Fit To Fabulous 7/21/11

"From Fit To Fabulous" 7/21/11
My last entry was exactly two months ago explaining how excited I was about finally trimming down and seeing results after setting a goal back in February that I wasn't able to meet in a short period of time. My objective was to go from a weight of 137 lbs. to 132 lbs. (which I hadn't weighed in over 15 years) just to prove to myself that I could do it. I explained in my earlier blogs that I do NOT consider weight on a scale as the most reliable way of measuring progress when it comes to trimming down and becoming more defined, because muscle weighs more than fat and a loss of body fat cannot be determined accurately on a scale.
My very first time singing on a stage, performing my song "Ride It Like A Cowgirl" (available on iTunes) was June 3rd at Georgie's Bar in Asbury Park, NJ. I was really conscerned how I'd look on stage under those lights in a bikini. I didn't reach my goal, but I did get down to 133 1/2 pounds which was pretty close. It really I was pleasantly suprised that my biggest critic, the Naked Cowboy (also my significant other) actually said that I looked good, words I rarely hear from his hypercritical mouth.
The problem with going on a "diet" for a certain period of time to look a certain way for a specific date/event is that once that date/event is over, so is the motivation to keep up the hard work and sacrifice it took to get there. That is why it is so important to make changes in your eating patterns and lifestyle habits so your body's appearance is a permanent change.
Luckily I had an even bigger reason to continue to pursuing my goal to get even leaner and more defined... and YES, reach 132 pounds just to know I can! A few weeks later I had a photo shoot for an advertisement that will promote not only me as Naked Cowgirl, Cindy Fox, but several other companies/celebrities. I had Celebrity Hair Stylist Eric Alt doing my hair, Celebrity Make-up Artist Douglas Ortega doing my make-up, direction of the shoot by my manager and artist/performer Lori Michaels, and photography by the amazing Rula Kanawati. Being a person of high standards and expectations, as is my whole team, I have to say "I looked Marvelous"! It's been quite a while since I've said that about myself. I did slack off a little bit, but nothing out of control.
I know many people who get plastic surgery do not like discussing it, but I am very open about the breast implants I have and the fact that I just had to have them replace AGAIN due to problems. After all, you can't nurse 3 children and think your breasts are ever going to be the same. I went from midnight (the night before) until my surgery at 3:30 pm with no water or food (of coffee!!!) so I'm sure that would've made a difference on the scale of a couple pounds, but when I was waiting to into surgery, I stepped on the doctor's scale and I was 130 pounds...YAY!!!!It's been 2 1/2 weeks since the surgery and I haven't been able to go running, teach my classes, or lift any heavy weights with my upper body so without burning those extra calories, I'm sure I've gained a few back, but it's only temporary. My workouts have been cut in half and are much less intense right now but I need to do something to keep my sanity...it's a physiological, as well as a mental thing. I'd love to post a photo from my photo shoot, but am not allowed at this time since it's for an advertisement that isn't out yet, but if you search on Youtube "Planet Sun and Naked Cowgirl" you should find a little teaser of a video clip.

"Fit To Fabulous" Update

May 21, 2011
Back in February I started an accountability journal and called it "Fit To Fabulous in 14 Days". I blogged each day about everything I ate, all of my workouts, and my weight on day 1, day 5 or 6, and on day 14. I must reiterate that I do NOT normally weigh myself often, and only once a week if I'm actually trying to lose "weight". I also want to be clear that the scale is NOT the most accurate way to measure your success if your objective is to lose body fat.
A very fat person can lose a lot of "weight" on a scale quickly if he/she suddenly starts dieting or exercising. When you're down to the last 5 or 10 "pounds" you're trying to lose, it's going to be much slower. If you're lifting weights and dieting, you will gain muscle and lose fat which will make you more defined and look thinner, but since muscle weighs more than fat, on the scale it will seem that you haven't lost anything. That is why it is important to get your body fat% measured before you begin so you know exactly how much you've accomplished.
If you've read my 14-day journal on here, you'll see that I did a lot of working out (more than usual), which included both weight training and a variety of cardiovascular exercise, along with tracking my food. I am practically vegan and my eating habits are generally very healthy so I didn't claim to be "dieting", although I wrote everything down so I would know if I needed to make changes along the way. I started weighing 137lbs with the goal of getting down to 132, which I haven't seen in about 16 years. After 14 days of increased workouts, I actually gained 1 pound. I was furious and depressed and stopped doing my journal, which I know made it worse.
In my conclusion to that journal I tried to stress the importance of being consistent and NOT giving up! I hoped it at least showed all the people who come to me for fitness advice that I also have to work very hard to stay in shape and I completely understand what they are going through.
Now it is 3 months later and I have 13 days until my first performance as "Naked Cowgirl" singing my new song "Ride It Like A Cowgirl" available on iTunes. You can text "cowgirl" to 82257 for udates on events and also find me on Facebook as "Naked Cowgirl" for details about the show.

