someone.

The main thing is to appreciate the time spent with the people you love. As we get closer to Christmas (the holiday I celebrate), I'll start to remember some other possible "triggers" that can offset your "Balance" and "Peace of Mind"...Deep cleansing Breath...ahhhh:)

Chat Room Buddies

My last blog, "Under a Magnifying Glass" was entered only a few weeks after "www.nakedcowboy.tv", a live webcam came to live in my house. I initially found it very intrusive and became self-conscious of how I looked at all times. We even went on a tv show called "Cristina's Court" with Judge Cristina Perez to discuss our differences pertaining to the idea of "live 24/7", which will be aired in November. Right now, we turn it off when we go to sleep, which was my decision. It's been over 3 months since we got and I'm definitely finding advantages to having it.

Nakedcowboy.tv also has a chat room where people from all over the world can interact with us and each other. In August I started "CINDY'S 7am COFFEE CLUB" which has had a great turn out. There's a group of "regulars" plus new people logging on everyday to "chat" with me as they drink their first cup of coffee in the morning...and no, you don't have to drink coffee to join in! As a matter of fact, many mornings I'm chatting with people from Australia, Japan, or somewhere in the world who are already having lunch or dinner.

Many of these people have sent me e-mails to info@cindyfoxfitness.com to be added to my mailing list so they will receive e-mails or photo postcards in the mail from me. I recently went to Nashville with Robert (Naked Cowboy) for his CD Release Party, which was a great success and a lot of fun! I was extremely suprised (and excited) when one of my "regulars" from my "Coffee Club" showed up at McFadden's Bar and Restraunt and came up to me and said "Hi Cindy, I'm Criscodance" (his screenname). He and his partner Greg drove 4hrs. from Indiana to come celebrate with us for the weekend.It was awesome!

You can see a 2 min. clip from Nashville by watching the most recent podcast on The Official Naked Cowboy Podcast http://thenakedcowboy.podshowcreator.com/feed.aspx?feedid=1417. AND DON'T FORGET TO JOIN ME AT 7am FOR "CINDY'S COFFEE CLUB" AT www.nakedcowboy.tv!

Under A Magnifying Glass

Don't you love those times when you get all dressed up in your best-fitting clothes for a special night out and your hair and make-up looks perfect, heads are turning and you KNOW you look good? At times like that, I actually like having my picture taken (to prove that I can really look that good!). Then there are those other times when you can't find the right outfit and nothing looks good on (in you own opinion), it's a bad hair day, or for whatever reason, you definitely don't want a photograph taken. Most likely, the only reason you're still going out is because you're obligated to do so; or else you'd be home in your P.J.'s.

How about those "REALITY" shows where people are being filmed from the time they wake up until they go to bed at night? Do you ever wonder if they got up first to put make-up on and fix their hair and then crawl back into bed before the camera guy comes in? Or what about those "heated discussions"? Are they just being dramatic for the camera or is it "Really" how it usually is?

Well, thanks to Justin.tv, I've had a webcam in my house for the last 5 weeks 24/7 filming the infamous "Naked Cowboy" and let me tell you....there's a LOT OF PRESSURE! Ok, so the camera is following him all day, but when he's home (with me) it is catching every move we make, every comment made in the house (naughty or nice!) or my "lack of response" to those comments, my "rolled-out-of-bed" look in the morning, the papers cluttering on the table while I'm checking e-mails, the munching out on Baked Lays Chips(low-fat) in front of the T.V. at night, and everything in between.

Usually, the only time the camera is on me is when I first wake up and having my first cup of coffee, then when I first get back from working out and I'm all sweaty, then again at 10pm when I finally sit down for the first time since my morning coffee and everyone sees me as a couch potato (literally...eat chips). Don't get me wrong, there are advantages to it for me as well. I've met some interesting people in the "chat" room, and it's also been great exposure for me because more people go to my website. I've even had a few people order my fitness videos from "Webland".

What they do not see, however, is me teaching a class at the gym at 9am, training a client, going to the bank and post office for Robert (Naked Cowboy) and myself, working a shift at the hospital, and then going to LA Boxing to take a kickbox class (and possibly train another person). That gives me about 20 mins. at night to open my mail or take care of any of my own stuff while I'm cooking a dinner that I'm not even going to eat.

This brings me to the eating aspect of this whole thing. They only see me drinking coffee and eating baked lays chips and wonder how I can be a fitness instructor. They don't know that my breakfast was a protein bar, my lunch was a salad with balsamic vinegar (no croutons, cheese, pasta, etc..), and everything else is either rice cakes, fat-free frozen yogurt (sometimes), maybe another bar or two, and probably a piece of fish that I'm cooking at night...and lots of coffee!

Did I mention I also have three kids and a boyfriend home waiting for me to give them attention when I get home at 9pm (and dinner)? So, is "Reality TV" what's REALLY going on? I think not!

Never Good Enough?

Whether you've always struggled with your weight or have been thin and always felt flabby, the feeling of DISsatisfaction is not a pleasant feeling. If you lived on a deserted island with no one to see what you looked like or comment on your body, would it still bother you? If the answer is "NO", then you are feeling pressure from family, friends, or society in general. Sometimes the ones closest to us give us the worst complex, perhaps without realizing it (WE HOPE!).

