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!