I started "dieting" 11 days ago, which for me means cutting back calories, but trying not to cut back my protein, since my intake of that is a little low as a vegan. I've also been running a bit more, so to compensate I've started lifting heavier weights so I don't lose my muscle. I weighed just under 136 last Tuesday when I started and was down to 133 1/2 this past Tuesday. Well, gotta Run! Check out my website www.cindyfoxfitness.com and follow my links to Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace and remember...NO EXCUSES!

Cindy Fox Fitness- Be Inspired!: Tasty Samples at the Boston Seafood Convention

Cindy Fox Fitness- Be Inspired!: Tasty Samples at the Boston Seafood Convention: "Blue Island Shellfish Farms, a Long Island Company, has been selling 'Naked Cowboy Oysters' which are pulled right out the Long Island Soun..."

Tasty Samples at the Boston Seafood Convention

Blue Island Shellfish Farms, a Long Island Company, has been selling "Naked Cowboy Oysters" which are pulled right out the Long Island Sound since spring 2010. It started locally with orders from restaurants in New York (of course!), New Jersey, and Connecticut and has spread across the United States with a high demand of repeat orders. Chris Quartuccio, the owner brought Naked Cowboy and myself to Boston this past weekend to promote the oysters at the Boston Seafood Convention.
We stayed in the Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common which was very nice and in a great location 2 miles from the convention center. There was a Chinese restaurant we had lunch at around the block that looked like it must have been a big ballroom at one time, filled with a bunch of round tables like a cafeteria. There were workers walking around with carts of different dishes that we could just take and eat, rather than ordering a meal. I though the woman said the one item was "tofu" so I took it and ate one of the 3 wrapped "things". I had a very strong feeling that not only was it NOT tofu, but that I must have just eaten meat of some sort. Being vegetarian for over 2 years, that didn't sit well with me. I'm sure it was probably psychosomatic, but my stomach didn't feel well after that.
Since I was just a guest at the convention, I got to walk around and sample a few things. Although I love fish, the only fish I now eat are the ones with no central nervous systems such as Oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops, so it was definitely a bit of a tease for me. I took a recipe card for "Oyster Milk Soup" from the Louisiana Seafood stand. I figured I could substitute the milk with soy milk and see how it turns out, and of course get my oysters from Blue Island Shellfish Farms. I sampled some mussels from Prince Edward Aqua Farms, Inc, and also some type of "seafood sausage" made with scallops from Poissonnerie PRO-MER Seafood...very interesting.
At the other end of the building was a Food Networking Convention...that's when it got really tempting for me to walk around! with all of the yummy deserts, cheeses, and other foods a vegan doesn't eat, I was glad that there were a few things I do eat. One vendor called "edibles by jack" (Boston,MA)had these very unique flavored crackers shaped as spoons so you can "scoop" any kind of spread and eat the spoon with it. I tried a lime-flavored one...yummy! Those we go great with the hummus or salsa I eat most nights.
Another vendor called "DON'S Salads" (Schwenksville, PA)had some fantastic salads, especially the Morocccan Couscous, and Wheatberry Salad. I can eat that stuff everyday! There were also some great coffee vendors and several alcohol distributors with tables. I'm not a beer drinker, but I did sample a few that I thought were pretty good...for beer. Two beers I liked were Rasberry Wheat made by Woodstock Inn Brewery and the other was Brown Dog Ale made by Smuttynose Brewing Company. I also tried a DonQ Gold Strawberry Daiquiri which is great for anyone who likes sweeter, fruity drinks. TriMark Foodservice Design, Equipment, and Supplies had a person drawing caricature of people passing by. It was my lucky day...not! Joking aside, it was a great weekend in Boston.