It is in these cases that the very person giving you the complex usually has the worst self-complex, even if he/she seems to be a confident person. These "critical" people have such high standards of what things "should" look like that even they cannot meet up to their own standards and are easily disgusted by any reminder of that. It is important for the development of your own self-esteem to recognize what your "OWN" standards are (not those set by your parents, spouse, etc...) and set YOUR goals accordingly.

If your answer to my first question was "yes", you would still be unhappy with youself if no one was around to see you, then you need to make some changes. The first step is setting realistic goals for yourself and writing them down in a journal of some sort. Make a list of the changes you'll need to make and of the "SUPPORTIVE" people in your life that can help you obtain these goals. It's much easier when you have other people in your life on the same plan. And remember...when you feel you are making progress, don't let ANYONE make you feel as if you haven't!
HELPFUL TIPS:

• Let a nutritionist make some simple revisions to your existing eating habits
• Weight Watcher's is very simple to follow and has a great support system
• Replace old, bad habbits with new "Positive" ones
• Engage in physical activities you can enjoy,rather than sitting around watching TV
• Read inspirational materials to help motivate you, "Awaken The Giant Within", by Anthony Robbins was a big help for me
• Hire a trainer...Cindy Fox Fitness, LLC (that's me!)
• e-mail me with any questions or just for a pep-talk! info@cindyfoxfitness.com

Walking the Red Carpet at Ripley's Grand Opening

This past Thursday evening, June 21st was the grand opening of "Ripley's Believe it Or Not" on 42nd St. in NYC, right next to Madam Tussuad's Wax Museum. Being Naked Cowboy's girlfriend, I had the opportunity to "walk the red carpet" with him and be photographed by dozens of reporters who were there to capture the evening's highlights. Of course they all were curious to know who I was and what was my relation to the Naked Cowboy, which he replied, "this is my girlfriend Cindy Fox, my soul mate".

I handed my business card to one photographer who was trying to get my correct name, and before I knew it I was handing out 10...good thing I came prepared!! It's really exciting getting to partake in these "celebrity" events with him, even though there's that occasional awkward moment when I'm not sure if I should stay next to him or "step away from the cowboy", as he's experienced in the past. So far, I haven't been told that!

Jenny McCarthy came up to him to get a photo with him, as well as many other people who were invited to this event, such as Carmen Electra. There were also some characters walking around who are in the Ripley's book, such as the blond, British woman/sword swallower, the Lizard man (completely tattooed) who had his tongue split into two parts and Teflon bolts put into his forehead.
There were several open bars and tables with appetizers all over. The most unusual food being offered was the desert...chocolate covered bugs...yuck! Robert would've eaten them if they were sugar-free. They gave us gift bags to take home, which included a box of cheddar flavored crickets which he gulped down at one time to impress my daughter, Tiffany (or gross her out!). He even got my son, Dakota, to eat a few. Never a dull moment!

GETTING MOTIVATED TO WORK OUT

As a trainer, (Atlantis Health and Fitness, Secaucus, NJ) I've had many clients over the years who've worked out consistently for a while and made changes in their body and in the way they felt, and then just disappeared! It's like they were abducted or something...no phone call, no excuses, no warning...just gone. How does this happen? If you're laughing about this, then you probably already have the answer, and you're the one I'm still looking for.
There's a few things I tell anyone who is just getting started at the gym or with any exercise program. Set REALISTIC GOALS for yourself. Determine how much time you can spend each day exercising and how many days per week you'll be able to do it. Now put it into your weekly planner (and don't change it for ANYTHING).
Next, know what your objectives are: improve cardiovascular condition, lose weight, build muscle, increase flexibility, have more endurance, ect... I suggest setting some time asside for each of these things to improve your over-all fitness level and to feel GREAT! But let's be realistic, everyone's objectives are different, so make a list of you goals and prioritize them leaving more time for the most important tasks. For example, if you're trying to lose fat, you'll need to spend a little more time on cardiovascular activities, then say, stretching.
Once you know your objectives, look for activities that you enjoy and plan to participate in them. Chances are that your forcing yourself to do something you hate when you can easily find something you'd find fun to do...yes, I said FUN! Maybe you find jogging boring, then try a combination of equipment such as a rower, the stepper, go roller blading, go out for a bike ride, ect.. There are so many classes you can take to make exercising more exciting such as kickboxing, hip hop dance, bellydance (my new favorite thing!), pilates and much more. You can always order one of my fitness DVD's on my website www.cindyfoxfitness.com .If you like it, you'll be more likely to stick to it:)

Feel free to contact me at info@cindyfoxfitness.com

If you've been sitting at your computer for a few hours now, and NOT at work, you're probably overdue to take a break and do something PHYSICAL. I sometimes find myself getting so caught up in a project I've started, that I lose my desire to go out and do anything else.

Get in the shower!!! You probably don't even know the sun is shining today! Take an hour or so to get out of the house and get some fresh (sort of) air and some sunshine on your face. It will lift your spirits, give you a burst of energy, and most likely re-INSPIRE you for when you (undoubtedly) get back on the computer.

Have a Great Day:)
Cindy Fox
www.cindyfoxfitness.com