Fit To Fabulous In 14 Days...Conclusion

Sunday, February 6th

Three weeks ago I was in a position in which I had to put my bikini on for important photos as "Naked Cowgirl" and I was feeling a bit insecure because I knew I had slacked off a bit with my workouts (not enough Cardio) and didn't look my best. I signed a contract (I cannot discuss yet) which will require me to be looking my best (according to MY standards) at a moment's notice. So I decided to get serious about my workouts once I returned from London, which was two weeks ago.
I was trying to think of a "catchy" name for my accountability journal and I was originally thinking of "From Fit to Fabulous in 40 Days", which is more realistic, but my "significant other" said that was TOO LONG and nobody will follow it. That is why I called it "From Fit To Fabulous in 14 Days". I honestly didn't except to lose more than 2 pounds in 2 weeks without going on an extreme diet, which I've learned doesn't work for me. I've done the famous "Lemonade Diet" for 5 or 7 days and lost 9lbs, but by the 11th day I gained it all back! It's taken me a VERY LONG time to learn to stop obsessing so much and I'm not about to regress with a crazy diet.
As I recorded exactly 2 weeks ago, I weighed in at 137lbs, in the morning, before eating, at Retro Fitness in Secaucus. I didn't really change my eating because I already eat very healthy, I did make a point of doing 40-60 mins. of a variety of cardiovascular activity 12 of the 14 days. I weighed exactly the same after the 1st week, which I figured was because I was dealing with my PMS bloating. Although I did eat more snacks that usual last night, I did think I'd have lost at least a pound since 2 weeks ago. Actually, I was 138 lbs. this morning...yes, 1lb. heavier than when I started!!!!
Needless to say, I cursed out the scale, then I got on the treadmill and ran 5 miles (47 mins.) and then felt a tiny bit better (kind of). I have to tell you that I feel that I LOOK BETTER today than I did 14 days ago, regardless of the scale. My underlying goal 2 weeks ago was to see if I could get down to 132lbs. by February 28th. I got down to 135 over the summer, but I was doing very little weight training and a lot of running, and probably eating less. I don't think I've weighed 132 in about 16 years, and that was when I was on a very strict diet training for a Fitness Competition.
What I hope you have learned from this experience of mine is that: #1...consistency is the most important thing, #2...the scale is not the best method of judging your physique, #3...if you give up it will only get WORSE and so will you HEALTH, and #4...I work extremely hard to look the way I do when some people don't have to work nearly as hard. I am not going to log my food and workout each day, but I am going to continue working just as hard and weigh in once a week. I am going to Daytona Beach, Florida for 2 days during Bike Week March 5th & 6th and I intend on looking and feeling FABULOUS!!!
P.S. I'm putting a before photo (in London with pants) and after photo (today in Times Square) to show the slight difference in improvement despite the extra pound I gained.

Day Fourteen of "Accountability Journal"...Cindy Fox Fitness

I've been writing my journal entries usually in the morning, recording the previous day's account for food and workouts. It is actually 4:47am Saturday morning right now and although I went to bed at midnight, I've been laying in bed awake since 4:13 when I was awoken by "snake" dreams. For those of you who really know me, I've had a bad phobia of snakes my whole life with frequent nightmares about them. For any of you trying to psychoanalyze me, I already know they represent a "control" issue of some sort in my life depending on my life situations at the time.
As for the reason for the dream tonight, I was out with friends at Cheeseburger in Paradise with some high school friends who were correcting the pronunciation of our town "Secaucus", which is usually mispronounced by anyone NOT from here (pronounced like SEEcaucus) to a non-resident. I told my friends that I was told when I was growing up that it was the Indian name for "land of the snakes", which I always though was ironic that I was living in a town with that name.
I realize this is considered "day 14" because I started recording everything 2 weeks ago on a Saturday, but did my first weigh-in on that Sunday. I really planned on finishing out this journal on Saturday and weighing myself again on Sunday so it was 2 complete weeks. So anyway, here is yesterday's journal:

Friday, February 4th

-7am 2 cups of coffee at home
-9:15am protein bar
*9:30am taught a 45 min. sculpting class at the Secaucus Recreation Center
-11:30am leaving for work in a hurry, I made a mini whole wheat bagel with a slice of soy cheese and a piece of Tofu with salt and pepper and ate it in the car
*worked at HUMC 12-6

-1:45pm 2 packets of sugar-free instant oatmeal (Maple sugar flavored)
-4:15PM (on break at work) had a Starbuck's Iced Coffee with Peppermint, Soy milk and sweet n low with a small bag of soy crisps
*5:00pm took a Brazilian Basics Acai' Blend pill to give me a burst of energy to go to the gym after work and get my hour of cardio in
*For more information on Brazilian Basics Body Slim and other products they have, go to http://www.cindyfoxfitness.com/ and go to their link.
-5:30pm had a Luna Bar

-7PM had a cup of coffee waiting for Robert so we could go to the gym together (too much caffeine for the day, which might be why I woke up again at 4am)
*went to Retro Fitness, Secaucus and did an hour on the treadmill; ran/jogged 5 miles in 46:47 mins. and then went to a power walk on an incline of 3.5-2.0 and walked one more mile in the remaining 13 mins....then I just stretched
-9:30pm Robert and I met some of my high school friends at Cheeseburger in Paradise and had two drinks (kind of a Margarita, but I tell them very little of the sugary Margarita mix).
-11PM home watching Seinfeld repeats eating 1/2 a bag of Quaker Cheddar flavored rice cakes with Hummus and Tofu
*12:00 BED

Day Thirteen of "Accountability Journal"...Cindy Fox Fitness

Thursday, February 3rd

I had a great day, very productive!

-6:45am 2 cups of coffee
-9:45am Protein Bar
*Went tanning & got my eyebrows waxed at Tahitian Tan, post office, dr. apt...

-12:00pm Starbuck's Iced Coffee and "The Kind Bar", which is nuts and dried fruit
*taught a 12:15 spin class at VIP Fitness, Lyndhurst
-2:00pm Protein shake with banana, water/soy milk, flax seeds and Cinnamon

*3:30pm Had a GREAT meeting with Lori Michaels pertaining to my "big project" coming up!
*6:15pm attempted to get my son's hair cut, but there was a line and he didn't want to wait

-7:00pm 2 glasses of In Suto Merlot, Chilean wine (very good)
(ate 5 smileface fries and a few mouthfuls of rice a roni while I was cooking for the family)
-9:30pm rice cakes with hummus and Tofu
-10:00pm cheddar pretzels
*11:15pm BED

Day Twelve of "Accountability Journal"...Cindy Fox Fitness

Wednesday, February 2nd

I woke up in much better spirits today now that my hormones are back in line.... Cindy Fox Fitness is back!!!

-7:00am 2 cups of coffee (of course)

-10am went to Retro Fitness and did 45 mins. of weight machines and abs with my friend Miriam Weiner, "Routes To Roots" (very successful genealogist). I then did 32 mins. on the Elliptical (level 6-9) with Robert (Naked Cowboy)

-12:30pm grilled veggies left over from the night before
*highlighted my own hair:)
-3:00pm EAS Soy Protein shake with a banana, water/soy milk, ice, flax seeds, and cinnamon in blender
-3:30pm coffee & a Luna Bar

*5pm trained a client at VIP Fitness, Lyndhurst
*6pm trained a client at Secaucus Recreation Center
*7:30 cooked Hamburger Helper for the kids and fish and veggies for Robert (unfortunately, I have to buy and cook animals and fish as much as it bothers me, but I am "Mom" first)

*2 glasses of wine (Manuel Campos, Tempranillo)
(Watched "Untamed Heart" with Christian Slater and Marissa Tomei)
*rice cakes with Hummus
*cheddar pretzels
-11:30pm BED

Day Eleven of "Accountability Journal"...Cindy Fox Fitness

Tuesday, January 1st

I've mentioned a couple times this week that I was feeling a little down and defeated and it's more than likely due to the hormonal imbalance I've been experiencing due to PMS, and some other things. Usually once I get "it", the mood almost instantly lifts. Although no sign of "it" yet, and despite the fact that I woke up completely drenched and had to change my clothes in the middle of the night, I'm actually in a better mood today. Of course any other issues going on in my life personally is going to have an effect on my mood and exaggerate my emotions, but this journal is not about that. Here it is:

* someone emailed me wanting to know which protein bars I eat...I look for ones that have no animal products or dairy in them: Luna Bars, Cliff Bars, Odwalla Bars, and recently I've been eating some other ones (can't mention the name) that are samples for me to try, also vegan.

-7:00am 1 cup of coffee
-7:30am 1 cup of coffee in the car driving my son to school

*Went straight to Quest Fitness, Hasbrouck Hts. were I had to teach a class at 9:30
*45 mins. on a different kind of Elliptical than I usually use (think it's called Cybex or something like that)
*8 Mins. on Rowing Machine
*taught a 1-hour Power sculpt Class

-11am ate a Luna Bar while food shopping
-1:00pm EAS SOY Protein Shake with Water/soy milk, flax seeds, and ice in blender
-3:00pm coffee at home (Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla) with sweet n low and non-dairy creamer

-4:30 went to Retro Fitness with Robert (Naked Cowboy)
* 30 mins. on treadmill (3 miles)
*3 sets of squats...20 reps of 30lbs, 15 reps. of 40lbs, 13 reps. of 40lbs
*3 sets of biceps 30lb. barbell curls, single arm cable curls, 20lb barbell curls
*3 sets of the kickback machine for hamstrings and glutes
*13 mins. on Stairclimber

**I said I wouldn't weigh myself anytime but the morning, but I couldn't resist since it had been another 5 days.....still 137lbs!

-6:30pm 2 Boca Burgers with 1 slice of soy cheese, pickles, and ketchup (no bread)
-8:00pm grilled veggies (cauliflower & eggplant with a little olive oil, salt and pepper)
-9:00pm cheddar pretzels

*We watched "Man On a Wire"...very interesting
*10:30pm Bed!

Day Ten of "Accountability Journal"

Monday, January 31st

-7:00am 2 cups of coffee home
-9:00am Luna Bar
-9:30am taught a 45 min. sculpting class at Secaucus Rec. Ctr.
*went to doctor, made some annoying phone calls, etc..
-12:00pm EAS Soy Protein Shake with water, flaxseed, and a banana

-3:00pm salad w/collard greens, tomatoes, muschrooms, a slice of soy cheese & chick peas with balsamic dressing
-4:45pm coffee
*5:00pm trained a client at VIP Fitness
*6:00pm took dog to vet to remove his cast
7:30pm (pitty party starts) 2 glasses of red wine
-9:00pm a bag of rice cakes (Quaker Rosemary & lemon flavored)
-10:30pm a bowl of Kaeshi cereal with soy milk (I almost NEVER eat cereal with milk)
*11:30pm BED
****1:30-2:30 am AWAKE AND SITTING UP READING WITH DECAF COFFEE

Day Nine of "Accountability Journal"...Cindy Fox Fitness

Sunday, January 30th

I didn't DARE weigh myself in the morning knowing there was a chance the scale went up. If there's one thing I've learned over the years is to NOT get on a scale when I am PMSing and feeling FAT! That would just set myself up for a miserable day before it even began.

Food and Workout for the Day:

-7am 2 cups of coffee home
*9am went to Retro Fitness with Robert for some cardio and weight training
**33 mins. on the Elliptical (level 6-9)
**2 sets of D.B Rows for back (25 lb. D.B.'s) 15 reps for both sets
**Superset with 2 sets of Straddle Squats into upright rows with 10lb. D.B (20 reps)
**3 sets of cable flys for chest (30lbs/ 15 reps)
**Superset with dead lifts for Hamstrings/Glutes with 30lb. Barbell (20 reps)

(trained a client at 11:15)

-10:30am Protein Shake with soy protein, water/soy milk, flax seeds & ice in Blender
-11am 2 Boca Burgers on plate with ketchup and pickles (no bread)
-1:00pm Iced Coffee from Starbucks w/soy milk and peppermint/sweet n low
(Worked at HUMC from 1-9pm)

-3:00pm bowl of Brussel Sprouts with salt & pepper (brought a frozen bag to work with a bowl and microwaved them)
-4:00pm Odwalla Bar
-5:00pm coffee with non-dairy creamer & sweet n low
-7:45pm bowl of Brussel Sprouts

-10:00pm cheddar pretzels
-11:30 Bed

Day Eight of "Accountability Journal"...Cindy Fox Fitness

Sunday, January 30th

There's a part of me wishing I didn't put this out there for everyone to read because I feel that it's probably a disappointment to some people who might be reading it. My intentions were to get inspired and do better since I had to be "accountable" for everything I ate and for my workouts and hopefully show other people that it is also a lot of work for me as well to be in shape.
In a way, I do think it has kept me pretty consistent with my cardio workouts, although it hasn't really curbed my snacking, which I've been doing since I was little. At least now my "snacks" aren't ice cream, licorice, nachos, etc... If your detecting a bit of "negativity" from me at this point, this is just a result of my PMS, which starts 7-10 days prior to the onset. Unfortunately, I was thinking of that when I started this, but after so many years of it, I can at least recognize it and not let it take over me. Oh well, here it is:

Food and Workout for the Day

-7:00am 2 cups of coffee home
-9:15am protein bar on way to gym

*35 mins. Elliptical (level 6-8)
*13 mins. on Stepper (level 1) it seemed a little easier today than the first time I tried it

(trained 2 clients)
-11:45am had a big salad with spinach and collard greens, tofu, tomatoes, mushrooms, and balsamic dressing
-2:00pm coffee at work (worked 1-9pm at HUMC)
-3:30pm protein bar
-5:30pm small bag of Soy Crisps from Duane Reade & Iced Coffee w/Peppermint & Soy milk from Starbucks

-9:00pm Luna Bar on way home from work
-10:00pm cheddar pretzels
-10:30 rice cakes with hummus
*11:30 BED

-

Day Seven of "Accountability Journal"...Cindy Fox Fitness

Friday, January 28th

I've been getting frustrated with the fact that I've continued eating my snacks at night regardless of the fact that I haven't lost 1 pound in a week, although I felt thinner yesterday morning. Now I realize for sure it's PMS that has me feeling down a bit and keeping me from loosing anything right now....the cramps are kicking in! I normally gain a couple pounds right about now, so I'm sure by this time next week, I'll see some better results. For any of you who suffer from PMS, it's important to sometimes step out of yourself and look at things from an outsider's perspective, because the inside feelings are really trying to mess with you...lol.

With that said, here is my food/workout journal for the day:

-6:30am 2 cups of coffee
-9:15am (on way to to gym) a Protein Bar (can't mention the name because they are samples sent to me by the company to try)

*9:30 taught a 45 min. Sculpting class (Secaucus Recreation Center)
*10:15 taught a 45 min. Cardio Dance Mix (Same place)

-12:00pm ate another bar in car on way to Hackensack Univ. Med. Ctr. (was running late for work)
-3:30pm 2 packets of sugar free maple syrup oatmeal
-5:15pm a 1-pint cup of mixed vegetables w/some roasted potatoes from Cafe' Policastro (on my break at work...worked until 6:30)

-8:00pm Tofu w/hummus on rice cakes
-9:00pm Baked Tostitos with Salsa
(we watched "A Love Affair" with Warren Beaty and Annette Benning...good movie!)

*10:45 Bed

Day Six of "Accountability Journal"...Cindy Fox Fitness

Thursday, January 27th

Like most other people in New Jersey, I woke up to the "school's closed" voicemail and sound of shoveling. Luckily, I didn't have to work at the hospital because I would've been out there shoveling already too. Aside from training a few clients, which got cancelled, I was supposed to teach a spin class at VIP Fitness at noon, but that was also cancelled. Luckily, the gym where I first weighed-in at was open so I was able to go weigh myself and get in my workout
for the day. Needless to say, I was very disappointed to see the scale still at 137 after all of this cardio I've been doing.
I need to say this so no one misinterprets what my objective is here. People get so caught up on the number on the scale (myself included, sometimes). The fact is, if you recently started working out with weights and doing cardiovascular activity, you're body fat % should go done, unless you're eating more calories to compensate for the calories you're burning off. If you want to see a "change" then you need to do something differently. I was running a lot during the summer and doing less weight training and weighed 135. In the fall, my running cut back and my weight training increased and I was up to 138, all with the same amount of food intake. So my plan here is to increase my cardio without making a big change in my eating, but to be cautious of how much I'm eating. I know my body fat % can be lower and I'd feel better. When that happens, I will weigh less on the scale as well because I'm not increasing my weight training. I'd like to see what 132 lbs. looks like again. It's been about 15 years since I've seen it (after doing a fitness contest at 29 yrs. old).

Food & Workouts:

-7am 2 cups of coffee
*9:30 shoveled for 1/2 hour
-10am a Luna Bar

* weighed-in 137 lbs.....did 20 mins. of Elliptical level 7

-2pm spinach salad w/ tomatoes, 1 slice of soy cheese, and balsamic dressing
-2:45 a Full Bar

*4pm went back to Retro Fitness with Robert (Naked Cowboy) for more cardio:
---35 mins. of Elliptical level 6-8 (forward and reverse)
---15 mins. Lifestyle Stair climber level 1 (wow, that's hard! I never tried that one before)

-5:30 Protein Shake with EAS Soy protein powder, 1/2 water/1/2 soy milk, flax seeds

-7pm 1 & 1/2 glasses of red wine
(had a few mouthfuls of angel hair pasta I cooked for the kids)
-8pm baked veggies (I spray the pan with Pam cooking spray, cut up cauliflower, spaghetti squash, and sliced mushrooms; then sprayed the top with Pam and sprinkled fresh garlic, salt & pepper....yummy!)
-9pm Baked Tostitos with salsa
*10:30pm BED

****I do take daily vitamins: C, Calcium, Probiotics, B12, D, Lutein (for eyes), and sometimes Iron (slightly anemic). I used to take Chromium Picolinate daily but ran out and keep forgetting to buy more.

Day Five of "Accountability Journal"...Cindy Fox Fitness

Wednesday, January 26th

I was planning on going back to Retro Fitness definitely by Tuesday or Wednesday morning to weigh in, but that didn't happen. I had to be at St. Joseph's hospital first thing in the morning with my son for an outpatient procedure. He is fine except the poor kid had to have NOTHING but liquid for over 24 hours. I have to say, he did better than I ever did on any of my "liquid diets". He even had the option of eating some jello at night and didn't want it!

Food For the Day:

-6:30am 2 cups of coffee home (non-dairy creamer & sweet n low)
-10:30am protein bar & med. cup of hazlenut coffee with soy milk (at hospital while waiting)
-1:30pm we went to Friendly's and I ordered vegetable stir-fry with white rice & a seltzer/lemon

-2:45pm went to Walmart for some groceries and ate a Lunar Bar while shopping
-4:00pm 2 cups of coffee home

*Finally got to the gym!!! ( would definitely NOT weigh myself in the evening)
Went to Retro Fitness, which is down the block from my house, with Robert (Naked Cowboy).

* did 46 minutes on treadmill, 5 miles (walked 5 mins. then jogged between 6.0-7.5 mph)
* went on elliptical 15 mins. (2 miles) level 6-8
The perfect remedy to get rid of the "crankies"!!!

-8pm 1 & 1/2 glasses of Penfold's Rawson's Retreat Shiraz/Cabernet
-9pm Quaker rice cakes with hummus
-10pm pretzels
*10:30pm BED

Day Four of "Accountability Journal"...Cindy Fox Fitness

Tuesday, January, 25th
I will admit that I'm feeling a bit discouraged and I'm not sure if it's just PMS sneaking up on me or the fact that I didn't get to do cardio and feel like I broke my own goal of 1 hour of cardio each day for two weeks. I hear this from my clients and now you're hearing it from me. Family and work completely consumed my day yesterday into the night and I just couldn't squeeze it in.
My plan was to be out of the house by 8am to get to the gym to weigh myself and do cardio, get to the other gym to teach at 9:30, shower and get to the hospital by noon. Since we only have 1 bathroom and someone went into the shower just as I was about to, everything got pushed back and....well, I was in "a mood" for a while.

Food:

9am Luna Bar (on way to teach a class)
*9:30am taught 1 hour Powersculpt Class at Quest Fitness, Hasbrouck Hts.
11:45 mixed grilled veggies (From Cafe' Policastro before work
1:15 Odwalla Bar at work
2:30 handful of pretzels with some hummus at work
4pm Iced Coffee from Starbucks
7pm Luna Bar on way home from work
8pm Penfold's Rawson's Retreat Shiraz/Cabernet (1 & 1/2 glasses)
*practiced on guitar 1/2 hour
9pm rice cakes with hummus and Tofu
10pm some pretzels
*11pm BED

Day Three "Accountability Journal"...Cindy Fox Fitness

Monday, January 24th

My day started at 6:30am the usually way with 2 cups of coffee and ate a protein bar (9:15am) on the way to the Secaucus Recreation Center, where I taught a class.

-9:30am taught a 45 min. sculpting class using dumbbells and a mat for floor exercises

-went to VIP Fitness in Lyndhurst to use their studio, which has a big flat screen t.v. and DVD player. I popped in my Les Mills Body Attack 71 DVD, for the first time and got a cardio workout

-1pm Protein shake with half water, half soy milk, 2 tbs. flax seeds, 1/2 banana (ate the rest)
-2:45 2 Boca Burgers w/ 2 slices of soy cheese, pickles and ketchup (no bread)
-4:15 Protein bar on way to Harmon Cove Towers to train a client for 1 hour

*was out of the house with 2 back-to-back clients, a meeting 7-8:30, the vegetable market, and CVS (got home close to 9pm)

-8:30 ate a nut & fruit bar (from Starbucks) on the way home. Luckily, I had it in my bag (I was getting hungry)
-9:30 ate the 1/2 pint of white rice (with salt) that was left on the counter from the Chinese food the family ordered. I usually try to avoid starchy foods before bed
-10:30 should've just gone to bed, but nooooo, I had to start munching on those darn honey mustard pretzels again (not too much though)
*11:30 Bed

I think my next weigh-in will be Tuesday morning since I don't think I can get to the gym Wednesday morning and i want to be consistent with the same time on the same scale. If I didn't lose 1 pound, it's because of all of the snacks I had been eating at night....we'll see!

Day Two of "Accountability" Journal...Cindy Fox Fitness

Sunday, January, 23rd

I started the morning with my usual 2 cups of coffee at home while waking up and checking emails. I decided to workout on an empty stomach so my body would start burning the "stored" sugar and fat, rather than have extra calories to work off. I don't always do this though.

Workout of the day:

-walked on treadmill with slight incline 14 mins. doing one mile (a good warm-up)
-3 sets of dumbbell flys: 20lb D.B's/30 reps, 25lb's. D.B./15 reps, 25 lb. D.B. 12 reps
-3 sets dumbbell bicep curls with 20lb. D.B's
-3 sets tricep press downs with cables (single arm) 20 lbs. 12-15 reps.
-3 sets of "kickbacks" on machine for glutes and hamstrings (although I felt my quads on this particular machine)

-jogged 3.35 miles on treadmill in 30 mins.
-15 mins. on elliptical (1.5 miles) on levels 7-9

Food:

-protein bar (was meeting my mom, aunt Barbara, and friend Miriam at diner and knew there would be nothing there I should/would eat...just had 2 more cups of coffee there)

-2 Tofu hot dogs with a slice of soy cheese on a mini-wheat bagel with ketchup (at home)
-bowl of spinach leaves with a tomato and balsamic dressing

-Starbucks iced coffee with soy milk, peppermint, and sweet n low (at Barnes & Noble with Robert and my Godson, Joseph)

-2 glasses of red wine
-cheddar cheese pretzels

-a whole bag of Quaker Rice Cakes (Lemon and Rosemary flavored) with Hummus (a bit too much)

Day One of "Accountability" Journal...Cindy Fox Fitness

For anyone reading this that doesn't already know, I'm mostly vegan with the exception of occasionally using half n half in my coffee if I can't get soy milk. If I'm home I use non-dairy creamer. That means I don't eat animals or anything made with eggs or milk, and the only fish I'll eat is scallops, mussels, clams (if cooked) and of course, Blue Island Shellfish Farm's Naked Cowboy Oysters! Most of my protein intake is from soy products, chickpeas, beans, soy protein powder, and protein bars not made with milk or eggs.

Saturday, January 22nd (mentally preparing, but NOT weighed in until Sunday)

7am- 2 cups of coffee (sweet n low and non-dairy creamer)
9am- Protein Bar (new one...was sent a case to try)

workout (Retro Fitness)
-light weight workout with machines...7 sets in total and some abdominal work on mat
-36 minutes on treadmill (4.1 miles)
30 minutes on elliptical (forward and reverse), level 6 (3.08 miles)

-11:45am... soy protein shake w/ half water/half soy milk light & 2 tbs. of flax seeds
-1:30pm... bowl of green beans left in fridge (I think it had margarine on it)
-2:30... (wanted to eat, but got a coffee instead) Starbucks grande iced coffee with peppermint, soy milk & sweet n low
-3:00... a Luna Bar while food shopping

-6:30... pm started drinking wine (red, 2 & 1/2 glasses with ice throughout the night) and practiced guitar for 45 mins. (I had been slacking)
-8pm... (getting into the bewitching hours...the snacking begins) started snacking on honey mustard pretzels while cooking for family (chicken, rice, and mixed vegetables). Unfortunately, I still have to cook things for them that I don't eat, but I made myself grilled eggplant, red pepper, and mushrooms and ate a few mouthfuls of white rice
-9:30... 1/2 bag (the bigger one) of Quaker Rice Cakes (lemon and rosemary flavored) with hummus
*Bed by 11pm

First Weigh-In Sunday morning at Retro Fitness (will only use the same scale with clothes and NO shoes, in the morning, every 3 to 4 days)....137 lbs.

* just for perspective...I weighed 128 when I graduated high school, went up to 150 by 19 yrs. old, down to 125 for a bodybuilding, and have fluctuated between 134 and 148 during my bulimic days. Since I became vegetarian 2 years ago, I dropped down and maintained an average of 135-139. I'd love to see what 130 looks like again:)

From Fit to Fabulous in Fourteen Days!

I'd like to start this blog by saying, "I know I'm not FAT, under most people's description of the word, but when you're in front of a camera and possibly on TV, there's no room for error". When you're wearing revealing clothes (like a bikini), standing in a certain positions can make a "roll" in the mid-section or a shadow that accentuates cellulite, even if there's very little. Just take the tabloid magazines for example; some of the hottest celebrities have been put on the cover in the most unattractive photos.
With that said, I am giving you just a little background of my dieting history so you realize I can TOTALLY relate to what any of you go through with your attempted weight loss. After this first blog, the rest will be more up a journal-type entry with food intake and workouts of the day, and weigh-ins about every 3-4 days, which I usually do only a couple times a month.
All through school I was very active with gymnastics, cheer leading, softball, and by senior year I was an "aerobic instructor" too. I ate whatever I wanted (and I ate a lot!) and never worried much about my body until my senior year when I was nominated "class pin-up", which made me pay attention to my figure. Once I graduated and got an office job where I sat on my butt most of the day, I put on a quick 10 lbs. and NOTHING fit me or looked good anymore. I got very depressed about my job and my chubby body and turned to food for enjoyment. This is when I became "obsessed" with food and my body. Almost all of my thoughts were consumed with what i ate, was going to eat, shouldn't eat, and how much I needed to workout to burn if off.
I tried diet pills, laxatives, Slimfast drinks, starving and then binging, and induced vomiting. I even ended up in the intensive care unit at 18 for taking an overdose of Maximum strength Dexatrims (with caffeine) with the intentions of getting sick and not eating for a few days for a quick fix. I was bulimic from 19 until about 4 years ago (off and on). So I DO KNOW
HOW YOU FEEL!
I have learned to avoid what triggered my binges, which for me was sugar; kind of like an alcohol who can't have JUST ONE DRINK. It's not the 300 calories in a piece of cake that did me in, it was the other 6 pieces that followed. Any EXTREME diet, like liquid diets make my start obsessing and work against me instead of for me. I have decided to do "the best I can do" over the next two weeks without making myself crazy and see what difference it makes. I am calling this "accountability journal" From Fit To Fabulous in Fourteen Days" and will try to log in daily with my initial weight, may daily food intake (good and bad), and my workouts for the day. Stay tuned if you're interested.